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The Floodgate :: Каннингем Элейн
Страница: 115 из 212"He is anexcellent tracker and possesses a fine memory. The maps he has made of his travels are quite remarkable. He was riding the Nath when the Crinti raiders took him. Terrible experience, I would imagine. I hear that few sounds can curdle the blood like a Crinti battle yell." He tipped his head to one side, as if he were listening to the shouts and curses coming from the nearby stream.
Not a bag of wind, Kiva realized, but a dangerous man. Nevertheless, she would not be toyed with in such fashion. "What do you want?" she demanded bluntly.
The wizard smiled. "Tell me, Inquisatrix, what news of the far northlands?"
"What makes you think I would know?"
Procopio's white brows rose. "I am willing to share information, even if you are not. I recently had a visit from Matteo. He is looking for you."
"How frightening," Kiva observed blandly. "Perhaps later today, I'll faint."
"He is a persistent young man," Procopio continued as if he hadn't heard her. "He is trying to persuade Queen Beatrix to request Iago's hire. Since Zalathorm's moon-mad queen has no more use for another jordain than a cat has for a second tail, we can assume that Matteo has a task in mind for my jordain-and for his maps and memories."
"You seem to have trouble keeping your counselors," Kiva observed coolly, giving away nothing of the unease building within.
"Indeed. You have been raiding my henhouse quite regularly, Kiva. I would like to know why."
"I am a wizard," she reminded him. "I would not be the first wizard to find a use for magic-resistant servants."
"If you're thinking to use Matteo, perhaps you should reconsider. I never found him a particularly docile tool."
"Neither is his father, but I find him useful all the same."
A silence fell as Procopio considered this truth disguised as falsehood. The jordaini were the offspring of wizards, and no Halruaan would believe that any of their wizards could be subject to an elf woman. "On whose behalf do you act?" asked Procopio, predictably enough.
Kiva laughed scornfully. "No wizard holds my leash. I command myself."
To her surprise, relief flickered in Procopio's eyes-not the patronizing incredulity that she anticipated.
"How much can you expect to gain from any wizard weak enough to yield to your control? A partnership between near equals, however, could be of great benefit to both."
"What could you possibly give me?" Her tone was scornful but not so scathing that it couldn't be interpreted as genuine inquiry.
Procopio caught the nuance.
Not a bag of wind, Kiva realized, but a dangerous man. Nevertheless, she would not be toyed with in such fashion. "What do you want?" she demanded bluntly.
The wizard smiled. "Tell me, Inquisatrix, what news of the far northlands?"
"What makes you think I would know?"
Procopio's white brows rose. "I am willing to share information, even if you are not. I recently had a visit from Matteo. He is looking for you."
"How frightening," Kiva observed blandly. "Perhaps later today, I'll faint."
"He is a persistent young man," Procopio continued as if he hadn't heard her. "He is trying to persuade Queen Beatrix to request Iago's hire. Since Zalathorm's moon-mad queen has no more use for another jordain than a cat has for a second tail, we can assume that Matteo has a task in mind for my jordain-and for his maps and memories."
"You seem to have trouble keeping your counselors," Kiva observed coolly, giving away nothing of the unease building within.
"Indeed. You have been raiding my henhouse quite regularly, Kiva. I would like to know why."
"I am a wizard," she reminded him. "I would not be the first wizard to find a use for magic-resistant servants."
"If you're thinking to use Matteo, perhaps you should reconsider. I never found him a particularly docile tool."
"Neither is his father, but I find him useful all the same."
A silence fell as Procopio considered this truth disguised as falsehood. The jordaini were the offspring of wizards, and no Halruaan would believe that any of their wizards could be subject to an elf woman. "On whose behalf do you act?" asked Procopio, predictably enough.
Kiva laughed scornfully. "No wizard holds my leash. I command myself."
To her surprise, relief flickered in Procopio's eyes-not the patronizing incredulity that she anticipated.
"How much can you expect to gain from any wizard weak enough to yield to your control? A partnership between near equals, however, could be of great benefit to both."
"What could you possibly give me?" Her tone was scornful but not so scathing that it couldn't be interpreted as genuine inquiry.
Procopio caught the nuance.