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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 162 из 293“Do you think I can promise that and not be forsworn?”
“I think the queen would put weight to your word of honor, and not offend the human police,” Frost said.
“That wasn’t a yes,” I said.
“A simple yes might not be true,” he said; his face was its arrogant best, empty, careful. I thought it was more for the doctor’s benefit than mine.
“Mistral?” I asked.
“She is very interested of late in courting good public relations. The reporter’s death is bad enough. She won’t want it bandied about that we executed someone without proof.”
“So that’s a yes,” I said.
He looked at Frost, they both looked back at me. Mistral said, “She’s Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness.” He shrugged.
“Your word that you won’t let them execute anyone until I have processed the evidence,” Polaski said.
I thought about what I could promise Polaski, and finally said, “My word that I will do everything in my power to see that no one is harmed irretrievably before you have contacted us again.”
“Harmed irretrievably.” She almost smiled. “I’ve never heard anyone say it like that before.”
I just looked at her, willing my face to show nothing.
“All right, I’ll take your word. Don’t disappoint me.”
“I’ll try not to,” I said.
“Can the little faeries change shape?”
“Many of the fey have more than one form.”
“Can the little ones be big, like human size?”
“When you say ‘little,’ do you mean the small, winged fey, the demi-fey?”
She nodded.
“Some of them can change form to be almost human in size. But it’s rare among them.”
Galen started to massage my back. I wasn’t sure who he was trying to comfort, himself or me.
“How rare?”
“Rare enough that until recently we thought they’d lost the ability.”
“We know of only one demi-fey who can do it now,” Frost said.
Polaski glanced up at him. “Here’s the other question. Could some spell or bit of faerie magic interfere with what I’m seeing?”
Frost, Galen, and I exchanged glances. Frost said, “I trust Rhys to have done everything possible to protect you from overt spells.”
“But could someone have magically imposed one handprint on another?” she asked.
“They would have to understand how prints work,” I said, “so that leaves out anyone who hasn’t watched television, which is most of the guard.
“I think the queen would put weight to your word of honor, and not offend the human police,” Frost said.
“That wasn’t a yes,” I said.
“A simple yes might not be true,” he said; his face was its arrogant best, empty, careful. I thought it was more for the doctor’s benefit than mine.
“Mistral?” I asked.
“She is very interested of late in courting good public relations. The reporter’s death is bad enough. She won’t want it bandied about that we executed someone without proof.”
“So that’s a yes,” I said.
He looked at Frost, they both looked back at me. Mistral said, “She’s Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness.” He shrugged.
“Your word that you won’t let them execute anyone until I have processed the evidence,” Polaski said.
I thought about what I could promise Polaski, and finally said, “My word that I will do everything in my power to see that no one is harmed irretrievably before you have contacted us again.”
“Harmed irretrievably.” She almost smiled. “I’ve never heard anyone say it like that before.”
I just looked at her, willing my face to show nothing.
“All right, I’ll take your word. Don’t disappoint me.”
“I’ll try not to,” I said.
“Can the little faeries change shape?”
“Many of the fey have more than one form.”
“Can the little ones be big, like human size?”
“When you say ‘little,’ do you mean the small, winged fey, the demi-fey?”
She nodded.
“Some of them can change form to be almost human in size. But it’s rare among them.”
Galen started to massage my back. I wasn’t sure who he was trying to comfort, himself or me.
“How rare?”
“Rare enough that until recently we thought they’d lost the ability.”
“We know of only one demi-fey who can do it now,” Frost said.
Polaski glanced up at him. “Here’s the other question. Could some spell or bit of faerie magic interfere with what I’m seeing?”
Frost, Galen, and I exchanged glances. Frost said, “I trust Rhys to have done everything possible to protect you from overt spells.”
“But could someone have magically imposed one handprint on another?” she asked.
“They would have to understand how prints work,” I said, “so that leaves out anyone who hasn’t watched television, which is most of the guard.