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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 191 из 293“I do not think your son would want this question answered in open court.”
I looked at Andais then, my aunt, my queen. I did not know what Dormath was referring to, but she might. She had helped hide her son’s secrets for centuries. Her face was cold beauty, arrogant and perfect, every line of her like some statue carved to be the beauty that drives men not to love but to despair.
“Answer as much or as little of the question as you will, Dormath. Know that if you answer as fully as you might you will forfeit all of Prince Cel’s allies. For they will feel you betrayed them. Know also that there are those among us now who will condemn you as the blackest of traitors for going along with his plan.”
Dormath put out a long pale hand to steady himself against the table. “My queen…”
“Dormath, if you do not answer the question I will consider it a direct challenge to me, personally.”
“You would slay me to keep from revealing what he has done,” Dormath said.
“Is that what I said? I don’t believe that is what I said.” She looked at me then. “Is that what I said, Meredith?”
I wasn’t entirely certain how to answer that question. “I do not believe that you threatened Dormath with death if he revealed what Prince Cel, my cousin, has done. Nor do I believe that you have encouraged him to reveal all that he knows.”
“Go on,” she said, and she seemed pleased with me, though I wasn’t sure why.
“But you have stated clearly that if he does not answer Galen’s question, you will challenge him to single combat, and kill him.”
She nodded and smiled, as if I’d said a smart thing. “Exactly.”
I looked from her to Dormath, and I had a moment of pity for him. She had set him a riddle that might not have an answer, not one that would keep him alive anyway.
He was still propping himself up on the tabletop. His face showed clearly that he did not see a way out of the maze of words she had thrown up around him. “I do not believe that there is a way to answer the green knight’s question without revealing much that I do not believe you want known.”
“I do not believe that you know what I want, Dormath. But if you remain mute, I will kill you, and there will be no argument that it is unfair, for it will be one-on-one against me.”
He swallowed, and his throat looked almost too thin to hold the bobbing of his Adam’s apple. “Why are you doing this, my queen?”
“Doing what?” she asked.
I looked at Andais then, my aunt, my queen. I did not know what Dormath was referring to, but she might. She had helped hide her son’s secrets for centuries. Her face was cold beauty, arrogant and perfect, every line of her like some statue carved to be the beauty that drives men not to love but to despair.
“Answer as much or as little of the question as you will, Dormath. Know that if you answer as fully as you might you will forfeit all of Prince Cel’s allies. For they will feel you betrayed them. Know also that there are those among us now who will condemn you as the blackest of traitors for going along with his plan.”
Dormath put out a long pale hand to steady himself against the table. “My queen…”
“Dormath, if you do not answer the question I will consider it a direct challenge to me, personally.”
“You would slay me to keep from revealing what he has done,” Dormath said.
“Is that what I said? I don’t believe that is what I said.” She looked at me then. “Is that what I said, Meredith?”
I wasn’t entirely certain how to answer that question. “I do not believe that you threatened Dormath with death if he revealed what Prince Cel, my cousin, has done. Nor do I believe that you have encouraged him to reveal all that he knows.”
“Go on,” she said, and she seemed pleased with me, though I wasn’t sure why.
“But you have stated clearly that if he does not answer Galen’s question, you will challenge him to single combat, and kill him.”
She nodded and smiled, as if I’d said a smart thing. “Exactly.”
I looked from her to Dormath, and I had a moment of pity for him. She had set him a riddle that might not have an answer, not one that would keep him alive anyway.
He was still propping himself up on the tabletop. His face showed clearly that he did not see a way out of the maze of words she had thrown up around him. “I do not believe that there is a way to answer the green knight’s question without revealing much that I do not believe you want known.”
“I do not believe that you know what I want, Dormath. But if you remain mute, I will kill you, and there will be no argument that it is unfair, for it will be one-on-one against me.”
He swallowed, and his throat looked almost too thin to hold the bobbing of his Adam’s apple. “Why are you doing this, my queen?”
“Doing what?” she asked.