JК
A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 213 из 293Isn’t that opposite of the way it used towork? Didn’t mortal time move faster than ours?”
I watched the rest of them exchange glances, except for Kitto, who seemed totally absorbed in running the bath. “By the looks on everyone’s faces, I’ve missed something.”
“We had a lot to do tonight,” Galen said. “We still have a lot to do tonight, and while we get all of it done, the outside world moves at a crawl. The question is, are we the only sithen experiencing the time shift?”
Rhys hugged him one armed. “You know, you’re smarter than you look.”
“Don’t compliment me too much, Rhys, it’ll go to my head.” But he was smiling.
“Am I slow tonight, or is everyone else just faster than I am?” I asked.
“Exactly,” Doyle said.
I frowned at him. “Exactly what?”
“Did you at any time tonight say out loud that you needed more time?” Doyle asked.
“I might have said something like, we don’t have enough time to investigate the murder and play court with the queen. Not those words, but…” I looked at Doyle. “Are you saying that I might have wished this into happening?”
“You did make a mirror appear in your room,” Doyle said, “simply by wanting to see what the cloak looked like.”
I was suddenly so scared that cold tingled down to my fingertips. “But Doyle, that could mean that anything I say could be taken literally by the sithen.”
He nodded.
“We must find out how time is running in another sithen,” Frost said. “If the goblins or the sluagh are gaining hours on the mortal world, then faerie itself has decided to change. Sometimes it does that.”
“And if it is only our sithen?” Nicca asked.
“Then Meredith must be very, very careful what she says.” He was looking at me, and I could almost watch some idea coming to life in his mind.
“What are you thinking?” I asked him.
“Not just him,” Rhys said.
“No, not just him,” Galen said. He shivered, rubbing his arms as if he was cold, too. “For once I know what the bad news is before anyone says it.”
“Then fill me in,” I said.
“If only the queen can make time change inside the sithen, and Merry was able to do it…” Galen said, and left it unfinished.
“Once upon a time,” Doyle said, his voice seeming deeper, as if the low-growling echoes needed to fill all the small room, “even if you fought your way to the throne, or were elected by all the other rulers as high king, or high queen, you still could not rule a faerie mound.
I watched the rest of them exchange glances, except for Kitto, who seemed totally absorbed in running the bath. “By the looks on everyone’s faces, I’ve missed something.”
“We had a lot to do tonight,” Galen said. “We still have a lot to do tonight, and while we get all of it done, the outside world moves at a crawl. The question is, are we the only sithen experiencing the time shift?”
Rhys hugged him one armed. “You know, you’re smarter than you look.”
“Don’t compliment me too much, Rhys, it’ll go to my head.” But he was smiling.
“Am I slow tonight, or is everyone else just faster than I am?” I asked.
“Exactly,” Doyle said.
I frowned at him. “Exactly what?”
“Did you at any time tonight say out loud that you needed more time?” Doyle asked.
“I might have said something like, we don’t have enough time to investigate the murder and play court with the queen. Not those words, but…” I looked at Doyle. “Are you saying that I might have wished this into happening?”
“You did make a mirror appear in your room,” Doyle said, “simply by wanting to see what the cloak looked like.”
I was suddenly so scared that cold tingled down to my fingertips. “But Doyle, that could mean that anything I say could be taken literally by the sithen.”
He nodded.
“We must find out how time is running in another sithen,” Frost said. “If the goblins or the sluagh are gaining hours on the mortal world, then faerie itself has decided to change. Sometimes it does that.”
“And if it is only our sithen?” Nicca asked.
“Then Meredith must be very, very careful what she says.” He was looking at me, and I could almost watch some idea coming to life in his mind.
“What are you thinking?” I asked him.
“Not just him,” Rhys said.
“No, not just him,” Galen said. He shivered, rubbing his arms as if he was cold, too. “For once I know what the bad news is before anyone says it.”
“Then fill me in,” I said.
“If only the queen can make time change inside the sithen, and Merry was able to do it…” Galen said, and left it unfinished.
“Once upon a time,” Doyle said, his voice seeming deeper, as if the low-growling echoes needed to fill all the small room, “even if you fought your way to the throne, or were elected by all the other rulers as high king, or high queen, you still could not rule a faerie mound.