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.It was a relief to step out of them.The spiked heels made her tower over the servants, yes, but ohh, how they hurt.Human fashions were as crazed as they were brazen.Ithrythra hung her lacy gown over a branch and shook out the ruffles of her undergown until they hung as they were supposed to.She checked her reflection in the hanging glass under the shadowtop tree, an oval mirror taller than she was.As she stared into its depths and saw just a hint of swirling things there, she recalled that some Cormanth ladies whispered that this mirror sometimes served the Tornglaras as a portal into dark and dirty streets in the cities of men.The Tornglara lords went to do business that Cormanthor frowned upon, trading with humans.The Tornglara ladies, now.She clucked her lips at those thoughts and set them firmly aside.Fashions were what Alaglossa Tornglara went seeking; fashions, and no more.Ithrythra gave the legendary mirror a little smile.Her new hairdo had held its sideswirl, firmly woven about the hand lyre, sigil of her House.Her ears stood up proudly, their rouged tips unmarred by over-gaudy jewelry.She turned, so as to survey one side of her body, and then the other.The gems glued down her flanks were all in place.She struck a pose, and blew the mirror a pouting kiss.Not bad.After the highsun meal of every fourth day, the ladies of five Houses gathered at Satyrdance Pool in the private gardens behind the many-towered mansion that was House Tornglara.There they bathed in the wannest of the pools, in which spiced rosewater had been poured for the occasion, and sipped summer-mint wine from tall, green fluted glasses.The platters of sugared confections and the justly famous Tornglara vintages flowed freely, and so did the real reason the ladies came back to the same place time and time again: the gossip.Ithrythra Mornmist joined her chattering companions, making her greetings with her usual silent smiles.As she slipped her long legs into the pool, sighing with pleasure at the soothing warmth of the waters, she noted that her glass was the only one not yet empty.Where were the servants?Her hostess noticed Ithrythra's glances, and halted in midchatter to lean forward conspiratorially and say, "Oh, I've sent them away, dear.We'll have to fill our own glasses this time—but then, 'tisn't every day one discusses crown treason!""Crown treason? What treachery can the Coronal have practiced? That elf s too old to have any wits left, or stamina either!" Ithrythra exclaimed, evoking shrieks of laughter from the ladies already in the pool."Oh, you're out of touch, dearest Ithrythra! It must be all that time you spend in your cellars grubbing up mushrooms to earn a living!" Duilya Evendusk said cuttingly; Alaglossa Tornglara had the grace to roll her eyes at this rudeness."Well, at least it proves to my elders that I can work if I have to," Ithrythra replied, "and so escape being a complete loss to my House—you should try it, dear.or, well, no, I suppose not."Cilivren Doedance, the quietest and most polite of them all, sputtered briefly over the glass she was filling, and decided the prudent thing to do was to put it down.Setting the glass back on its float-platter, she stoppered the decanter and slid it back into its usual recess in the little stream in the bushes beside her."The word's all over the city," she explained calmly."The Coronal has named some human an armathor of the realm! And a man human at that! A thief who stole the kiira of a First House, and broke into their city residence to steal spells and despoil their ladies!""It wasn't House Starym, was it?" Ithrythra asked dryly."There's never been much love lost between old Eltargrim and our haughtiest of Houses.""House Starym has served Cormanthor a thousand summers longer than a certain House I could name," Phuingara Lhoril said stiffly."Those Cormanthans of truly noble spirit do not find their pride excessive.""Cormanthans of truly noble spirit do not indulge in prideful behavior at all," Ithrythra replied silkily [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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