[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
clothings, tickets to anywhere. Scientific instruments, scientists, females or
other sexes of any species. Drugs: medicinal, hallucinogenic, deadly,
preservative. Thoughts and palm-readings. Only rarely did either of them say
this or that small flung about their surroundings. One might almost have
thought them bored.
Once it was at an antique cartographer's, and then in a language
incomprehensible to the
file:///F|/rah/Alan%20Dean%20Foster/Foster,%20...ean%20-%20Flinx%202%20-%20Tar
-Aiym%20Krang.txt (13 of 79) [1/16/03 6:44:31 PM]
Page 18
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
file:///F|/rah/Alan%20Dean%20Foster/Foster,%20Alan%20Dean%20-%20Flinx%202%20-%
20Tar-Aiym%20Krang.txt multilinguistic Flinx.
Yes, for two who had seemed so needful of a guide, they had thus far shown
remarkably little interest in their surroundings. They seemed far more
interested in Flinx and Pip than in the city he was showing them. As late
afternoon. rolled around he was startled to realize how much they had learned
about him through the most innocent and indirect questioning. Once, when
Truzenzuzex had leaned forward to observe the minidrag more closely, it had
drawn hack wanly and curled its head out of sight behind Flinx's neck. That
itself was an oddity. The snake's normal reaction was usually either passivity
or belligerence. This was the first time Flinx could recall it's displaying
uncertainty. Apparently Truzenzuzex made little of the incident) but he never
tried to approach the reptile closely again.
'You are an outstanding guide and a cheerful companion,'the thranx said, 'and
I for one count my self fortunate to have you with us.' They had moved along
until they were now quite a distance from the city's centre. Truzenzuzex
gestured ahead to where the tower homes of the very wealthy stretched away in
landscaped splendour. 'Now we would wish to see the manicured grounds and
hanging gardens of Drallar's inurbs, of which we have both heard so much.'
I'm afraid I cannot manage that, sir. The grounds of Braav murb are closed to
such as I, and there are ground-keepers - with guns - who are posted by the
walls to keep the common folk from infesting the greens.'
'But you do know the ways within?' prodded Tse-Mallory.
'Well,' Flinx began hesitantly. After all, what did he really know of those
two? 'At night
I have sometimes found it necessary to ... but it is not night now, and we
would surely be seen going over the walls.'
'Then we shall go through the gate. Take us,' he said firmly, shutting off
Flinx's incipient protests, 'and we will worry about getting past the guards.'
Flinx shrugged, irritated by the man's stubbornness. Let them learn their own
way, then.
But he mentally added an expensive dessert to the evening's meal. He led them
to the first gateway and stood in the background while the large, overbearing
man who lounged in the little building there came over towards them, grumbling
noticeably.
It was now that the most extraordinary event of the day took place. Before the
obviously antagonistic fellow could so much as utter a word, Truzenzuzex put a
truehand into a pouch and-
thrust under the man's eyes a card taken from somewhere inside- The man's eyes
widened and he all but saluted, the belligerence melting from his attitude
like wax. Flinx had never, never seen an inurb guard, a man widely noted for
his cultivated rudeness and suspicious mannerisms, react so helplessly to
anyone, not even the residents of the inurbs themselves. He grew even more
curious as to the nature of his friends. But they remained basically
unreadable. Damn that beer! It seemed to him that he had heard the name
Tse-Maltory somewhere before, but he couldn't be certain. And he would have
given much for a glimpse of the card Truzenzuzex had so negligently flashed
before the guard.
The way was now quite unopposed. He would at least have the opportunity of
seeing some familiar things for the first time in the light of day. At
leisure, too, without having to glance continually over his shoulder.
They strolled silently amid the emerald parklike grounds and tinkling
waterfalls, occasionally passing some richly dressed inhabitant or sweating
underling, sometimes startling a deer or phylope among the bushes.
I understand,' said Tse-Mallory, breaking the silence, 'that each tower
belongs to one family, and is named thusly.'
'That's true enough.' replied Flinx.
'And arc you familiar with them?'
Page 19
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
'Most, not all. Since you are curious, I'll name the ones I do know as we pass
them.'
'Do that.' It seemed silly, but they were paying, so who was he to argue the
practicality?
A fine wine joined the dinner menu ...
'.. and this,' he said as they drew abreast of a tail black-glazed tower, 'is
the House of
Malaika. A misnomer, sir. As I understand, it means "angel" in a dead Terran
language.'
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]