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interpretation! What would his mother Chariain have made of it? What had John Knight and King
Rufurt made of it?
"We both have round ears, Kelvin," Kian continued. "My mother, the Queen, explained it to me."
Kelvin looked at his father, and his father shrugged. Then, seemingly taking pity on him, John Knight
spoke.
"If prophecy isn't all nonsense, he could be right, Kelvin. But of course it could refer to you, too, or to
Hein Flambeau. Who knows, where prophecy is concerned?"
"I did defeat you in battle," Kian said. "No, you didn't!" Kelvin said hotly. "I fought you to a standstill!"
"He's got you there, Kian," their father said. "I think it has to be called a draw." "Without the gauntlet
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r r
you were wearing " Kian started.
"And without the one you were wearing " Both broke off, and Kelvin had half an impulse to laugh. If
the situation had not been so serious
"You see, Kelvin," their father said, "Peter Flick has been after Zoanna to get Kian trained to the jet-
propulsion backpack unit and the laser pistols  all the otherworld weapons left. I trained him in the
background of our world, its philosophies and politics and technology, so he understands the principles,
but not the specifics. He knows enough to know that if he tries to use that jet unit he's likely to break it
or get himself killed in an accident, and of course he doesn't know how to charge the pistols. So my
input remains necessary; that was one safeguard I kept. Kian's loyalty is to his mother, and he thinks he
can't have it for an alien creature such as me. Right, Kian?"
Kian shook his head. "No. I would be loyal to you, Father, were you not the sworn enemy of my
mother." John Knight tdrned away, and Kelvin realized that he had hoped for a more positive answer.
He had challenged Kian to agree that his own father was an alien creature unworthy of loyalty, or to
disagree and to change sides; instead Kian had steered a careful course between the extremes. Kelvin
had to respect that.
But Kian's face was stricken for a moment. Kelvin realized that Kian wished he did not have to choose
between his father and his mother, and felt bad about doing it. Kian was free, and in the Queen's favor,
but his course was not easy.
"We may be on different sides," Kelvin said, "but we're still brothers."
Kian flashed him a look of gratitude, then covered that, too. Obviously he could not afford much
emotional attachment to the enemies of his mother, whatever his private inclinations might be.
"Well, isn't this cozy?" a new voice came. A man virtually pranced in, like a high-spirited pony. He
came to stand beside Kian, his right hand on his sword. "The roundears united. Unnatural father and two
unnatural sons."
"You scum!" John Knight exclaimed. He was suddenly at the bars, reaching through them like an
enraged animal.
"What are you doing here, Peter Flick?" Kian inquired coldly. "Did my mother get tired of spanking
your fanny and dump you in the dungeon with your betters?"
Kelvin saw the expression of wild fury pass from the face of his father to the face of the Queen's consort
without losing anything in transition. A backhand across the face could not have been more effective.
Flick's right hand went for his sword but Kian's left hand shot out to intercept it halfway there. The
gauntlet must have squeezed cruelly, for Flick clenched his teeth.
"One day you will go too far, alien spawn!" Flick gritted.
"I doubt you'll ever see it, rear-kisser," Kian retorted. "Now state your foolish business and get out;
you're making the cell stink." He released the man's wrist and turned his back.
Kelvin couldn't help himself; he was getting to like his half brother. Naturally Kian didn't like the man
who was taking his father's place in the Queen's bedroom, and because Kian was of the Queen's own
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flesh, he had immunity to the threats of the other. So he really wasn't being brave. But he had a very
pretty turn of the phrase.
"I'm here to lay out the facts," Flick said. "Either you, John, cooperate in teaching Kian to use the magic
flying harness and the magic lightning-makers, or your Rud brat here will pay. Neither Zoanna nor I
have love for that one Zoanna least of all. I remind you that the torturer's coals are hot. The chains are
oiled. The spikes are very sharp. Finally, should all that fail, there is her dear old father and the use he
has for youthful blood. For the boy's sake, you had really better cooperate."
Kelvin looked at his father and felt great fear. Would this man whom he hardly knew help his enemy in
order to save him? Would John Knight let him be tortured? And what was that about the magician and
his need for blood?
"You disgust me, you dragon dropping," Kian said, flashing a look of pure ire at Flick. "That is my
brother you're threatening with torture!"
"Then you'd better help convince your father to cooperate," Flick said with satisfied malice. "You are
the one who will benefit, you know."
"How can you trust me?" John asked. He seemed genuinely curious.
"Why, the usual way, of course. There will be expert crossbowmen watching. And of course you won't
be allowed to touch the otherworld artifacts. You will stand back and direct Kian with your voice. And
you will direct correctly, or " He looked at Kelvin significantly.
Kelvin wondered if he could stand torture. He doubted it. The very thought made him ill. Looking at his
father's clenched fist, seeing how much it was costing him, he still wished him to agree.
"All right!" John said. "All right! Tell her I'll do what she wants, but to keep her father out of it."
"Agreed," Peter Flick said, smirking. He danced on out.
"I want you to know I had no part of this ugly ploy," Kian said, his gauntleted fists clenching.
"I know it, son," John Knight said.
Kian turned abruptly and strode from the dungeon Kelvin knew this was not anger but his effort to
conceal his flush of pleasure at the term their father had used. Kian might hate Flick and the Queen's
methods, but he was on the Queen's side, and had to maintain his composure.
Chapter 24 Irony
Heln couldn't stand the suspense any longer. It was now the fourth day since Jon's departure; had she
made it in time? Were the Knights attacking as they had planned? And, most important, what about
Kelvin? Was he still in the dungeon with the two older men, or had something worse happened to him?
She had to know, even if she couldn't do anything about any of it!
She had explained to her folks about the dragonberries, and how they had helped the Knights fight. Her [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]