Fanuilh by Daniel Hood (ebook reader with highlight function TXT) 📗

"Well, then, I suppose ... " He edged his way in. past Rora, who continued to stare at Liam. Liam, in turn, kept his eyes fixed on the other two men, horribly aware of the blush that was creeping up his long neck. He decided that it was a point in Lady Necquer's favor that she did not seem so keenly conscious of her beauty.

"What did you want, Aedile?" Lons seemed a little surer of himself, now that he was out from behind Rora and facing Coeccias. The Aedile gestured significantly at the woman.

"Would you not prefer to be alone?"

Lons stiffened, as did Rora. "Anything you can say to my brother you can say with me as witness," she said coldly.

"Well enough," he said agreeably, turning back to Lons. "Pray you, brother, do tell what business you bad with Tarquin Tanaquil?"

Stammering, Lons clenched bis bands. "Tanaquil? The wizard? He's called you? The bargain's not fulfilled. the terms not met, I—"

"Lons," Rora warned.

"Still!" Coeccias hissed at her out of the side of bis mouth, but the moment was enough for Lons to regain bis composure.

"Our business was that," he said formally. "Ours. And as it is not finished, there's no need for you t'interfere."

"{ doubt but there is, goodman player. You'll have no more business with Master Tanaquil."

"What?" Lons exclaimed angrily. "You can't make me—" Liam watched Coeccias draw the young man on, and scrutinized the handsome face carefully.

"None'll have business with Master Tanaquil. He's gone beyond business, Lons, sped on bis way by a dagger."

Lons gaped, stunned.

"Tanaquil? Murdered'!"

Liam bad to remind himself that the man was an actor. His astonishment seemed unfeigned, real to a fault. Liam was disappointed, but not surprised. Much as he disliked the actor, he did not believe him capable of murder; Coeccias, however passed on.

"So you see, sirrah, what was your particular business is now my business, and the question stands. Why did you have dealings with the wizard?"

Licking bis lips, the young man looked from one face to another, Liam's and Coeccias's expectant, Rora's wary and warning.

"I needed bis help in a ... in a small matter of the heart." Rora nodded approvingly, but the Aedile laughed heartily.

"A love potion? You sought a wizard for a love potion? My granddam could've made you a love potion!"

"The lady," Lons said with barely restrained anger, "required a great service of me. I lacked the power for it, and sought the wizard's help."

"She needs must have set you a great task," Coeccias said, angling for more.

"The Teeth. She wanted the Teeth removed, to protect her husband," the actor supplied, over his sister's hissed objection.

"You commissioned that?" The Aedile was clearly awed. "I hope the lady was worth it."

"She is," Lons replied, with a glance at Liam, who nodded agreement, allowing himself a sidelong look at Rora.

"And the lady's name? Her husband's station?"

"Is unimportant now," Liam said quietly, drawing a surprised stare from the Aedile and a sneer from Lons. "I'll explain later. For now, I've a question." He addressed himself to the actor.

"Tell me, how did you propose to pay Tanaquil? Wizards are costly, and I know the spell took a great deal of effort."

"I proposed no payment. He named a sum, and I agreed."

"What sum?"

"Ten thousand, in gold," the actor said, with a touch of pride.

Rora gasped and Coeccias gave a low whistle, but Liam only nodded thoughtfully.

"And he took you at your word that you could pay?" "I presume he knew my state. He accepted my compact." "But you don't have ten thousand in gold."

"No." Lons shifted under the questions, perplexed.

"And so you couldn't have paid him, but he undertook the spell anyway."

"Perhaps he knew he was doing a noble deed-helping true love find its course." Again, there was the touch of hard, wounded pride, the sense of disdain at having his affairs discussed. Liam barked a laugh.

"More likely you dressed yourself up in the richest costume the Golden Orb. has and let him think you a rich merchant's son."

The young man blanched, but said nothing.

"And now that he's dead, you don't have to pay, do you?" "I did not kill him," Lons said thickly, licking dry lips. With the wolf's grin he had practiced, Liam agreed. "Certainly not, certainly not. No one's suggesting such a thing. It would not be worth murder to catch a beautiful woman, get rid of an unpayable debt, and avoid a powerful wizard's wrath. Certainly not."

The wolf's grin worked nicely, leaving the young man speechless and gaping.

"I think we're done here, don't you, Aedile Coeccias?" Liam raised an eyebrow to the officer, who looked intently at him for a moment, and then nodded once.

"Thank you, Lons, for your time. I don't think we'll be bothering you again." Smiling the wolf's grin again for effect, he ushered Coeccias to the door and let him pass out first.

Rora recovered before Lons did, and began stammering furiously.

"Who are you? How dare you question us—"

He dropped the grin and assumed a polite smile to match his words, which were offhand but firmly interrupted her.

"An interesting thing, Maid Rora. The knife that killed Tarquin was one that players often use. One of a pair, I'm told. It would be interesting to see if the theater were missing any, wouldn't it?"

With a friendly smile, he dipped his head to her, and then turned to Lons, putting his back to the girl.

"Stay away from Lady Necquer," he whispered quietly. "Do you hear? Stay away."

"I'll not," Lons said, trying and failing to sound firm. Liam's remarks had greatly upset him.

"Stay away from her," he repeated. "If Necquer hears—"

"Necquer," the actor interrupted eagerly, as if he had found an attack he could answer, "deserves her not! He's naught but a pandering, strutting—"

Rora hissed a warning and Lons stopped. glaring angrily and desperately at her.

"Just stay away from her," Liam said into the sudden silence, and received a sullen nod from the actor. Denying himself the last look at Rora that he wanted, he went out the