Mercedes Lackey Bardic Voices 02 Robin & the Kestrel

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And given the general air of abandonment, when Rune ran off, most of the business went
somewhere else. There should be at least a handful of customers in there, and the tap room is
empty. I don't smell anything cooking, either, which means they don't get enough customers of an
evening to have a regular supper ready.
So,if they stayed, there'd be an empty tap room, a poor meal and a cold and musty bed. And given
what had just happened back in the village
It probably wouldn't be a good idea to stop here. No matter what else I could find out about
Stara. I think I've seen enough to tell Rune all she needs to hear.Enough to make her glad that she
got out while she could.
"Uh Stara " the innkeeper said, timidly. "We don't know these people. We don't know anything
about them. Remember what the Priest has been preaching? These people aren't wearing Guild colors.
So many of these free musicians sing that licentious music, that music that makes people do sinful things
"
Stara started to wave him to silence, but it appeared that on this subject, at least, he would not be
henpecked. He raised his chin and his voice stubbornly. "You know very well how sinful we were when
that daughter of yours was playing her music here! And every night the tap room was full of people
dancing, singing, taking no thought of their souls "
"I know," Stara muttered resentfully, no doubt thinking how full the cashbox had been back then.
"Well, what if these people are the same kind?" he asked her, his voice rising with a touch of hysteria.
"I'm sure the Sacrificed God has been punishing us for our sin of letting people like that play here while
that daughter of yours was here. Worse than that, what if they're magicians? I don't think we should let
anyone play here who hasn't been approved by the Church!"
Harperus' words rang at her out of memory."How long before the signs say, 'No one permitted
without a Church license'?"
She grimaced, her expression hidden in the shadows of the wagon.Not that I'd wantto play here, with
or without a license .
"I would not want to make anyone uncomfortable, much less give them the impression that they were
sinning by simply listening to music," Robin said, smoothly. "I personally have never heard of any such
nonsense as musicians who were magicians, but sinceyour Priest evidently has, I will take his word that
such things exist. And since obviously you don't want us, and no one can prove heisn't a mage, we'll just
be on our way. We would never want to play where we were under suspicion, or where our music
wasn't wanted." She raised her voice a little more, and pitched it to make certain that it carried. "We are
really in no great need of lodging, as you can clearly see, so do not concern yourselves for us on that
score."
Not that you would care, but it's a nice little dig, isn't it?
Stara looked disgusted and stormed back into the tap room. The innkeeper followed, wearing a look
that mingled triumph and apprehension in equal measure. Triumph that he had his way, no doubt and
apprehension for the way that Stara was going to make him pay for getting his way. The door shut behind
them.
Kestrel looked over at her, holding the reins quietly. "Interesting," he said.
She nodded. "I really think we ought to try camping somewhere down the road. Between the bullies and
Priests with tales of music that leads you into sin, I'd sooner trust myself to wolves than Westhaven."
"But would ye trust yerselves to ghosts, young friends?" asked a hoarse voice from the shadows of the
rear door, across the inn-yard from the sorry excuse for a stable. "An ye would not, turn back 'round and
take the long road or follow th' right-hand fork o' this one."
A stolid woman with a round, red face moved out of the shadows and into the uncertain light of the
torch."She wouldna tell ye, an'he would be just's pleased t'see a sinner come t'grief, but yon's the road
over Skull Hill. There be a Ghost there, a murderin' Ghost. It's taken a priest in it's time, no less, so it
don't care atot fer holiness. Yer safe enough by day, but by night, ain't nobbut safe on Skull Hill."
Kestrel nodded, gravely. "Th-thank you, l-lady."
The cook looked pleased at being called "lady." "Tush. Tain't nothin' nodecent person wouldna pass
warnin' 'bout." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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