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have delayed in putting the eyeless man to a horrible death, in payment for what he had once done
to Murat's beloved bride-to-be. But the purifying power of the Sword had transformed the foul,
treacherous torturer and beggar into a trustworthy servant, at least for the time being. And the
fact was that Kristin's own welfare, perhaps her very survival, now required Murat to seek help
wherever he could.
That was the last thought of which the Crown Prince was conscious before he fell asleep.
As Kristin climbed the hill, mounting closer and closer to the two men who seemed to be waiting
for her at the top, logic suddenly awoke to remind her that Sightblinder, in someone else's hands,
might be the cause of her perception of a dreadful messenger. But logic could offer only cold and
fragile comfort against the inner certainty of that waiting figure's identity, and the nature of
his message. These were horrors that had formed the core of her worst dreams over the past few
file:///F|/rah/Fred%20Saberhagen/Saberhagen,%2...Lost%20Swords%206%20-%20Mindswords%20Story.txt (74 of 115) [2/4/03 9:54:52 PM]
file:///F|/rah/Fred%20Saberhagen/Saberhagen,%20Fred%20-%20Lost%20Swords%206%20-%20Mindswords%20Story.txt
years. Fatalistically, she climbed on.
Mark had been sitting motionless in his saddle, gazing downhill with fierce intensity, hardly
taking his eyes from that small figure as it approached. He had seen his wife, as if in response
to the sheer power of his will, leave the unattainable camp below and come deliberately walking up
the hill toward him. Now the Prince feared to move or speak or even breathe, lest he break
whatever beneficent spell was granting him his most fervent wish.
Karel, waiting beside the Prince, was silent too, and almost motionless.
Breathing softly now, Mark dared to move, to dismount. Once on his feet he did nothing but stand
and wait, while Kristin in the course of her next few steps emerged from the eerily visible haze
of the Mindsword's influence. Then, approaching in deliberate silence, she came to stop some four
meters from her husband.
At that point she spoke. "Mark? I feel it is really you before me, and not the form I see."
The Prince unbuckled Sightblinder from his belt, then handed the weapon, sheath and all, up to
Karel, who still sat mounted. In the next moment the Prince turned and took a swift step forward,
meaning to enfold his wife in his arms.
But Kristin stepped back quickly, avoiding Mark's embrace; and as she moved she uttered a strange
gasp, partly of relief and partly of something else.
Mark halted himself in mid-stride, reminding himself that the Mindsword's spell could not be so
easily dissolved. Considerable time and loving care would be needed to heal Kristin of its
effects, even after she had emerged from the field of its direct influence.
There would be no point in beginning with an impassioned declaration of love. "What form did you
just see?" he asked his wife, in as calm a voice as he could manage.
She tossed her hair. Her voice was almost bright. "Some anonymous courier, come to tell me that
you were dead."
"Kristin!" Again Mark spread his arms, and started to move forward.
Again with a swift, lithe movement she maintained the distance between them. "Mark, I have come up
here to tell you, face to face, that from now on you must allow me to go my own way."
Mark managed to edge a half-step closer without provoking a reaction. Silently he cursed all
Swords; he cursed Murat. He could see now that he was probably going to have to seize Kris bodily,
if he could, to keep her from darting back into the Mindsword's sphere of magic. He could see the
blue haze flickering almost at her heels.
Of course he should be subtle; but at the moment he could not.
"Kris, that Sword, his Sword, is making you go away from me."
"No!" Her denial, though forceful, was calm and matter-of-fact. "The Mindsword shocked me at
first, but no. Do not think, my former husband, that I am its slave. Or Prince Murat's."
"I am your husband, now and forever but later we can talk about that. Right now "
"We must talk about it now. Or rather, I must convince you now that our marriage is at an end. You
no longer have any right to command my people, my armies or my magicians."
Here she swung her gaze abruptly toward Karel. And Mark could see her pause, as if in renewed
horror, at whatever image she saw in her familiar uncle's place.
Since Kristin's arrival the old wizard had waited in his saddle, silently and patiently. He was
holding Sightblinder now, and when Mark glanced his way he saw instead a second image of Kristin,
this one mounted, gazing reproachfully back at him.
When Karel spoke, he did not respond to what Kristin had just said to him. Instead he said:
file:///F|/rah/Fred%20Saberhagen/Saberhagen,%2...Lost%20Swords%206%20-%20Mindswords%20Story.txt (75 of 115) [2/4/03 9:54:52 PM] [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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have delayed in putting the eyeless man to a horrible death, in payment for what he had once done
to Murat's beloved bride-to-be. But the purifying power of the Sword had transformed the foul,
treacherous torturer and beggar into a trustworthy servant, at least for the time being. And the
fact was that Kristin's own welfare, perhaps her very survival, now required Murat to seek help
wherever he could.
That was the last thought of which the Crown Prince was conscious before he fell asleep.
As Kristin climbed the hill, mounting closer and closer to the two men who seemed to be waiting
for her at the top, logic suddenly awoke to remind her that Sightblinder, in someone else's hands,
might be the cause of her perception of a dreadful messenger. But logic could offer only cold and
fragile comfort against the inner certainty of that waiting figure's identity, and the nature of
his message. These were horrors that had formed the core of her worst dreams over the past few
file:///F|/rah/Fred%20Saberhagen/Saberhagen,%2...Lost%20Swords%206%20-%20Mindswords%20Story.txt (74 of 115) [2/4/03 9:54:52 PM]
file:///F|/rah/Fred%20Saberhagen/Saberhagen,%20Fred%20-%20Lost%20Swords%206%20-%20Mindswords%20Story.txt
years. Fatalistically, she climbed on.
Mark had been sitting motionless in his saddle, gazing downhill with fierce intensity, hardly
taking his eyes from that small figure as it approached. He had seen his wife, as if in response
to the sheer power of his will, leave the unattainable camp below and come deliberately walking up
the hill toward him. Now the Prince feared to move or speak or even breathe, lest he break
whatever beneficent spell was granting him his most fervent wish.
Karel, waiting beside the Prince, was silent too, and almost motionless.
Breathing softly now, Mark dared to move, to dismount. Once on his feet he did nothing but stand
and wait, while Kristin in the course of her next few steps emerged from the eerily visible haze
of the Mindsword's influence. Then, approaching in deliberate silence, she came to stop some four
meters from her husband.
At that point she spoke. "Mark? I feel it is really you before me, and not the form I see."
The Prince unbuckled Sightblinder from his belt, then handed the weapon, sheath and all, up to
Karel, who still sat mounted. In the next moment the Prince turned and took a swift step forward,
meaning to enfold his wife in his arms.
But Kristin stepped back quickly, avoiding Mark's embrace; and as she moved she uttered a strange
gasp, partly of relief and partly of something else.
Mark halted himself in mid-stride, reminding himself that the Mindsword's spell could not be so
easily dissolved. Considerable time and loving care would be needed to heal Kristin of its
effects, even after she had emerged from the field of its direct influence.
There would be no point in beginning with an impassioned declaration of love. "What form did you
just see?" he asked his wife, in as calm a voice as he could manage.
She tossed her hair. Her voice was almost bright. "Some anonymous courier, come to tell me that
you were dead."
"Kristin!" Again Mark spread his arms, and started to move forward.
Again with a swift, lithe movement she maintained the distance between them. "Mark, I have come up
here to tell you, face to face, that from now on you must allow me to go my own way."
Mark managed to edge a half-step closer without provoking a reaction. Silently he cursed all
Swords; he cursed Murat. He could see now that he was probably going to have to seize Kris bodily,
if he could, to keep her from darting back into the Mindsword's sphere of magic. He could see the
blue haze flickering almost at her heels.
Of course he should be subtle; but at the moment he could not.
"Kris, that Sword, his Sword, is making you go away from me."
"No!" Her denial, though forceful, was calm and matter-of-fact. "The Mindsword shocked me at
first, but no. Do not think, my former husband, that I am its slave. Or Prince Murat's."
"I am your husband, now and forever but later we can talk about that. Right now "
"We must talk about it now. Or rather, I must convince you now that our marriage is at an end. You
no longer have any right to command my people, my armies or my magicians."
Here she swung her gaze abruptly toward Karel. And Mark could see her pause, as if in renewed
horror, at whatever image she saw in her familiar uncle's place.
Since Kristin's arrival the old wizard had waited in his saddle, silently and patiently. He was
holding Sightblinder now, and when Mark glanced his way he saw instead a second image of Kristin,
this one mounted, gazing reproachfully back at him.
When Karel spoke, he did not respond to what Kristin had just said to him. Instead he said:
file:///F|/rah/Fred%20Saberhagen/Saberhagen,%2...Lost%20Swords%206%20-%20Mindswords%20Story.txt (75 of 115) [2/4/03 9:54:52 PM] [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]