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would be good for you, Lenardo. You're growing like a young tree that has
reached the sunshine at last."
The dance called for her to pirouette and then raise her arms to clap her
hands over her head while Lenardo watched, merely keeping rhythm. He had
watched several other women perform the move, but Aradia did it with a twist
of her hips that set her skirt to swirling, revealing her small feet in their
neat slippers, ribbons tied about her delicate ankles. She turned faster, and
her garment frothed just below her knees, revealing a swell of calf and
enticing Lenardo to imagine what he would not Read.
The women came to an abrupt halt, and Aradia's skirts wrapped tightly about
her body for one long instant, molding each feminine curve. Then it was over,
her dress falling into its usual modest skimming of her figure as Lenardo
nearly missed a step, wondering whether he could have imagined the seductive
properties of the move that had seemed totally innocent when performed by
other women.
Now it was his turn to clap and stamp, the men's version of this movement
calling for more complicated footwork. He concentrated on that but slowly
became aware of Aradia's eyes on him and of the picture he presented.
He was dressed appropriately for a savage lord, in a silk shirt and hose in
muted gold, topped with a richly embroidered tabard that under normal
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conditions rode modestly down over his hips. The dance movements, though,
pulled it up to reveal the full length of his legs, even the bottom curve of
his buttocks.
Again he realized that he had been through this figure half a dozen times
without embarrassment. It was only under Aradia's scrutiny that he became
aware of being on display. She was watching him avidly. He felt himself blush,
but he determinedly kept to the pace of the dance as the final move called for
him to take Aradia in his arms. Her violet eyes laughed up at him, but she
said nothing. They were both breathing heavily, but it was a strenuous dance.
Nevertheless, Lenardo was acutely conscious of his hand on Aradia's waist, her
other hand in his, the peculiar intensity of performing the steps in unison.
The dance separated them then, and Lenardo's pulse returned to a rate that
could be accounted for by the exercise. He went through the steps with two
more women and was not aware of anything seductive in the moves. He performed
his own steps without embarrassment, and by the time the music ended, he was
quite certain that he had imagined the peculiar ambience of his dance with
Aradia. Still, he was glad that she had finished the dance some distance away
from him.
Julia, breathless and weary, was happier than Lenardo had seen her since the
day he had showed her the joy of touching another Reader's mind.
"You really should go to bed, child," he told her.
"I'm too excited to sleep. Can't I stay up and watch?"
"Lie down on the cushions where Arkus left his sword, and watch until you
fall asleep. I'll carry you to bed."
"If you're going to hold me, wake me up for it."
He sighed. "Julia, when are you going to stop thinking you get something more
from touching flesh than from touching minds?"
"When it isn't true," she said. "But it is true," she added. "You'd know that
if you didn't " lie to yourself was in her mind, but she dared not speak the
words.
He smiled at her. "You have years of growing up, child. All I can tell you
now is, wait and see."
The next day was crowded with formal events. Lenardo had nothing to present
his guests that remotely approached the value of the gifts they had sent him,
but he could grant them free travel across his lands. After that, he began the
announcements of formal offices, from the minor village heads up to official
appointments for Arkus and Helmuth, in each case handing out a reward along
with the title.
The last scheduled event was the wedding. Lenardo, however, had decided to
add an event not on the schedule. Julia was sitting with the three Adepts,
amusing herself through the long ceremony by Reading far and near, still
trying to acquire the clear visual perception that was a young Reader's first
major hurdle. She was dressed all in yellow today, a beautiful child sitting
carefully in her first grown-up dress with its tight bodice and skirt of
narrow pleats. Lenardo had instructed the seamstress to pattern Julia's outfit
after the ones Aradia and Lilith wore, but his own was pure empire garb.
All summer, Lenardo had worn the all-purpose empire hot-weather outfit: a
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knee-length tunic. Soon the cool, comfortable, easy-to-make garment had become
standard male garb throughout Zendi. Hair and beards were trimmed in imitation
of Lenardo's shorter style, and the women put up then- hair and modeled their
dresses on those of the women who had come with Lenardo from Aradia's lands.
His people were proud of Lenardo. He had surprised them today, for they had
never seen the formal attire of a Master Reader before. He wore a white
ankle-length tunic, banded and belted in black, and over it a floor-length
robe of scarlet, the sleeves bias-cut and so wide that they almost touched the
ground. When he lifted his hands, the wide sleeves fell from his wrists like
wings. It was the first time he had ever worn the robes.
Never in his life had he made so many decisions. The matter of clothing was
trivial; his other decision for this occasion was not, and he had really made
up his mind only last night, when he had carried Julia to bed. She had cuddled
against him when he picked her up, and at home, when he laid her on her couch,
she gave a small cry of pain. Wondering if she had made herself sick with
excitement and rich food, he Read her and found her in the midst of a
nightmare.
She found her mother, but it was as if the woman could not see or hear her.
Then Lenardo appeared. She saw him through the crowd, lost him, found him at
the end of a long, narrow passage and tried to run to him. He walked on, out
of sight. Again she found him, ran to him, tried to throw her arms around him,
but he thrust her away, saying, "No, child. I am not your father."
"But I love you," she sobbed.
"Don't touch me," said Lenardo.
Julia's dream brought back a memory. For many months after he had come to the
Academy, Torio had had nightmares in which he lost the power to Read and was
plunged back into darkness. Both Lenardo and Master Clement had often had to
hold the boy in the night until his fear subsided.
Now Lenardo sat down on Julia's couch and took her in his arms, telling her,
//It's all right. I'm here.//
She didn't wake, but her dream turned to bliss. Safe at last, she clung to
him as he reassured her. //Sleep now. If you need me, call. I'll be here for
you.//
Since he had made the commitment personally, he might as well make it
publicly. A search through the treasure chests yielded the token he needed.
Now, before his people gathered in the forum, he called, "Julia. Come here,
child."
//???// But she came quickly, excitement stirring her blood.
Lenardo turned her to face the crowd, his hands on her shoulders. "As most of
you know, this is Julia, a Reader like myself. She is progressing well in the
use of her gift and is learning the Readers' Honor."
Julia glowed with happiness as the crowd cheered. Making public speeches,
Lenardo was learning, was not very different from lecturing in a classroom and
certainly got a more enthusiastic response.
"So on this day of celebration and recognition, I want to make formal [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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