And he does that rather badly, Rudi thought absently. It takes a deal of practice to wear Association court dress gracefully. I wonder if he realizes what he?s letting himself in for? I could always eventually escape back to Dun Juniper, and the merciful simplicity of a kilt!
Anthony Heasleroad paced down the line of pictures with the bells on the upturned toes of his giltwork shoes jingling. A clerk walked behind him, checking off items on a clipboard compiled from museum catalogues of the old world. Some of the paintings were stacked three or four deep, with the finest on the outside. Other treasures besides stood on the lids of the crates that had held them, with wisps of the hay padding still drifting about; cups of carved alabaster, jewels, icons that were themselves jewels of paint and gold leaf, ancient hand-copied books on parchment opened to display the faded glories of their illuminated capitals, worked Church vessels of precious metals, a lotus blossom wrought from ancient ivory in a style as alien as it was beautiful… ?Nearly all of the items on the list. My lord,? Edgar Denson added hastily, and then:?Your Majesty.?
Rudi Mackenzie kept his face politely blank. Evidently there had been changes in the court etiquette of Iowa, since he?d left.
And to be sure, I have a fair idea whose ideas those ideas were!
Kate Heasleroad was wearing a fair imitation of Mathilda?s cotte-hardi. Some of her ladies-in-waiting were in less skillful ones; they looked a little out of place in the Dubuque City Hall?s plain whitewashed assembly chambers, as much as their floral perfumes did among its faint smell of old lamp oil and harsh soap. The city itself seemed to be ruled partly by an elected Council, all of them present in their best old-fashioned clothing and looking extremely nervous, which wasn?t unreasonable at all in the presence of their Whimsical, Rudi thought. Sure, and whimsical is the best way to think of it.
– whimsical ruler. The Emergency Coordinator of the city looked only slightly less so, and that because he was at court in Des Moines more often.
Rudi caught Matti?s eye as he went briefly down on one knee; the courtesy might have been to Iowa?s ruler… or to her.
The which is no substitute for a hug and a kiss, he thought. But as close as we can come. For now.
The impulse sparkled in his eyes, and he could see she sensed it; her smile held a reproof as warm as the wind in a blossoming orchard, and as full of a delicate promise.
He?d had enough time to get his good kilt and plaid out of their baggage, and his ruffled shirt and short silver-buttoned Montrose jacket and raven-plumed Scots bonnet. For some reason she was in the male version of Portlander court dress tonight: tight hose, tooled shoes with upcurled toes sporting little silver bells, brown velvet tunic with long dagged sleeves dropping down from the elbows and the Lidless Eye of her house on the breast in rubies and jet, jewels on her belt and dagger hilt. That she and Odard were armed was a good sign in itself.
Her face stayed grave, but with her eyes on him he was suddenly acutely conscious of his own appearance in a way that was rare for him.
Good work, he mouthed silently, shifting his eyes from her to Iowa?s ruler to show what he meant. ?And you got the savages to haul them back?? the Bossman said. ?Yes, my lord,? Rudi said, and gave a brief-and colorful-account of his interruption of the Knifer ambush and the horse-stealing expedition that followed. ?Ah, I wish I?d been there!? Anthony Heasleroad said, his face animated. ?I?ve no doubt you?d have been like a lion in battle, your Majesty,? Rudi said.
And a roar of laughter at this point would be less than diplomatic, so, he thought. There?s an element of truth to it, lions being cats, and so probably more concerned with food, sleep and fornication than heroism.
Being diplomatic-lying credibly-was part of being a courtier or ruler, and there were certain things you just didn?t say to a strange overlord.
I wouldn?t trust you on latrine detail, much less a raid was one of them.
He recalled Aunt Judy remarking that a mind healer was in much the same position as a courtier, having to think carefully before talking: for example you?d rarely hear one say Brigid come in splendor, no wonder your mother never loved you!
Not aloud, no matter how hard she thought it.
Heasleroad nodded to the clerk:?See that they?re packed up and sent to the House in Des Moines immediately. We can settle where to put them later.? ?Your Majesty, why not a public exhibition?? Denson said.?That?s what we originally planned.? ?Yes, yes,? the Bossman said.
Then he brightened, taken out of his usual peevish boredom: ?We could have it on my birthday. That?ll leave a month and a half for getting ready. We could have a public feast, with pigs and oxen roasted in the streets, and a parade, and square dancing, and then the viewing. And… and we could have a, a revision of titles at the same time. Governor is so old-fashioned and Bossman… Bossman is a bit rustic.? ?That would be an excellent idea, my lord,? Denson said.
A pained smile hid an expression that disagreed violently with his words; he shot Mathilda a venomous glance before he went on: ?Perhaps we could have festivities every year on that day… a different theme every year. This year it could be… the Majesty of the Heasleroads, God?s plan for Iowa.? ?Good!? Heasleroad said.?See to the details, Edgar. Now-? he looked at the city council and clapped his hands together.?What about dinner??
As they walked away towards the banqueting hall, Rudi looked over his shoulder; the State Police officer?s face was showed naked irritation for an instant.
A wise king doesn?t show disrespect to his lords, Rudi thought. Matti?s mother is polite even when she?s going to kill one of hers; as she says, the cost of courtesy is low and the return often very high indeed. You?ve much to learn if you?d keep your dynasty safe, my lord Anthony.
He fell in beside Mathilda.?Not the time to ask for leave to depart?? he said quietly. ?No,? she said.?Time to watch for an opportunity, then bolt. Better to ask forgiveness than seek permission.?
A troubled smile.?And we?d better not spend too much time together. The Bossman is, ummm, not a very reasonable man.?
He?s a spoiled baby in a man?s body, Rudi thought, with a snort.
Then he nodded and drifted away, which the local informality made easy. For all Matti?s brief lessons and the Bossman?s apparent enthusiasm, the Iowans hadn?t yet got to the point where courtiers went to dinner in pairs carefully graded by rank, preceded by musicians blowing trumpets and heralds shouting out titles.
The which I always found either amusing or irritating, when I was in Association territory, he thought.
The hall they entered was probably used for something else most of the time; there were basketball hoops at each end, mostly hidden by colorful bunting, and the walls were covered by flags and banners, the floor by rich but mismatched carpets. The banquet itself was as elaborate as an anxious city could make it, with a blaze of expensive wax candles in silver holders, snowy linen and fine china and cutlery, crystal bowls full of flowers and fruit. Carvers were at work, their stations in the center of the square of tables bearing roast pigs and smoking quarters of beef, racks of glazed ribs, roast turkeys and ducks, pheasants and chickens and grouse in the splendor of their crisp golden skins, stuffed baked fish as long as a tall man?s leg.. .
A stream of platters with made dishes came out from the kitchens. Rudi sat willingly enough, six positions down from Kate Heasleroad?s left hand and eight from Mathilda on the Bossman?s right. At least he?d get a good dinner out of this. Ingolf was tactfully absent… and had other work to do, to be sure. If Edgar Denson?s plan was to work, they needed a bit of extra muscle, beyond what the Southsiders could provide; and Edain would have to lead them, he being the one they knew best after Rudi himself.