OCR Text |
Show "Yet thirty-six hours more of this," she muttered. "Holy Saint Isaac!" Then she twisted in her saddle to see how far they had come. "By the Saints!" she hissed. Two tiny figures were toiling up the narrow trail, mayhap three hours behind them. They were on JackPonies, too, and Janni's sharp eyes could make out the flutter of red on the helmet of the larger one. The knight? Marry, the knight indeed! She shouted at her mother, waved, and pointed down wildly. Dr'Anya turned and looked. The trail, cut as it was out of the rosetone face of the mountain made the two below them look to be hanging on to the cliffside like slugs. Dr'Anya shook her head and gestured ahead. There was nothing for it but to go on. Another look at their supper break showed the two riders still behind them and gaining. The two women had stopped at a furiously rushing stream to enable their JackPonies to wash their grain cakes down with some water. While the two animals drank at a small side pool, Janni and Dr'Anya had their heads together-literally, for the wind howled mightily around them-discussing possibilities. "Know I now why that woman looked so familiar, that keeper at the PostHouse," said Dr'Anya. She was holding her mask away from her mouth and was talking directly into Janni's ear. The wind was very nearly deafening. "She has the look of the Schroeder Commendium about her, and her accent-aye, her accent be full well faked." Janni nodded. "She must needs be a lookout for the renegade Commendium folk. Mayhap she can warn them that we come and they will send help." Dr'Anya left the stream side and looked down the trail-the two figures were still moving upward. She went back to Janni who was massaging her aching hips. "We must needs stop 179 |