| OCR Text |
Show according to custom!" Then she turned to the Provincials and shouted at the tops of her lungs. "No more fighting, now! No fighting, but rather, feasting! This woman, she be my friend, my benefactor from long ago, and so all of y e . . . " She waved the brilliant weapon around to include all the Commendium folk. "...all of ye be my friends, too!" Provincial and Commendium folk passing this intelligence back to the others too far away to hear, began murmuring with satisfaction. For, although the Commendum folk enjoyed their bloodless tourneys and the Provincials loved their bloody battles, both factions loved feasting even more. But Lusela was infuriated and jumped up and down on the table. "Thou fool! " she screamed. "Thou fool! " Her daughter looked up at her, then walked to the table and aimed her weapon directly at the Seljuk who immediately stopped her tantrum. "Thou," Rollanda said quietly, "thou didst beat me, too, after I came back to thee. This woman here, she was but kind to me. She was but gentle. She, who was of no kin to me at all. So be careful, Lady Mother, or I may well decide 'tis time for thee to a b d i c a t e . . . . " She caressed the barrel of her weapon with one hand. " . . . . i n my favor-" Abruptly; Elsen began laughing. He laughed and laughed, wiping his eyes and shaking his head helplessly. Slowly; the surrounding Provincials began to laugh, too, then the Commendium folk, and it spread throughout the whole valley, the gathering breaking up, the Four Kingdom folk starting preparations for the feast. The Commendium delegation at the table looked at each other. Janni slipped up behind her mother in the large cushioned chair and put a hand on her shoulder. Dr'Igor, Pym, and Erica hesitated, 329 |
