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.A half-dressed woman, hurling abuse, was pursuing a harassed-looking swordsman down the street.The swordsman was trying his best to ignore her.Passersby annotated the dispute with their own comments.The swordsman said nothing but increased his pace.Just like a scene in a comic opera.Gabriel watched, thoroughly entertained, then turned from the window.“Tell me about Santa Leofra’s quarter.Someone offered to rent me an apartment here.”“Many people with a reason to be discreet have cabinets here.Santa Leofra’s quarter is part of the Principality of Pontanus, which is a royal domain mostly in the northeast, but with little additions here and there.The civil authorities have no authority here unless they’re serving a Yellow Warrant with Knot and Seal, which can only come from the king.So the place is full of foreigners, criminals, whores, fugitives, debtors, heretics—” He made the flipping gesture with his hands again.“And well-off people like me who probably ought to know better.”“It seems to be the most intriguing district I’ve seen thus far.” Gabriel turned back to the window and looked out, hopeful of seeing something interesting.He hadn’t ever seen anyone behave as had the woman and the swordsman, and the whole episode was tinted with a theatrical quality he found delightful.Not, he admitted dutifully, but that there wasn’t probably some horrid tragedy at the bottom of it.The predawn street had returned to normality.Disappointed, Gabriel returned to the sofa and sat next to Remmy.“I think I like your country,” he said.Remmy gave his tight little smile again.“That’s only because you don’t know it well.”Gabriel put his palm over Remmy’s gold-backed hand.“I know some parts well, and still like them enough to want to know them better.”Remmy sat up on the couch, looked at the hand that covered his own.A smile twitched at the corners of his lips.“Well,” he said.“If I’m to be burned, I may as well thoroughly deserve it.”Remmy’s carriage returned at the appointed hour of mid-morning, just as the fourth gong of the forenoon watch was being struck.Gabriel told Remmy where he lived in Santo Georgio, and was told that Remmy lived there as well, in his father’s house with the rest of his family.As they entered the suburb Gabriel pretended to lose his way and directed the carriage down the street from which the transmission had originated.He called up his daimones and watched as the big house moved past … big gables overhanging the walled yard, fluted chimneys, the bas-relief monster over the door.Shuttered windows, so perhaps no one was home.“There’s a fine house,” Gabriel pointed out.“I admired it yesterday.”“Duke Sergius’s place.” Remmy didn’t seem interested.Gabriel, feigning confusion, leaned his head out the window.“I seem to have misled you,” he said, trying to keep the building in sight.“Perhaps—” He raised his voice for the coachman.“If we turned left at this next street.”He turned to Remmy again.“Tell me about this Sergius,” he said.“I’ve heard the name somewhere.”“I don’t know much about him,” Remmy said, “though he’s well-placed enough.A philosopher and friend of the king, and of the Piscopos Ignacio.I’ve hardly ever seen him—he spends most of his time at his estate in the country.”Or in another part of the Orion Arm, Gabriel thought.“He has a fabulous house out there,” Remmy said.“Quite unlike anything ever done.”“Perhaps I’ve seen him,” Gabriel said.“What does he look like?”“A big dark man.Older.Slant eyes, like yours.Rather gloomy looking.”Saigo, clear enough.Remmy looked up at Gabriel in some surprise.“And now that I turn my mind to him, I find he reminds me of you.Why do you suppose that might be?”“I’ve no idea.We don’t seem to look anything alike.”“Do you think you and he might,” Remmy hinting delicately, “share certain tastes?”Gabriel concealed his amusement at this idea.“Why do you think so?”“Because—” Remmy turned puzzled.“No idea, really [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]