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Cerberus cowered behind his legs, and Ironstone was tre so pitifully that his limbs clattered like china in a picnic basket
But the ray hair pinned severely back, fingers hastily counting the seeds that the bird’s beak had spat out onto the steps Mortola looked older than Orpheus remembered her, much older Her shoulders were hunched, even when she stood up Her fingers curled over like the claws of a bird, her face was gaunt under the high cheekbones, and her skin was the color of yellowed parch andscolded
"Ho do you do that?" he sta about shape-shifters! Only about Night-Mares and--" "Fenoglio! What does he know?"
Mortola plucked a feather off her black dress "Everything changes shape in this world, only most have to die first But there are ways and means"-- and as she spoke she carefully dropped the seeds she had picked up into a leather bag -- "for people to free themselves from their own shapes without any need for the White Woan wondering what kind of possibilities that opened up for this story, but Mortola didn’t give him any time to think it over
"You’ve settled into this world in fine style, haven’t you?" sheup at his house "Four-Eyes, the milky-bearded merchant from across the sea, who trades in unicorns and dwarves and can read every wish of the new lord of Oht to myself, bless me if that isn’t ed to read hi with you
Cerberus bared his teeth, but Ironstone was still tre Glass liO was proud of them!
"What do you want?" Orpheus did his best to sound cool and superior, not like the frightened little boy he became only too easily in Mortola’s presence She still terrified hih the night, presumably from one of the patrols sent out by the Piper to co his noble fellow-fighter after all
"Do you alelcouests outside the door?" hissed Mortola "Co the bronze knocker down on the wood three times before Oss opened the door He blinked sleepily down at Mortola
"Is this that wardrobe- her way past Oss with her skirts rustling
"A new one,"to work out whether it was a good thing she was back or not Wasn’t she supposed to be dead? But it was beco clearer all the time that you couldn’t rely on Death in this world Which was both reassuring and alar
He took Mortola, not to his study, but into the reception roo in it were hers No, very likely it wasn’t a good thing she was back And what did she want of hiine: Mortimer For sure she still wanted to kill him Mortola didn’t abandon such plans easily -- particularly not where her son’s murderer was concerned In this case, however, it looked like other people were ahead of her in line
"So now the bookbinder really is the Bluejay!" she rehts out loud "Howabout hiht him to this world in the first place! And the Adderhead, instead of hunting him down after he killed his best men on Mount Adder, blames Mortola for his escape and for the way the flesh is rotting on his own bones I knew at once it ue is wily, but his innocent look deceives them all, and the Adder handed et the name of the poison I still feel the pain of it today, but I outwitted the I’d brew thes to fly away I listened to the wind and to the gossip in marketplaces to find the bookbinder, and I discovered he really was playing the robber, and the Black Prince had found hi place, too, but I found it all the same" Mortola pursed her lips while she spoke, as if she felt she still had a beak "How I had to control ain! There’s no hurry, Mortola, I thought Being in a hurry has spoiled your fine revenge once already
Sprinkle a few poisonous berries in his food, leaving hih for you to enjoy your revenge But some stupid crow pecked the berries out of his dish, and the next ti ain in the cahter and that deceitful i,’ they said, ‘he’s eaten poisonous fungi!’"
Mortola laughed, and Orpheus shuddered when he saw her fingers curving as if they were still clinging to a branch "It’s like a jinx! Nothing can kill hi in this world were bent on protecting hi the trees! The Bluejay! Death itself let hio, and did a deal with him for the Fire-Dancer Oh, very impressive! But at what price? He hasn’t told even his wife the price, only Mortola knows it! No one pays any attention to the Magpie in the tree, but she hears everything -- what the trees whisper at night, what spiders write in damp branches with their silver threads: They say that Death will take the Bluejay and his daughter if he doesn’t deliver the Adderhead’s life before winter ends And they say the Adder’s own daughter plans to help the Jay to write the three words in the White Book"
"What?" Orpheus had been only half listening He knew Mortola’s hate-filled tirades, endless and self-glorifying, but he pricked up his ears at that last reue with the Bluejay? Yes, it made sense Of course! That hy Mortiht have known it That paragon of virtue hadn’t let himself be made prisoner only out of nobility of an pacing up and dohile Mortola went on uttering curses in so hoarse a voice that the words sounded hardly human
Violante -- Orpheus had offered her his services as soon as he had settled in O that she already had a poetnot very nice of her
"Oh yes, he plans to kill the Adder! Stole into the castle like aabout it as they do their silly dances, but only the Magpie listens!" Mortola bent double Even her coughing sounded like a croak She was crazy! How she looked at him, with her pupils so black and fixed that they lookedOrpheus shuddered
"Yes, yes, I know his plans!" she whispered "And I tell myself: Mortola, let him live, hard as that is for you Kill his wife, or even better the daughter he dotes on, and flutter up onto his shoulder when he hears the news, so that you can hear his heart breaking But let hiives him the White Book, because the Adder, too, ave h to let his worst enemy lay hands on the Book that can kill hipie will be there, and not the Bluejay but Mortola rite those three words Yes, I knohat they are And Death will take both the Bluejay and the Adderhead, and in return for such rich pickings will finally give back what that accursed bookbinder took froue--my son!"