Free The Shadow Matrix by Marion Zimmer Bradley Page B

followed Mikhail's example, and brought out another animal, a nice little
    colt. In a few minutes, they had gotten all the horses out of, the stable, and Mathias
    was cutting off the overgrown hooves with a vengeance. He swore softly as he worked,
    gentling the horses, though they were all too feeble to give him much trouble. There
    were six animals in all, .none of them in any better shape than the first. Duncan just
    stood and watched, his dull eyes following their movements.
    Mikhail and Daryll found rakes and shovels, and started to clear out the worst of the
    mess. The smell of ammonia was overpowering. The rotten hay was full of worms,
    mostly earthworms, but there were some parasites as well. And they disturbed several
    families of rats, who ran squeaking into the shadows.
    It was backbreaking labor, foul and stinking, but Mikhail found it helped him shake the
    sense of rage and powerlessness that had arisen in him. There were stalls that had not
    been used in years, and in these the earthen floor had not been worn into troughs by the
    restless movement of overgrown hooves. Indeed, they were fairly clean, and only
    needed a fast raking to set them to rights. Daryll climbed into the loft and found a bale
    of hay that had not yet mildewed, then spread it around sparingly.
    "I don't blame ol' Mathy for bein' in a fury, one bit. Those are decent horses, and it isn't
    right to treat 'em so badly," the Guardsman said. Then he glanced up, toward the
    ceiling. "The rain will come in if we don't see to it."
    "I know. I've never seen anything like this. What a shambles!"
    "I'll go for fresh hay at first light, and see if I can find a workman who can fix the roof.
    That is . . ." he paused, ordering his thoughts, "if we are going to remain. Are we?"
    "We don't seem very welcome, do we?"
    "Not if that old geezer is anything to judge by, we aren't. Look! Here's some horse
    salve! Just the thing for those sores."
    "Good. We need to get the trough clean, for I don't think fouled water will do them any
    good. I suppose that old Duncan has been watering them with a bucket, for while they
    look half starved, they don't appear to be dehydrated. Take the salve to Mathias, will
    you, while I look around and see if there is any feed. Those animals look like they
    haven't been fed in a week."
    "We've got enough oats on the mules for tonight, Dom Mikhail. For ours and these
    poor, starved beasties. It goes right to my heart to see them. When I took that palfrey
    out of her stall, I swear she said 'Thank you' and would have fallen on my neck with
    gratitude, if she had arms instead of legs."
    Mikhail grinned at the Guardsman's words, and felt his tension abate. Daryll was
    imaginative, although he tried to hide it. A good man. Both of them, he reflected, were
    fine men. The situation was not what he had expected. When he had visited Elhalyn
    Castle four years before, the household had been somewhat ramshackle, but the stables
    had been in decent order, and if the linens on the bed were worn, at least they were
    clean and decent. The unease which had almost vanished while he labored returned,
    and his smile faded. If the condition of the stable was any measure, then Halyn House
    was likely to be dreadful.
    "When you go to the village, see if you can find a lad or two to help with the horses. I
    suspect that there is no staff—though I am damned if I can figure out why! When I
    visited four years ago, at the castle, there were not many servants, and Duncan was
    doing the duties of the condom, even though that was not his job."
    "Why?"
    "The condom was not in his right mind—a bit past his work—but Domna Elhalyn did
    not seem to notice. Or care. She is ... eccentric."
    "Daft sounds like a better word, if you don't mind my
    plain speaking. Not notice!" Daryll looked outraged, his cheeks reddening a little, and
    his blue eyes sparkling. "That there Duncan seems a ninny, too—past his work or just
    dimwitted.".
    "I know. And he wasn't like that