Free New Celebrations: The Adventures of Anthony Villiers by Alexei Panshin Page B

bed and closed his eyes. Torve returned to his composition. Even if Villiers had not been informed that Torve was inventing rather than practicing something he had put in final form, he would have known, or thought he would. It lacked a certain necessary je ne sais quoi of a polished work. Villiers lay listening for some minutes, putting his thoughts in order. Then abruptly he rose and crossed to the service corner. He left the picture off, feeling no need to honor a minor functionary with the sight of him in his underclothing. But for you who might be interested, their color was beige, his stocks were calf-length and well-filled, his body-piece cut with some looseness, and his curdler a Grene & McKenna worn in a reverse holster on his left hip. Villiers asked to be connected with Accommodations.
    “ Thurb. Thurb . . . .”
    “This is Mr. Villiers in the Palatine Suite.”
    “Oh, yes, sir!”
    “It seems that my plans have altered somewhat. I’m not leaving tonight as I told Mr. Shirabi. I’ve decided to remain here at Star Well for some few days more. Will I be able to retain my present rooms, or will it be necessary for me to change them?”
    “Pardon me, sir. I’ll check.” The clerk turned in the service screen and checked quickly. “No problem at all, sir. You can stay just where you are.”
    “Very good,” said Villiers, and prepared to sign off.
    “A moment, sir. I can’t see you and I keep hearing an odd throbbing noise. Is the service in order?”
    “Perfectly in order. Thank you.”
    Villiers turned. “Well, the least of our problems is settled.” He sat again on the bed. Idly he tugged at the fringes on the canopy. “What we are going to do for enough money to leave here and reach Yuten, I don’t know.”
    Without looking up, Torve said, “Is no need to worry. All will come to evenment.”
    “Hmm?”
    “No need to worry. I do not worry. Thurb. Thurb . I have confidence. Thurb . In time fullness, many lines of occurrence come together—they make . . .” Words failed him and with paws he made a rounded motion and then planed it smooth. “We go then to Yuten, have money, all is well. See you?”
    “I understand that you are confident.”
    Torve brightened. “Ah, you see.”
    “No.”
    “Oh, well, you are still good fellow, Tony. You understand little, but you are still good fellow.”
    “Thank you. For lack of any choice, I’ll accept that as a compliment.” Villiers pulled the holster free of the body-piece, the grip-tite backing making its usual skritchy protest at being parted from what it had seized so tenderly. He set the holster down and began to strip off his stocks.
    “Who was young female girl creature?”
    “She’s the daughter of a man I met several years ago—more than a bit of a rogue. One of the Parini-Blinoff-Branko Clan.”
    “These names?”
    “They’re all related to each other. If you meet a man with one of those names, it’s a sign to be wary.”
    “But you call the father rogue? You?”
    Villiers laughed. “Am I a rogue, Torve?”
    Quite seriously, Torve said, “In some times.”
    Villiers laughed again. “Mr. Parini is a rogue in all times. In any case, Louisa Parini is being taken by that engagingly horrid woman to school on Nashua. I know the school. A school I was expelled from—for roguery—used to have us practice our hardly learned manners on their girls. I don’t envy Louisa. I think Miss McBurney invented stuffiness.”
    “You are dressing to go out?”
    “Yes. I have Mrs. Bogue’s permission to escort Louisa to dinner in the Grand Hall. A few thalers isn’t going to affect our bill particularly, and I think she will enjoy herself. Would you like to join us?”
    “No. Is thought, but I have seeing with Mithra Priest Srb. We will eat dinner. He understands little, too, but is needful for lines of occurrence that we . . .” He again made his rounding and planing motions.
    “And our traveling together—is the key to that lines of