Free The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust Page B

what to this?” asked the Captain, on whose brow beads of sweat could still be seen.
    “She said that her opinion was that of the lady Lytra, the Warlord of the Empire, and that it was not my place to dispute her.”
    “And then you said … ?”
    “I replied that the lady Lytra had not said anything of the kind in my presence, and I doubted that she had said so in a public place, nor would she approve of saying so.”
    “And your partner?” asked the Captain, whose breath was now coming in gasps.
    “She asked if I pretended to teach her manners.”
    “And you?”
    “I assured her frankly and sincerely that I was only acting as any gentleman ought to act.”
    “By the Orb, sir! She drew her blade, then?”
    “Excuse me, Captain, but her blade had been out since I questioned her first statement.”
    “Ah! Had you drawn, as well?”
    “Not at all,” said Aerich.
    “Well, did you then draw it?”
    “My partner became adamant on the subject; I felt it rude to refuse.”
    “Then she attacked you?”
    “Oh, she attacked me, yes.”
    “Well?”
    “She was very fast, my lord. I was forced to pierce her heart. I called for a healer at once, but, you perceive, it was already too late. I paid a pair of Teckla to keep watch upon her body so it may be brought to Deathgate Falls, should her House deem her worthy of it.”
    “But then, among the three of you—”
    “Excuse me, Captain,” said Pel, mildly. “The four of us.”
    “What is that?”
    “I believe I hear the attendant announcing the lady Tazendra.”
    G’aereth shook his head. “Send her in, then. I hope she, at least, has a different tale for us.”
    Aerich shrugged. Tazendra entered, then, her eyes flashing with the cold anger of a Dzurlord. “My Captain,” she said.
    “Yes?”
    “It gives me great pain, but I must make a complaint.”
    “What? A complaint?”
    “Yes. Against the individual with whom I was partnered.”
    “The Cavalier Fanuial?”
    “Yes, that is his name.”
    “Well? And your complaint?”
    Tazendra drew herself up and flung her long hair over her shoulders, and thrust forward her fine jaw as she said, “He is no gentleman, my lord.”
    “How is this?” asked the Captain, astonished.
    “My lord, I will tell you the entire history.”
    “I ask nothing better.”
    “Well, it fell out in this manner. We began our patrol in the hills of the Brambletown district. We arrived, and had hardly set foot upon the Street of Ringing Bells when I saw a young gentleman walking toward us, who seemed to be looking at me quite fixedly.”
    “In what way?” asked the Captain.
    “Oh, as to that, I am too modest to say.”
    The Captain’s eyes traveled from Tazendra’s thick black hair to her finely shaped legs, stopping at all points of interest in between. “Yes, I understand, madam. Go on.”
    “I stopped to speak with this young gentleman, who appeared to be a count—” she glanced quickly at the others, cleared her throat and amended, “or perhaps a duke. Yes, undoubtedly a duke, of the House of the Hawk.”
    “Well?”
    “Well, my partner made remarks about this young noble of—of a particularly rude and personal nature.”
    “I see. And what was your response to this?”
    “Well, I was tempted to fight, Captain.”
    “But you didn’t, I hope?”
    “I could not, Captain. You understand, do you not? I am a Dzurlord, he only a Dragon. It would have been dishonorable to attack him.”
    “I quite agree,” murmured the Captain. “What did you do, then?”
    “Do? Why, naturally I suggested that he find four or five friends, and that, if they would do me the honor to all attack me at once, I would engage to defend this young Hawklord of whom he had spoken so disrespectfully.”
    The Captain buried his face in his hands. Out of respect for him, no one spoke. After a moment, the Captain lifted up his head and said, in a tone noticeably lacking in hope, “He attacked you then?”
    “Attacked me? I almost think he did.