The Pixilated Peeress
barracks just as the morning's drill was being dismissed and the men were returning their pikes to the huge rack at the side of the drill ground. Captain Bothvar came up with a scowl like a thunderstorm, saying:
     
                  "Where in the seven hells have ye been, Thorolf? Your leave went only till muster time this morn. 'Tis not like you to vanish without leave."
     
                  "A matter of honor, sir. A noble lady who besought my aid met with an accident, and there was none but I to obtain her the proper medical care."
     
                  "Hmm. If ye say so, I daresay 'tis so. I put Sergeant Regin in your stead; ye can trade le aves with him to make up the time."
     
                  After his midday meal, instead of retiring to his room for an afternoon of quiet study, Thorolf set out for the consular palace. He had to wait an hour before being admitted to see his father. While he waited, pictures of Yvette floated through his mind. If only old Bardi had not blundered; or if the spell could have been post poned for a single day ...
     
                  Thorolf had never felt apologetic about his virginal state, since the Paganist religion was fairly strict in its sex ual standards. Because of his brawn, none of the soldiers beneath his orders dared to chaff him about it. after he had thrown one scoffer twenty feet into a ma nure pile. His fellow sergeant, Regin, who notoriously flouted these standards, sometimes remar k ed after a weekend of revelry:
     
                  "Well, Thorolf old boy, hast become a real man yet?"
     
                  But he said it in fun. He could do it with impunity because he was Thorolf's closest friend among the sol diers.
     
                  At last Thorolf was waved into the Consul's inner cha mber. Clad in official scarlet, Consul Zigram over flowed the chair in which he sat behind an oversized desk. The side of this desk toward the Consul was curved to make room for Thorolf's father's bulk, which his luxuriant snow-white beard covered. His go l den chain and medallion of office were hung round his neck atop the beard, which would otherwise have concealed them.
     
                  "Greetings, son!" puffed the Consul. "How wags thy world?"
     
                  "Well enough, Father. Hast heard of my involvement with the Countess of Grintz?"
     
                  "Only that ye brought this fair fugitive to Vasco's inn for the night. Where is she now? We lust not for a confrontation with the Duke of Landai."
     
                  "At Bardi's urging, I le ft her in charge of Doctor Orlandus, to treat her for an ill. Now I would fain ask some questions about this Orlandus and his Sophonomists."
     
                  The change in the Consul's aspect startled Thorolf. His fat features seemed to collapse like a ruptured blad der, while his eyes rounded with fear. Casting about furtive looks, like those of a rabbit stealing cabbages, he whispered:
     
                  "Son, son, mention not that name within these walls!"
     
                  "But Father, these folk might be dangerous to the Commonwealth! Orlandus' guar ds go about with swords unwired, as if members of the army or the Constabu lary — "
     
                  "Shh!" Zigram laid a finger to his lips. "Not a word about them or their leader! I cannot explain here, for the walls have ears."
     
                  Thorolf frowned. "As bad as that? Where can we talk frankly, then? In your private quarters?"
     
                  "Nay; I never know when a flunky or chambermaid hath been suborned."
     
                  "How about our old house? We could ask the tenants to leave us alone in a room — "
     
                  "Nay; knew ye not? The tenant hath bought the place."
     
                  "I knew

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