The Last Ring-bearer - Kirill Yeskov [150]
"Nobody there would know what they are," he nodded, watching Alviss dress with a smile. "Aren't we quite a sight, girl? A bankrupt aristocrat with nothing but a sword and a motheaten title is marrying the money of a successful widow of the merchant class…"
"…said widow having made her start by selling her body left and right," Alviss concluded in the same vein. "A total misalliance no matter how you look at it, a gold mine for gossips from both classes."
"That's for sure…" He had a sudden thought and started figuring something. "Listen, I just thought… there's plenty of time until noon. Want to get married right away? Choose any rite."
"Yes, darling, certainly… I don't care which rite, either. Let's go Aritanian – their temple is nearby."
"Aly, what's the problem? You seem unhappy."
"No, of course not! I just had a real bad premonition when you started talking marriage."
"Nonsense," he said firmly. "Let's get dressed and go. Aritanian is fine. By the way, your stone is sapphire, right?"
"Yes, why?"
"While you pretty up, I'll have enough time to visit the honorable Chakti-Vari across the street and buy a wedding present. It's early, but for this kind of money," he picked up the bag with the remainder of Sharya-Rana's gold, "the old man will fly out of bed like a startled pheasant and…"
He cut himself short at the sight of Alviss' face: she paled and her eyes turned from blue to black with widened pupils.
"No!! Tan, dearest, don't go, I pray you!"
"Baby, what's the matter? Another premonition?" She nodded vigorously, unable to speak. "There's no danger – I'm out of the game, nobody wants me."
She had already gotten hold of herself. "All right, but let's go together, all right? I'll be ready in five minutes. Promise you won't leave the house without me!"
"Yes, mommy!"
"Good boy!"
Alviss pecked him on the cheek and slipped into the corridor; Tangorn could hear her give orders to grumbling Tina. Congratulations, Baron, he thought gruffly, your beloved will walk you over by the hand to provide security, since you're incapable of even that much. You've quit the game beaten – not exactly conducive to self-esteem – but if you really do obediently wait for Alviss now, you'll simply lose the right to call yourself a man. And if her premonitions are true, then so much the worse for them. Maybe I'm not worth a copper as a spy, but I'm still the third sword of Gondor. I have the Slumber-maker and the mithril coat, should you guys want to risk it. Let your heads be my consolation prize, I'm quite in the mood for that… Damn! He almost laughed. Looks like I'm beginning to treat female premonitions seriously…
He scanned the empty garden, which was in full view from the second floor, then the empty Jasper street with the DSD man in police uniform. Guard cobras in Chakti-Vari's store – so what? Feet over the windowsill, he thought fleetingly that he'd better spring clear of the flower bed, lest Alviss chew his head off over her favorite nasturtiums.
Alviss was almost ready to go when she caught a movement in the garden in the corner of her eye. Her heart lurched; she sprang to the window and beheld Tangorn on the garden path. Blowing her a kiss, he went towards the door. Whispering a few choice expressions better fitting her port youth than current status, Alviss observed, with some relief, that the baron was armed and that his stance showed caution rather than undue attention to the beauty of the summer morning. He went through the door watchfully, crossed the street, exchanged a few words with the policeman and stretched his hand towards the brass knocker on the jewelry shop door…
"Ta-a-a-a-n!!!" Her desperate scream shattered the silence.
Too late.
The policeman raised a hand to his mouth, and the next moment