«How is it possible?» Only she was able to whisper, but the winged something had already disappeared. Francesca ran up to the windowsill, but it was already empty there.
So simply, the countess could not retreat, she saw the whole golden guest, looked at the snake, but heard a charm, human voice, who wished only «good night, countess, because calm can not last very long.» After all the sounds dropped in a night emptiness, Francesca seemed to hear them so far. Switching out of the bedroom, she found the side narrow ladder and went into the attic, and from there rose to the roof. Tile slid under the barefoot feet, but Francesca did not want to go back to the heat and peace. She was waiting for that thats somewhere at the level of dark sloping roofs again flashed flexible, golden silhouette, but it did not appear. Only the gray sea of urban homes stretched around, and the wind walked over it and cleaned lonely stars on the blue sky.
Francesca wanted to call someone, say someones name, but never decided. She turned back, almost stumbled on the ladder, forgotten by a chimney-sweep. The low roofs slope hung over the windows of the upper floors, and it would be easy to hide not only a flexible flying creature, but even a child. Francesca, of course, did not calculate it. She last turned on the sleeping city and went down to the room, not even worrying that someone from the waking guests could see her without a mask.
Then I opened the window of not busy room and slept there until the morning. Nobody even paid attention to the draught, escaping from the slots of the locked door. The owner never came to disturb my dream, although I honestly was going to pay, if I was forced in the tavern. Even before awakening, I realized that Francesca had long gathered to go and her carriage had already left the city. I could easily follow her. I already knew the route by which they will return, besides, on the roads, deep furrows from the wheels were well noticeable.
The weather spoiled. The wet snow alternated with raindrops, and find the tracks of the crew on the risky road was increasingly harder. Overcoming another turn of the way, I heard the snoring of horses and the orders of the coachman. Due to the subtle trunks of the trees, it was possible to see the crew, accidentally went from the road and fell into a swamp, on which the ice was melted. The wheels of the carriage were stuck in the mud. The groom and the coachman tried to force their horses to pull the crew from the mud but they didnt manage it. Francesca stood a little bit away from the roadway. Sometimes she looked back, hoping to see another carriage. Nobody was in a hurry to help her.
Without thinking, I took my initial and most familiar appearance, and came out of the trees. Francesca almost screamed from surprise when I suddenly turned out to be right at her back, because a minute ago the road was empty. I did not even move my hand, but she felt the persistent touching io her shoulder. Too amazed to greet me, Francesca was silent.
«Maybe your ladyship will allow me to provide a help?» I asked. It sounded as if I was going to raise a scarf, and not to correct the traffic accident. Francesca just shrugged and said:
«I would only bless your efforts, but how can you manage it one without servants?» She hinted at the fact that I would have to explain how I was here alone without a horse and the carriage. I did not satisfy her curiosity, but only strictly ordered the groom and the coachman:
«Get out!»
They exchanged glances incredulously, fearing, as if they did not hear correctly, but under a shrill, ice-looking stranger left their work. With a quiet whisper, the meaning of which no one did not understand, I calmed down the horses, and then I presented as the rims of the wheels, bypassing the dirt, climb over the mud and roll on solid soil. The crew slightly straightened. When, I was a man, my mental efforts would hardly have enough for such hard work, but now everything went out, as in a dream. Observing the order, the horses themselves pulled forward a carriage, which thanks to my invisible support became much easier, and soon the crew was already on the road.
«Witchcraft!» Quietly murmured the coachman, raised his hand to cross, but then looked at me right away, scared to make some pious gesture in my presence. After all, an extraordinary acquaintance of his hostess can be angry. And what will his anger lead?
Francesca through the power thanked me and allowed to help her climb into the carriage. In her glance flashed all the same spark of suspicion and recognition, but I did not pay attention to it.
I said goodbye, closing the door, but she looked out in the window and suggested.
«Do not want us to bring you to your estate?»
«Oh,» I extended and carelessly dismissed. «To travel, I do not need a carriage.»
She nodded, as if she understood something that we were both afraid to speak out loud, although in fact it was incomprehensible to her.
Returning to my still not renovated abandoned estate, I found the porch of uninvited visitors. Most likely, Mr. and two servants who spent all their strength to keep the excited horses on the spot. All animals almost went mad when they found themselves within my newly acquired possessions. In Mr. I immediately recognized Selvin. He was already took for the door ring, it hit at the metal door with a buzz. The door, of course, remained locked. Despite the insistence of Selvin, no one hurried to let him into the house.
«Probably the owner is not at home,» timidly suggested one of the servants. «Maybe we will return, and then send a servant with the message.»
He was already frozen under the snowfall. Selvin himself also hung up in a fur coat, but did not go away.
«Lets wait,» he said calmly, but in the intonation of the voice, the order was felt.
«Good afternoon and welcome!» I said, suddenly appearing behind his back.
Selvin, of course, was surprised that he did not hear my steps, but from politeness did not openly show his amazement.
«Come in!» I invited, and the door, which before that did not succumb to a persistent knock, nor a strong push suddenly opened itself. We entered the hall. It was no less cold here than in the open sky and Selvin, forgetting about the manners, began to blow on the frozen palms. He looked around the staircase and the floor, littered with dry leaves and garbage and in his glance flashed disgust.
«The house, of course, is good, but would you not like to put it in order,» he said, as soon as we went upstairs, leaving his servants near the cold fireplace at the bottom.
«Why?» I responded carelessly.
«It is impossible to live in ruins,» he began to chat, only in order not to remain in the grave, frightening silence, with the hidden strength of which he already knew.
«And where did you get that I live here?»
«Well, you bought the estate, and I decided»
«How did you know that I bought it exactly, you do not know who I am or why did I come to your country?»
«Well, such news is spread quickly,» he began to speak, as if justifying the excessive interest in my personal affairs. «In addition to the fact that His Majesty became interested in you You have an unusual appearance, only this helped the king to find your trail. Those who meet you admire and a little scared.»
«You said that the house needs to be put in order,» I interrupted his coming speech. «Are you trying to teach me how to live?»
«In no way,» Selvin immediately passed in front of my strictness and tried hastily to justify himself. «I just fulfill the royal order.»
«Yes, this is the duty of the courtiers, to serve the king and fulfill all his orders.»
If Selvin was embarrassed such straightforwardness, he did not manifest it.
«The messenger with the letter, was sent here and did not find you at home, so I came myself, took on such courage,» after the pause he spoke again. «I generally thought that it was useless to send messengers. But his majesty is worried about you.»
«He takes almost parental care and it is flattering,» I nodded condescendingly.
Selvin shuddered at the mention of parental concerns.
«You see, a rumor reached the king that you are experiencing some financial problems,» he admitted.
«Thats how? And I did not know?» And I thought about myself that it was a complete hypocrisy to have the treasury full with gold and jewels and at the same time acquire a reputation of the beggar. The favorable king decided that the poor, pretty, rural nobleman needs his help. It was ridiculous, but, restraining laughter, I got a fire in the fireplace. Selvin watched the movement of my hands, but it was not possible to notice from where I took the stream of fire, when I didnt have a steel, nor trunk, nor even candles. There were cold spilled ashes and fragments of dry branches in the old fireplace, but it began to reproduce the saving heat and the visitor did not have to rub his reddish palms. He sighed lightweight, feeling a stream of heat from the fire, and even wanted to sit down in a chair, but it turned out to be too dusty and the nobleman had to continue the conversation on the feet.
«It is a pity that you were not when the letter came, otherwise the reception would be arranged in the palace the first one for many years. You probably already know that His Majesty has long been in the mourning, and with him, of course, the whole court. The royal will is law for everyone. If the monarch fell into melancholy, then it is imposed on the other in a natural order. So, at least, it was up to that hunt when we met with you and, honestly, I really wanted to see you again.
Selvin cut his monologue and waited with hope for an answer, but I kept silence. The fire quietly cracked, absorbing the remains of the twigs, but only flared up stronger, although food capable of supporting the burning was almost over.
«After all, I didnt come with empty hands,» Selvin took out some scroll and handed me, as if trying to prove it that his visit was not so useless. There are documents on the village to the north of your possessions. It and several farms that can be rented will give a good income.»
And whose were these lands before me?» I didnt even unfold a scroll, although I already realized that such document is a great mercy from the side of the monarch, only here he provided the service not to the one who was in need of it, but to a stranger.
«These lands belonged to the crown,» Selvin replied. «They are pretty fertile, such an area will not give a bad income to the host, and the repair of the estate, too, if you do not mind, write down at the expense of the treasury.»
«What a care is it,» I admired, but Selvin did not notice sarcasm in my voice.
«The king is waiting for your appearance every day and every night,» he said, clearly remembering our collision in a hunting house. «It is inconvenient to me to talk, but he is fascinated by you, and the court is jealous, so you must be careful when you appear among them. From jealousy, they are capable of everything, even of crimes. Many have never seen you, but they already dismiss unpleasant and terrible rumors. I am also your debtor and will be alert to provide you with safety at the court.»
«Selvin!» I turned to him by name, without titles and other rules of courtesy. «You must understand that I am not going to come to the court, nor today, neither tomorrow, no in a month.»
«But the king»
«Listen!» I took him by my arms and led closer to the fireplace, so that in the reflections of the fire he could well consider my traits. He did not take away his hot live hands, although he felt the ice cold of my skin and, probably, he realized that this was a handshake of death.
«You are far from stupid and quite capable of understanding that I am not a common man,» I continued quietly. «Take care of your suzerain. Say to him that the most terrible danger, which only can be is coming from me. Communication with me has the worst consequences. It is dangerous. You are afraid that they can kill me but how? I will not be harmed with a spear, a knife, a sword, or even with a poisoned arrow. But if I wish or in the whims of fate, I can destroy many. Your king sees the deceased son in me. So let him send his fathers guard to someone from living, and not on whose fate are darkness and loneliness. If I need your service, I myself am not ashamed to come, but it is necessary to fear in advance that someone like me is going to let me your doors.»
«You say that you are Cursed? «Selvin could not find a word for a long time and the phrase itself flew away from his tongue. «But this is not the case?» He immediately asked me with a hope.
«Who knows,» I replied indefinitely, and immediately turned away to send my energy to fire, which had almost no food left, at the expense of which it could burn.
The awkward pause was delayed. Selvin, having exhausted the stock of his eloquence, urgently tried to reveal the reason to extend his visit. He looked around a poor living room, heavy, dusty curtains, soft furniture set with faded upholstery, vases with dried bouquets. Dry flowers with the lightest touch could crumble in small curvy. Selvins gaze ran through a darkened portrait and pictures, which got me together with the house, and lingered on a small old tapestry with a hunting scene.
«Still, you have shown yourself as a hero that day,» Selvin remembered the predators who arranged the hunters the trap and an unexpected salvation. «Those who you saved, now and call you the lord of the wolves. The rest, who heard the story, gave you this nickname in absentia, without requiring any confirmation of such power.»
Selvin spoke simply and with admiration. No tricks about why wolves scared me or how I managed to keep their fierce attack with the whole pair of words. He was not going to get out someone elses secret and took the uniqueness of his savior as proper.
Young Viscount learned to perceive my secrecy, as an integral. Therefore, he was still alive, healthy and not scared, but only a little confused. Already in his behavior, it was possible to understand that received as a present possessions and other grace is just one way to lure me to the court. Does the king lack his own concerns? Why does he call in a fragile maze of urban mansions the fire-breathing snake?
«I see, it is useless to warn,» I stated with a sad smile. «Well, perhaps, one day I will appear before your jealous courtiers, and God forbid that I come to them in such a kind, as now, and not in another.
«What do you have in mind?» Selvin was amazed.
The holy simplicity, I grinned about myself, how he is it far from the suspicious Francesca.
«Very often, the evil fate pursues those to whom I feel sympathy,» I remembered with the sadness the gnomes, especially Dominic, even more painful there was a reminder of the prudent Claude and the naive, but uniquely charming Florian. All of them were destroyed because of me.
«Do you want to extend our acquaintance?» I asked the confused Selvin. «Well, I do not mind.»
«Excellent, you will not regret,» he was delighted. «Today we will have to bring bricklayers, painters, carpenters. We must bring the house to the appropriate look.»
He wanted to add that if I would be a little bit more agreeable, and I would be waiting for the future of the royal heir. I did not fit to be the landowner in debts. He got used to the court luxury and was confident that anyone who was forced to live in the house with the flowing roof, without servants, undoubtedly is a debtor. If only he did not stand in advance with the royal treasurer pay for these non-existent debts.