Lords of Rainbow by Vera Nazarian Read Free Book Online Page B

suppose,” replied Nilmet. And thinking how interesting it was that yawns were so catchy, he yawned also, and watched Master Jirve make his next move.
    Jirve Lan had chosen orange as the color for his establishment. Orange was described as Joy, and she who was called Melixevven , Tilirreh of orange , stood as a symbol of happiness, and hence, purported good luck. And now Jirve Lan moved Melixevven the lady of Joy into the game, placing her in the empty cell just after Andelas .
    The common room was a large airy room. Three long and sturdy wooden tables with antique-looking tall-backed chairs filled most of the space. Along one of the walls was a bar. From behind the counter, his favorite place, Jirve loved to serve good home-brewed beer and ale, and to the better customers, quality aged wine. (A tavernskeeper at heart, Jirve had once worked in a City tavern, before he had prospered and acquired his own place.)
    It was a clean, well-kept place, the White Roads. The counter and the tabletops were always scrubbed clean, and the floors mopped often. There were sentimental pictures of pale silver flowers and smiling poised family dinners covering the walls—pictures which would glow with uniform orange as soon as the monochrome was turned on, and at which Maertella the cook used to laugh privately, and so did most of the customers. Those pictures, the cook used to say, “look exactly what they were worth.”
    At the moment, there was only one man in the common room, besides Nilmet and the innkeeper. Present in body but not in spirit, he was a well-dressed aged merchant, asleep in a comfortable chair in the corner of the room.
    Glancing at him, Nilmet was continually reminded of the paradox of being, yet not being in one place, during the condition of sleep.
    “ There’s a fine aroma coming from the back,” said Nilmet, forgetting philosophy, his mouth watering with anticipation.
    “ Not fine, heavenly. Yes sir, Maertella knows how to please the palate. Excellent woman!”
    For the hundredth time since his stay here, Nilmet refrained from saying that one same thing, giving that one simple nuptial hint. Really, it was none of his business.
    Jirve began on another yawn.
    From outside came the sound of voices. Abruptly one of the stablehands dashed in. “Master Jirve, come quick! There’s fine lords and ladies arrived, their carriage’s at the gates, they were attacked at the crossroads, they say, the driver is dead—”
    Jirve Lan hated when his yawn was interrupted. It left something vaguely unsatisfying behind it, an altogether unpleasant feeling.
    But the mention of lords and ladies brought him instantly awake, as excited greed entered his bloodstream together with the adrenaline.
    “ Excuse me, friend, business calls again,” he said to Nilmet, who nodded somewhat sleepily. Jirve then quickly rose to follow the stablehand.
    Nilmet sighed, glancing at the seven tiny orange -lit figures of the Tilirr on the abandoned game board, and watched the innkeeper exit, carrying orange shadows with him into the black of the outside. He then got up also and went over to the bar, selected a clean mug from the wooden rack and discreetly poured himself something cold and fizzy from the tap. He leaned more easily against the counter, and took a blissful swallow.
    The delicious smell from the kitchen drifted stronger.
     
    * * *
     
    Postulate Three: Rainbow is Balance.
     
    * * *
     
    I n all of Tronaelend-Lis there was not a man being torn in more different directions than the one who now stood before a tall oval mirror in a tiny alcove of the Regents’ Palace.
    He was Chancellor Rollen Lirr, heading the Ministry of State for the last thirty-four years, first advisor to the current Regent, and the Regent before him. More accurately, he was first advisor to the Regent and Regentrix, for the older sister of Hestiam Grelias was as much embroiled in the heart of politics as her somewhat less enthusiastic brother.
    Chancellor Lirr was a