Tall and gaunt, with a craggy face and short graying hair, the woman was like no one Kamoj had ever before seen. She wore a form-fitting gray suit made in one piece, with gray knee-boots. A patch on her shoulder showed an exploding star within a triangle.
She met them half-way down the steps. Lionstar nodded to her, and they all walked up the stairs together. Although the woman looked hale and fit, her breathing was growing labored, as if she had just run a race instead of walking only a few steps.
At the top of the stairs, Kamoj froze. A few paces away, a shimmer of light hung in the open doorway.
"'S even nicer inside," Lionstar said, mistaking her hesitation.
No one else seemed bothered by the curtain of light, and Kamoj didn't want to look foolish. So she took a breath and walked with them through the shimmer. It clung to her like a soap bubble, sliding over her face, hair, and clothes.
The entrance foyer looked as she recalled, a small room with tiles on the floor enameled in Argali rose designs. Except now the tiles were whole and the walls smooth, each brick snug with its neighbors, none showing their former chinks and cracks.
Lionstar peeled off his mask and Kamoj tensed, afraid he would choke again. But no one else acted alarmed. In fact, she had never tasted such pure, rich air. It made her dizzy, almost euphoric.
The tall woman was breathing normally now. She asked Kamoj a question, but Kamoj had trouble with her heavy accent. The woman was speaking Bridge, Kamoj's language, but she used the same odd dialect as Lionstar. Like Lionstar, she also mixed in words from Iotaca.
The woman tried again. "Are you all right, Governor Argali?"
Kamoj stood up straighter, trying not to feel intimidated by the woman's unusual height. "Yes."
"She's fine." Lionstar waved his arm at the two Argali servants. "Jus' like them. Fine."
The woman glanced at him, then at the bottle Kamoj still held. She spoke to Lionstar in another language, her voice tense. Lionstar answered with a scowl, then turned away and took Kamoj's arm.
He led her to an archway across the foyer, where another shimmer curtain hung. Kamoj held her breath as they walked through it, but nothing untoward happened.
The air in the Entrance Hall, on the other side, felt as pure as in the foyer. New panels of mellow sunglass wood covered the walls. She had never before seen the paintings Lionstar's people had hung here, scenes of the Argali countryside. He must have commissioned them from the villagers, which meant he was supporting the Argali economy.
Then she saw the other additions to the hall. Light panels-light panels!-glowed near the ceiling.
Lionstar was watching her face. "'S good, yes?"
"Yes." She had never expected this generosity. He didn't even own this building he had refurbished. Then it occurred to her that perhaps it wasn't such generosity after all. He did own the palace now, as well as everything else that had belonged to her family. Including her.
They walked down the Entrance Hall, accompanied by the two servants and the tall woman. The hall ended at a gleaming ballroom that stretched to their right and left. Radiance from its chandeliers reflected off the walls and parquetry floor, yet she saw no candles within the chandeliers, only shimmers of light.
They crossed the width of the ballroom to another archway that opened into the Long Hall, which ran the length of the palace perpendicular to the Entrance Hall. Moonglass paneled its walls and a dark carpet covered the floor. Lamps set in rose-shaped molds glowed at intervals along the walls.
Lionstar set off down the hall, still holding Kamoj's arm. The tall woman easily matched his stride, but Kamoj and the servants almost had to run to keep up.
Lionstar didn't stop until they reached a door at the east end. Then he turned to the others. "You can go. I'll take her up."
The tall woman spoke. "Perhaps Kamoj would like to meet the staff. Look at the palace. Have dinner." Dryly she said,
She met them half-way down the steps. Lionstar nodded to her, and they all walked up the stairs together. Although the woman looked hale and fit, her breathing was growing labored, as if she had just run a race instead of walking only a few steps.
At the top of the stairs, Kamoj froze. A few paces away, a shimmer of light hung in the open doorway.
"'S even nicer inside," Lionstar said, mistaking her hesitation.
No one else seemed bothered by the curtain of light, and Kamoj didn't want to look foolish. So she took a breath and walked with them through the shimmer. It clung to her like a soap bubble, sliding over her face, hair, and clothes.
The entrance foyer looked as she recalled, a small room with tiles on the floor enameled in Argali rose designs. Except now the tiles were whole and the walls smooth, each brick snug with its neighbors, none showing their former chinks and cracks.
Lionstar peeled off his mask and Kamoj tensed, afraid he would choke again. But no one else acted alarmed. In fact, she had never tasted such pure, rich air. It made her dizzy, almost euphoric.
The tall woman was breathing normally now. She asked Kamoj a question, but Kamoj had trouble with her heavy accent. The woman was speaking Bridge, Kamoj's language, but she used the same odd dialect as Lionstar. Like Lionstar, she also mixed in words from Iotaca.
The woman tried again. "Are you all right, Governor Argali?"
Kamoj stood up straighter, trying not to feel intimidated by the woman's unusual height. "Yes."
"She's fine." Lionstar waved his arm at the two Argali servants. "Jus' like them. Fine."
The woman glanced at him, then at the bottle Kamoj still held. She spoke to Lionstar in another language, her voice tense. Lionstar answered with a scowl, then turned away and took Kamoj's arm.
He led her to an archway across the foyer, where another shimmer curtain hung. Kamoj held her breath as they walked through it, but nothing untoward happened.
The air in the Entrance Hall, on the other side, felt as pure as in the foyer. New panels of mellow sunglass wood covered the walls. She had never before seen the paintings Lionstar's people had hung here, scenes of the Argali countryside. He must have commissioned them from the villagers, which meant he was supporting the Argali economy.
Then she saw the other additions to the hall. Light panels-light panels!-glowed near the ceiling.
Lionstar was watching her face. "'S good, yes?"
"Yes." She had never expected this generosity. He didn't even own this building he had refurbished. Then it occurred to her that perhaps it wasn't such generosity after all. He did own the palace now, as well as everything else that had belonged to her family. Including her.
They walked down the Entrance Hall, accompanied by the two servants and the tall woman. The hall ended at a gleaming ballroom that stretched to their right and left. Radiance from its chandeliers reflected off the walls and parquetry floor, yet she saw no candles within the chandeliers, only shimmers of light.
They crossed the width of the ballroom to another archway that opened into the Long Hall, which ran the length of the palace perpendicular to the Entrance Hall. Moonglass paneled its walls and a dark carpet covered the floor. Lamps set in rose-shaped molds glowed at intervals along the walls.
Lionstar set off down the hall, still holding Kamoj's arm. The tall woman easily matched his stride, but Kamoj and the servants almost had to run to keep up.
Lionstar didn't stop until they reached a door at the east end. Then he turned to the others. "You can go. I'll take her up."
The tall woman spoke. "Perhaps Kamoj would like to meet the staff. Look at the palace. Have dinner." Dryly she said,
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