The Shadow Matrix (49 page)

Robert Aldaran gave his sister an unreadable look, and
Dom
Damon looked ready to

spank his daughter. "You are too modest." the son began. "Even up in the Hellers news

of your exploits have reached our ears."

Margaret decided, with an impulse that was unusual, that she liked this man. There was

something sound about him, a kind of assurance that made her want to trust him. At the

same time, she felt a little of her usual shyness stir. She could sense that her desire to

like Robert triggered the old pattern of emotional distance which had plagued her for

as long as she could remember. Damn Mikhail for abandoning her! At least her father

was keeping close, and little Donal Alar was at her side, watching with alert eyes.

"Exploits? Do you mean when I slew the dragon, or when I traveled from Ardais to

Thendara in a single night?" What were people saying about her? She felt herself

shiver, even as her mouth spoke the satiric words.

Robert Aldaran chuckled and patted one thigh. "Ouch! You nearly pulled my leg out of

the socket!"

"Did you kill a dragon, Cousin Marguerida?" Donal

asked raptly. His eyes were wide with adoration, and he clearly imagined that she

could do anything.

"No, Donal. There are no dragons on Darkover, but if

there were, and I went to kill one, I would be sure to take

you with me. I was just being very silly."

'

"Good. I wouldn't like to miss that."

"I was speaking," Robert continued, giving the little boy a friendly nod, "of your

encounter with bandits between White Springs and Neskaya."

"Bandits!" Lord Aldaran, who had been standing none too patiently between his

children, came to attention. "They get bolder every year. They steal horses and cattle,

and anything else they can get their hands on. Something has to be done."

Robert nodded. "It is quite true that the number of gangs of thieves grows larger each

year. Tell us about those you met and defeated."

Margaret had promised herself she would never talk about the terrible night, but there

was no way she could think of to deny the event. And how the devil had Robert heard

of it. It seemed that everyone had. She realized that most likely the merchant had told

the tale in every inn on the rest of his journey, and the tale was probably all over the

Hellers by now. So much for keeping it a secret.

She braced herself and began to speak. "You make it sound as if I were alone, which

was not the case at all. There were four Renunciates, a Dry Town merchant, and

myself, plus mules and horses. The bandits were somewhat greater in number, and they

managed to surprise us in the middle of the night. I must say that it is a credit to the

hardihood of Darkovans that they can even consider attacking in the cold—it had been

snowing a little, and it was, to my mind, quite frigid. There were times I thought I

should never be warm again.

"But my horse, Dorilys, alerted me. She woke me right up, and the next thing I knew,

we were knee-deep in brigands. We managed to fight them off. Since I have no

particular skill with swords, my contribution was to use what I have, which is the

unarmed combat that I learned at University. I broke one man's neck—which was

extremely unpleasant! And the worst part of it was that it was too easy."

Robert Aldaran gave her a curious look. He was a tall

man, older than Margaret, with dark red hair, and a grave face that changed completely

when he smiled. "But,
domna,
I heard there was more."

Margaret swallowed hard. She felt reluctant to offer the details, but it was clear that

Robert was not going to be satisfied with anything less. And if she was correct in her

assumption that the story was being told everywhere, she should make sure there were

no exaggerations. If only her conscience were not so troubled. By Darkovan mores,

she had not done anything very terrible.

"It was rather chaotic, with the Renunciates fighting and the bandits as well, and I did

not quite know what to do. After I had succeeded in breaking the man's neck, I rather

panicked, I suppose, because I just wanted it to stop! I just shouted 'Stop,' without

really thinking, you see, as anyone might in the same circumstances." She found her

mouth was dry, and felt her father pat her elbow, as if he knew how upset she was.

Margaret swallowed again, and tightened her grip on her father's arm. "I have the

command voice, you see, and I am not quite accustomed to it." She stopped again, and

looked down at Donal, who grinned up at her.

"That's right! Never, never wake Cousin Marguerida up from sleep—unless you want

to end up—"

"Sleepwaking out the front door in the middle of the night," Lew finished the

sentence. He gave Donal a look, and the lad subsided with an understanding twinkle in

his eyes.

Robert and Gisela looked from father to daughter, and
Dom
Damon gazed at Margaret

with interest. "What happened then," Lord Aldaran asked, his small eyes gleaming.

"Much to my surprise, everyone stopped! Which is to say they froze, as if they were

statues in the. snow. I was terrified because I could not think how to undo what I had

done. But I did think of a way, and managed to get my companions back to normal.

Not the bandits, however."

"You mean you left them to freeze to death?" Gisela asked, her voice rough with terror.

There were goose bumps all along the smooth skin on her arms, and she shrank back.

She looked at Marguerida, a light of fear in her eyes. "How could you?"

"What choice did I have?" Margaret did not believe her-

self. She sounded boastful, which was the last thing in the world she felt. "They

outnumbered us, and one of the Renunciates was injured."

"Did you leave them in the snow, Cousin Marguerida?" piped Donal. "I would have

liked to see that."

"The Renunciates dispatched them, and burned their bodies." She felt sick as she said

it, and cowardly.

"Very good," Lord Aldaran announced, apparently not horrified in the least. "A better

end than they deserved!"

Gisela was made of more fragile stuff, for she shivered all over, and shrank away,

drifting toward Mikhail, who was still talking to Ariel. Margaret watched her, and

noted that Mik did not seem to acknowledge Gisela's presence at his side.

Just as Robert Aldaran was about to ask her another penetrating question, the Lanarts

entered the room.
Dom
Gabriel was frowning and Gabe looked very uncomfortable in

his formal tunic, but Rafael smiled. Without listening to any further queries, Margaret

left her father's sheltering side, and approached her uncle.
"Dom
Gabriel! Cousin

Rafael! What a lovely surprise. I did not know you were here. And Cousin Gabe—how

are you?"

Margaret slipped her hand into her uncle's arm, resting her hand lightly on his elbow.

He gave her a puzzled look, as if surprised by being greeted warmly. "Well enough,

well enough," he answered gruffly. "You are looking quite splendid."

She leaned her head a little closer to him, determined to make the best of the moment.

She might not like her uncle, but he was safe, and would not make her feel miserable

about her part in the death of brigands. "And you are looking as if you would rather be

anywhere but here," she answered very quietly. "Is your leg hurting?" she almost

whispered. Margaret knew
that Dom
Gabriel had been suffering from sciatica during

the fall, and the way he favored one side told her he still was.

"A bit. Kind of you to ask."
Dom
Gabriel relaxed just a little. "You are a good girl,

even if you are a bit headstrong and don't know how to behave. We arrived just an hour

ago, with a storm coming up our backsides, and I barely had time to catch my breath. It

isn't going to be much of a blow, but the wind was troublesome. Then Ja-

vanne insisted I come to dinner, though sitting down to supper with a pack of Aldarans

is not my idea of digestible!"

Margaret laughed at this mild jest on her uncle's part. "No, not in the least digestible.

Indeed, I think that
Dom
Damon would trouble a dragon's belly, don't you."

She was pleased when her uncle barked his rather loud laugh, making several people

turn and look at him. "A shame," he said as quietly as his large voice would allow,

"that they are extinct. I would like to hunt one, and better, I would like to see one eat ...

no matter. Go talk to Rafael, will you, and Gabe, since you seem determined to be

pleasant. And don't think I don't know what you are up to—trying to turn me up

sweet."

"Uncle Gabriel, I am sincerely glad to see you, no matter what you think. We see

things very differently, but I know that you have the very finest intentions."

"All of which will likely come to ruin, what with Aldarans in Comyn Castle, and

maybe on the Council, though I will oppose that with my last breath. At least you are

behaving yourself. Who's that gal hanging on Mikhail's arm—-I don't recognize her."

"That is Gisela Aldaran, Uncle."

His rather protuberant eyes bulged, and his face turned a dusky red.
"What!"

"Yes. She seems to have decided that ..."

"I don't care what she's decided—I won't have it!" He glared, as if the situation were

Margaret's fault. Then his expression softened, and he looked at her with something

approaching affection. "Just when I think things cannot get any worse—!"

Margaret patted his forearm with her free hand, because she really felt sorry for
Dom

Gabriel. "I know. But at least this is something that isn't my fault."

"It has been hard-on you, hasn't it? I have made things hard for you. Sometimes, I feel

as if I am the only man on Darkover who has not lost his wits completely!"

Margaret was surprised and touched by this expression of empathy, so unlike her

uncle's usual behavior. He was still stubbornly opposed to Aldarans on the Comyn

Council, to Lew sitting on it, or to any possible marriage between her and Mikhail, and

likely to remain so. But he was a

good man, a decent man, and she had to acknowledge that. She leaned over and gave

him a quick peck on one rather rough cheek.
Dom
Gabriel started slightly at this

affection, then brightened a bit.

"Now, why don't you go over and pry that woman off Mikhail's arm, and I will go

make friendly conversation with Gabe and Rafael, and we will both do Lady Javanne

proud, Uncle Gabriel."

"Very well." He sighed. "Ariel is likely going to tell me more about her pregnancy than

I want to hear. I cannot tell you what a blessing it has been that she was at Arilinn and

not
at Armida these months. But you are right. Javanne 'is giving me one of her looks,

and a scolding will follow if I don't do my duty."
Women! I am beset with women! May

the Gods give me strength!
He cast his eyes up to the painted ceiling, gave Margaret's

hand a perfunctory pat, and left her.

Rafael and Gabe Alton moved closer to her, both of them smiling. "Thank you for your

kindness to the Old Man," Rafael began. "He's been like a baited bear for days, and the

journey did not help a bit. And no matter how he pretends otherwise, he does like it

when pretty women fuss over him."

"Don't we all. How are you, Marguerida?" Gabe, who was no longer interested in her

as a potential wife, looked her up and down. "You seem thinner."

"I might be, but it is not nice of you to notice, Gabe. No matter how much I eat, I can't

seem to put enough away to keep my weight up. Istvana says I eat enough for two

people."

"Do you like Neskaya?" Rafael asked.

"Well enough, though I don't think I will ever be comfortable in any Tower. The people

there are very friendly, and I have discovered another relative—Caitlin Leynier— who

has become my friend. After Arilinn, it is heavenly. How are things at Armida?"

"We had a huge harvest," Gabe began, "and next spring we will have a bumper crop of

foals. But we have had a lot of trouble with gangs of bandits this autumn. We fixed the

roof, too—no more leaks in the Blue bedroom!" He grinned at her. Margaret

remembered how she had been put into that room when she came to Armida the

previous

summer, and bow Liriel had revealed that there was a leak in the ceiling, much to

Javanne's displeasure.

"I am sure you are taking good care of Armida, Gabe. Is that little sister of my Dorilys

going to foal? She looked like a fine mare when I saw her last summer, even though I

did not have time to get to know her."

"She is, and she was covered by Black Bolt, so the result should be both beautiful and

strong. I am hoping for a black, but Rafael hopes for a silver. We even have a small

wager on it."

Margaret took a deep breath. "I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to talk of horses

and harvests, instead of
laran,
and to be with my family! It is so good to see both of

you!"

"Do you know, I feel very much the same, cousin, and I never thought I would say

such a thing." Gabe, looking unusually thoughtful, nodded at her. "You made me look