Page 52 (1/2)

‘I was hungry…’ – she shrugged – ‘and I didn’t have tiood, but he was raw If I’d had tie woman, my beloved’

‘That’s why you love me, isn’t it?’

‘Well – it’s one of the reasons Are you sure we can’t talk about our proble back to a subject they had discussed before –to talk about We have to be et back to Pelosia We won’t be really h both ceremonies’

‘We’ll be half married after the cereh, Kring I’ that to settle for "halfto take a long time, you know,’ he said mournfully

‘It’s not that far from Atana back to your country I’ll race you there’

‘It’s not the journey that’s going to take so long, Mirtai It’s the two months you’ll have to spend inin Pelosia You’ll have to learn our practices and cere, steady look ‘You said I have to what?’ There was an ominous tone in her voice

‘It’s the custoroom’s mother before the ceremony’

‘Why?’

‘To learn about him’

‘I already know about you’

‘Well, yes, I suppose you do, but it’s the custom’

‘That’s ridiculous!’

‘Custoood example – and you’ll be Doma The Peloi women will have no respect for you if you don’t do what’s expected’

‘I’ll teach them respect’ Her eyes had turned flint-hard

He leaned back on his elbows ‘I was sort of afraid you hed

‘Is that why you didn’t ht tiht be easier if we’re both et relaxed after you tell me What is this nonsense?’

‘Let’s see if I can explain it’ He rubbed his head ‘Whenabout her husband", it doesn’t reallyabout what he expects for breakfast or things like that What they’re really talking about is the fact that there’s property involved’

‘I don’t have any property, Kring I’m a slave’

‘Not after you marry me, you won’t be You’ll be a very wealthy wo about?’

‘Peloi s to the wo – cattle, usually – I gave it to et married She’s entitled to soive the two of you tiree on the division’

‘It shouldn’t take us that long’

‘Well, probably not My mother’s a reasonable woman, but the two of you will also have to find husbands for my sisters It wouldn’t be so hard if there weren’t so many of them’

‘How ht, actually’

‘Eight?’ She said it flatly

‘My father was very vigorous’

‘So was your mother, apparently Are your sisters presentable?’

‘More or less None of theh, love – but then who could be?’

‘We can talk about that later There’s so winced ‘How did you know that?’

‘I know you, Kring You saved mention of these sisters until the very last That means that you didn’t want to talk about them, and that means there’s a problem What is it?’

‘They think they’re rich That makes theant, Mirtai’

‘I’ll teach theht, I should be able to do it all at once I’ll just take them all out into the nearest pasture for an hour or so They’ll be very huer to marry any men yourto do anything to get away from me Your mother and I should be able to settle the property division in the ; I’ll civilize your sisters in the afternoon, and you and I can be ’

‘It’s not done that way, my love’

‘It will be this ti than you are Why don’t you co’s been settled, we should take advantage of this opportunity’

He grinned at her ‘My feelings exactly, love’ He took her in his arenteel at first, but that didn’t last for very long Things turned slightly savage after ato work out just fine,’ Danae said s to take to the idea of living with Kring’sto upset the Peloi, you know,’ Sparhawk said

‘They’ll live,’ the princess shrugged ‘They’re too set in their ways anyhow They need somebody like Mirtai to open their eyes to the modern world Let’shas this been going on?’ Stragen asked in a slightly choked voice

‘Since I was a little girl,’ Melidere replied ‘My father made the dies when I was about seven or so’

‘Do you realize what you’ve done, Baroness?’

‘I thought ere going to drop the fornored that ‘You’ve struck a direct blow at the econodoen’

‘You’ve debased the coinage!’

‘I haven’t really, but why should it make any difference to you?’

‘Because I’ I’ve ever stolen!’

‘No, not really The value of the coins doesn’t really have anything to do with their true weight It’s a overnovernment says that this coin is worth a half-crown, then that’s what it’s worth Its value is based on an agreees, it has the value that’s sta’

‘You’re a criminal, Melidere!’