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He touched the ideogram for general announcement.
"Watsons," he said. "We are now at Degree Absolute!"
"Marchioness. Perhaps you would oblige me."
"Only too happily, Maijstral."
"Please sit on my left." Smiling, the Marchioness joined him on the white
settee. He scooped up cards from the surface of the low table before him and
squared the deck, then offered it to her. "Please glance through the deck and
remove all the rovers."
Music and conversation vibrated from the diamond above their heads. The
Marchioness was dressed in a light grey
HOUSE OF SHARDS | 1 1 7
that complemented her coloring wonderfully. She took the pack and gave him a
glance. "Your metaphors are appro-
priate, Maijstral."
"How so?"
Her fingers sorted nimbly through the deck. "The rovers are elusive cards,
elusive as conjurers when they perform their tricks. Rovers are therefore my
favorite. I suppose they are about to make me jump through hoops."
"Not unwillingly, I hope."
She laughed. "I have always found rovers irresistible, sir. Now what must I
do?"
"Put the rovers on top, my lady."
"That will please them." Archly.
Maijstral took the deck from her hand and dealt the four top cards facedown
onto the table.
"Now the rovers are on the table. Correct, my lady?"
"If you insist, Maijstral."
He dropped the deck to the table again. "Prove it if you like. Turn them
over."
The Marchioness did so. "So. The rovers have been exposed." She looked at him.
"Is that the trick, sir? I
expected something a little more . . . intricate."
"The rovers have a few surprises left, my lady." The rovers were placed atop
the deck again. Careful of his sight lines, Maijstral picked up the pack with
his right hand. He dealt the top four cards down in one pile, turning the last
over to assure her it was still a rover, then put the four cards on top and
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handed her the deck. He put his hand on hers.
Her hand was warm.
"If you will allow me to guide you, my lady," he said.
"Put the top rover here, then the others so." Making four cards arranged in a
neat rectangle. "Now deal three cards on top of each."
"The rovers shall be resurrected, I hope."
118 | WALTER JON WILLIAMS
"They shall roam, as is their nature." He guided her hand as she created four
piles. He took the deck from her hand. "Indicate two of the piles, if you
please." She pointed to two of the piles, the second and third, and he took
them from the table and put them atop the deck. "Point to another pile." She
pointed to the first. "That pile shall be spared,"
Maijstral said; he took the fourth and added it to the deck.
He took her hand again, placed it on the remaining pile.
"Will you cover the rover, my lady?"
"It would give me nothing but satisfaction to do so, Maijstral."
He took his hand away. "We now have one rover buried under three other cards,
all held prisoner beneath your hand."
"That seems to be the case."
"Firstly, I would like to remove the three other cards, so . .
." He made a swift movement of his left hand, which held the deck. With the
sound of riffling, three cards ap-
peared inside the crook of the Marchioness's elbow, held in Maijstral's right
hand. She gave a laugh of surprise.
"A minor effect," Maijstral said. "I couldn't resist. But now, something a
little more interesting. I intend to transfer the three rovers in the deck to
the pile beneath your lady-
ship's hand."
Her pouting lips drew into a smile. "Rovers beneath my hand. My hand shall be
envied."
Maijstral drew the deck down the inside of her forearm, moving gently but
quite deliberately along the ulnar nerve.
The Marchioness shivered.
"Look in the pile, madam," he said. She turned the cards over one by one,
revealing the four rovers.
"Your rovers are thieves, Maijstral," she said. "They have stolen into my
hand."
"You must be wary of rovers, my lady. They are liable to steal into any number
of private places."
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She looked at him. "Few but rovers are so bold."
There was an amused light in his hidden eyes as he drew the deck along her
forearm again. "Not so. Look in your left sleeve pocket, and there you will
find the three cards that were formerly under your hand."
The Marchioness looked, found them, and looked at him sternly. "Your commoner
cards have been a little free with my person, Maijstral."
"Apologies, my lady. I seek only to amuse."
She laughed. "Fortunately your cards have a light touch."
She tapped her foot on the floor in the pattern meant to applaud something
surprising, yet delightful. A robot moved by, and the Marchioness signalled it
and asked it to bring drinks. She leaned back in her chair.
"Another trick, my lady?"
"I think not." Feigning pique, she took the pack from his hands. "I'm
confiscating the deck for its impertinence."
"The cards only strayed in sport, my lady."
She tilted her head, looked at him sidelong. "Perhaps you and your cards can
stray later, Maijstral. But not now."
"I am at your service, madam."
"So one may hope."
The Marchioness looked up sharply at the shadow of media globes and saw Kyoko
Asperson advancing toward them. Kyoko made a token bob toward them in lieu of
bending over the table to sniff ears.
"Up to your old tricks, Maijstral?" she asked.
"Only exercising my hands, Miss Asperson."
"So I perceived. Will you do a trick for me?"
''I'm afraid my lady has forbidden me any further sleights.''
He glanced up at the hovering globes. "Besides, you'd record them and expose
my manipulations."
"I'll turn the globes off if you like." Kyoko dropped into a seat near them.
"Or record them from one angle only.
120 | WALTER JON WILLIAMS
Whichever you prefer. I like magic tricks, and I don't think it's clever to
spoil them."
Maijstral bowed to her. "Thank you, madam. I wish all audiences preferred the
delights of wonder to the inevitable disenchantment that comes with
disclosure."
"That being your attitude, I don't suppose you'd like to disclose who took the
Waltz twins' jewels, or the choicest objets in the Baroness's collection, or
Madame la Riviere's necklace."
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Maijstral's heavy-lidded eyes glowed with hidden amuse-
ment. "I'm afraid, once again, I prefer wonderment to disclosure," he said.
"I figured that." Kyoko leaned across the table, forcing an intimacy that
compelled Maijstral to tilt back in his chair.
She pursued her advantage. "How do you suppose the duel will end? Between
Geoff Fu George and another thief who shall remain nameless?"
Maijstral smiled. "I would say, madam, that it's far too early to venture a
guess."
"Would you give me your thoughts on another contest?
The race this afternoon."
He steepled his fingers. "Difficult. I have not studied the field."
"Be a sport, Maijstral. No one's going to shoot you for being wrong."
Maijstral gave the matter some thought, then conceded.
"Very well. I would venture to guess that the Duchess of
Benn will be the victor."
"Why so?"
"I don't believe there is anyone present who matches her in expertise or
training."
"Not Pearl Woman? She's raced professionally."
"Her last race was a few years ago, I believe. Though of course she is a
master tactician.''
HOUSE OF SHARDS | 121
The Marchioness fidgeted with the deck of cards. She made an impatient swipe
at her hair, brushing it behind her ear, then stood. Maijstral, perceiving the
movement, rose with her. "I ordered drinks a while ago," she said. "I'm going
to go look for them."
"Marchioness. Your servant."
''Maijstral.'' She offered him three fingers as they parted.
"Perhaps we shall meet again. At one or another sporting event, perhaps."
"Looking forward, my lady."
Maijstral returned to his seat. Kyoko was glancing left and right.
"Do you know where Gregor is?" she asked.
Maijstral was surprised. "I'm afraid not," he said. "He's off on his own
somewhere."
Kyoko gave a shrug. "In that case, can you do a card trick?"
"Happily. We should signal a robot for a deck." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]