glanced at Mairelon, to see whether he had had his fill of watching this strange gathering. By now it was too dark to make out much of his expression, but he seemed to be concentrating closely on the hilltop group.
“Who are those coves?” Kim whispered.
Mairelon glanced down as if he had just remembered her presence. “A pack of imbeciles,” he answered. “And if I’m not mistaken—ah, yes. See for yourself.”
Kim looked back at the hilltop. About half of the men were pulling long, baggy, light-colored robes over their heads. “They look like Bedlamites to me,” Kim muttered. “Who—”
“Ssh!” Mairelon said as the man called Jon said something to Robert that Kim did not catch.
“No, I didn’t,” Robert said, evidently answering Jon’s question. “The girls and the robes were almost more than I could manage as it was. I left it with Meredith after the last meeting.”
“And Meredith’s still not here.” Jon’s voice sounded grim. “If he doesn’t come, you’re for it, Robert.”
“How much longer are you planning to wait, Jon?” one of the white-robed men asked. “Have we got time for a few more throws?”
“Can’t you think of anything but your dice?” Jon snarled.
The man gave a cheerful, unrepentant shrug. “Well, there’s the doxies at the lodge, but I have the feeling you wouldn’t like that much of a delay.”
Some of the others laughed. Jon looked as if he were about to explode, but before he could deliver whatever rebuke he had in mind, Austen said, “There! Isn’t that him?”
Heads turned, and someone said, “That’s Freddy, all right. Nobody else sits a horse that badly; you can spot him even in the dark.”
“Hurry it up, Meredith!” Austen shouted.
“Quiet, you fool!” Jon said, rounding on him. “Do you want to be heard from here to the village? Do you want people to come spying on our Sacred Rites?”
“Oh, really, Jon, don’t get carried away,” Robert said. “There’s a dozen light-skirts in the lodge who can see us from the windows if they want to bother.”
“They are here by our permission,” Jon said loftily.
His dignified effect was spoiled by someone at the back of the group, who snickered and said audibly, “I should hope so!”
Jon glared around him, but could not locate the speaker. He turned away, and a moment later another figure came panting over the crest of the hill. Robert handed him the last of the robes, and he struggled into it hastily while the others pointed out the difficulties his tardiness had caused them.
“Didn’t mean to be so late,” said the newcomer in a muffled voice from halfway inside his robe. “I . . . had to make a stop on the way here.”
“There will be time to hear your explanations later, Meredith,” Jon said. “Now we must begin. To your places, gentlemen!”
The white-robed figures spread out in a circle around the fire and drew the hoods of their robes up over their heads. It made them look suddenly eerie, almost terrifying, and Kim shivered slightly. One of the anonymous figures raised his arms above his head, and Jon’s voice cried loudly, “By the Sacred Oak, and Ash, and Thorn! By the Three Wise Birds and the Three Generous Kings! By the ineffable Name Itself! The rites of the Sons of the New Dawn are now begun!”
9
The white-robed figures lowered their heads and began a strange, droning chant. Kim shuddered again as sonorous phrases drifted down the hill, and she jumped when Mairelon touched her arm.
“I’m going to see if I can get a little closer,” Mairelon said, looking at her quizzically. “You can wait here, if you’re feeling jumpy.”
“Wait here, with them frog-makers up there mumblin’ spells?” Kim whispered indignantly. “What do you take me for?”
Mairelon snorted. “Spells? Don’t be ridiculous. That’s the most preposterous rigmarole I’ve ever had the misfortune to have to listen to. Don’t let it worry you.”
“Why not?”
“Because
“Who are those coves?” Kim whispered.
Mairelon glanced down as if he had just remembered her presence. “A pack of imbeciles,” he answered. “And if I’m not mistaken—ah, yes. See for yourself.”
Kim looked back at the hilltop. About half of the men were pulling long, baggy, light-colored robes over their heads. “They look like Bedlamites to me,” Kim muttered. “Who—”
“Ssh!” Mairelon said as the man called Jon said something to Robert that Kim did not catch.
“No, I didn’t,” Robert said, evidently answering Jon’s question. “The girls and the robes were almost more than I could manage as it was. I left it with Meredith after the last meeting.”
“And Meredith’s still not here.” Jon’s voice sounded grim. “If he doesn’t come, you’re for it, Robert.”
“How much longer are you planning to wait, Jon?” one of the white-robed men asked. “Have we got time for a few more throws?”
“Can’t you think of anything but your dice?” Jon snarled.
The man gave a cheerful, unrepentant shrug. “Well, there’s the doxies at the lodge, but I have the feeling you wouldn’t like that much of a delay.”
Some of the others laughed. Jon looked as if he were about to explode, but before he could deliver whatever rebuke he had in mind, Austen said, “There! Isn’t that him?”
Heads turned, and someone said, “That’s Freddy, all right. Nobody else sits a horse that badly; you can spot him even in the dark.”
“Hurry it up, Meredith!” Austen shouted.
“Quiet, you fool!” Jon said, rounding on him. “Do you want to be heard from here to the village? Do you want people to come spying on our Sacred Rites?”
“Oh, really, Jon, don’t get carried away,” Robert said. “There’s a dozen light-skirts in the lodge who can see us from the windows if they want to bother.”
“They are here by our permission,” Jon said loftily.
His dignified effect was spoiled by someone at the back of the group, who snickered and said audibly, “I should hope so!”
Jon glared around him, but could not locate the speaker. He turned away, and a moment later another figure came panting over the crest of the hill. Robert handed him the last of the robes, and he struggled into it hastily while the others pointed out the difficulties his tardiness had caused them.
“Didn’t mean to be so late,” said the newcomer in a muffled voice from halfway inside his robe. “I . . . had to make a stop on the way here.”
“There will be time to hear your explanations later, Meredith,” Jon said. “Now we must begin. To your places, gentlemen!”
The white-robed figures spread out in a circle around the fire and drew the hoods of their robes up over their heads. It made them look suddenly eerie, almost terrifying, and Kim shivered slightly. One of the anonymous figures raised his arms above his head, and Jon’s voice cried loudly, “By the Sacred Oak, and Ash, and Thorn! By the Three Wise Birds and the Three Generous Kings! By the ineffable Name Itself! The rites of the Sons of the New Dawn are now begun!”
9
The white-robed figures lowered their heads and began a strange, droning chant. Kim shuddered again as sonorous phrases drifted down the hill, and she jumped when Mairelon touched her arm.
“I’m going to see if I can get a little closer,” Mairelon said, looking at her quizzically. “You can wait here, if you’re feeling jumpy.”
“Wait here, with them frog-makers up there mumblin’ spells?” Kim whispered indignantly. “What do you take me for?”
Mairelon snorted. “Spells? Don’t be ridiculous. That’s the most preposterous rigmarole I’ve ever had the misfortune to have to listen to. Don’t let it worry you.”
“Why not?”
“Because
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