Slate herself had traded skirts for trousers, since they were going to be on the road. It had taken her probably a tenth the time to get dressed as it took Caliban to get his armor on.
“This is a lot easier with a squire,” he said, trying to get a recalcitrant buckle across his back.
Slate and Brenner, acting as one, leaned back in their chairs and crossed their legs.
“Fine,” he muttered.
Brenner poured out another shot and drained it, then pushed a package toward Caliban with his foot. “Got you a cloak, too.”
“Thanks.”
“It’s white.”
“Of course it is.”
Caliban got the last piece on. His back was so straight she could have ruled a column of figures with it.
He held up the tabard. It had the sigil of the temple on it.
He looked at it for what seemed like a long time, and then he folded it reverently and set it aside. Slate did not know that she had ever had a lover touch her with as much tenderness as the disgraced knight handled the cloth.
“This I can no longer wear,” he said simply.
“Oh, come on—” Brenner began, and Slate kicked him hard under the table.
“It looks good,” she said.Not ausefulobservation, but what the hell do I know about armor?It did look good though. He looked more like a heroic statue than an actual human. She could see why the temple knights never lacked for female company. “You look great. A regular ladykiller.”
Brenner blew whiskey out of his nose, yelped in pain, and clapped his hands over his face.
Caliban stared at her, his brown eyes draining of warmth until they were the color of cold liver.
Oh…my…god. Did I just say that?Slate put a hand out as if she could grab the words back. “I didn’t—ah, crap, I can’t believe—I didn’t mean—”
I’m drunk. Oh god, I’m drunk, and I actually forgot…
He picked up his sword, and walked out the door without looking back.
“I can’t believe I said that,” said Slate into her palm.
Brenner finally stopped choking and howled like a hyena instead. “I can’t believe you did either!”
“Shutup, Brenner,” said Slate.
“Oh, relax. It’s not like the stick up his ass can get any stickier.”
There wasn’t anything much she could say to that. Slate got up and went to her room.
She paused by the window, which overlooked the yard behind the inn. There was an armored figure below, taking cuts at his shadow in the moonlight.
She thought of going down and apologizing, then thought better of it.At this point, I’ll just make it worse.
Oh, well. We probably won’t make it to Anuket City, and even if we do, then we’re all going to dieanyway…
CHAPTER 7
THEY GATHERED IN THE COURTYARDoutside the guard-keep just after dawn. There was a horse for each of them. The Learned Edmund had two mules in addition to his horse, laden with obscure, lumpy baggage, and there was an extra pack mule with supplies. Caliban was wearing the white cloak.
“You really don’t have to wear that,” Slate murmured. “Brenner’s just being an ass.”
