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stumbling around in the dark when it rains and there is not even a moon to guide us.'' |
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"The king will be ill-pleased by this delay," Sir Roger said threateningly. |
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Rhiannon's large eyes, clear as glass and as hard, fixed on him. "He is not my king," she said succinctly. "He is asking a service of me, not I of him. I will do it when I choose, or not at all." |
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Realizing he had trod amiss, Sir Roger began to apologize and excuse himself, trying to induce her to go by saying he would be blamed if 'they delayed. It was doubtful that Rhiannon would have been moved, even if she heard a word he said, but she did not. Although her eyes remained fixed on him, another discrepancy had occurred to her. If Ian knew a messenger had been sent to her from the king, he would surely have written a letter either to her or to Simon urging her to goif he had wanted her to go. Then, either it was a lie that Ian had told Sir Roger where to find them, or, more likely, Ian did not want her to go. Something began to stink to high heaven. Still, Rhiannon was not sufficiently sure of herself to refuse outright. |
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"I am very sorry," she said, vaguely aware of the self-pitying arguments Sir Roger was urging on her. "Nonetheless, I will not go tonight." |
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From the corner of her eye, Rhiannon saw that Sir Henry was very much upset. The old man was trembling and plucking uneasily at his tunic with his crippled fingers. Rhiannon wished to calm him, but the pestiferous Sir Roger was talking again. Apparently he had given up on the notion of leaving that night. Now he was insisting that they go at dawn. Rhiannon was tempted to tell him that if he did not shut his mouth, she would not go at all, when she suddenly bethought herself that she could shut his mouth without his knowing anything about it. |
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"Yes, yes," she agreed smiling blandly, "we will go |
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