Мор - ученик смерти

           BehindhimtheMasterofCeremoniesclearedhisthroat.Hiseyestookonadistant,glazedlook.

           TheStealerofSouls,’hesaidinthefarawayvoiceofonewhoseearsaren’thearingwhathismouthissaying,’DefeaterofEmpires,SwallowerofOceans,ThiefofYears,TheUltimateReality,HarvesterofMankind,the—’

           ALLRIGHT,ALLRIGHT.ICANSEEMYSELFIN.

           Mortpausedwithacoldturkeyleghalfwaytohismouth.Hedidn’tturnaround.Hedidn’tneedto.Therewasnomistakingthatvoice,feltratherthanheard,orthewayinwhichtheairchilledanddarkened.Thechatterandmusicoftheweddingreceptionslowedandfaded.

           ’Wedidn’tthinkyou’dcome,’hesaidtoapottedfern.

           TOMYOWNDAUGHTER’SWEDDING?ANYWAY,ITWASTHEFIRSTTIMEI’VEEVERHADANINVITATIONTOANYTHING.ITHADGOLDEDGESANDRSVPANDEVERYTHING.

           ’Yes,butwhenyouweren’tattheservice—’

           ITHOUGHTPERHAPSITWOULDNOTBEENTIRELYAPPROPRIATE.

           ’Well,yes,Isupposeso—’

           TOBEFRANK,ITHOUGHTYOUWEREGOINGTOMARRYTHEPRINCESS.

           Mortblushed.’Wetalkedaboutit,’hesaid.’Thenwethought,justbecauseyouhappentorescueaprincess,youshouldn’trushintothings.’

           VERYWISE.TooMANYYOUNGWOMENLEAPINTOTHEARMSOFTHEFIRSTYOUNGMANTOWAKETHEMAFTERAHUNDREDYEARS’SLEEP,FOREXAMPLE.

           ’And,well,wethoughtthatallinall,well,onceIreallygottoknowYsabell,well.

           YES,YES,IAMSURE.ANEXCELLENTDECISION.

           HOWEVER,IHAVEDECIDEDNOTTOINTERESTMYSELFINHUMANAFFAIRSANYFURTHER.

           Really?’

           EXCEPTOFFICIALLY,OFCOURSE.