Lords of Rainbow Read Online Free PDF Page A

on him, despising him, and herself (so worthless it seemed always, immediately after).
    “ Bitch . . .” she whispered.
    Linnec noticed she always concluded their acts thus. “No, my love!”
    He pressed his lips against her own, wanting to hold her an instant longer.
    But her eyes, no longer glassy, were hard again, completely in control as she smiled, the Regentrix, with cold sarcasm-stained fondness, and stirred, moving out of his embrace.
    “ Thank you, Linnec, it was wonderful today. You may go now, sweet.”
    Her voice was, as always then, automatic, while she sat down on the bed and nodded in the direction of his clothes. The act itself was already blocked from memory.
    She watched his body carelessly as he dressed, thinking, What do I really want? Not this earnest boy? Not his young trembling moments of no control?
    And again, as he left, the thought returned, Maybe I need to have the beautiful demon Elasand Vaeste once and for all, simply for my own peace of mind? I could always command him to service me. But ah, that is so tasteless. The act would be so tasteless .
    And yet, I cannot seduce him . . . never him. I wonder. Is Elasand really what I want, ultimately? Or do I merely crave the psychological act of conquering him? And if afterward I still feel as empty, then—then I will simply die from this boredom. No. I cannot have him yet, cannot test myself to this extent .
    Alone in the chamber, exquisite like the aromatic heart of a lily, she watched the play of the sparks of light upon the metal statuettes before the window.
    I am so complete, full, overflowing. Yet what could make me more complete? What? And do I want such fulfillment?
    Once again she had made sure that Hestiam would send for Lord Vaeste. She had conspired with Lirr.
    Good , she thought, another chance to see him, here. So rarely do we see him in the City .
    Elasand is so peculiar. Always going about some mysterious business here and there, yet never at Dirvan. He should be here by tomorrow night .
    She got up stretching, her voluptuous body eternally young for her forty-five years, and again thought, But if I were to have him—what then? I am complete. I am empty. I am —
    Deileala picked up a ripe silver fruit from a plate on a table nearby, bit into it sensuously, and then, changing her mind, spat on the floor before her. She then took another bite, again spat, and laughed.
    And laughing to herself she took a good aim and threw the fruit out of the window, down to the Gardens below.
     

 
    CHAPTER 2
     
    W ithin the grayscale dusk, a brilliant dot of pale orange light beckoned. Its nature marvelous, otherworldly against the monochrome, it flickered in and out of existence as the roadside trees obscured it. As she drew closer, Ranhé knew in relief that this was the promised inn.
    Expensive, however, if they can afford color lighting. And the color is so faintly saturated too, so fine, almost white. Damn. Luck is not mine tonight.
    Places which had the sorcerous color light were never cheap. Usually, a night’s lodging and a meal ranged from two silver dirghe in a monochromatically lit establishment, to almost twenty gold dahr in an orb-lit luxury house, the like of which could be found for the most part only in the City.
    They say, work according to the light you expect around you.
    My funds promise a near future of darkness. But like the moon, my funds are in a constant state of flux , she thought, as she neared her lodging-place-to-be.
    It was always an odd sight. One never ceases to marvel at the unnatural effect that comes about from the contrast of color light against the gray monochrome environment.
    For, in this place, true white and black do not exist. All is but an approximation of the two absolutes, and each thing is but a shadow of another. By these shadows, depth and distance are perceived. All things, being shadows of varying intensity, are thus judged by juxtaposition. And all are ultimately shadows of the sun. It,