Brokedown Palace (39 page)
Authors: Steven Brust
THE DRAGAERAN NOVELS
Brokedown Palace
THE KHAAVREN ROMANCES
The Phoenix Guards
Five Hundred Years After
The Viscount of Adrilankha,
which comprises
The Paths of the Dead, The Lord of Castle Black,
and
Sethra Lavode
Five Hundred Years After
The Viscount of Adrilankha,
which comprises
The Paths of the Dead, The Lord of Castle Black,
and
Sethra Lavode
THE VLAD TALTOS NOVELS
Jhereg
Yendi
Teckla
Taltos
Phoenix
Athyra
Orca
Dragon
Issola
Dzur
Yendi
Teckla
Taltos
Phoenix
Athyra
Orca
Dragon
Issola
Dzur
OTHER NOVELS
To Reign in Hell
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars
Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar and Grille
The Gypsy
(with Megan Lindholm)
Freedom and Necessity
(with Emma Bull)
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars
Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar and Grille
The Gypsy
(with Megan Lindholm)
Freedom and Necessity
(with Emma Bull)
T
HE AFTERNOON WAS BRIGHT AND CRISP ON THE BALCONY overlooking the River.
HE AFTERNOON WAS BRIGHT AND CRISP ON THE BALCONY overlooking the River.
Miklós had hardly begun inspecting the new palace when he had found this place, and he knew at once that he would come here often. It would take a long time to learn all of the facets of the structure, but he was pleased that there was, at least, one place where beauty for its own sake could find a home.
He didn’t doubt that there would be others, but learning them would be a long and difficult task. He—
He sensed, rather than heard, that someone was behind him. He turned, then looked down.
“Hello, Mister Miklós.”
“You are … Devera! Yes, I remember. Hello.”
“Hello. How are you?”
“How am I? I don’t know. There is pain, and there is happiness. Those things exist in Faerie, too, I am sure. At least for those meant to live there.”
“Yes.”
“Have you seen what you came to see?”
“Yes, I have, Mister Miklós. Thank you.”
“You will be going now? Returning to Faerie?”
“Yes.”
“Could you—” He stopped. She looked at him quizzically, her brown eyes huge in her face, her hair slightly unkempt. She seemed not to have aged at all. “You are fully of Faerie blood, are you not, Devera?”
“Yes.”
“Then you will live a long time.”
She giggled, then seemed to catch herself and turned somber once more. “Oh, yes, Mister Miklós. A very long time.”
He nodded. “There is a thing I would ask of you. Do you know Brigitta?” She nodded. “She has left, to make her way to Faerie.”
Devera nodded vigorously. “I know. She will—” she caught herself, then said, “She will arrive safely.”
“You know that? Good. Then, will you, when you are older, watch out for her?”
Devera’s eyes filled with tears. “I can’t, Mister Miklós. She’s going to … I mean, I can’t.”
He felt as if a dagger had been plunged into his heart. He gripped the rail.
“The child—”
“Your daughter will be fine, Mister Miklós. I promise.”
He nodded. He tried to speak and failed. Then he said, “Daughter.” Suddenly the child he would never see was as real as the woman he was losing. “Could you watch over
her
, then?”
her
, then?”
The little girl ran to him and hugged his leg. “Don’t worry, Mister Miklós.” Then she looked up at him and smiled once more. “I won’t have to watch
over
her; everyone else will have to watch
out
for her.”
over
her; everyone else will have to watch
out
for her.”
Miklós thought about asking what that meant but decided not to. It didn’t matter. He would never see Brigitta again, but at least,
it seemed, their daughter would live. It wasn’t much, but it would have to be enough.
it seemed, their daughter would live. It wasn’t much, but it would have to be enough.
He turned back to Devera to thank her, but she was gone.
László was gone. Brigitta would be gone soon.
But Bölk and Andor remained, and Vilmos.
He turned and looked up at the Palace behind him, white and gleaming, with flags flying from the towers gracefully curving above him to pinnacles that challenged the skies.
He looked up the river once more, studying its flow. In the distance, he could almost imagine the Mountains of Faerie rising above it. In the other direction, the water was still clogged with logs and scraps of wood: the debris of the old Palace floating away.
Behind and above him, the new Palace rose strong and proud.
It would have to be enough.
… és még ma is élnek
ha meg nem haltak.
ha meg nem haltak.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously.
BROKEDOWN PALACE
Copyright © 1986 by Steven K. Zoltán Brust
Originally published in 1986 by Ace Books, a division of The Berkley Publishing Group.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
An Orb Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Map design by David Cain
eISBN 9781466820500
First eBook Edition : April 2012
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Brust, Steven, 1955–
Brokedown Palace / Steven Brust.—1st Orb ed.
p. cm
“A Tom Doherty Associates Book.”
ISBN-13: 978-0-765-31504-5 ISBN-10: 0-765-31504-1
I. Title.
PS3552.R84B76 2006
813’.54—dc22
2006045312
First Orb Edition: September 2006
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