Fire Sea by Weis, Margaret

“I’m not embarrassed. I’m interested. I never, heard of a game such as you describe. I’d like to see it, learn how it’s played.”

“Nothing easier! I’ve a set of rune-bones at home. Perhaps, when we land, we could go back to our house—”

“My dearest,” said Jera, amused, “when we land we are going to the palace! With His Highness.” She gave her husband a nudge, recalling him to the fact that he had, in his enthusiasm, impolitely ignored the prince.

“I beg Your Highness’s pardon.” Jonathan flushed red. “It’s just that I really never saw anything quite like this ship. …”

“No, please don’t apologize.” Edmund, too, was staring at the ship and at Haplo with new-kindled interest. “It is remarkable. Quite remarkable.”

“The dynast will be fascinated!” Jonathan stated. “He adores the game, never misses an evening’s play. Wait until he sees you and hears about your ship. He won’t let you go,” he assured Haplo earnestly.

Haplo didn’t find that idea at all encouraging. Alfred cast him an alarmed glance. But the Patryn had an unexpected ally in the duchess.

“Jonathan, I don’t believe we should mention the ship to the dynast. After all, Prince Edmund’s business is far more serious. And I”—the green eyes turned on Haplo—”would like to have my father’s counsel on this matter before we discuss it with anyone else.”

The young duke and duchess exchanged glances. Jonathan’s face sobered immediately. “A wise suggestion, my dear. My wife has the brains in the family.”

“No, no, Jonathan,” Jera protested, faintly blushing. “After all, you were the one who noticed the connection between the runes on the ship and the game.”

“Common sense, then,” Jonathan suggested, smiling at her and patting her hand. “We make a good team. I’m subject to whim, to impulse. I tend to act before I think. Jera keeps me in line. But she, on the other hand, would never do anything exciting or out of the ordinary if I wasn’t around to make her life interesting.” Leaning down, he kissed her soundly on her cheek.

“Jonathan! Please!” Her face was mantled with blushes. “What will His Highness think of us!”

“His Highness thinks he has rarely seen two people more deeply in love,” said Edmund, smiling.

“We have not been married very long, Your Highness,” Jera added, still blushing, but with a fond glance at her husband. Her hand twined around his.

Haplo was thankful that the conversation had turned from him. He knelt down beside the dog, made a show of examining the animal.

“Sar—Alfred,” he called. “Come here, will you? I think the dog’s picked up a rock in his paw. You hold him, will you, while I take a look?”

Alfred looked panicked. “Me, hold … hold the—”

“Shut up and do as I say!” Haplo shot him a vicious glance. “He won’t hurt you. Not unless I tell him to.”

Bending down, the Patryn lifted the animal’s left front paw and pretended to examine it. Alfred did as he was told, his hands gingerly and ineffectively grasping the dog’s middle.

“What do you make of all this?” Haplo demanded in a low voice.

“I’m not certain. I can’t see well,” Alfred answered, peering at the paw. “If you could turn it to the light—”

“I don’t mean the dog!” Haplo almost shouted in exasperation, fought down his frustration, lowered his voice. “I mean the runes. you ever hear anything of this game they’re talking about?”

“No, never.” Alfred shook his head. “Your people were not a subject to be treated lightly among us. To think of making a game—” He looked at the runes on Haplo’s hand, shining blue and red as they worked their magic against the heat of the magma sea. Alfred shivered. “No, it would be impossible!”

“Like me trying to use your runes?” Haplo asked. The dog, pleased with the attention, sat patiently, submitting its paw to being poked and prodded.

“Yes, much the same. It would be difficult for you to touch them, just as you can’t easily speak them. Maybe it’s coincidence,” Alfred offered hopefully. “Meaningless scrawls that have the appearance of runes.”

Haplo grunted. “I don’t believe in coincidence, Sartan. There, you’re all right, boy! What did you mean, whining like that over nothing?”