She and her brother walked behind as the four left the strand, that their bodies might shield the humans from the wind that streaked in off the sea.
V
ALTHROUGH much remained for him to learn, Niels was fast be- coming worldly-wise. He was in partnership with an older man who supplied experience to match the money Niels could put into the shipping trade. When that merchant wew sufficiently aged to wish retirement, several years hence, and the younger took over entirely, their company should be as well off as any outside the Hansa, and able to hold its own in rivalry with the League. Mean- while the business gave them connections to many kinds of people, as did also its curious alliance with the bishop of Roskilde. More- over, Niels had found positions for his brothers and sisters, places chosen so that each might win contentment, prosperity, and the favor of powerful men. (His mother he simply gave a life of ease, which she was soon devoting to gardening and good works.
Thus, what Niels did not know, he could find out; what he could not do himself, he could get done for him.
Of course, this was not always possible overnight, especially when the strange reason for an endeavor must be kept secret. His plan was that Tauno and Eyjan take ship for Dalmatia, with letters from Church and Crown to ease their way after they arrived. That required creating identities which would make plausible their hir-ing of a vessel. He must feel his way forward with utmost care, lest suspicion rouse in someone. This required weeks, and his presence in Copenhagen-theirs too, for consultation at need and for practice at behaving like proper mortals.
Besides, neither he nor Inge.bo~g could have borne their ab-sence, now when they were agaIn In Denmark.
“Ah, ah, ah,” the woman breathed. “That was wonderful. You are always wonderful.”
Warm, wet, musky, tousled, she brought herself as tightly
she was able against the merman’s son, He embraced her with one
arm, laid a thigh across hers, and toyed with what he could reach
of her, A taper cast soft glow and monster shadows around the
bedchamber,
“Love me more, as soon as you can,” she whispered,
“Will you not grow sore?” Tauno replied, for he had the
strength of his father in his loins,
Ingeborg’s chuckle held more wistfulness than mirth, “That’s
not the kind of soreness which hurts me,” Abruptly she caught
her breath and he felt her jerk in his grasp,
“What’s the matter?” he exclaimed,
She buried her contenance between his neck and shoulder, Her
fingers dug into his flesh, “Your being gone, that hurts,” The tone
shivered, “It’s never less than an ache throughout me; often it’s
like a knife twisting around, Give me everything of you, beloved,
while yet you may, Help me forget, this night, that soon you’ll
leave, Afterward there’ll be time for remembering,”
Tauno frowned, “I thought you and Niels were happy to-
gether,”
Ingeborg raised her eyes, Candlelight trembled on the tears in them, “Oh, we’re fond of each other, He’s kind, mild, gener-ous , . ,and, yes, he has a gift for making love”, but noth-ing like you, nothing! Nor is he you, in your beauty and brilliance.
The difference is like-like the difference between lying in a
summer meadow watching clouds pass by overhead-and being
a-wing in the wind that drives them, the sun that makes them
shine, I cannot understand how your mother could forsake your
father,”
Tauno bit his lip, “Glad she was at first to go undersea with
him, but as the years wore on, she came to know in her marrow
that she was not of Faerie, Never has such a union failed to wreak
harm, on one or on both, I fear I’ve already done you ill,”
“No!” She scrambled back, sat up, and gaped at him, appalled,
“Darling, no!” Mastering herself: “Only look about you, See me
here in a fine house, well fed, well clad, no longer a piece of
sleazy merchandise; and this is your doing at root, yours, Tauno,”
“Hardly mine alone,” He remained stretched out, his gaze on the ceiling, “Besides, you spoke of hopeless hankering-which may, I suppose, imperil your soul-Aye, best I not linger here, much though I’ll miss you in my turn,” “You will?” she cried, and bent over him. Her hair tumbled down to give its own caress. “I’ve not been bad for you, then?”