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in full. When he finished the telling some two hours later, the men all sat quietly around the table, their tea long forgotten.
Lord Daichi finally looked up, face implacable as he regarded Kasumi. He turned to look at the men who had accompanied
him, then Minoru. At last he nodded. "Very well. Though I feel he must still be punished for the mistakes made, I cannot in
good conscience or fairness say that he failed in his duty. The recovery of your Master, Kasumi, was well-handled. I think I
am sorry I did not meet this pirate of yours."
Of his. Ha. Whatever that meant. Kasumi nodded.
"By your courtesy, Lord Minoru?" Lord Daichi asked.
"Of course," Minoru replied with a smile. He turned to Kasumi. "If you will please, my protector, remove your mask."
Kasumi pulled his mask off, hooking it to his left upper arm.
Lord Daichi stood and crossed over to him. "Kasumi, it is good to see you alive and well. Your mother has missed you, and
admonished me not to be too harsh before I had heard the full of it. I am glad I tend to do what she tells me."
Mouth twitching, Kasumi did not resist the embrace he was given, but returned it. "Father. Mother is well then, I take it?"
"Well and ruling the clan more than I," Lord Daichi said dryly. "I think your brother will never have to worry about taking over
leadership - your mother will never give it up, I vow it."
Kasumi laughed.
"Come and sit, Kasumi. Lord Minoru, since we are not exacting the full punishment such a situation would normally require,
I do not see why we cannot consider your proposition."
Minoru smiled. Kasumi glared at him, knowing that look all too well. He bit back an urge to demand to know what he was up
to now, since his father would not be amused to hear him so casually address his master.
"Then let me send a note to the man who has made the request, and when he arrives we will discuss the matter properly."
"Of course," Lord Daichi said. "This is wonderful tea, what kind is it? I shall have to make certain we take quantities of it
home, and I must find some trinket for my wife or I declare she will string me up& "
file:///H|/NOVEL/New%20novel/behind.html[9/25/2009 10:14:47 AM]
AmaSour Fiction
Kasumi restored his mask and sat in silence as Minoru penned a note and sent it off with a servant, and everyone chattered
amicably. What was going on and why did he know nothing about it?
Why was he not happier about being let off so lightly? His father had come all this way to administer the judgment himself,
even, and still Kasumi could feel nothing but the same tight, heavy misery that had plagued him for the past four months&
ever since Luther had so abruptly vanished shortly after their arrival.
Three hours had passed before a sudden knock came at the door.
Minoru smiled and stood as a servant ran to answer the door, striding toward it as the door was opened to admit a tall,
broad man dressed in fine clothes. Kasumi could not see him clearly, but something about Minoru's behavior set him on
edge.
He waited as the man came more clearly into view, and Minoru introduced him. "Honored Lord Daichi, honored guests, I
present to you Lord Isaac Keen."
The bastard was wearing glasses. Kasumi just knew he'd done it to aggravate. There was going to be a murder the very
second Minoru moved out of the way. The flitting smirk he got said the bastard knew it, too.
"Lord Isaac, please take a seat and join us. We have been enjoying a local tea."
"I would be delighted," Lord Isaac said, taking the empty seat next to Minoru - and directly across from Kasumi.
"Lord Isaac," Lord Daichi said. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance after all the correspondence we have exchanged
these past months."
"Likewise," Isaac said easily, smiling and nodding to all of them.
Lord Daichi laughed. "Your request is among the more unique I've received, though not quite the strangest."
Isaac grinned. "I try to be unique without standing out overmuch. Balance is crucial."
"Then why don't you and Lord Minoru explain everything in full, now that you are gathered and the matter of Kasumi's
punishment has been decided."
Minoru nodded, first to Lord Daichi, then to Kasumi.
Disconcerting. What was going on here? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]