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.The stuff was past its prime, but still potable, and thewizard got quite tipsy, giggling like a young girl at Valder's every word.Valder himself had long agodeveloped one of the necessities of the innkeeper's trade, the ability to consume vast quantities ofalcohol without suffering noticeably from its effects, and watched with great amusement as the usuallycalm and mature magician deteriorated into kittenish silliness.Around midnight she dozed off; Valderwarily picked her up and carried her to her bed, his aged muscles straining.He had half feared that someprotective charm would strike him for daring to touch her, but nothing of the kind happened.He stared down at her, marveling that this handsome, fresh woman could be more than four times hisown age, then turned and found his way to the divan where he slept.The next morning Iridith was far less pleasant; her curative spells prevented an actual hangover, but sheobviously regretted her juvenile behavior."We haven't got them yet," she pointed out over breakfast."Istill have to go to Sardiron and fetch them.Something could go wrong."aaTTnnssFFffooDDrrPPmmYYeeYYrrBB22.BBAAClick here to buyClick here to buywwmmwwoowwcc.AAYYBBYYBB r rValder shrugged."Certainly it might," he agreed.She looked at him rather sourly, as if annoyed that he was agreeing so calmly, then realized how absurdthat was and broke into a crooked grin."You know, Valder the Innkeeper, I like you; you don't let things upset you."He shrugged again."I learned long ago to accept things the way they are; usually, they're pretty good.I've had a good life, overall, better than I expected I never thought I'd live to see the end of the GreatWar, and here it's been over for two-thirds of my life.If things go wrong now, I still don't have anycause for complaint.""A healthy attitude and a very, very unusual one." She pushed her chair back."I had best be going."The journey to Sardiron took three days in all, even flying; Valder found himself wandering aimlesslyabout the house on the shore, unable to interest himself in reading anything, while Iridith was gone.Meals seemed particularly lonesome.He tried to tell himself that he was simply homesick and wanted to return to the Thief's Skull, but hedidn't entirely believe it.On the third day, Iridith returned safely, with the heart in a sealed jar, a flask of tears Valder wassurprised to see they were a faint yellowish green, rather than clear as he had always supposed tears tobe, regardless of their origin and a large, loudly chirping box of crickets."I'm not sure how much ichorI need," she explained.With all but one of the ingredients, the two of them settled down to wait for an opportunity to arise toobtain the hand of a murdered woman."People are killed in Ethshar every day," Iridith said."Sooner orlater, I'll find one that will do.I don't know why I haven't already.""I don't either," Valder replied."Surely, a woman's been murdered somewhere in the World in the pastfew days!""Oh, certainly," Iridith answered."But I need one whose family is willing to sell her hand; I mustn't stealit.That sort of thing gives wizardry a bad name.The Guild wouldn't like it.That baby's heart was soldby the woman's husband I suppose he was the child's father.""Oh," Valder said, startled; he had not realized she was being so scrupulous.For the next several days, she spent each morning in her workshop, checking her divinations, and thenspent the afternoon with Valder, sitting about the house and talking, or walking on the beach, orlevitating to an altitude of a hundred feet or so and drifting with the wind.On one particularly warm day,as they were strolling along the shore, Iridith suddenly stopped and announced, "I'm going swimming.""Go ahead," Valder said."I never learned how, really, and I'm too old to learn now."Iridith smiled as she pulled her tunic up; her face vanished behind the cloth as she tugged the garment upover her head, but her muffled voice was still audible."You won't always be," she said."Then maybe I'll learn, someday."aaTTnnssFFffooDDrrPPmmYYeeYYrrBB22.BBAAClick here to buyClick here to buywwmmwwoowwcc.AAYYBBYYBB r r"You'll have plenty of time, Valder, I promise you that." She had her tunic off and reached down toremove her skirt.Valder watched admiringly."Lovely," he said."If I were twenty years younger I'd do something aboutit.""Don't worry," she said."You will be but whether I let you do anything about it is another matterentirely." With that, she tossed him her clothing and ran splashing into the surf.On an evening a few days later, as they were walking up to the house with feet wet from splashing in thetidal pools, Iridith asked, "What are you planning to do when I've completed the spell?""I'll go home, of course," Valder replied."To Kardoret?"Startled, he almost shouted, "No!" Calming, he added, "I'm not even sure it's still there; it wasn't muchof a place to begin with.No, I meant my inn, the Thief's Skull or the Inn at the Bridge, as it wasoriginally called.""Sounds dull.""Oh, no! It isn't, really.We get travelers from all over, from Sardiron and the Small Kingdoms and all ofthe Hegemony, and hear their stories.Every sort of person imaginable stops at an inn sooner or later,and after a day on the road most are eager to talk, so it's never dull.I hear news that never reaches thecity and get many of the great adventures described firsthand.It's a fine life.This house you have here,it's a splendid house, but it's rather lonely, isn't it? Your nearest neighbors are fishermen a league downthe coast in either direction, or farmers half a league inland.""I got tired of people decades ago," she answered."After the war, I didn't think I ever wanted to seeordinary people again.I've taken on apprentices, of course; I wasn't really lonely here.""I see," Valder said as they reached the steps to the veranda.They crossed the plank flooring of the porch in silence, but, as Valder opened the door to the parlor,Iridith said, "You know, nobody will recognize you when you go back.They know you as an old man,not a young one
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