Nest of Worlds Read Online Free Page B

the abbreviation Edda. He had never heard of a Significant Name being abbreviated, but the customs here were different.
    Plosib meant “By man, but accidentally.” Murhred , on the other hand, meant “By man, intentionally.” Gavein was certain now that in Davabel the Significant Names were the same as in Lavath. Sulled was “By your own hand.” Myzzt was “By your brain,” and it was a Name of Man. The others belonged to the group of Names of Conflict.
    Gavein’s Name was Aeriel , which meant “By air,” and it was a Name of Element. Ra Mahleiné’s was the same: Aeriella . She would sometimes joke that their being together lowered their life expectancy. They had ignored the coincidence, trusting to the capriciousness of fate.
    In Lavath, not as in the other Lands, common names were based on animals, plants, objects. Many people were called Bharr—which was Bear—and Wildcat and Wolf were also popular.
    “Gavein” was the snow tiger, the only predator that dared face the mighty white bear. Apparently, the two beasts never met: the tiger kept to the forest, the bear to the tundra. But these ancient rulers of northern Lavath were conquered: their territory was now covered with residential bunkers, and the few remaining specimens were kept in captivity. Gavein had never seen his shaggy namesake.
    “Mahlein” was an old name, for manul. The prefix “Ra” meant the female of the species. Once, in a zoo, both saw a real manul. It was grave and dignified, with an owl’s round face and large, mournful eyes. It didn’t look at all like the merciless killer of tiny creatures in the taiga. Ra Mahleiné liked to go to the zoo and look at the curious animals there. She found it amazing that once they had lived in freedom.
    “Is there a zoo nearby?” Gavein asked the people at the table, breaking the silence.
    “In the Park of Culture, at the corner of 5400 Street and 5600 Avenue,” replied Leo. “But there’s not much to see there. An excellent zoo is at the center, on the corner of 5000 Street and 6000 Avenue.”
    The conversation was interrupted by a noise at the door; the postman was fitting a magazine into the letter slot.
    Edda opened the door and invited him to the table. He brought chill air with him, as if coming in out of a snowstorm. He was short, stocky, with a large circular head. He put his mailbag, stuffed with newspapers and letters, on the floor. He brushed all the snow from his tunic, getting some of it on the people at the table, and handed the tunic to the young Eisler.
    In a crimson uniform that had red stripes and shoulder braids, and a badge that said Davabel Post Office, Division 5445660, Officer Maximé Hoffard , Max looked important.
    He took a seat at the table, panting and groaning from the effort. He put his postman’s cap beside his plate. A thin wreath of white hair surrounded his shiny bald spot. He took out a handkerchief and with it wiped, ceremoniously, his wet bottle-thick glasses.
    “You missed the pasta, Max, but are in time for the pizza.” Edda gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
    He muttered something, put his glasses on, then comically stared at his neighbors to the left and to the right. He was wall-eyed. The lenses enlarged his eyes to the point of caricature.
    “I can finally see,” he said.
    “This is Dave,” said Edda. “He’ll be living with us, upstairs.”
    Max extended a muscular hand across the table and had a grip like a vise. The tablecloth jerked as he leaned, and everyone jumped to keep things from falling. Taking advantage of the situation, Gwenda’s older son overturned the ketchup. Only Gavein saw that it was done on purpose.
    “When Max comes, we need a rubber tablecloth and metal plates,” laughed Haifan.
    Edda wiped up the excess ketchup with a rag, saying nothing, and she put a napkin under the tablecloth. When everything was restored to order, a large, steaming piece of meat au gratin was put in front of Max. Gavein would have