Skeen's Search Read Online Free Page B

… born with.” She closed her eyes, consulted her internal timeclock. “Time is.” She got to her feet. “Do me a favor,” she said, “take care of my clothes, please.” She unlatched the moneybelt and laid it on the table, then proceeded to strip to her skin, folding everything neatly, piling shirt and trousers beside the belt, laying her boots across them. “Maybe you could bring them to the atrium in a bit?”
    Briony surged to her feet, knocking with atypical clumsiness against the table. “Ti!”
    Timka ran her fingers through her black curls, fluffing them out from her head. “I parade out in front like this, yelling for Vanker to come get me, you think he can ignore that? Little naked woman calling him names, making a fool of him. My time, my place, Briony.” With a wave of her hand she stepped onto the driftway and let it carry her toward the exit.
    No one spoke though eyes followed her and after a short interval there was a building mutter of voices and the Islands began emptying onto the driftways. Timka ignored her followers; she felt good, alive. She laughed aloud, laughed again as the Islands echoed her joy, broke off, suddenly disconcerted by her reaction to the prospect of killing a man. Tchah, she told herself, this isn’t your doing, besides he owes the Lifefire more than one death according to what Briony said. Calmly, Ti-cat, you’re getting above yourself. Remember the other thing she said, he’s brilliant when it comes to a fight. Idiot-savant. Uh-huh. Definitely not brilliant otherwise. No no, forget that, my girl, don’t you be stupid too, borrow some of Skeen’s caution. What are you going to do if he ignores you? He can’t. Not him. What if he does? I’ll think about that when it happens.
    Timka strolled into the street, senses alert. She’d been busy practicing the mind-skills she’d neglected. Perhaps because she’d been living with Nemin so long, maybe because she was just better than most at the Min outreach, she’d found she could keep track of Nemin almost as well as Min—if she knew the Nemin and he (or she) was less than a kilometer off. Tibo was somewhere around, interested but not apprehensive. He wasn’t all that fond of her anyway and only cared what happened to her because Skeen would. She strained harder, caught whiffs of Vanker. He was close, inside one of the buildings that looked onto Starlong Way. She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Eh, Vanker, where you hiding?” she yelled, and went on to describe in defamatory terms his person, character and probable failings in the sack. The street emptied rapidly before her. She heard gasps then laughter as the growing crowd of watchers understood she’d come to meet Hested Vanker not only unarmed but naked.
    He stepped into the street before her. “What do you think you’re doing?”
    She measured the distance between them, smiled with satisfaction. He thought he was far enough off to be out of her reach and close enough for his tangler to take her when he was ready to use it. “What? You were the one who called challenge on me. I’ve come to answer you, what else?”
    â€œYou’re surrendering?”
    â€œCertainly not. If you want me, see if you can take me.”
    He looked around, moved farther out into the empty street, stopping where he could keep an eye on the gathering crowd. “You’re forfeit if someone helps you.”
    â€œIf you don’t want to fight me, I’ll understand,” she said, loud enough so several watchers heard it and sniggered softly. “I don’t need help, pretty man. Is there anything special you want done with your body?”
    He forced a grin. “I’ll tell you that when I’ve got you in my bed.”
    â€œI won’t be hearing you then, I don’t believe in ghosts.”
    More laughter, louder laughter.
    He reddened, but