"But it it gets too bad we can always stay at an inn.
'Not exactly fit for royalty,' as his highness Sir Jehan would say, but do I look like I care? Gods no! I've passed out many a night in places far worse than that!"
Alaire's ears pricked at the mention of the noble- man's name. Yes? And? He waited for the boy to go on.
A fight broke out behind them, but Kai remained oblivious to it. Alaire watched the two combatants who, from the little he understood of the screaming imprecations, fought over a bottle of aakaviit.
Kai had ordered another, and at that moment the barkeep scurried over, and most apologetically explained that the gentlemen behind them were fight- ing over the last bottle of aakaviit.
Kai turned to regard the fight, now interested in the outcome. As the two men struggled with the bo Kai reached for the hilt of his sword, but didn't draw it. The barkeep paled when he noticed the weapon, and promptly vanished.
Alaire thought he was going to get sick. The sight of the men fighting over the bottle, and Kai apparently willing to kill for it, was a little too much.
"Here," Alaire said. "Have the rest of my glass."
There was still a half glass left; the little Alaire drank went right to his head, so he had stopped drinking.
Though mildly intoxicated, he hoped he still had pos- session of his fighting skills. One of us needs to stay at least partially sober, he worried. Kai's not going to be worth much, if he keeps this up. He's probably not worth much right now. I've never seen anyone drink as much as he can and still walk.
The fight continued; Kai watching the two men avidly, his tongue licking his lips as if he were hungry.
Suddenly there was a crash, signaling the demise of the bottle of aakaviit as it fell to the floor. But the fight continued; the two men, now driven to a rage by the loss of the bottle, went directly for each others' throats. A third man had crawled into the area of the affray and was trying to drink the spilled stuff from the floor.
Alaire wanted out of there, badly -- but how to per- suade Kai? The Prince seemed fascinated by the fight, by the drunk lapping up liquor from the floo Then, the fighters knocked over a candle, which fell to the floor, igniting the aakavitt with an audible woooooopf.
The stuff was as flammable as Alaire had suspected.
A roaring fire spread across the floor, away from them, licking the cheap, wooden furniture with fiery blue tongues.
People panicked and ran out of front and rear exits.
Somewhere, amid the flames, a man screamed. The bartender beat at the flames with a rag; he only made them spread faster.
The fire was spreading, quickly; too quickly. Soon the flames would block the exits!
"Come on, Kai! Lets get out of here!" Alaire shouted, grabbing Kai's arm and tugging him upright.
"Oh, awright," Kai said, sullenly, as if Alaire was try- ing to get him to leave a bit of high entertainment before it was over.
Alaire grabbed the harp's canvas bag with one hand and Kai's arm with the other and led him through the press of bodies to the front exit. As they reached the door, he glanced behind him to see if anyone else was trapped in there. The place was empty, except for the two original combatants, still locked in struggle, sil- houetted by the rising flames.
Forget them, he thought. Let's get back to the palace before we're snowed in down here.
He turned -- and blinked in surprise. Snow.
Gods -- Kai wasn't joking about the snow! A thick, white blanket had wrapped itself over the tavern district, and huge, coin sized flakes dropped in sheets. He looked down, and saw he was standing ankle-deep in the stuff. He stumbled out of the doorway, still towing Kai, and took shelter in another doorway across the street from the bar.
People in the street began to shout now, as it became apparent to the passersby that one of the buildings was on fire. Smoke poured out of the front door. The barkeep ran about helplessly, slipping in the snow; no one seemed to be doing anything about the fire except watching.
Suddenly Kai seemed to notice the snow. "All right!" the boy whooped, running into the thick white- ness. He promptly made a ball out of the mush and threw it at Alaire, ignoring the fire licking out of the doorway behind him.
At that moment a number of men appeared, with a purposeful air to them. They formed a human chain and began passing buckets of water to throw on the fire.
It occurred to Alaire that maybe they should hel Then again, maybe that wouldn't be a good idea.
Kai was still whooping and playing in the snow Alaire didn't think there was any likelihood of getting him to do something as responsible as putting out a fire. No. Let's get out of here, while we have a chance.
The snow still looks shallow enough for the carriage to make it back to the palace.
He followed Kai, who slipped and slid down the street, laughing like a fool. "Kai, you know, maybe we should go back to the palace?"
"Naw," he said over his shoulder, and hiccuped.
"Still early."
Alaire persisted. "But getting back while we can ... don't you think..."
Kai muttered something about the next place, and started off down the narrow street without him.
Though he walked fairly well, it was clear to Alaire he was very drunk. He started rambling on to himself, as if Alaire was standing next to him.
The situation was starting to anger him. Why should I care if he cares for no one but himself? Do I really need to go along with him? He resisted an urge to start walking back to the palace by himself, after taking a few steps in that direction. I don't know the way that well, and in this snow, everything looks dif- ferent. And, it's cold! Maybe I'd be better off in a tavern somewhere. Bound to be afire burning. That way I can keep warm. And keep an eye on Kai.
He groaned, knowing he had talked himself into being Kai's keeper once again.
Alaire scrambled after the Prince, cursing his foot- ing, and taking excruciating care not to slip and fall on his harp. The sun had set by now, and torchlights and lanterns again provided the only illumination. Foot- traffic had diminished, and now only a few people braved the snow.
"So where are we going now?" Alaire said irritably.
He clutched the harp tightly, as if holding it closer would shut out some of the cold. Kai's coat was wide open, and he wore no warm hat, as Alaire did; evi- dently, as drunk as he was, he didn't feel the cold.
"Oh, let's try The Dead Dragon Inn again," he said, matter-of-factly. They probably won't throw us out"
The clamor surrounding the fire faded, and a new, muffled silence fell about them. In spite of his annoy- ance with Kai and with himself, and his discomfort, the snow fascinated Alaire; he'd never seen this much falling at one time, so suddenly, and with flakes this large. They fell about the two of them in swirls, land- ing on his face, his clothes. He stuck his tongue out and caught one. The large flake melted instantly in the warmth of his mouth, reminding him how thirsty he was for simple, plain water. Maybe at The Dragon Inn, I can get some, he thought. After all, Kai drinks enough for both of us.