Part 5 (1/2)
”I never heard of it,” I said
”Reasonable We only just foruilds with all sorts of special privileges, why can't we?”
”Right We have, for exa fairlady, you look to be in need of rescuing”
”But I'or here can do it”
”Gregor!” I shouted ”You are h in the end”
”And that's second cousin You s of pride,” his brother Wiktor said
”Nonetheless, we are faet in the tub, share out the beer, and introduce us to your attractive friends”
I got in The rooh for me to see reasonably well ”Have so Unfortunately, I can not introduce you three to my friends You see, they must maintain their standards, which would be irretrievably lowered by social contact with the less fortunate ood joke on you Don't rub it back on theard”
”And I aor Banki These are my brothers Sir Wiktor and Sir Wojciech”
”Sir Wojciech! What fool finally knighted you?” I asked, but was ignored
”You are the Sir Conrad Stargard? I should have known by your size,” Wiktor said
”You are the warrior who singlehandedly destroyed Sir Rheinburg's outlaws? The warlock who is doing all those strange things in Okoitz?”
”Gentleet that word 'warlock'
I've built a textile factory at Okoitz and I have a feind up As to the rest, well, it just sort of happened,” Conrad said
A waitress fros Despite the fact that we had five lovely and nude young ladies in the tub with us, all male eyes followed her around the room as she served
As she left, Wiktor said, ”Sir Conrad, how do you go about training them to walk that way? I mean, the way her, uh, derriereon high heels requires et one of those outfits!” Yawalda whispered
Conrad laughed ”Gentlemen, let me complete the introductions These are Lady Krystyana, Lady Annastashi+a, Lady Natalia, Lady Yawalda, and Lady Janina”
”We are honored, ladies,” Gregor said ”You ive me I had assumed that since Sir Conrad just came from Okoitz, you ”
”Well, they are,” Conrad said ”Or were But since I seeuardian, I've just promoted them to the nobility”
”Can you do that?” Wiktor asked
”Are you saying that I can't?” Conrad said
”Sir Conrad, considering the stories that we've heard of your sword, I'd say that you can do just about any thing you want” Gregor laughed
”Then it's settled,” Conrad said ”I think I've soaked enough to loosen the dirt
Krystyana, if you'd get a brush and so on my back, I'll return the favor shortly”
As soon as Krystyana went to work, Annastashi+a claimed proprietorshi+p ofbetween reat deal of scrubbing going on A very great deal In fact, the waitress returned to freshen our ly boisterous, which was just as well The s had to fall out either to sport or to sex and I wouldn't like y!
Soon people were buor, he retaliated, and in moments the room exploded with soapy water as everyone joined in
As the water settled, Conrad vaulted from the tub and went to the clean-water tub for a hot soak The old bath attendant, having finished with our clothes, caray head and picked up aunder her breath The waitress returned with fresh s of beer, as the old ones were half filled with soapy water
The others followed Conrad to the clean tub, but Annastashi+a motioned for me to stay behind with her
”What Sir Conrad said,” she whispered, ”about hoere all ladies, now Is that real? I mean, would your parents - ”
I shook reat courtesies at the inn and on Sir Conrad's lands But my parents, especially randfather was a commoner”
After the bath, my cousins accepted Sir Conrad's invitation to supper We returned to the inn to find the table ready for us and fairly groaning with food and drink We did justice to a slab of soose Gallons of wine and buckets of beer washed down mounds of bread and cheese I think only my Uncle Felix sets a better table than Conrad's innkeeper
Further, we did not have to go to the s so that the inn could prepare theement with inns, but the inn provided the service, not only to us but to all as a matter of custom The innkeeper told me that this innovation of Sir Conrad's was partly responsible for the profitability of the inn, for by buying in vast quantities he was able to get the best at very low prices
”Further,” Tadeusz continued, ”I need only prepare a half dozen ite the cooks much effort”
”But how do you kno much to cook?” Krystyana asked
”My lady, we know about how s are fed better than they deserve, but not often Also, our waitresses have beco our custohed ”I think those girls could have a !”
”Hestion, my lord But I'm afraid that Sir Conrad would not approve”
”No, Sir Conrad would not approve,” Sir Conrad said ”And you're feeding surplus food to the pigs? That's not good Toiving it to the deserving poor Don't give the you wouldn't eat yourself, but, well, there are hungry people out there”
I drifted off in private words with Annastashi+a and so lost the thread of the conversation When I returned, Sir Conrad was reading from a list
”two dozen carpenter's hammers, two dozen mason's hammers, three dozen wood chisels, assorted, one dozen wheelbarroo dozen”
”Sir Conrad,” I said, ”what are you talking about? And what is a wheelbarrow?”
”A wheelbarrow is a sort of pushcart with only one wheel”
”One wheel? Then why doesn't it fall over?”
”It would, except that a man holds it up”