Sherwood Smith Quote

In the meantime, do you have any more questions for me? His voice was uninflected, but the drawl was gone. I knew that the time for the political discussion was past, for now, and that here at last were the personal issues that had lain between us for so long. I took a deep breath. No questions. But I have apologies to make. I think, well, I that I owe you some explanations. For things I said. And did. Stupid things.He lifted a hand. Before you proceed any further… He gave me a rueful half smile as he started pulling off his gloves, one finger at a time. When the left one was off he said, This might be one of the more spectacular of mistakes-- With a last tug, he pulled off the right, and I saw the glint of gold on his hand.As he laid aside the gloves and turned back to face me, I saw the ring on his littlest finger, a gold ring carved round with laurel leaves in a particular pattern. And set in the middle was an ekirth that glittered like a nightstar.That’s my ring, I said, numb with shock.You had it made, he replied. But now it’s mine.I can’t say that everything suddenly became clear to me, because it didn’t. I realized only that he was the Unknown, and that I was both horrified and relieved. Suddenly there was too much to say, but nothing I say.As it turned out, I didn’t have to try. I looked up to see him smiling, and I realized that, as usual, he’d been able to read my face easily.By then my blood was drumming in my ears like distant thunder.It is time, he said, to collect on my wager.He moved slowly. First, his hands sliding round me and cool light-colored hair drifting against my cheek, and then softly, so softly, the brush of lips against my brow, my eyes, and then my lips. Once, twice, thrice, but no closer. The sensations--like starfire--that glowed through me chased away from my head all thoughts save one, to close that last distance between us.I locked my fingers round his neck and pulled his face again down to mine.