Page 60 of The Robber Knight
“Don't worry.” Her hand pressed his again,and she leaned over to stroke his face. He let her, and enjoyed it.Oh yes, he enjoyed it. “I will look after you. I... I'm so gladyou're alive, Reuben. So glad. When I saw you lying at the bottomof the stairs, still and pale, I thought for a moment—”
She stopped speaking and looked down,struggling against the tears.
“Shh.” With all his remaining strength,Reuben raised their entwined hands to her face and stroked hergolden hair. The glittering strands felt softer than silk. “I'm notthat easy to kill, believe me.”
“Why...?” She broke off before she couldfinish the question.
Reuben raised an eyebrow. “Why what?”
“Why are you so nice all of a sudden?”
A weak laugh escaped him. “You sound sosuspicious! As if being nice is something out of the ordinary.”
“Well,” she mumbled, “it is for you.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“You are welcome. So are you going to answermy question?”
“I don't...” his voice faltered.
“That's not fair! I want to know.”
He shook his head and felt dizzy from themovement. “No, I mean I don't feel too good. I... Satan's hairyass!”
“Don't curse!” she scolded. But when hedidn't reply, her voice became concerned. “Reuben?”
“I... feel strange...” His vision blurred. Hefelt blood pulsing in his ears.
“Reuben! Reuben, are you all right?”
“Ayla, I...” But he could no longer find thestrength to speak.
Ayla, hethought as he sank deeper into the darkness.
“Oh my God, Reuben, stay with me! Dilli!Dilli, bring me cold water and my bag of herbs and clean linen!Now! Reuben, stay with me! Stay with me, Reuben!”
Admonishments by aFrightened Bunny
Reuben was in a wonderful and terrible place. Amaelstrom of hot, unforgiving darkness surrounded him. In betweenperiods of darkness, he saw strange flashes of light mixed withimages of faces. Some part of him recognized the experience—he wasslipping in and out of consciousness, as he had been after theaccident, so many years ago. Only one thing was different: the facehovering most often above him was not that of a surgeon or apriest, it was that of a girl. What was her name again? Oh yes...Ayla.
There had been a girl back then, too. But shehad never hovered over him, never had a moment's concern for hiswell-being as he lay, grievously wounded. She had been too busy forthat. Ayla was always there. Or was that just his wishful thinking?Was he dreaming of her, and in fact she was not there?
Reuben didn't really care if she was only avision or reality. Her deep blue eyes, dark as the cool waters of abottomless lake, were the only thing that soothed and sustained himas he lay there, burning. Not burning in the sense the priests hadwanted to burn him all those years ago, no. This time the fire wasin his flesh. He couldn't feel the pain of it, but he could feelthe heat. The merciless force of death eating its way through hisbody.
Would it succeed? Would he... what was theword again?Die? Yes, it wasdie. Would he die?
Hmm. One would have to see.
Looking back on his life, he pondered thequestion of whether, if there was a God, it would merit a trip toheaven or to hell. Hell, probably. Reuben knew his life's story. Itwas said that God was merciful, but he doubted anyone in theirright mind could bethatmerciful.
When Reuben opened his eyes and saw a redglow, he knew he had been right. Hell. Oh well, he supposed hewould find something to do here. It couldn't be much worse than theworld of the living, now, could it?
Then he remembered Ayla and bit his lip. Yes,it could. She was still there and would surely never join him. Hehad been a fool! He had had his chance at life and wasted it.
Trying to keep the tears out of his eyes, heblinked—and suddenly realized that the red glow around him wasilluminating a stone ceiling. A very familiar stone ceiling. Hedidn't know all that much about hell, but it probably didn't havethe same ceiling as his room in the Castle of Luntberg. He alsorealized that the red glow looked suspiciously like the light ofsunrise.
From behind him, he heard the light footstepsof a woman.
