Sharon Shinn - Samaria 5 - Angel-Seeker

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ANGEL-SEEKER
By
Sharon Shinn
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
More praise for Angel-Seeker
"[An] engaging, romance-filled tale… Shinn smoothly blends the romantic sensibility of yesteryear with
the feminism of today, all in a richly textured landscape."
—Publishers Weekly
"With an expert blend of drama, pathos, and humor; an utterly original setting; an exciting and tender love
story; and characters the reader will embrace, this novel is a truly spectacular work of fantasy fiction."
—Romantic Times Bookclub
(Top Pick, Gold Medal review)
Praise for Sharon Shinn's Samaria novels
ARCHANGEL
"Excellent world-building… A garden of earthly delights."
—Locus
"Taut, inventive, often mesmerizing, with a splendid pair of predestined lovers."
—Kirkus Reviews
JOVAH'S ANGEL
"Delightful. I'm eagerly awaiting her next."
—The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
THE ALLELUIA FILES
"Inventive and compelling."
—Library Journal
ANGELICA
"How do you find fresh new adjectives to beguile the unwary into Samarian territory?… Inventive
complexities that delight any reader who likes his alien planets to be rich with texture and diversity, and
genuine characters."
—Anne McCaffrey
"A fascinating world… Engaging, thought-provoking, uplifting, and simply fun to read."
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
continued…
Also by Sharon Shinn…
THE SHAPE-CHANGER'S WIFE
Winner of the William Crawford Award for Achievement in Fantasy Nominee for the John W.
Campbell Award for Best New Writer Selected by Locus as the Best First Fantasy Novel of the
Year
"An exceptionally lovely first novel. Shinn has set out to create a sweet and beautiful story about love,
magic, and honor, and has proven that she can accomplish this task nobly, enjoyably, and well."
—Locus
"Ms. Shinn takes a traditional romance and wraps it in a fantasy… Rousing."
—The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
WRAPT IN CRYSTAL
"Taut, realistic police work, an involving love story, and a fetching backdrop… well up to Shinn's
previous high standards."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Offers a convincing view of human impulses toward both worldly and unworldly passions with a touch of
the otherworldly to bring it into the realm of science fiction."
—Locus
"It doesn't get much better than Wrapt in Crystal—interesting characters, an intriguing mystery, a
believable love story, and a satisfying ending."
—Starlog
HEART OF GOLD
"A telling story of a racially divided society, and a pretty good love story, too… another top-notch
outing."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Smoothly written. Shinn has a talent for creating vivid, sympathetic characters. Nuanced and intelligent.
A thoroughly entertaining reading experience."
—SF Site
"The love story of this book is balanced by deft examination of prejudice, intolerance, and inequality. This
book is difficult to put down and will appeal to fantasy readers as well as fans of an intriguing love story."
—VOYA
SUMMERS AT CASTLE AUBURN
"A charmer for the romantically inclined."
—Booklist
"Intensely emotional… An exquisitely rendered coming-of-age tale in which Ms. Shinn shines as a
powerful storyteller with a depth of feeling that touches the soul."
—Romantic Times
JENNA STARBORN
"Jane Eyre fans will enjoy tracking the character and plot parallels. Shinn fans will enjoy the way the
author perfectly captures the tone and color of Bronte while maintaining Jenna's unique voice. Best of all,
Jenna's narrative makes us feel joy in her love, sorrow in her despair, numb in her shock."
—Publishers Weekly
"Shinn puts her romantic and graceful turn of phrase to retelling Jane Eyre… Shinn's SF take on a great
romantic tale succeeds wildly well."
—Booklist
Ace Books by Sharon Shinn
mystic and rider
archangel
jovah's angel
the alleluia files
angelica
angel-seeker
wrapt in crystal
the shape-changer's wife
heart of gold
summers at castle auburn
jenna starborn
Viking / Firebird Books by Sharon Shinn
THE SAFE-KEEPER'S SECRET
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 1M14, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4V 3B2, Canada
(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England
Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pry. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), Car. Airborne and Rosedale Roads, Albany, Auckland 1310, New Zealand
(a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196,
South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's
imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
ANGEL-SEEKER
An Ace Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Ace hardcover edition / March 2004
Ace mass market edition / March
Copyright © 2004 by Sharon Shinn.
Cover design by Judith Murello.
Cover illustration by John Jude Palencar.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 0-441-01260-4
ACE
Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ACE and the "A" design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
For four fabulous friends:
Linda—two tickets to Italy, free; two hotel rooms in
Rome, free; quality time spent together at
CDG airport, priceless.
Rhonda—funny, funky, forthright, fearless.
Even if I'm famous, I'll always have lunch with you.
Connie—whose courage in setting personal goals has made me think about setting some of my own.
Laurie—who loves people more than I do, popular culture a little less, and words just as much.
What else is there to talk about?
Chapter One
It was still dark when Elizabeth rose, moving silently through the sleeping house. In the kitchen she stirred
up the fire and lit a few candles—the cheap ones, the ones that were good enough for the hired help but
that wouldn't be tolerated in any of the grand rooms where the family dwelled. In a few minutes, she had
the water boiling, the bread kneaded, and the porridge heating on the stove. The sun was beginning to
make a sullen appearance over the horizon. By the look of the sky, heavy with fat-bellied clouds, this day
would be as dreary as the one before, and the one before that.
And the one before that.
The field hands tramped in, their feet noisy but their mouths mostly silent, and settled themselves around
the table. Elizabeth served them with a cool dispassion, nodding if one of them looked up and caught her
eye but making no effort to converse or smile. Most of them had learned long ago that she wasn't your
average farm cook, willing to flirt with a handsome new hand, softened by wheedling, happy to put
together a special meal or a late dinner just because some brawny but brainless man grinned at her. Most
of them had tried flirting with her anyway, because there weren't many diversions here on the sprawling
farm. The nearest collection of buildings that called itself a town was a half-day's ride, and to get
anywhere remotely interesting, like Semorrah or Luminaux, took a full three days and a knapsack of
provisions. But they had soon learned, if they wanted dalliance, they were better off saddling up and
riding across the low Jordana foothills and into the Blue City.
Elizabeth herself hadn't been to Luminaux in six months or more. The first few years she'd been at
James's farm, she had pined for the gaiety of that most beautiful and luxurious of cities, and she had taken
whatever opportunities arose to travel there for a brief holiday. But she had no money, so she just felt
bitter and envious as she strolled through the azure streets, staring into the shop windows; and she had no
true joy in her heart, so the constant thrum and backbeat of the music pouring out of the cabarets did not
lift her spirits or make her smile. Luminaux just reminded her of what she had lost or what she would
never attain, and so it was best for her if she did not return to Luminaux. She would stay, instead, mired
forever on this limitless farm in the unexciting foothills of southern Jordana, and wish her life away.
"I'd take some more of that bread, if you've got any," one of the hands said in a neutral voice. Elizabeth
nodded and cut another slice from the loaf.
"Anyone else?" she asked. A few murmurs of assent, so she continued cutting till the bread was gone.
"And some tea. Thanks," said another man.
"Looks like another wet day," someone observed.
"Damn hot for this time of year," the first speaker grumbled. "Should have cooled off a bit by now."
"Winter'll come soon enough, and you'll be wishing for weather this warm."
She let them talk around her, not listening until they asked for something she could supply, scarcely
noticing as they finished their meals and filed out past her. Personally, she did not care if it was hot or
cold or wet or dry or summer or winter or day or night. It was all the same: dismal, dull, pointless.
She had been made for a Me much better than this. She had been born for finer things. Sometimes she
still lay awake at night, eyes wide open in the dark, fists clenched to her sides, unable to believe she had
come to this.
"Elizabeth?" The use of her name caught her off guard. She had turned to the oven to set the fresh loaves
in to bake, and she'd thought she was alone in the kitchen. In fact, one man remained, a rangy, seedy
field worker who'd been at the farm about three months. He hadn't entirely learned the lesson about
flirting with the cook, for he still gave her a warm, private smile from time to time as if to remind her of
some stolen kiss or illicit midnight tryst. His name was Bennie. She supposed it was short for Benjamin,
but no one called him by the more elegant name. Bennie. As if she would ever consider someone with a
name like that.
"What is it?" she asked somewhat warily, crossing her arms over her chest to underscore her
unapproachability.
He smiled anyway and leaned back against the table as if prepared to perch there and gossip awhile. "His
lordship's asked me to take a little trip tomorrow," Bennie said. James was hardly a lord, not like the
wealthy merchants in the river cities; sometimes the field hands called him that as a joke, because James
was so pretentious. "Thought you might want to come."
Elizabeth could feel her features tighten in distaste. "I don't believe it would be appropriate for me to
travel under your escort," she said repressively.
He grinned. "Put that in plain language. You mean, you wouldn't be caught dead riding anywhere with
me?"
His hair was black and unkempt, though it fell over his forehead with a sort of roguish charm. He was thin
and wiry, but tall, and his demeanor suggested he had always had good luck with women. Not this
woman. Elizabeth drew herself a little farther away. "I don't have any time off coming to me," she said.
"Angeletta doesn't like it when I'm gone from the kitchen. So. Thank you, but I can't."
"Don't you even want to know where I'm going?" he coaxed.
"Luminaux, I suppose."
He shook his head. "Better."
For a moment she was tempted. "Semorrah?" The fabulous river city of white spires and soaring
architecture was the most beautiful spot in Samaria, as far as Elizabeth was concerned, and she had not
been there in nearly five years. But no.
She would be even more unhappy there than she would be in Luminaux.
Bennie was smiling more widely and shaking his head more emphatically. "Not Semorrah, either. Even
better."
She couldn't mink of any place better than Semorrah. "I can't guess, then. Probably someplace I wouldn't
want to go."
He cocked his head to one side. "Cedar Hills," he said.
She felt her hands fall limply to her sides and her mouth grow loose with desire. Cedar Hills. The angel
hold still under construction in central Jordana. It was rumored to be a place of great sweetness and
charm—not as artistically rich as Luminaux or as beautiful as Semorrah, but filled with life and laughter
and music and hope.
And with angels. Overrun with angels. The most magnificent creatures in the world.
Elizabeth had only met an angel once in her life, when she was a little girl, when her mother had taken her
to Semorrah to be fitted for a dress for some cousin's wedding. They had stayed in the house of a river
lord who was friends with Elizabeth's father, and they had found that an angel was among the
houseguests. He had been exceptionally tall, with thick golden hair and a sonorous voice, but all Elizabeth
could really focus on were his wings. They trailed behind him wherever he walked like a commanding,
ghostly presence, glowing with a life and sentience of their own. She had been consumed by a desire to
sneak up behind him and run her fingers across their silky surfaces, but of course her mother had made
sure she did no such thing. Touch an angel's wings, indeed! Such presumption was not allowed. The
angel had been gracious, though; he had spoken courteously to her mother and kindly to Elizabeth
herself, bending down from his great height to look her solemnly in the eyes. It had been the most
terrifying and spectacular moment of her life to that point.
She still had not experienced anything to rival the moment an angel pronounced her name.
"Elizabeth?" Bennie said again.
She shook her head to clear away something—memories, or regrets, or the accumulated misery of the
past five years. "Yes. I heard you. Cedar Hills."
"Wouldn't you like to go? Surely you can find some reason that will satisfy her ladyship. Something you
need in Cedar Hills that can't be found anywhere else."
"I don't—what's in Cedar Hills that can't be found in Luminaux? She'll never agree to let me go."
He raised an eyebrow. "But you'd like to?"
She opened her mouth and then shut it. Acting like a stupid girl, seduced by promises, and in front of
Bennie, of all people. "I would love to see Cedar Hills," she said in a voice that she tried to make frosty
and dignified. "But I feel certain I won't be able to accompany you there tomorrow."
He shrugged and straightened up. "Well, if you change your mind before tomorrow morning, just let me
know."
"When are you leaving?" she couldn't help asking.
"First light or before. In fact, if you could make me up a packet of food tonight, and just leave it here on
the table for me, I'd be most obliged."
"How long will the trip take?"
"Three days, I imagine. Longer if the weather's bad."
"What are you going to be doing in Cedar Hills?"
He grinned at her. "Supplying food to the hold. Isn't that nice? His lordship negotiated a deal with Nathan
over the summer. So I imagine I'll be heading off to Cedar Hills pretty often, once the whole harvest is in.
Me or someone else, that is."
She felt her heart skip a beat. "So if I don't go with you tomorrow, I could go some other time. Maybe. If
Angeletta doesn't mind."
"Well, you could," he said impudently, "if the offer was still open."
She felt herself flush. "Yes, well, I—of course, if you didn't want company I wouldn't—"
摘要：

 FontArial FontColorblack FontSize12    BackgroundColorwhiteANGEL-SEEKERBySharonShinnContentsChapterOneChapterTwoChapterThreeChapterFourChapterFiveChapterSixChapterSevenChapterEightChapterNineChapterTenChapterElevenChapterTwelveChapterThirteenChapterFourteenChapterFifteenChapterSixteenChapterSevente...

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