"MacAvoy,.R.A.-.Tea.With.The.Black.Dragon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dragon Stories)

would hate that! Liz behaved with propriety.

Martha Macnamara was smiling again. She licked
mustard from her fingers and turned toward the hotel.

She took the stranger's long hand in her own and
shook it. "How wonderful! You could span way over two
octaves!"

The hand retreated as soon as custom permitted. The
owner of it remained standing, a dark figure in the
shadow of a paneled wall. He bowed slightly to Mrs.
Macnamara.

" May land Long . . . Martha Macnamara . . ."The
young bartender continued his introduction. "I thought
you two should meet."

Both parties stared at him. "Because of the violin," he
explained.

"But surely you play keyboards," Martha insisted.
"With such a reach ..."

Mr. Long motioned across the white expanse of table,
and did not sit again til Martha had lowered herself into
the chair opposite. "Forgive the clutter. I have had a late
dinner." He spoke quietly, as empty plates and silver
were cleared away before him. "Please have tea with
me."

0 my, thought the woman to herself. His voice.
Lovely English. How wonderful.

"I don't make music," Mr. Long stated. "I merely

4 TEA WITH THE BLACK DRAGON

appreciate it." He sat in the shadow of his corner table,
gazing across to where she sat touched by a beam of
light. He saw a slim woman of some fifty years. Her
features were small and regular, and her head set well on
a slender neck. Her grizzled hair was braided around her
head. The hair and her gray wool suit were back lit,
causing Martha Macnamara to shine about the edges.

She saw a thin man, dressed darkly, hidden in the
dark. The hands stood out against the white linen. They
were very dark also, unusually dark, if this man were
indeed English. She thought of the beautiful voices of