Read Dreams of Stardust for Free Online Page A

see by your pristine automobile," Worthington said in
admiration. "I will have it seen to in the morning. I placed a tarp
over it and flashers behind it for the night, lest anyone damage such a
marvelous piece of history."
    "It is a great car," Jake agreed. "I appreciate the effort."
    Worthington nodded and Jake rose to head upstairs. He found himself
with a sudden lack of desire to retire. Not that he thought that
bedroom was haunted, but it was dark and stormy outside and a little
company didn't sound all that bad.
    Then again, Worthington, poor man, probably did need his evening
out. Jake had the feeling that when the crew returned, not all those
immaculately groomed silver hairs would remain in their places.
    "My lord does have a rather interesting smattering of artifacts,"
Worthington offered suddenly, pausing on the way to the kitchen.
"Through there, in the library. Of course, those are just the more
ordinary things. If you're truly interested in a bit of history, I can
show you his lordship's private collection."
    "How do you know I'm not a thief?" Jake asked, quite frankly
surprised that Worthington was so forthcoming with His Lordship's
private things.
    Worthington only smiled.
    "I know," Jake said with a sigh. "Ghosts."
    Worthington put the plates down on the end of the table. "Follow me,
sir."
    Jake followed him obediently up the stairs and down a long hallway.
He was ushered into a very nicely appointed study, complete with an
enormous plasma television in the corner of the room that had to have
cost the same amount as a small BMW. Apparently that wasn't the real
treasure, because Worthington opened a door at the far end of the
study, flicked on the lights, and stood back.
    "Here we are," he said.
    Jake looked inside and caught his breath. "Wow," he said, in genuine
appreciation. It was the reaction he generally had at the end of a long
slog to a mine where he didn't expect to find anything and then found
clusters of fine quartz and corundum instead.
    He looked down the hallway, a hallway long enough that he wondered
if it might not run the length of the castle. It was filled with all
manner of weapons, suits of armor, and other paraphernalia of war.
There was a doorway on the right and Jake looked back at Worthington,
who motioned him to go on. Jake opened the door and peeked in.
    "More wow," he managed.
    "Enjoy, sir."
    "I think I will," Jake said.
    The hallway had been impressive, but the good stuff was evidently in
here. Swords, knives, spears, armor, shields; and all of a decidedly
medieval bent. He noticed Worthington leaving, then noticed little else
for quite some time as he happily made himself at home puttering about
in history. He marveled at the depth and breadth of the collection, at
its age, at its level of preservation.
    Amazing, and nothing but.
    Time passed.
    Though he couldn't have said how much time had passed before he saw
it.
    It was an enormous broadsword laying in an open, velvet-lined
case, beckoning to him with all the seductiveness of a Siren. Jake
walked over to it and reached his hand out to touch before he thought
better of it. He traced his fingers over the word Artane carved
into the crossbar of the hilt.
    Artane again.
    He shouldn't have been surprised.
    But what in the world was one of Artane's swords doing here at
Seakirk? Maybe Seakirk's lord roamed a bit in his travels to find the
old and the unusually well kept. Jake reached out to run his finger
along the blade—
    "Better not."
    He spun around in surprise.
    There was no one there.
    He suppressed a shiver and turned back to the sword. He stretched
out his hand again.
    "Bloody fool," someone behind him muttered, "can't he take a bit of
friendly advice?"
    "I'd say not," said another voice. "They never learn, do they? Let
him cut hisself, then, and be the one to clean up the mess."
    Jake shook his head, hoping that a good shaking would either clean
out his ears or clear away what seemed to be a colossal hallucination.
He decided