The Mist and the Lightning. Part 19

They were sitting at a table in the main hall, along with Tol’s warriors. The guests alternately made toasts, and Lila, to the cheerful play of the musicians, danced on the big high drum of unclean ones, banging on it with her heels to the beat of the music and earning applause with enviable regularity. Kors was pleased that Nik looked so healthy and happy. He ate with appetite, and at some point, reaching for the jug, joyfully poured himself a dark red liquid from it, but,having taken a large sip as usual, froze, his face changed.

“Just don’t spit here!” Kors reacted instantly, already knowing by heart all his habits and anticipating his actions. “What has happened?”

Nik obeyed, but swallowed what he had just drunk with obvious difficulty:

“You motherfucker! What was it?!”

Arel took the jug, and, sniffing the contents, laughed:

“Nik, this is not wine, but grape juice. Aha-ha…”

“The juice?” Nik asked. “What for?”

“What does it mean — what for?” Kors intervened. “Maybe someone would like some juice, not just wine. I know it’s weird for you…”

“That…juice…it tastes like…like nobody loves you!” Nik tried to explain his feelings.

And Kors laughed, shaking his head. And Nik looked at Lila in a perky dance. She lifted her skirt quite high, and threw her legs up too.

“I want a girl,” Nik said, and his face became sad.

“Here it’s starting… Where can I get her for you here?” Kors began displeasedly. “We’ll come to the city, I’ll pick up a decent one for you…”

“I want Lila!”

“Oh gods,” Kors whispered, leaning his elbow on the table and pressing his palm to his forehead, “I have no rest from you… endless bad ideas in your head… just restless…”

“I want to past some time with her.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that she believes in the God of the upper ones and sings prayers to him?”

“No, I even like it, she sings beautifully.”

“Ask her to sing while you fuck her,” Arel laughed.

“I think he’ll find something to keep her mouth busy besides songs,” Kors remarked with obvious annoyance.

“What is bad in it, why are you jealous? I’ll just stay with her for a while!” Nik was upset.

“I’m not at all jealous of this actress,” Kors snorted deliberately contemptuously, obviously overacting, “she believes in God so much and at the same time dances, twirling her ass like the last whore. I don’t understand how it fits together! Believers are modest and pious. I won’t even mention that she is a married woman after all, let Tol deal with that.”

“Stop beating Lila with words, she is good.”

“Well, ask Tol for her then, if you so desire,” Kors muttered.

“Arel, call Tol,” Nik asked, and the prince silently got up from the table, heading towards the crowd of guests, above which, swaying a little, towered cheerful and joyful Tol. He boomed loudly, telling the audience gathered around him some regular story, in which, as usual, he was a brave hero.

Very quickly, they returned with Tol, and Tol immediately began to vigorously express his joy, as if seeing them for the first time, although they had already talked today and had drinks together no more than an hour ago.

“Wow! I have just tucked a good portion of roast under my belt!” Tol patted his stomach, “Here under the skin now I have a wonderful piece of wood, and if, in addition, I pour wine on top…”

“Tol, give me Lila?” Nik said.

Tol froze, as if at first he didn’t understand what they wanted from him, but finally it dawned on him:

“Do you want to fuck my Lila?”

“Yes.”

Tol was not at all embarrassed:

“Ah, yes, of course!” He turned and looked at Lila. She was still dancing on the drum, but now she was also singing a song. He looked back at Nik:

“Of course, my friend! Take her! I offered you to have fun with us back when Al and I changed wives, and he was having fun with Lila, and I was with Karina, that was great! You shouldn’t have left then, we were so…” Tol froze and looked frightened at Kors, clearly realizing that he had got carried away and blurted out too much, “uh-uh, hm-m-m-m…”

Kors rolled his eyes slightly.

“Come on, Tol, don’t be embarrassed. I have long understood that Karina…” he chuckled, “had fucked everyone here! Probably only Valentine didn’t fuck her!”

And, having heard his words, Nik and Arel, looking at each other, burst out laughing. They literally choked, trying not to laugh out loud.

“What funny thing have I said?” Kors sincerely couldn’t understand.

“Nothing, nothing…”

“Well, I’ll bring Lila then,” Tol obviously wanted to leave quickly, he never fully got used to Kors and never communicated with him on his own initiative.

They saw how he approached his wife, and she immediately jumped off the drum. Flushed and smiling, she approached them.

“You dance so beautifully,” Nik told her.

“Did you mean you wiggle your ass?” Ariel laughed.

Lila made an offended face and pouted her lips:

“Prince Arel, this is choreography,” she said indignantly.

“Lila, will you come with me to my room?” Nik asked.

She looked at him fascinated:

“Yes, my angel.”