However, this question does not make any sense, because Robert will obey any order of his. Let him not order now, in his voice she can make out the desire to hear consent. And she agrees. After all, this is tantamount to an order.
“Yes, sir,” the pause between the words is almost imperceptible, but still somewhat longer than the usual one.
Roberta not so long ago omits a short word that she could have uttered even carefully and gently a little earlier, but she knows that Garcia is now the head of the Lovelace family, and therefore he should not be called the “young master”.
Moreover, he so wants to be an adult, he so wants to quickly become worthy of the name of his father, that Roberta simply can not afford to re-ignite in his eyes the sparks of unconscious resentment.
Garcia has just placed the chess pieces and is now carefully examining the board, checking the correct placement. Of course, he could not confuse anything.
Garcia is so afraid to make a mistake that she often does not understand: it is this habit of his, instilled in the gloomy atmosphere of Roanapur, that makes others still see him as a child. Roberta calls these very people around, who did not see the friendly gallows at the gates of the dead city, fools, and Garcia’s behavior - reasonable and not at all superfluous caution.
- Black and white? White and black?
Roberta doesn't answer; on her side of the board are black pieces. She realizes that Garcia may perceive such a decision as another attempt to allow him to win in order to amuse his pride, because White goes first, which means they establish the rules of the game. However, to tell him that she simply cannot (does not consider herself worthy) be on the side of whites, Roberta will not. It seems that Garcia should have understood this, seeing her real essence.
The head of the Lovelace family is just a boy. It is damn difficult for him to stay in the place that he rightfully occupies. Especially after he lowered half and so few fortunes on the prosthesis for his maid. An outside observer will call it a silly boyish trick, a sentimental desire to repay for the years of childhood, even the whim of a fool in love - whatever! But Garcia repeats: “It is impossible otherwise. Roberta, you have saved my life more than once, and this is the least I can do for you. ”
“Your move,” Garcia says after a five-minute wait, making sure that the maid is distracted from the game and is just looking thoughtlessly at the board.
Roberta looks up at him: the iris of an artificial eye does not radiate a piercing blue. Something inside clicks, and Garcia again involuntarily notices everything that reminds him of a new reality. That his father is dead and the maid is on the international wanted list. The fact that he himself is already completely different. Stronger than before, but still worse.
A chess horse with a light knock falls into its place. Roberta's hair is cut short; glasses - an exact copy of the old, but still the elusive ones; now Garcia can see how the Catholic cross looks unnatural, how stupid she looks like a maid. Garcia observes every detail, completely forgetting the game. The party flows somehow completely randomly, players continually throw attacks, leave huge gaps in defense.
Roberta is silent, and the inexorable beats in her head: “I am not worthy of such an attitude!” She still thinks that she is so far from God that she will never be able to leave the exclusion zone. Roberta lives for her master, but she does not want Garcia to absorb her darkness. He reaches for her, he wants to be near, to save from himself, to protect.
The boy does not see, does not want to see the impenetrable cocoon of darkness enveloping him in Robert. Garcia still believes in colorful illusions, he allows himself to be deceived in order to forget the face that once appeared to him when the mask of virtue cracked under the pressure of an entity tearing out. This is his terrible nightmare - and good. Lovelace gets used to it, gets too close to Roberte - he will certainly achieve this - and then the illusions will disappear.
- Shah.
From the fleeting changes in the face of Mr. Robert can determine the cause of his current condition. Full of sorrow, Garcia’s brown eyes always tell the maid more than his words, with which the boy learned to juggle better than any rhetorician. And now she is surprised to realize that he accurately predicts her moves only because he adheres to the same tactics.
The king is Garcia. He is a weak figure, almost useless in inept hands. But he needs to be protected, because the king is at the same time a most valuable figure, without which the game does not make sense. Roberta is the Queen. The strongest figure, always coming to the aid of the king. His main weapon.
They play on the same field, they have one goal, one means. The difference is only in the perspective from which everyone looks at the current situation. And in what is more important for him.
- Mat.
Garcia kept trying not to lose the queen, missing the chance to make a coup just to save this figure. Roberta sacrificed her without any regrets. Because I remembered: it is impossible otherwise.
White lost, however, this is not surprising. Wanting to save everyone, you often lose any chance of salvation. Garcia will soon understand the irrefutability of this statement and reconcile with it. Then the still unformed shadow in the depths of his pupils will become something more, something that will force Lovelace to live according to the laws of Roanapur.
But now only Roberta can afford to ruffle his blond hair and smile at the boy's playfully evil expression. A little later their common laughter will conquer both time and death.