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Piers Anthony

For Love Of Evil

Incarnations of Immortality, book 6

Chapter 1 - PARRY

There was a knock at the door, so hesitant as to be almost inaudible. Parry opened it.

A girl stood without, huddled and childlike. Her flowing honey hair was bound back from her face by a fillet: a narrow band of cloth that circled her bare head. Her frightened eyes seemed enormous, the irises gray-green. "I am Jolie," she whispered, her hands making a tentative gesture toward her bosom.

She had come! Suddenly Parry's mouth felt dry. He had known she would, yet doubted. He had wanted her to, yet been afraid. Now the test was upon him.

"Please come in," he said, his voice sounding considerably more assured than he felt.

She gazed at him. Her face crumpled. "Oh, please, my lord, please let me go! I never did you harm, or even spoke ill of you! I never meant to give offense, and if I have, I apologize most abjectly! Please, please do not enchant me!" She put her face in her hands, sobbing.

Parry was taken aback. "I am not going to enchant you, Jolie!" he protested. "I have no grievance against you."

Those marvelous eyes peeked from between her fingers. "No?"

"None. I know you have done me no harm. I want only to-" He found no appropriate word. "If you will come in, I will explain."

Her tears ceased, but not her fright. "The Sorcerer said I would not be hurt," she said somewhat defiantly.

"My tamer spoke truly," Parry said. "I mean only to talk with you. Please come in; it is warm inside."

She hesitated. A gust of wind tugged at her garment, and she shivered. It was evidently her best dress, but it was somewhat soiled linen, given shape only by the cord at her waist. It was inadequate protection against the chill of the fall evening. "You order me, lord?"

Parry grimaced. "I am no lord, Jolie. I am the Sorcerer's apprentice. I am hardly older man you. I cannot order you, nor would I if I could. I only want your company this night."

Her face crumpled again. "Oh, please, spare me this! To you it may be nothing, but to me it's my life!"

Parry had realized that there would be difficulty, but he had not properly appreciated its nature before. The girl believed that she was doomed if she set foot inside his house.

He could let her go. But that would mean the loss of what might be his sole opportunity, and failure in his first significant challenge. The Sorcerer had little sympathy for failure of any type.

"How can I persuade you that I mean you no harm?" he asked. "I swear to you that I will do nothing to you without your leave, and that I will not force that leave-giving."

"Will you swear by the Blessed Virgin Mary?" she asked disbelievingly.

"I swear it by the Blessed Virgin Mary."