“Well, be so kind as to explain it to us, then, why don’t you?” Demetrius looked at Talon, who smiled.
Rondar shook his head as if it was obvious to any but a fool. Then he stood up, crossed the room, and put his hand on Talon’s shoulder. “Talon: Mountain boy.’’
“Right,” said Demetrius, his expression showing he wasn’t following so far.
“Talon: Roldemish gentleman.” With that, Rondar sat down.
Demetrius nodded as if understanding.
“What?” asked Talon, puzzled.
“How many languages do you speak now?’’
“Six, including Orosini. I speak fluent Roldemish, King’s Tongue, the Common Tongue, pretty good Keshian; and I’m getting decent with Quegan—which is pretty close to ancient Keshian. Next I’m supposed to learn Yabonese.”
“And you’re the best on the island with a sword.’’
“Yes,” said Talon without modesty.
“Do you play an instrument?”
“A flute. Nakor showed me how to make one.’’
“Well?”
“Well enough.’’
“You play chess, cards, dice, right?’’
“Yes.”
“And you’re good at them, right?’’
“Yes,” Talon repeated.
Demetrius grinned. “Rondar’s right. They’re going to pass you off as a gentleman of Roldem.’’
“Cook?” asked Rondar.
Talon grinned. “Better than Besalamo, if I’m honest.’’
“That’s not saying much,” observed Demetrius. “Look, if they start teaching you how to play more instruments and everything you need to know about wine and other such niceties, then Rondar’s right. The masters of this island are transforming you into a gentleman of Roldem.’’
“But why?” asked Talon.
“You’ll know when they tell you,” Demetrius replied.
Talon pondered the possibility for a moment, then said, “All right. Back to your places. I told Master Maceus I’d have something to show him before supper.’’
The two young men resumed their positions, and Talon turned his mind away from the question of what he was being trained to do and back to the task at hand.
Master Maceus considered the portrait. After a while he said, “Passable.”
“Thank you,” Talon replied without much conviction. He was frustrated by the shortcomings he recognized in his work; the figures were stiff, unnatural, and showed little of the nature of his two friends.
“You need work on the structure of the body,” said his instructor.
“Yes, sir.’’
“I think your next study should be a nude.’’
Talon raised an eyebrow. He had grown up in a culture in which the sight of the human body was no cause for notice, yet he had learned since coming away from the mountains of the Orosini that many other people viewed nakedness in a very different fashion. Some students swam nude in the lake, while others avoided those gatherings, preferring to swim and bathe alone, or wearing clothing designed for wear in the water. Others, like Rondar, avoided swimming altogether.
Talon had even discussed the matter with Nakor, which probably had been a poor choice, since his instructor had left him with more questions than answers. Even so, Talon felt compelled to ask, “Master Maceus?’’
“Yes?”
“Are such paintings common?’’
“Common enough,” said Maceus, though he added a self-conscious cough and remarked, “Though not often for public viewing. Private collections and the like. Still, statuary, that’s another story. Great heroes are often depicted in various stages of undress, their bodies showing magnificent wounds. But I’m not concerned about your ability to create something to titillate a bored noble; nor do I think you have the makings of sculptor. It’s a matter of seeing below the surface, Talon.” He pointed to the work on the easel, and went on, “You’ve captured the surface of the boys, the overall sense of the planes and angles of their faces and clothing, but the muscles underneath, the curves of their shoulders, arms, chest—all that is missing. When you paint a portrait you must think of the body beneath, the spirit within: then you clothe the subject with your brushes and knives. When you look at the naked body, see the bone, sinew, and muscle within, and clothe them in skin and hair. You’ll learn to understand this.” With a rare smile, he added, “We may make a painter of you yet.’’
Thinking of trying to persuade Rondar to stand in the room with no clothing, Talon said, “Should I seek another subject?’’
“Do not concern yourself. I’ll send someone along tomorrow.”
Talon nodded, thinking about what his instructor had said, and slowly began to clear away his brushes and paints.