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The mysterious, metamophosing page 320
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It had to happen eventually... the irreproducible printers' error. They managed to replace page 320 with page 302, not in every book (they'd've caught the error, if it'd happened in every book... or so they tell me). No-o-o, they bungled page 320 in some of the books, so no one caught it. (Except the readers... who told me... and I told ...)
A bit of trivia: my very first web page was put up to deal with this issue. Back in 1995, when Lightning came out, Lynn Abbey was living with us and she very kindly put up a wonderful little page for me to help provide this page to readers. That page was provided for me by SFF.Net, which served me well for many years.
So.... If you happened to luck out and get one of these books and have been wondering what really happened on page 320...This is for you:
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NIKKI AND MIKHYEL
PAGE 320
"Turn a bit,'' Nikki said.
Embarrassment came on the heels of sluggish understanding. "Rings, boy, you don't
have to---''
"Not the first time, brother.'' A gentle shove pushed him half over, pillows
wedged at his back kept him there as a weight depressed the mattress behind him.
"Almost had you yesterday, but you faded on me again.''
And then the brush was chasing the lizards out.
He sighed and relaxed his nose into the pillow, managing to work an arm around to
support his body in its ludicrous position, a position no amount of ridicule, regardless
how public, could convince him to change at that moment.
He let himself drift with the rhythmic strokes, the meaning of life reduced to such
stimulation, and was nearing catatonia when:
"Rings,'' he muttered to the pillow. "The Council meeting. Gareg's bogs. I
promised him, and if we don't get something underway---''
"Relax. The Council knows. The meetings have been postponed. I sent a message to
Gari.'' A hand stroked his temple, smoothing the hair back with a gentle, fingertip
massage. Tension abated. "Do me a favor?''
"For this,'' he answered on a pillowed sigh, "anything.''
Another stroke of the brush, another touch of fingertips. "Next time---say
something, will you?''
"Next time, I'll have the sense to order the coach, and let you stay home where
you belong. I should never have asked you out in such weather.''
The strokes stopped.
"That's not---'' Nikki's voice caught on what sounded disturbingly like a sob,
broke on a heartfelt curse. Something hard bounced off the wainscotting and thudded to the
floor.
Pillows meant to support became a trap, a barrier keeping him from seeing Nikki and the
origin of that sound. A surge of urgency gave him strength and he thrust himself about,
tumbling the obstructing pillows to the floor, and the sight of Nikki's exhaustion, plain
now he opened his eyes to see, drove the sunlight from the room.
"Nikki, what's wrong?''
Tense. Stricken. Angry. That tired young face reflected every emotion roused in the
young mind's search for explanation.
Copyright 1995 by Jane S Fancher
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