Dedication
In each book in this series I have dedicated the work to four people; this is, after all, a number beloved of esLi.
This book is dedicated to:
Lisa, love of my life, without whom none of this would be possible;
Barbara, my longtime friend—look, you finally made Admiral;
Tee, my newfound friend and fellow writer—thanks for all your help; and
Brad, who's gone on; we still miss you, Captain.
Acknowledgments
The quotes from The Prince in this book are based on the Thomson translation published by Collier. Nic derives some of his special charm from Niccolò's Smile, a wonderful biography of Machiavelli by Maurizio Viroli published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Jan, the yaminon made it into the book—hope you enjoy it. And Joe—thank you, my friend, for being the inspiration for Djiwara.
The statue described in chapter 17 really exists: it was erected in honor of William Pitt, the prime minister who helped Great Britain win the Seven Years' War. From the pictures I've seen, it's as monstrous as Djiwara finds it to be.
Author's Note
The Highspeech contains words that are used as modes of address between individuals. These words consist of two or three letters when translated into Standard. These words are called "prenomen" and indicate not only the status of the person being addressed (or referred to), but also the relationship of the speaker to that person.
Prenomen have two forms: one is used when the addressee or subject is alive, and the other when the person is dead (listed in parentheses). The prenomen used in the series are described below.
se, si. This is the standard mode of address between individuals, when they are of equal status or unknown to each other, si is used when referring to or addressing a deceased person, se and si are also used to address a person of lesser status.
ge, gi. This mode is used to describe a lover, usually in a non-affectionate or pejorative manner. It is also used colloquially to address a person of significantly lower status, such as a servant (or non-zor), though this form is archaic. This usage can often lead to duels and challenges.
ha, ha'i. This mode is used when addressing a person of superior status (other than the High Lord or a person of equivalent status, such as the Solar Emperor.) The person thus addressed will usually respond using the se form.
le, li. le is used between intimates, as a term of genuine affection. It is permitted only when a relationship is acknowledged by both parties; otherwise it can be cause for challenge, li is used when referring to or addressing a dead mate only.
hi, hi'i. This mode is used when addressing the High Lord of the People. It has also been adopted for use when addressing the Solar Emperor, though the standard usage is with the prenomen and title, e.g., "hi Emperor," rather than the given name, hi'i is used when referring to a deceased High Lord, and is generally accompanied by a wing-position of honor to esLi.
na, ni. This mode refers to a Servant of esGa'u. It is used only rarely, often in literature, ni indicates that the person is deceased.
ra, ri. This mode, similar to the na form, is used to address important Servants of esGa'u, usually Shrnu'u HeGa'u. It is similar to the ha form. The ri construction is almost never used, as the notion of such a Servant being considered dead is difficult to encompass.