Jelaza Kazone
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It was the second morning after Ren Zel had done battle for the continued existence of the universe, died of it, and been resurrected.
Yesterday, Ren Zel, and also Anthora, his lifemate, who had taken—possibly—less severe wounds in the great invisible battle that had preserved all as it had been…those two children of the clan had been transported to the Healer Hall in the city, there to be examined and, insofar as it was possible, Healed.
Escorting the wounded to the hall had been two…newly youthened, not to say entirely problematical, members of the clan. After, they had intended to visit an old friend to restore Balance between them; thence to the port, where there were two ships awaiting their inspection. While at the port, they were to propose themselves for pilot testing at Scout Headquarters, a notion that was not quite entirely harebrained, while being at the same time the most nearly viable plan available.
Today, Val Con stood as Delm Korval, Miri having chosen to be Road Boss. He therefore entered the delm’s office, after having seen the Boss and her ’hand off, his thoughts on the delm’s business.
“Good morning, Jeeves,” he said. “Is there anything I should know?”
“Bechimo reports himself in orbit and in the first stages of cleanup, Spiral Dance has landed in the back field, Lady Nova and Mike Golden have returned to her city house. Lady Nova bids you a good-day.”
Val Con winced.
“That was Lady Nova herself?” he asked, moving over to the sideboard and pouring himself a cup of tea.
“So she stated. She did not wish there to be any confusion.”
“She has achieved her goal. I am not confused in the least. Is there else?”
“The Pathfinders continue to study and to exercise. They put themselves at the service of the House, should there be any task that they might usefully take up.
“Daaneka tey’Doshi and Kor Vid yos’Phelium overnighted at Lady Kareen’s city house. Pilot tey’Doshi called this morning to say that they were bound for the port and Scout Headquarters, where they hope to speak with Scout ter’Meulen.”
That would be the scheme that had satisfied none of them, which had been put into play only because nothing more satisfying had arisen. Val Con sighed. Well, and who better for the thing than Clonak ter’Meulen, a veritable connoisseur of harebrained schemes?
“Also, today is my scheduled verbal quarterly report, which follows.
“My workshop and storage area in the sub-basement are currently safe to enter with your keycode. While we can quickly build or rebuild a Tocohl-style chassis if required, I am currently assembling and testing other household security devices in the area as suggested by recent interactions with Bechimo, as time allows. I will report noteworthy progress when there is some.”
At last, a normal note on the day! Val Con actually sighed.
“Thank you,” he said, moving to the desk.
There were no cats on the chair. Fondi was curled around and snoring in a basket meant to hold hardcopy. Val Con sat down, put his teacup on the desk well away from Fondi, and tapped the screen up.
Unsurprisingly, there was mail in the delm’s inbox.
What did surprise was the letter from Lady yo’Lanna, directed to himself, personally.
He considered it for a moment, as it sat unopened, there in the queue.
To: Val Con yos’Phelium Clan Korval
From: Ilthiria yo’Lanna Clan Justus
He shivered slightly—apprehension, perhaps, as he recalled her ladyship’s last correspondence with his sister Nova. It would seem that Lady yo’Lanna was suffering from the chiefest infirmity of advanced age: She had outlived her lifemate and nearly all of her contemporaries.
Worse, she who had been always at the center of society, privy to the ambitions and intrigues of each of the fifty High Houses, the most brilliant host of two generations, was now relegated to a chair at the edge of the dance floor, watching the children gracelessly cavort.
In that last letter, she had confessed to Nova that she might like to visit such a frontier world as Surebleak—she who had lived her entire life in the most privileged segment of the most privileged world in the known universe.
On the face of it, Lady yo’Lanna and Surebleak would not suit. She was a canny woman; surely she would know this, Val Con thought.
Wouldn’t she?
He drew a breath, gathered his courage, and opened the letter.
Val Con, I offer greeting from one who was your grandmother’s truest friend and closest confidante, and a good friend to your father, your mother, and your maternal aunt.
I flatter myself that you and I have been friends, though I have not been able to know you as well as I have known previous generations of your Line.
Were Chi still with us, I would naturally appeal to her. Alas, she has gone ahead of me into the peace that has no ending, as have her son and his lady.
Necessity therefore places me in your hands.
I will be brief.
I have applied to my delm, who agrees to my relocation, with my household, to Surebleak.
Justus has neither agents nor properties on Surebleak, a wretched condition that I shall improve once I am arrived. However, I must have a fitting residence available for my use when I do arrive, which will be in approximately two months, Standard.
It is here that I solicit your assistance.
If you will be so good as to locate an appropriate house for us, I would consider myself in your debt. It need not be furnished; we will be bringing much of what will be required for our comfort and to host modest entertainments.
You will of course recall how we were fixed on Liad—a house slightly removed from the city, yet convenient to both city and port would be preferred. If there could be gardens, that would please me, but gardens are not of the first necessity.
My delm has advised me that he does not wish my household to be mixed with Korval’s, as he wants no unpleasant surmises made by those fixed upon the homeworld.
I will therefore require a suitable residence for myself, two children and their tutor; three adults of the Line; butler, cook, and understaff. One is informed of Surebleak custom, which requires that persons of melant’i will be accompanied by security personnel. I have hired several competent persons to accompany us and to remain with us temporarily. It is in my mind that we will do better to hire locally, once we are fixed.
We will expect to remove from the port directly to our residence, and will set ourselves to call upon the neighborhood, and host perhaps a small gather, within twelve days of our arrival.
You would lighten this duty considerably by providing a list of persons who it will be advantageous to know.
I may now turn my full attention to those matters which must be accomplished here on the homeworld before I depart. I do so with a great gladness in my heart, knowing that my necessities for journey’s end are in the most capable hands possible.
Pray convey my very great affection to your lifemate, and my promise to your heir that I will soon indulge myself by making my bow to her.
Until soon,
Ilthiria yo’Lanna Clan Justus
Val Con closed his eyes.
A house. In fact, a Liaden clanhouse, suitable for immediate residency by an elderly lady of fixed understanding…
No, he had made an error.
He scrolled up. Yes, here it was: One is informed of Surebleak custom, which requires that persons of melant’i will be accompanied by security personnel…
Lady yo’Lanna had been studying. She was both informed and flexible. Indeed, she knew Surebleak for a frontier world—had she not phrased it thus to Nova? That she might wish for a house the equal of Glavda Empri, where she had lived for most of her life, after she had lifemated young Lord yo’Lanna, who had been elevated to Justus Himself with unfortunate promptness…that was precisely a wish—not a demand. She had, he thought, traveled modestly to Liaden worlds, but there was variation, even among Liaden worlds.
She was also, he recalled suddenly, a great reader and a patron of Scouts. Indeed, she was known for hosting small exploratory soirees every relumma or so, where Scouts were invited to speak on the topic of worlds that they had visited, and what strange customs they had encountered.
He remembered hearing some complaint here and there regarding those gatherings—Ilthiria’s follies, according to those who were properly world-bound and assured of Liaden superiority. Her follies had been tolerated because of the brilliance of her other, more convenable entertainments.
Yes! And she had learned Terran. When she came to tea with his foster-mother, which she had done regularly, she would insist that they speak Terran, so that she might perfect her command.
No. No, not a fixed understanding at all.
This notion of where the house ought to be situated—a little way out of the city, but not by any means so far out as the Road Boss was fixed…
He almost recalled something—something he had heard, only recently, at one of the gatherings of Bosses. He couldn’t quite bring it to mind…
Well. It would come. In the meanwhile, he was reminded that he had a letter to write, as well.
He reached for his tea, found it tepid, and rose to warm it from the pot.
Sipping warm tea, he returned to the desk, sat down and called up a blank screen.
“Jeeves,” he said conversationally.
“Yes, Master Val Con?”
“Pray prepare a pinbeam packet for Master Trader yos’Galan. He will want the field judgment, all current information on Tinsori Light and an introduction to Tocohl. I will include a letter to my brother Shan. Also, the delm will be sending instructions.”
“Yes, sir,” said Jeeves.
Val Con nodded, sighed slightly, and began to write.
Brother of my heart, I greet you with all joy…