concentrating on sawing it from its vine, but she spared an amused thought for a man who’d been emperor worrying about being remembered. True, it had been a short reign, but he had been the last emperor, so surely he wouldn’t be forgotten.
The vine drooped down and touched her shoulder. She flinched and flung it away. It was like some creature’s live tentacle rather than a plant’s appendage. “I’m sure you have a good chance at the contest, though my understanding is that Mother will be judging the entries without looking at the names of the architects. She’s fond of fairness.”
“Good. That’s how it should be.”
“Ugh, it’s like these things are made from rubber.” Mahliki finally sawed the bud free, but not without cutting her own hand in the process. It was as if the vine had known what she intended and kept getting in the way on purpose.
“Yes,” Sespian said. “I can’t help but think it was sent here to trouble our fledging republic.”
“I’ve had that thought too.”
“In the old days, people just tried to assassinate the fellow in charge. Or drug him.” Sespian grimaced.
“That happened to you?” Mahliki knelt on the dock and prodded at the bud with her scalpel, trying to find a seam or weak spot.
“Drugging, manipulation, attempted assassinations. I’m relieved to be nobody special anymore.”
“Truly?” Mahliki looked into his eyes. Though the Kyattese didn’t have a government that ran on bloodlines, she was fortunate enough to have been born into a family with land and money, so that she never had to worry about feeding herself or having clothing to wear—or books to read. It would be difficult to give up even that much privilege, much less power over an entire nation.
“Truly,” Sespian said, meeting her eyes.
His were brown with golden flecks, warm and friendly. Nothing in their conversation should have made her blush, but Mahliki suddenly felt the need to return her attention to her work. “Even though being nobody special means that you don’t have the power to delegate underwater specimen collection to someone else?”
He smiled. “Even so.”
“The day after tomorrow will be fine. I’ll have to figure out how to get some of those suits.”
Sespian tilted his head. “Can’t you ask your father for a favor? He can delegate things to other people now.”
“He’s so busy, it’s hard to find him. You’d be shocked if you heard about half of the uprisings he’s put down, squabbles he’s had to mediate, and—I’m not supposed to know about this, so don’t say anything—assassination attempts he’s dodged. Well, I guess you’re perhaps the one person who wouldn’t be shocked, but it’s been difficult for the family to digest. Favors. I’m not sure Mother is even getting favors, right now.”
“Ah.” Sespian tapped his sketchpad. “I’m ready for the next subject.”
“Yes, one moment.” Mahliki gave up on finding a tidy way to slice the bud open and hacked it in half. She peeled back the exterior and frowned at the dark green rounded cube inside. “That doesn’t look like any pistil I’ve ever seen. How odd.” She was debating whether to try and slice it open to see if it housed reproductive organs, but the cube opened of its own accord, the top peeling back, and something black bulging from within. She froze, torn between wanting to see what happened and wanting to back away in case it was something unpleasant. “That’s...”
The bulging thing—it vaguely reminded her of someone’s tonsil—pulsed twice, and—
Sespian grabbed her shoulder, and yanked her away as a fine black mist sprang into the air. Her butt bounced across several planks before he hefted her to her feet, pulling her back against him. From several feet away, Mahliki watched the mist spread, then dissipate.
“I apologize,” Sespian said, though he didn’t yet release her. “I thought that looked... ominous.”
Mahliki thought about joking that she
The vine drooped down and touched her shoulder. She flinched and flung it away. It was like some creature’s live tentacle rather than a plant’s appendage. “I’m sure you have a good chance at the contest, though my understanding is that Mother will be judging the entries without looking at the names of the architects. She’s fond of fairness.”
“Good. That’s how it should be.”
“Ugh, it’s like these things are made from rubber.” Mahliki finally sawed the bud free, but not without cutting her own hand in the process. It was as if the vine had known what she intended and kept getting in the way on purpose.
“Yes,” Sespian said. “I can’t help but think it was sent here to trouble our fledging republic.”
“I’ve had that thought too.”
“In the old days, people just tried to assassinate the fellow in charge. Or drug him.” Sespian grimaced.
“That happened to you?” Mahliki knelt on the dock and prodded at the bud with her scalpel, trying to find a seam or weak spot.
“Drugging, manipulation, attempted assassinations. I’m relieved to be nobody special anymore.”
“Truly?” Mahliki looked into his eyes. Though the Kyattese didn’t have a government that ran on bloodlines, she was fortunate enough to have been born into a family with land and money, so that she never had to worry about feeding herself or having clothing to wear—or books to read. It would be difficult to give up even that much privilege, much less power over an entire nation.
“Truly,” Sespian said, meeting her eyes.
His were brown with golden flecks, warm and friendly. Nothing in their conversation should have made her blush, but Mahliki suddenly felt the need to return her attention to her work. “Even though being nobody special means that you don’t have the power to delegate underwater specimen collection to someone else?”
He smiled. “Even so.”
“The day after tomorrow will be fine. I’ll have to figure out how to get some of those suits.”
Sespian tilted his head. “Can’t you ask your father for a favor? He can delegate things to other people now.”
“He’s so busy, it’s hard to find him. You’d be shocked if you heard about half of the uprisings he’s put down, squabbles he’s had to mediate, and—I’m not supposed to know about this, so don’t say anything—assassination attempts he’s dodged. Well, I guess you’re perhaps the one person who wouldn’t be shocked, but it’s been difficult for the family to digest. Favors. I’m not sure Mother is even getting favors, right now.”
“Ah.” Sespian tapped his sketchpad. “I’m ready for the next subject.”
“Yes, one moment.” Mahliki gave up on finding a tidy way to slice the bud open and hacked it in half. She peeled back the exterior and frowned at the dark green rounded cube inside. “That doesn’t look like any pistil I’ve ever seen. How odd.” She was debating whether to try and slice it open to see if it housed reproductive organs, but the cube opened of its own accord, the top peeling back, and something black bulging from within. She froze, torn between wanting to see what happened and wanting to back away in case it was something unpleasant. “That’s...”
The bulging thing—it vaguely reminded her of someone’s tonsil—pulsed twice, and—
Sespian grabbed her shoulder, and yanked her away as a fine black mist sprang into the air. Her butt bounced across several planks before he hefted her to her feet, pulling her back against him. From several feet away, Mahliki watched the mist spread, then dissipate.
“I apologize,” Sespian said, though he didn’t yet release her. “I thought that looked... ominous.”
Mahliki thought about joking that she
Similar Books
