matter to discuss with you. Kindly present yourself before us, Third-Day, Fifth-Hour-First-Morning . That was tomorrow. The message was signed: EsRavesh .
Clearly, the message had come from a khaith; he would have been able to determine that even without the locative and the signature. The khaithoi might have been only a couple of castes above his own, but they gave themselves enough airs and graces to suit the most elevated echelons of society. It was typical of the constant jockeying for position among the castes.
Sirru wished he could place EsRavesh. The name had a nagging familiarity, and yet he was sure that he had never met this particular khaith before. He had no idea why he had been summoned. Perhaps the family was being offered a raise in status, and in that case, his relationship with Anarres could only be strengthened. It was a comforting dream, especially after the terrible events of the past year, but Sirru couldn't bring himself to believe in it.
He looked back at the stubbornly closed house and sighed.
Doubtless he was just being naive in entertaining these vain hopes. The walls were prickling with distaste, but he refused to be so easily defeated. Time to try more unorthodox methods . He reached beneath the wide, loose collar of his robe and touched the nanoscale implant. He felt the sudden cool flush of the nanoscale over his skin as its modulation changed to the specifications that Sirru's friend in the emergency services had previously programmed in. He'd always tliought that the specs would come in handy, ever since the friend had offered to trade him the codes. You took power where you could get it, these days.
The house sensors glowed in the growing dusk. Sirru stood on the entry platform, as nonchalantly as he could manage, and let his clothes lie for him. He tried to suppress the rush of satisfaction as a small slit appeared in the wall. The house had believed the lie: Emergency! Permit access immediately ! The wall manifolded back to let him in and Sirru stepped quickly through before the house realized that it had been tricked.
Inside, the place was as beautiful as he had expected. Mesh webbing outlined ceiling and wall, and the floor was covered with soft black matting. The house was filled with its symbi-otic flowers, which rustled and whispered as he passed. Sirru walked quickly through and found Anarres sitting outside on a little terrace, surrounded by night lilies. The flowers were slowly opening as the sun sank. Anarres glanced up as Sirru stepped out onto the balcony, her leafgreen eyes alight.
"Sirru! I thought you weren't coming."
"I'm sorry I'm late," Sirru said. "I had a few problems with your house."
Anarres face was dismayed. "Wouldn't it let you in? Oh, I'm sorry. It's been like that for weeks . I keep changing the pa-rameters, but they never seem to stick. How did you get in?"
"I lied."
" So embarrassing…" Anarres murmured, flustered. But Sirru had already forgotten his problems with the house and was gazing at her in admiration. Either she had just been entertaining another visitor, or (a more flattering explanation) she had taken pains solely for him. Her long rustling quills were bound in a glistening web of wire, and a subtly expensive aura of pheromones surrounded her like a mantle. Thus en-hanced, she seemed to glow. Every gesture she made was filled with meaning: limklessly seductive.
He swallowed.
"I'm so glad you've come." Anarres said, undulating up to him. "You see, I've been having a few—well, not problems , ex-actly, but a bit of a difference of opinion with someone. It's up-set me." She placed her hand intimately on the inside of his elbow, beneath the loose sleeve of the robe.
Sirru's breath stopped short in his throat. Anarres was not as tall as he, and was also more sinuous than was usual among her caste, suggesting some expensive modifications. Silver wire bound her elbow spurs and the prominent vertebrae of her spine, revealed under the mesh of her
Clearly, the message had come from a khaith; he would have been able to determine that even without the locative and the signature. The khaithoi might have been only a couple of castes above his own, but they gave themselves enough airs and graces to suit the most elevated echelons of society. It was typical of the constant jockeying for position among the castes.
Sirru wished he could place EsRavesh. The name had a nagging familiarity, and yet he was sure that he had never met this particular khaith before. He had no idea why he had been summoned. Perhaps the family was being offered a raise in status, and in that case, his relationship with Anarres could only be strengthened. It was a comforting dream, especially after the terrible events of the past year, but Sirru couldn't bring himself to believe in it.
He looked back at the stubbornly closed house and sighed.
Doubtless he was just being naive in entertaining these vain hopes. The walls were prickling with distaste, but he refused to be so easily defeated. Time to try more unorthodox methods . He reached beneath the wide, loose collar of his robe and touched the nanoscale implant. He felt the sudden cool flush of the nanoscale over his skin as its modulation changed to the specifications that Sirru's friend in the emergency services had previously programmed in. He'd always tliought that the specs would come in handy, ever since the friend had offered to trade him the codes. You took power where you could get it, these days.
The house sensors glowed in the growing dusk. Sirru stood on the entry platform, as nonchalantly as he could manage, and let his clothes lie for him. He tried to suppress the rush of satisfaction as a small slit appeared in the wall. The house had believed the lie: Emergency! Permit access immediately ! The wall manifolded back to let him in and Sirru stepped quickly through before the house realized that it had been tricked.
Inside, the place was as beautiful as he had expected. Mesh webbing outlined ceiling and wall, and the floor was covered with soft black matting. The house was filled with its symbi-otic flowers, which rustled and whispered as he passed. Sirru walked quickly through and found Anarres sitting outside on a little terrace, surrounded by night lilies. The flowers were slowly opening as the sun sank. Anarres glanced up as Sirru stepped out onto the balcony, her leafgreen eyes alight.
"Sirru! I thought you weren't coming."
"I'm sorry I'm late," Sirru said. "I had a few problems with your house."
Anarres face was dismayed. "Wouldn't it let you in? Oh, I'm sorry. It's been like that for weeks . I keep changing the pa-rameters, but they never seem to stick. How did you get in?"
"I lied."
" So embarrassing…" Anarres murmured, flustered. But Sirru had already forgotten his problems with the house and was gazing at her in admiration. Either she had just been entertaining another visitor, or (a more flattering explanation) she had taken pains solely for him. Her long rustling quills were bound in a glistening web of wire, and a subtly expensive aura of pheromones surrounded her like a mantle. Thus en-hanced, she seemed to glow. Every gesture she made was filled with meaning: limklessly seductive.
He swallowed.
"I'm so glad you've come." Anarres said, undulating up to him. "You see, I've been having a few—well, not problems , ex-actly, but a bit of a difference of opinion with someone. It's up-set me." She placed her hand intimately on the inside of his elbow, beneath the loose sleeve of the robe.
Sirru's breath stopped short in his throat. Anarres was not as tall as he, and was also more sinuous than was usual among her caste, suggesting some expensive modifications. Silver wire bound her elbow spurs and the prominent vertebrae of her spine, revealed under the mesh of her
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