sleet’re you doing, coming back here?”
She laughed. “Asked myself the same thing more times than you wanna know. You’re looking good—prosperous.”
“You’re looking the same,” he said cordially, but keeping one eye on Val Con, who hadn’t been explained yet. “Soldierin’ agreed with you.”
“It did. Mustered out with a captain’s chop on my sleeve.” She extended a hand, slow and easy out of consideration for the nerves of the man with the gun. “Penn, this is my partner, Val Con yos’Phelium. Val Con, here’s Penn Kalhoon. We was kids together, over on Hamilton Street—Latimer’s turf it was then.”
“Boss Kalhoon’s turf now,” the pro added.
Val Con nodded gravely. “Penn Kalhoon, I am pleased to meet you.”
“Pleasure,” Penn answered, which was maybe a little brief. He moved a hand, showing them the bodyguard. “This my ’hand, Joey Valish. You met Jeremy.”
“Indeed. Gun-sworn Valish, I am pleased to see you.”
The ’hand grinned, showing a sizable gap in the top row of his teeth. “Got that right.”
Penn frowned, like maybe he was getting a headache, which was possible, Miri thought. They seemed to have that effect on people.
“Interesting ring you got there.”
“It is a family heirloom,” Val Con said, raising his hand so Penn could see it better. “My kinsman wears one very like it.”
“You wanna expand on that?”
Miri heard rapid steps in the hall, saw a shadow at the open door and, that quick, Val Con had shifted, putting himself between her and a fast-moving, dark-haired woman, his empty hands held out, and her whole attention focusing instantly on his face.
She stopped, brows pulling together.
“The resemblance is not—”
“Some consider it marked,” Val Con interrupted. “But it was not the face that distressed the child, it was the Ring.”
“Which—”
“The sticks dealer.”
Her shoulders moved slightly. “Villy. Yes, he . . . has an attachment.”
Penn cleared his throat.
“Excuse me,” he said, when the newcomer turned her head to look at him. “You know each other?”
There was a small, charged silence.
“Indeed, no, we do not.” She turned back and bowed, sweet and solemn. Not a Liaden bow exactly, but it got the point across. “I ask that you forgive my lapse of manners, sir and lady. The report I received was . . . troubling in the extreme, and I fear that, in my haste, I overlooked proper behavior.” She bowed again. “Please allow me to welcome you to Surebleak.”
“Nothing to forgive,” Miri said. “And thanks for the welcome.” She stepped up to Val Con’s side and gave the woman a cordial nod. “Happens Penn and me go way back, and we’re introduced to Joey and Jeremy. Who’re you, exactly?”
She bowed again.
“I,” she said with a calm that sounded forced to Miri’s ear, “am called Natesa.”
Oh, she thought, Natesa. Also known as Inas Bhar. Also known as Juntavas Judge Natesa, gun-name Natesa the Assassin.
Pat Rin’s lifemate.
She inclined her head, catching Val Con’s intent half-breath before he spoke.
“I See you.”
Her coloring was a rich brown. It could’ve been that she paled. She did absolutely freeze, then swayed into a bow so smooth and deep a body might have doubted the moment of hesitation.
“Korval,” she said, and straightened.
“Boss Conrad was delayed at the far point of the road. I have instructions from him that the car is to proceed from the port with Boss Kalhoon representing the Surebleak Bosses. Boss Conrad will join the procession at Hamilton Street.” She paused. “Departure time approaches; the car awaits you at Portmaster Liu’s office.”
“We are, I believe, ready to leave very soon.” Val Con said, and looked to Miri. “ Cha’trez ?”
“I’m ready when you are,” she said. “We oughta make it right, first, since the kid’s so attached.”
“So we ought,” he agreed. “If Penn Kalhoon will grant us a moment’s grace before we
She laughed. “Asked myself the same thing more times than you wanna know. You’re looking good—prosperous.”
“You’re looking the same,” he said cordially, but keeping one eye on Val Con, who hadn’t been explained yet. “Soldierin’ agreed with you.”
“It did. Mustered out with a captain’s chop on my sleeve.” She extended a hand, slow and easy out of consideration for the nerves of the man with the gun. “Penn, this is my partner, Val Con yos’Phelium. Val Con, here’s Penn Kalhoon. We was kids together, over on Hamilton Street—Latimer’s turf it was then.”
“Boss Kalhoon’s turf now,” the pro added.
Val Con nodded gravely. “Penn Kalhoon, I am pleased to meet you.”
“Pleasure,” Penn answered, which was maybe a little brief. He moved a hand, showing them the bodyguard. “This my ’hand, Joey Valish. You met Jeremy.”
“Indeed. Gun-sworn Valish, I am pleased to see you.”
The ’hand grinned, showing a sizable gap in the top row of his teeth. “Got that right.”
Penn frowned, like maybe he was getting a headache, which was possible, Miri thought. They seemed to have that effect on people.
“Interesting ring you got there.”
“It is a family heirloom,” Val Con said, raising his hand so Penn could see it better. “My kinsman wears one very like it.”
“You wanna expand on that?”
Miri heard rapid steps in the hall, saw a shadow at the open door and, that quick, Val Con had shifted, putting himself between her and a fast-moving, dark-haired woman, his empty hands held out, and her whole attention focusing instantly on his face.
She stopped, brows pulling together.
“The resemblance is not—”
“Some consider it marked,” Val Con interrupted. “But it was not the face that distressed the child, it was the Ring.”
“Which—”
“The sticks dealer.”
Her shoulders moved slightly. “Villy. Yes, he . . . has an attachment.”
Penn cleared his throat.
“Excuse me,” he said, when the newcomer turned her head to look at him. “You know each other?”
There was a small, charged silence.
“Indeed, no, we do not.” She turned back and bowed, sweet and solemn. Not a Liaden bow exactly, but it got the point across. “I ask that you forgive my lapse of manners, sir and lady. The report I received was . . . troubling in the extreme, and I fear that, in my haste, I overlooked proper behavior.” She bowed again. “Please allow me to welcome you to Surebleak.”
“Nothing to forgive,” Miri said. “And thanks for the welcome.” She stepped up to Val Con’s side and gave the woman a cordial nod. “Happens Penn and me go way back, and we’re introduced to Joey and Jeremy. Who’re you, exactly?”
She bowed again.
“I,” she said with a calm that sounded forced to Miri’s ear, “am called Natesa.”
Oh, she thought, Natesa. Also known as Inas Bhar. Also known as Juntavas Judge Natesa, gun-name Natesa the Assassin.
Pat Rin’s lifemate.
She inclined her head, catching Val Con’s intent half-breath before he spoke.
“I See you.”
Her coloring was a rich brown. It could’ve been that she paled. She did absolutely freeze, then swayed into a bow so smooth and deep a body might have doubted the moment of hesitation.
“Korval,” she said, and straightened.
“Boss Conrad was delayed at the far point of the road. I have instructions from him that the car is to proceed from the port with Boss Kalhoon representing the Surebleak Bosses. Boss Conrad will join the procession at Hamilton Street.” She paused. “Departure time approaches; the car awaits you at Portmaster Liu’s office.”
“We are, I believe, ready to leave very soon.” Val Con said, and looked to Miri. “ Cha’trez ?”
“I’m ready when you are,” she said. “We oughta make it right, first, since the kid’s so attached.”
“So we ought,” he agreed. “If Penn Kalhoon will grant us a moment’s grace before we
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