you learn more.”
At this, he looked at her hopefully. “Really?” he said. “We could stay here?”
“We would be very pleased at that,” Auster said.
It was a priceless opportunity to delve into the knowledge of the Lashnura. Everything about this place intrigued him. The archives alone might solve a thousand mysteries. He looked at Spaeth, scarcely able to conceal his eagerness. She gave him a wan smile.
“I would be honoured to stay,” he said. “I’ve wanted to learn about your people all along. I want to know your history, and your teachings. If you’ll have me, I would love to be a student of your ways.”
“Good,” Agave said, smiling; but it was a smile tinged with pain. Impulsively she reached out and took his hand. “Nathaway,” she said, and her yearning for his welfare was plain to see. She took Spaeth’s hand then, and placed it in his, enclosing both their hands in hers. “Both of you need to know that there is no power in the Lashnura way. Power is what the Mundua and Ashwin have. For us, there is only surrender and acquiescence. Can you learn that?”
Nathaway and Spaeth looked at each other, and neither of them wanted to answer yes. “I don’t know,” Nathaway said.
“Well, at least I haven’t lied to you,” Agave said.
At that moment, the sound of a distant explosion came from outside, rattling the glass in the window. It was soon answered with an even more thundering roar. All of them rose to go to the window and see what was going on. The noise seemed to be coming from the harbour.
“Auster dear, run down and find out what is going on,” Agave said.
He turned to the door, but even before he could reach it there was a nervous rap on it. When he opened it, a girl stood there—the first Lashnura child Nathaway had ever seen.
“Namenda Agave,” she said, “there is an officer here to see you.”
“An officer?” she said sharply.
“Yes, in a uniform.”
“Well, show him in.”
Nathaway said quickly, “It would be better if Spaeth and I left. We are not particularly anxious for the Navy to know where we are.”
“Don’t be absurd,” Agave said severely. “You are under the protection of the Pavilion now. The Pavilion is inviolate. No one would dare harm you while you are here.”
He did not share her sense of invulnerability, and might have argued, except that at that moment, the door opened and Joffrey stepped through it.
He was resplendent in a Native Navy officer’s dress uniform, booted and braided with authority, carrying his hat under his arm. Nathaway had never seen him in uniform before; he had known Joffrey only as Tiarch’s clandestine agent among the rebels. They had last met when Joffrey had arranged for Nathaway’s escape from the
Ripplewill
in Tornabay. The instant he entered the room Joffrey saw Nathaway, and froze.
“Justice Talley,” he said tensely. He glanced around, his mind clearly scrambling to account for Nathaway’s presence. “Are you here on your brother’s behalf?”
“No,” Nathaway said. Then, since they were being honest, “Are you?”
“No,” Joffrey said. “I am here on Tiarch’s behalf.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Not any more,” Joffrey said.
Only then did Nathaway remember what he had overheard in the hallways of the palace, that there had been a break between Tiarch and the Inning authority. The chaos it had caused was the main reason he and Spaeth had been able to escape.
Joffrey had turned to Agave, and now pressed his hands together before him with the index fingertips touching, and bowed. “Ehir,” he said. “Pardon me, my message is from Tiarch to you, Namenda Agave. May we speak privately?”
“Whatever Tiarch has to say is of concern to everyone here,” Agave said regally.
Joffrey looked around the room as if memorizing every face. Then he held out a sealed letter to her. “This conveys Tiarch’s greetings to you and your revered institution,” he said.
Agave took it
At this, he looked at her hopefully. “Really?” he said. “We could stay here?”
“We would be very pleased at that,” Auster said.
It was a priceless opportunity to delve into the knowledge of the Lashnura. Everything about this place intrigued him. The archives alone might solve a thousand mysteries. He looked at Spaeth, scarcely able to conceal his eagerness. She gave him a wan smile.
“I would be honoured to stay,” he said. “I’ve wanted to learn about your people all along. I want to know your history, and your teachings. If you’ll have me, I would love to be a student of your ways.”
“Good,” Agave said, smiling; but it was a smile tinged with pain. Impulsively she reached out and took his hand. “Nathaway,” she said, and her yearning for his welfare was plain to see. She took Spaeth’s hand then, and placed it in his, enclosing both their hands in hers. “Both of you need to know that there is no power in the Lashnura way. Power is what the Mundua and Ashwin have. For us, there is only surrender and acquiescence. Can you learn that?”
Nathaway and Spaeth looked at each other, and neither of them wanted to answer yes. “I don’t know,” Nathaway said.
“Well, at least I haven’t lied to you,” Agave said.
At that moment, the sound of a distant explosion came from outside, rattling the glass in the window. It was soon answered with an even more thundering roar. All of them rose to go to the window and see what was going on. The noise seemed to be coming from the harbour.
“Auster dear, run down and find out what is going on,” Agave said.
He turned to the door, but even before he could reach it there was a nervous rap on it. When he opened it, a girl stood there—the first Lashnura child Nathaway had ever seen.
“Namenda Agave,” she said, “there is an officer here to see you.”
“An officer?” she said sharply.
“Yes, in a uniform.”
“Well, show him in.”
Nathaway said quickly, “It would be better if Spaeth and I left. We are not particularly anxious for the Navy to know where we are.”
“Don’t be absurd,” Agave said severely. “You are under the protection of the Pavilion now. The Pavilion is inviolate. No one would dare harm you while you are here.”
He did not share her sense of invulnerability, and might have argued, except that at that moment, the door opened and Joffrey stepped through it.
He was resplendent in a Native Navy officer’s dress uniform, booted and braided with authority, carrying his hat under his arm. Nathaway had never seen him in uniform before; he had known Joffrey only as Tiarch’s clandestine agent among the rebels. They had last met when Joffrey had arranged for Nathaway’s escape from the
Ripplewill
in Tornabay. The instant he entered the room Joffrey saw Nathaway, and froze.
“Justice Talley,” he said tensely. He glanced around, his mind clearly scrambling to account for Nathaway’s presence. “Are you here on your brother’s behalf?”
“No,” Nathaway said. Then, since they were being honest, “Are you?”
“No,” Joffrey said. “I am here on Tiarch’s behalf.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Not any more,” Joffrey said.
Only then did Nathaway remember what he had overheard in the hallways of the palace, that there had been a break between Tiarch and the Inning authority. The chaos it had caused was the main reason he and Spaeth had been able to escape.
Joffrey had turned to Agave, and now pressed his hands together before him with the index fingertips touching, and bowed. “Ehir,” he said. “Pardon me, my message is from Tiarch to you, Namenda Agave. May we speak privately?”
“Whatever Tiarch has to say is of concern to everyone here,” Agave said regally.
Joffrey looked around the room as if memorizing every face. Then he held out a sealed letter to her. “This conveys Tiarch’s greetings to you and your revered institution,” he said.
Agave took it
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