I was so happy to have decent food again.
"My mother is a baker," Rassi said, bravely breaking the silence. "That is, she runs a bakery. My father was a stevedore on the Seye docks. He disappeared during the fire that took out most the Great Canal Quay when I was eight." She smiled. "We plan to name the baby after him if he's a boy."
Mother leaned forward, a concerned cleric. "I am so sorry for your loss, child."
"A grandchild," father said. He nodded. "I like that idea."
"But I still don't know the details of how you came to be a couple." Belladem put down her cup and eyed her twin in a determined way. She stood. "Come along, you two. A walk in the garden will be good for us all - especially my new niece or nephew."
Tennit rose and helped his wife up. Belladem turned that look on me.
I still held an occupied dessert plate. "Go on," I said. "I'll join you when I'm finished."
She reluctantly left me to my own agenda.
I put the plate down after they were gone. I folded my hands in my lap and looked steadily at my tight-lipped mother. "Great grandmother," I said.
Mother sat up stiffly. "Oh, really!" Her voice was tart as vinegar.
"Great grandmother," I repeated.
She glared. "I hardly think you need to insult me like that."
Great grandmother Owl was hardly the family's favorite relative. But, then, her opinion of us was harsh and unforgiving. She'd been convinced her grand daughter had married so far beneath her that she ought to be cut off from any more contact with the Owls. It didn't work out that way, but the old woman's pride and downright meanness had been a thorn in mother's side, and painful to all of us. Personally, I would have been much happier on our visits to Welis if Great grandmother hadn't been forced to occasionally receive us. I cannot recall her ever actually looking me in the eye. I recall the one Winter Solstice gift she grudgingly gave the four of us Cliffs - thick woolen socks. Because, after all, peasant children needed such things to keep them warm for their winter chores.
Mother put up a finger to stop me when I would have spoken again. "Don't you ever accuse me of being anything like that woman."
"I did not observe the warmth of welcome flowing from you toward our new family member."
"I am very sorry for her losing her father."
"Yes, I did notice that. But--"
"I am disappointed. But her rank isn't what's important," mother insisted. She sighed. "That isn't it at all."
"I think we should get the girl into a university program," father said. "If she can keep the likes of Tennit from tripping over his own feet, she'll be good at organizing entire institutions worth of scientists." I don't think father was paying attention to my and mother's conversation. He chuckled. "A grandchild. I do like that thought. Don't you, dear?"
"Yes, dear," mother said. She continued looking a me.
"What is it , then?" I asked her.
She sighed. Then she gave a slight shrug. "It's just that I've talked myself into looking forward to showing my children off at the marriage market. You are a lovely group of prize sheep, you know, and ought to do very well at auction."
Most people's mother would never say such a thing about the traditional courtship dance of our society. I laughed.
She sighed. "Bell's betrothed, Tennit comes home already married. Now I only have you to show off. Not that you won't do me proud," she added quickly.
"Maybe you can talk Alix into this scheme. Even if it's only to stand around looking handsome in his dress blues. He's certain to draw a crowd in any company." Alix is the best looking of the four of us, and he broods better than anyone I have ever met. "Young women are attracted to a brooding sort of man, I'm told."
Whether he'd be attracted to any of them was the problem, as Alix Cliff had a broken heart and a good reason to brood. I had run into him when his ship and the Moonrunner were both docked at a remote repair station in the far southwest of the Empire. We'd had an evening
"My mother is a baker," Rassi said, bravely breaking the silence. "That is, she runs a bakery. My father was a stevedore on the Seye docks. He disappeared during the fire that took out most the Great Canal Quay when I was eight." She smiled. "We plan to name the baby after him if he's a boy."
Mother leaned forward, a concerned cleric. "I am so sorry for your loss, child."
"A grandchild," father said. He nodded. "I like that idea."
"But I still don't know the details of how you came to be a couple." Belladem put down her cup and eyed her twin in a determined way. She stood. "Come along, you two. A walk in the garden will be good for us all - especially my new niece or nephew."
Tennit rose and helped his wife up. Belladem turned that look on me.
I still held an occupied dessert plate. "Go on," I said. "I'll join you when I'm finished."
She reluctantly left me to my own agenda.
I put the plate down after they were gone. I folded my hands in my lap and looked steadily at my tight-lipped mother. "Great grandmother," I said.
Mother sat up stiffly. "Oh, really!" Her voice was tart as vinegar.
"Great grandmother," I repeated.
She glared. "I hardly think you need to insult me like that."
Great grandmother Owl was hardly the family's favorite relative. But, then, her opinion of us was harsh and unforgiving. She'd been convinced her grand daughter had married so far beneath her that she ought to be cut off from any more contact with the Owls. It didn't work out that way, but the old woman's pride and downright meanness had been a thorn in mother's side, and painful to all of us. Personally, I would have been much happier on our visits to Welis if Great grandmother hadn't been forced to occasionally receive us. I cannot recall her ever actually looking me in the eye. I recall the one Winter Solstice gift she grudgingly gave the four of us Cliffs - thick woolen socks. Because, after all, peasant children needed such things to keep them warm for their winter chores.
Mother put up a finger to stop me when I would have spoken again. "Don't you ever accuse me of being anything like that woman."
"I did not observe the warmth of welcome flowing from you toward our new family member."
"I am very sorry for her losing her father."
"Yes, I did notice that. But--"
"I am disappointed. But her rank isn't what's important," mother insisted. She sighed. "That isn't it at all."
"I think we should get the girl into a university program," father said. "If she can keep the likes of Tennit from tripping over his own feet, she'll be good at organizing entire institutions worth of scientists." I don't think father was paying attention to my and mother's conversation. He chuckled. "A grandchild. I do like that thought. Don't you, dear?"
"Yes, dear," mother said. She continued looking a me.
"What is it , then?" I asked her.
She sighed. Then she gave a slight shrug. "It's just that I've talked myself into looking forward to showing my children off at the marriage market. You are a lovely group of prize sheep, you know, and ought to do very well at auction."
Most people's mother would never say such a thing about the traditional courtship dance of our society. I laughed.
She sighed. "Bell's betrothed, Tennit comes home already married. Now I only have you to show off. Not that you won't do me proud," she added quickly.
"Maybe you can talk Alix into this scheme. Even if it's only to stand around looking handsome in his dress blues. He's certain to draw a crowd in any company." Alix is the best looking of the four of us, and he broods better than anyone I have ever met. "Young women are attracted to a brooding sort of man, I'm told."
Whether he'd be attracted to any of them was the problem, as Alix Cliff had a broken heart and a good reason to brood. I had run into him when his ship and the Moonrunner were both docked at a remote repair station in the far southwest of the Empire. We'd had an evening
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