is welcome news. Lizard, you need not return to the slave barn tonight. I’ll tell Tira to give you a room up here. I’ll decide what to do about both of you tomorrow. Clara, I have to return to the other guests. Dinner will be served soon. Coming?"
"Of course, dear." Clara rose and took Blanc’s proffered arm. The two of them strolled out of the office without a backward glance.
"Son?" Bell asked. The slave bands wouldn’t allow her to call him Evan , but she had never used the name Blanc had assigned to him. With a small start he realized that he always thought of himself as Lizard now. When had that started?
"Son," Bell repeated, "what did she mean? What’s happening?"
Lizard explained what little he knew. "So it looks like we’re both Silent—and a lot more valuable. I don’t understand it all."
"Silent." Bell looked at the leather armchair uncertainly, then apparently decided she had nothing to lose and sat in it. Lizard, greatly daring, perched on the arm. "Once in a while, I would hear the mistress or Nater mention a message that came via Silent courier. I always assumed that Silent meant classified or bonded or something. I never asked."
"So what do we do now?" Lizard said. "I don’t think Mistress Blanc wants me back at the party, and she didn’t say—"
Another knock came. Both Lizard and Bell leaped to their feet. Lizard opened the door cautiously on Pup. He slipped into the room and Lizard closed the door.
"Is it true?" he asked without preamble. "Are you Silent?"
Lizard nodded. "Mom’s Silent too."
"Wow." Pup’s blue eyes were wide and round. "You both go right to the top. No more mucking for you."
"All life!" Bell sank back into the chair. "What do the Silent do?"
"You don’t know?" When they both shook their heads, Pup said, "They communicate. Slipships can jump into slipspace and get to other planets and stuff—Mistress Blanc wouldn’t have much business if they couldn’t—but regular communication only goes as fast as light. I hear tell it’d take hundreds of years for some messages to get where they have to go. But the Silent can communicate with other Silent no matter how far away they are. I don’t know how they do it, but they do. Ask Old Min about it. He says he has a Silent cousin, but I don’t half believe him."
The door began to open, and once again Bell jumped to her feet. Tira entered the office. Lizard’s heart lurched. He was going to be in trouble. He was—
"Mistress Blanc told me to show you to your rooms," Tira said deferentially. "Would you like to go now?" While Lizard was recovering from his surprise enough to formulate a reply, she caught sight of Pup. Her tone and demeanor instantly changed. "What are you doing here?"
Pup blanched. "I—"
"I summoned him," Lizard snapped. "Is that a problem?"
"No, sir," Tira said, contrite. "I’ll show you upstairs now, if you like."
She took them up to the second floor and into a pair of adjoining bedrooms, each with a wide, canopied bed and a well-appointed private bathroom. Tira stood in the doorway between the two rooms, hands behind her back, eyes on the floor. Lizard was amazed at the change. This was Silence?
"Will you require anything else?" Tira asked.
"Yes," Bell said from her room. "Supper for both of us. Bring a wide selection."
"Yes, ma’am." Tira crooked a finger at Pup, who was standing in the corner trying to look inconspicuous. "Come along, you."
"He’ll stay," Lizard said in an imperious tone, "and serve us our dinner."
Tira blinked, then nodded and left. Lizard waited until both doors were shut before running into Bell’s room and throwing his arms around her. She laughed and hugged him back. Pup grinned like an idiot.
"What’s this all about?" Lizard asked breathlessly. "What happens next?"
"I don’t know," Bell admitted. "Look—our own rooms. They’re bigger than the entire apartment back in Sydney. Why are they
"Of course, dear." Clara rose and took Blanc’s proffered arm. The two of them strolled out of the office without a backward glance.
"Son?" Bell asked. The slave bands wouldn’t allow her to call him Evan , but she had never used the name Blanc had assigned to him. With a small start he realized that he always thought of himself as Lizard now. When had that started?
"Son," Bell repeated, "what did she mean? What’s happening?"
Lizard explained what little he knew. "So it looks like we’re both Silent—and a lot more valuable. I don’t understand it all."
"Silent." Bell looked at the leather armchair uncertainly, then apparently decided she had nothing to lose and sat in it. Lizard, greatly daring, perched on the arm. "Once in a while, I would hear the mistress or Nater mention a message that came via Silent courier. I always assumed that Silent meant classified or bonded or something. I never asked."
"So what do we do now?" Lizard said. "I don’t think Mistress Blanc wants me back at the party, and she didn’t say—"
Another knock came. Both Lizard and Bell leaped to their feet. Lizard opened the door cautiously on Pup. He slipped into the room and Lizard closed the door.
"Is it true?" he asked without preamble. "Are you Silent?"
Lizard nodded. "Mom’s Silent too."
"Wow." Pup’s blue eyes were wide and round. "You both go right to the top. No more mucking for you."
"All life!" Bell sank back into the chair. "What do the Silent do?"
"You don’t know?" When they both shook their heads, Pup said, "They communicate. Slipships can jump into slipspace and get to other planets and stuff—Mistress Blanc wouldn’t have much business if they couldn’t—but regular communication only goes as fast as light. I hear tell it’d take hundreds of years for some messages to get where they have to go. But the Silent can communicate with other Silent no matter how far away they are. I don’t know how they do it, but they do. Ask Old Min about it. He says he has a Silent cousin, but I don’t half believe him."
The door began to open, and once again Bell jumped to her feet. Tira entered the office. Lizard’s heart lurched. He was going to be in trouble. He was—
"Mistress Blanc told me to show you to your rooms," Tira said deferentially. "Would you like to go now?" While Lizard was recovering from his surprise enough to formulate a reply, she caught sight of Pup. Her tone and demeanor instantly changed. "What are you doing here?"
Pup blanched. "I—"
"I summoned him," Lizard snapped. "Is that a problem?"
"No, sir," Tira said, contrite. "I’ll show you upstairs now, if you like."
She took them up to the second floor and into a pair of adjoining bedrooms, each with a wide, canopied bed and a well-appointed private bathroom. Tira stood in the doorway between the two rooms, hands behind her back, eyes on the floor. Lizard was amazed at the change. This was Silence?
"Will you require anything else?" Tira asked.
"Yes," Bell said from her room. "Supper for both of us. Bring a wide selection."
"Yes, ma’am." Tira crooked a finger at Pup, who was standing in the corner trying to look inconspicuous. "Come along, you."
"He’ll stay," Lizard said in an imperious tone, "and serve us our dinner."
Tira blinked, then nodded and left. Lizard waited until both doors were shut before running into Bell’s room and throwing his arms around her. She laughed and hugged him back. Pup grinned like an idiot.
"What’s this all about?" Lizard asked breathlessly. "What happens next?"
"I don’t know," Bell admitted. "Look—our own rooms. They’re bigger than the entire apartment back in Sydney. Why are they
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