haven’t tried. Nalney sent a hefty bribe to my shipbuilders, trying to get a look at the plans. So did at least two or three others of our cousins, according to the bookkeeper and the architect.” I attempted to look innocent. “Oh, not you, too, Thomas?”
“The curiosity is killing me,” I confessed. “A project this detailed and involved, that has managed to consume one of our fugitive attention spans for almost two years, has to be one of the wonders of the universe.”
“I think so,” Nole said, so complacently I thought about devising a prank to play upon him at that precise moment. But I had company, so I was on better behavior than I might have been had I been surrounded by cousins and siblings alone. In that moment, I recalled my manners.
“Madame Deirdre, may I present my cousin, Lord Nole Odin Melarides Kinago? Nole, this is Madame Deirdre, dancer, choreographer, and my teacher.”
“I am delighted to meet you, Lord Nole,” Deirdre said.
Nole bowed. “A pleasure, madam,” he said. “If you are Thomas’s teacher, you must be a miracle of patience. I believe I have heard of you. Our grandmother, Nestorina Kinago Castana, is a great patroness of the arts. She brought us all to concerts and performances since we were old enough to sit in the seats, albeit not quietly.”
Deirdre beamed at him.
“Yes, Lady Nestorina is the one who made the connection for me with Lord Thomas,” she said, grasping his hand and shaking energetically. “What a pleasure to meet one of her precious grandchildren! She is so very proud of all of you. She sponsored my dance troupe in one of our first seasons, more than thirty years ago, and remains a very good friend of the arts. We have tea at least once a year. I owe her greatly for that.”
“And that is how she managed to convince you to teach my benighted cousin,” Nole concluded, hearing the unspoken context. I winced.
“Not at all!” Madame Deirdre insisted, though after months of close contact I could read her body language to see that she was telling a white lie. “Lord Thomas is a most devoted student.”
Nole fell into a coughing fit that covered derisive laughter. My wounded pride caused my self-control to momentarily turn its back. While it was deliberately not looking, I punched Nole in the arm. He countered with a playful blow to my upper thorax. We dropped our fists. Honor had been satisfied.
“And this is Lieutenant Philomena Anstruther, of my naval vessel, Rodrigo, ” I said. “A talented programmer as well as a superlative officer.” Nole bowed to the slender girl, whose face turned a becoming shade of crimson.
“I have heard good things about you and the others,” Nole said, gallantly. “Thomas can’t stop talking about all of you. On the other hand, Thomas can’t stop talking, full stop.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lord Nole,” Anstruther said, shyly.
“The pleasure is all mine, dear lady,” Nole said. “That’s a fine outfit you’re wearing, Thomas.” I looked down with pleasure at the cranberry-red ensemble I had donned for shopping. The tunic, trousers and shoulder cape fit perfectly, of course, despite the cape and tunic containing dozens of concealed pockets, suitable for squirreling away little purchases for my cousins I didn’t want them to see yet. “Who made it?”
“An LAI, HU-54d. He’s on board the Jaunter , as it happens. In case I need a new outfit for one of my—our—performances,” I corrected myself, with an enveloping gesture toward Deirdre. “He has made several for us already. It was very much worthwhile bringing him.”
“Would you mind if I borrowed him?” Nole asked, with a hopeful expression in his coffee-brown eyes. “I want a formal suit for my house—I mean, shipwarming party. I’ll hold that after the Zang’s destruction event. I need something that will knock everyone’s eyes out.”
“I’m not certain we can spare him, Nole,” I said.
“Oh, go on, Lord Thomas,”
“The curiosity is killing me,” I confessed. “A project this detailed and involved, that has managed to consume one of our fugitive attention spans for almost two years, has to be one of the wonders of the universe.”
“I think so,” Nole said, so complacently I thought about devising a prank to play upon him at that precise moment. But I had company, so I was on better behavior than I might have been had I been surrounded by cousins and siblings alone. In that moment, I recalled my manners.
“Madame Deirdre, may I present my cousin, Lord Nole Odin Melarides Kinago? Nole, this is Madame Deirdre, dancer, choreographer, and my teacher.”
“I am delighted to meet you, Lord Nole,” Deirdre said.
Nole bowed. “A pleasure, madam,” he said. “If you are Thomas’s teacher, you must be a miracle of patience. I believe I have heard of you. Our grandmother, Nestorina Kinago Castana, is a great patroness of the arts. She brought us all to concerts and performances since we were old enough to sit in the seats, albeit not quietly.”
Deirdre beamed at him.
“Yes, Lady Nestorina is the one who made the connection for me with Lord Thomas,” she said, grasping his hand and shaking energetically. “What a pleasure to meet one of her precious grandchildren! She is so very proud of all of you. She sponsored my dance troupe in one of our first seasons, more than thirty years ago, and remains a very good friend of the arts. We have tea at least once a year. I owe her greatly for that.”
“And that is how she managed to convince you to teach my benighted cousin,” Nole concluded, hearing the unspoken context. I winced.
“Not at all!” Madame Deirdre insisted, though after months of close contact I could read her body language to see that she was telling a white lie. “Lord Thomas is a most devoted student.”
Nole fell into a coughing fit that covered derisive laughter. My wounded pride caused my self-control to momentarily turn its back. While it was deliberately not looking, I punched Nole in the arm. He countered with a playful blow to my upper thorax. We dropped our fists. Honor had been satisfied.
“And this is Lieutenant Philomena Anstruther, of my naval vessel, Rodrigo, ” I said. “A talented programmer as well as a superlative officer.” Nole bowed to the slender girl, whose face turned a becoming shade of crimson.
“I have heard good things about you and the others,” Nole said, gallantly. “Thomas can’t stop talking about all of you. On the other hand, Thomas can’t stop talking, full stop.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lord Nole,” Anstruther said, shyly.
“The pleasure is all mine, dear lady,” Nole said. “That’s a fine outfit you’re wearing, Thomas.” I looked down with pleasure at the cranberry-red ensemble I had donned for shopping. The tunic, trousers and shoulder cape fit perfectly, of course, despite the cape and tunic containing dozens of concealed pockets, suitable for squirreling away little purchases for my cousins I didn’t want them to see yet. “Who made it?”
“An LAI, HU-54d. He’s on board the Jaunter , as it happens. In case I need a new outfit for one of my—our—performances,” I corrected myself, with an enveloping gesture toward Deirdre. “He has made several for us already. It was very much worthwhile bringing him.”
“Would you mind if I borrowed him?” Nole asked, with a hopeful expression in his coffee-brown eyes. “I want a formal suit for my house—I mean, shipwarming party. I’ll hold that after the Zang’s destruction event. I need something that will knock everyone’s eyes out.”
“I’m not certain we can spare him, Nole,” I said.
“Oh, go on, Lord Thomas,”
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