Schism: Part One of Triad by Catherine Asaro Page B

rush across the land and leave everyone hanging on to their hats.”
    “Are you getting poetic on me?” Although she admired artists, she herself had the artistry of a stone block. Not mat Althor had shown any particular interest in poetry before. Rocket engineering was more his style.
    He leaned against the window frame. “You have to talk to Father.”
    “Perhaps I should tell him first, rather than Mother.”
    “Do you want me to be there?”
    “No. I have to do this myself.” She hesitated, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. Then she said, “If Tahota hadn’t come and I had asked you to take me with you when you left here, without Father’s permission, would you have done it?”
    “Ah, Soz, mat’s a hell of a question.” For a moment he regarded her. “Yes, I think so. But you don’t know how grateful I am that I don’t have to make that decision.”
    Her face eased into a smile. “You know, you’re all right.”
    His grin flashed. “From you, that is a towering compliment.”
    Soz laughed, relieved, and glanced out at the plains. A youth was running through the reeds, his head thrown back, his blond hair streaming. “Look.
    There’s Shani.”
    Althor went unusually still. “So it is.”
    “I’m sorry about last night. I don’t know why he wouldn’t come inside for dinner.” Soz couldn’t believe the way Shannon had refused to greet his own brother. “He gets odder all the time.”
     
    “It’s all right. He came to talk to me later.” Althor turned back to her.
    “He’s changed so much. I didn’t even recognize him at first.”
    “He’s lonely. He can’t seem to connect with anyone.”
    Althor hesitated. “For an instant I thought he was someone else.”
    Something in the way he spoke gave her pause. “Someone who hurt you.” She didn’t need to make it a question.
    He leaned his back against the wall, his arms folded as he stared across the large room. “Have you ever given up something you wanted so intensely it hurt? You knew you had to do it, that it was the only choice, but you also knew you would regret it for the rest of your life?”
    Soz wondered what brought on this pensive mood. “Not yet. I would feel that way if I married Lord Rillia.”
    “Don’t give up your dreams.” He looked at her. “You have a gift. It deserves a chance to develop.”
    She grimaced. “A gift for what? Annoying people?”
    “For military strategy.”
    She finally asked the question that filled her thoughts now. “Do you think we’re going to war?”
    “Gods only know. From what I’ve heard, the Traders have been preying on our ships lately even more than usual. They either kill die crew and passengers or sell them as slaves.” jk “How can they get away with that?” a-t “They claim our ships go into their territory.” ‘ “Do they?”
    “No.”
    Soz felt cold. “Can we prove it?”
    “No. They keep or destroy the stolen ships, with all dieir records.” His gaze darkened. “They get more and more daring, baiting us, trying to goad us into attacking first. That would make us the aggressors and help them win allies.”
    Her anger sparked. “They are the ones that sell and torture people. They’ve already ‘attacked.’”
    “Slavery is legal for them.” He regarded her intently. “None of this has to do with heroics, Soz. Never forget that. Being a Jag pilot is one of the worst jobs in ISC.”
     
    She could barely hold still. “I know.”
    “It’s why the academies are so tough on their cadets.”
    “An academy is a place. It’s people who are tough on other people.” She put her fists on her hips. “You going to give me a hard time at DMA, you being a senior when I’m a novice?”
    His cocky grin came back. “Upperclassmen get to help train the new cadets.”
    She snorted. “Right. Make our lives hell.”
    “You’ll do fine.”
    “What time are you and Tahota leaving today?”
    “Probably this evening.”
    “You going to fly that Jag?”
    His gaze