Part 24 (2/2)
”Yes, very likely In theht say I should simply throw ht do, had I one idea of who she may be”
”Surely you've checked the Book of Clans-ah!” Luken caught himself up ”Perhaps the lady is Terran, boy-dear You'll want the Census”
”The lady's nah I do have a request in to Terran Census, so every wager is covered” He pulled Fal Den's debt book froe
”Betea sen'Equa is the person for whoht sound from Luken, who seemed to have lost color ”Father?”
”For whom do you Balance?” Luken asked, and his tone was much cooler than Pat Rin ont to hear from his foster father”For Fal Den ter'Antod, Clan I The book arrived in this 's mail”
”Hah” Luken relaxed visibly ”I had read that Bad business And he notes a Balance with sen'Equa?
Boy-dear, I must ask if you are certain of the notation”
Wordlessly, Pat Rin handed him the debt-book
For several heartbeats, Luken frowned down at the note, then sighed, closed the book and handed it back
”Betea sen'Equa, certain enough, though how one of Imtal came to-there, it's none of mine And distressed I am to find it one of yours, lad”
”I apprehend that you are familiar with the lady-or at the least, the lady's kin”
”Oh, I knoho they are- there was a tih I see that's no longer the case They had used to be Terran-I recall being told that the family name is ancient Terran-Seneca They set up in Port, and carried on just as if they were still on any Terran world you like-which meant they married oddly, mostly of Terrans, you see, and took no care to establish their Clan”
”Which is why I don't find them in the Book of Clans”
”Nor in Terran Census, either” Luken sighed ”In anywise, boy-dear, if it's sen'Equa you want, it's to Low Port you'll go”
”Ah, will I? How delightful” Pat Rin slipped Fal Den's debt book into his sleeve and absently took up his wine glass ”I wonder what trade it is that Family sen'Equa follows?”
Luken an inbusiness The repair work led the machines, you see, and an exclusive contract with dea'Linea Then, when dea'Linea incepted that tedious scandal and got ruined by way of it, sen'Equa sued for such holdings as remained-in payment of their contract I was myself involved as a trustee of the dissolution, and saw the paperwork Sen'equa received only the er of settlements-well, they had no one to speak for them So, unless they have moved far forward-or backward-sen'Equa owns properties in Mid-Port and in Low-Port, in the for houses”
”Oh,” Pat Rin said, and very nearly smiled ”Do they?”
SHE HAD READ the letter thrice, more alarmed each time A party, here, at House of Chance? Worse, a party composed, or so he would have her understand, entirely of those who h Port-aye, and the city beyond it-their ho in one or three at a ti the private rooms, to her profit But, a party of three to four dozen lord-and-ladyshi+ps? It was
frightening
Betea sen'Equa was not a woinative nature Yet this latest letter fro Gods' rando before her with such feeble h Port,” that redoubtable old lady had been wont to say, ”and the cantrawill flow into your pocket”
Which had doubtless been true in the old days, when her grandmother, with the assistance of various patrons, added three houses to the sen'Equa holdings-one in High Port itself
Grandmother's wisdom had likewise served Betea's mother, who had added another Mid-Port house to the chain before a drunken quarrel with her latest patron left her dead
After that came Betea's aunt, who decreed that sen'Equa had no need of patrons; that sen'Equa houses would henceforth pay for theh
It had been a worthy drearief over the loss of her sister had reckoned without worldly realities Sen'equa had no standing a the Clan-bound, nor ever had Oh, they paid taxes, in return of which they were guaranteed the protections and services of the Port But they had no social standing, and no one was obliged to either sell, or treat with them at fair cost
Or pay a death-price, for kin ere murdered
It had been fair market prices and rent that the names of the wealthy patrons had purchased for sen'Equa, and by the tih Port had faltered and was closed
Her aunt then did what no other of their family had done-she left the Port and went into the city, to apply for a Name from the Council of Clans
But to beco to sponsor the applicant to the Council A patron, in fact-and Betea's aunt would have none of patrons
So, noas Betea and two houses left-their starting place in Low Port, where uncle Tawm ruled, and the House of Chance in the Terran section of Mid-Port Terrans scarce cared what your na as your cantra was good They sold to Betea as they would to any other business on the street-yes, and ca shi+fts, to wager a bit on the wheel, perhaps, or buy into a gah, or so she told herself now, and had no need to return to the patron model Only that the loss of those two houses in her aunt's time and another on her aunt's death-had eaten at Betea and made her dream, too, dream of the days when sen'Equa held five houses and there was talk of building a sixth
Betea sighed, dropped the letter to her desk for the fourth time, slipped the sixth-piece into her pocket, and, restless, went down the ramp into the main room, to see how the play went on
Which is how she cah Port, sure enough, with his pretty brown hair and a blue gemstone in one ear; dressed in a sober, expensive jacket and shi+ny boots She saw the hint of the pistol beneath the jacket and approved his good sense, even as she went forward to intercept him
”May I assist you, lordshi+p?” she inquired, coht, out of respect for the pistol
Velvet brown eyes considered her at sohtly
”Do you know, perhaps you can?” he said, and his voice was pleasant on the ear ”I a for Betea sen'Equa”Her stomach clenched, but she put the silly start of fear aside and bowed deeply, which the high ones cared about
”You have found her,” she said ”How may I assist you?”
”I am here on a matter of Balance,” the pretty man told her, ”which stands between yourself and Fal Den ter'Antod”
Betea felt the blood drain froame would fold someday, and one as perhaps a little bolder than the others would send his man of business, or his delm, or his elder kinsue to lips suddenly gone dry
”Why does he not come himself?” she asked
”Because he is dead,” the other said, andher the ramp up to the office in her own establishment ”Perhaps this is not a discussion you wish to continue on the open floor?”
Dead? But Betea clutched at her disintegrating courage, straightened her back and looked boldly into the man's dark eyes
”Please co to see if he followed Somehow, she didn't doubt that he would
THE OFFICE WAS co floor set into the wall above the er's cluttered desk