Part 33 (2/2)
That which had brought theether-well He had taken himself to the sleep learner, to review the relevant section of Code, for the contract-bed was a far different thing than a breakshi+ft tue of hiain She had been married once already, to a pilot near her equal her rank, and Jabun had her child in its keeping
Sighing, he straightened his garliot up in a e robe that quite overwhellanced at the clock on the dresser
The hour was upon hi his shoulders under their burden of eainst the plate The door opened
Elsu Meriandra was at the wine table, back to him Her hair was loose on her shoulders, her robe an expensive sih which he could plainly see her body She heard the door open and turned, her eyes wide, lustrous with the spell of the bed-flowers
”Good evening,” she said, her high voice sounding solass with n, that Ren Zel took a breath, tasting the flowers, and deliberately drew the scent deep into his lungs He smiled at the wolass with you, Elsu,” he said softly, and stepped into the contract-room
REN ZEL WOKE IN the roo in his solitude even as he cataloged his various aches The lady was not a gentle lover He thought he could have borne this circumstance with more equani from an enthusiasm for himself To the contrary, she had brushed his attentions aside, as one s of a child
Well, he thought ruefully, he had heard that the flower did so, he rolled neatly put of bed, showered, and dressed in his usual plain shi+rt and pants He stamped into his boots and picked up his latest book-a slender volu a book with him to breakfast had formed when he was a child and it had coently reading
He was passing the ga hall when the sound of child's laughter gave hihter, he thought Rather, it sounded breathless, and just a little shrill Ren Zel put his hand against the door and, quietly, looked inside
Elsu Meriandra was playing catch with young Son Dor, who had, Ren Zel re the ball sharply and in unexpected directions, exactly as onewith a pilot-or one destined to be a pilot
Son Dor was giving a good accounting of hi that he was neither a pilot nor the child of a pilot But he was clearly at the li and face ith exertion As Ren Zel watched, he dove for the ball, reacting to itsits probable course, actually got a hand on it and cradled it against his chest He threw it, none too steadily, back to Elsu Meriandra, who fielded the toss sood effort,” she said, as Ren Zel drifted into the rooarden and thus allow Son Dor to escape with his melant'i intact
”Try this one,” Elsu said and Ren Zel saw her handsthe ball both velocity and spin Dropping his book, he leapt, extended an arht of its arc He danced in a circle, the sphere spinning in a blur fro, until it was only a ball again-a toy, and nothing likely to break a child's fragile fingers, extended in a uided attempt to catch it
”Cousin Ren Zel!” Son Dor cried ”I could have caught it! I could have!”
Ren Zel laughed and danced a fewlazily now on the tips of his fingers
”Of course you could have, sweeting,” he said, easily ”But you were having so much fun, it was more than I could do not to join in” He s slowly ”Catch now,” he said to Son Dor, and allowed the toy to leave his fingers
The child rushed forward and caught it with both hands
”Well done!” Ren Zel applauded Son Dor flushed with pleasure and tossed the ball back Ren Zel caught it one-handed, and allowed his gaze to fall upon the wall clock
”Cousin,” he said, looking back to the child, ”is it not time for history lessons?”
Son Dor spun, stared at the clock, gasped, and spun back, reive me I am wanted at ht play ball again, when your studies free you”
Son Dor looked just a bit uneasy about that, but replied courteously ”It would be lanced aside ”Cousin ”
Ren Zel waved a hand ”Yes, all you like, but do not, I irumbles when one is late!”
Apparently Son Dor knew just that, and the knowledge gave his feet wings The door thumped closed behind hi to face Elsu Meriandra
She was standing with her head tipped, an expression of amused curiosity upon her face”He is not,” Ren Zel said, stringently even, ”a pilot He will never be a pilot”
She frowned slightly at that and motioned for the ball He threw it to her underhanded and she brought it, spinning hard, up onto her fingers
”Are you certain of that, I wonder? So, they are a little lazy When that is the case, the spinball may be depended upon to produce the correct response”
Ren Zelthe tension flow out of him She did not understand-how could she? Pilot frohed
”The children of this House are shopkeepers They have the reactions and the instincts of shopkeepers”
He paused, thinking of Son Dor, laboring after a toss that a pilot's child would find laughably easy
”He was striving not to disappoint,” he told Elsu Meriandra ”What you see as 'a little lazy' is Son Dor's best reaction tiht well have been done”
Her face blanked She caught the ball with a snap and bowed, unexpectedly low ”It was not er a child of the House”
She straightened and looked at him out of the sides of her eyes ”One was told, of course, but it is difficult to recall that this is not a House of pilots Especially when there is yourself! Why, one can hardly hold a conversation in Guild Hall without hearing of your accohtly this tireat honor”
She did not wait for his reply, but turned and crossed the room to put the ball away After a moment, Ren Zel went to pick up his fallen book
”What have you?” she asked from just behind him He turned and showed her the cover
She frowned at the outlandish lettering ”That is Terran, is it not?”
”Indeed Duet for the Star Routes is the title Poetry”
”You read Terran?” She seemed somewhat nonplused by this infor poetry to sharpenin aze from the book to his face ”You speak Terran”
That was not a question, but he answered it anyway ”Not very well, I fear I ainst that my skill is very basic”
”Why,” she asked, the frown back between her eyes, ”would you wish to learn these things?”
Ren Zel blinked ”Well, I am a pilot My craft takes me to many ports, some of them Terran I was
dismayednot to be able to converse with an to study” He paused ”Do you not speak Terran?”
”I do not,” she returned sharply ”I speak Trade, which is sufficient, if I am impelled into conversation ith soue”
”I see,” Ren Zelhow to extricate hi rapidly unpleasant for them both Before he arrived at a solution, however, the lady changed the subjectherself