Part 24 (1/2)
First, so to eat, and some wine His day would no doubt be full
IN ANOTHER PART of the city of Solcintra, a second late-rising young gentle-wine and likewise sat down to review his letters and the news
His correspondence was sparse-two pieces only The first was a terse page fro receipt into his lordshi+p's portfolio of a substantial gift of stocks and other assets
The second note was scarcely less terse, and its subject remarkably similar Betea sen'Equa wished to knohen the consideration she had earned would be forthcoentleht upon just this subject, and knew precisely how to answer her
From the bottom drawer in his desk, he withdrew a blank sheet of thin paper, of the sort provided to the guests of Mid-Port hotels On it, he scrawled a few lines with his off-hand, not forgetting to omit his name, nor the sixth-cantra required to hold the reservation, sealed it and slid it into his pocket
That done, he sipped his wine and perused the news
His preferred service concerned itself not at all with Port news, so he lacked the account of the disagreement between the Terran and Liaden crews; nor was his latest investment, which had done very well indeed, of the sort to e
Fal Den ter'Antod's suicide, though-that news he did take in coentle the unexpected headline, for he had lately been at pains to becoered upon finding him thus illed In point of fact, he had erred in precisely the opposite direction
The young gentlehed sharply, vexed; the note he had written to Betea sen'Equa absurdly heavy in his sleeve-pocket He drank off the rest of his wine and sat in his chair, hands folded beneath his chin, staring sightlessly at the news screen
Long hts Eventually, he blinked, and sighed a second tio forward, unimpeded The lack of Fal Den was-naturally!-a blow, but life, after all, went on
Just soSatisfied in his reasoning, the young gentleman cleared the news screen, and filed away the letter from his man of business
The note fro into inside pocket he withdrew one of his special sort of cigarillo, and sucked on it twice to light it He puffed for asmoke, until the central eently to one edge of the paper and held it gingerly by the opposite corner, when the quick fla into the unit, which extinguished the flaain, the sweet suise its odor The cigarillo followed in a few moments; ashes to ashes, to further 's work, the young gentle
”THAT'S PREPOSTEROUS” The man who said so was some years Pat Rin's elder; a tea h Port Neither Shan nor Shan's father, Er Thoers in this place, and Bed War tel'Pyton welcomed Pat Rin in the naently, and bowed
Master tel'Pyton had recourse to his teacup
”By his own hand? Forgive me, sir, but that's powerful hard to accommodate, for the Fal Den ter'Antod I kneas no such fool”
”I understand your perplexity,” Pat Rin murmured ”Indeed, I share it And yet it is truly said that we cannot know the necessities of another's secret heart”
”True,” said the ustily ”So, doubtless you've fallen heir to Fal Den's debt-book, by which circuain to fail of foolishness Pray naression” He tipped his head, apparently considering this ”I suppose it h I'll own there's nothing in ment, for he was nice-very nice-in his ht the book froe-an early entry-and read out the recorded circumstances
”In the fourth relumma of the year called Tofset, I misspoke in consultation with Master Tea Merchant Bed War tel'Pyton Thisfar too reatly reduced the profits of his business This fault is mine, and shall be Balanced at my earliest opportunity”
Master tel'Pyton blinked
”Are you certain-I mean no disrespect!-that this is the matter that lies between myself and Fal Den?
For I'll tell you, the incident was trivial when it happened-the tea was stasis sealed for oneon port at the tiht handily, to his own profit and to mine”
”This entry is the only time that your name appears within the debt-book,” Pat Rin said delicately”Perhaps there is another matter ?”
”Not a bit of it,” the tea merchant said sturdily Abruptly, he bowed, deep and excruciatingly proper ”Fal Den leavesonly in the matter of his death itself, which cheats ue Pray tell his delm so, on my behalf, and write 'paid' to the debt as recorded”
Pat Rin also bowed, closing the battered little book and slipping it away ”I will do so, sir,” he said, and added the phrase the Code demanded of those who held this particular death-duty: ”Balance has been served-and preserved”
THE SECOND YOUNG gentle with certain of his business associates, of whohted to learn of the increase in the young gentleman's estate He was pleased to learn, at a certain, of course impeccable, clerical service that his invitations had been dispatched in accordance with his very explicit instructions Later in the day, he dined with friends, after which he accouest, where his luck held at cards and he lost only a very little at dice
”AND HOW DID you find Little Festival this year, boy-dear? A tedious bore, or a grand adventure?”
Luken refilled their glasses froit's superlative red
Pat Rin tipped his head, considering Froht have been intended as a barb
Fro froave one pause Luken bel'Tarda was not a great intellect, but his melant'i was spotless, and he possessed a sweet, sure subtlety that Pat Rin found he treasured more deeply as the years passed It behooved one, always, to give serious consideration to Luken's questions
So: ”I found Little Festival to belargely agreeable,” Pat Rin said, slowly ”Though I will own to some moments where one's mind wandered from the pure pursuit of pleasure toshort of terrifying” He picked up his glass and swirled the wine, idly, eyes on the movement of the dark red liquid ”Of course, you've heard of Shan and Val Con's victory at the skirinned ”From the newspaper and from yourever further from Code and kin” He sipped his wine ”No fear there, I think Young Val Con tellsthe line of ski by half! And Shan has put the craft up for sale, now that his point's been taken”
He did not say, as one's mother would assuredly have done, 'No doubt with his eye already upon some other mad enterprise'
”You've seen Val Con, then?” This was interesting; had the young cousin left the wiles of Festival to do fa We shared a bite of breakfast and a catch-up” Luken sipped
Last seen, Val Con had been engaged to attend a piece of business that , if Pat Rin had read the set of the lady's face a-right To have arisen from the double exertions of the race and the pleasure tents early enough to share breakfast with dawn-risingLuken-well Surely, the young cousin becaood lad,” Luken said coree with him, which was the same with his father”
”One's mother swears him the spit of her brother”
”Does she, now?” Luken paused, doubtless considering the issue froation ”I won't say there isn't an edge here and there-especially upon an ascent to the boughs, you know-but I do believe Er Thom has achieved other than a facsimile of Daav No disrespect meant to your mother, dear”
Pat Rin smiled ”Certainly not”
The service door opened at that juncture, ad deserts By the ti wine poured, Luken had introduced the subject of Pat Rin's current projects
He sighed ”Alas, I've been nalass arrested half-way to his lips ”I wonder that you took the time to dine with me You could have set another day, boy-dear Thirty-six hours is little enough to right all the wrongs that ht be made in a lifetime”
”Happily, I'm set to Balance the life of a meticulousdebts, and I've ed to lay three today” He inclined his head, self- ”Behold me, industrious”
”I allow that to be tolerably industrious,” Luken said, apparently quite serious ”Most likely you'll stop on your way ho and put paid to the last”
”Would that I were that fortunate The fourth is likely to be the end of my own melant'i, if you will have it”
”As knotty as that?” Luken put his glass aside ”You ht honorably consult an elder of your Clan I happen to be an elder of your Clan, in case you had forgot it”