《removed》 Exchange Where is he? A young, wiry man in a bright blue shirt and hip-length white jacket stood waiting next to his boyfriend¡¯s short flashcyle, a shining red machine lined up alongside other small vehicles in the parking lot of the Port Administrative Authority. It was cool under the winter clouds, and the wind shifted his hair. He hadn¡¯t had it cut recently, and it was a mess. The roots, which were mostly black, were now exposed at least four centimeters. He lifted a hand to push a copper-colored curl away from his eyes. Maybe it was a mistake to overwinter here, he thought. He was a mountain man, and normally he would have spent winter helping to repair gear and setting out on the first, cold-weather harvest of the year with his mates. But late in the previous summer, on what was supposed to have been a short vacation at S.O. Port, he¡¯d fallen, hard, for a man who worked in the market. Another small knot of people headed in his direction, and he spotted Gil right in the middle. Gil didn¡¯t look pleased to see him, and as he came up on the other side of his bike he asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Because you didn¡¯t come last night.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t warn me you weren¡¯t coming.¡± Gil unlocked his bag and pulled out his helmet, which he unfolded. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m always going to come?¡± Surprised, Tassater Fennery just stood there, wondering why it was his boyfriend was being so cold. Gil put his leg over his bike, and Fennery snapped out of it. Seeing Gil was about to leave, he slipped on behind him, as he had done a hundred times before. ¡°Fen, get off,¡± Gil said. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡± A few seconds ticked by, and then Gil said, ¡°Suit yourself.¡± The bike quietly lifted from the ground as heat filled the space below their feet, and then they were off. Fennery didn¡¯t feel like shouting against the wind, so he sat gripping Gil¡¯s waist and thinking about the sudden change in his attitude. They sped uphill, through the trees, and fifteen minutes later the path flattened out. Left and right, as far as Fen could see, there was a tall fence. Standing open in front of them was a gate, and a guard waved them through. Fen knew Gil¡¯s employer - he had even met him before. But he had never been to his house. Whereas the trip through the trees had been along a dirt path, they were now on a gravel-paved road, and Gil turned left past a small stone building. He followed the road as it circled smoothly along in front of a series of houses. Then, it curved in the other direction and cut across a wide, open yard towards a mansion at the opposite end. Tall trees lined the approach to the mansion and when they came up to the front of the building, Gil cut left and turned into a shed where other vehicles were parked side by side. The two men dismounted in silence. Fennery was tempted to say something, but it could wait - Gil was finishing up work for the day. They could talk after. The length of the shed was open to the road. The underpinnings were old wood, and the floor was gravel. At the end that connected to the main part of te mansion there was a heavy gate in front of a white door. Gil waved a key in front of the gate and it unlocked. The door swung inward with just a gentle push. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Fen followed him in. ¡°Stay here,¡± Gil said, waving his hand in the air as he turned and walked off. Fennery waited for ten minutes pacing, and staring at the damp stone walls, until he began to shiver. Where the hell is he? He stood in the low archway where Gil had turned and exited to the right. Fen peered to his left, where the passage turned away underneath a darkened window. Then he turned back, and headed off the way Gil had gone. He ignored doorways off to his left and followed the passageway to where it ended in a staircase. Up, or down? He went up. At the landing was an open door. It led into a short, square room with a door to the left and an open archway in front. He approached the arch and looked out into a grand hallway that was wide enough to house a small luxury yacht. It was ringed round with a white balcony and as he surveyed the room he realized there were armed men at either end. He shrank back away from the opening. Curious now, he ascended the next flight of steps. The door there was locked, as was the door on the third floor, where the stairs ended. He went back down, thinking to return to where Gil had left him. But as he passed the little room on the first floor, he heard a heavy creaking sound, and he couldn¡¯t help but to peek out to see what it was. The armed men were standing at attention. Five men were crossing the room. The golden-haired one, Fen recognized as the owner of the house. At his side was the shortest man in the group, a blond wearing an ugly, mustard-colored suit that marked him as being Thurinian. Whatever had been said to him was too soft for Fennery to hear, but the short man now said, ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. I¡¯ll let you know.¡± The owner, a man that Fen knew as ¡®Yaeru,¡¯ grinned. ¡°Tell Emery he won¡¯t know what hit him.¡± Fennery pulled himself backward as the men disappeared to his right, but suddenly, there was a heavy blow across his back. He was hurled forward, through the archway, and his head hit the tiled floor as he landed on his side. ¡°Who are you?¡± Fen looked up to see a heavy man standing over him. He was too shocked to speak. The man had come out of nowhere. The man lifted his eyes to look across the room. He shouted, ¡°Greg! You know this guy?¡± Fennery lifted himself from the floor as men surrounded him. The loud creaking noise resumed and the big man asked again, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Tassater Fennery.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry - I was just looking for somebody.¡± From behind him came an amused voice. ¡°Oh? Who?¡± Fen half-turned, and saw men moving aside. As he turned all the way around, he realized it was the owner - Yaeru. Fen shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was supposed to be waiting downstairs¡­ it¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t come back so I was looking for him.¡± ¡°You were supposed to be waiting downstairs?¡± The owner locked eyes with him for a second, and then looked him over, as though searching for something. ¡°Who were you supposed to be waiting for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to get him in trouble.¡± The owner tilted his head and looked Fen in the eye. ¡°Whoever it is, he¡¯s not in trouble. I¡¯m just curious why you¡¯re up here.¡± Fennery licked his lips. ¡°I was just curious what the house was like.¡± ¡°Do you want to see it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Oh, just say yes,¡± the man laughed. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Fennery nodded and said, ¡°Yaeru Ter¡¯rin.¡± With a twinkle in his eye, the man said, ¡°That¡¯s almost right. I go by Tellurin. But I¡¯ll let you call me Ter¡¯rin. Come on.¡± And with that he walked off towards the open door near the back of the great hall. The guards made sure Fen followed. Concession Under a bright blue sky in mid-afternoon a young lord, dressed in fine cloth and surrounded by three guards, threaded his way through the clubs of the Open Quarters district. His hair was cropped short at the sides and long on top in the military style of northern Ginnie, gold like honey at the crown and dark around the back. His face was beautifully proportioned, with the fine cheeks and chin of his mother and strong brow of his father. On this occasion his lips were as red as if he had just enjoyed a lingering kiss. He was tired, and he looked it. His older brother had wanted to meet in Lord Durban¡¯s office at the base of Silahk tower, but had conceded and agreed to meet outside. So they were meeting in a private room in an eatery close to the club named Kiyiya. Saayvas was a bundle of nerves. It was his first time meeting with Gamman since he was eleven. From his friends he knew Gamman didn¡¯t like him, so he would have avoided the meeting if he could. When he arrived at the little brown building he was ushered through the wood-paneled great room into a private space. Gamman was there already, casually leaning back in a deeply cushioned chair, one leg bent with the ankle resting on his other knee. He was wearing a light gray jacket which was almost long enough to reach the floor underneath where he was sitting. His tunic was rich yellow cloth, embroidered with white. Saayvas recognized the look of their father in his visage. He had checked recent footage and Gamman was exactly as he had looked in the videos. He¡¯d pulled his rust-colored brown hair back into a short ponytail. His expression was unreadable and he didn¡¯t bother to rise in greeting. ¡°Well met,¡± was all he said. Saayvas nodded. ¡°Well met.¡± He was greeted with silence, and so he started off gently, asking about their mother. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Ma since she came to visit me last year. How is she?¡± His brother¡¯s eyes shut briefly and he said, ¡°She is bored. I hear she is planning a visit to the city in a couple of months. It has something to do with our sister¡¯s training.¡± ¡°And how is Kaazi doing?¡± As a member of the OFR Saayvas wasn¡¯t allowed to see his sister. He was glad of it, because he knew if he could, there would be pressure on him to try to influence her in her mating decision. Gamman¡¯s eyebrows raised and he looked him in the eye. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have a right to know.¡± ¡°She¡¯s my sister.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re OFR.¡± Saayvas clenched his fists. Will he answer if I ask about Rey¡¯d? Reydaman was the only one of his brothers who was younger than him. ¡°I heard Reydaman is on track in his studies. Are you sure he is going to want to be a seeker?¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve demonstrated personally,¡± Gamman said, ¡°Completing seeker training doesn¡¯t necessitate a career underground.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that a waste of everyone¡¯s time?¡± Saayvas was genuinely curious about Gamman¡¯s thoughts on the matter. ¡°No,¡± Gamman responded. ¡°Perhaps, for a normal seeker it would be a waste, but in Reydaman¡¯s case - as it would have been with you - he will be well-suited to help with my project. Core tech may ultimately become the most important goal of seeking - at least in the next few generations.¡± Saayvas was well aware of Gamman¡¯s ¡®project.¡¯ It was widely laughed about in the OFR and was a source of shame for him. Gamman claimed that their planet and its environs were currently under attack. And the attackers represented an alien intelligence similar to their own ¡®Tharig.¡¯ And that they were invisible. ¡°You realize there¡¯s still no proof of this ¡®looming threat¡¯ you¡¯ve discovered, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Sia, and a seeker; you¡¯re not. So don¡¯t speak to me about ¡®proof.¡¯¡± There it is, Saayvas thought. His contempt. ¡°What it sounds like to me,¡± Sayvaas said, ¡°is a convenient story that was manufactured by you in order to sell a pointless product that falsely increases your importance. And thus, your wealth.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Well said,¡± Gamman sneered, ¡°exactly what you¡¯d expect from a boy whose worldview is limited to commerce.¡± Saayvas knew better than to take the bait. At twenty he was already well practiced in scoring the cooperation of his negotiating partners. And he knew that it wasn¡¯t time yet to broach the real topic of conversation. So he turned to another topic. ¡°I wanted to let you know,¡± he said, ¡°that I intend to take Jiri Lanshyre as my mate.¡± Gamman¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s the best you can do? What is she, ten now?¡± In fact, Jiri was a good prospect for someone like Saayvas. She was from a powerful family in Thurinia, but her mother was from the Jitae. Saayvas normally couldn¡¯t mate to a woman from the Jitae - his home city. He was a member of an organization that was condescendingly called the ¡®Osroes Fawn Ring.¡¯ He was a pariah, and no woman with a holding would touch him. He responded to Gamman, ¡°She¡¯s nine as of yet.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s the point of telling me? You still have plenty of time to change your mind - it¡¯ll be more than ten years until she¡¯s twenty.¡± ¡°My point in telling you is that even though you and I aren¡¯t close, we¡¯re still family. I would ask that you remove yourself from the political contest between her father and Satza Forza.¡± Gamman laughed. ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted from me? I can¡¯t believe you. I was backing Torak Lanshyre before you came along. As I recall, you told him that if he wanted your support, he had to quit working with me. I can¡¯t help it if, at the time, you didn¡¯t have the foresight to see where that would lead.¡± As if he had just realized that Saayvas was still standing, Gamman suddenly said, ¡°Here, sit.¡± He waved at the chair next to him. Then he continued, ¡°Laydeer must have known though. I am surprised he left your flank exposed like that. The fact that he had you sponsoring the girl and her brother here in the Jitae says to me that he was intending her for you all along. The best way to get a little girl¡¯s attention is to get yourself in front of her early, while she¡¯s impressionable. I imagine at nine she is already quite taken with you.¡± ¡°Nine is awfully young.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Gamman picked his glass up from the table between them and sipped from it. ¡°My understanding is that by eleven a lot of females are more than ready to be noticed in that way. Tell me, do you have her living with you still?¡± Bile rose in Saayvas¡¯ throat. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Gamman said. ¡°I¡¯m not accusing you of doing anything improper. Although maybe I¡¯m giving you too much credit. From what I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯re doing Laydeer¡¯s bidding when it comes to transporting little boys across the continent.¡± It took everything Saayvas had to keep from lashing out and defending himself. He took a deep breath and replied, ¡°You¡¯re just like everyone else, harping on about something you know nothing about.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Gamman said, ¡°But did you know that Sia Geldan was against it? And Sia Aya?¡± ¡°I know for a fact that they both participated in the trade early in their careers.¡± ¡°And they turned against it in the end.¡± Gamman twirled the glass on the table. ¡°But no, even though I dislike what you¡¯ve become, I believe you have the decency not to abuse your power when it comes to the little ones. Including the girl.¡± Saayvas swallowed. He got back to the point he wanted to make. ¡°Satza Forza is one of Ru Davi¡¯s acolytes. If you get her elected, she¡¯ll put up more barriers to the free trade between us and Thurinia. You have to know that it will also hurt your own trade.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Gamman said, ¡°But if you take her out of the picture, what are the chances that Torak will actually win? Doesn¡¯t he stand a better chance with her in the contest? After all, if it is just him running against his son, the son has better odds. Derick is, at best, lukewarm on international trade - and he is looking for an active way to bring North Sheris under the control of the South. About that, Torak couldn¡¯t care less.¡± Gamman tilted his head and looked off to the side, clearing his throat. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t have the same need for free trade with Thurina, that you do. It is amusing to think that when Torak started out, he had such a strong partnership with Davi. You really cured him of that, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It was Davi himself who ruined their relationship. Once he quit paying Torak for use of the mines that was the end of their partnership. But you¡¯re right, politically, the connection to Davi was always hanging over his head, as a threat.¡± ¡°It still is - that past partnership,¡± Gamman said. ¡°And look what his son Derick is doing to him now. I imagine Torak finds it quite painful to have his son running against him; accusing him of helping bring Ru Davi to power in the north and thus being the creator of the north-south conflict they have now.¡± Having stopped, Gamman raised an eyebrow and chuckled. ¡°Are you funding him behind Torak¡¯s back?¡± Saayvas parried. ¡°Your support of Satza Forza - and Ru Davi¡¯s goals - will hurt all of Thurinia. It will set them back years - decades - if she wins and they implement Davi¡¯s idea of renouncing our technology.¡± ¡°And it will put their economy at a permanent disadvantage if their only access to heavy minerals is through Ginnie,¡± Gamman replied. ¡°It is in both the north and the south¡¯s best interest to maintain strong ties with each other. Even if it means a shrinkage of exports for you.¡± ¡°Since when do you care about their economy?¡± Gamman¡¯s eyes narrowed. His face was expressionless. He looked into Saayvas¡¯ eyes for a long second and then said, ¡°You¡¯re right, it isn¡¯t like sponsoring Satza Forza is doing any more than giving me the satisfaction of hitting back at Torak. You really want me to pull out?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my brother,¡± Gamman said, a smile playing on his lips. ¡°In exchange, I expect that the next time I come to you, asking for a concession, you will hear me out fully.¡± Access Thirty-six year old Gamman Terrathor left his meeting with his little brother feeling energized. Contrary to what Saayvas thought, he enjoyed seeing him. In the mindspace he said to Durban and Daitian, That went better than I expected. Did it? Durban said. You capitulated without a fight. No I didn¡¯t. Gamman laughed inwardly. I just shifted the fight to a different level. What exactly do you have in mind? Something that needs privacy privilege to discuss, Gamman said. He switched back to Saayvas. As disappointed as I am that he waited this long to come to me, I¡¯m glad to see he¡¯s capable of looking out for his own interests. I don¡¯t think Lord Laydeer has figured out yet what a monster he has created. He thought back to the expression Saayvas had made when Gamman asked if he was supporting Derick Lanshyre. The idea that Saayvas might be funding Derick behind Laydeer¡¯s back filled Gamman with satisfaction. After a moment, Durban asked, What did you really think about that thing with the little girl? I think it¡¯s a good move. With the right training and good luck, she actually might be well-positioned to take over a holding if one becomes available. That¡¯s what I thought, Durban replied. Do you think that is what Laydeer is planning? Why would he go to the trouble? I know he¡¯s sponsoring Saayvas, but something that touches so closely on the hearth can¡¯t be that interesting to him. He has very precise goals - he¡¯s not one to think much about mating aside from the political and business implications. And in this case his interest would be her family influence in Thurinia - not in Ginnie. Lord Durban sighed inwardly, making sure it could be picked up at the subvocal level. You know better than to make assumptions about Lord Laydeer. Of all people, you should know better. Speaking of little girls, Gamman said, we¡¯ve got what, six weeks before the evaluation for Erin Cavanaugh, correct? She is ten now, right? Correct, she¡¯ll be ten at her evaluation. The evaluation for little girls was a special ceremony - a test - designed to determine their aptitude for teaching. It was conducted by a group of sias and lords, highly educated men, who would determine her future. Specifically they were looking for signs of maturity. Using the information they gathered during the evaluation they would determine the timeline for her formal education. They were striding along, headed towards Bonnevue Channel, the majestic waterway that filled when it rained. Bonnevue Channel otherwise served as the main thoroughfare between the entertainment district and the work area of the Jitae, the city they were in. An empty cart floated up to them and Gamman considered whether to ride or to walk. It was a pretty afternoon. He sent the cart on its way, and continued the conversation. What we¡¯re doing with Erin isn¡¯t any different than what Laydeer is doing with Saayvas and that little girl. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. That¡¯s true, said Daitian, the other man at Gamman¡¯s side. Yes, Lord Durban agreed. But getting her parents to let her do an exchange tour in Ginnie for two years is going to be quite the chore. I have ideas about that, Gamman said. I¡¯ve already put this much work into cultivating my relationship with them. Having Reyadaman situated in Jaral and the Osori Box there would be a prime placement for him. And for us. To have a family representative - a seeker, no less - in the Jatae there would be priceless. Yes, Durban said. Just then, as they were stepping foot on the upper level of the channel underneath the budding vines hanging down from high above, Gamman felt the atmosphere vibrate. A bell-like tone rang in his head. His hackles rose. Unlike the naive young man he had been ten years before, he now understood exactly what he was experiencing. It was an alien core, hitting the atmosphere. His associate in Osroes, Daenan, had explained it to him. That type of core was part of a vanguard, an exploratory entity that helped to locate planets with enough gravity to gather an atmosphere. They would be followed by advance fighters, called Talons, that would seek out any evidence of mechanical, artificial intelligence, and destroy it. Daenan said he had felt the presence of a Talon already - ten years before. But only one. Everything since then had been part of the vanguard. Suddenly, Gamman wanted a cart. He trusted Daenan was up above, preparing to take care of the latest threat, but he wanted to see it for himself. Within a minute another cart stopped for them, and Gamman climbed in first. Telling Durban and Daitian to ride them around until he was fully back in his body, he let his awareness fly away. Gamman had his own core, which rode in the atmosphere near him at all times. He could access it at will these days, and without blacking out, but it still took time. First he had to hunt down the source of his own power, and he did so now by purposely shutting out his awareness of his surroundings. He closed his eyes and entered the realm of the seeker, and within his awareness was a tiny red sprout, like the beginnings of a plant, unfurling little leaves of yellow that gracefully bent and swayed as they grew, as though they were touched by a breeze. The yellow leaves expanded outward and gently detached from the red sprout which was itself growing and also beginning to billow out from the bottom, making a flat plane, horizontal to Gamman¡¯s point of view. The yellow approached him, beautiful tendrils snapping to and fro like giant snakes moving across the black cosmos. A blue bead emerged from the blanket of red and rolled along it toward Gamman, and he felt intuitively that he could swallow it. It was the blue that ushered him forward and as he descended on it the red swallowed him up and then he could feel it all around him. He was inside his core, and fully able to control it. It was cold, and quiet. He had to feel around and seek for the means to travel outside the atmosphere. This was the part that worried him when he thought about the technology he wanted to create. There was no easy way to transfer a fully opened core from inside the atmosphere to the low reaches outside of it, or back again. Gamman was able to do it because there was an access point he had learned to use - something Daenan referred to as a tunnel. He had come across it unconsciously when he was younger; now he accessed it on purpose. Daenan had assured him if he got sucked into it too deeply, he would end up in another plane entirely if he didn¡¯t burn up first. And he¡¯d never get back to his original body. He let the tunnel swallow him up. He couldn¡¯t actually see it, nor could he feel it in the human way, but he sensed that it was bright like the sun, and hot. When he emerged into the heights above the atmosphere he located the nearest inhabited satellite station, with its own atmosphere, and wondered how long it would be before an alien discovered it. So far it seemed the vanguard had only run across Ellydis, the planet itself. Master Daenan was present, a flat wing of deep blue, divided up with black seams where his core had been damaged in the past. He was an excellent old fighter, one that had survived attacks in his distant youth, who had traveled the tunnel and wound up on Ellydis. The blue wing - Daenan¡¯s core - glided smoothly across the round edge of the atmosphere and slingshot himself out towards the alien, which was turning away. His core slid, flashing along like a sudden burst of lightning and smashed into the alien, causing it to fold up against him. He pushed, not slowing enough to let it unwrap itself, and forced it to descend. Using it as a shield he gathered himself up inside it and pushed it down through the upper atmosphere until it disintegrated. Then, expertly, he was gone, doubtless into the tunnel. Gamman wondered why it was they could travel the hot tunnel, but not withstand the heat of entering the atmosphere. He had asked, but never got an answer. Enticement Ter¡¯rin Yaeru - the man who went by the name ¡®Tellurin¡¯ - looked over his shoulder and said, ¡°Go figure out who he came with.¡± The man who had knocked Fennery down said, ¡°Yes, sir,¡± and dropped back as Tellurin led Fen and two of the guards through an ornate archway and down a corridor off to the right. Tellurin stopped abruptly and appeared to consider what to do next. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± A short walk down a side corridor brought them to a door, behind which was a spiral staircase that was twice as wide as any Fennery had seen before. The four of them trudged upward to the third floor and when they opened one of the two doors there, they were standing in a long room. To the left there were several windows looking out across the yard and trees at the front of the mansion. There was a balcony on the right, looking down over a straight set of stairs. There were chairs and some low tables and a couch, situated to take advantage of the view. But beyond that, at the landing for the stairs, there was a door, and they followed as Tellurin crossed through it, down another corridor and in through another door. In that small room, there were just two chairs, a table, and a lamp, which came on when the door opened. ¡°Wait outside,¡± Tellurin told his guards as he drew Fennery in. ¡°Sit,¡± he said, waving his hand at a chair. Fen did, and Tellurin remained standing, towering over him, blocking the door with his arms crossed. Fen thought he seemed tired. ¡°A Tassater, eh? In port in the winter? Isn¡¯t that unusual?¡± Fen raised his eyebrows and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I was¡¯na planning on it.¡± ¡°Then what caused you to stay?¡± Fen¡¯s eyebrows drew together and he looked down at the floor. He didn¡¯t want to get Gil in trouble, so he said, ¡°My brother has a ship an¡¯ a warehouse at the water - said he needed me ta stay an¡¯ help.¡± ¡°And your brother¡¯s name is?¡± Fen looked up to see the tall man¡¯s expression had turned stern. Fennery inhaled, and then sighed. ¡°Kintner Jissuh.¡± For a split second, he saw Tellurin¡¯s eyebrows raise in surprise. ¡°Kintner Jissuh?¡± was all he said. Fen nodded. ¡°I know Jissuh,¡± Tellurin said, ¡°but I did not know he had a Tassater brother.¡± Fen shrugged again. ¡°Yeah. Our ma¡¯s prolific.¡± He saw a quick flash of a smile across the tall man¡¯s face. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Tellurin raised his hand to scratch at his throat. Then, he said, ¡°But why would Jissuh¡¯s brother be all the way up in the hills, in my home?¡± As he said it he shook his head and tilted it slightly as though inviting Fen to answer. With the thought of Gil¡¯s coldness toward him in mind, Fen replied, ¡°Because I¡¯m stupid, maybe.¡± ¡°Stupid? But you got to meet me, in person. Was that, perhaps, what you wanted?¡± Fen looked straight up at him in surprise. ¡°No?¡± Tellurin looked away. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed. I was half hoping that you had come looking for me personally.¡± There was silence for a minute, and then Tellurin asked, ¡°Downstairs, in the hall, what did you hear?¡± ¡°A big creaking noise.¡± ¡°The door?¡± Tellurin chuckled. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant. What was the conversation that you heard, between myself and the man who left?¡± It suddenly occurred to Fennery that he might have heard something important. He struggled to remember what it was. When he finally looked back up at the man in front of him, he saw his eyes had narrowed and he looked serious. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Fen said, ¡°It was something like, tell Emery he won¡¯t know what hit him.¡± Tellurin¡¯s eyes narrowed to little slits, and then he blinked, and stared into Fennery¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you know,¡± he asked, ¡°who Emery is?¡± Fennery slowly shook his head. ¡°No, but I feel sorry for him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it sounds like something bad¡¯s goin¡¯ ta happen to him.¡± Tellurin pressed his lips together and looked at the wall behind Fennery¡¯s head. With slow deliberation he asked, ¡°Your brother Jissuh, who are his main trading partners?¡± Fennery blinked, surprised at the question. ¡°Uh¡­ he mainly just does whatever Tander tells him to.¡± He saw Tellurin was watching him, and waiting for him to go on. ¡°So, uh¡­ let¡¯s see, most of his business comes by way of the Quart Isles and Jaral. Do you know who Tander is?¡± Tellurin simply nodded, and focused his eyes on Fennery¡¯s face. Fennery licked his lips and inhaled deeply. ¡°Well, I know most of the time Jissuh is moving Tassater osori and bringing in wheat and peas from Jaral. An¡¯ sometimes if it¡¯s important he¡¯ll take his own ship out - that¡¯s usually a few times a month.¡± When he looked up again he saw Tellurin seemed to have spaced out. So he said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you at Jissuh¡¯s before.¡± Tellurin looked at him with surprise. ¡°When?¡± ¡°A few months ago. It seemed like you were waiting for someone Jissuh brought back.¡± A look of recognition crossed Tellurin¡¯s face and his smile softened. ¡°That¡¯s right. I do remember seeing you. Did you see who I was waiting for?¡± Fennery looked around at the floor while trying to recall who it was. ¡°It was somebody young. Someone about my age, maybe. He looked really educated. Light-colored hair. Long. Jaralese robes.¡± Tellurin¡¯s mouth twisted into an amused smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. You remember him.¡± Fennery nodded and waited to see what else Tellurin might say. The silence was beginning to make him uncomfortable when there was a tap at the door. Tellurin opened it, and the guard passed a slip of paper to him. He opened it, then folded it again and pulled the door open. ¡°Come, let¡¯s have a drink,¡± he said.