Shadows and Shades (Adventures in the Liaden Universe®) Read online

  There was a small burble of sound and a flash of fly-away fur. Niki landed on silent pink toes by the control board. Pat Rin smiled and held out his hand; the cat rubbed her cheek against his fingers, then sat down, wrapped her tail neatly 'round her toes and squinted her eyes in a cat-smile, as if to assure him that all was well.

  Yes, precisely.

  He returned to his task, comforted by the routine and her silent presence—

  "What were your plans for that rug?"

  "Eh?" Pat Rin blinked, and looked up at the sudden Healer. "Truly, sir, it is not my place to have plans for it. I do not hide from you that it is an extremely valuable carpet, even if the stain cannot be removed, and that it belongs to Line yos'Galan."

  "Stain?" murmured the Healer, tipping his head to one side. "There is no stain, young sir."

  Pat Rin felt the hairs rise along the back of his neck.

  "Most assuredly," he said, moving round the desk and marching toward the rug in question, "there is a stain."

  "Here," he said, arriving. He swept a hand downward, his eyes on the Healer's face. "Only look here and you will see where the fringe has—"

  The Healer was watching his face, calmly. Pat Rin looked down.

  There was no brown stain marring the wave of ivory fringe. He bent, stroked the supple woolen nap which had scant hours before been stiff with—blood. Del Ban yos'Phelium's blood.

  "I believe that the most excellent yos'Galan will not favor this rug, young sir," the Healer murmured. "Perhaps you might take charge of it." He raised his hand as if he had heard Pat Rin's unspoken protest. And perhaps, thought Pat Rin, he had.

  "I will speak with your cousin on the matter, for it comes to me that such a rug, gotten at such cost, ought not to be destroyed, no matter the pain it has unwittingly brought to a daughter of the House." The Healer cocked his head. "Keep it by, do."

  Pat Rin bowed.

  "Very well," the other said, with a sigh. "I leave you now, sir. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

  "Wait—" Pat Rin put out a hand as if he would physically restrain the man.

  The Healer paused. "Yes?"

  "My cousin Nova—what ailed her? Will she mend? How shall— ?"

  "Peace, peace," the Healer laughed. "The Masters must have their chance at diagnosis, but it seems to me that your cousin has a very rare talent in the dramliz spectrum."

  Dramliza. Pat Rin closed his eyes. "What talent?" he asked, 'round the pain in his heart.

  "Why, she remembers," the Healer said, as Pat Rin opened his eyes. "That's all." He gave the carpet one more long glance.

  "I really must—ah, a moment, of your kindness!" He leaned forward, and before Pat Rin knew what he intended, had cupped the injured cheek in a warm and slightly moist palm.

  There was a small tingle—and the pain flowed away, leaving only warmth.

  The Healer stepped back, placed his hand over his heart and bowed.

  "Peace unto you, Pat Rin yos'Phelium. Long life and fair profit."

  "Healer—" Pat Rin began.

  But the Healer was gone.

  * * *

  PIN'WELTIR HAD GONE some hours ahead of the rest, pleading another appointment, which seemed odd at that hour of the morning—but who was Pat Rin yos'Phelium to comment upon the arrangements of a mere acquaintance? He did note, privately, that pin'Weltir had not recalled this second appointment until Luken had roundly trounced him at piket, lightening his brash lordship's purse by a considerable number of coins.

  Still, and excusing the early departure of a guest not much missed in his absence, Pat Rin counted this first party in his own establishment a success. He was quite sincerely exhausted by his hostly duties, yet exhilarated.

  The last, late-staying guest bowed out, and the door locked, Pat Rin moved down the hall to the room he had made his study. There, as he expected, he found his foster father, seated in Pat Rin's reading chair, thoughtfully gazing at the ivory-and-green carpet.

  Pat Rin hesitated in the doorway. Luken looked up, face roguish in the soft yellow light.

  "Well, boy-dear! Well, indeed. A most glorious crush, hosted with grace and style! I daresay you will sleep the day through, now."

  "Not quite now," Pat Rin murmured.

  Luken smiled. "A bit in the upper key, is it? Never mind it—very shortly Lord Pat Rin will find hosting a party three times this to be a mere nothing!"

  Pat Rin laughed. "Verily, Lord Pat Rin shall be nothing more nor less than a fidget-about-town. I wonder how you might bear with so slight a fellow."

  "Now, there," Luken said, with sudden seriousness, "you touch near to a topic I wished to bring before you. I wonder—have you thought of entering the lists at Tey Dor's?"

  Pat Rin blinked, and drifted into the room, across the Tantara, to prop a hip against the desk and looked down into his foster father's face.

  "I had never thought of competing at Tey Dor's," he said then. "Should I have?"

  "You might find that you will wish to do so," Luken said, "as you consider the... affect you wish to sustain. For I do not think, boy-dear, that you would do very well in a long-term role either as fidget or as mushroom."

  "Ah." Pat Rin smiled. "Lord Pat Rin shall be flamboyant, shall he?"

  Luken raised a finger. "Lord Pat Rin, if you will permit me, boy-dear, shall be accomplished."

  "I'll grant that's a happier thought," his son said after a moment. He inclined his head. "Allow me to consider the matter, when my head is done spinning."

  "Surely, surely." Luken paused before murmuring. "I wonder if you have heard that young Nova takes lessons at the dramliz school now—and has passed the preliminary for third-class pilot."

  Pat Rin inclined his head. "She was by a three-day gone, with a gift for the house. We drank tea and she caught me up with her news."

  "Ah?" Luken said. "And how do you find yourselves aligned, if an old man might ask it."

  "We are—comfortable," Pat Rin said after a moment. "She—I do not know how such a thing might be, but—she remembers both sides of the ...incident, and we have, thereby, an understanding."

  There was a small silence. "Good," Luken said, simply, and pushed himself out of the chair. Pat Rin leapt forward to offer him an arm.

  "Must you leave?" he asked, and Luken laughed.

  "I daresay the two of us might now repair to the Port for a game or six, were I thirty years younger!" He said, patting Pat Rin's hand. "But you must have pity on an old man and allow me to seek my bed."

  "Certainly," Pat Rin replied, walking with him toward the hallway. "I will summon a cab."

  "Assuredly you will, sir!" Luken turned suddenly, face serious. "Lord Pat Rin will have servants to attend to these small matters for him."

  "I daresay he might," Pat Rin retorted, with spirit, "for those who are merely guests. But if Lord Pat Rin should ever fail of attending the father of his heart personally, I shall know him for a worthless dog, no matter his accomplishments."

  Luken paused, then extended a hand to cup Pat Rin's cheek. "Sweet lad." He let the hand fall away and smiled, softly. "Call for the cab, then, and be welcome."

  Quickly, Pat Rin stepped back into his study and made the call. Turning back, he saw Luken framed in the doorway, his eyes dreaming once more upon the Tantara.

  "Father?" he said, abruptly.

  Luken looked up, face mild. "Child?"

  Pat Rin cleared his throat. "I —do you mind?" he blurted. "The carpet—it is yours; the treasure of your Line. It should—"

  Luken held up a hand. "Peace." He glanced down at the ivory-and-green design, smiling slightly as he once again met Pat Rin's eyes.

  "I allow it to be a gem, and everything that is graceful. Even, I allow it to be a family heirloom. Who best to have the keeping of such a treasure, than my son?"

  Pat Rin's eyes filled. "Father—"

  "Nay, I'll brook no argument, willful creature! Hark! Is that the cab?"

  It was. Luken fastened his cloak and together they went
down the steps to the walk. Pat Rin opened the door and saw his father comfortably disposed. That done, he handed the driver a coin.

  "Good-night, boy-dear," Luken said from the back. "Sweet dreams to you."

  "Good-night, father," he returned, stepping back from the curb. "Sweet dreaming."

  The cab pulled away, accelerating smoothly down the long, dark street.

  * * *

  The Updated But Partial

  Liaden Universe® Time Line

  Updated November 16, 2002

  Standard Year

  Event/Story

  1118

  "Balance of Trade"/Balance of Trade

  1123

  "Naratha's Shadow"

  1177

  "Sweet Waters"

  1293

  "Phoenix"

  1313

  Kareen yos'Phelium born

  1320

  Dutiful Passage enters service

  1325

  Er Thom yos'Galan born

  1326

  Daav yos'Phelium born

  1327

  Anne Davis born

  1335

  Aelliana Caylon born

  1339

  "Pilot of Korval"

  1346

  "Choice of Weapons"

  1351

  Pat Rin yos'Phelium born

  1357

  Shan yos'Galan born

  1359

  Priscilla Delacroix y Mendoza born

  Early 1360

  Local Custom

  Early 1361

  Scout's Progress

  1362

  Val Con yos'Phelium born

  1362

  Nova yos'Galan born

  1365

  Miri Robertson born

  1365

  Aelliana Caylon dies

  1366

  Daav yos'Phelium leaves Liad

  1366

  Anthora yos'Galan born

  1369

  Ren Zel dea'Judan born

  1373

  "Veil of The Dancer"

  1374

  "Heirloom"

  1375

  "Matter of Dreams", "Moonphase"

  1380

  "To Cut An Edge"

  1382

  Anne Davis dies

  1383

  Er Thom yos'Galan dies

  Early 1385

  "A Day at the Races"

  Early 1385

  "Certain Symmetry"

  Late 1385

  Conflict of Honors

  Early 1386

  Conflict of Honors

  1390

  "Changeling"

  1392

  Agent of Change

  1393

  Carpe Diem

  1393

  Plan B/"Breath's Duty"

  1393

  I Dare

  Editor's Note: Most Lee & Miller Lute and Moonhawk stories remain undated in this list. Also not included or dated are several yet unpublished Liaden Universe stories scheduled for the next year.

  * * *

  About the Authors

  SHARON LEE AND STEVE MILLER live in the rolling hills of central Maine, where they repaired from Maryland—with cats, books, music, and computers—after selling the first three Liaden Universe® novels in the late 1980s.

  Before moving to Maine, Steve and Sharon were active in the Baltimore science fiction community for years as fans, short story writers, editors, bookstore owners and art agents. In the mid seventies Clarion West graduate Steve (class of '73) was the founding Curator of the UMBC Science Fiction Research Collection as well as the Director of Information for the burgeoning Baltimore Science Fiction Society. A well known traveling fan, Steve participated in well over 100 conventions during this period.

  Since moving they've continued to write in the Liaden Universe® and seven novels—Local Custom, Scout's Progress, Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change, Carpe Diem, and Plan B, and I Dare are in print, with Balance of Trade due in 2004, and two additional Liaden novels coming in the years after that.

  The current novels are available individually in electronic format from Embiid as well as in Meisha Merlin trade paper editions; the omnibus Partners in Necessity—containing the first three novels—is also out in hardcover from the Science Fiction Book Club and mass market editions of all the novels are or will soon be available from Ace.

  Along the way, Sharon and Steve were (and are) fortunate in having very supportive readers. In 1995 those readers requested—via an internet mailing list—something Liaden to tide them over. Steve's experience in chapbook publishing came to the fore and thus he began SRM Publisher. Two Tales of Korval was SRM's first book and its first print run was expected to be 60—but ended up at 200. Those rapidly sold out, as well, and now Two Tales is the SRM Publishing stable's best seller, with over 4500 copies in print.

  As readers continued to ask for more short works, SRM brought out other chapbooks, including a reissue of pre-Liaden fantasy The Naming of Kinzel. Eventually Absolute Magnitude magazine got into the act with Liaden Universe® short stories. Editor Warren Lapine accepted the novelette "Balance of Trade" for issue 11 of Absolute Magnitude, snapped up "A Choice of Weapons" for issue number 12 and then took the very popular novella "Changeling" for issue 14. These stories were collected into the fifth and sixth Liaden Universe® chapbooks from SRM. In 2002 the Liaden short story Veil of the Dancer appeared in Absolute Magnitude and Sweet Waters appeared in the premier issue of the new UK magazine, 3SF.

  After a stint as Web Libriarian at a dot.com, SRM Publisher grew to be Steve's "day job"—in part because SRM Publisher took over the original Sharon Lee and Steve Miller "Authors of the Liaden Universe" website, expanding it to include an online catalog page as well as a list of congruent authors.

  As SRM Publisher grew, Michael Capobianco, then President of SFWA—Science Fiction Writers of America—asked Sharon to become the organization's first Executive Director, a full time position she held for more than three years. With contracts for Liaden Universe® novels set through 2005, Sharon gave up that job last year, running for and winning the SFWA Vice Presidency, which she assumed July 1st of 2001, and then running for and winning the SFWA Presidency, a post she assumed in July 2002.

  As fulltime writers Sharon and Steve frequently attend science fiction conventions and signings around the US and Canada. In the last few years they've been guests or participants at libraries, conventions and science fictional events in Schenectady, Chicago, San Jose, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Roanoke, Boston, Burlington, Bangor, and Fredericton (New Brunswick), Kansas City, San Jose, Baltimore, with upcoming travels to Minneapolis and Toronto, and a return to Baltimore as Guests of Honor for BaltiCon, an annual regional science fiction convention in May, 2003.