We said goodbye at the back gate of the townhouse, and I let him out into the cool light of Sunrise. We stood for a moment on opposite sides of the gate, staring up at waning Agamemnon. A single strand of cloud bisected its arc, turning it into a giant cabalistic symbol scrawled across the sky. It was cold still—it was always cold—and I clutched the cloak Rohin had given me even closer around my shoulders. It had survived the attack on the Tower and the fire of Madelgar almost untouched, only a few scorch marks on its leather. I had decided weeks before that I would keep it, regardless of the weight restrictions: there were things about Orestes that were worth remembering, and Rohin was one of them.
"You will look me up, if you get to Dionysus?" Rehur asked, for the third time.
"If it works out, sure." I knew better than to promise more—let him get settled in the Urban Worlds, first, prove to himself that he was no longer anyone's ghost, and only then could we even think of creating a relationship—but still it was hard to keep my voice casual. I touched his shoulder, pulled him into a final embrace, then set him gently away from me. "The best of luck, Rehur—to all of you."
The actor nodded, accepting the finality of my words. "I will see you again," he said, and stepped away, lifting a hand in farewell. I watched him walk down the narrow street, and did not step back into the house until he'd turned the corner out of sight. I also knew better than to rely too much on such promises; still, I couldn't stop myself from hoping just a little.
Eight hours later, under the clearing Morning sky, I left Orestes.
Excerpted from the CRO Planetary Survey Pamphlets, 3rd series: Orestes/Electra, pub/protect date 1499.003 PoDr. Used by the kind permission of the Conglomerate Records Office, Baldur.
Holidays observed system-wide:
. . . . Mediation Day:
To encourage the resolution of public and private differences through mutual compromise. It is considered particularly appropriate to settle lawsuits, private quarrels, etc., on this day, or during the week preceding. Honors Trey Maturin, Conglomerate mediator responsible for the creation of the Grand Assembly (1428 PoDr). . . .
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
The Kindly Ones Page 41
