by Sharon Lee
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.
Appendixes
A Partial Liaden Dictionary
Including novels through Plan B. From Trading in Futures.
A’nadelm — Heir to the nadelm
A’thodelm — Head-of-Line-to-Be
A’trezla — Lifemates
Al’bresh venat’i — Formal phrase of sorrow for another Clan’s loss, as when someone dies.
Al’kin chernard’i — The Day without Delight
Balent’i Kalandon — Our local galaxy
Balent’i tru’vad — The starweb of all creation
Cha’leket — Heartkin (heartbrother, heartsister)
Cha’trez — Heartsong
Chernubia — Confected delicacy
Chiat’a bei kruzon — Dream sweetly.
Ckrakec (derived from Approximately ‘Master Hunter’ the Yxtrang) coab minshak’a — ‘Necessity exits’
Conselem — An absurdity
Delm — Head of Clan (Delm Korval, Korval Himself/Herself)
Delmae — Lifemate to the Delm
Denubia — Darling
Dramliza — A wizard. Plural: dramliz (The dramliz)
Dri’at — Left (direction)
Eklykt’i — unreturned
Eldema — First Speaker (most times, the Delm)
Eldema-pernard’i — First-Speaker-In-Trust
Entranzia volecta — Good greetings (High Liaden)
Fa’vya — an aphrodisiac-laced wine sold at Festival
Flaran Cha’menthi — ‘I(/We) Dare’
Galandaria — Confederate? Countryperson?
Ge’shada — Mazeltov; congratulations
Glavda Empri — yo’Lanna’s house
I’gannn brath’a, vyan — Play with the body, rest the mind
se’untor
I’lanta — Right (direction)
llania frrogudon palon — (approx) Young ladies should speak more gently dox
Illanga kilachi — (no translation available)
Indra — Uncle
Jelaza Kazone — The Tree, also Korval’s Own House. Approx. ‘Jela’s Fulfillment’
Lazenia spandok — Son of a bitch (real approximate)
Megelaar — The Dragon on Korval’s shield
Melant’i — who one is in relation to current circumstances. Also who one is in sum, e
ncompassing all possible persons one might be.
Menfri’at — Liaden karate
Mi rada — Father
Mnsravot — Altarian wine; blue in color.
Nadelm — Delm-to-Be
Nubiath’a — Gift given to end an affair of pleasure
Palesci modassa — Thank you (High Liaden)
Prena’ma — Storyteller
Prethliu — Rumorbroker
Qe’andra — Man of business
Qua’lechi — Exclamation of horror
Relumma — Division of a Liaden year, equaling 96 Standard days. Four relumma equal one year.
Thawla — Mother (Low Liaden; approximately Mommy)
Thawlana — Grandmother
Thodelm — Head of Line
Tra’sna volecta — Good morning (Low Liaden)
Trealla Fantrol — The yos’Galan house.
Valcon Berant’a — Dragon’s Price or Dragon Hoard, the name of Korval’s valley.
Valcon Melad’a — Dragon’s Way, the Delm’s Own ship
van’chela — beloved friend
va’netra — charity case, lame puppy
zerkam’ka — kinslayer
The Updated But Partial Liaden Universe Time Line
Updated November 16, 2002. From Shadows and Shades.
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
Er Thom yos’Galan born
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
“Veil of The Dancer”
“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”
Agent of Change
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 (class of ’73) graduate Steve 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 attended well over 100 conventions during this period.
Since moving they’ve continued to write in the Liaden Universe and six of the novels—Local Custom, Scout’s Progress, Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change, Carpe Diem, and Plan B are now in print, with I Dare set to follow in February 2002, Balance of Trade due in 2003, 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 soon there will be mass market editions of all the novels 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 3500 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. “Changeling” has proved very popular and is also available as an Embiid electronic book.
After a stint as Web Librarian at a start-up 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.
Ace Books will be reprinting Lee & Miller’s 7 existing Liaden Universe novels starting in 2002, while Embiid will publish a non-Liaden Lee & Miller SF novel in August of 2002.
As fulltime writers Sharon and Steve are frequently free to 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), with upcoming travels to Kansas city, San Jose, Baltimore, and Toronto.
Note: If you’re planning an event and would like the authors to attend you can contact them via email at [email protected] or c/o SRM Publisher, PO Box 179, Unity, ME 04988-0179.
For information on author appearances around North America join our internet news list at [email protected] or visit www.korval.com/liad.htm for the latest Liaden Universe news.
Send your questions or comments about this book to [email protected] or to request information send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:
SRM Publisher,
PO Box 179, unity, ME 049SS-0179
About the Liaden Universe
… the authors’ craftsmanship is top-notch, recalling the work of Elizabeth Moon and Lois McMaster Bujold…—Publishers Weekly, November 26, 2001
“The combination of wit, relationship, and space opera may appeal to readers of Lois McMaster Bujold.”—Booklist, December 15, 2001
“These authors consistently deliver stories with a rich, textured setting, intricate plotting, and vivid,
interesting characters from fully-realized cultures, both human and alien—and each book gets better.”—Elizabeth Moon, author of Speed of Dark
“Nobody else in the field combines space opera and comedy of manners with the same deftness and brio as these two.”—Debra Doyle, co-author of the Mageworlds novels
“Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are so good it’s scary.”—S. L. Viehl, author of the Stardoc series
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