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  DEGREES OF SEPARATION

  Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number 27

  Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

  COPYRIGHT PAGE

  DEGREES OF SEPARATION

  Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number 27

  © 2018 Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

  Pinbeam Books

  www.pinbeambooks.com

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events

  portrayed in this novel are fiction or are used fictitiously

  Copyright © 2018 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.

  "Degrees of Separation" is original to this chapbook

  Cover Design: SelfPubBookCovers.com/RLSather

  ISBN: 978-0-9966346-9-4

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  ONE | Liad

  TWO | Lutetia

  THREE | Liad

  FOUR | Low Port

  FIVE | Some Years Later

  UNE PETITE LISTE DE MOTS ÉTRANGES | A small list of strange words

  ABOUT THIS BOOK

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  NOVELS BY SHARON LEE AND STEVE MILLER

  Dedication

  To Tony Daniel at Baen Books, who asked for a "seasonal" story

  and

  To Mark Twain, who wrote The Prince and the Pauper

  * * *

  This is a story about Paris, about love, and about bread.

  ONE

  Liad

  In the port city of Solcintra, on a certain day in the third relumma of the year called Phantione, a boy was delivered to the delm of Clan Serat, who did not want him.

  Serat had a son; Serat had a na'delm, twelve years and more the infant's elder. Furthermore, Serat maintained a regular household, and had no need of a second in the delm's line. Most especially not the child of a sister who had failed both Line and Clan.

  Still, to refuse the boy–Don Eyr, as he had been named, exactly the name of the previous delm of Serat–would be to invite scandal, and Serat did not indulge in scandal. He was, therefore, given a place in the empty nursery, and thereafter forgotten by the delm, his uncle, and unregarded by his cousin, who was away at school.

  He was not forgotten by the household staff, nor by the clan's qe'andra. These persons were after all paid to tend the interests and the business of the individuals who together were Clan Serat. The delm having issued no instruction other than, "Take it away, and see it trained," in the case of his sister's child, Don Eyr received all the benefits and education which naturally accrued to a son of Serat.

  Save the regard of kin.

  The boy himself did not notice his lacks, for he was well-regarded, even loved, by staff.

  His nurse was inclined to be gentle with an isolated child, and collaborated with the House's qe'andra in the matter of his education. He had a quick intelligence, did Don Eyr, an artist's eye, and a susceptible heart. Very like his mother, said Mr. dea'Bon, the qe'andra, who had served the House since the days of the current delm's father. She ought never have been sent to mind the outworld business; her talents had better been used at home, administering the clan. Well, well. Delm's Wisdom, of course; doubtless he had his reasons, for the best good of the clan.

  The boy Don Eyr early showed an interest in baking, and the pastry cook took him into her kitchen to show him the way of cookies, and tea tarts. When he mastered those, she taught him filled pastries, and cheese rolls.

  The day he came to the notice of his cousin, the na'delm, he was removing a loaf from the oven in the back bakery, under the supervision of the kitchen cat, and Mrs. ban'Teli, the pastry cook. He had a wing of flour on one cheek, his hair was neatly, though unfashionably, cut, his hands quiet and certain. He wore a white apron adorned with various splashes, over white pants and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled, showing forearms already well-muscled.

  "The na'delm, younger," his companion murmured, rising and bowing to his honor.

  The lad lifted his eyes briefly from his task, and gave a civil nod.

  "Cousin," he said, gravely–and set the pan he had just removed onto a cooling stone, before turning to the work-table, and picking up another pan, which he slid carefully into the maw of the oven.

  The na'delm had only lately come from school, and was not so much accustomed to having his rank recognized. In his estimation, the lad had been perfectly civil, given that he had work in hand. Therefore, he waited patiently until the pan was settled, and the oven sealed.

  "I wonder," he said, once these things were done and the boy turned back to face him. "I wonder if you might not have an hour to spend with me, Cousin. I feel that we should know each other better."

  Don Eyr's gaze shifted toward the oven, doubtless thinking of the pan so recently deposited there. Mrs. ban'Teli stirred.

  "I will stand for the loaf, young master, unless you think me unworthy."

  A smile adorned the grave face, and the na'delm was able to make the judgment that Don Eyr was a pleasant looking child, in a modest sort of way.

  "Yes, of course I think you unworthy!" he said with full good humor. "I suppose you will even turn out the first loaf when it is cool without my asking that you do so!"

  "I might at that," the old woman said with a smile. She nodded to him, her voice taking on the brisk tones of an aunt, or a nurse.

  "Take off your apron, wipe your face, and attend your cousin, child. I was baking bread before either of you were born."

  The na'delm found himself a little put out by this familiarity from a servant. Don Eyr, however, merely said yes, pulled off his apron, wiped his face and stepped forward.

  "Where shall we go, Cousin?"

  #

  In fact, they went into the garden, the na'delm not wishing to meet the delm just yet. He had spent much of his time away at various schools and fosterings. He did not know his father well, though he knew his delm somewhat better, and his young cousin, here–well, he knew the boy's mother had died on Ezhel'ti, where she had been sent by the previous delm to mind the clan's off-world affairs, with an eye toward increasing profit.

  Instead, the clan's businesses had faltered, and finally collapsed, under her care, which his father, the delm, swore she had done a-purpose, in order to bring ruin to Serat. The question of why she might have subsequently committed suicide, if she had failed a-purpose, he waved away with wordless contempt. The woman had been disordered with envy; she had wanted nothing more than Serat's Ring, and so the former delm had sent her away, as he had sent away his own brother, who had also aspired to Serat's Ring.

  The na'delm, who was no fool, and who furthermore had learned how to do research and analyze information, had discovered that there had been an adjustment in the markets very soon after Telma fer'Gasta arrived to take up her duty. Ezhel'ti had been flooded with cheap goods when its sister planet unilaterally devalued its currency. Much history had been gathered from Serat's qe'andra, who had of course received reports every relumma, as well as the occasional personal letter.

  The clan's businesses had been only a small portion of those destroyed by this rapid economic readjustment, and, from the records that she had forwarded to Mr. dea'Bon, it was plain that Telma fer'Gasta had very nearly preserved Serat's holdings. It had been a close-run thing, indeed, and for a time it seemed that she would hold the line. She had navigated the rip tide, she sold and consolidated wisely, she had–but in the end, she made an error; a small error, as their qe'andra had it, but it had been large enough, in those t
imes, in that place. Certainly, she knew how news of this blow to the clan's fortunes would be received. It troubled the na'delm that she had chosen to kill herself; that action speaking to a. . .disturbing understanding of her delm and her brother.

  She had placed her child in the care of her long-time lover, whose babe it likely was–and no shame, there, either, so the na'delm had discovered. The lover's clan was above reproach; their melant'i impeccable. Which is doubtless why they had sent the child to Serat.

  All that to the side, the na'delm spent an informative and pleasant hour with his young cousin in the gardens, parted with him amicably at the staff's entrance to the kitchens, and went immediately to seek out his father and his delm.

  Serat was in the informal parlor, reading the sporting news. He looked up sharply as the na'delm entered, and put the paper aside.

  "Well, sirrah? And how have you busied yourself your first day at home in the fullness of your melant'i?"

  The na'delm paused at the wine table, poured two glasses of the canary, and brought them with him to the window nook where his father sat.

  He placed one glass on the small table by his father's hand, and kept the other with him as he settled into the chair opposite.

  "I busied myself by meeting with our qe'andra, so that I might better know how Serat is fixed–which very duty you gave to me, Father, so do not stare daggers."

  "Eh. And how are we fixed?" Serat asked, picking up his glass and sipping.

  "Well enough, so Mr. dea'Bon tells me, though we are not perhaps expanding as well as we might do to maintain our own health."

  "dea'Bon's been singing that song since the day I put on Serat's Ring," his father said sourly. "There is no harm in being conservative."

  "Indeed, no," the na'delm agreed, "though there may well be harm in allowing ourselves to ossify."

  "Pah."

  "But that," the na'delm said, "is something for us to discuss at our business meeting tomorrow." He sipped his wine.

  "After the qe'andra, I spent a very pleasant hour in the garden, becoming acquainted with my cousin, your nephew."

  "So you wasted an hour which ought better to have been used in the service of the clan?"

  "Not at all," the na'delm said, calmly.

  It was too bad that he had found his father in one of his distempers, but, truly said, it was more and more difficult to find him elsewise. He sipped his wine, leaned to put the glass on the table, and settled again into the chair.

  "The boy is one of Serat's assets, after all, Father, and you did charge me to learn how we are fixed." He paused; his father said nothing.

  "So. I find that we are fortunate in our asset," he continued, taking care not to speak the lad's name, which would surely send his father into alt. "He is a bright lad, who has been well-taught, and who has thought about his lessons. His manners are very pretty, and his person pleases. His nature appears to be happy, and generous. Staff is devoted to him. He's young, of course, but after some finishing at a school, and a bit of society polish, I believe he will do the clan proud in the matter of alliance and –"

  "Send him away!"

  The na'delm blinked out of his rosy picture of the future to find his father bent stiffly forward, imperiling both glasses and table, his face rigid with anger.

  "I beg you pardon?" he said, startled by this sudden change of temper. "Will you have him gone to school, sir?"

  "Yes–to school, or to the devil! Staff devoted to him, is it? Scheming get! I know his game; haven't I seen it played before? Get the staff cozy in his hand, turn them against us. He thinks I don't suspect? No–send him away! He will not subvert our house with his schemes!"

  The na'delm–stared. Then, he reached across the table, took up his wine glass and drank the contents in a single swallow.

  "Father. . .you do comprehend that we are discussing a boy barely halfling? There is not the least bit of subterfuge. The staff love him because, frankly, sir, they have had the raising of him, and it pleases them to see him do well. If you would bring him closer to us–have the lad at the table for Prime, for the gods' love! He's too old to dine in the nursery, and he would be glad of the company. If he has fallen into error, you might teach him better."

  "There's no teaching those born to deceit," Serat stated with the air of making a quote, though from which play, the na'delm could not have said. "Send him away, do you hear me? I want him out of this house by the end of the relumma."

  "But, Father –"

  Serat stood and glared down at him.

  "You've done a valuable service to the house this day, worthy of a na'delm! You have found the plot before it came to fruition. We may act–we must act! See to it."

  And with that, he turned and left the room, leaving the na'delm gaping in his wake.

  * * *

  "School?" Don Eyr said, frowning slightly at Mr. dea'Bon.

  "Indeed, young sir. The clan would see you properly educated. The choice of institution has been left for you and I to determine between us. Now, I have here on the screen a file of catalogs, sorted by primary studies. Please sit here and examine them while I pursue my other work on behalf of the House. When Mr. pak'Epron brings us our tea, we shall talk about what you have discovered.

  "Is this agreeable to you?"

  School, thought Don Eyr, with a quickening of interest. Mrs. ban'Teli had spoken about schools–famous schools on far-away planets.

  "Yes, sir," he said to Mr. dea'Bon. "Thank you."

  "There is no need to thank me, young sir. It is my pleasure to serve you."

  With that, the elder gentleman moved over to the big desk and the 'counts books. Don Eyr sat at the side table and considered the catalog file. Arranged by course of study. He extended a hand, and scrolled down the list, until he came to Culinary.

  He opened that catalog and took a moment to consider, eyes half-closed, attention focused inward.

  Mrs. ban'Teli had spoken of many schools, as he remembered–several of them with respect.

  But she had spoken of one with reverence.

  #

  "I see," Mr. dea'Bon said, when he was presented with the list of one school which Don Eyr felt he would wish to attend.

  "This is a very challenging choice," he continued, with a glance at the boy's bright face. "I wonder if you have considered all of these challenges."

  "It is off-world," Don Eyr said, "so I will of course be obliged to live at school, and will not be able to help with the House's baking. But you know, Mrs. ban'Teli said to me just recently that she has been baking bread since before I was born, so I suspect she can train another boy very handily."

  Mr. dea'Bon blinked, and inclined his head gravely.

  "Just so. It is very nice in you, and proper, too, to think of the House first. However, I had been thinking that, in addition to going off-world to live at school, you will be required to acquire a new language–not merely Trade or even Terran–but the local planetary language. All of the classes are taught in that tongue."

  "Yes," said Don Eyr, apparently not put off in the least by the prospect of not only learning a new language, but hearing nothing else from the time he rose until the time he sought his bed, every day for. . .years.

  "My tutor says that I have a good ear for languages," the boy added, perhaps sensing Mr. dea'Bon's reservations. "He also says that I have been very quick learning Terran."

  Mr. dea'Bon blinked again, thinking of Delm Serat, his inclinations, and stated opinions regarding off-worlders of any kind, and most especially Terrans.

  "Your tutor has been teaching you Terran? " he asked, and did not add, "Does your uncle know?"

  "He is, indeed. Terran is spoken by a great many people living off-world, and, as my mother was sent off-world to mind the clan's interests, my tutor says the same may be required of me, so that it is only prudent to learn."

  "I see. Well, then, you foresee no difficulties in learning yet another tongue. You realize, of course, that you will be alone, with neither clan o
r kin to support you –" Not that he had such support in any wise, but one could scarcely name Mrs. ban'Teli in a discussion of this sort.

  "Yes, I am aware. But there will be other students, after all, and the instructors, so I won't be alone."

  "Quite," said Mr. dea'Bon once more, and played his last ace.

  "Let us suppose that you will be accepted into this. . .ah–Ècole de Cuisine. You will have one semester to prove yourself. If you fail to be the sort of student the Institute expects, you will be sent back home."

  He tapped the list of one.

  "You have made no provision for a back-up," he said. "Your delm has made it clear that you will be going to school. Therefore, in respect of his wishes, you must chose at least two more schools to which you will apply."

  The boy stilled; his smile faded–and returned.

  "Yes, of course," he said. "A moment only, sir, of your goodness."

  He leaned over the catalog, tapped two keys, and leaned back.

  Mr. dea'Bon looked at the names of two more institutes of baking, and allowed that the rules of the game had been followed.

  "That is well," he said. "Now, you will be required, also, to comport yourself as a Liaden gentleman, upholding the melant'i of Clan Serat. It will therefore be necessary for you to learn the Code and other necessary subjects, in addition to the coursework required by the school. Your tutor will work with you to build those study modules."

  He paused; Don Eyr bowed.

  "I understand," he said.

  Mr. dea'Bon did not sigh.

  "That is well, then. If you permit, I will ask my heir to assist you in filing your applications."

  "That is very kind in you, sir," Don Eyr said. "My thanks."

  TWO

  Lutetia

  Captain Benoit of the Lutetia City Watch was bored. Society parties as a class tended to be stifling on several levels. Captain Benoit preferred the night beat in the city. Best was the the university district, where she could feel the cool damp breeze from the river against her face as she walked. But, truly, any of the city beats–the outside city beats–were preferable to standing against the wall like a suit of armor, to insure that Councilor Gargon's guests didn't stab each other–literally–or steal the silver, or–the worst fault of all–injure the Councilor's feelings.