Due Diligence Read online

  Er Thom flew after him, every bit as nimble, and vanished on the far side of the Tree.

  She felt it then–say it was a small flutter in the air, or a puff of pleasure at seeing an old friend. She turned her head so that she could see the path, and here he came, tall, and lean, and. . .somewhat less wolfish when first she had seen him.

  The leather jacket hugged shoulders that had filled out; shoulders that wore the easy weights of success and satisfaction. The dark hair was tidy, if still over-long; the face fuller at cheek and jaw.

  He raised a hand as he left the path. She smiled and moved the unread papers beneath the bench.

  "Fer Gun," she said. "Well-met."

  "Well-met," he answered and settled next to her with the ease of an old friend. "We came in early and I thought I'd call before we're swamped tomorrow with business."

  "Is Karil with you?" she asked, already knowing that she was not.

  "Not today, though she hopes to see you before we lift again," he said, and turned his head sharply at the whoop from behind the Tree and the sudden appearance of two small bodies, running flat out toward the rose bank again.

  "They're in fine fettle," Fer Gun said, and gave her a sideways glance. "I do regret that mode, you know. There was no reason he should look like me when he had you as a model."

  "Well, there is something to be said for contrariness," she said comfortably. "It's a family trait, after all."

  His wide mouth softened into a smile, and he leaned back as Daav flung his arms out, shouted, "Zooooom!" and banked hard, only brushing the flowers, and flew back toward the tree, trailing rose petals.

  "Here's a bit of news you'll enjoy," Fer Gun said. "We were approached by Telrune regarding an accounting owed the clan."

  "Were you? How did that go?"

  He moved his shoulders.

  "Karil sent a copy of our incorporation as a Family, and the contact information for our qe'andra."

  Another slight shrug.

  "We received in return a rather curt letter stating that it would have been good form, had I contacted Telrune to formally sever my connection with the clan. I'm properly put into my place."

  Chi laughed.

  "I see that you are. And the children?"

  "Telrune has no claim on our children," Fer Gun said sternly. His voice softened as he added, "If they tried to lay such a claim, they would have to go through Karil."

  "Daunting, for bolder hearts than Telrune, if I may be forgiven for speaking so of your clan."

  "Not my clan, haven't you been listening? We're Family Uldra-Joenz, incorporated on Fetzer's World."

  "Fer Gun!" a young voice yelled, and here came Daav pelting across the grass, Er Thom a fleet shadow at his side.

  Fer Gun came to his feet in a rush, swooping the lean body up, spinning as he held the boy over his head.

  Daav shouted with laughter, and collapsed flat on his back in the grass when he was let down so Er Thom could have his turn.

  "Well, my sons," said Chi, when the merriment had somewhat abated. "I believe it is time the two of you bowed to the necessity of baths, and study. You may join me for Prime on the east patio, unless you have other obligations."

  "We have no other obligations," Er Thom said gravely. "Thank you, Mother."

  "Will Fer Gun stay for Prime?" Daav wanted to know.

  "Not today," Fer Gun answered. "Maybe your mother won't be too busy to have me and my lady back, sometime before we're set to lift again."

  "We will arrange a time," Chi said, standing, and waving the boys toward the path. "Make your bows, now."

  They did, very prettily, if briefly, before breaking to race for the path.

  "Bathe!" Chi called after them, and bent to retrieve her paperwork.

  "I don't know," Fer Gun said, as they followed the boys at a more sedate pace; "if I ever properly thanked you for all of the good things you brought into my life. In fact, you saved my life." He paused, and took a breath, before meeting her eyes.

  "I don't know that there is any proper thanks for such gifts. Notice that I say gifts, because there is no hope I can bring us into Balance."

  There came a shriek of laughter from the path ahead, and he raised his eyebrows.

  Chi smiled.

  "We are perfectly in Balance, my friend," tucking her hand into his arm and increasing their leisurely pace somewhat.

  "Let us speak no more about it."

  –end–

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  About This Book

  It is a fact little known that Lee and Miller do not write every story that occurs to them. In order to be written, stories must have staying power. They must, in a word, put themselves forward and continue to do so until one or the other–or both–of us throw up our hands in surrender and say, "All right–all right! If we write you will you leave us in peace?"

  We first talked about a writing a story that was kinda, sorta like "Due Diligence," oh. . .back in, oh, 2008, when we were getting Fledgling ready to submit to Baen. We jotted it down as a possible, but. . .it just didn't put itself forward, and in the way of such things, we forgot about it.

  It, however, did not forget about us.

  Oh, no. It sat back, and bided its time, and grew deeper and wider and more complex, until, suddenly, at the most inconvenient time possible–as we were gearing up to write the last book in a five book arc–it hurled itself across the highway of creative thought, completely blocking both lanes, and yelled:

  "WRITE ME NOW!"

  Now, we know what you're going to say. You're going to say, "I'm not seeing an or-else here. It's a story–no, wait; it's not even a story; it's an idea for a story! It's nothing until you guys write it; and it's got nothing."

  And that's where you'd be wrong.

  The one thing that this story–this proto-story can do in order to be certain that its demands are met?

  Is to just lie there in the middle of the highway of creative thought, and. . .

  . . .be in the way.

  Story-stuff is sticky.

  You can't go through it without getting it all over yourself.

  Story-stuff is infinitely expandable.

  You can't go around it.

  You can move it, but the way you move story-stuff?

  Is to write it.

  . . .so that's what we did–and here you have it.

  We hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as we, eventually, enjoyed writing it.

  Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

  Cat Farm and Confusion Factory

  Winslow, Maine

  July 11, 2017

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Maine-based writers Sharon Lee and Steve Miller teamed up in the late 1980s to bring the world the story of Kinzel, an inept wizard with a love of cats, a thirst for justice, and a staff of true power. Since then, the husband-and-wife have written dozens of short stories and twenty plus novels, most set in their star-spanning, nationally-bestselling, Liaden Universe®.

  Before settling down to the serene and stable life of a science fiction and fantasy writer, Steve was a traveling poet, a rock-band reviewer, reporter, and editor of a string of community newspapers.

  Sharon, less adventurous, has been an advertising copywriter, copy editor on night-side news at a small city newspaper, reporter, photographer, and book reviewer.

  Both credit their newspaper experiences with teaching them the finer points of collaboration.

  Steve and Sharon are jointly the recipients of the E. E. "Doc" Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction (the Skylark), one of the oldest awards in science fiction. In addition, their work has won the much-coveted Prism Award (Mouse and Dragon and Local Custom), as well as the Hal Clement Award for Best Young Adult Science Fiction (Balance of Trade).

  Sharon and Steve passionately believe tha
t reading fiction ought to be fun, and that stories are entertainment. Steve and Sharon maintain a web presence at http://korval.com/

  NOVELS BY SHARON LEE AND STEVE MILLER

  The Liaden Universe®

  Fledgling

  Saltation

  Mouse and Dragon

  Ghost Ship

  Dragon Ship

  Necessity’s Child

  Trade Secret

  Dragon in Exile

  Alliance of Equals

  The Gathering Edge

  Neogenesis

  Omnibus Editions

  The Dragon Variation

  The Agent Gambit

  Korval’s Game

  The Crystal Variation

  Story Collections

  A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 1

  A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 2

  A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 3

  The Fey Duology

  Duainfey

  Longeye

  Gem ser'Edreth

  The Tomorrow Log

  by Sharon Lee

  Carousel Tides

  Carousel Sun

  Carousel Seas

  THANK YOU

  Thank you for your support of our work.

  Sharon Lee and Steve Miller