Colemenoport
Wayfarer
The luncheon meeting had gone well. No one had demanded to know if the master trader was feeling quite himself, or suggested that, perhaps, Trader yos’Galan was, just a bit . . . inexperienced. Indeed, everyone behaved as if the entire preposterous undertaking was quite in the usual way, Trader yos’Galan entirely capable, and themselves perfectly satisfied with the new arrangements.
After the meeting, Padi went to her room to speak with Lady Selph.
Dowager on knee, Padi related the story of the norbear guardian, his two charges, and their deplorable kin. She had the sense that Lady Selph absorbed this history with great seriousness, and was inclined to the cause of the other norbear.
“The norbear’s name is Eet,” Padi finished, handing Lady Selph a slice of fruit. “Tekelia particularly hoped that you would be willing to speak with him.”
Lady Selph indicated that she would be pleased to do so.
“Well, but there is this other thing,” Padi said apologetically. “Father and Priscilla are returning to the Passage this evening. They know that you are lonely, a little, away from your cuddle, and they have offered to take you with them. Of course I will miss—”
Lady Selph harrumphed—at least Padi heard something very like “harrumph” inside her head.
“Do I take that to mean you would rather stay?” she asked humbly.
Lady Selph allowed it to be known that this was so. Padi obviously needed her. Also, she was interested in getting to know Tekelia better. As for Eet the norbear—it could very well be that he would benefit from shared dreaming, and she therefore professed her willingness to travel to his location.
“Tekelia will be pleased to bring Eet to you,” Padi told her, trying not to think of Lady Selph escaping onto Colemeno.
Lady Selph gave as her opinion that Tekelia was an excellent person. Further, she was pleased to find that Padi thought so, as well.
An image of a broad red ribbon formed in the place in her head where norbear communication happened. Bright and brash, it was threaded through a tapestry already bold with color, and rich with associations. Lady Selph’s admiration of the red ribbon expressed itself in a purr.
Padi blinked, and leaned slightly forward, as if that would help her see more clearly.
“I—is that me?” she asked, remembering how she had Seen Vanz’s pattern, in Healspace.
Lady Selph admitted that it was, indeed, her, and much more pleasing than previously. When Padi yos’Galan had first caught the attention of Lady Selph’s cuddle in the pet library, her pattern had been unsettling—there came a flash behind Padi’s eyes, of the same brilliant tapestry, but constricted, whole sections knotted up with iron-grey thread, and the rest beginning to show signs of pulling—of unraveling.
Padi caught her breath.
“As bad as that?” she murmured, and felt Lady Selph pat her wrist.
She was given to know that Padi yos’Galan was well on her way to becoming a properly integrated person, and that Lady Selph trusted that she would continue to improve herself, so that one day she might also teach.
That did seem . . . unlikely, Padi thought, and caught the impression of a sniff from Lady Selph.
Padi grinned.
“If you will return to your residence,” she said formally, “I will let Father know that you have decided to stay, in an advisory capacity.”
Lady Selph allowed herself to be placed on the approach to her abode, and ambled back within. Padi pressed the lock, and got up to give Father Lady Selph’s decision.
* * *
“Hello, Padi,” Priscilla said, looking up from the screen in the common room. “Looking for Shan?”
“In fact, I am—” Padi changed course, to perch on the chair at Priscilla’s right. “Is he engaged?”
“He’s resting,” Priscilla said. “Is it something I can help with?”
“Yes. I’ve spoken with Lady Selph. She’s decided to remain here, to advise Eet the norbear, and to flirt with Tekelia.”
“That sounds like an enjoyable curriculum,” Priscilla murmured, reaching to her screen and tapping it twice before she turned in her chair to face Padi. “I could almost be persuaded to stay, myself.”
“Only then Father wouldn’t go to the Passage,” Padi said. “This is about getting Father to the Passage, isn’t it?”
“It’s about getting your father a medical check-up, yes,” Priscilla said, unperturbed. “It’s fortunate that he gave me a bargaining chip.”
Padi laughed.
“Has he realized that?”
Priscilla raised her eyebrows.
“He is a master trader.”
Padi blinked.
“That’s disturbing.”
“I’d say prudent, myself. He does have a good understanding of his faults.”
Padi laughed.
Priscilla tipped her head, and gave Padi one of those narrowed glances that meant she was looking beyond the physical world.
“May I be insufferably rude?” she asked.
“I’d like to see that,” Padi said with a grin.
“I’ll take that as a yes. I See that you’ve acquired a bright new connection, which is already rude, you know. I might not be able to help Seeing it, but mentioning it without having permission to Look isn’t done.”
“Lina gave me that lesson,” Padi said. “By coincidence, Lady Selph just showed me my . . . my life-tapestry, with the red ribbon woven in. I’ll prevent you from committing another rudeness by telling you it’s a token from Tekelia. Lady Selph approves, but, then, she’s sweet on Tekelia.”
“Lady Selph is an excellent judge of character,” Priscilla said. “Now, I’ll tell you that this ribbon puzzles me. It’s connected to your core—I mean to say that it’s an integral part of you. It doesn’t seem to be a lifemating, but I’ll admit that it’s difficult for me to See clearly here. I wonder if you’d tell me what it is.”
Padi stared at her for a long moment, during which she felt a whisper of affection, and received the suggestion that Tekelia might come to her.
She did not do anything so gross as say, “No,” but merely let it be known, as Lady Selph might do, that she was well enough.
“Padi?”
She took a breath.
“We went to the Ribbon Dance,” she said slowly. “In retrospect, I was likely what is known locally as Ribbon-drunk. I rose into the air, the better to be among the ambient. From there, I asked Tekelia to dance with me, and offered a ribbon—”
She paused, frowning, seeing the moment again, and feeling her Gift warm.
“I believe that the ribbon I offered was—me. Of me.” She moved a hand, impatiently. “Lavender. Tekelia offered a ribbon in turn—crimson, as you See—asking if I would dance.”
She raised her eyes to meet Priscilla’s warm, dark gaze.
“We each accepted the other’s ribbon, and—we danced.”
Priscilla nodded, but said nothing.
Padi sighed.
“We’re—there’s an—awareness. Not unpleasant, or intrusive. Something like talking with a norbear.” She smiled suddenly. “Only not as bossy.”
Priscilla laughed.
“I understand that you’ve made a formal connection with Tekelia,” she said.
“And you’ll tell Father so?” Padi asked shrewdly.
“Of course,” Priscilla said serenely.
“I will find out how formal,” Padi said. “It—didn’t occur to me to ask, last evening.”
“Who thinks of such things in the middle of a party?” Priscilla asked, and tipped her head. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
“Do you know?” Padi said. “I think that I would.”