Havemercy. Part 14

aDonat worry,a I told him. aIave not had that problem yet.a He laughed, and for what I felt was the first time turned away from the window to look at me and not the city. I felt the same as I always did when confronted with his complete attention, frightened and selfish all at once, as though I didnat want it, yet couldnat bear to lose it.

aHal,a he said, anow that we are speeding toward the city with all alacrity, there are some things that may become . . . much simpler, given Thremedonas relative tolerance, and what may or may not be done without igniting the fury of oneas own brother and his shrewish wife.a Despite all the rules Iad set down for my own best interests, I felt something excited twist within my stomach. aOh?a I managed.

All I could see of him then was his stark profile, framed in shadows and by the carriage window, and completely unreadable.

The trouble with Royston was that, for all the words he knew, he so rarely managed to employ them properly. They got in the way of what he wanted to say rather than aiding him. I was left next to him in the carriage, jostled with every b.u.mp beneath us, watching his face eagerly for some hint as to his deeper meaninga"or rather, for some hint as to what he wanted.

It was as though he didnat know I would gladly offer it. It was as though he didnat know I already had.

aWhat I mean to say,a Royston said, picking his words very carefully, ais that my invitation is not necessarily a shrewd business proposal, in need though I am of an a.s.sistant, nor is it solely academic, delighted though I am at the prospect of a student. That is . . .a I hesitated, then reached out to cover his hand with one of my own. It was difficult to swallow, as though my collar were b.u.t.toned too tightly, but now that I had taken Roystonas hand with my own I could hardly move, much less to do anything so mundane as check the clasps at my throat.

aWhat you mean to say is that the city is nothing at all like the country,a I supplied, nerves making me cheeky, aand more than nomenclature alone separates them so distinctly.a Royston turned to me at that, at last, some measure of amus.e.m.e.nt and surprise in his eyes.

aSomething to that effect,a he agreed. aThremedon requires a certain amount of charades, it is true, but nothing so complicated as the tragicomic scenes we enacted in my brotheras house.a I thought of his discomfort in the boathouse, his excuses in the pantry, how well head played his part. I thought of how educated he was and how much he had seen in comparison to my limited scope. Royston was a Margrave of the Esar; I had been a tutor to the reluctant, boisterous children of a country estate. There was a great deal for me to feel awkward about and a great deal to separate us, but right then all I could think was that we were heading away from the country, and there was only half a carriage seatas width between us.

A rush of giddiness at what lay before mea"before usa"flooded me. Royston was just about to say something further, some clarification that would no doubt have been even more convoluted, when I put my hands against the sides of his face and kissed him.

I would have liked for it to be less awkward than the first, when my elbows almost knocked over the cinnamon and I nearly thrust him backward into an open bag of flour. It wasnat. At that very moment the carriage hit a b.u.mp and our teeth sc.r.a.ped; our noses banged. I was ready enough to pull away, humiliated and blus.h.i.+ng fiercely, just like the first time.

Only then Roystonas fingers were in my hair, his palm against my throat.

He was better at this than I was.

I should have felt ashamed, or even more nervous; I should have frozen where I was, for all Iad been thinking about this since Iad tried and failed the first time. Instead, I scrambled forward, clutching at Roystonas shoulders against the jostling of the carriage. His left knee knocked against my right.

If this was what Thremedon promised, then I was glad to have left the country, for all my littler fears. How had I failed to know all this time what Iad been stifling, and, in turn, how Iad been stifled?

It took me too long to notice Roystonas hand moving from my throat to my shoulder, until I realized all at once with a sudden punch of disappointment that he was encouraging me to stop, or, at least, to pause.

aHal,a he said gently. I let my cheek remain pressed next to his for a few seconds longer before I allowed myself to move away. And still we were much closer than we might have been, so that I was distracted even by the smell of him.

I let out a long, unsteady breath. aYes?a aThremedonas allowances aside,a Royston said carefully, aI would like it very much if we might refrain from . . . rus.h.i.+ng into anything. Recently, I have had a great many rushed and ultimately disastrous liaisons, and you . . .a He paused for a moment, to turn his face against my hair; I thought, from the deep breath he drew in, he might have been doing the same as I wasa"savoring the moment. His words disappointed me but, I found, they did not surprise me. When I thought of the rumors surrounding the Arlemagne prince and Roystonas reason for leaving the city in the first place, it wasnat only jealousy I felt, but a deep protectiveness, as though Royston were in some ways my ward. It was little wonder he was so reticent now.

aI see,a I said, just as carefully.

aMore than that,a Royston continued. aHal, you have never been beyond Nevers, and I am only a small piece of a very large city. There is a great deal more for you to see before youa"Before you make any decisions.a It would do no good to protest, or to argue with Roystonas meticulous, if somewhat faulty, logic. At present, he was pinching the bridge of his nose as though the headache that had been plaguing him for some time now had returned. This time, however, when I felt the urge to run my fingers against the few gray hairs at his temple, I did.

As my father used to say, you canat ask the summer flowers to bloom in the spring. This would be a different sort of hesitation, and I was willing to waita"long enough, at least, to prove to him that my exodus from the countryside was more about following him than anything else.

aAll right,a I said.

Royston leaned into the light touch of my fingers at his temple. aThank you,a he replied.

After what seemed like an agea"though it was surely my own impatience that made it soa"the city rose into view, nestled back against the land as if she were reclining, crowned with proud towers in the Esaras own colors.

There was another building farther off, built in the same style as the palace but with many more towers, and the swirling domes that topped them seemed to come alive, s.h.i.+mmering in the sunlight.

Royston rested a hand against my shoulder, leaning over to look out the window as well.

aThatas the Basquiat,a he said, and his voice held a low note of wonder that Iad scarcely heard before.

Iad never considered myself a jealous person before, but the look I saw on Roystonas face when he spoke of Thremedon was enough to stir something decidedly wistful and selfish inside me.

aOh,a I said only. aWell, itas very nice.a He moved his hand down my shoulder to lace his fingers through mine. I felt rea.s.sured, even if I was still nervous.

aIt is even nicer,a he said, afrom up close.a I didnat have the privilege of seeing the Basquiat that day, and on the next the invitation arrived.

There was only one, as the Esar had no reason to know or even care about a country boy barely into manhood, but Royston insisted I accompany him to the tailoras anyway, disappearing during my fitting and returning with triumph flas.h.i.+ng in his eyes and a real, embossed invitation on stiff white paper. Even as he handed it to me, he refused to say where or how head come into possession of it, but it was the first intimation I had that Royston was a man with considerable power in the city. It wasnat any wonder head hated the country and his place in it.

High collars, it appeared, hadnat gone out of style during Roystonas absence from the city, and mine was clasped against my throat with some strange silver-laced thread.

The moment my clothes were sewn into place, we were hurrying into yet another carriage before I could get a satisfactory answer out of Royston as to what, exactly, I was expected to do at a ball, and what did he mean dance?

It was all I could do not to stroke the plush fabric of my jacket when we stepped out together onto the main walk. It led narrowly to the palace, lit on both sides with countless flickering paper lanterns on high black stands. Before us was the palace itself, brighter than the sun; I had to resist the urge to s.h.i.+eld my eyes against the sight of it.

Iad thought before that Royston had been going somewhat overboard by spoiling me with such finery, but as we mixed in with the other guests, I saw that Iad been quite mistaken. The truth of the matter was, Royston had actually been rather restrained in recommending solid blues for me.

Royston himself was dressed all in black, with gold detailing over his jacket and in a single stripe down the length of his trousers.

I hesitated when we came to the door, but he took my hand, entwining my gloved fingers with his own.

The main doors of the palace opened directly onto a balcony above the ballroom, which was so enormous that I felt certain it would have fit the entirety of Castle Nevers with room to spare. High tables had been arranged to overlook the floor on a more complicated set of balconies below the entranceway, where the n.o.blesse sat drinking and eating all manner of very tiny foods.

The very best wine, Royston said to me in an undertone as we crossed the room, was made by the Ke-Han, and it was dark and red as blood.

I wondered if it been taken as the spoils of battle, for all Iad heard since Iad arrived in the city was how the war was almost certainly over, and how the Dragon Corps had a.s.sured us a swift and total victory. I didnat understand why Royston had been called back at all, if that was the case, but I didnat want to expose my ignorance to the people of the city so immediately. Surely, if they said the war was close to an enda"and if the opinion was shared by a man as great as the Esara"then that was the truth of the matter. I couldnat bring myself to ask Royston what his opinion was, but I privately cherished the idea that he might not have to go away to war at all, however foolish that was.

Above the floor, at the very center of the ceiling, hung an enormous, three-tiered chandeliera"not unlike an upside-down approximation of Thremedon, made all in crystal and spun gold. Its light illuminated the dancers with perfect clarity, and yet left many shadowy places in the corners where a person might hide.

I lost count of how many times I was introduced to complete strangers as we descended the steps halfway to the second-tier balconies, where the n.o.blesse stood together talking, both men and women hiding their laughter elegantly behind lace fans. There were people staring at us, I realized. Or to be more accurate, they were staring at Royston.

aI didnat think head ever come back,a a lady to my right whispered to her keen-eyed companion.

aI didnat think head ever be asked back,a said a man dressed all in blue. He wore a mask over one side of his face.

aNever mind the Margrave,a murmured the lady next to him. aHave you seen who came in after them? Itas Caius Greylace! Iad have sworn up and down that the Esar would have abdicated his throne before he asked him back to court. And without any grand incident, either!a aPerhaps itas for our grand victory,a the masked man replied, in a tone that revealed he was delighted to show off his knowledge of the proceedings. aThe Esar wants this victory to be decisive. That, and he wants it to be as flamboyant as possible.a The lady struck him on the shoulder with her fan, and I felt Roystonas hand underneath my elbow, drawing me away from the whispering clutches to make further introductions. I didnat ask if head heard the people gossiping. Surely, if he had, then he had his own reasons for ignoring it. If he hadnat, then there was no need to upset him by drawing attention to it.

After that, I had little time to think about it, as I became lost among the sea of faces that Royston propelled me through. He introduced me to everyone, as though I belonged there just the same as they did. Amidst the complicated names of the Margraves and the velikaia, my own name seemed to retreat to one of the many small, dark shadows.

I wished very much to be able to follow it.

I knewa"despite my valiant efforts to sit still in the elegant, wing-backed chair next to Royston and listen as his friends discussed political matters, the state of the Basquiat, and a great many other subjects I had no way of understandinga"that I no more belonged here than did a sheep from the country.

Royston pointed out certain people of note as they entered and were announced, warning me away from some and gossiping about others.

aAnd those,a he said at last, sitting forward somewhat in his chair, aare the airmen of the Esaras Dragon Corps.a I sat up with interest, curious to see the men who had featured so often in the romans Iad read that they were almost like legends themselves.

They were very striking indeed, dressed all in uniform save for a man in green who stood with them at the rear. He had a look of forced calm that I knew meant he was in fact frightfully uncomfortable, and I felt an immediate kins.h.i.+p with him. We were in the same dire straits, and I wished there was some way I could inform him there was at least some company for his suffering.

The airmen filtered through the crowd like royal-blue water, dispersing like rain through the cracks of pavement, though they werenat any the less noticeable while separated than when they were together. Every now and then I would catch sight of a gold epaulette or a dark blue jacket moving through the crowda"the chandelier light glinting off a silver b.u.t.tona"and I knew who it must be before I even turned my head to get a closer look at him.

There was one who was especially striking. He wore his blue-streaked golden hair braided and loose around his face. When the corps split up, the crowd surrounding that particular airman seemed largely female, and the man in green was left standing alone.

aThe man in green,a a pale woman murmured to her escort. aWho do you suppose he is?a aNot one of their escorts, Iam sure,a the man replied, with an expression that made me rather uncomfortable.

aI a.s.sume itas the poor soul the Esar a.s.signed to nanny them,a Royston replied, stifling a yawn with one hand. aDonat you think? He looks very much like a aVersity student.a aI canat imagine why heas been invited,a said another woman at our table. She fanned herself wearily, though I saw her crane her neck to follow the movements of the poor man in green. aHe seems rather . . . young, donat you agree?a aWell,a said the first woman, ait wasnat a real punishment, was it?a Everyone dissolved into laughter, even Royston, who chuckled politely for a moment, then returned to watching the man in green with a keener interest than the rest.

I took my leave to visit the bathroom sometime later on, when various members of the Basquiat and Royston started in on a discussion about the war. No one else seemed to think it strange, their having won so abruptly when as far as I knew the raids had only just begun again. Once or twice Royston frowned, as though he didnat entirely like the direction the conversation was taking, but since he was quite capable of turning the tides of an entire discussion on his own, I didnat think he would miss me. I could be brave in the kind of way that got me through a fancy city ball, I thought, and I could be brave in a way that allowed me to accept the eventuality of Royston going away to wara"if indeed it lasted that longa"but I could not be the two kinds of brave at once.

As soon as Iad resigned myself to this, my newest problem was trying to avoid becoming hopelessly lost once Iad left the ballroom. It was not as difficult as Iad feared, as there seemed to be many servants scattered throughout the halls for specifically this purpose. That they didnat seem all that keen on speaking to me was only a small detail, but I was nevertheless very grateful when I finally opened the correct door.

aOh,a said someone, who was quite unexpectedly seated on the marble counter into which the porcelain was.h.i.+ng-sink was inlaid.

It was the man in green.

aIam sorry,a I said as he slid to the floor, smoothing the creases in his trousers. aI didnat realize there was anyone, ah, using the room.a aOh,a he said again, straightening up at once. aWell you see, Iama"Iam not so much using the room as I am hiding. In the room.a This seemed to me a perfectly reasonable thing to do, as it had been my plan exactly. He was braver than I, however, for being able to reveal his motives freely.

aI think that may also be why Iam here,a I admitted. aIam glad to see Iave come to the right place.a His smile indicated head been starved for basic kindness for a very long time, and my heart went out to him immediately. From what little Iad heard about the Dragon Corpsa"and if he was indeed the aVersity student whoad been set to the task of rehabilitating them for proper societya"then his life couldnat have been very easy of late. And now he found himself here, in this terrifying place, as foreign as if it werenat the center of our own Volstov capital. I didnat envy him his position.

aI havenat been here long,a he said cautiously, as if he expected to be caught out and ridiculed at any moment. aIn fact, I was just leavinga"a aYou neednat, not on my account,a I a.s.sured him. aI think it may be much more preferable to hide in the bathroom with someone than by myself. On my own it has a . . . more desperate air. Donat you agree?a He laughed hesitantly, but when head finished laughing the smile remained in his eyes, lighting up his entire face. aYes,a he agreed at length. aI suppose it does. Do you mind my askinga"it may be presumptuous of mea"but your accent seems to indicatea"a aIam from county Nevers,a I told him. In truth, I was glad to have the secret out. It was so obvious from the moment I opened my mouth that I might as well have been wearing a sign p.r.o.nouncing my country origins to the entire room.

aI thought so,a the man in green admitted. aThereas a certaina"That is, one of my professors was a specialist in the dialects.a aWas he?a I asked. aWhat did you study with him?a aThe provinces, mostly, and the regional influences of the old Ramanthe,a the man in green replied, a dreamy expression on his face. aWe barely touched upon Neversa"itas unorthodox teaching to go so far as the rivera"but in any case, this is probably all overwhelmingly dull for you, isnat it?a It wasnat, and I let him know it in no uncertain terms. aIave always wanted to study at the aVersity,a I added, almost shyly. It wasnat a dream I shared with many, but the man in green, I felt, would understand this desire. a Iam too old now, of course, buta"Was there really a cla.s.s like that?a aCountless cla.s.ses,a the man in green replied. aMariusa"Marius is my thesis advisora"often had to chastise me about spreading myself too thin by signing up for too many of them.a aOf course you did,a I replied. aAttending the aVersity is the only chance youall get to learn such things.a aExactly,a the man in green said. There was a momentary silence between usa"not entirely uncomfortablea"and then a sudden flush of embarra.s.sment came over him. aIam sorry,a he said, aI havenat introduced myself. Iam Thom. Iam here with the, ah, corps. Their reputation precedes them.a aIam Hal,a I replied. aItas rather a relief to meet you.a aYouare here with Mara"The Margrave,a Thom said quickly. There was a new blush on his cheeks, but I had to confess I was at a loss as to why. aMargrave . . .Royston. Yes, Margrave Royston. I saw you at his table.a It was my turn to blush. aYes,a I said. aHea"You know, Iam sure, thea"a aThe circ.u.mstances for his sojourn in the countryside?a Thom supplied for me kindly.

aYes,a I confirmed. aWell. I was to be the tutor at Castle Nevers.a aAnd now youare not.a aYes,a I said. aExactly that.a Thom leaned back against the marble wall, toying idly with his collar. It made me feel much better about the stiffness at my own throat, and I took this as my chance to loosen the clasp there somewhat and breathe deeply and properly for the first time in what felt like years. aItas been a dramatic year,a Thom said at last. aHasnat it?a aIt seems it has,a I replied. aIam not entirely . . . up on my Thremedon gossip, however.a aMy friend,a Thom informed me, aI believe you are in the midst of that about which everyone is gossiping.a aIam not sure thatas preferable,a I confided.

aNo,a he agreed. aNor am I.a aAre you the instructor to the Dragon Corps?a I began.

Thom nodded. aI have some manner or other of a t.i.tle, at this point,a he said. aBut all it means is that Iam supposed to teach the Dragon Corps to be respectful of others and to refrain from hara.s.sing every woman they meet, whether sheas a common Nellie or a diplomatas wife. I admit that itas a thankless job.a I couldnat help myself, and asked impulsively, aBut have you seen them? The dragons?a Something strange and unrecognizable pa.s.sed over Thomas face; it made him look rather more mysterious, darkening his eyes to the color of twin bruises. Rather than intimating some divine secret about the Dragon Corps, however, he simply said, aYes. Once. Not very close, though.a aAh,a I said. aThat was . . . rude of me, wasnat it? Iam sorry. Iam from Nevers, anda"a aBastion,a Thom swore wearily. aGoodness, please donat apologize. Youare the first person whoas actually talked to mea"I mean really talked to me, rather than cursed at me or told me I had a giant blue handprint on my face or beetles still in my haira"in months. It seems more like years, to be honest with you. Iam grateful for it.a I paused for a moment to consider this, and found I had to loosen my high, tight collar a second time. aIs it really that awful?a I asked companionably. aIam sorry. Iad no idea it could be that bad. After all, Iave only ever read about the Dragon Corps. Naturally,a I added, blus.h.i.+ng again, asince Iave been in Thremedon no more than two days.a aItas an experience,a Thom said dryly. aOne Iam sure Iall be grateful to have had one day in the very, very distant future, once I have fully recovered from all this experiencing.a We laughed together for a moment, a more friendly sound than the sparkling, t.i.ttering noises the n.o.blesse made behind their lacy fans.

aSurely it isnat all bad,a I said presumptuously. aI even thought perhapsa"But, no, thatas rather stupid of me. And silly.a aWhat?a Thom inquired, suddenly curious.

aNever mind,a I insisted. aIt really is unfounded. I donat know what I could possibly have been thinking to bring it up.a aCome,a Thom encouraged, aletas try to be honest with each other, shall we? Iam in need of some honesty. What was it you were going to say?a I struggled for a moment with the right way to phrase what I had in mind. At last, I formed my tentative words with the utmost care, certain that this was presuming too much familiarity. aI only thoughta"from the way he was looking at youa"the man in blue, with the braidsa"I only thought you might have been particular friendsa"a Thomas expression closed itself off to me at once, and I knew Iad committed a fatal blunder in our tentative acquaintances.h.i.+p. aWhy,a he said, voice a little too hard; I thought for a moment he might even have been on the verge of laughter, but it was a dreadful laugh that stifled itself in his throat, and one which made my stomach feel ice-cold. aWhy would you even think that?a I felt awful. I didnat know what it was that Iad said that had so offended him. If Iad known which way to turn once I made my escape, I would have fled the bathroom then and there, but it was necessary I right my own wrong and patch up the damage as best as I could. aIam so sorry,a I a.s.sured him. aPerhaps I was mistaken? I only thought I saw . . . but of course I didnat. Do you have . . . particular trouble with him? Was that why he was watching you?a There was a long and awkward silence, bristling unpleasantly between us. aHas he put you up to this?a Thom asked at last. aI wouldnat blame you; heas quite intimidating, and if he caught you while you were on your way here . . .a I realized at once that whatever Thom had been put through during his time with the Dragon Corps, it was beyond my ability to imagine. The man with the gold-and-blue braids certainly made a striking impression; the intensity Iad mistakenly thought of as collegiality might have been something much more sinister. I wondered if there was somethinga"anythinga"I could do for Thom, but we were no more than strangers exchanging our personal social inept.i.tudes in the bathroom of the Esaras palace. We didnat know each other at all beyond the barest of details and a kins.h.i.+p born of mutual anxiety.

I was a complete idiot.

aI havenat spoken to him at all,a I said, hoping head believe me. aIam not any good at lyinga"you can ask Royston, if youad like. Heall tell you just how awful at it I really am.a aThat wonat be necessary,a Thom said, his expression softening only somewhat. aYou reallya"You really thought you saw him, as you say, looking at me?a Perhaps it would have been better to lie about it, to a.s.suage his worries, but as Iad already told him, I was dreadful at lying and he would have seen through my attempts immediately. aI must have been mistaken. Iave nevera"a aPlease,a Thom said, voice polite but clipped, adonat feel the need to excuse yourself. Whatever you saw or didnat see, it doesnat really matter, does it? Doubtless he has something planned, and was keeping an eye on me to ensure hisa"Bastion! If youall excuse me, I really must bea"Good-bye.a Before I could apologize for my mistake, head left the room, the bathroom door closing loudly behind him. I winced at the sound it made, the echoes through the marble room, and sank back against one of the countless, floor-length mirrors. I began to realize just how naive I was, and to understand that I was no longer in the country, where a look meant nothing more than the obvious.

My first palace offense, I thought wretchedly, and I wished it had been someone who better deserved it.

ROOK.

All night long I was surrounded by ladies and their perfumes and their polished nails and their powdered b.r.e.a.s.t.s, some of them looking good enough to eat, decked out in their finest and all of them tripping over one another to dance with me. But I was too busy thinking about something else, against all better instincts and real stupid, and the more I thought about it the angrier I gota"especially seeing as how about fifteen minutes after we all arrived the crazy professor disappeared, and n.o.body seemed to notice he was missing. My guess was that head been called to report on us, or maybe head gone to drown himself in the bathroom before he had to admit to thaEsar that he had no idea in the world what in bastionas name he was doing. Either way, there was no reason to torture him by being rude on purpose to the women surrounding me like sharks scenting blood in the water if he wasnat there to see it and sweat about it, even if they were the reason I lost sight of him in the first place. After that business with Have, I was bursting with an excuse to give him trouble. Without him around to witness everyone seeing how head failed, I wasnat even in the mood to find some poor b.a.s.t.a.r.das brand-new wife and get her dancing in front of all the n.o.blesse in all their gossiping finery.

When the dancing finally started up for real about an hour later, I saw him again. He was one of the only people wearing greena"blue being in fas.h.i.+on these days and all because of our uniforms, despite thaEsaras colors being reda"and so it was easy to spot him through the crowd, even though he stuck to the shadows.

And there I was with my ideas of revenge banging around, and the women pressing close to me asking me to sign their cards for more dances than Iad signed away to the lady before. Even though I liked dancinga"and I did like it, not in the same way court dandies liked it for its stiff formality, but because when the music got wild, the women got breathlessa"I wasnat in the mood.

It was because of what Havead said about me and the professor being like two peas in a pod. I wasnat forgetting that anytime soon.

It was this nagging sensation thatad chased me around ever since wead gone up in the air together, like the tail end of a dream I could only half remember and needed the whole of for my own peace of mind. I guess it had something to do with how I really shouldnatave taken the professor along with me for a raid, how what me and Have did was private between the two of us, and how I couldnat fly a night afterward without thinking of him cursing like a gutter wh.o.r.e right in my ear, and me whooping up a storm and burning the Ke-Han as they scattered across the desert in the night. But most of all, I couldnat forget Haveas reaction to him. She didnat have any loyalty to anyone but me. But then Iad never gone riding with anyone else alongside neither. Whatever it was Iad donea"whatever my role in this horses.h.i.+t wasa"I didnat like it. And I knew who was going to pay for it, too, soon as I knew right where he was and I knew that he could see me.

My whole evening was just spent waiting for a chance to embarra.s.s him.

But you couldnat explain something like that to a lady, especially not the ravenous sort who frequented these b.a.l.l.s. I figured it was because theyad married n.o.ble husbands and had to wait for just such an event to dancea"or bettera"with a real man that they got so desperate. In any case, with the music going and my dance card full, I lost sight of the professor, skulking about in the shadows the way he was, like he knew he didnat belong here, neither.

In that way, I guess Have was right. I guess we were some kind of the same. The difference was in how we acted about it, and that was where I came out on top.

When I looked back head disappeared again, and just when Iad got it into my head what I was going to do with the redhead waving her lace handkerchief at me like a welcoming flag, too.

That was it, what sent my blood fizzing nice and warm and got my limbs all loose and hot like they were ready to hit someone or worse. I didnat much care about what the professor did one way or the other, but head spent all his time at our bunker loitering around like he thought he was too good to mix in proper with people, and now he was doing it here, too.

Some people didnat have any f.u.c.king idea about good manners.

I spun sharp with a pretty brunette whoad been batting her eyelashes at me since I arrived. She was small enough so I could see right over the top of her head, and right on the dip, there was the thin green silhouette of the professor disappearing behind the fancy curtains. I knew personal-like how thaEsar had rigged those curtains up special to hang over the entrances to the balconies for when his honored guests got a little too hot and bothered for being in the public eye. I also knew, just as personal-like, that this particular brunette was the daughter of one of thaEsaras favorites, some stuffed pigeon from the bastion who kept her trimmed like a cake in a bakery window but wouldnat let anyone inside the shop.

The professor had a kind of talent for hiding, if nothing else. When the music ended I took the brunette round the waist a little tighter even than when we were dancing, and she followed me just like that. We cut easy through the crowd with none of that sidling off to one side that most people did. If you were slow enough to trip up dancing couples, then you didnat deserve to be on the floor at all was my way of thinking, and I weaved in and out a bit, bobbing like it was a real good fight that demanded all my attention. Sometimes navigating the dance floor was pretty close to how it was flying Have.

Then, we were out. Back inside, the musicians kicked into a popular tune that usually made me want to smash someoneas head in, so it was just as well.

It was too late at night for the sky to be anything but perfect black, mottled with streaks of starlight here and there, and the filmy gray clouds that meant itad have been a perfect night for flying.

I could see the professor out of the corner of my eye like a shadow n.o.body wanted, hiding behind one of the long red curtains. He mustave snuck back there when he realized we were heading straight for him, and if he was gonna be no better than a coward, then my revenge was clear as day. It was easier than picking out the Ke-Han towers, and almost as satisfying.

aSo,a I said. aMagritte.a aIsobel,a the brunette corrected me.

aRight,a I said. aIsobel.a aItas all right,a she whispered, toying with her glove and pressing back against the railing. aTheyare very similar.a They werenat, and I figured, if anything, that kind of thing would p.i.s.s the professor off more than anything else. I took one of Isobel- Magritteas tight brown ringlets in one hand, curling it around a finger, but she didnat look up at me, just kept toying with her glove like it was the most fascinating thing shead ever seen. I hated it when women did that, but liked it a little, too. They did it on purpose, but only the right kind of lady could pull it off.

I could feel the professor watching me, green eyes burning disapproval into the back of my neck, but my hide was thicker than Haveas metal scales, and, since he was a aVersity student and all, he should have known that kind of thing wouldnat make one speck of difference with me.

Isobel was breathing a little quicklya"guess it had to do with her tight bodice and how fast Iad been spinning her out on the floora"and I dropped my hand without any warning, letting it hover above one of the fancy laces holding her bodice up that were in fas.h.i.+on this year, which made taking someone out on one of the balconies at thaEsaras celebrations pretty f.u.c.king complicated. By the time you got to anything, people were already gossiping about you behind their fans.

Itadave been even better if I could give the professor some kind of signala"like I knew he was there, like I was doing it all for him, just acause I coulda"but I didnat fancy getting slapped for all my troubles. This would have to do for now, and anyway, I could always let him know later Iad seen him there all along, make the look on his face even sweeter when I finally got to see it.

Isobel-Magritte had already turned her face up toward mine when I started kissing her good and deep and fierce, and I was just getting into it when the curtains s.h.i.+fted and the sound cut us off pretty quick. Stupid Nellie, I thought, and nearly swore, except Isobel-Magritte was scrabbling at me to get away because of her honor being compromised and all, and then the professor must have realized his game was up and decided to cut his losses before I knifed him for a spy.

Once all the smoke had cleared, and Isobel had cleared off for good, I was even angrier than before. My plan had all but backfired, except for the wary look in the professoras eyes and the flush on his cheeks, and I wasnat in the mood for taking any prisoners. Iad get even with him now or throw him over the f.u.c.king railing, no two ways about it.

aCouldnat take the show?a I asked, undoing the top b.u.t.ton on my collar.

The professor took a step away from me, disgust and something else mingling in his expression, and I guessed I could count that, at least, as a triumph that night. There was something in his eyes that I recognizeda"I guess it was kind of a look you got to be familiar with, growing up in Molly where you had to be stubborn and fierce just so no one took the idea that they could fleece you. It didnat look at all strange on his face, either, and suddenly what Have had been talking about hit me but hard. The little snot was a Mollyrat, same as me, defensive as he was about doing things right and knowing all them curse words besides. I had him figured out. He looked so prim and proper, I wanted to smack the aVersity out of him, only he was too stubborn for that, too. Just as quick as Iad figured him out, my plans for revenge changed.

aYouare disgusting,a he said. aDo you realize who she is? And sheas barely of age!a I shrugged, dangling my arms over the edge of the railing, all the while keeping a close watch. I was ready for him. He wasnat so smart as all that, and I was going to be the one to show him just how stupid he was.

aFigured youad be hiding away and p.i.s.sing yourself in the bathroom or something,a I said.

aI tried that,a he admitted bitterly, stiffening. aBut I was . . . interrupted.a I knew there was some kind of an insult in there somewhere, and I knew it was for me, but I was already too caught up and angry over everything that had already happened to go getting mad over something else altogether. Instead, I laughed, because the way he said it was just so offended. Interrupted: like it was another one of his fiddly rules of etiquette. Maybe he shouldave hung up a sign that read, aPlease refrain from using the bathrooms in which the f.u.c.king crazies are hiding.a I was surprised he hadnat tried to tack on a whole extra course in fancy court learning before wead all gone rus.h.i.+ng out the door, but then I remembered what Iad figured outa"that he was an urchin from the Mollyedge, probably no better than a Mollyrat and no better than me, and didnat know any better than us even if head wanted to.

All the balconies overlooked thaEsaras gardens, probably because it got the ladies all wet to stand outside in the moonlight with the smell of climbing jasmine in the air. Bastion, itad almost worked for me until the professor interrupted things with that way he had of twisting everything around no matter where he was or what he was doing.