Trading in Futures (7 page)

"It is." Daav closed his
eyes, briefly considering edges and explosives, bludgeons, the
perfectly tuned gun in his sleeve, but--no. Such weapons were
insufficiently potent; they limited one to the infliction of mere
physical damage. He required--
he would
have
--a fuller Balance.

Daav opened his eyes and pointed at the
gaily colored balloons, strung on their strings at the edge of the
glade.

"There is my weapon of choice, sir. If the
House is able, let a dozen of those be filled with water and let
both my opponent and I choose three. Can this be done?"

The dueling master bowed. "Indeed it can.
And the distance?"

"Twelve paces, I believe," Daav said,
counting the moves. AYes, that will do."

"Very well," said the dueling master and
went away to give instructions.

The balloons arrived in very short order and
were placed, carefully, on the lawn. A murmur rose up from the
crowd--and an outcry from Daav's opponent.

"What is this? Toys? Do you consider a
challenge from Etgora a matter for mockery, sir? Dueling master!
Take these insults away, sir, and bring us the matched set in the
mahogany case!"

The dueling master bowed. "The rules of the
duel state clearly that weapons are the choice of the challenged,
sir. Lord yos'Phelium has chosen balloons filled with water, at
twelve paces. He is within both his rights and the bounds of the
duel."

"I will not--" began Jen Dal, but it was
Etgora who spoke up from the sidelines.

"Do you know, my son, I think you will? Lord
yos'Phelium has made his choice. Plainly, he is a man who stands by
his decisions, no matter how foolish they may appear. I would
counsel you to do the same."

"Lord yos'Phelium," said the Master of Duel,
"choose your weapons."

Daav stepped forward, knelt in the grass and
picked up the first balloon. It was not quite as firm as he wished
and he set it aside. The second pleased him and he cradled that one
in his arm. The third...

"Will you hurt him?" Kesa asked from his
side. He glanced at her, unsmiling.

"I do not think these will hurt him, though
that is always a danger, in a duel."

"But you will make him ridiculous," said
Kesa. "Jen Dal hates to be laughed at."

"Many people do," Daav said, finding his
third weapon in the seventh balloon. He tucked it neatly in the
cradle of his left arm and rose to his feet. Stand clear of the
firing range, Lady Kesa. Of your kindness."

She hesitated a moment longer, throwing one
of her disconcertingly direct looks at his face. Then she bowed,
simply, as between equals, and walked sedately to her father's
side, in the first rank of spectators.

Daav waited while his opponent randomly
picked his weapons, then stomped to the center of the field, the
balloons wriggling and threatening to leap from his ineptly crossed
arms.

The dueling master held his hands over his
head.

"The contestants will count off six paces
each, turn and stand steady. First shot to the challenged. A hit is
counted only on a strike to the body of one's opponent. The affair
is finished when each contestant has expended his ammunition. The
win goes to the contestant who has taken the least hits, or to he
who draws first blood. In case of tie, Lady yo'Lanna shall decide
the victor." He lowered his hands and stepped back.

"Gentlemen, turn. Count off. One! Two!
Three! Four! Five! Six! Turn! Lord yos'Phelium, fire at will."

Deftly, Daav plucked a balloon from the
cradle of his arm, gauged its flow, probable spin and mass--and
threw.

The balloon elongated, caught up with
itself, tumbled once and hit Jen Dal's tunic, dead center, with a
satisfying splat. Someone in the crowd laughed, and quickly
stopped.

"This is a farce!" shouted Jen Dal.

"It is a duel," the master returned sternly.
"Attend, if you please, sir. The shot is yours."

Jen Dal clumsily tipped his balloons onto
his off-hand, snatched one free, holding it firmly--as it happened,
a bit too firmly, for the sphere exploded, showering him with
water.

Ignoring the resulting curses, the dueling
master looked to Daav, who sent his next balloon high into Jen
Dal's left shoulder.

The dueling master had scarcely given his
sign before the sodden young man had snatched up his second
balloon--somewhat less robustly--and hurled it in Daav's
direction.

It was a good throw, only missing by twelve
or fifteen inches.

Daav weighed his last balloon in his hand
and considered deloping.

"A duel with toys and water," Jen Dal
del'Fordan called from his position. "Korval takes good care that
it spills no blood for honor."

The balloon was airborne before Daav had
taken conscious thought. It sped, hard and true, and struck his
opponent precisely in the nose.

Jen Dal howled, dropped his remaining
balloon and bent double, both hands rising to his face. Med-techs
rushed in from the sidelines and the dueling master raised his
hands above his head.

"Lord yos'Phelium has drawn first blood! The
duel is done!"

* * *

"HOWEVER DID YOU hit upon water balloons?"
his mother inquired some time later, in the privacy of Jelaza
Kazone's upstairs parlor.

"Something I read of Terran custom," Daav
said hazily. "You know what Scouts are, ma'am!"

"Indeed I do," she replied, sipping wine and
looking out into the peaceful night-time garden.

Abruptly, she turned from the window. "Daav,
I am persuaded you did right to speak to the Delm about your
worthiness to stand Korval."

He froze, heart rising into his throat. She
had seen! Observing the duel with Korval's Own Eyes, she had seen
his error. She understood that at the moment of decision he had not
acted for the good of the Clan but from his own sense of injury,
exacting a Balance--a Balance brutal of a halfling's dignity.

Worse, he had gained an enemy of his own
rank--for he had heard, later, that Jen Dal was Etgora's heir--who
hated him now, and would surely hate him when they both came
Delm-high. All his mother's careful work, undone. Undone, because
Daav could not put the good of all before his own bad temper.

It must be Er Thom,
now
, he thought.
With Er Thom as Korval, Etgora may deal without malice,
saving only I'm kept sanely out of sight...

Belatedly, he became aware of his mother's
eyes upon him, and bowed. "Ma'am...."

She raised her hand. "Speak not. I will tell
you that the Delm has reviewed her Decision, based on what she has
seen of your understanding and judgment this evening. You acted as
well as inexperience might, preserving both Etgora's heir and the
peace between our Houses. With age will come...tidier...solutions."
She smiled faintly.

"You are na'delm, my son. Korval-to-be. I
trust you will not feel it necessary to revisit the matter. I doubt
you will find the Delm so accommodating again."

He stared, speechless. She had seen with
Delm's Eyes, but she had not understood. Korval Herself had erred
in a matter of Clan. He moved his head, trying to clear his vision,
which was abruptly indistinct.

His mother moved forward, smile deepening.
"Don't look so stricken, child," she said gently. "You'll do very
well." She raised a hand to cup his cheek.

"Or at least as well as any of us have."

A Partial Liaden
Dictionary

including novels through Plan B

A'nadelmHeir. . . . . . to the nadelm

A'thodelm. . . . . .Head-of-Line-to-Be

A'trezla. . . . . .Lifemates

Al'bresh . . . . . .venat'iFormal 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 the Yxtrang). . . . . .
Approximately 'Master Hunter'

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 aphrodisiaclaced wine
sold at Festival

Flaran Cha'menthi'. . . . . .I(/We) Dare'

Galandaria. . . . . .Confederate?
Countryperson?

Ge'shada. . . . . .Mazel tov;
congratulations

Glavda Empri. . . . . .yo'Lanna's house

I'ganin brath'a, vyan se'untor. . . . . .Play
with the body, rest the mind

I'lanta. . . . . .Right (direction)

Ilania frrogudon palon dox. . . . . .(approx)
Young ladies should speak more gently

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, encompassing all
possible persons one might be.

Menfri'at. . . . . .Liaden karate

Mirada. . . . . .Father

Misravot. . . . . .Altanian wine; blue in
color.

Nadelm. . . . . .Delm-to-Be

Nubiath'. . . . . .aGift 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'sia 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

About the Authors

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
live in the rolling hills of Central Maine with three insistent
muses in the form of cats, and a large cast of characters. Best
known for their work in the Liaden Universe®, Lee and Miller have
seen published seventeen collaborative novels. Baen Books
(www.baen.com) is currently releasing all of the Liaden novels in
several omnibus volumes. The next original Liaden novel,
Ghost Ship
, will be
published in August 2011.