The Lady And the Order [Sunsinger Chronicles Book 4] Read online

  “Oh.” The sergeant nodded sharply and coughed to clear his throat. “Good point.” He nodded again and studied the ground beyond his toes for a few seconds. “Nobody hurt?"

  All four hurried to assure him they were fine. He seemed to relax a little more after that.

  “I'll have to contact you after we question these four, and I'll need statements for the judge's sentencing. How long are you going to be here on Nofac?"

  “Two more days at the most,” Lin said. “We're on Sunsinger."

  “Our ship is Kilvordi's Dream,” Sister Marnya added. “We had planned on leaving tomorrow, but we can stay another week before we're behind schedule."

  “Somebody should get back to you once we know more about those four idiots.” The sergeant nodded to them and stalked away.

  “Well, that was fun.” Lin sighed. “Why did I ever think this would be a nice, boring, quiet stop at Nofac?"

  “Honest, Lin, I didn't mean—” Bain protested.

  “I'm not angry with you.” She squeezed his shoulder again and shook him a little. “Rule number fifty-eight, Bain. When you expect something, you'll get something else."

  “Oh.” He suspected when he really thought about the words, they would mean something else entirely.

  Lin did that to him quite often. She always said it was to teach him to think for himself, but Bain suspected she did it partially to tease him. She treated everybody that way, so maybe she just liked playing with people's brains whenever she could.

  “Well, I thank Fi'in that Bain was here.” Sister Marnya tugged her hood back up onto her head. “Could you show me where Master Haeffer's stall is now?"

  “Don't you think you should go back to the Dream and let someone else do your shopping?” Jax said.

  “No.” She winked at Bain, then turned and led the way back to the marketplace.

  Lin and Sister Marnya walked together, leaving Bain and Jax to walk behind them. Bain stole glances at the big man. He tried to figure out if Jax was angry Sister Marnya didn't listen to him. The man's face looked calm. Maybe he was used to her refusing to be careful. Bain didn't think Sister Marnya took stupid risks.

  “Is she really important?” he said, trying to talk softly so Lin and Sister Marnya wouldn't hear him over their conversation.

  “Important enough.” Jax winked at him. “When someone is named a High Scholar, it means the Order has spent many years training them to serve. We don't want to lose them or the things they know, so we take extra precautions to protect them."

  “Are there lots of High Scholars?"

  “Not as many as we need.” His smile faded a little and he watched the back of Sister Marnya's head.

  Bain stayed quiet, thinking over what the man said. He listened to Lin telling Sister Marnya about the marketplace as they walked.

  “I know there are pickpockets here, but Nofac has never had attempted violence like this before.” Lin shook her head. She glanced over her shoulder at Bain. “What made you think those four would attack?"

  “I saw them, but I didn't think they were up to anything,” Jax said. “Maybe I should walk closer to you from now on, Sister."

  “Then I'll never see the sun.” Sister Marnya grinned. “Something about them must have struck you as odd, Bain. Did you see them before, or talk to them?"

  “They were following me, but.... “Bain hesitated, trying to find the right words. “I guess it was the way they were watching you. Not like they were watching me. Everybody was looking around, but they were ... concentrating on you."

  “Ah. You missed that, Jax."

  “I was behind them. I didn't notice until there were fewer people between me and them. I was closing the distance when Bain approached you,” the big man said. “Then I decided to slow down and see what happened. They were rather foolish, though, to be so obvious that an untrained boy noticed."

  Bain flinched, feeling a little insulted. He had taken down the brother with the chain, hadn't he? Then he realized Jax was just stating the facts.

  “They were stupid to attack a member of the Order,” Bain muttered.

  “They didn't know I belong to the Order,” Sister Marnya said.

  “But—still—” His face got hot. Bain had the feeling he had just said something wrong, but he couldn't figure out what.

  “Bain.” She held up a hand, bringing all four to a halt, and turned to face him. “You think it was an insult to me, and to the Order, because those four vagrants attacked me?"

  “Yes!"

  “Did you know I was a Sister when you came to help me?"

  “No."

  “Why did you risk yourself to warn me?"

  “Because they were wrong. Because it's wrong to know someone needs help, and then refuse to help them."

  “Exactly.” Sister Marnya touched his cheek with her fingertips. Bain saw a wistfulness in her eyes, a sadness that he didn't think had anything to do with the attack. “You helped because it was the right thing to do. Those four boys were wrong, not because of who I am or who I belong to, but because it is simply wrong to try to hurt someone else."

  For a moment, their gazes locked and Bain couldn't think of anything to say. Then Sister Marnya smiled and looked away and chuckled.

  “It's a little late in the day to be talking philosophy and ethics, isn't it?” She pressed her hand over her stomach. “Hunger isn't good for thinking, either. Let's find those gisreg, shall we?"

  Mogran Haeffer leaped out to meet them when they were still a few meters from his stall. He chuckled and flung his arms around Lin and scolded her for staying away so long. Lin endured it, blushing a little and rolling her eyes at Mogran's exaggerated, flowery mode of speech. Sister Marnya and Jax stood back a few steps and watched the reunion, grinning. Bain suspected they were trying not to laugh aloud.

  “Ah, now, you have brought customers to see me?” Mogran said, when he finally released Lin and stepped back and saw the two strangers. “You think to soothe my wounded heart by helping to sell my wares?"

  “I wanted to thank you for the gisreg you sent with Bain,” Lin began. “Unfortunately, he ran into a little trouble on the way back to the ship and the gisreg were trampled ... or otherwise smashed."

  “Trampled?” The old man's eyes widened and he clutched at his chest. Bain thought for a moment he was in pain, until he looked at Lin and saw her fighting not to laugh.

  “Bain saw I was in danger,” Sister Marnya hurried to say, stepping up and effectively taking Mogran's attention. “He put himself between me and my attackers, but the gisreg took most of the damage. I do so love gisreg. You do have more, don't you?"

  “Lovely lady, all that I have is here. Choose the best. For yourself and your giant companion."

  Bain snorted, trying to stifle laughter. Compared to Mogran, Jax was indeed a giant. The big man grinned and bowed to Mogran, who very seriously returned the gesture.

  “Now, tell me,” the merchant continued as Marnya stepped up to the stall and the baskets half-full of fruit. “Who would be so audacious as to attack such a lovely lady?"

  “Street thugs,” Jax said, chopping his words off as if he wanted to chop at the attackers.

  “Oh.” Mogran looked to Lin. “You train your crew to risk their lives in the markets, now?"

  “Oh, Bain didn't risk his life.” Lin smiled. “He risked a few bruises and got a pocketful of pulped gisreg, but that's about it. Still, I'm proud of him.” She laughed aloud when Bain's face started to get hot and red again. “Sister Marnya had Jax with her, so even if Bain got in trouble, it wouldn't have been too dangerous."

  “Sister? As in, a member of the Order of Kilvordi? My stall is indeed honored."

  “Your stall is a blessing and a delight,” Marnya said, turning around with six gisreg clutched in the curve of her arm. “It's been so long since I tasted gisreg, I was wondering if I would have to take a trip to Aramar just to get some."

  “Wondering,” Jax muttered, “but you'd never do it just for yourself."


  “Oh, hush.” She wrinkled up her nose at him, then burst out in another chiming laugh. “Master Haeffer, I would like to take these with me today, but I think I would like to buy more for the journey. How much longer will you be here on Nofac?"

  “As long as you need me, gracious Sister."

  “Oh, my, I think I'm going to be swept off my feet.” She batted her eyelashes at the short merchant and gave him a shallow curtsey. The gesture lost none of its grace despite Marnya being in trousers and boots.

  Mogran's eyes widened and his mouth moved, but nothing came out. Bain watched, fascinated at seeing the man totally speechless. Lin burst out laughing. Mogran turned red.

  “Now, that was worth the entire trip to Nofac,” Lin said between gasps and chuckles.

  The little merchant recovered enough to close up the sale and make arrangements for three whole baskets of gisreg to be sent to Kilvordi's Dream. Mogran promised the baskets would arrive before noon.

  “No hurry. Spaceport security might not allow us to leave,” Jax said, breaking into Sister Marnya's arrangements.

  “Oh, that's true.” She shrugged, but didn't look too disappointed.

  “May I ask.... “Mogran bowed a little. “Is there something I may do to be of help?"

  “Yes, I think there is.” Marnya looked from Lin to Bain to Jax and back to Mogran. “I couldn't help overhearing that you three were planning on dinner together tonight. Let the Order host you for dinner on Kilvordi's Dream tonight, please?"

  Bain caught his breath and looked to Lin. She looked to him, grinning, and nodded. Mogran, of course, took nearly five minutes to say what an honor this was, and to accept the invitation.

  * * *

  Chapter Three

  Captain Arliss Mandreen of Kilvordi's Dream was a Spacer. To Bain's surprise, the man had heard of Lin and Sunsinger, but hadn't actually met her. Lin had heard of him, too. Even more amazing to Bain, they weren't relatives.

  The two captains traded compliments and talked about the ship after Marnya introduced them. Bain was too fascinated with the ship and its captain to ask more than a few questions. It was enough to listen and absorb everything. Mogran said not a word from the moment they entered the Order ship until dinner had finished. Bain wondered if the man was sick, or if this was a more special occasion than he imagined.

  They ate in Marnya's stateroom. The fact that she even had special quarters told Bain how important a High Scholar was. The stateroom consisted of an office area, a reception room with a long table where the six of them ate, a little cooking alcove, and Marnya's bedroom. Not just a little nook where her bed was tucked away, but a bedroom. The walls were covered in thick cloth, woven into forest scenes of trees and animals with little brooks running between them. The table was real wood, not plastic extrusion made to look like wood.

  What impressed Bain the most, though, was that Marnya insisted on serving them. The stew and bread, vegetable pastries and spicy tea came up from the ship's galley. Bain had seconds of everything. He ate slowly and listened to Lin and Arliss and Marnya and Jax talk about the war with the Mashrami and the new colony worlds to be settled in the next year. When Marnya stood and started to clear the table, Bain leaped to his feet to help her. He snatched up the tray their dinner had come on, and started putting the dirty dishes on it.

  “Well, I can see I should add a Spacer boy to my crew,” she said with a smile, and patted Bain on the shoulder. “He's always like this, isn't he?” she said to Lin.

  “Most of the time.” Lin slowly turned her cup of tea between her hands. She smiled. “He's still a boy, though. I don't want him to grow up too fast."

  “Yes, childhood is very short and adulthood seems to last ... for an eternity,” Marnya said with an odd, sad little smile. She met Jax's gaze and the big man mirrored her smile.

  Bain tried not to look at anyone as he stacked the plates. His hands shook a little bit. Why did he feel so good when Lin told him he did a good job, but feel so awkward and guilty when others praised him? Maybe later, when they were back on Sunsinger, he could ask Lin and she would explain in words he would understand.

  “Would you like to help me?” Sister Marnya said. She waited until he nodded, then beckoned toward the little cooking alcove. “Why don't you just put the tray out in the passageway. The steward should be by soon."

  Bain did that. He paused and glanced up and down the length of the curving passageway. He heard nothing, saw no one. How could a ship that carried more than fifty people be so quiet, and feel so empty? That impressed on him more than the huge, overshadowing bulk of Kilvordi's Dream, just how big the Order ship was. He felt a flicker of envy for Captain Arliss, in control of this enormous, powerful ship. Then Bain thought of how Sunsinger had flown circles around the larger Ranger ships and even the Mashrami because it was a small ship. Kilvordi's Dream didn't belong to Captain Arliss; he was a Spacer, but he worked for the Order. Someday, Sunsinger would belong to Bain—someday far in the future, beyond his ability to imagine—but it would be his. That made Sunsinger the best ship in the Commonwealth.

  “Here's what I need you to do,” Sister Marnya said, when Bain closed the cabin door and stepped over to the alcove. She handed him the gisreg she had bought that day, a knife and bowl and a clear plastic cutting board. “Slice these into quarters, then each quarter into bite-size pieces. Be careful of the stone."

  “Stone?” Bain let her guide him to the little bench and table opposite the alcove.

  “The seed—the pit."

  “Oh.” He picked up the first fruit and gently slid the knife through the skin. It pierced as easily as paper. That struck him as odd, because the gisreg felt more solid, with a thick rind, when he held them a few hours ago.

  Juice spilled out onto his hands. Bain quickly leaned over the bowl and let the juice drip into it while he cut. The gisreg smelled different, too. Still sweet, but with an underlying tangy aroma that made his mouth water. He wasn't hungry—he had eaten more than he really needed at dinner—but the gisreg still smelled tempting.

  “Odd, isn't it?” she said, coming by him with a sealed packet of sweetcakes. “It has something to do with the juice. When it's cold, the juice is sweet and bland and thick. The skin thickens so you need a knife to cut it. But when gisreg is warm, the juice becomes very thin and takes on a tangy bite, and the skin is thin enough to break with a fingernail."

  “Why does it do that?” He started cutting into the second gisreg. More juice spilled out through the thin skin, but Bain knew what to do now.

  “Only Fi'in knows. We have more important things to do on Aramar than analyze the fruit.” She sighed, but it ended in a laugh. “Almost done?"

  “Almost. Lin says Aramar is going to have a civil war pretty soon. Do you think so?"

  “Maybe. It depends on the little lord and lady, I suppose.” She sat down on the other side of the table and scooped chunks of gisreg out of the bowl, to put on the sweetcakes she had arranged in clear glass dishes shaped like flowers.

  “What lord and lady?"

  “Aramar, several hundred years ago, was split into a few dozen independent countries. They were always fighting about something. They finally had sense enough to realize that was wrong and wasteful, and they wouldn't get anywhere until they were one united world. The rulers of all the countries got together and created a plan that would unite the world into one peaceful whole without making any one country become subservient to another. Every two or three generations, the heir of one ruling family marries the heir of the ruling family of a neighboring country, and the two countries become one. Then a few generations later, the heir of that new ruling family marries another heir.” Sister Marnya paused with a spoonful of gisreg chunks poised over the last sweetcake. “There are only two governments left on Aramar, the continent of Maracet and the continent of Aragorn. One has a boy as heir, and the other has a girl. They'll get married when they're grown up."

  “Do they want to get married?"

  “That's
a little hard to say.” She chuckled. “Lord Ayduar is only seven years old, and Lady Kethreen is just an infant. They'll be betrothed in a few years, and when they're old enough, they'll marry. However, many of us are afraid the Separation Party will turn all the unrest on Aramar into a war before that happens."

  “Who are they? Don't they want Aramar to have peace?"

  “The Separation Party doesn't want Aramar to have anything to do with the Commonwealth or the Conclave, and they think they can keep Aramar cut off from the rest of the universe as long as it's a world of divided nations.” She slid the last fruit slices onto the last sweetcake and stood up. “Now, we'll heat these and put thick honey cream on them and then you'll see exactly why I adore gisreg.” She picked up the tray of dishes and took it over to the heater unit built into the wall.

  “What if they don't want to get married?” he asked, after the cakes were heated. Sister Marnya gave him a big spoon to put fluffy, pale amber-colored blobs of cream on the steaming cakes and fruit. “What if they don't like each other?"

  “That really won't have anything to do with it. Both Ayduar and Kethreen will be raised to know their duty. They'll be trained to consider the good of their world before they think about what they want. If Fi'in blesses them, they will at least be friends when they marry. If they are honorable and faithful and accept the sacrifice required of them, I know Fi'in will give them more joy and contentment than they could ever dream."

  “Lin says that too, a lot. Only she says that being grown up means doing things you don't like, but you do them anyway because they're the right things to do, and anybody who doesn't do them just proves they're still selfish brats."

  “Captain Lin is a philosopher,” Sister Marnya said with a chuckle. “Here we are, all set.” She winked and handed Bain the spoon with a heaping mound of leftover cream on it.

  Bain didn't care if he did look like a little kid as he licked the spoon. It tasted wonderful. He hurried to finish it and put the spoon into the washing basin before he followed Sister Marnya back to the table.