Killa sniffed."Enthor loved crystal.He passed that on to you.Remember that the next time a singer gives you a hard time.You-" Killashandra prodded Clodine lightly in the chest-"love crystal.I can see that in how you handle it.Singers-" she turned her thumb into her own sternum-"invariably hate crystal."
"You do?"
"For all that it does for us and to us, yes."And, feeling that that sounded like a great exit line, Killashandra left the Sorter Shed.
Lars had not returned to their apartment.She gave herself a long soak in the water tub; then, wearing a loose robe, she began to unpack the carisaks that had been delivered while she was overseeing Clodine.When she got hungry and Lars still hadn't returned, she tapped out a "where is" code on the terminal.
"Here," Lars's voice responded as his features formed on the screen.
"Where?"
"Lanzecki's," he replied, as if she should have known."C'mon up."
Puzzling over that, Killa changed and returned to the Guild Master's domain.
The pair were sitting at the table where Killa had often dined alone with Lanzecki.There was a third place set, and as Lanzecki gestured her to be seated, Lars rose and met her halfway, giving her a quick embrace and kiss.
Wondering what this was all about, Killa smoothly took her place.
"We waited," Lars said, and he nodded at the array of sumptuous-looking dishes.
"How did Clodine do?"Lanzecki asked, forestalling any query from her.
"She's fine.I told her not to let singers get up her nose.Enthor trained her.She loves crystal.I told her singers hate it.Opened her eyes!"Killa grinned.
"In more ways than one, I trust?"Lanzecki said, quirking his eyebrow.He was being Lanzecki-the-man, as he had been in their old loverly days-a pose he had never before assumed in Lars's presence.For some reason it disturbed her.
"Well, that's the trick, isn't it?" she replied, knowing better than to show her surprise."Widening the eyes to prevent the alteration.She was only nervous."
"Anything good in?"Lanzecki asked.
Killa regarded him coolly.The Guild Master ought to have been the first to know the answer to that question.
"Lars and I have been discussing the Junk to the exclusion of all else."Lanzecki raised his wineglass in a toast to her, then included Lars."Interesting… Junk.I'm almost sorry I have to turn the matter over to the proper authority."
"Junk's sentient," Killa said flatly, helping herself to food.
"Too bad sentience isn't a marketable commodity," Lanzecki said."Have some milsi stalks!" he added, passing her the plate and changing the subject.
"What under the suns were you and Lanzecki up to for half a day?" she asked Lars as she swung her legs up onto the sleeping surface of their bedroom.
He yawned mightily, stepping up off the floor and walking to the pillowed end, where he folded down and began to wriggle into a comfortable position.
"The Junk mostly, and speculation as to whether or not it could use the crystal as a comlink.I doubt it.And this and that."Lars punched a pillow into the right contours and stuck it under his head, watching her as she rolled up against him.He lifted one arm, a tacit invitation to nestle against him.She did."He misses Trag."
"Did you find out what crystal-crazed notion made him pick that dork in Trag's place?"
She settled her cheek against Lars's smooth chest.At some point he, too, had bathed, for his skin exuded a subtly spicy odor.Lanzecki preferred spicy scents.What could these two be dreaming up together?She wondered.Lars had never used to tolerate Lanzecki at all, he'd been so possessive of her.
His fingers lazily trailed across her back, and she forgot about all other concerns and began to stroke him where it would do the most good.Somehow, despite being reasonably sure that Brendan's shipboard manners were impeccable, they had never quite been able to abandon themselves on the 1066.They proceeded to indulge each other shamelessly.
Uninhibited loving was the best!
The comunit buzzed until they woke, or rather until Lars waved his hand at the panel and accepted the call.
"Lars?Can you spare me the morning?"Lanzecki asked.
Killashandra groaned at the sound of his voice, but she didn't quite take in the message.She flattened her body against the bedding and determinedly resumed her interrupted slumbers.So when she did wake, she wasn't quite certain what had happened to Lars.There was no residual heat left where his body had been.
She roused, washed, and ordered food.As usual, the latter triggered an interruption.
"Killa?I'm up in Lanzecki's office."
"Humph!What's he got you doing now?"
She could hear the amusement in Lars's voice."Actually, he's got me interested in spite of myself, and you know I'm not an admin type."
"No, you're not."
"Don't be so sour, Sunny.It's a bright day, and we don't have to go cut crystal-yet!"
"Well, I can't say as I mind that…" Killa said, as much because that was the expected answer.Then she began to wonder."Lars, what are you-" But the call had been disconnected at his end.
More curious than disgruntled, Killa finished her meal, dressed, and went up to Lanzecki's office.There, the mere sight of Bollam, hunched over his terminal, annoyed her.His frantic look and his sudden intense interest in the contents of his screen added to her aggravation.
She couldn't resist twitting him."Lost something, Bollam?"
"Ah, yes, that is, no!No, I'm merely not sure under what category Trag filed the pencil data files."
"Try the first four letters of whatever file you're hunting, the year if you know it, and hit Search."She meant to be facetious and was irritated that her advice seemed to solve his problem.She caught a glimpse of his relieved smile as she continued on her way into the office.
"Haven't you two moved?" she demanded as she saw them in positions similar to yesterday's.
"I never knew just how much power the Guild wields," Lars said, beckoning to her in an airy fashion.
"You ought to," Killa said, scowling at Lanzecki."We trade rather heavily on it whenever we leave Ballybran."
"I don't mean as singers, Killa, but the Guild as a force in interstellar politics.And policies."
"Oh?"
"And all without having to leave Ballybran!Whoever needs to speak to the Heptite Guild must come here!"Lars chuckled with an almost boyish delight.Lanzecki wore just the slightest smile as he glanced over at her.
To Killashandra that cynical amusement meant Lanzecki was building to something devious.She cocked her head at him.He shook his head very slightly in denial.
"I've a meeting later today, Killa.I'd appreciate it if you and Lars would sit in on it."
Killa jerked her finger over her shoulder in the direction of Bollam."He's your assistant."
The fleeting shift of Lanzecki's dark eyes told her that he didn't expect much of Trag's replacement, and his lack of such expectation worried her all the more.
"Yesterday Enthor, today Trag?" she asked, mockingly.
"I'd appreciate your counsel," he said, bending his upper body just slightly toward her in an unexpected bow.
She wondered how he knew that deference would insure her support.Probably.Lanzecki had usually been able to read her, at times better than Lars did.She realized then that she usually compromised with Lars more than she would have with Lanzecki.But then, she wanted to.She trusted Lars Dahl more than she had ever trusted Lanzecki, even when they had been passionate lovers.Or maybe because of that!
"Bollam?Have you got those trade figures?"Lanzecki called out.
"Still working" was the all too quick reply.
A look of pained patience crossed Lanzecki's face.
"I remember Trag's system," Killa said, turning on her heel and retracing her steps to the worktop where Bollam was plainly unable to find the relevant pencil files."Move over," she told the flustered man."Now who's coming?"