“Mizel is . . . not well,” Sinit said seriously. “I asked if she should have the Healers, for it seemed—it seems that she grieves too much, and she—” Tears rose in the brown eyes. “She struck me, Aelliana.”
She took Sinit's hand, speechless.
“The reason I set myself to accounting is that—I looked in the House records—”
Aelliana stared. “Sinit!”
“I had to know! Mother—the delm—I scarcely know who! She speaks of merging with Lyderg and she swears that you are the clan's only hope of survival, and I know that you do not—cannot—come back to us, Aelliana! But surely there is something—” Tears started down the pale face; Sinit's fingers gripped her so tightly that Aelliana was certain she would have bruises.
“I do love Mizel and I don't wish to see us fail! We need to reclaim the nursery and—and bring ourselves into profit. If I become an accountant, I will know how to do these things; I will have access to the Accountants Guild's mentoring programs and—and Mother won't say that I'm a useless drain on the clan . . . ” she finished in a whisper.
Aelliana moved, wrapping her sister into a hug.
“You are not useless,” she said fiercely. “You are Mizel's last and best hope.”
Sinit sniffled. “I don't—”
“What would you be willing to do,” Aelliana interrupted, “in order to salvage Mizel? Would you be willing to—to—” An idea was coming into shape. She didn't have all of it, yet, but she had . . . something. She could taste it, like the solution to a knotty math problem.
“Would you be willing to be fostered into a clan that might teach you about management and how to forge alliances?”
“Yes!” Sinit pushed against Aelliana's embrace, and sat up, her face set and her brown eyes fierce. “Aelliana, I would do anything within my power.” She blinked.
“Your face is—Aelliana, what are you planning?”
“I don't quite know myself,” she admitted. “I need to think.”
“I—” Sinit looked up. “Gods, the time! Aelliana—”
Aelliana looked at the clock, astonished at its report.
“Come,” she said, rising and pulling Sinit up with her. “We'll catch a cab.”
The cab was easily caught, but Sinit would not allow her escort.
“If Mother sees you, she will compel you to come in-House,” Sinit whispered. “You dare not risk it. I will be quite safe.”
From this position she would not be moved, and at last, not without relief, Aelliana let her go, first paying the fare to Raingleam Street and a bonus, for the driver's trouble.
She watched the taxi out of sight, then slowly went back inside.
To think.
* * *
Jen Sar Kiladi had been particularly prolific these last weeks. It seemed the man thrived at night. Who would have known?
The most recent paper polished to a high gloss, the professor's attention wandered and himself after it, leaving Daav yos'Phelium yawning in his chair.
It was very late—or very early, depending, he supposed, on whether one was still awake or just risen. He—was still awake, and had really ought to engage the Rainbow in the service of getting some sleep.
He rose from behind the desk and stretched, feeling cramped muscles catch, then loosen.
Well.
“Sleep,” he told himself. “Now.”
He turned away from the desk—and immediately turned back as the comm chimed.
Who, at this hour? he thought, but his fingers had already accepted the call, and there was Mr. dea'Gauss in the screen.
“Good morning, your lordship,” he said peremptorily. “Necessity dictates that you hear two things, immediately.”
Daav sank back into his chair. “You have my attention, Mr. dea'Gauss.”
“Excellent. The first thing that you must hear is that Aelliana Caylon Clan Mizel has accepted the portion settled upon her some relumma past by Daav yos'Phelium.”
Daav's heart stuttered. Here it is, he thought. She has had enough, and who can blame her? A pilot's first care is for her ship, and a ship—a ship needs money.
He inclined his head.
“I hear,” he said, formally.
“Yes.” Mr. dea'Gauss sighed. “The second thing you need to hear, your lordship, is rather complex. If you would prefer that I come to you—”
“We have begun, sir,” Daav interrupted. “Let us by all means continue until we reach the end.”
“As you say.” There was silence for the beat of three. In the screen, Mr. dea'Gauss glanced aside, as if gathering his thoughts. It was then that Daav saw that his man of business was not calling from the offices downtown, but from what appeared to be his private rooms.
“The following is proposed, as an offering to Mizel,” Mr. dea'Gauss said at last. “There are five specific points.”
Five points? Daav wondered. But what use had they for points, or for appeasing Mizel in any way if Aelliana—
"One. Korval will pay to Mizel the life-price for a first class pilot as set down in the Accounting Standards. That sum will be paid in full at the time the contract is signed.
"Two. In six years, Korval will pay to Mizel the life-price for a scholar expert as set down in the Accounting Standards.
“Three. Sinit Caylon will be fostered into yo'Lanna for six years in order to complete her education.”
Daav sat forward in his chair.
"Four. In acknowledgement of the fact that Mizel is grown dangerously thin—and made thinner yet by reason of Three, above, a dea'Gauss will be placed into Mizel's service for a period of six years, to perform those tasks that would, in the proper order of things, fall into the nadelm's honor.
“Five. Aelliana Caylon will pay the blood-price for Ran Eld Caylon's death, which debt properly falls to her, when Sinit Caylon takes up Mizel's Ring.”
It was a thing of broad and scintillant amazement, Daav thought; a solving worthy of a delm. Saving one or two small details.
“Mr. dea'Gauss, I stand in awe of Pilot Caylon's solution. However, I cannot help but notice that your Line has become entangled in Korval's contract, which we surely cannot have—”
“Your lordship of course is not conversant with all the details of our House,” Mr. dea'Gauss interrupted. “I therefore hasten to assure you that this is the very solution toward which I have been groping for a Standard or more. There is one of my House, who serves in the firm, for whom this proposed assignment is—in a word, your lordship, perfect.” He inclined his head. “I welcome this opportunity to further strengthen the bonds between our clans.”
There could be no doubting his sincerity, Daav thought. He inclined his head.
“Very well, Mr. dea'Gauss. I also see that we have involved yo'Lanna in this. It is perhaps unworthy of me to suppose it, but I fear my mother's dear friend will not share your generous impulse.”
“On the contrary, your lordship. Pilot Caylon reports that her ladyship would be delighted to assist in this matter. She asserts that it is not to yo'Lanna's benefit to see Mizel dissolved and further states that it is the duty of the High to assist those who stand below.”
Daav gave a shout of laughter.
“Exactly,” Mr. dea'Gauss said solemnly. “I should add,” he said after a moment, “that Pilot Caylon was kind enough to calculate the seed money needed for the proposed future payouts, and to cite several funds paying interest enough to grow the seed into payment in full.”
Daav bit his lip. “No doubt the exercise afforded considerable pleasure to Pilot Caylon.”
“She seemed very much in spirits,” Mr. dea'Gauss said quietly.
Daav took a breath against the sudden stab of longing. Below the desk, out of sight of the screen, he clenched his fists until his knuckles screamed.
“I am pleased to hear it,” he said, steadily. “Mr. dea'Gauss, in your considered opinion—is Mizel likely to take this?”
“There lies the genius of the plan, your lordship. If Mizel does not take it, then the delm must surely be brought before her peers and closely questioned as to her reasons. As Lady yo'Lanna states, it benefits no one to allow a clan to dissolve. In offering this, Korval is seen as looking to the best benefit of Liad.” Mr. dea'Gauss inclined his head. “Which is according to its charter.”