"This my sister-in-law, Siame," Space Ninja added. "She come make sure don’t go joy-ride."
The girl, very serious in expression, only looked at her brother by marriage, and then at Maxen, who had not so much sat down as dropped with a strings-cut attitude onto the bench opposite Oriel.
"Siame Ruuel," Maxen said, barely above a whisper.
Space Ninja pulled down his scarf to reveal an enormous grin. "Wondered if that be enough," he said.
"You…" Maxen rather looked like he wanted to strangle their host.
"I like if people call me Jay," Julian Devlin said. "But no-one ever does."
Kaszandra’s brother. And Kaszandra’s sister-in-law, who was a Setari captain—a KOTIS officer with highly-trained psychic talents. Their presence could only mean they were heading to Kaszandra Devlin’s family Snow Day.
Oriel laughed, a helpless sputter. "They told you to stop trying to talk like an Earth person," she said, with the greatest appreciation.
"That super funny," Julian said, dividing his attention between the boat’s automated movement away from the dock and their reactions. "Takes lot of work not sound like Earth person. Not there yet. Kaoren says Cass totally still sound like Earth person, and she been here years."
Ever since Kaszandra’s existence had been revealed, people had been pretending to be her—and, later, members of her family—in online games and on forums. It was as common, perhaps even more common, than people pretending to be Setari. Living on Muina, and particularly in Pandora, did bring the chances of it being true at least into the realms of the possible, but Oriel had never for one moment thought that Space Ninja was truly a Devlin. There was even another guild member who she’d thought did a more convincing imitation of an Earth person accent.
"I now see why you think we have no chance of winning," Maxen said, at last recovering enough to speak. Face stiffly under control, but entirely crimson, he looked across at Siame Ruuel. "Sorry. It was rude of me to stare like that."
"No matter," the girl said, voice indifferent.
"Most First Squad and Second Squad coming today," Julian said. "Only people I likely be able hit are their kids—not good look. And Cass. Best plan, just throw things at Cass."
"I need more adjustment time," Maxen said, control crumbling as the boat began to pick up speed. "I—"
He covered his face with his hands, something Oriel almost never saw him do. Maxen had grown expert at hiding hurt, frustration, anger, but he didn’t know how to manage unexpected happiness. The last time had been when their application for Muinan residency had, against all odds, been approved. Before and since, everything had been hard work and endurance, small gains and many hurdles. Great good fortune disarmed him.
Julian Devlin hid his own face back behind his scarf, perhaps out of embarrassment, but said in a steady voice: "Taking you on scenic route around island first. Give you idea of layout."
Oriel glanced at Siame Ruuel, who remained expressionless, but had turned her gaze tactfully to the wake of the boat. That consideration was reassuring, and changed Oriel’s impression of the girl from unwelcoming to a more neutral lack of reaction. A Setari captain had no reason to be hostile to the friends of Kaszandra’s brother.
Friends. Julian Devlin was younger than Maxen, let alone Oriel, and she’d thought of him exactly as she’d called him: a nice kid. An enthusiastic junior in the virt-game guild, and not someone they’d established a real connection with. She’d known at the outset that the invitation had been a gesture of sympathy.
Wondering if remembering this truth would spoil Maxen’s delight, Oriel sighed privately, but didn’t dwell on the point. She had long learned to accept the kindness of others, even those that came with a dose of humiliation, because survival had depended on setting aside pride. And today’s invitation was surely an untarnished gift, the memories of which they could take out and enjoy during future difficulties. The discards. The trash. Going to Arcadia.
By the time they’d circled the whole of the most exclusive island in the Triplanetary, with Julian Devlin playing tour guide, Maxen had recovered his balance enough to return his stomach to its proper place, to download the Earth language translator, and even to start imagining future encounters with Jaxa and her cronies. It would be too rude to actually share details of a family gathering, of course. But a visit to Arcadia was the kind of delightful secret you could hug to yourself, making it possible to just smile when people were trying to poke your sore places.
Maxen made sure to shore up all his self-control as they drew into the dock. Since no-one but Space Ninja—Julian—knew them, there was sure to be a few awkward moments to overcome, but Maxen was determined to be the perfect guest, appreciating the occasion while not intruding or demanding time from all the incredibly famous people he would rub shoulders with. No more gaping. Definitely no pointing and exclaiming. Calm good manners. Calm good manners.
Siame departed first, with a nod of farewell. Fully prepared to give an imitation of a field marrat tucked away in some corner, all eyes and no sound, Maxen followed, but immediately encountered three young girls, two of whom paused and gazed at Oriel and Maxen as if in partial recognition, while the third happened to be the most famous person in the Triplanetary outside Kaszandra herself. Liranadestar, reborn Touchstone, a girl brought out of the past and given form with Kaszandra’s powers. The vids called her the Lantaren princess, and the Ionoth girl, and endlessly discussed her beauty and her strange state of existence.
Julian Devlin said something in Earth language that the translator, confusingly, said meant Hello men, added as an aside to Maxen: "This Lira, Allidi, Haelin," and went on. "Everyone else already gone up?"
Liranadestar shook her head. "I’m going to help Allidi to decorate her biscuits. These are your friends?"
"Yeah. You remember Tzatch and Corezzy, right? They help with Star Claw in Red Exchange."
To Maxen’s surprise, all three girls nodded, and even seemed to be looking at them with a hint of approval.
"Dzo said your tactics were solid," the youngest of the three girls said.
"Tell Mum be up after show the tower and stuff," Julian said, and the girls nodded again and continued along the path past the dock.
"Liranadestar was one of that group who found the event trigger?" Maxen asked.
"Yeah, Lira really love Red Exchange. She been playing it with my Mum and Tsur Selkie and his daughters."
Oriel stumbled, and grabbed the nearest tree to steady herself. Maxen put a hand under her elbow, but thought he might have gone just as white.
"Tsur…" Maxen stared at Julian, who was grinning openly as he watched them. "You’re enjoying yourself a lot, huh?"
Julian nodded, unabashed. "Been so looking forward tell you that. Super funny."
"I can’t remember what I said to them," Oriel said. "I think I was condescending. Was I condescending?"
"You told them their defence too low," Julian said. "Promise to revive them after."
In the excitement of a rare game event, Maxen had paid barely any attention to the newbie group who’d found the event trigger, beyond giving one of them some suggestions for survival. That must have been one of the girls with Liranadestar. Two Setari trainees, who happened to be daughters of the architect of the Setari program, KOTIS' primary Sight Sight advisor. One of the most influential men in the Triplanetary, let alone KOTIS.