Monthly Archives: January 2014

New short story

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller have announced that they intend to publish at least one new short story per month in 2014. Not all of them will be set in the Liaden universe, but the January story is:

The Rifle’s First Wife is set on Surebleak after Korval’s move, and features Diglon Rifle, one of Daav’s Yxtrang.

I’ve added it to the schedule here, but it’s not going to come up for over a year, so please go ahead and read it at whatever time suits you. (And if you do, and thereby gain a more precise understanding of when it’s set than I did by skimming the first page, I would appreciate it if you would let me know.)

Local Custom – Chapter 32

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In which preparations are made for the gather, and for afterward.

I had wondered, on this re-read, at noticing that Er Thom’s first visit to Master Jeweler Moonel was before he knew Anne would need a party dress and jewels. But here is the answer: two pieces of jewelry, from two visits.

I’m not sure I’m quite clear on how many personages were involved in the drama of Eba yos’Phelium and her thodelm: is Daav yos’Phelium, Sixth Delm Korval, an extra player, or is he himself the thodelm in question? I mean, Petrella spoke of them as different people, but I would have expected that Delm Korval is also Thodelm yos’Phelium (has that ever been explicitly established?). And if they were both the same person, but he was acting in one melant’i at one time and in another melant’i at another time, perhaps a Liaden would refer to them as if they were separate people. (Look at how often, with our current Daav, Delm Korval and Er Thom’s cha’leket are treated as different people.)

Local Custom – Chapter 31

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In which Er Thom and Anne go shopping.

Things continue to be tense and unhappy.

After a nice bit of happenstance-tweaking by the authors, Er Thom now knows of Fil Tor Kinrae, at least by name, and Anne now knows of Jyl ven’Apon, at least by sight.

Local Custom – Chapter 30

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In which Anne plans for the future.

This is such a painful chapter. Anne in distress, and Er Thom innocently making everything worse — and all the times when they’re so close to clearing everything up.

Local Custom – Chapter 29

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In which Anne has two unpleasant conversations.

It’s vitally important that Anne and Er Thom have an opportunity for a clear and sensible conversation, so of course they’re prevented from having one.

I think Fil Tor Kinrae is lying when he says he didn’t realise who Anne was. Of course he knew; who else would she be? I reckon he just has such a low opinion of Terrans that, even faced with a scholar, and one who has a particular interest in the Liaden language, he assumes she can’t speak Liaden.

Local Custom – Chapter 28

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In which Master Trader yos’Galan attends to his duties.

Dutiful Passage is large enough that it remains in orbit, and Er Thom needs to take a shuttle up to it. I was going to say that I don’t think we’ve seen many ships that large so far, but of course Ixin’s trade ship Elthoria was the same (how soon the memory goes!). Not to mention Dutiful Passage‘s venerable predecessor Quick Passage; now that was a large ship.

The scene aboard the Passage is dotted with retrospectively-familiar names. First mate Kadia and cargomaster Ken Rik will still be serving in those positions next time we have a scene aboard, and I’m pretty sure Arsdred will come into it somewhere too, although I don’t recall offhand which of the planets on the Passage‘s route it is (and am making a point of not going to look it up; time enough to find out when the time arrives).

The appearance of Jyl ven’Apon is another one of those instances where extra nuance is added by knowing things from other stories, though I think even if you don’t the basic idea still comes across that her mode of adornment, multiple earrings and all, is not that of a person accustomed to proper society.

Local Custom – Chapter 27

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In which Daav offers Er Thom a wager.

There are times when Daav, as he has often said, does not enjoy being Delm Korval. Alas for him, that that is not one of the necessary conditions of the post.

And he’s put his finger on the big problem that’s still to be resolved: when Er Thom and Anne discussed the question of bringing Shan to be Seen by the delm, neither of them considered that there was any question about what would happen to him afterward.

Local Custom – Chapter 26

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In which there is something missing from Scholar yo’Kera’s work space.

Er Thom is very carefully concealing from Anne the fact and extent of his disagreements with his mother. I can see how this is the course of action suggested by the principles of hospitality – the aim of ensuring the guest’s comfort might not be served if the guest were aware of the disruptions occasioned by her presence – but I’m not sure it’s the course of wisdom.

The bit about Jin Del yo’Kera’s youth abroad is interesting. A Liaden who had not spent time among Terrans might not have succeeded in finding the connection between Terran and Liaden, if it had even occurred to such a one to try.

(I have a certain fondness for the fact that his treasured memory is of an Aus sheep station. My own grandfather was the manager of an Australian sheep station, though he’d retired by the time I knew him. I don’t recall him ever expressing an opinion on the intelligence of sheep, but he mustn’t have found them too unbearable as company because even in retirement he kept a small flock.)

Local Custom – Chapter 25

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In which Shan receives two visitors.

Our first appearance of Luken bel’Tarda, who is one of my favourite characters in the series. In a setting full of hotshot pilots and marksmen and wizards and master traders and witty banterers, it’s nice to know that it’s also possible for a person who is none of those things to be signficant just by being a thoroughly decent human being. (Though, that said, I note he’s achieved the rank of Master Merchant, which suggests that even if he’s not dazzlingly brilliant he’s not stupid either.)

We also get enough detail about Pat Rin’s situation to make it quite clear why the delm found it necessary to remove him from his mother’s care into Luken’s and why her attempts to win him back are unlikely to bear fruit. Whatever her good points may be, Lady Kareen’s obviously not going to be winning any awards for motherhood.

Anne’s estimate of Luken’s age puts him within a year or two of Daav’s sister and Er Thom’s brother. I wonder if it was just happenstance that all the Lines produced heirs around the same time, or if there was some co-ordination involved.

(The estimate of Pat Rin’s age, on the other hand – which is given from Petrella’s viewpoint, so it can’t be handwaved as unfamiliarity – disagrees with the dates in the Partial Timeline by a full three Standard Years. Which, come to think of it, is Shan’s age; I wonder if somebody got confused at some point between Pat Rin’s age when Shan was born and Pat Rin’s age when the two of them first met.)

This is also the chapter in which Olwen sel’Iprith gives Daav nubiath’a. Which goes to show that two Liadens touching each other’s faces like lifemates doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s where the relationship is going to end up – she touches his face again here, even as she’s saying goodbye. And I have occasionally wondered if Daav would have handled subsequent events differently if this hadn’t happened to him just now.

Local Custom – Chapter 24

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In which Petrella has a very odd view of Er Thom’s character.

A moment passes in which things had an opportunity to resolve themselves more quickly and neatly, if only Anne had said what she wants instead of what she thought was required of her. But if we’re talking “if only”, we might add: If only Er Thom had done a better job of letting Anne know what he wants. And so on, as the saying goes, back to the beginning of the universe. (Or possibly, with this bunch, before.)

A nice exchange that says a lot about Korval’s viewpoint (and possibly it’s a widespread Liaden viewpoint, but perhaps only a Dragon would say it out loud):

“I will not have him interpreting Code for his own benefit!”
“Isn’t that what it’s for?”