Dutiful Passage
In which Padi makes connections and Shan receives news from home.
The looper families Shan mentions are among those who have appeared or been mentioned in the Jethri-era stories: the Smiths were the first family to have norbears travelling with them, the Tragers were friendly with Jethri’s family, and the Wildes did that ill-fated bit of experimenting with Old Tech.
Continue reading
In which yo’Lanna achieves a crush and Surebleak achieves a coup.
After Val Con commenting at the first inspection that the decor in the entrance hall was unsubtle but mendable, I was looking forward to seeing what had been done with it, but the narration skips past it and straight to the ballroom. Then again, perhaps Lady yo’Lanna hasn’t had time to do anything interesting with it yet.
Continue reading
Jelaza Kazone
Tree Court
In which Miri has had a long rest.
I wonder about the yellow, orange and red flowers with the peppery smell. The description reminds me of the nasturtium flowers my mother used to grow and use the edible parts in salads. As I recall, they had a peppery taste, but I don’t remember what their smell was like.
Continue reading
Mercantile Building
In which the Boss Vote is concluded.
And that, more or less, is that. There’s still the outcome of the TerraTrade survey to be announced, but that’s looking more predictable now than it did a few chapters ago. And Lady yo’Lanna’s housewarming party. And, maybe, a progress report on Memit’s rabbit hunt.
Surebleak Port
Portmaster’s Office
In which the portmaster and the survey team leader go for a walk.
The portmaster’s probably right that the port can survive if TerraTrade doesn’t grant them the upgrade. The question that’s hanging just now is, what if TerraTrade decides the recent unpleasantness means it has to downgrade them?
Continue reading
Jelaza Kazone
In which Emissary Twelve has thoughts about change.
There’s a lot of thinking about the future in this chapter: about what they will do if Boss Surebleak wins, and, perhaps more importantly, what kind of future they will shape if Boss Surebleak doesn’t win.
That makes, I believe two appointments the portmaster has tomorrow, beginning two hours apart. I wonder if they will collide in some fashion.
Surebleak Port
Portmaster’s Office
In which Boss Surebleak makes the next move.
I have reservations about this, but Portmaster Liu and Survey Leader Kasveini have already said them for me.
I still want to know, if nobody knows who Boss Surebleak is, how were the requests for comment for the Voting Editions addressed?
Council Meeting Room
Mercantile Building
In which a meeting proceeds without the invited guest.
A small detail I noticed: one of the other services contained within the Mercantile Building is a bank. Remember when ‘bleakers’ response to Conrad mentioning a bank was “What’s one of them?” and “I can’t see that working here”?
Another reminder of how things have improved since Conrad arrived.
Surebleak Port
Portmaster’s Office
In which Miri Robertson calls on the Portmaster.
So, what does it portend that Miri visits in the melant’i of plain “Miri Robertson”? Not entirely that she’s calling as an individual, because when it comes down to it she’s still there to speak for Korval, but perhaps that she’s doing so as an ordinary child of Korval and not as a high Korval official. And perhaps also to underline, a little bit, that she’s also a child of Surebleak and wants what’s good for the planet as well as what’s good for her family.
Also, I’m starting to wonder how it came about that some of the devices decided their orders were irregular. It could just be general cussedness, but I wonder if some of them have been talking to Sye Mon.
Blair Road
Boss Conrad’s House
In which Mrs kaz’Ineo has an idea.
The mention of the Gilmour Agency’s human resources manual as a recent acquisition places this chapter not long after the opening scene of “Block Party”, in which Luzeal had just made the discovery, although perhaps not after the entire story, which covers a period of several weeks.
Continue reading