Agent of Change by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee Read Free Book Online

your help, Susan," Miri cooed, and hit DISCONNECT.

    She laughed for five minutes, leaning back in the embracing cushions and howling, tears running out the corners of her made-up eyes. When she was sure she could navigate, she went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

    Resuming her seat in front of the comm, she began to edit her tape.
    * * *

    LIZ ANSWERED THE door herself and stood looking down at him.

    Val Con made the bow of youth to age, straightening to find her still frowning at him from her height.

    "I am here," he said softly, "for Miri's box."

    Wordless, she pulled the door wider and let him in. After making sure the locks were engaged, she led him down a short, dark hallway to a bright living room. He stood in the entranceway as she moved to what seemed the only chair—indeed the only surface—not piled high with booktapes.

    "Come here, Liaden." It was a command, delivered harshly.

    He made his soundless way across the room and stopped before her, hands folded loosely.

    She surveyed him silently and he returned the favor, noting the dark hair shot with gray, the lines about mouth and eyes, the eyes themselves, and the chin. This was, he saw, a person used to command, who knew command as responsibility.

    "You're here for Miri's box."

    "Yes, Eldema," he said gently, giving her the courtesy title of the First Speaker of a Clan.

    She snorted. "Tell me Liaden: Why should I trust you?"

    He raised his brows. "Miri—"

    "Trusts you," she cut in, "because you're beautiful. It's a fault comes with growing up where nothing's beautiful and everything's dangerous—real different from sunny Liad."

    He stood at rest, waiting.

    Liz moved her head sharply. "So, you grow up on a world like Surebleak, manage, somehow, to get off, finally encounter beauty. And you want to give it every chance. You don't want to believe that a pretty rat's still a rat. That it'll bite you, just as sure." She clamped her mouth into a straight line.

    Val Con waited.

    "I don't care if you got three heads, each one uglier than the next," she snapped. "I want to know why I should trust you."

    He sighed. "You should trust me because Miri sent me here. You must judge whether she would do so—besotted as she must be with my beauty—were I a danger to you."

    She laughed. "A little temper, is it? You'll need it." She sobered abruptly. "What kind of trouble's she in, she needs to send you at all? Why not come herself?"

    "It is not the kind of trouble it is safe to know by name," he said carefully. "It is only ... trouble."

    "Ah. So we all get in that kind of trouble once, now, don't we?" There was no particular emphasis; he thought she spoke to herself. Yet she continued to stare at him until Val Con wondered if he were growing another head.

    "You're going with her when she leaves? Eh? To guard her back? She called you her partner."

    "Eldema, when we go, we go together. I think it very likely that we will outrun the trouble. Lose it entirely." There was no flicker of the Loop, giving the lie to this piece of optimism, for which he was grateful.

    She nodded suddenly, then reached to the overflowing table at her side and produced a black lacquer box from amidst a pile of tapes. It was a double hand's width of his small hands wide and twice that long—too odd-shaped to fit comfortably into pocket or pouch.

    Liz frowned and fumbled further on the table, locating a less-than-new cloth bag with a drawstring top. She slid the box inside, drew the string tight, and handed him the sealed package.

    He stepped forward so claim it, slipping the string over his shoulder.

    "Thank you." He bowed thanks. When it became apparent that she had no more to say to him, he turned to go.

    He was nearly to the hall when she spoke. "Liaden!"

    He spun in his tracks, quick and smooth. "Eldema?"

    "You take care of Miri, Liaden. None of your damn tricks. You just take the best care of Miri you can, as long as you can."

    He bowed. "Eldema, it is my desire to