Carpe Diem by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee Read Free Book Online Page A

luck to you, Shannie?"

    "Unfortunately," he said after a small pause. "it does." He sighed and rubbed the tip of his nose. "Does it occur to you that Clutch-turtles might well mistake relationships between humans? By Space, we don't even know that that damned message is from Edger!"

    "Mr. dea'Gauss had a tracer put on the pin-beam," Anthora said. "Verification hasn't been made yet, but he feels there's small doubt that the message is genuine. And I told you, brother—I can see Val Con's lady through him, just like I see Priscilla through you!"

    He turned to stare at her. "So you did." He touched keys, shut down the screen, reclaimed the disks, and slipped them safely away. "Which reminds me that I'm to dine with Priscilla this evening. Talk about a coil! If Val Con had his heart set on the woman, why couldn't he bring her home? And when did he have time to court and lifemate anyone? Unless . . ." He pushed away from the desk, stretching to his full six feet, reducing Anthora to a plump, precocious child.

    "Unless?" she asked.

    He bent to kiss her forehead. "A question for Jeeves on my way out, that's all. Please assure Nova that I'm at her command. We'll be dining at Ongit's before going back to Pelthraza Street. And tell Gordy I'll expect to see him here early tomorrow morning. He's loafed long enough."

    "Oh, no," Anthora said earnestly. "He's been working very hard! Karea seems particularly pleased."

    "I'm delighted for them both." He gave her a gentle shove toward the door. "I'm off to visit Syl Vor and Padi—then a quick word with Jeeves and away! Be a good child, now, and help your sister."

    "All right, Shannie," said the most powerful wizard on Liad, and went docilely down the hall.

     

    With some difficulty Jeeves was discovered crouched in a corner of the hearthroom, swaddled in cats, head-ball dim in what Val Con had used to call "sleep." Shan cleared his throat.

    "Sir?" The ball glowed to gentle orange life.

    "Please don't get up! I only need to ask you a question—you are available for questions, aren't you, Jeeves? It wouldn't concern me quite so much except that you're the brains to Trealla Fantrol, and if we were to have an intruder while you're napping with the cats I don't know what would happen."

    "The intruders would be repelled, sir. I was not asleep, but merely offering comfort."

    Shan rubbed the tip of his nose. "Comfort? I am to understand that the cats are distressed?"

    "They miss Master Val Con, sir."

    "They do." Shan considered the various and varicolored felines draped around Jeeves's metallic person. "I hesitate to mention this—but Pil Tor and Yodel have never met Master Val Con."

    "Quite right, sir. But Merlin has told them all about him, so they feel his absence as keenly as the rest."

    A grizzled gray tabby curled near the head-ball opened one yellow eye, as if daring a challenge to that explanation.

    Shan swept a bow. "Never would I doubt you, sir."

    The cat closed his eye, and the man swallowed a laugh. "Jeeves, if I might ask you to cast your mind back seven or eight Standards—possibly more: Has my brother ever mentioned the person Miri Robertson in your presence?"

    There was silence. Shan bore it for nearly a minute.

    "Jeeves?"

    "Working, sir. I anticipate completion of the match in approximately—done. Master Val Con has never spoken of or to Miri Robertson in my presence." After a slight and unrobotic hesitation, Jeeves said, "Forgive me."

    "There's nothing to forgive, old friend. I had a notion Val Con had been lifemated for a few years and had simply forgotten to let us know. Exactly the sort of thing that might slip one's mind, after all. It was dimly possible that he'd said something to you, however, the dangers of Scouts and soldiers being what they are."

    "You speak in the context of a will."

    "Exactly in the context of a will."

    The orange ball flickered, and Merlin flicked a reproachful ear. "The will I have on file for Master Val Con has not