Necessity's Child (Liaden Universe®) by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee Read Free Book Online Page A

step into the room, and so he did, expecting to see Grandaunt in the chair nearest the window, but no—the lowering sun struck hair that was red, not pepper-and-salt.
    Syl Vor’s stomach plummeted to his feet, anchoring him to the spot.
    Mrs. pel’Esla hadn’t gone with half measures.
    Mrs. pel’Esla had invoked the delm .
    “Thank you,” she said, her voice cool in the High Tongue. “You may leave us.”
    “Captain,” Diglon acknowledged. Syl Vor heard a rustle of fabric behind him, and the snap of the latch catching.
    The delm , Syl Vor thought. He had breached security, endangered the House entire. He could not imagine what she would do to him, but he did not doubt that it was deserved.
    “Come here, Syl Vor,” the voice said, warmer now, in the Low Tongue.
    He swallowed. The delm would not speak to him in the Low Tongue. Grandaunt had explained very carefully that the delm was not of the clan, but the clan embodied. It was difficult to understand; he was not certain that he understood it perfectly, even yet. But on one point, he was clear—
    The delm would not speak to him in the Low Tongue—that was for kin, and for agemates. That being so, it was not the delm , but Aunt Miri whom he faced.
    He was not completely sure, but that he would have preferred Grandaunt Kareen.
    Taking a deep breath, he went forward to stand before the chair by the window.
    Aunt Miri closed her book, and slowly looked him up and down. If Syl Vor had not already taken the full measure of his own misdeeds, he might have suspected her of smiling.
    “What have you been doing, child?” she asked. “Wrestling in the mud?”
    “No, Aunt. That is—I have been helping Mr. Shaper set the spring seedlings.”
    Slim eyebrows rose over grey eyes.
    “Indeed? How do you find Mr. Shaper this day?”
    “Very well,” Syl Vor answered, and took some thought. “He spoke very little, but taught much. He said . . .” He hesitated, not wanting to overwhelm her patience.
    She inclined her head, which meant that he should go on.
    “He said to tell—Granduncle Daav that the soil was settling at the boundary, and that he should—he should call in more.”
    Aunt Miri nodded. “We’ll put that on the to-do list,” she said, in Terran.
    “Yes, ma’am,” Syl Vor said. He took a breath and bowed his head. “I am ashamed, Aunt. I endangered the House. Please forgive me.”
    She sat silent so long that Syl Vor began to fear that forgiveness was, after all, out of the question. Perhaps he should have knelt. Had it been the delm in truth, he would have knelt, if only because he suspected that his knees would not have supported him. Should he kneel now? Or would that—
    “We seem to have survived the breach,” his aunt said at last. “Stand up straight and listen to me.” She waited until he had raised his head, and a moment longer, looking closely into his face.
    “I understand that you were at liberty and felt that a walk would be beneficial,” she continued. “We all have such times. However. You will in future sign out with Jeeves, or directly into the house base. It is not damage to the House we fear so much as damage to yourself. Had you fallen and broken a leg, and all of us unaware—that could have been very dangerous for you. Life threatening. So, it is not only for the protection of the House, but for protection of a valued child of the House. Do you understand?”
    Syl Vor bowed. “Aunt, I do.”
    “Good. Tell me more of Mr. Shaper. Did you leave him in good spirits?”
    He nodded—caught himself and bit his lip.
    “I believe so, yes, ma’am. As we were leaving, he called to us, and said that—that he had a barn that wanted painting, if I wished to work with him again.”
    Aunt Miri laughed. “Barn, is it? Well, we will see. In the meantime . . .” She stood and held out her hand. Syl Vor hesitantly placed his dirty one in hers.
    “I am glad that your day was enjoyable and instructive. We don’t wish to clip your wings,