thought, to know that he must not seem too eager.
'Indeed?'
'Yes. One of your. one of your people. She seems about the right age. She's rather tall—I need someone tall. Dark hair. She wears black and silver—'
'You mean Madame? My slave steward?'
'Yes, I suppose so. I don't know her name—'
Blaisse did not use the opportunity to tell Subtwo Madame's name. Instead, he chuckled. 'Madame? No, no, that's ridiculous.'
'Ridiculous? I see nothing ridiculous about it.'
'Whyever do you think her attractive?'
Subtwo had no answer for such a question; the question itself was ridiculous.
'Your tastes are unusual,' Blaisse said.
'Then all that remains to discuss is the. price.'
'Price? Oh—to buy her.'
'That was what I came about.' To buy her, to free her: to offer to take her anywhere, without obligation, somewhere he too could be free, he hoped, and then to start again, both of them, two free people, and see if they could love.
'It's out of the question.'
I've been too eager, Subtwo thought. He felt ill, weightless. He knows, and he plays with me. 'Why? You as much as said you did not find her attractive.'
'Dear boy,' Blaisse said. 'That has nothing at all to do with it. She wasn't bought in the first place for beauty, just the opposite. How much work do you think she'd get done if my guests were always dragging her off to their beds? She was trained here. She's been steward almost as long as I've been Lord. We couldn't get along without her.'
'It is not sensible to be so dependent on one person,' Subtwo said woodenly. He had no idea of changing Blaisse's mind; that was simply his reaction to the statement.
'You're right. Of course you're right.' Blaisse rubbed his middle finger across Saita's nipple, and his eyes went out of focus. Subtwo thought Blaisse was about to lapse into his characteristic boredom and order him away; Subtwo did not think he could tolerate an order. He stood up and turned toward the door.
'One moment.'
Across Subtwo's shoulders, all the muscles tensed abruptly.
'We should work out an arrangement.'
Reluctantly, Subtwo faced him, less than anxious to hear what Blaisse would say.
'She should have an assistant. Someone to train, someone who could take over.'
'And—?'
'Bring me someone.' Blaisse's blank look had changed to one of lupine watchfulness. 'Raid it or buy it, I don't care, a young child, six or eight years old, young enough to tame, I don't want to have to flog it for obedience. Intelligent, not pretty, be sure of that. And if it works out, in a few years, we can repeat this conversation.'
'A few years.'
'A few years, yes. My palace is not simple to run.'
Subtwo gazed at the floor and slowly shook his head.
'Why so downcast?' Blaisse was truly mystified, or he was acting and laughing; Subtwo could not tell which. 'If you're so infatuated with her, take her—you don't need her consent or mine for that. But don't keep her from her duties, unless you don't care that she'd be punished for neglect.'
Without responding, Subtwo turned and stumbled toward the door. He felt totally exhausted.
Blaisse's voice, hard and victorious, followed him. 'If you want her that much, steal me a child.'
Hearing the music of the alarms, Subtwo jumped up from his bed as though he had not been asleep. He had lain down only to think. He looked around, recalling the familiarity of his rooms, and collapsed back. No law said he should feel guilty about sleeping during what others considered daytime. Who could tell, in this forsaken place? And there was no law that said he must speak with anyone who approached. He had more important things to do, plans to implement. He climbed to his feet, and reached for the front door's locking control.
'Subtwo?'
He spun at the voice. Jan Hikaru stood in the dimness of the next room, his hands in his pockets.
'What do you want? How did you get in here?'
'I thought you saw me—the door opened.'
Subtwo glanced toward the intercom screen, expecting to see Subone's laughing face, but the communicator remained blank. He scowled; Subone was having a joke of his own. Subtwo decided then and there to sever the connections between the two suites. What had seemed a sensible safety precaution had proved a nuisance.
'What do you want?'
'To talk to you about Mischa.'
Subtwo frowned. He had wondered if she might have trouble adjusting to a new situation, but he had expected her apparent determination to keep
her out of trouble longer than this. 'What has happened?'
'Nothing bad,' Jan Hikaru said quickly.
Subtwo assumed, then, that he was being given a simple progress report, and that annoyed him. He wanted to plan how quickly the ship could be made ready—he should have done that without even needing to think, certainly before sleeping, despite his weariness. 'I'm very busy. As it isn't important, come back another time.'
'It is important.'
'I didn't ask for status checks. Follow your own judgment with her education.'
'I'm trying to do that.' The tone of Jan Hikaru's voice was moving into exasperation, which Subtwo noticed and found interesting in such an even-tempered young man. He could not remember ever having seen him angry or as much as annoyed.
'What is it?' More patiently.
'I'd like you to help her with her math.'
'Help her—what? If you're not competent to teach simple arithmetic—'
Jan did not appear offended by the outburst. Subtwo cut himself off and waited.
'She already knew arithmetic,' Jan said calmly. 'She's working beyond what I know right now.'
'Then you knew less than I thought.'
'No, I knew more than you asked me about.'
Subtwo realized that was quite possible; he had not, in fact, pressed Jan's knowledge, merely ascertained that he knew enough to work with. 'You are saying?'
'With the right help, there's no telling how far she could go. She's a mathematical genius—she just never had any reason or chance to develop the ability.'
'You tested her neural responses?'
'I don't need to test her neural responses,' Jan said with irritation. 'I've worked with her for weeks.'
'Send her along, then, and I'll test her. We'll see.' He was already considering ways one could feign genius: Mischa would have to be quite clever if this were a trick.
Jan Hikaru looked hardly satisfied with the response, but Subtwo had no patience to commend a discovery he had not certified himself; his enthusiasm focused in other directions. 'Will that do?' he asked sardonically.
'All she needs is a chance,' Jan said. 'There's no way for her to get one in Center.' He turned and left the suite.
Relieved to be alone again, Subtwo bent over his intercom. He started to call Madame, but he wanted to be certain he could offer her a concrete plan, not possibilities, after his first failure. He contacted the common room, and, after a few minutes' delay, Draco.
'What is the status of the ship?'
'It's coming along.'
'How much work needs to be finished?'
'Couple weeks' worth.'
'How quickly could it be completed in an emergency?'
