that she appreciated. Her jangled nerves began to ease.
Martinez drew back. “I’m beginning to see what’s so special about twilight on Sandama,” he said.
She barked another nervous laugh. The brown eyes beneath his heavy brows were half veiled, frankly appraising, but somehow appraising without the insolence she saw in the eyes of other men. A nice trick, she thought.
“You are the most beautiful thing here tonight,” he said, breath warming her cheek. “And I’m the luckiest man in the empire—which you once pointed out to me, I remember.”
Sula felt herself flushing. She looked at her feet. “I never know what to say at these moments,” she said.
“You could try working up some praise ofmy looks,” Martinez said, “but if the insincerity would be too challenging, you could just say ‘thank you’ and blush as prettily as you’re doing now.”
“Thank you,” she said in a small voice.
He folded her in his arms and kissed her again. Her skin seemed to blaze with heat. On sudden impulse she cradled his head in her hands and drove her kiss against his, and felt his surprise and pleased response. Fire scorched her veins. He gasped free of the kiss and buried his head at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, and Sula felt a shudder run up her spine at the touch of his lips in the hollow of her shoulder, just above the subclavian artery with its pulsing blood. She ran her hands through his wavy brown hair.
He gasped again, then drew back and looked at her. “There’s a private door in this room,” he said. His voice was urgent and feverish. “Let’s leave the party and go somewhere. We don’t have to go to that famous bed of yours, not if you’re not at ease, but for all’s sake, let’s get away and be together. Anywhere you like.”
She looked at him in dawning surprise. “I can’t take you away from your party. You’re the guest of honor.”
“If it’s my party, I can leave anytime I want.” He began to kiss her throat again, and she gave another shudder and held him there against him for a long moment. Then she placed her palm against his chest and firmly pushed him away.
“No,” she said. “You’re not going to be rude to your guests.”
“They’re notmy guests!” Martinez protested. “They’reRoland’s guests! And Walpurga’s guests, and Vipsania’s! I hardly know any of these people.”
“Stick with them a couple hours,” Sula said, “just for politeness. And then,” she took the disk of the Golden Orb between her fingers and drew him close to her, “I want a hundred percent of your attention for the rest of the evening.”
“You’ll have it,” he said. “I’m feeling at my absolute best, I want to assure you.”
“In two hours or so,”when I can’t stand the suspense anymore, “I’ll thank you politely for a good time, and then leave. I’ll expect you at my apartment within the hour.”
His face took on a hopeful look. “Suppose I get thereahead of you…”
“No.” Sternly. “For once follow the operational plan without improvising.”
“But—” His sleeve comm chimed. “Damn it!” he said, and answered as Sula released his medal and stepped back out of range of the camera button.
Roland’s voice came out of the display. “Where are you? I’ve got an important announcement to make.”
Martinez sighed. “I’ll be right there.”
Sula wanted to laugh at his chagrin. As soon as he switched off the comm she stepped to him and kissed him fiercely. When his arms came up to embrace her, she stepped back and began the adjustments to her appearance that would allow her to appear once more in public without embarrassment. Martinez cleaned her cosmetic from his face with a handkerchief.
“I’m glad I was able to help with that nervousness problem,” he said. “I see you’ve got it under control again.”
For the moment.“Thank you. That was very well…handled.”
He gave her a look. She picked up her drink and Martinez took her arm and led her back to the party. No sooner had they stepped into the reception room than the crowd opened up and revealed the one person who could send Sula’s renewed confidence draining out of her like stuffing from a torn rag doll.
Sula didn’t know the woman’s name, but she recognized the glossy chestnut hair and the spectacular hourglass figure. The newcomer had solved the problem of what to wear to a gathering of high-caste Peers by wearing practically nothing, just a shining, shimmery, form-fitting sheath that restrained her in certain dimensions while allowing her to blossom in others. She was taller than Sula, and her shoulders were tawny while her smile was brilliant and white.
Sula had seen her once before, with Martinez at the Penumbra Theater, shortly after Sula and Martinez had their explosive parting. Sula remembered the wrenching jealousy she’d felt at that moment, and the envy she’d felt at the other woman’s abundant charms. Martinez was reputed very successful with women, and she couldn’t imagine him not being successful with this one.
The duty cadets at the Commandery, with whom Sula had once served, had been dismissive of Martinez’s luck with women, claiming that he preyed exclusively on women from the lower orders. Whatever order this dark-haired goddess was from, it didn’t seem lower exactly, more like another plane altogether.
Martinez was smilingly correct. “Warrant Officer Amanda Taen, may I present Lieutenant, the Lady Sula.”
“Oh,” said Warrant Officer Taen, eyes widening, “you’refamous. I’ve seen you on video. I think you’re wonderful!” Sula felt her skin prickle, as if in answer to the pheromones that seemed to pour off Amanda Taen in waves, like warm surf rolling off some lush tropical shore.
“And where are you stationed?” Sula managed.
“Zanshaa ring,” said Amanda Taen. “I command a cutter that does satellite repair and maintenance.”
“Command?” Martinez said. “You got your promotion?”
“I’m Warrant Officer/First now.” Smiling brilliantly.
“Congratulations.” The word forced itself from Sula’s tightening diaphragm.
“But I should be congratulatingyou, ” Amanda Taen cried. “Theboth of you. AllI did was pass an exam, butyou —you’re brilliant! You’ve done great things!”
A gong sounded, and Sula gave silent thanks that she wouldn’t have to continue to manage conversation with this living, breathing incarnation of gonadal male fantasy. Everyone turned to where Roland stood with a mallet in his hand. He rang the broad antique gong again, enjoying the effect, and then hung the mallet from its thong and turned smiling to the crowd.
“I realize that we’ve all assembled here in honor of my brother, Gareth”—with a glance at Martinez—“and of his brilliant exploits against the Naxid rebels. But I’d like to briefly take the spotlight from my brother in order to make another announcement of importance to the family.”
He gestured toward Vipsania, who stood in her beaded gown next to a smiling man in the dark red coat of a convocate. “I’d like to announce the forthcoming marriage of my sister Lady Vipsania to Lord Convocate Oda Yoshitoshi.”
Yoshitoshi was a broad-shouldered, glossy-haired man with temples going spectacularly, theatrically white. He smiled and took Vipsania’s hand as the audience broke into applause.
Sula sensed Martinez‘ surprise. “You didn’t know this was coming?” she murmured.
“Not a clue,” Martinez said. “I don’t even know who he is, precisely.”
Sula didn’t, either. There was a Senior Captain Lord Simon Yoshitoshi who had died at Magaria commandingThe Revelation of the Praxis , one of the bigPraxis -class battleships, but that was as far as her knowledge of Clan Yoshitoshi extended.
Martinez might have been baffled by the nature and even the existence of his proposed brother-in-law, but when the applause died he nevertheless raised his glass and was the first to offer a toast to the couple. Sula sipped her mineral water. More toasts followed, and then a rush to congratulate the pair.
When the mob around Vipsania and Yoshitoshi finally cleared, Sula found herself across the room from Martinez, and seemingly attached to Martinez was the abundant figure of Amanda Taen. The two were talking to one another and displaying every nuance of intimacy.
Profoundly cast down, Sula found herself in a corner of the room talking to PJ Ngeni, who was leaning against a bronze statue of an armored warrior maiden, and who seemed depressed himself. “Where’s Sempronia?” she
