icarii were hardly better than whores, in some people's eyes. But an outcaste should know better than to believe in stereotypes.
Dinner with Alister Forlore. The thought of the decatur's handsome face and bright green eyes was tempting, but Taya knew she'd be a fool to accept. Alister probably assumed the same thing about her as his brother. Even if he were a gentleman over dinner, it wouldn't mean that he didn't have expectations, and… and, well, what on earth would she wear to a restaurant on Primus, anyway?
Besides, what if he made a pass and she couldn't resist it? She prided herself on being choosy about her lovers, but it had been a long time since the last one, and Alister was undeniably attractive.
No, all things considered, it would be best if she turned Alister's servant away tonight. She would meet the decatur at the Octavus party under safely reputable conditions, and then she'd see what happened.
Chapter Five
The physician cleaned and bandaged her cut, warned her not to rescue anyone from a wireferry accident for a week or two, and sent her on her way. Taya hurried back to the eyrie and felt a twinge of disappointment to find the clock back in one piece and Cristof gone.
'Taya!' Gwen shouted for her as she turned to head up the stairs, and Taya spun, changing direction to enter the parlor.
'What?'
'Your outcaste left. He gave me an estimate and took off looking like he'd been drinking vinegar.' The landlady sniffed. 'So, you got an invitation to dinner from an exalted?'
'Yes.' Taya dropped into an overstuffed chair and made a face. 'The cousin of the woman I rescued yesterday. He wants to thank me.'
'And the outcaste disapproves?'
'His name is Cristof Forlore, and he's the exalted's brother.'
'Oh.' Gwen's eyebrows rose. 'It's a family affair, is it?'
'It's not any kind of affair at all,' Taya objected, nettled. 'Cristof doesn't approve of me, and I don't want to cause any trouble between him and his brother.'
'Who is a decatur.'
'Decatur Alister Forlore.'
Gwen looked impressed. 'Well, if a decatur is asking you to dinner to thank you for saving his cousin's life, you can hardly say no. Is he well-mannered? Do you like him?'
'I only talked to him once, but he was very charming.' Taya sighed. And dangerously good-looking. 'I have to say no, Gwen. He's probably got the wrong impression about me — you know how it is. And besides, I don't have anything to wear.'
'Go in your flight suit. That's perfectly acceptable attire for an icarus on business,' Gwen said firmly. Taya wrinkled her nose.
'I don't think he expects this dinner to be business.'
'He said it was to thank you.'
'Yes.' Taya didn't mention the letter's greeting, which was less than businesslike.
'Well, then he can't complain if you wear your flight suit. And if you don't want to give him the wrong impression, a flight suit is more than chaste.'
Taya smiled. That was true. Alister might be disappointed if she showed up in a flight suit instead of a dress, but the few smocks she owned were more suitable for picnics over summer on Secundus than dinner during autumn on Primus. And a flight suit really was very difficult to get out of.
She chewed on her bottom lip, thinking about it.
'But his brother doesn't approve….'
'His brother's a freak.'
'He is not!'
'He's an exalted who walks around barefaced and dresses like a famulate. Taya, dear, he's a freak. And an ill-tempered freak, at that.'
'He's not so grouchy when you get to know him.' Taya wasn't sure why she was defending the clockwright. Gwen was right. Still… she felt a little sorry for him. It couldn't be easy, living the life of an outcaste.
'Well, he's not so important, either. If I were you, I'd worry more about offending a decatur than an outcaste. If you're going to fly with the eagles, dearest, you can't waste your time on the crows.'
Crows. Taya's lips curved up. Cristof did look like a crow, and he certainly squawked like one.
'Then you think I should go?'
'You want to join the diplomat corps, don't you?'
'What — oh.' Taya's voice dropped to a whisper as it suddenly dawned on her. 'Oh!'
Exam scores were only part of the decision-making process. Diplomatic envoys had to work very closely with exalteds, so political acumen and personality were also important. The corps selection board would be inclined to favor a candidate who had friends on the Oporphyr Council.
'Oh. Oh, Lady,' she groaned, suddenly seeing everything in a new light. 'Why did you have to say that?'
'Hmph, some diplomat you'll make! You'd better start thinking like a politician, love. You have a golden opportunity to advance yourself, and there's no shame in making the most of it. You didn't rescue that woman for selfish reasons, and you didn't ask the decatur to invite you out to dinner. But as long he did, it's your duty to accept the Lady's gift and use it!'
Taya made a face. She hadn't applied to the diplomatic corps to dabble in politics. If politics had interested her, she wouldn't have been so bored by Pyke. She'd applied to the corps so she could interact with foreigners, get a taste of their cultures, and maybe even travel outside of Ondinium someday. It was the unusual and exotic that had attracted her to diplomatic work, not the politics and power plays.
'It just seems so… manipulative.'
'Whether or not it's manipulative is up to you. I'm not telling you to accept the dinner, sleep with the man, and then start asking him for favors. Just go and do your best to impress him with your good sense and good manners.'
'Yes…. 'Taya drew in a deep breath. Yes, that was sound advice. 'Thank you, Gwen.'
The landlady smiled, pleased with herself.
'A decatur — you're a lucky girl, Taya. Who knows? This could be a turning point in your life.'
Cassi didn't agree that a flight suit was appropriate dinner attire, but after making a frenzied survey of the wardrobe of every icarus in the eyrie who was roughly Taya's height and build, she had been forced to agree that it was Taya's best option on such short notice.
'But,' she warned Taya, 'if this what your new life is going to be like, we're going to have to get you a better wardrobe.'
'I'd be perfectly happy spending the rest of my life in this suit,' Taya confessed, looking at herself in Cassi's mirror. They'd gone up to the docks to retrieve it and had spent two hours replacing worn straps and buckles and buffing the well-worn leather to a soft glow. 'It's comfortable, practical, and warm.'
'You're not going to catch yourself a man wearing comfortable, practical, and warm,' Cassi said tartly. 'About the only thing a flight suit has going for it is that it's tight.'
'Big deal.' Taya scowled at her chest, pressed even flatter than usual by the suit's snug fit. 'I look like a boy, just like your nephew said.'
'Well, we could pad you out, but your decatur might be surprised if you suddenly grew breasts.'
Taya smiled. 'This is just business. I'm not trying to seduce him.'
'Good thing, if you're wearing that
'
