Bright Star

by E G Manetti

  Nickolas touches the riser controls, and ten stories are bypassed to the complaints of the other occupants. Without turning, Nickolas silences the carriage with two words: “Bright Star.”

  Striding into milord’s commerce suite, Nickolas does not pause on his way to Seigneur Marco’s office. Lilian has three minutes to counter the ill luck of Rimon’s Mercy and the challenge of her eargems.

  “Mistress Marieth, if you please.” Lilian approaches milord’s executive servitor.

  Releasing her console, Marieth turns to Lilian and inclines her head in permission to continue.

  Gently tugging a red eargem, Lilian asks, “Have my lost nape ties been discovered?”

  Eyes sharpening at the sight of Lilian’s studs, Marieth shakes her head. “They are lost, Lilian. The cleansing crew knows its duty.”

  The snarl of leather and metal would have appeared trash and been tossed into a recycler. Lilian nods dejectedly as she voices acceptance. “My thanks, Mistress Marieth. I expected no more.”

  Squaring her shoulders, Lilian follows Nickolas into Marco’s office to execute her duty. In deference to the custom Sebastian Mehta ignored, Marco leaves the door open.

  So very determined, Marieth thinks as she taps an alert to Lucius. I should have placed a larger wager. Regrettable about Lilian’s nape ties. From the girl’s description, they were the only item of attire she owned worthy of Lucius.

  »◊«

  The Fountain Café is near capacity as Lilian seeks a place. As she hoped, within a half bell of her encounter with Mistress Marieth, Lilian was released from milord’s midday attendance requirement.

  Chrys is spinning a tale for two other Ravens at an undesirable table near the beverage dispenser. They will not welcome her. Lilian bears the unknown Ravens no ill will. Unlike Chrys, they cannot shelter in the shadow of Protégé Irina or Master Simon. Rebecca and Clarice dare to offer Lilian open friendship due to their insignificance as Cartel apprentices. Few note their alliances or care.

  Honor endures. As a seat opens by the fountain, Lilian slides in quickly. Predictably, the table to her right empties. The table to her left is occupied by a well-dressed trio. They glance at Lilian in mild curiosity and then return to their discourse. Tourists. The boutiques of Serengeti Headquarters are among the finest in the Commerce District and attract a wide array of visitors.

  Six months gone, Lilian’s image was heavily displayed in the media and the tourists would have reacted with hostility. Piracy, fraud, decadents dealing, illegal servitude, lotteries—Gariten was guilty of every crime of which he was convicted. By protocol and custom, his spouse and majority-aged offspring should have been annihilated along with him.

  Helena Faesetili was protected by her visions and disordered wits. Katleen, as a minor, could not be executed. Convicted of Guilt by Blood, had Lilian been Gariten’s only offspring, nothing would have saved her from the Final Draught. No consideration of relative guilt or justice would have offset the benefit of eliminating Gariten’s corrupt genetics from the Twelve Systems.

  Reconciled to the ongoing hostility within the Cartel and Crevasse City, Lilian finds relief in the confirmation that without media attention, she is readily overlooked by outsiders. Sipping her iced green tea, Lilian attends to her slate.

  “Lilian, a midday meal is of no purpose do you not consume it,” Clarice teases as she claims the seat opposite Lilian. The mufti of a Serengeti apprentice does not flatter Clarice’s honey-toned complexion, but the severe tailoring emphasizes her diminutive build. Her oval face is as delicate as the rest of here with black, almond-shaped eyes, a lush mouth, her long, straight black hair is held tight to her head in a warrior’s queue similar to Lilian’s.

  Abandoning her slate, Lilian picks up her spoon. The midday period is less than half gone; Clarice’s seigneur was quick. Do not voice that. “How fare you, Clarice?”

  “I am well, Lilian,” Clarice responds brightly. Collecting a spoonful of stew, she regards Lilian expectantly. “How fares Bright Star? Are you free to speak?”

  The formation of the stellar exploration consortium has the entire Cartel wild with excitement and all of the Twelve Systems agog.

  “The bells are long, but the work is fascinating,” Lilian replies. “I can reveal little. Vast wealth is being amassed to provide the Serengeti investment.”

  Nodding, Clarice reflects, “Seigneur Herman is spending extensive bells closeted with the governing monsignors.”

  Most of Clarice’s assignments are governed by Cartel Legalistics Seigneur Herman, who is heavily engaged with the contracts that will control Bright Star. Considering her friend, Lilian inquires, “Will the demand on legalistics provide you opportunity?”

  Swallowing stew, Clarice nods. “Not with Bright Star, of course. But with the senior legalistics associates given to Bright Star, there is a need for competence. My assignments are a full year beyond what is common for my level.”

  “Mistress Lilian.” Fletcher Detrenti places his meal on the table to Lilian’s right. At the sound of her name, Lilian stands, Clarice rising with her.

  With a smile and a small gesture of dismissal, Fletcher voices, “Mistresses, will you shift to your left? We have two others in our company.”

  The politely voiced request is a common one. Lilian had not noticed that the tourists vacated the next table.

  “Of course, Master Fletcher.” Lilian collects her meal, as does Clarice. Courtesy notwithstanding, it is a command.

  Settling into his seat, Fletcher addresses his companion, Seigneur Rachelle’s protégé. “Did I not promise a fountain table, Irina?”

  As Fletcher speaks, two associates take the places vacated by Lilian and Clarice. Neither associate is pleased by their proximity to Lilian, but neither will risk offending the important protégés.

  Focusing on their food and each other, Lilian and Clarice abandon Bright Star and embrace Cartel gossip. Both are astounded that Master Fletcher not only acknowledged Lilian but used his rank to compel his companions to sit within a handspan of Lucius Mercio’s tainted doxy.

  Deep in the shuttered confines of Lilian’s spirit, a small light ignites for Fletcher.

  As Clarice completes her meal, the carefully tended ember of her will warms. Clarice’s place in Lilian’s consortium is due to Clarice’s friendship with Rebecca and Lilian’s rage at the cruel public caning Clarice endured, orchestrated by the malicious actions of Mistress Ann Hunter. Recognition from the well-regarded Fletcher Detrenti is evidence that not all warriors disdain Lilian. It occurs to Clarice that it may well prove that it was worth enduring a beating for entrance into the storm that surrounds Rebecca’s fallen warrior.

  Sevenday 26, Day 5

  “Milord, truly I could do naught else.” Lilian’s eyes are wide and dark as she provides her eighth-bell accounting of yesterday’s closeted review with Monsignor Sebastian and Seigneur Garwynn.

  “What concerns you?” Lucius asks mildly. Why is Lilian so distressed? Even Sebastian Mehta would not violate the taboo signaled by Lilian’s eargems.

  “I, milord . . . that is . . .” Lilian stumbles to a halt, unconsciously worrying one of her ruby studs. Visibly gathering herself, Lilian confesses, “Milord, I regret I was unable to avoid a closed chamber without defying Monsignor Sebastian. I deemed the custom violation the lesser offense. Have I erred?”

  Erred? Custom violation? Not for the first time, Lucius is completely confounded by his apprentice. Who happens to be unconsciously worrying one of her ruby studs. Could she truly have no notion? His recall of Lilian’s discomfort the day he gave her the gems confirms Lucius’ suspicion. She is so brilliant. It is easy to forget her youth and nearly total lack of preparation for an apprentice role.

  “You did not err,” Lucius reassures Lilian and then waits for her to release her earlobe and once again come to attention, her slate at the ready.

  As Lilian holds her slate ready for instruction, Lucius briefly debates enlightening Lilian. It will embarrass her
, but it serves no purpose to leave her ignorant. As gently as he can, Lucius informs, her, “Lilian, the entire Cartel knows the cause for your change in eargems.”

  It is as Lucius feared. Lilian’s stance stiffens, her expression shutters, and her bright gray eyes shadow as she tries to mask her reaction. How she could not have known this is beyond him. The sudden appearance of the valuable objects would not have gone unnoted. Given Lilian’s poverty, only Lucius could be the source, and so early in her bond, there could only be one purpose for such a gift. “Lilian, it has been known since the first.”

  Swallowing hard, Lilian nods her understanding. A moment later, the gray eyes brighten with intellect as speculation replaces Lilian’s stoic mask. “Milord, did Monsignor Sebastian intend that I defy Grey Spear?”

  “It was an elegant intrigue,” Lucius confirms, pleased that she has released her and focused on the true issue. “Had you defied him, what would have been the outcome?”

  Interesting, Lucius thinks.

  Lilian’s gaze is turned inward and her lips are moving as she murmurs softly, “Outcome . . . defiance? Something else?”

  It is familiar. Before Lucius can locate the memory, Lilian returns to attention, her gray eyes bright and confident.

  “Milord, had I refused the closed chamber in deference to apprentice custom, Grey Spear could have challenged my role as conservator and my position within Bright Star.” Lilian’s clear tones hold certainty.

  “Well done.” Lucius nods and then pursues, “To what purpose?”

  “To challenge milord’s authority in Bright Star. To distract milord with annoyance during the Bright Star share negotiations.” Lilian lists the possible outcomes and their potential to hinder Lucius’ ambitions. “Mayhap to disrupt the share negotiations for Grey Spear advantage.”

  “Very well done.” Lucius smiles his approval.

  Milord’s approbation warms Lilian and alleviates her lingering embarrassment that something as personal as her female cycle is common knowledge within Serengeti. With that thought comes another: her cycles are only recently returned and conveniently right in time to thwart Monsignor Sebastian’s intrigue. Lilian is not superstitious and dismisses the notion of Shade intervention in daily matters. She cannot ignore that the day before, she prayed incessantly for the Shades’ Grace. Not for the first time, Lilian thinks, the Shades own an ill sense of humor.

  5. Governance and Intrigue

  Crevasse City is divided into four districts by two primary transit routes. Jonathan Avenue runs north to south along the western edge of the city’s massive central parkland, the Garden Center. At the southern end of the Garden Center, Jonathan Avenue is bisected by Metricelli Boulevard.

  Taking its name from the parkland in its southwestern corner, the Garden Center District is home to the warrior elite and the wealthiest of commoners also known as the secondary families. Directly south of the Garden Center District is the River Quarter. West of the River Quarter are the clustered towers of the Commerce District, including Serengeti Headquarters.

  At the western edge of the Commerce District, a mile south of the Refinery District, the source of the Great Crevasse is found. No more than a hundred yards wide at its source, the thirty-mile-deep Great Crevasse runs northwest in an ever-widening rift that expands to five miles before it begins to narrow again. Two hundred miles northwest of the Refinery Complex, the Great Crevasse terminates at the edge of the western hills, once again only a few yards wide. ~ excerpt from Third System Geography, an instructional text.

  Sevenday 27, Day 2

  “Mistress Lilian, what concerns you with these evaluations?” Seigneur Marco’s voice shatters Lilian’s focus on her inner landscape even as she holds fast to her insight.

  Although Lilian labored long bells at the analysis, this is her first opportunity to consider the entirety of the other two cartouche contributions. As Nickolas and Marco discussed negotiating strategies, Lilian was drawn into a subtle and emerging pattern. Clever. Clever. Separate. More than the sum. Matahorn would note it. When? How?

  At the soft murmur of Lilian’s voice, Nickolas frowns. Monsignor’s doxy should not speak without being addressed. Marco is intrigued. He has had limited contact with Lucius’ apprentice. He knows his kinsman well. Lucius Mercio does not entrust his property to a plaything. There is more to this unconventional arrangement than a powerful man’s indulgence. What is fascinating is that the meticulously decorous and obedient apprentice appears completely unaware of her surroundings.

  As Marco calls her attention, Lilian’s concentration breaks with an almost audible snap. The gray eyes blink owlishly as they focus in response to Marco’s command.

  “Seigneur Marco, I beg pardon,” Lilian offers politely as she marshals her wits. Did she voice her thoughts? It is a severe infraction for an apprentice to speak without being addressed, as is her failure to be attentive to her superiors. In her absorption with the pattern, Lilian has compounded error with error.

  Nickolas is displeased, but then he almost always is. Seigneur Marco appears naught but curious. This day. I am the sum of my ancestors. Steeling herself for what may come, Lilian admits, “I was not attending.”

  “I am aware you were not attending, Mistress Lilian,” Marco responds evenly. “To what were you attending? What concerns you in the analysis?”

  “I beg the seigneur’s indulgence,” Lilian begins carefully. If she is correct, Seigneur Marco and milord must know of this. Is she mistaken, it could be considered maligning a superior in rank. She is already on the wrong side of stricture. This could go ill for her. I am the foundation of my family.

  “If the seigneur pleases, is it the formation valuation—the one to be ratified by Serengeti, Matahorn, and Leonardo—that finalizes the value of the Serengeti’s share and that of the underlying cartouche shares?” Lilian is certain of her ground, but she wishes it confirmed before she speaks.

  “It is as you understand, Mistress Lilian,” Marco confirms, his interest deepening. “What have you discovered?”

  Lucius Mercio will control Serengeti’s position in Bright Star as he will control Bright Star. To do so, he must make certain that Grey Spear and Iron Hammer together hold less than half the Serengeti shares. He must also make certain that they contribute sufficient wealth to justify the shares they do receive.

  The calculations are complex and only final when agreed upon by all three Bright Star partners. If Serengeti’s contributed assets are insufficient to the agreed-upon forty-three percent share, Lucius could forfeit control of Bright Star. If Blooded Dagger’s assets are lacking relative to Grey Spear and Iron Hammer, Lucius could lose control of the Serengeti position.

  “With the seigneur’s permission?” Lilian waves her slate at the wall reviewer.

  At Marco’s nod of assent, Lilian uses her slate to rearrange the display so that assets are grouped by commerce sector rather than by cartouche. Of the score and a half entries, Lilian highlights four pairings.

  At the display, both Nickolas and Marco reach for their slates. Nickolas’ annoyance at Lilian’s effrontery dissolves as he comprehends the source of her concern. Marco nods in determination. Lucius’ apprentice is no mere indulgence. Sebastian Mehta and Elenora Odestil are conspiring to increase their ownership of Bright Star at Blooded Dagger expense.

  Twenty minutes later, Lucius is settled in the conference chamber. His regard shifts from the reviewer to his kinsman, protégé, and apprentice. He requires little explanation. The paired assets tell the tale. One each from Grey Spear and Iron Hammer, they are worth considerably more together than separately.

  After the assets were presented to Matahorn and Leonardo, Elenora and Sebastian would have revealed the true value. Undetected, this play could have cost Lucius his dominance of the Serengeti position. It might also have cost Serengeti its dominance in Bright Star. With the play revealed, Lucius will be able to wrest even more advantage from his fellow governors.

  “Lilian, what is your recommenda
tion?” Lucius inquires. His decisions are made. He wishes to know the progress of Lilian’s commerce judgment.

  Resisting the urge to finger her conservator’s seal, Lilian forces her tone to reflect dispassionate analysis. “If milord pleases, Serengeti should include the assets without the pairing. Does the ploy work against Matahorn and Leonardo as it was designed to work against milord, Serengeti may be able to increase its share in the consortium. Are Leonardo and Matahorn able to counter, Grey Spear and Iron Hammer can withdraw some of their other offerings.”

  “Very good, Lilian,” Milord commends. “Marco, the governors will join me for refreshment at seventh bell to finalize our investments in Bright Star. You should be present.”

  Rising, milord turns to Nickolas. “Well done, Nickolas. I will look forward to a similarly thorough evaluation of the Matahorn and Leonardo assets.”

  Reaching the door, milord instructs, “Lilian, attend me.”

  Relief floods Lilian as she rises to follow milord. Neither Master Nickolas nor Seigneur Marco indicted her for inattention or effrontery. That neither warrior acknowledged her contribution to the analysis does not trouble her. Yielding credit for her analysis is reasonable recompense for having her infractions ignored.

  »◊«

  Setting aside his slate, Chrys addresses Master Simon, “I regret, Master Simon, our review of the synthetics small market trial is delayed. Mistress Lilian is required by Monsignor Lucius.”

  Nodding his acknowledgment, the senior technologist asks, “What does Mistress Lilian offer for alternative times?”

  This is not the first delay the synthetics venture has experienced in the past two sevendays. As important as the synthetics are to Lucius, they do not take precedence over the demands of Bright Star.

  “Seventh bell this day, if Master Simon is pleased to remain within the Cartel,” Chrys returns. “Tenth bell before midday on the morrow, or first bell the day after.”

  Simon considers his options for several moments. The review is expected to require two periods. To begin at seventh bell will risk minds dulled by fatigue before the review completes. On the morrow, Lilian’s midday is likely to be committed to Monsignor Lucius. They will be unable to extend the review if it is necessary.