Eye of the Ocean Book 3 Ji'jin Station

Eye of the Ocean – Book 3: Ji’Jin Station
well, flooding the room, the threads sang with her power, she moved her head
and a mixture of overpattern and Altasimic pattern sparked from the crystal
beads. He looked directly again. Simply a young woman, overdressed for her own
comfort and obviously uneasy with where she was.
“... Lord Lintall and Lady Erini Wistasil dis'Cansil of TriHawk...”
At the words, Ulanda looked over as though led to them by a string but he saw
that she didn't know why. Ritsiniti did, he had tensed more if that was possible.
Linwistas's father was a heavy florid man, the boy took after his mother in
appearance. She was thin without having the strength of her son. Blond hair -
tacked down by ribbons - was fine and limp, she played with it constantly,
winding a loosened strand around one finger. When he looked for words in the
drift of pattern, he saw her as a young girl, the hair brighter... in the sun, she
sparkled... and suddenly she was slightly older and it was night. He caught the
scent of gardenias, there was music coming from another room. And a question,
the small part that finally came as words asking: would her new husband love
her? Ca'mit leaned forward, the whole of the young woman's question was caught
in the twist of hair around a thin finger... chewed to the quick, her nails were
bluish under the polish, the spots of paint so carefully applied on them made her
look like a child playing at fancy dress. That image was hers, and so was the
shame.
Lanasi put more of her weight on his shoulder to whisper in his ear. “Is'lin'si
says you'd better pull back.”
Had the ti'Linn Warder said anything out loud? A Net link, Ca'mit wondered?
The Net restrictions had been both authorized and insisted on by him as a
precaution against the loom-master or anybody else's interference, but he
decided not to press the issue with her. “His father's son,” he said roughly. In
place of an answer, he had a woman with no questions left to be wrapped in a coil
of faded hair.
“She must not even know his full name.”
“No.” Lady Erini's eyes brushed his and she flushed as she immediately looked
down before turning to her husband. He ignored her.
“Shall I give them special attention then?” Lanasi asked, not bothering this
time to hide the tight Net link. With it came placement from the passive nodes
that had Lin at the back of the room. Special interest... his hadn't earned him a
place at the table where it had - less deservedly - for his parents. “Lord Lintall is
quite intrigued with the possibilities. Have you changed your mind about not
forcing this in any one direction?”
His own words were shaped on the back of her hand by his fingers. “No, leave
it as we decided, there's no need to throw him in her face.” He sighed. “Besides,
have some sympathy, don't you see her at all?”
Laurel Hickey www.2morrow.bc.ca