Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 384
a discussion of food. Ka drifted on, up the grand stairway, and
towards the back of the house. There were voices coming from
behind one door there, and it was made to pause and listen
again.
"It’s called the Great Game, niece, and you have to play
it to survive."
"So it was a game you were playing when you led the
soldiers to our town."
"No, you misunderstand me--"
"Ha! You could have saved them. You lied to me. And
I believed you!"
"You do what you have to in order to survive, niece.
And you can’t get emotional about it. That’s the beginning and
the end of it. If it weren’t for me, you’d be dead now. I saved
you--"
"You killed them! You killed them!"
"Silence!"
"No! I won’t be silent anymore. I won’t be anything for
you anymore."
"You will. Yes, you will. Listen, do you think your life
has any value in this country if people find out what you really
are? Where you’re from? They won’t look at you and see a
young woman full of promise, as I do, Tamsin--they’ll see a
monster, born of monsters. At best a curiosity, at worst an
abomination to be stoned. Now you have two choices, young
lady. You can do as I tell you, learn your lines and your dance
steps, and become the proper young lady in society here at
Rhiene. Or, if you won’t do that, I can still get something of
my investment back if I turn you in to the high court as a
renegade Pervert. If that’s what you want, then that’s the way
we’ll do it. Believe me, I don’t care either way at this point."
There was no reply to this; only silence, drawn out until