Changeling (9 page)

"Come, what shall you? This--this is a judged
and Balanced murderer, dead to Code, clan and kin. It is raving,
the shame of its station has no doubt broken its wits. We have no
duty here. It is beneath our melant'i to notice such a one."

"Then why," came the voice of man Suzan had
identified as the wolf pack leader, "did you give us a cantra piece
to beat him to death?"

Jabun turned and stared at his questioner,
moved his shoulders under the bright leather. "Proctors, silence
that person."

"Perhaps," murmured one of the two who had
shown him the dead brigand. "I fear I must ask you to remain here
with us, Your Lordship. We have some questions that you might
illuminate for us."

"I?" Jabun licked his lips. "I think
not."

"We have authority here, sir," the second
Proctor said, and stepped forward, beckoning. "This way, if you
will, Your Lordship."

"Of your kindness, pilots," Ren Zel dea'Judan
said, his Liaden slurring and out of mode, "I would sit..."

Shan and Suzan got him into a chair, where he
sagged for a moment before reaching out none-too-steadily to touch
his co-pilot's sleeve

"Tell Christopher," he managed, and his
Terran was blurred almost out of sense. "I--apologize. The
hall--his pilots--I did not know. It is not done..."

Suzan patted his knee. "It's OK, pilot. You
leave Chris to me."

Shan nodded, reached into his sleeve and
pulled out a card. He held it out to Suzan Fillips, who blinked and
shook her head.

Patiently, he held the card extended, and
looked seriously into her eyes.

"Should you find yourself at risk over this
incident," he said, "use the beam code on the card."

She licked her lips. "I--"

"Take. It." The wounded pilot's voice was
barely audible, but the note of command was strong. The woman's
hand rose. She slipped the card out of Shan's fingers and slid it
immediately into her license pocket.

"Good," said Ren Zel, and Shan saw now only a
wounded pilot, with no trace of the power of Foretelling, nor voice
of command...

There was a clatter at the door. Shan looked
around and spied Vilt and Rusty of his own crew, raised a hand, and
then glanced down at Ren Zel dea'Judan.

"Pilot, I offer you
contract: A Standard year's service on the
Dutiful Passage
, after which we will
renegotiate or, if you wish, you will be set down on the world of
your choice."

Ren Zel swallowed, and looked up to meet his
gaze firmly. "You are Liaden," he managed. "I am dead."

"No," Shan said, in earnest Terran. "You
really must allow my skill to be better than that."

Almost, it seemed that the wounded boy
smiled. The lids drooped over the fevered eyes.

"I accept," he murmured. "One Standard
year."

About the Authors

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
live in the rolling hills of Central Maine with three insistent
muses in the form of cats, and a large cast of characters. Best
known for their work in the Liaden Universe®, Lee and Miller have
seen published seventeen collaborative novels. Baen Books
(www.baen.com) is currently releasing all of the Liaden novels in
several omnibus volumes. The next original Liaden novel,
Ghost Ship
, will be
published in August 2011.