by Dara Joy
"Tell that to the unfortunate She-Count." Jorlan gazed down at his plate.
"Unfortunate?" Mathers sputtered. "I say it was providence! That hateful snip-butt. I thank the Founder that my Lordene is safe!" Mathers dabbed her eyes with the edge of the table covering causing Avatar to frown.
"I can't say I'm sorry that I don't have to face her," Green said softly. "I suppose I owe that meteor-blade a debt of gratitude for surely, in its action, it protected my family. If someone had actually been wielding the weapon, I would have to thank that person as well for showing such courage."
Jorlan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. He went back to eating his pudding.
"Who's the witness?" Avatar asked.
"D'anbere's own daughter." Mathers answered. She placed a snuffle treat in front of Arkeus, who gurgled gleefully before picking it up and sticking it in his ear.
Frowning at the untimely morning sweet—and wondering how she was going to stop Mathers from ruining her son—Green righted the baby's hand and guided it to his mouth. Aqua eyes rounded as the delicious taste reached his Sensitive senses.
He gurgled appreciatively.
Green chuckled. His father's son, all right.
Avatar choked on her limo juice. "D'anbere's daughter? What a terrible thing for a young woman to witness!"
"Yes, it was. The girl claims the mother got her out of bed to make her watch her practice with her meteor-blade." Mathers shook her head. "They say D'anbere never let up on the poor girl. Now she's disappeared and no one can seem to find her. They think she took off to the Western Regions—a caravan guide claims she saw someone answering the girl's description riding alone and heading west. She thought it was odd and called out to her, but the child ignored her and raced off."
"By herself?" Green frowned. "That's a very dangerous trip for such a young girl."
"For anyone. What's more, the Septibunal received a signed confession this morning from that snip-butt Opper. Seems D'anbere had a hand in that, as well! Horrible business whichever way you look at it. At least her child will be allowed to retain her titles and lands, although there's no telling how she's been affected by all this, or if she'll ever return to claim them." Mathers picked up a tray and bustled out of the room.
Jorlan exhaled a sigh of relief. The girl did not turn him in. He owed her for that. He wished there was some way he could repay her—but he knew there was not. Although he had no regrets about what had happened with Claudine, he did regret that the girl had witnessed her mother's confession and death. He prayed she would be all right.
He leaned over and brushed some crumbs off the baby's chin. His son gave him a dreamy look as he valiantly tried to keep his eyes open. Jorlan smiled lovingly at him. Arkeus was about to nod off. Sometimes overstimulation of the senses did that to Sensitives. It appeared the fine taste of snuffle treat was a bit too overwhelming for his newborn palate.
"Well, Marquelle, I think I'll go check out our supplies." Avatar stood. "You never can tell when we'll need something at the marketplace." She winked at Green and left the room.
Green snickered. She knew the old girl was off to meet the Reynard kitchenkeeper again.
Suddenly, the room seemed unnaturally quiet. Green noticed that Arkeus had nodded off abruptly and Jorlan was silently eating his meal.
She spoke into the stillness of the room. "Thank you, my blaze-dragon."
He gazed at her with lids half lowered. "For what?"
She returned his circumspect look with a knowledgeable one of her own. "For who you are. For giving yourself fully to this fastening. For being so much more than just a name-bearer. For your love. And most of all for your strength."
Still, he waited. Waited for something more. Green reached for his hand, interlocking her fingers with his. "You are truly my other half, Jorlan, and I could never live without you."
At last. With those few words, she had given him the most priceless gift on Forus moon! An acknowledgment of his equality.
His aqua eyes shined so brilliantly they lit up her soul.
green tamRyn moved with controlled precision.
Inner strength guided the secret sequence of her forms, creating a heroic abstraction across paving stone.
The hushed movements in low predawn light mimicked the rustle of wind as everyone in the house lay sleeping.
This was the best time, this quiet time. It was her time to renew vision. It was her time to clear the mind.
It was the best time for reassessments.
With a deadly snap, the dual meteor-blades echoed through the trees. Expertly slung, their fatal trajectories gathered speed and momentum in the classic stance of Gle Kiang-ten. Corded ropes arced and spun out. Like lovers, they moved together as the first rays of day crested the horizon.
The perimeter rustled, sighing to the same pulse-beat. Flora quivered with expectation as dawn approached, heralding the majesty of simply being alive.
Forus Morningsong.
Sung with the perfect symmetry of a Golden Master.
She was the shadow.
She was the weapon.
She was the wind that could change.
Over and over the rite went, building into a dance of mortal beauty. Swaying. Dipping. Twirling. Leaping. The expertise had never been simply in the execution of the forms, but in the form of the execution.
She was not connected to Forus, but to a parallel wisdom, springing from its source. Her hidden dance was in the knowledge of when to step and when to pause.
When to fight and when to wait.
And when to let others finish the round for the good of the entire event.
All had turned out as she had hoped.
The threat was gone. Passion had been revealed. Pride was restored. A new life had come to bring joy. And, unexpectedly, an ancient love had finally revealed itself to all of its children.
Still, there was another out there, not yet revealed...
And Arkeus was about to rise.
So the Marquelle of Tamryn prepared to listen to this coming aurora, no matter its sound.
For she was a woman first, with a heart of fire and the wisdom to know that the dance we follow is ever our true ritual of proof.
And it can never be held in the court of any land. Just in the court of our higher selves.
* * *
Nouveau Regency Glossary
Afterburn—refers to sexual prowess, i.e., "She has quite an afterburn."
Airscreen—projected real-time holographic screen from a wristview.
AL—after landing; refers to the date, i.e., 318 AL
Almacks, the Later—famous Top Slice club in Capitol Town.
Ancestresses—foremothers.
arc storm—severe Forus electrical storm.
arc-er—slang for arc storm.
arc-it!—screw it.
Arkeus—planet that Forus moon revolves around.
Arkeus Seize—style of furniture, rather ponderous.
Bair-tin—the sixty-three vid-tomes of governing law.
Balinting lace—lace from the Western Colony of Balinting.
balum fruit—a sweet, oval-shaped fruit believed to be an aphrodisiac by the Select Quarter.
Banta psillacyb—hallucinogenic plant.
barboy—male tavern servant.
Baroner—(m) name-bearer of Baronelle.
bed price—the cost to secure a name-bearer.
bed straps—used to secure the name-bearer on the fastening night.
bellytwaddle—complaining.
beta-baize—gamboling game table.
biocrobe—engineered microbe.
bioforms—life form.
Bladeswoman—a female proficient with the meteor-blade.
Blanock Lifting—intricate form of the Gle Kiang-ten.
blanock—multicolored, small Forus creatures. Humans are especially partial to their song.
blaze-dragon—a difficult but beautiful creature of fiery disposition, indigenous to Forus.
bus-bit—response to piece of information that is disbelieved.
by-life—life form that is the by-product of another experiment.
Capitol Town—central city.
Captain, the—also the Founder, Cybella Reynard.
chasing the velvet veil—looking for sex, as in promiscuous, i.e., "She's chasing the velvet veil, isn't she?"
chum-off—bugger off.
cilia twig—fibrous twig.
cit ways—cosmopolitan.
code-sealed—electronically sealed.
coil-winder—poisonous creature.
come-out—a veil who is entering the bid circuit.
coophand—takes care of Kloo and Klee.
coop-keeper—takes care of the coops.
coops—stables for the Kloo and Klee.
crawlsinthedark—a night creature best left unexplained, but which makes a damn good soup.
cross-blades—type of weapon.
cysystem—used by Forus architects to construct single abodes or entire cities.
damselle—young, unfastened female from an aristocratic family.
darkmatter—a man who does not quite fit in, someone who is inscrutable.
dim-bit—a young dim-nit.
dim-nit—a stupid one.
Dreamtree—beautiful plant with colorful night blooms.
emotive vision—a vision that is accompanied by its own unique emotion.
ex-veil—one who is no longer a veil.
fasten—marry.
fasten-off—marry off.
fil-Duchene—son or grandson of a Duchene.
fil-Earlene Shazi—son of Earlene Shazi.
firewings—glowing, small-winged creatures.
first-seasoners—young come-outs in their first season.
fiowercream—delicious cream of pressed flowers, has a lovely scent and delicate taste.
foremothers—ancestresses.
Forfeiture duel—the winner takes all.
Torus—moon that revolves around Arkeus.
founder—Cybella Reynard.
fuzzle-muzzle cream—this really is made from fuzzle muzzles.
Gardens, the—a shady part of town.
gen-en—genetical environment.
ginny trail—leads west.
Gle Kiang-ten—a form of martial art practiced on Forus.
glinty—ostentatious.
Golden Master—adept of the Gle Kiang-ten.
good way to you—have a nice day.
grav assists—used to aid handicapped.
Hadley Tip—edge of the Southern Region.
half-blade—small weapon.
hdmeeri—liquor.
handheld—viewer.
high-held—has airs.
hocked—drunk.
hock-top—drunkard.
hok—the sap from this plant is used in fermenting brew.
holofari—picturesque fan.
Honor Forfeiture—the injured party receives either money or property to assuage their honor.
hormomitor—registers hormonal levels.
House of She-Lords—government arena, where popular issues are debated by the titled women.
hukka—grain crop that must be harvested before it flowers.
Inez ranges—mountains.
insult barter—price paid to injured party when a bed price is reneged on.
jacama—a spice, also a settlement in the west.
jakakoos—hopping critters.
jickne—glutinous critter.
jinto—a plant-life of Forus; the giant leaves are interwoven into Forus myth.
joined septille—a dance.
keeping room—front parlor.
kitchenkeeper—servant responsible for overseeing the kitchens.
Klee—animal native to Forus, noted for its speed and unpredictable nature.
Kloo—fussy sister animal to the Klee, noted for endurance and for being nosy.
Kloo Balcony set—elite, showy group who frequent Almacks, the Later and sit in the choice seats by the mirastone walls. The name derived from the Kloo's well-known love of drama.
Kloo hand—handles Kloo.
Kloo mirrors—ornate mirrors named after the vain Kloo.
kloobroth—gossip, rumor.
lexa beast—a fierce hunter, this animal becomes tame when offered a balum fruit.
lillacia—a flower, lilac hybrid.
limo juice—tart nectar of the limo fruit.
lineage scrolls—carried by Forus females.
link circuit, the—society eligibles.
lumpies—breakfast of champions.
mack-mock—foolish talk.
majordoma—female butler.
Male Tragedy Paradox—(MTP) affliction that befalls an aroused male.
masoglass—hard translucent building material.
mesh-pond—sentient plant system that grows over its own secreted fluid.
meteor-blade—lethal weapon, as potentially dangerous to the wielder as it is to its target.
midwoman—caretaker.
mirastone—reflective surface.
monkery—cloistered place for intractable veils, where they devote their lives to meditation.
name-bearer—fastened male.
name-giver—fastened female.
natal accelerator—taken to speed up gestation.
needle-wing—biting, flying creature.
NEOFEM—also called the Seed Ship, this ship transported the women to Forus.
neon night part of town—refers to the Gardens, a racy section.
new-breed—daughter of an aristocrat, who is free to experience the pleasures of the Top Slice.
newi—the bristles of this plant are used for brushes.
nightbloomers—Forus plants that bloom at night.
nightsong—the sound of Forus night.
nod-bod—boring person.
nog-twist—idiot.
nolocharge—no penalty; slate wiped clean.
Number 99 (at the Gardens)—a disreputable club.
Oath of Proof—taken at the Ritual of Proof, given by the potential name-bearer.
on the prime lattice—refers to a veil's potential high worth in a bid, i.e. "He's on the prime lattice." The term originated with Santorini's work on genetic alteration.
OneNation—the largest country on Forus.
ore-rocks—Forus rocks that attract arcs.
Originpoint—Earth.
outwolf—loner, an unflattering term for an unfastened male.
patrona—woman who keeps a pleasurer.
pharmkit—medicine chest, bag.
placardview—flat, envelope viewer.
placed pond—woman-made pond.
plantrooms—conservatory.
plat-coin—currency.
platinum class—refers to expertise of warrior.
pleasurer—male prostitute.
pocket envoy—messaging system.
postfastening—day after the fastening.
prebids—sometimes entertained by mothers, not as binding as a true bid, however prebids guarantee that the actual bid will be given some favor.
primary port (to be of)—refers to a top bloodline, as in "She's primary port."
protector—guard.
psillacyb—hallucinogen.
Ramagi—a silklike material.
razor rock—potentially dangerous life form that protects itself with a circumference of razor-sharp shards.
repairer—medic, engineer, etc.
Ritual of Proof—ceremony of a man's purity.
roseyal—hybrid flower plant.
Rue de la Nuit—section of town where favored pleasurers are housed by their patronas.
ruling of conveyance—verdict by Septibunal in matters of dispute.
rut-bid—epithet, meaning bulls **t.
sam'on talk—used in the western provinces.
Santorini—brilliant geneticist, mother of selective gen-en.
sassbit—a younger person full of fight, who tries to give sass
to their elders.
scinose—a male duenna; a dogsbody. screech wings—carnivorous life-form, flies.
Season, the—the time of year devoted to finding and securing a name-bearer; the Season lasts more than a season.
Seed Ship—NEOFEM.
Select Quarter, the—the top fourth of the aristocracy; descendants of the original bridge crew of the NEOFEM.
selective gen-en—sensitive genetical environment; technique developed by Santorini for producing superior male children.
Sensitive—a male who displays heightened awareness.
Septibunal—top governing body.
Septille—a dance.
sheensui bark—placed over fastening beds, it slowly grows and entwines, forming unique patterns.
Shredder—a southern game of chance played with portions of the shredder plant.
sleek-cut—makes a fashion statement.
sleep houses—servants' quarters.
Slice (Top Slice)—the creme de la creme of the aristocracy.
snap-branch—an irritating sassbit.
snip-butt—an upstart.
snob-bobs—underwater creatures, a delicacy coveted by the Slice.
snogglehound pudding—not really made from snogglehounds.
snuffle treat—makes you snuffle, but it tastes good.
spark—young male prostitute.
spirit-law—a higher law.
spleened—vexed.
stateswoman—orator.
sunpods—pods that turn in the direction of moisture.
swaggers—obnoxious, strutting She-Lords.
T9-disc—small disc worn on a chain, usually holds household codes.
tag—punch.
tasteslikerooster—it does.
tight one—someone who is strictly by the book.
tilla—the leaves of this plant are particularly beloved by Kloo and are used for their beds.
Tops—nobs.
Top Slice—the aristocracy.
torque—a tough character who can turn it around.
touch—slang for money and/or sex.
trapper—mouth.
tribeswoman—from the South Region.
Twine of Night—meteor-blade form.
unscrolled child—a bastard.
veils—virgin males.
velvet petal—sexual slang for men, as in "He's a fine velvet petal."
velvet touch—slang for getting sex.
Victorias—rural community in Hadley Tip.