Chapter 16

* * *

The yacht, gently illuminated by the blue glow of the onboard lights, gently approached the Melato House guest station, gradually leveling up and preparing to land.

They left behind a twelve-hour jump to Istal, a meeting with the House Bentar escort, which turned out to be unexpectedly impressive - six fighters and a light corvette-and a four-hour flight from the jump zone to the planet because after a meeting with the captain, and given the difficult navigational situation, the in-system jump had been abandoned. It was unlikely, of course, that something could be on the trajectory that would noticeably damage the yacht, but the captain did not want to embarrass himself in front of the Bentars by crashing into some stray asteroid. Taer was in complete agreement with him on that.

Milord, who had acted like a thirteen-year-old on a free tour of a military museum, had finally settled down and was no longer tantalizing Taer and the captain with endless questions of "What is it?", "How does it work?", "May I...?" and was quiet, literally sticking to the huge panoramic window in the bow. He kept his eyes fixed on the fighter jets circling in a figure-of-eight pattern as they periodically approached the yacht.

After escorting the yacht to the station, the escort fighters bid farewell shook their gravistabilizers, and moved at full speed into the interior of the system, almost instantly transforming into small dimly glowing dots that disappeared a few seconds later. The Corvette, on the other hand, had slowed to a crawl, according to the Tactical Terminal, and had kept well behind the yacht. He must have intended to wait for a landing.

Bloody bastards! Taer looked with admiration at the disappearing fighters.

The lap of honor was performed in defiance of all regulations dangerously close to the yacht, but - impeccably precise, perfect - she never once noticed the characteristic flare and haze that appears when the forcefield is hit.

The triangular silhouettes of the latest Tallan-built Iskra were covered in mounds of blaster ports and launchers. Their charcoal-black hulls were covered in a painting of two golden branches, starting from the middle of the "wings" and joining around the golden cockpit dome, surrounding it in a delicate ligature as if it were a frame.

The black-and-gold machines suddenly leaped out of the void and, with an eerie screech as if someone was scraping glass with a blade, whizzed by the observation deck, covering the large panoramic window entirely for a moment before disappearing into a small, shimmering star. They came so close you could make out the silhouettes of the pilots, hidden beneath the golden veil of the cockpit lantern.

"Impressive!" Alex stood closest to the panoramic window and could see the Sparks almost at arm's length.

Taer didn't answer, shrugging as if to say, we've seen better. She was not proud of her naval pride to admit out loud that the Bentarians, who didn't even have a fleet, were capable of anything impressive.

You have to admit they have at least six very experienced pilots, she added mentally. Well, or the pilot module on the Sparks is something very special.

The Lord turned to her with a slightly embarrassed expression on his face and asked: "Hm... Taer, what was that about?"

"Circle of honor as interpreted by Bentar."

"No, I mean the squealing that was heard as they flew past," he was even more embarrassed.

"Well..." she sighed. "The machines were passing very close, requiring great precision in positioning, so the gravity keel and grav stabilizers were likely to have peak power, and they were coming very close, so it was a bit loud."

Alex made a disgruntled grimace as if he'd eaten something sour:

"Maybe I'm wrong," he began cautiously. "But it seemed to me that in space," he waved his hand towards the panoramic window. "Sounds can't be heard because there's no environment that transmits vibrations..."

Taer smirked it's always nice to be the smartest person in the room and to avoid yelling across the observation deck, she came down from the command gallery and walked over to the lord, and sat down in a nearby chair:

"The point is that we don't hear the sound of a passing fighter, but the resonance of our bio-protection field, which reacts to the radiation from that fighter's engines and generators... and, in general, to all tangible energy sources in the vicinity or directly affecting the ship..."

Taer didn't want to go into the physical stuff, which she had forgotten after her navigator training, so she tried to explain things as simply as possible:

When a bio-protection field comes into contact with an energy source, such as a radiation stream, it resonates, partly absorbing and partly reflecting this energy, thus protecting the ship. And because the structure of the bio-protection field is in direct contact with the intra-ship atmosphere - this resonance causes the sonic vibrations that we hear.

Alex was silent for a moment, staring at the ceiling and digesting what he had heard, then asked again: "Then why can't we hear our engine or the noise of the star in whose light we fly?"

"Because Istal is a very, very expensive yacht!" Taer smiled sadly. "She has a special noise suppression system installed on her. The fighters came very close, and their energetic imprint was very strong - so we heard them. On regular ships, where no such system is installed, you can indeed hear the hum of engines and stabilization systems, and you can also hear the "whisper of the stars" or "starburst" - the bio-protection response to radiation from nearby stars."

It's also stunningly beautiful, she mentally added with a sentimental smile.

"Isn't that disturbing?" Alex watched the expression on Taer's face with interest.

"Nope," she shook her head. "It is said to help - one quickly gets used to it and stops noticing the hum of the engine. Many people even like "stars' whispering". Silence, on the other hand, is a signal that the bio-protection field is overloaded or disabled, which means there is a threat of irradiation or depressurization."

Because of this, those who have been flying for a long time develop a real fear of silence.

"Interesting..." Alex exhaled, staring out the window again, where the Melato House guest station had already changed from a tiny star to an identifiable object.

As they approached, the station grew larger and larger, filling the screen and the portholes of the forward observation deck. His Lordship Lord Allesandro Cassard stared at the approaching station without looking away.

There really is a lot to see, though, Taer grudgingly admitted, catching herself staring at the station as well:

In the cold abyss of space, a huge white castle, built in the classic Melatian style, floated on the green disk of Voigrom, tucked into the green of the gardens. The central dome was slightly pointed and formed a cupola. Luminous windows of light pink crystals, starting from the top and running to the middle of the dome, cut through the structure. It was as if a huge pink flower covered the dome. The building had two wide wings that covered the inner garden and, of course, columns... Classical Melatian architecture - and without columns? There is no such thing!

Four massive columns of light marble with fine pink veins, twined with vines of dark bronze, towered above the castle, ending just above the dome. The tower was crowned by the figures of dragons, patrons of the hunt, spreading their wings and opening their mouths.

The castle and the gardens surrounding it rested on a circular metal base - about three chambers in diameter and about two hundred steps high - which must have been where the technical floors with their support systems were hidden.

Great shadows, how much does it cost? Taer mentally exclaimed

The huge open zone, which a pair of heavy cruisers would have easily entered, required enormous field strength, for the bio-protection and forcefields were the only barrier between the blooming gardens of the station and interstellar space with its void of radiation and fluxes of micrometeorites.

She glanced at the focusing blocks around the perimeter of the disk on which the castle stood. They were clearly not standard - instead of the usual sheaves of needles there was something resembling druses of crystals, and there were many of them. The protection system must have been repeatedly backed up in case the main generator failed.

"I heard the Melatians had something special planned for this Voigrom, but it seems they've managed to exceed even their wildest expectations," Marquis Degrasto's husky voice came from behind her and made Taer wince as she did not see him enter the observation deck.

So good "security specialist". All the hope is in the guidance system!

"The castle and sculptures are stunning!" The marquis continued. "I think the interior decoration will also surprise us. It would be interesting to know the name of the architect..."

"I think our hosts will allow us to do so," said Taer.

The castle is pure posturing. It would be much more interesting to know what company supplied the field generators. It would also be interesting to see the specifications for these generators. However, the owners will certainly not give us such an opportunity.

"I take it that the stations usually look a little different?" Alex wasn't addressing anyone in particular.

"Yes," Taer and the Marquis replied at the same time.

There was an awkward pause, Taer with a look trying to make it clear to the Marquis that she was apologizing and keeping quiet in the face of his experience and age. And the Marquis, also with a look, apologized to Taer and hinted that, of course, he was conceding the right to vote to the lady and so on

The staring game with the Marquis dragged on. so Taer sighed and continued:

"Usually, the stations look much simpler - some chaotic jumble of residential and technical modules. Or a spheroid of some kind, at best decorated with flowers and the logo of the House to which the station belongs."

"So this station is something special?"

"Exactly!" Crebo Degrasto gave a solid nod.

"Your Lordship, station control has given us a vector and cleared us to land. What do you want us to do? - The captain asked tactfully as he came down from the command gallery."

Alex looked questioningly at Taer, who shrugged her shoulders, thinking to herself slyly: No, we'll hang around and admire the station.

"What do you normally do in these cases," Alex replied to the captain. "Go for a landing or something..."

The captain bowed his head and with the words, "Will do, Your Lordship," hurried back to the command gallery.

The yacht, illuminated by flashes of mirrored glare, slowly sailed under the protection of the station's field and, with the solid thud of the traction generators, hovered over the spacious area in front of the main entrance.

The hatch swung open, and Taer immediately jumped down onto the dewy green of the lawn. It was so natural that she didn't even think about what she was doing. Here was the open hatch, here was the ground, her body habitually grouped and jumped, and her hand pressed to her side to hold her missing weapon. The girl took a step to the side to make room for the retractable gangway, and only then did it suddenly dawn on her what had happened:

Great shadows, all protocol screwed! She was mentally horrified. First to go should be Lord Cassard, then me as First Blade of his retinue, then Kayrin, then the Marquis Crebo Degrasto... and then the rest

Damn it! I'm totally screwed! Taer exclaimed in her mind as she froze beside the gangway.

She put on as blank a face as possible and tried to pretend that everything was going as planned.

The welcoming party, a handsome tall brunette in his forties, also pretended that everything was going according to plan, only the smile on his face became a little more intense. And the face was somehow familiar to Taer - she must have seen it before - but trying to remember the name was to no avail.

One of the lords of the House of Melato?

Meanwhile, seeing Alex and Marquis Degrasto descending the gangway, the welcoming party stepped forward and began a prearranged speech:

"I am pleased to welcome you on behalf of the House of Melato to this Voigrom! Allow me to introduce myself, Lord Asparo Velaske!" with these words, he held out his hand in greeting."

My lord introduced himself as well and then took the greeting man's hand and shook it, just as if two commoners had met. Taer mentally groaned, but it was too late to change anything. One could only hope that the Melatian would not cause a scandal and would prefer not to notice the insult.

Lord Velaske's smile became strained and somewhat bewildered - there was an awkward pause:

"Let's better get into the castle." he finally said, hiding his hands behind his back and taking a step back.

At the castle, the "hospitable" host took his leave quickly, citing business and incoming guests. The steward, a short, dark-skinned, and bald man of indeterminate age, escorted them to their rooms and departed, assuring them that he was ready to fulfill the wishes of his dear guests.

Marquis Degrasto and Baroness Rionale, surrounded by servants, immediately went to their rooms to change while Taer and Alex were left alone in the spacious room.

The room was decorated in the classic Melatian style: long low sofas covered with small silk cushions, dark red velvet rugs embroidered in gold, plenty of draperies, and long narrow windows from ceiling to floor, covered with dark purple curtains with gold trim.

"Dudo, check the rooms," Taer waved her hand towards the bedrooms.

"Yes, Madam Lieutenant!" Dudo muttered and, picking up his bag of equipment, walked out.

"Your Lordship," Taer began as soon as they were alone. "What is acceptable in a meeting of friends, or when dealing with commoners, can be taken as an insult by another lord, especially one from another House..."

"What do you mean?"

"A handshake," she explained. "In terms of accepted protocol, lords from different houses should greet each other differently."

"And how should it be?" Alex got up from the sofa and came closer.

"Like this," she showed him, gripping her arm around his wrist.

"That's original!" Alex smirked. "Well, I'll keep that in mind next time. So, shall we go mingle with the noble public?"

A short servant reported that "most of their lordships gathered in the hunting hall". Taking him along as their guide, Alex and Taer set off in search of "their lordships".

And without waiting for Kayrin! she thought with a slight sneer.

The participants of the Voigrom were just arriving at the castle, so the hunting hall was half-empty - the rare guests were lazily wandering among the stuffed trophies from the previous Voigroms.

"Taer, are we going to hunt something like that?" With a touch of panic in his voice, Alex asked, peering at the stuffed Onyx screamer. The screamer's mouth was open in a soundless roar, showing sharp, needle-like teeth.

"No," Taer shook her head. "The trophy of this hunt is an Oiker. But it's not here," she added, glancing around the display. "Perhaps in another part of the hall..."

"Let's go and look then," Alex glanced absently at the people in front of him.

Densely arranged scarecrows and tall vases of flower bushes lined the narrow, winding paths that converged in small "clearings" with the most imposing of the spoils in the center - around another corner, they came upon a small group of guests gathered around a huge stuffed Platypus. In a corner were tables with refreshments and a few servants, frozen in anticipation of orders.

They were about to pass by with polite smiles when a woman in her thirties, standing among the guests, called out to them:

"Lord Cassard!" She exclaimed as she placed her glass on the tray the servant had so diligently placed and headed toward them. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's a pleasure, too," Alex replied with a casual smile, sending Taer a questioning look at the same time.

She looked intently at the woman who approached, genuinely trying to remember who it was. She was tall with dark brown hair and green eyes, beautiful, though her age was already a little noticeable, and was dressed in a long evening gown of a light green shade, which was a little strange - most of the guests were dressed in various versions of hunting costumes.

I have no idea who that is, Taer thought, at the same time trying to convey that thought to Alex with a look.

"I am so glad you have recovered! You have no idea, your Lordship, how worried we were about you!" The stranger was smiling broadly.

"Thank you for your concern - it's very kind of you. But, you know, I'm sorry to say that I have completely forgotten your name, lady..." The lord held up his hands in guilt.

"Asmi Lertar," she introduced herself, holding out her hand. "A member of Tuskor's board of directors. And only 'honorable,'" she added. "I am not a noblewoman."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, honorable Asmi," the lord cautiously looked at the outstretched hand.

Shake it! Taer tried to show, shifting slightly to the side so her signs wouldn't be visible to the 'honorable' Lertar.

Alex continued to hesitate, probably not knowing exactly how to shake the outstretched hand. Taer shook hands with herself behind Asmi's back, showing the lord the correct way to shake hands.

Alex, seeing the clue, shook the outstretched hand in relief, shaking it vigorously:

"I am very glad, honorable Asmi, very glad. What do you think of this Voigrom?"

"I think everything is just fine!" Asmi smiled back. "Although, admittedly, the invitation was a complete surprise to us."

The Lord replied with an absent-minded smile.

"Tuskor and House Melato have often had misunderstandings in the past," Lertar explained. "I hope that will change."

"Tuskor is something very familiar, but I can't remember what it is. My memory has been failing me a lot since the poisoning," the lord complained.

"Union of Tashida Corporations," Asmi smiled embarrassedly.

As the conversation progressed, Lertar paid the lord unobtrusive compliments and invited him to visit more often at headquarters, "where your lordship is always very welcome".

Corporatrix... thought a bored Taer with a slight squeamishness, saw a 'very important person' and immediately engaged in 'unobtrusive' personal promotion.

After fifteen minutes, the lord finally managed to fend off Asmi Lertar's annoying charm, who finally even tried to stick him with her business card in case "you have any questions about the management of your shareholding in the company".

Though, on the other hand, that's her job, Taer intercepted the card with a cold smile before the lord took it.

Asmi froze with surprised eyes for a moment and then laughed nervously, hiding her hands behind her back:

"Well, it was very nice to see you, Lord Cassard. I wish you a good evening!"

"You too, dear Asmi."

As they stepped back, he turned to Taer:

"What are you up to?" he asked, slightly surprised.

"Well, you refused to wear gloves, Your Lordship." Taer pulled out the analyzer as she went and poked the card with it. "Shadows knows what might be on it."

"I hadn't thought of that somehow."

The analyzer found nothing objectionable in the thin gold plate with a monogram of emeralds in the center. But that didn't tell her anything. So Taer slipped the card into her pocket, deciding to activate the suppressor if the lord were to have a conversation with anyone beyond a conversation about the weather.

They wandered around the hunting hall for another ten minutes before finding a stuffed Oiker.

"An imposing beast." Alex quietly assessed, walking around the massive carcass covered in stiff, prickly-looking stubble. "Predator?" He nodded at the two long pale yellow fangs that didn't fit into its mouth.

Taer shook her head in the negative:

"A herbivore. And with its fangs, it tears up the soil and rips the bark off trees. But the animal is aggressive and can trample. Or gouge through with its fangs."

"What do you hunt with?"

"With a hunting blaster. One or two accurate hits may be enough."

"What if I don't hit it?"

"There's me and Dudo for that - we won't miss," Taer assured him.

"Do hunting accidents happen often?"

Taer wanted to tell him that hunting accidents happened often.

First, aristocrats considered it beneath their dignity to hunt non-threatening beasts.

Second, hunting with weapons of primitive races and peoples, such as spears and crossbows, has become increasingly popular. The hunting apologists regarded this as a more honorable and valuable trophy.

Well, there have also been shootouts among hunters who mistook a stray in the nearby bush for a coveted trophy.

Despite this, all attempts to amend the statutes of the Voigrom have met with fierce opposition from traditionalists and hunting enthusiasts, for "what is the point of hunting if the danger does not make your blood boil!"

The saying "If you want a friend dead, invite him to a Voigrom" was still true.

But her story was interrupted midway by the appearance of a young couple, the gentleman, judging by his broad reddish-gold belt, was Bentar, but his companion was flaunting a black and scarlet fringed ribbon tied on the bend of a curlicker's arm. This traditionalism in dress and the swords on his belt indicated that two 'blades of honor' were approaching them.

Taer moved forward just in case - the Blades of Honour were an aggressive people and, given his reputation, not friendly with Lord Cassard, to put it mildly.

As the Blades approached, Taer was surprised to recognize the Bentarrian as Lord Brenor Lister, who had been the second in the Lord's failed duel. The Bentar man's companion also needed no introduction for anyone who follows the most famous Blades of Honour.

Lady Dahlia Amita was the daughter of a very successful banker. So, successful, in fact, that he was able to buy the name and title of the lord from the house of Kerlith. The practice of selling titles was accepted only in that house, but even there, it caused a lot of controversies. What to say about the others. Such "bought" nobles met with strong resistance from aristocratic society and were not respected, and the Blades of Honour were despised altogether.

One of the few exceptions was Lady Dahlia, who, despite (or perhaps because of) her origins, took the code of nobility's honor remarkably literally. Any hint that questioned her dignity was met with a challenge to a duel.

By the age of twenty-two, she had over thirty duels under her belt, five of which ended in the death of her opponent and over ten emergency operations that brought Dahlia back from beyond the edge of the Bright Flame. In other words, the girl fit in perfectly in the society of the Blades of Honour - after all, 'it's not origin that counts, it's the nobility of spirit'. Isn't it?

The best companion for Lord Brenor... Taer was already regretting her decision not to wear her personal shields for the time being, to leave the maximum resource for the hunt.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The pair of Blades of Honour approached Lord Cassard, and Taer saw a thin scar streaming down Dahlia's face. Dissecting her right eyebrow, it disappeared, reappearing on her cheek just below her eye and descending lower before finally breaking off at her cheekbone. It looked like the mark of some recent duel - the last time Taer had seen her, about a year ago, there had been nothing like it.

Poseur! Taer thought with irritation. I bet she left the scar for beauty's sake.

The scar, indeed, did not spoil Dahlia in the slightest. On the contrary, it added mystery, highlighted the perfect shape of her face, and gave strength to the gaze of her light brown, almost yellow lynx eyes.

"Lord Cassard, I am glad to see you!" Brenor Lister exclaimed, smiling happily.

"I'm very glad to see you too, Lord Brenor!"

"I didn't expect to see you here - I thought you weren't much of a hunter. By the way, I'd like you to meet Lady Dahlia Amita! Lord Allesandro Cassard. I must tell you, Lady Dahlia, contrary to all the rumors, Lord Cassard is a man of honor."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Cassard. I'm sorry I trusted the rumors too much before. My apologies."

"Oh, Lady Dahlia, you have nothing to apologize for! I'm very pleased to meet you." Alex looked at Dahlia with interest.

Lord and Dalia shot each other's eyes curiously for a while.

"I must confess that you have made me a little sad, Lord Cassard!" Lord Brenor put on an ostentatious look of sadness.

"What happened?" the lord was genuinely surprised.

"I remember you said you'd stop by sometime before the duel to give me some blaster lessons. You never came to see me."

It was Taer's turn to be genuinely surprised

Not to mention the fact that the lord is simply an abominable shot, it's strange that Brenor Lister would need anyone's shooting lessons at all.

Although he was known primarily as a superb swordsman, he demonstrated equally superb marksmanship in blaster duels.

It's kind of weird.

"I'm so sorry, Lord Brenor!" Alex's hands threw up his hands with a sorrowful expression. "The worries of this ridiculous Consulat trial have taken over me entirely..."

In the course of further conversation, Alex assured Lord Brenor that he would certainly drop in on him as soon as business permitted and invited him to "visit on occasion".

Lord Cassard's and Lord Lister's conversations were illuminated by the spectacular appearance of Kayrin, who immediately joined in the conversation, lighting up those around her with benevolent smiles and no sign of displeasure at being 'dumped'. All four of them continued to chat vigorously under the polite silence of Taer.

They talked for about an hour, wandering leisurely around the hall, discussing the trophies on display until their conversation was interrupted by a very courteous servant of the House of Melato. The short and swarthy servant bowing incessantly, ushered the noble lords into the main refectory, where a feast had already begun on the occasion of the beginning of the Voigrom. At the feast, the conversation was naturally interrupted as the "talkers" were seated rather far apart Lord Cassard, as a member of one of the noblest and oldest families, sat practically at the head of the table, as did his "blade", while Lady Dahlia and Lord Brenor sat somewhere nearer the middle. Baroness Rionale sat just three seats away.

All the more so when the Peltars were caught between them, who were clearly not delighted with such surroundings.

* * *

So, that's who the Imperials have claimed the Exclusive Patrol Zone for. Taer saw whoever was sitting at the head of the table.

At the head of the table, with her head propped on the right of precedence and bored, sat the reason for such unceremonious behavior of the imperial security - Baroness Faith Istar. To her right, her companion, the Stack-Captain of the Security Service, was seated in her dress uniform and was telling the baroness something, but the latter did not even pretend to listen.

Lady Faith stared into space, tracing her finger thoughtfully over the edge of her plate. From time to time, she took a larger piece and tossed it to the left without looking. The piece, having made a high arc over the table and leaving a trail of sauce drops on the tablecloth, disappeared into the teeth of the baroness's squire.

The seat to the left of the squire was empty, and the representative of House Rien, seated a little farther away, squinted warily and flinched a little every time the swirla slammed shut with a loud clang, bite another piece. And House Rien's representative was understandable... More than that, her composure was enviable!

"What's that beast across the hall?" Alex whispered, leaning over to Taer, who was poking at the dishes with her analyzer as she tried not to draw attention.

"Swirlla," she whispered. "It's a very dangerous and aggressive creature."

"Then what is it doing here?"

"This is the squire of Baroness Istar and the First Blade of her domain," Taer replied with a barely perceptible shrug. "Not giving him a seat at the table would be a terrible insult. Both to the Baroness and to our entire House."

I can imagine the Melatians agonizing over how to place such a squire, Taer thought with a slight gloat. Even went out of their way to break protocol by placing the squire on their left side. And rightly so - I'd be mad to have that thing near the lord. Though, swirl can easily jump across the table.

"Can an animal be a squire?" Alex asked in surprise, squinting at the object of the discussion.

At this point, Swirlla was gnawing on a large piece, grasping it with her upper paws, grunting happily. She was scratching her belly covered in long blond fur with her lower pair, her scarlet cloak tucked underneath.

"Swirlla is not an animal... I mean an animal... I mean..." Taer sighed, trying to find the words. "As far as I remember, the most intelligent Swirlas are at the developmental level of a six-year-old child - not enough to recognize them as an intelligent race. But in Baroness Istar's time, things were somewhat different, and anyone could be appointed a squire as long as they could perform the duties. Even a non-human..."

"That's not the way it is now," she added.

"Then one more question," Alex whispered even more quietly. "Why is the red-haired girl in the green camisole sitting on the left looking at me so strangely?"

"Lady Nadina Pell of House Peltar - they hate Fyron and the Cassard family especially."

"I have amazing neighbors," Alex muttered, grabbing his glass from the table and leaning back in his chair.

While Taer was answering Alex's questions, the other guests of the Voigrom had time to gather around the table, and a succession of welcoming toasts began.

The first to speak as 'host' was Lord Asparo Velaske, the representative of House Melato. He welcomed everyone in the name of his House, expressed his joy at the presence of the Peltars, and wished everyone good luck in tomorrow's hunt. The oldest representative of the noblest family, who sat at the head of the table, was to make a toast next. All eyes turned to Baroness Istar:

"It's so dull here..." she sighed, absently scratching her squire.

Swirlla purred softly, her ears and large fluffy tail twitching slightly - probably from pleasure. Lady Faith stood up from the table, tall as she was, and looked around the room for a long, appraising look:

"There's no one to punch in the face," she concluded frustratedly. "Hopefully, tomorrow will be more fun."

The SS officer accompanying her tried to say something, but Lady Faith, paying no attention to him, headed for the exit from the hall. Stack Captain, with a slightly confused look, shook his hands, pretended to smile apologetically, and hurried after his ward.

Well, one less potential problem, Taer thought contentedly. Two even, if you count the crazy girl and her squire as two separate problems.

"It seems to be a good tradition," Alex remarked with a smile in the ensuing silence. "As long as I've seen her, Baroness Istar has been thrilling the noble public, and the public is in awe. Maybe that's why they invite her? To add spice to the dullness of everyday life?"

"I'm afraid it's a little too spicy for our mundane days, Lord Cassard," Lady Nadine Pell smiled thinly. "But since it's seasoned for us, the Emperor..." she waved her fork like a magic wand and tipped a small piece of meat into her mouth. "Everyone will eat it up without a trace. With smiles..." she added, showing a few more teeth than necessary for a polite smile.

"As long as the body doesn't reject..." Alex sighed and leaned towards Taer, whispering:

"What's so dangerous about them?" He nodded at Lady Faith's squire as they moved away.

Swirla walked funnily - walking upright was clearly uncomfortable for her, so she would occasionally drop down on all six paws to catch up.

"They have a different perception of time," Taer replied, surprised herself, Why would I think that? What kind of time?

Why she said that was unclear to her...

"I mean, they've got mad reactions and agility," she explained, seeing Alex's eyebrows rise in surprise. "And they can sense danger, they say, just like the Adepts. And if they're particularly clever, they can be trained to use a blaster, as they have good paws for that. They are also fearless, aggressive, and incredibly loyal to their handlers."

"It's a useful little beast, isn't it?" Alex concluded.

Lady Faith and her companions departed. With their departure, the silence that had hung there was replaced by chatter. They tried to act casual and pretend that nothing had happened, but the official part of the "feast to commemorate the beginning of the Voigrom" was uneventful.

At the end of the feast, the company reunited and continued their conversation. Taer was diplomatically silent, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Lord Lister suggested going to a local shooting range where Alex could demonstrate his shooting skills. The suggestion was enthusiastically supported by Kayrin and Lady Dahlia. There, to the delighted smiles of Baroness Rional, and the surprise of Taer, her lord demonstrated a quite passable, even good, blaster fire. After shooting for about an hour, they went to the main hall and from there, at Kayrin's suggestion, to the games room, where they were stuck for a long time.

Taer did not take part in the game, sitting comfortably on the sofa behind the gaming table. The stakes were "friendly" - five hundred denarii per "round". So the two Blades of Honor were out of the game rather quickly, a wise move on their part - this was never a lavish audience, and members of the clan were usually reluctant to sponsor such scandalous offspring.

Amid the game, a young girl in a light brown hunter's suit of soft suede, with large emeralds shining on the collar and cuffs, surrounded by intricate embroidery of red gold, entered the hall.

There's our 'rebel'! Taer squinted unpleasantly as she noticed her entry.

Not that she had any personal grievances against the rebels - Taer was far removed from intra-imperial politics - but the thought of WHAT the SS or Imperial Intelligence would do if they found out about the lord's contacts with the Anti-Imperial Alliance gave her goosebumps.

The Lord of the Empire is involved in a conspiracy! Yes, by cracking such a high-profile case, you can make a career and rise very high - the noise will clearly reach even the Emperor!

What's more, this could all have been a provocation. Or an attempt by the rebels to take advantage of the Lord's resources and then blackmail him. For that matter, the attitude of the Lord - and of Lady Liora - was sharply negative.

Alex noticed her as well, they exchanged meaningful glances, and Liora nodded faintly. She glanced around the room and, finding Taer, whispered something to her attendant with her hand.

It's not going to end well!

Taer stared at Liora's escort, who was walking towards her with a brisk, springy stride. A dark-haired man of about thirty-five, with a pleasant, even handsome, face with sharp features and clear green eyes. He was dressed in a very simple light green hunting costume, reminiscent of the uniform for planetary operations.

"My mistress asks me to give this to your master," the attendant said as he handed Taer an envelope sealed with the blue wax seal bearing the Countess of Wistrile's monogram."

One of their enforcers, Taer accepted the envelope with as cold a smile as she could muster. Called the Countess 'mistress' and the lord 'master,' as if I were a servant. I would have killed him!

"You can go, I'll pass it on."

She waited until the attendant stepped away, tore the envelope open at the edge, then pushed the analyzer in, pressing it hard into the surface of the letter. A yellow light flickered on the handle.

"Well, at least I won't be poisoned," Taer grinned mentally as she opened the envelope and read the message quickly:

...I hope to meet you at the earliest opportunity. I look forward to it. Kisses, Liora...

There was nothing criminal in the letter, so Taer carefully folded it so that it would fit easily in the palm of her hand and headed toward the players.

"A letter for you, Your Grace," she whispered, coming up behind him and leaning over Alex while placing the folded letter in his palm. The Lord nodded at her and quickly flicked the message across his eyes, keeping it out of sight of the others playing. After he read it, he gave Liora a faint nod and continued with the game.

Having delivered the envelope, Taer returned to her beloved sofa and summoned the "Lance":

"Have you finished yet? I might need your help."

"Yes," Dudo muttered. "Found something interesting..."

"What do you find? OK, you can tell me all about it later. Now, grab an infobox, a linear jammer, and a couple of suppressors, and head for the game room."

"Where is it?"

"Take one of the Melatian servants with you as an escort - they are always gathering near the guest chambers, so you won't have to look for them."

About ten minutes later, Dudo appeared at the entrance to the games hall in the company of a short, dark-haired servant in full dress - a white livery with a scarlet Cassard branch at the heart and two cords at the shoulder, white and red with lace. The tunic he was to wear as a Lord's warder was not yet available to Dudo, and Taer was obviously the wrong size. He was clutching two enormous chevrette trunks, and was, to put it mildly, drawing attention to himself.

Taer made fearful eyes and gestured for him to leave everything in the corridor and walk towards her.

A little more in the same vein, and anyone who wasn't interested in who Lord Cassard is dating will become very interested.

"So," Taer began in a low voice as Dudo approached her. "First, take this and stick it in the infoblock, then we'll check," Taer said as she slipped the "lance" a thin gold card of "respected" Asmi Lertar.

"Second," she continued, waiting for Dudo to slip the card into his pocket, "Their Lordship wishes to meet with a lady, and our job is to ensure the security and privacy of that meeting. So now you grab the equipment and move to the lady's quarters. You tell them you are a member of Lord Cassard's retinue and would like to check the room. If they agree, fine, check everything there and put up suppressors. If not, then - and shadows with them! - Prepare a line jammer - we'll turn it on when the lord gets in."

"The walls are thick," Dudo disagreed. "And it looks like fibersteel in the core, and there are a lot of energy circuits around - there might not be enough power..."

"You seem to have taken amplifiers - plug them in. If one is not enough, connect more."

"I did," he nodded. "But with the amps, they'd knock out everything in there - maybe even the lights - and there might be a glitch to the neighboring rooms."

"Let it be. I don't think they'll really need the lights, and if there are any complaints from neighbors, we'll politely apologize. Any questions?" Taer jabbed a finger at Dudo's chest.

"Where is this lady's room?"

In addition to the fervent lines in the letter given by Lady Liora's escort, there was also a copy of a guest pamphlet that showed how to reach the rooms provided to Countess Wistrile. It was the contents of this pamphlet that Taer recounted to the "lance". After listening to the explanation, Dudo was about to leave, but she stopped him:

"Wait, you said you found something interesting."

"Yep," smirked the lance. "Marks from bugs.".

"What? And you didn't say anything! What kind of bugs, exactly?"

"The traces, not the bugs themselves - they used to be there permanently, and then someone took them off. And apparently recently."

"Maybe it's to make us relax. Have you checked everything in there?"

Dudo sighed heavily, raising his eyes to the ceiling:

"Look, what do you take me for? Of course, I checked after I found the footprints. Checked again - literally looked all over the place."

"OK, then the shadows are with them!"

The hosts must have had fun peeping, and before the guests from the other Houses arrived they took everything down so there wouldn't be a scandal...

"Go get the amplifiers, then go to the lady's rooms, and I'll come with the lord."

The lord played to the end of the round, which took another twenty minutes, laid out the loss, and quickly slipped out of the games room, leaving Kayrin to "finish the game". Accompanied by Taer, he walked quickly to the rendezvous with the anti-Imperialists.

"Alex, are you sure about this meeting?" Taer caught up with the lord, her face expressing clear doubt as to the wisdom of such an undertaking. "It could cause huge problems. (Huge, if the SS or Imperial Intelligence finds out, and for everyone from the ruling lord to me.) And the benefits are questionable."

"I'm not so sure." He snapped back, not slowing down. "Do you have any better ideas?"

"Well, we could..." Taer paused and sighed heavily. "I don't know. But I've got a bad feeling about this, and our lance found traces of surveillance devices in the room."

"You mean our rooms are being watched?"

"Not anymore. Used to be monitored, but they took it off recently. Shortly before we arrived. But that in itself makes me nervous. Maybe it's just ours..." she held Alex by the sleeve and whispered in his ear. "Maybe it's not in Lady Wistrelle's. And only the shadows know what she's going to talk about."

"I think I have this for just such an occasion..." Alex demonstrated the suppressor pendant and moved on.

"A suppressor is not a shortcut to ascension..." she grimaced.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, don't rely too much on suppressors. There are means to bypass them...," explained the 'specialist'.

"What's the point of having them, then? If they can be bypassed?"

"They help against most surveillance, but there are rumors..." Taer made an indefinite gesture with her hand. "That the Imperials have the means to bypass them."

"Let's hope such talented guys aren't interested in me."

Taer waved her hand and remained silent, though her heart was filled with all sorts of things, mostly foul language, about people who pry into things they shouldn't be prying into. And dragging others along with them.

Soon they arrived at the rooms allocated to Countess Wistrile. In front of the entrance, leaning absently against the wall, Dudo was waiting for them. Two large cases of equipment were huddled at his feet, while across the hall in a brown and blue livery (Must be Countess Wistrile's colors... Is she an Imperial noble?), leaning against the door with an equally absent look, was a gnarm bored.

Or not bored? Taer was unfamiliar with the race and could not claim that the gnarm's face expressed exactly boredom.

The Lance in Lord Cassard's arm and the servant in Countess Wistrile's retinue was staring at the ceiling, watching the mural where two dragons - a white dragon and a blue one - wrestled to death.

How symbolic... grinned Taer.

As they approached, Dudo pulled away from the wall and, catching Taer's gaze, pointed to the door and winked at her, saying, It's all right.

Meanwhile, on seeing the lord, the gnarm pulled out his communicator and hissed something into the receiver - he must have warned those inside.

"Are you sure you want to go there alone? " Taer squinted incredulously at the gnarm.

Alex nodded silently and put a neutral smile on his face.

As Taer and Alex approached closer, the gnarm bowed awkwardly and opened the door, revealing to all interested glances the interior of Countess Wistrile's rooms and the Countess herself.

The room was filled with the colors of autumn: from the rich ochre upholstery of the small sofas with dark red cushions to the burnt-orange color of the carpets that covered the walls and, of course, the gold embroidery. The Countess was in a tight, bright red evening gown, clutching a wine glass in her left hand. Lady Liora's face wore rather bright and, from Taer's point of view, not very successful make-up

"Allesandro, I've been waiting!" Liora sighed languidly as she embraced the lord.

"We'll be waiting for you here, Your Lordship," Taer officially announced.

No matter how you paint a chicken, you won't get an eagle.

The false mistress - Liora - could not stand in Taer's eyes any comparison with the real mistress - Isalaya.

As the door closed behind the lord, Taer leaned against the wall beside Dudo, listening warily to the sounds coming from Countess Wistrile's rooms. Nothing suspicious had been heard so far.

"Has the linear jammer been set up?" she whispered, keeping her eyes on the closed door.

By the door, leaning against the jamb, the gnarm bored with the same unconcerned look.

"No," Dudo whispered back. "It's no use - there are five rooms, and the walls are thick. It's not clear where they'll be. I put the suppressors in there."

"Did they let you check the rooms?" Taer clarified.

"They did. They put one on me, but I was allowed to check. I did not find anything strange, but there was no time to check very carefully."

"Are you sure the suppressors are working? Maybe they've been turned off?"

Lance snorted and, taking a small infoblock from the pocket of his snow-white trousers, proudly showed it to Taer - a blizzard of interference shone on the display that was displayed.

"I have a narrow-focus scanner in my case," he explained. "It's a weak one... But it doesn't matter - if the interference disappears, it means the suppressor is off. I look at it from time to time..."

"Well done," praised Taer and stared at the door again.

There was a long wait for the meeting to end, and the lingering feeling that it was not going to end well was only getting worse.

"A suspicious countess..." Dudo said with a knowing look, snapping Taer out of her troubled thoughts with a loud whisper. "The two of them are so..." he impressed the utmost arrogance into his expression and turned his nose up at her. "And they're still trying to grasp the hilt of their swords with their right hands like the Carpathians. The other two were strange, not exactly fighters or servants. They look too sloppy. Maybe Lance and this "servant" gnarm. This is nonsense: a gnarm is a servant. He's got tattoo marks on his face. I know about that sort of thing - we used to have a lot of them in Naimo. Muzzle tattoos made by tash-pee cartel fighters."

"Won't he hear?" Taer pointed to the gnarm with her eyes.

"Nah, the hearing's not their strongest trait... Anyway, that's my point... Their Lordship shouldn't have gone in there alone, and then there's five of them and two of us. That's all I brought with me..." he pointed to the holster of the blaster on Taer's belt. "If I'd known I'd be part of Arm. I would have brought other toys."

"A hand-held stun gun wouldn't be a bad thing either..." suggested Taer.

"Nah, gnarms don't paralyze well - so put it on 'combat' right away," advised the Lance. "Better a shock grenade. Or better yet, two."

"What are you, stupid? What about the lord? He's inside too!"

"What's wrong with that? The sooner we get them out of action, the safer he'll be. So what if he's concussed, but he's alive, and his eyes..." He stopped, staring thoughtfully up at the ceiling, then covered them and rubbed them lightly with his left hand. "Well, in a couple of days, if all is well, will recover... I have recovered."

"Screw you with ideas like that!" Taer said with a disgruntled look. "You could end up destroying a guarded object without any help from outside. If you need to get everyone out of action quickly, I'd take...."

Anyway, the twenty-two minutes it took for the lord to meet Lady Liora, the "security specialist" and the "lance" from Lord Cassard's Arm spent passionately discussing in loud whispers exactly how and with what they would break into Countess Wistrile's rooms. In the end, the discussion came down to the fact that the competent parties (Taer and Dudo) agreed: it would be optimal to have an eight-man team in assault suits and a group with emergency medical equipment nearby. But when the door to Lady Liora's chambers opened, Lord Cassard was greeted only by Taer and Dudo, armed with a blaster. One for two.

Lord Cassard was gloomy and thoughtful. Without saying anything, he waved his hand in the direction of the rooms allotted to them and walked briskly in that direction.

"Has something gone wrong?" Taer cautiously inquired as they moved a respectful distance away from Lady Liora's rooms.

"I didn't get everything I hoped for, but I'm not happy with what I have," he added, seeing the silent question in Taer's eyes. "I'll explain when we get there."

When they were alone, the lord tossed her the info stick he had removed from his pocket and flopped down on the sofa:

Take a look, and we'll discuss it later.

Taer caught the stick and, retrieving her Emerald from her belongings (the suitcases were still standing in the center of the room, as she had no time to attend to them and the servants of the House of Melato were forbidden to enter the rooms allocated to Lord Cassard), launched a view of the contents.

It was a visual recording - filmed from above, from the ceiling.

A small, darkened room, a round table, and six people at the table. The faces were hard to see, especially as the picture occasionally flickered and the sounds were distorted - the suppressor in the center of the table was clearly working, but judging by the fact that you could make out what was going on, the method of bypassing the suppressors was not a myth at all.

Or the recording device is shielded by a layer of fibersteel a couple of palms thick.

"Frankly, comrades, our partners are very disappointed in these blunders with Cassard," the face was so darkened that Taer could not make it out, and the voice was harsh with some rattling notes, indicating the age of the speaker.

Judging by the tone, the speaker was VERY unhappy:

"The other phases undertaken by our partners are progressing as planned, and Lord Cassard is still alive!" Here the speaker practically turned to shout. "The whole operation could be without cover and fail!"

"But, sir, he was just lucky the first time, and the second attempt was prepared in a terrible hurry; it won't happen again, I'm sure!" A dark-haired, bearded man in his forties, wearing a leather jacket with the emblem of the miners' guild, objected.

"I should very much hope so, Grom," the old man's words had a decidedly sarcastic tone to them. "With us already ten days behind, we have one last try. I really hope no one screws up this time. If we FAIL AGAIN, Cassard will be taken over by the Lord's men so we can concentrate on our main task..."

The recording was interrupted further on. Taer took the stick out of the infoblock and threw it back to Alex:

"I think it's staged," she grimaced. "And a rather inept one at that. For three hundred thousand denarii, they could have made an effort."

"Maybe. Or maybe not. Liora claims that within a Voigrom, she will have information about who exactly is behind the attempts on my life."

"Why didn't she tell you right away? Does she want more money?"

"I don't know. According to her, the cell that monitors one of the PVD leaders reports directly to the Centre over Liora's head. And they're running some kind of an operation of their own. That's why we get the materials secondarily. She's been told that the liaison who's supposed to hand over the evidence materials will contact her during the Voigrom. So it's someone from the guests, but so far, no one has contacted Liora. However, the Voigrom will still last for three days, so there is time..."

Taer said nothing, only looked at Alex questioningly.

They just want money and are willing to tell you anything to get it.

The lord smiled sadly in reply: "I understand your doubts, Taer. I have similar doubts as well. But you must agree the loss of three hundred thousand danarii is not fatal. But if this recording is true, it means they will try to kill me again soon, and they will try again and again. Because they really need my death to cover up some operation. Do you have any thoughts on that?"

Alex stood up and headed towards the bar.

"Your Lordship..." Taer held out with an accusing tone. "You could have told me to call a droid, or I could have done it myself."

"Come on, don't be silly. It's not hard for me." He brushed it off. "And I thought we'd agreed on "lordship." You want anything?"

Something to clear my mind would be nice.

"A tincture of Tarija and some ice would be nice."

"Tarij? What is it?"

"Such a square bottle..." Taer began, then, with a sigh, got up from her chair and headed for the bar as well.

"This is the Tarij." She poured the emerald liquid into her glass and threw ice in it.

"Hmm, smells good..." Alex assessed, sniffing. "What is it?"

"An extract of the root of a particular plant. It grows here in Voigrom, by the way. Usually used in cocktails, but it's also very good on its own and clears your mind perfectly. Will you try it?"

He looked at the glass with mild doubt, then waved his hand - "pour!"

"So, what are your thoughts? Who would need to kill me to - cover an operation?" Alex asked as they got comfortable in their chairs again.

She looked up and wondered... Then she sighed heavily and turned to Alex; there was nothing else to think of:

"I don't know. I'm not a politician. Maybe they want to use the rancor among relatives over inheritance? But what good would that do them?"

"I couldn't think of anything else either. Is there someone in my family so influential that it makes sense for them to be distracted by such an event?"

"The Rionale clan?"

"Kayrin?" Alex wondered.

"Not Kayrin, but the entire Ryonale clan. They are one of the most influential clans, they are quite powerful, and they have a strong 'Arm', her father is a member of the Privy Council from their domain."

"And who benefits from the Rionale family being distracted by the division of my inheritance?"

Taer silently spread her hands and offered:

"Why don't we ask an expert? Marquis Crébo Degrasto teaches in the Department of Geopolitics and Sectoral History after all."

Alex pointed a finger at Taer and winked:

"Great idea, Guardsman! What would I do without you? Let's go find the Marquis!"

You'd be gone to all the shadows. And anyway, appreciate me!

Marquis Degrasto could only be found after Taer had communicated with his servants - he was in one of the inner gardens, chatting passionately with a man who was not young but rather old. Apparently, a Tallana.

"О! Lord Cassard!" exclaimed the Marquis. "We were just talking about you! I present the Dean of the University of Tallana, the good Fayyor Takkar," he said. "And this, my colleague, is the lovely Mistress Taer Diltar, First Blade of the Arm of Lord Cassard."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," bowed Professor Takkar slightly.

"Likewise." Alex smiled, and Taer gave a polite nod. "We were just looking for you, Marquis, on a professional matter."

"Yes?" Crebo was genuinely surprised. "How interesting. What is it?"

"We had a theoretical argument on a historical topic and needed an expert opinion. Who do you think would have been most affected if I had been poisoned?"

"Well, that would be a nightmare, Lord Cassard!" exclaimed the Marquis. "Absolutely everyone could have been affected! It could come to war between the families within our house! So, until you marry or better until you have an heir don't you dare die!" He winked and jokingly wagged his finger at the lord.

"Are you sure that money, even a lot of it, can start something like this?" Alex asked incredulously.

"So it's not about money at all, Lord Cassard," the Marquis assured him. "It's the fact that all the lan-titles are free in your domain, and there are plenty of them."

Right - the land of lords! I'm such an idiot! I should have been better at lectures on recent history!

"Lan-titles?" the lord interjected.

"Well, yes, the lan-titles, the possession lands, that is, the lands that give the right to a name and..."

"Ah, there you are, and I'd lost you all," the Marquis Degrasto was interrupted by a Kayrin who appeared.

"Meet Lady Kayrin Baroness Rionale, Professor at the University of Tallana, the esteemed Fayyor Takkar."

Kayrin smiled charmingly: "I seem to have interrupted you Marquis, forgive me, and please continue..."

"Well, Kayrin, can you interrupt..." the Marquis began, but then he seemed curious and decided to return to the question. "Let me explain with an example. The lovely Kayrin, as you all know, is a baroness, as are her mother and father. Baroness, as I recall, you also have a younger brother and sister. What are their titles?"

"They have been elevated to the count's dignity," the baroness shrugged.

"And why?" asked Marquis Degrasto a leading question.

"It's obvious - our clan no longer had the free lan-titles of baronial dignity," Kayrin replied and looked at those around her with interest. "And what prompted this strange question?"

"I was simply trying to explain, by way of example, what would cause a hypothetical war between the Clans in the event of the equally hypothetical - heaven forbid! - Lord Cassard's death by poison," Marquis explained.

"Thank you, Marquis. It all makes sense even to me now," Alex smiled. "No longer daring to disturb your conversation..." with these words, the lord politely said goodbye to the professors, who immediately returned to their conversation.

"Alex, sweetie, is something wrong?" Kayrin asked excitedly as they stepped away from the engrossed conversation between the learned husbands.

"No, it's fine!" Alex assured her.

But it seemed that his gloomy mood, which had become even darker after his conversation with Marquis Degrasto, had not escaped Baroness Rionale. She held the lord's hand, paused, and, taking his palms in hers, looked at him with a look of dismay:

"You've been a bit gloomy lately, these strange questions about your death, the planetary generator in your castle. I'm starting to worry about you," she pressed his hand to her chest and asked softly. "What's wrong, Alex? Is someone threatening you?"

What a... @%$! Taer thought dumbfoundedly as she watched the scene. The way she pressed his hand! As if she'd spent two years taking acting lessons at Court. She could be in a soap opera right now!

"Let's just say, Kay..." Alex seemed a little taken aback by the Baroness' impetuousness. "I have some problems, but I think I can manage."

"Why don't you tell me more about it?" she suggested, pointing her eyes towards the guest rooms. "Perhaps I could be of some help. Or maybe not me, but my family. We're not exactly distant relatives, after all. Blood helps blood, fire helps fire," she added with a smile.

"Let's talk about it later, like tomorrow. This isn't the time or place for that kind of talk," Alex lowered his voice confidentially. "You're probably not going to be able to help me right now, anyway."

To Taer's surprise, Kayrin, who knew how to be more annoying than a dozen pearl wasps, didn't push. She smiled sweetly and shrugged her shoulders:

"I'll take you up on that - tomorrow is tomorrow, after the hunt."

She did not bring it up once for the rest of the evening, trying whenever she could to cheer the lord up and distract him from his sad thoughts. She did it so sincerely and sweetly that Taer had her doubts.

Wasn't she really worried about him? After all, family, and shared childhood memories

But the thought was so contrary to her entire experience with Kayrin that Taer preferred to see it as a subtle game.

* * *