Shirley Meier's Blog, page 81

265 - On the Beach

"It's a bit of a walk," he said. "Or we could run." I was just considering how safe our things were locked in the inn, when Ili jumped up and yelled 'Let's run! Come on! Come on! I want to swim!" "Wait, wait!" I locked our trunk, with everything in it and then the door behind us. "All-right… Go!" Gannara knew the way. I thought his family must be one of the ship barokeresin and

264 - Reaction to a Pages Article

The professors' reading room in the University hadn't changed one whit, war, fall of Empire, sack, fire and wool-hair Imperators imposing the vote notwithstanding. Ailadas settled into the leather overstuffed chair with a contented sigh and nodded at the servant, who raised the flame on the burner to freshly boil the water for his kaf. The kaf service was a Kulurianan style more than a

263 - More Shiptalk

"Hello, Binshala. I'm so sorry you're dead. It's my fault." "Stop that! Minis, it was 2nd Amitzas who killed me." She's sitting on the edge of the stream as if Kyriala and I had just finished the dance. But she's sitting in my bed. I'm on her lap and she's stroking my hair. She looks like herself but I would never have recognized her in life, because she's young and her skin is

262 - What happened in Asinanai?

Gannara wanted to be by himself after he cried himself out. I took Ili out for a walk in the port. He had his knife and I with my peace-bonded sword on my hip like it was supposed to be. A little strange to have a scholar's open robe over it but Yeola-e… even a port town… wouldn't necessarily be terribly safe for an Arkan, or a couple of Arkans. I had a packet to mail to the Pages. Given

Quick Addition to Post 248

This last post should have gone on the end of Post 248... so rather than sending you there, I'm including this excerpt here.___________________________ I did go off the ship once at Tor Ench… just to the kiosk at the end of the stone docks where they sold Pages. The important one was a special Edition. "SHEFEN-KAS DEFEATED". That was the headline. I bought it and the back issues I had missed

261 - Telling Gan about Chevenga

I was sweating. I'd managed, in the intervening moons not to think of the things that fuelled my dreams and nightmares. I set Ili next to me and skinned off my shirt, letting my pendant fall back onto my chest, unbuckled my kilt and slid under the covers of the bed. Like all Yeoli beds it was softer than I was used to. A stack of feather ticks or wool-stuffed mattresses in a box frame to hold

260 - I'd Starve to Death in Laka

"I think I'd starve to death in Laka," I said when I went back inside and Ili giggled. He had all his crisps eaten and was dabbing bread into my akopo-e, the non-spicy one. I leaned back away from the food. "You two have some of mine. I'll eat later." Gannara looked up at me from the table "No, no, I can't take yours from you! Now I'm cursing myself for getting you to eat kri." The

259 - Looking for Gan's Home

The port of Selina was guarded by an enormously long spit of land, with bright, sharp, new-laid, Arkan-laid stones as foaming breakwater. The dark blue of the water broke with white, white spray. The lighthouse… the Selina lighthouse was eight sided and towered pale over the brightly painted houses of the town. The stone circle – the Yeoli national symbol-- on the top, against the sky, was new

258 - Pirates?

The next Yeoli ship to enter the port was on the way back to their home port of Selina, and are willing to accept our passage. It was a full eight-day after we got Ili back, plenty of time for us to get Kefasbear fixed and for me to arrange to have some presents sent back to Arko for Kyriala. I picked the books, after I proved to the Hyerne booksellers that I could read… They knew the

257 - Minis What are you Doing?

The Hyerne boy asked me, very quietly, eyes down, if I would consider hiring him on permanently to look after the pony and the carriage. "The gentleman who hired me told me to ask the gracious lady." "What did he look like?" "His veil was red, lady, a privacy veil, a fine silk, with copper lace, lady." Of course, Minis. He wouldn't be able to show his face… I should tell Ser