The Prisoner of Limnos (Penric and Desdemona, #6)

by Lois McMaster Bujold

And I’d rather we weren’t husband and wife.” “Yes,” said Pen wryly, “you told me that once before.”

“I thought he was the strangest man I ever met, until I met you.”

To convert Nikys’s I fear they know too much to I hope they know enough had only taken one cryptic note.

But they didn’t steal much, and no one was raped, not even the maidservants.

????

She began to have more sympathy for Tanar when she realized that every other name out of her own mouth wasn’t Adelis either.

“What,” she breathed, “has Sura to do with this?” A wave of her hand encompassed the lunatic configuration of tackle and men hanging from her balcony joists.

“So, no Adria, but we have established Learned Penric is more valuable to you than jewels. Or a house. That’s a start. What else?”

“How did you decide, when you went with Father?” “Several long, frank talks, to start.” “And he persuaded you?” “Oh, five gods forfend, I didn’t talk with the general! What a pointless waste of breath that would have been. I talked with Florina.” Idrene waved a hand. “It helped that Florina was the shrewd and experienced woman she was.”

She hunched. “I’d be betting my whole life on the man. I did that once with Kymis. And then he went and died on me.” The furious helplessness of that loss still reverberated, when she made the mistake of remembering. “Oh.” Idrene’s smile grew crooked. “I know the answer for that one. It worked quite well for Florina. And your father. And Ikos’s father, too.” Nikys raised her face. “You do? What?” She tapped Nikys’s forehead in a gesture not quite a blessing. And said, in a voice as arid as Nikys had ever heard from her, “Die first.”

The crew waved and exchanged laconic greetings with him, but stared at Pen. “That your mother, is it?” said one. “There’s things you haven’t told us about your family, Ikos, my lad.”

“Do encourage General Arisaydia in his quest for Lady Tanar’s hand, Madame Khatai.” “Do you favor him for her, then?” Nikys’s smile didn’t alter, but Pen thought she was listening for every nuance in the answer. Because Bosha would have them. And Bosha’s opinion in this affair mattered far more than was obvious. “She’s had much worse, sniffing about her.” He rubbed his neck beneath his white braid. “You know, her latest interest is in going up onto the roof to learn celestial navigation. She conscripts one of Lady Xarre’s captains for her lessons, when he stops in to give his reports. If she’s not married to your brother, or some man of like merit, with her vast vitality diverted to children, I’m afraid she will insist on apprenticing as an officer on one of Lady Xarre’s ships. And if denied, would run off to become a pirate queen.”

Nikys looked up, and said firmly, “You can’t shave your head.” “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Pen returned instantly. “Although… I can’t promise I won’t go bald, when I get old. Des, could you do something about that?”