Liavek 6 by Will Shetterly

Author:Will Shetterly [Shetterly, Will]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CatYelling
Published: 2016-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

"Training Ground" by Nancy Kress

THE OFFICER OF the City Guard halted, scowling, in the middle of the Levar's Park. Jen Demarion, hurrying up an ornamental hill, saw the Guard come into view scowl first, followed by shoulders with a corporal's insignia, followed by the rest of him—with Cav standing before him on the path. Jen had known from the moment she saw the officer halt that Cav would be what had halted him, and from the moment she saw the officer scowl that Cav would be what he scowled at. She hurried faster, trying to reach them before Cav could say much. Preferably, before Cav could say anything at all.

"What?" the officer said to Cav. "What did you say, boy?"

Cav said, "Have your clouds cast, sir?"

The Guard looked up. Jen did not need to look. No clouds, not even one, floated in the sky. Blue, hot, empty: no clouds. Jen groaned inwardly and swung into action. There was no time for more than the fastest scrutiny of the soldier, but Jen knew she had a good eye.

"Cav!" she cried, and her voice was all silvery delight, a waterfall in sunshine. "There you are! I've been looking all over!"

The officer turned his scowl from the sky to Jen. She met it with an artless smile, but the scowl did not soften. Cav must have been particularly stupid or irritating. Not that he had to be stupid to irritate; sometimes all he had to do was stand there as he did now, a resistant doughy lump with an expression so blank it approached not being there at all.

Jen put a light hand on the officer's arm. "Thank you for helping me find my twin! You're so tall, it was easy to see you clear across the park!"

The corporal looked from Jen to Cav, and back again. "You two are twins?"

"Oh, yes! I'm Jenneret Demarion—Jen—and this is my brother Cav. My mother is looking all over for him!" She widened her eyes. "Cav isn't in any … trouble, is he, sir?"

"He—well, maybe he is. He was cloud casting, or soliciting to cloud cast, and a new—"

"Cav! You were!" Jen cried, with such intense delight that the Guard stopped talking. Cav said nothing. After a moment, Jen wrinkled her forehead. "But … but, Cav, there aren't any clouds today."

"Well, that's just it," the officer said, with a faint note of apology, which Jen did not think he heard himself. "That's why it looked suspicious. And there's a new decree from His Scarlet Eminence that—"

"Oh!" Jen cried. "Have you ever seen His Scarlet Eminence? Up close?"

"Well, I—"

"Of course, you must have!" Jen breathed. "What is he like?"

"He's tall, he—look, young mistress, this new decree—"

"Not as tall as you! He couldn't be! That tall?"

"Well, no, not that tall," the Guard said. He drew up his shoulders a little. "But then, I'm tall for a Liavekan. This decree—"

"You're tall for anyone," Jen said, and smiled dazzlingly. This time the soldier smiled back.

"Maybe. This new decree from His Scarlet Eminence says that within the Levar's Park all strolling entertainers must show a permit.

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