MP 1 - The Family Trade by Charles Stross

Author:Charles Stross [Stross, Charles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Epic, Contemporary, Fiction, Fantasy, Women journalists, General, Murder victims' families, Inheritance and succession
ISBN: 9780765309297
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2005-01-06T23:28:55+00:00

Angbard startled her by laughing loudly. “Roland the dreaming runaway?” He leaned back in his chair. “Roland, who tried to convince us all to sign away our lands to the peasantry and set up a banking system to loan them money? Roland the rebel He’s squandered all the credibility he might have built by refusing to play the game over here. I think Roland Lofstrom will make a suitable husband for Olga Thorold. And she should make him an excellent wife— she’ll slow him down and that’s necessary, he has disruptive tendencies.

Once he’s yoked to the Clan, it might be time to revisit some of his ideas, but as things stand the council can’t afford to be seen taking him seriously—by rebelling in his youth he has automatically tainted any valid reformist ideas he may present. Which is a shame. Meanwhile, you are my direct niece. Patricia, your mother, was the daughter of my father’s first wife. Roland, in contrast, is the son of my half-brother, by my father’s third wife. He’s not a blood relative of yours—at least, not within four generations. Three wives, three children, three scandals! My father lent our affairs much complexity …

“Anyway, Roland will create another Thorold-Lofstrom braid, which will be of considerable use to my successor, whoever he is. But he’s not important and he has no stake in your disarray. In fact, that is why it was safe for him to know of your existence so early.”

Miriam shook her head. The family intricacies confused her, and she was left with nothing but a vague impression of plaited families and arranged marriages.

“Have you asked Olga’s opinion about this?” she asked.

“Why would I? She’ll do as she’s told for the good of the Clan. She’s a sweet child.”

“Oh, that’s all right then,” Miriam said, nodding slightly and biting her cheek to keep a straight face.

“Which brings me to you, again,” Angbard nodded. “Obviously, you are not a sweet child. You’re an experienced dowager, I would say, and sharp as a razor. I approve of that. But I hope I have made it clear to you that your future is inextricably tied to the Clan. You can’t possibly go back into obscurity on the other side—your enemies would seek you

out, whether you will it or no. Nor can you afford not to take sides and find a protector.”

“I see,” she stated, biting the words out sharply.

“I think it would be best for you to see something of the other families before we discuss this further,” Angbard continued, ignoring her coolness. “As it happens, Olga is summoned to pay attendance upon the person of the king for the next three months, who as it also happens is not one of us— it would be a good thing at this juncture for you to make your debut before the royal court and that part of the Clan that is in residence in the capital in her company. Your presence should lure certain lice out of the bedding in, ah, a controlled manner.

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