Trade Secret (eARC) by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

Author:Sharon Lee & Steve Miller [Lee, Sharon & Miller, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781451639292
Google: XxTUmQEACAAJ
Amazon: 1451639295
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2013-11-05T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Tradedesk, Dockside and More

"Samay pin'Aker Clan Midys, trade assistant on Barskalee," said the ship-dressed young woman before him. She performed a complex and well-nuanced bow of welcome and greeting, with overtones of respect well-earned and a hint of approval and appreciation. There was a smile at the corners of her mouth and eyes and a flawless grace about her.

This artful welcome was more than gracious, considering that she had the drop on him. He's come this close to heedlessly, and vigorously, backing into her, as he gestured to Scout ter'Astin to give over his chiding ways. She might as easily--and with perfect justice--given him a setdown.

Gone from Jethri's lips and his mind was the retort he'd been preparing in answer to ter'Astin's most recent gibe, urging him to act as if the day had length and the universe not entirely breathless for his arrival as the beauty of the season. True, he had stopped one more time to use the ship's inner vid system to look over his clothes, attempting to consider both the Terran and the Liaden necessities of being a properly dressed trader on his way to a business meeting of unknown import.

Such was the power of the lady's art, not to mention her lurking smile, that he immediately knew himself appropriately attired for the work in hand, even if all he did was return the lady's bow and flee to Keravath's safe interior. He chose not to flee; a retreat would surely damage his melant'i.

The lady had managed to bow to him, and to the Scout, without pausing and without overtly changing mode--yet it was obvious that this member of Clan Midys was in fact more pleased to meet the young trader than the Scout.

She beat him to the now necessary, "Forgive me," part of the exchange as well, her voice quiet and musical, nearly lost in the echoes, hums, and air-moving noise of the passageway.

Jethri managed to pronounce his name and home ship, as did Scout ter'Astin, but they needed to repeat them a moment later, because the woman continued her "Forgive me" rather breathlessly. In the repeat, Jethri remembered to report that he was Guest Pilot on Keravath, but wasn't sure she gathered that, her flow of eloquence being rather lengthier than expected.

"Do forgive me. I did stop rather suddenly when I heard your lock operating, and I should have given you far more room, but I am unused to the protocols and dimensions on this station and I did not intend to interrupt either your passage or your conversation."

Jethri beat back the urge to redden, recalling that he had not, in fact, answered ter'Astin's last gibe, nor had ter'Astin been speaking loudly for all that the lock's own sounds had a certain depth to them.

"Galandaria need not ask forgiveness for a greeting properly given on a strange port," ter'Astin assured her prettily. He received a nice bow of acknowledgment in return.

Jethri tucked that phrase away, it sounding to be one very useful in the long run for someone whose very living depended on meeting others.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.