Jean-Claude had other business there as well, an offer of treaty from l’Empire Céleste. “I know the Gyrine bow to no roi or reine,” Jean-Claude said, “but Madame Sireen would make good on Hailer Dok’s bargain.”

He showed them a map of l’Empire Céleste, and pointed out where there was good land recently dispossessed, that she would be willing to lease to the Gyrine on terms that did not require a subject’s service to a sovereign but instead would be paid for in terms of trade for particular services, namely to provide guides and good winds for Célestial trade ships and colony ships throughout the deep sky. The Craton Auroborea was due to open up and she would help the Gyrine tame and settle parts of it as well.

The Seven Thunders gave him no answer immediately. The decision would affect all Gyrine, so it must be agreed upon by the other clans.

“Do you think they’ll take the offer?” Jean-Claude asked Marie as they strolled the decks back toward the recently renamed and refitted galleon Veritus that was carrying the bulk of the supplies needed for the new colony.

“Do I look like a diplomat?” Marie asked. “Or a fortune-teller?”

“You look like somebody dipped you in flour. That doesn’t make you a pastry.”

“I hope they do,” Marie said. “They can’t go on as they are. This gives them the chance to change on their own terms. I’m going to go find Fellhand Vexatious and talk her into advocating the idea.”

“Vexatious?”

“Tall woman. Black skin. Tried to kill me once. We’re not quite friends yet.”

“Sounds like you’re off to a good start,” Jean-Claude said.

“It could’ve been worse,” Marie said. “She could’ve succeeded.”

They came aboard the Veritus and found Capitaine Similce engaged in teaching Malgiers and Rebecca the Skaladin tongue.

Jean-Claude asked, “Is Princess Isabelle on board?”

“In the great cabin with Bitterlich,” Similce said dryly. “Last I checked they had clothes on, but that was twenty minutes ago.”

Jean-Claude trained his clockwork eye on the great cabin. The shadows moving behind the wall suggested that indeed a critical interval had passed and that now might not be the best time to intrude upon the young couple.

Jean-Claude dialed the eye back to normal vision and left them to their fun. He remembered being that young and vigorous, and he wished them the best of it. The intoxication wouldn’t last forever, even if the deeper affection did.

He turned to Rebecca and asked, “Have you thought about how you’re going to handle the immense responsibility of being somebody’s big sister?”

She made a face at him. “Eh. Why?”

“Oh,” Jean-Claude said. “No reason.”

He leaned against the rail and contemplated how much fun it was going to be to be a grandfather.

Acknowledgments