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I conducted Linnell to Callina, but before I could speak to her, my father approached me.

"Come along, Lew," he said, in a tone I had learned to regard, however politely phrased, as a command.

"You should pay your respects to Javanne."

I stared. Javanne? She had never liked me, even when we were going to children's parties. Once we hadboth been whipped impartially for getting into a kicking-and-scratching fight, at seven or so, and later-,when we were about eleven,

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she rudely refused to dance with me, saying I stepped on her feet. I probably did, but I had already been telepath enough to know that was not her reason. "Father," I said patiently, "I'm quite sure Lady Javanne can dispense with any compliments from me." Had he quite lost his wits?

"And Lew promised to dance with me again,** Linnell said sulkily. Father patted her cheek and assured her there would be time enough for that, with a look at me which admitted no further delay unless I wanted to defy him openly and make a scene.

Javanne was standing in a little cluster of younger women, sipping a glass of wine. My father's voiceseemed more deliberate than usual, as he presented me.

"I wish you a joyous Festival, kinsman," she said with a courteous bow. Kinsman! Well, Gabriel and I were friendly enough; perhaps she had learned, from husband and brother, that I was not such a scandal after all. At least for once she seemed to speak to me as if I were a human being. She beckoned to one of the young girls in the crowd surrounding her. "I wish to present to you a young kinswoman of your own, Lew, Linnea Storn-Lanart."

Linnea Storn-Lanart was very young, certainly no older than Linnell, with russet hair falling in soft curlsaround a heart-shaped face. The Storns were old mountain nobility from the region near Aldaran whohad intermarried years ago with Lanarts and Leyniers. What was a maiden so young doing alone in Thendara?

Linnea, aJthough she seemed modest enough, raised her eyes with frank curiosity to my face. Mountaingirls-I had heard this from my father-did not follow the exaggerated custom of the lowlands, where adirect glance at a strange man is immodest; hence mountain girls are often considered, here in the Domains, to be over-bold. She looked straight at me for a moment, smiling, then caught Javanne's eyes,flushed crimson and looked quickly at the toes of her slippers. I supposed Javanne had given her a lessonin proper manners for the Domains, and she did not wish to be thought countrified.

I was at a loss what to say to her. She was my kinswoman, or had been so presented to me, althoughthe relationship could not be very close. Perhaps that was it-Javanne wished to spend her time dancing,not looking after a kinswoman

too young to dance with strangers. I said, "Will you honor me with a dance, damiselaT'

She glanced quickly at Javanne for permission, then nodded. I led her to the floor. She was a gooddancer and seemed to enjoy it, but I kept wondering why my father should go out of his way to make lifeeasy for Javanne. And why had he looked at me so meaningfully as we moved on to the dance floor? And why had he introduced her as a kinswoman, when the relationship must surely be far too distant tonotice officially? When the music ended, it was still perplexing me.

I bluntly said. "What is this all about?"

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Forgetting her careful briefing in manners, she blurted out, "Didn't they tell you? They told me!" Then hersudden blush flooded her face again. It made her look very pretty, but I was in no mood to appreciate it.

"Tell me whatl" I demanded.

Her cheeks were like banners of crimson. She stammered. "I was t-told that-that we should look eachother over, get to know one another, and that if we 1-liked each other, then a-a marriage would be-" Myface must have shown what I was thinking, for she broke off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Damn them! Trying to run my life again!

The girl's gray eyes were wide, her childish mouth trembling. 1 quickly fought to control my anger,barrier myself. She was obviously very sensitive, at least an empath, perhaps a telepath. I hoped,helplessly, that she wouldn't cry. None of this was her fault. I could just guess how her parents had beenbribed or threatened, how she herself had been coaxed and flattered with the lure of a fine marriage tothe heir of the Domain.

"Just what did they tell you about me, Linnea?"

She looked confused. "Only that you're Lord Alton's son, that you've served in the Arilinn Tower, thatyour mother was Terran-"

"And you think you can bear that disgrace?"

"Disgrace?" She looked puzzled. "Many of us in the Hellers have Terran blood; there are Terrans in my

family. Do you think it is a disgrace?"

What could anyone her age know of this kind of court intrigue? I felt revolted, remembering Dyan'sgloating look.

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Busy with his own affairs . . . Evidently he had known this was in the wind.

"Damisela, I have no mind to marry, and if I did I would not let Council choose a wife for me." I tried to smile, but I suspect it was grim enough. "Don't look so downcast, chiya, a maiden as pretty as you will soon find a husband you'll like better."

"I have no particular wish to marry," she said with composure. "I had intended to apply for admission at one of the towers; my great-granddame was trained as a Keeper, and it seemed to her I was well fitted for it. But I have always obeyed my family and if they had chosen me a husband, I was not ill-content. I am only sorry that I seem not to please you."

She was so calm that I felt trapped, almost frantic. "It is not that you displease me, Linnea. But I would

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not marry at their bidding." My wrath flared up again; I felt her flinch from its impact. Her hand still rested lightly on my arm, as when we were dancing; she drew it away as if she had been burned. I felt like storming away and actually made a faint move to leave her, when I realized, just in time, that this would be a disgraceful thing to do. To abandon a young girl in the middle of a dance-floor would be a rudeness no man of breeding would ever commit against a gently reared young girl of unquestionable manners and reputation! I couldn't expose her to such gossip for, inevitably, everyone would be wondering what unspeakable thing she could possibly have done to deserve it. I glanced around. Javanne was dancing at the far end of the ballroom so I led Linnea toward the buffet. I offered her a glass of wine; she refused it with a head-shake. I got her shallan instead, and stood sipping irritably at the wine myself. I didn't like it.

When I was a little calmer I said, "Nothing is irrevocable yet. You can tell whoever put you up tothis-my father, old Hastur, whoever-you can tell them you don't like me and that will be the end of it."

She smiled, a faint amused flicker. "But I do like you, Dom Lewis," she said. "I won't lie about it, even if I thought I could. Lord Kennard would know it at once if I tried to lie to him. You're angry and unhappy,but I think if you weren't so angry, you'd be very nice. I would be well content with such a marriage. Ifyou wish to refuse it, Lew, you must do the refusing."

If she had been less young, less naive, I might have flung at her that she could hardly be expected to giveup a marriage into Comyn with protest. Even so, I am sure she caught the thought, for she lookeddistressed.

I shut out her thoughts and said flatly, "A woman should have the privilege of refusing. I thought to spareyou the of-fense of hearing me say to my father that I did not-" I discovered that I could not simply saythat I did not like her. I amended it and said, "That I did not intend to marry at their bidding."

Her composure was disquieting. "No one marries at his own will. Do you really feel that a marriagebetween us would be unendurable, Lew? It is obvious that they will arrange some marriage or other foryou."

For a moment I wavered. She was evidently sensitive and intelligent; she had been considered for towertraining, which meant laran. My father had evidently gone, to some pains to choose a woman who wouldbe maximally acceptable to me, one with Terran blood, one capable of that emotional and mental fusion atelepath must have in any woman he is to know intimately. She was pretty. She was no empty-mindeddoll, but had wit and poise. For a second I considered. Sooner or later I must marry, I had alwaysknown that. A Comyn heir must father children. And, the Gods knew, I was lonely, lonely . . .

And my father, damn him, had counted on just this reaction! My anger flared anew. "Damisela, I havetold you why I will not be party to any marriage made as this one was made. If you choose to believethat I have rejected you personally, that is your affair." I drank the last in my wineglass and set it down. "Allow me to conduct you to my kinswomen, since Javanne is much occupied."

Javanne was dancing again. Well, let her enjoy herself. She had been married off at fifteen and had spentthe last nine years doing her duty to her family. They wouldn't catch me in that trap!

Gabriel had claimed a dance from Linnell-I was glad to see it-but Callina was standing at the edge of thefloor. The crimson draperies she was wearing only accentuated the col-orlessness of her bland features. Ipresented Linnea to her and asked Callina to look after her while I had a word with my father. Shelooked curious, evidently sensing my anger. I must be broadcasting it right and left.

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My rage mounted as I circled the floor, looking for my father. Dyan had known and Hastur hadknown-how many others had been dragged into this? Had they held a Council meeting to discuss the fateof Lord Alton's bastard heir? How long had it taken them to find a woman who would have me? They'dhad to go far afield, I noticed, and get one young enough to obey her father and mother without question! I supposed I ought to feel flattered that they'd picked a nice looking one!

I found myself face to face with the Regent I gave him a curt greeting and started to pass him by; he laida hand on my arm to detain me, wishing me the greetings of the season.

"I thank you, my lord. Have you seen my father?"

The old man said mildly, "If you're storming off to complain, Lew, why not come directly to me? It was Iwho asked my granddaughter to present the girl to you." He turned to the buffet. "Have you had supper? The fruits are exceptional this season. We have ice-melons from Nevarsin; they're not usually obtainablein the market."

"Thank you but I'm not hungry," I said. "Is it permitted to ask why you take such an interest in my

marriage, my lord? Or am I to feel flattered that you interest yourself, without asking why?"

"I take it the girl was not to your liking, then."

"What could I possibly have against her? But forgive me, sir, I have a certain distaste for airing my personal affairs before half the city of Thendara." I moved my hand to indicate the dancing crowds. He smiled genially.

"Do you really think anyone here is intent on anything but his own affairs?" He was calmly filling a plate for himself with assorted delicacies. Sullenly, I followed suit. He moved toward a couple of reasonably isolated chairs and said, "We can sit here and talk, if you like. What's the matter, Lew? You're just about the proper age to be married."

"Just like that," I said, "and I'm not to be consulted?"

"I thought we were consulting you," Hastur said, taking a forkful of some kind of shredded seafood mixed with greens. "We did not, after all, summon you to the chapel at a few hours' notice, to be married on the spot, as was done only a few years ago. I was given no chance even to see my dear wife's face until a few minutes before the bracelets were locked on our wrists, yet we lived together in harmony for forty years."

My father, speaking of his first years on Terra and being plunged abruptly into their alien customs, hadonce used a phrase for the way I felt now: culture shock. "With all deference, Lord Hastur, times havechanged too much for that to be a suitable way of making marriages. Why is there such a hurry?"

Hastur's face suddenly hardened. "Lew, do you really understand that if your father had broken his neckon those damnable stairs, instead of a few ribs and his collarbone, you would now be Lord Alton of

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Armida, with all that implies? My own son never lived to see his son. With our world in the shape it's in,none of us can afford to take chances with the heirship of a Domain. What is your specific objection tomarriage? Are you a lover of men?" He used the very polite casta phrase and I, used to the much coarserone customary in the Guards, was not for a moment quite certain what he meant. Then I grinned withoutamusement. "That arrow went wide of the mark, my lord. Even as a boy I had small taste for suchgames. I may be young, but that young I am not."

"Then what can it possibly be?" He seemed honestly bewildered. "Is it Linnell you wish to marry? We

had other marriage-plans for her, but if both of you really wish-"

I said in honest outrage, "Evanda protect us both! Lord Hastur, Linnell is my sisterl"