Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...

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"Better than last time we talked?"
Thesemanakraseye-Imperator suddenly found his desktop fascinating. "On, yes, much better, thank
you," he said, looking up after a bit. "Then, I was… shall we say… understress ."
"As long as you've got over it." Megan looked significantly around the opulent office. "One wants the
Imperator of Arko rowing with all oars, as it were."
"Ordinary people go mad; Imperators become… eccentric," Shkai'ra said drily.
"I'm as un-stressed as a person can be," Chevenga shot back, "when nine of every ten people coming up
to him tell him his Mind is the Fortress of the World. I'vealways been eccentric; youknow that.
Seriously, Megan, you might say they found someone more stubborn, or perhaps I should say arguing a
better case, than myself. Amazing, I know, but true. Several people, really. Now… I'm working. I should
say: conquering Arko was easy, compared torunning it."
You're working too hard, she thought.Trying to make good. As you said you should; as Ivahn
predicted, too . Looking at him across the desk, she reined in an impulse, then…Why not ? "Do you
trust me enough to let me close enough for a good-bye hug?" They hadn't been searched on the way in,
she'd noticed.
He smiled. "Of course.Kahara , Megan—how can you keep doubting I should trust you?" Iwish , she
thought as her heart predictably lurched,you'd damn well stop saying things like that . She stepped
around the desk, put both hands on his shoulders, leaned forward and kissed him. "For lessons learned,"
she said as she straightened and ran a gentle claw tickling down the scar on his cheek.I forgive you , the
touch said. "And a good teacher. You're always welcome in my house, if you visit F'talezon."
"Thank you," he answered, and his eyes said,for your forgiveness . "I hope I've done good that will
last. As a friend does, I love you." He stood up, for the final farewells. As Shkai'ra hugged him she
pinched his rear. "I can't get you back," he hissed frustratedly—and simultaneously put most of his weight
on her toes. "With my arms, anyway," he grinned.
Sova took her turn. Ican't hug his casts because I might hurt him, so I'll just have to put my arms
around his neck. Ohhhhh …" Imperators don't bite, or at leastthis one doesn't," he said, crouching so
that Lixand and Ardas, who were shy at first, could reach him.They'll remember this all their lives ,
Megan thought.
As they left, a clerk was already clearing her throat, trying to get Chevenga's attention for a pile of
documents.
As they came out into the vast hall of the maidens, Shkai'ra dropped behind the others, and bent far
down to whisper in Megan's ear.
"An agent of yours, I love it. If only ourrokatzk could have heard you call him that." They shared a
snicker. "But," the Kommanza said more loudly then, mischief dancing in her eyes, "it seems I'm not the
only one in this family to wrap my legs about thesemanakraseye-ish , Imperatorial, golden butt."
"Shush!" Megan snapped, swatting. "Honestly."
"Shyll will be happy. Look." The Kommanza tilted her head back and threw her arms wide for a
moment, in perfect mimicry of Chevenga.