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

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a difference? It's the sort of information Arkan commanders would suppress."
"Would I send you out to risk your life doing it if I didn't think it made a difference? Suppress as hard as
they can, they won't silence the rumor mill; it needs only one to start a rumor, a handful gives it greater
credence. And Arkans are good rumor-mongers—because they know full well their commanders
suppress information."
"Put it that way and it makes a lot more sense," Megan said. "Just one of my false-dawn snake-thoughts,
that's all."
"I know, I have them too," said the Imperturbable.
Megan glanced at the bed. "You dont sleep well, then?"
"Shall we say, there are many other things I do better. I'm under healer's orders right now: sixaer of
sleep a night, no matter what. That's about five Arkan beads, it doesn't seem like much, I know, but I
never slept long. He's very strict about it too, uses that sand-timer. I've got this bed here because if I
haven't had my sixaer by reveille, he makes me sleep on the march." Megan bit her lip to keep from
laughing, not sure how he might take it.
"Strict Haian… Sometimes it pisse… ah… angers me when Shkai'ra can sleep anywhere, anytime… for
no reason, I know, but I still feel it." Comfortable, sharing the trait with him… with a snap, she pulled
herself to attention inwardly.Shake off the liquor. He's still the Invincible. We aren't that close, yet .
"Megan, you can say 'pisses me off.' We're in anarmy , you don't have to talk as if it were a diplomatic
function… though I suppose it is a diplomatic function, after a fashion…"
"I keep having to remind myself you'resemanakraseye. Kras ." A little longer arm's length, she wanted
to keep him, still.
"Call me Chevenga. Anyone who gives me Saekrberk is a friend of mine."
Megan threw up her hands. "Who am I to argue?Kra- Shche… Shchevenga."
"My true use-name," he laughed. "Kraschevenga. Or with Yeolis, Semanachevenga. You know I've
never asked you about your family, aside from the son you're seeking."
"Ah.' She listed them off.Nice to be with someone who isn't shocked at marriages of more than two
, she thought. Yeolis had the same custom, and he, it turned out, was in a three, planning to add a fourth.
"They're all well," she said. 'The hardest part right now, aside from missing Lixand, which is always, is
getting to know what's going on in my daughters head… adopted daughter. You may have seen her, the
Thanish girl squiring Shkai'ra? Round face, ash-blond hair?"
"Yes, I think I know her to see her. How old was she when you adopted her? They say that's
everything, when it comes to adoption."
"It was last year; she was thirteen."
There was the faintest twitch of a knitting of his brows; in his eyes she could see him wavering on
whether to pry or not. "That's rather old," he said finally.