are willing to pay to know some of the things that go on in those alleys."
"A clanless man?" Sariana asked, obviously appalled. "A criminal?"
"Not everyone has the advantages of belonging to a respectable clan, Sariana. In spite of the social philosophers' fine plans, society is a long way from being perfectly structured. Here in the west the rules get bent a lot. You know that. I doubt we're all that unique. Don't you have any clanless people in the eastern provinces?"
"Well, yes, but to actually deal with such a person…"
"You're not dealing with him. I am. To tell you the truth, Brinton's not such a bad sort. His information is usually highly reliable. If a rival clan hired someone to steal the Avylyns' prisma cutter, the chances are good one of Brinton's many sources will have heard some rumors to that effect."
"I don't like it," Sariana stated.
"You don't have to like it or dislike it. It's done."
She chewed on that for a moment. "When will you hear from this Brinton?" she finally asked. Gryph smiled grimly. "I'm glad you have enough common sense to be able to accept the inevitable. At
heart you're a practical woman. That's a useful trait. As far as your question goes, I'm not sure when I'll
hear from Brinton. He does things in his own way and in his own time. It shouldn't take him long to find out if there are any rumors going around about the cutter, though."
"I'd like to get this matter settled as soon as possible."
"I'm aware of that fact, lady. But you're going to have to be patient." Gryph paused until he had her full attention.
"Unless you'd like to fire me and continue the investigation yourself?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I wouldn't know how to conduct such an investigation and I can hardly go to the town guards with this."
"Not if you want to keep the matter quiet," Gryph agreed blandly.
Silence settled on Sariana for a long moment. Gryph could practically hear the thoughts churning in her head. But when she spoke she surprised him with her question.
"Why did Lady Avylyn address you as Lord Chassyn he other morning in my office?" "The title is mine by right. I'm a direct descendant of a Prime Family of the Shield class. Our class may
be an insignificant one in your eyes, with no equivalent in the east, but it is a legitimate class here in the west."
She looked at him curiously. "I didn't mean to offend you."
"Didn't you?" Sometimes, Gryph reflected, his future Shieldmate displayed a most amazing talent for annoying him.
Sariana appeared uncharacteristically contrite. Her apology was gracious and formal. "I'm sorry if I have offended you or your social class. Please forgive me. All social classes are deserving of respect and equality, just as the social philosophers decreed when they created them. I have been under a certain amount of strain lately. Sometimes I speak before I think."
"You ought to watch that, Sariana," Gryph couldn't resist saying.
She frowned. "Watch what?"
"Speaking before you think. That's a western habit. We tend to get emotional about things, you see." To his surprise she took the comment seriously. "I have noticed the tendency." "I'll bet you have. You couldn't have lived here for a year and not seen a lot of examples of that
tendency. We're a little hot-blooded here in.the west. Also occasionally rash, passionate, and amazingly reckless at times."
Sariana grinned unexpectedly. "The Avylyns call it artistic temperament. They seem to think it was inevitable, given (he fact that most of the social classes on board The Serendipity had an artistic orientation. Sometimes I've wondered if it might be caused partly by your environment.
"A clanless man?" Sariana asked, obviously appalled. "A criminal?"
"Not everyone has the advantages of belonging to a respectable clan, Sariana. In spite of the social philosophers' fine plans, society is a long way from being perfectly structured. Here in the west the rules get bent a lot. You know that. I doubt we're all that unique. Don't you have any clanless people in the eastern provinces?"
"Well, yes, but to actually deal with such a person…"
"You're not dealing with him. I am. To tell you the truth, Brinton's not such a bad sort. His information is usually highly reliable. If a rival clan hired someone to steal the Avylyns' prisma cutter, the chances are good one of Brinton's many sources will have heard some rumors to that effect."
"I don't like it," Sariana stated.
"You don't have to like it or dislike it. It's done."
She chewed on that for a moment. "When will you hear from this Brinton?" she finally asked. Gryph smiled grimly. "I'm glad you have enough common sense to be able to accept the inevitable. At
heart you're a practical woman. That's a useful trait. As far as your question goes, I'm not sure when I'll
hear from Brinton. He does things in his own way and in his own time. It shouldn't take him long to find out if there are any rumors going around about the cutter, though."
"I'd like to get this matter settled as soon as possible."
"I'm aware of that fact, lady. But you're going to have to be patient." Gryph paused until he had her full attention.
"Unless you'd like to fire me and continue the investigation yourself?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I wouldn't know how to conduct such an investigation and I can hardly go to the town guards with this."
"Not if you want to keep the matter quiet," Gryph agreed blandly.
Silence settled on Sariana for a long moment. Gryph could practically hear the thoughts churning in her head. But when she spoke she surprised him with her question.
"Why did Lady Avylyn address you as Lord Chassyn he other morning in my office?" "The title is mine by right. I'm a direct descendant of a Prime Family of the Shield class. Our class may
be an insignificant one in your eyes, with no equivalent in the east, but it is a legitimate class here in the west."
She looked at him curiously. "I didn't mean to offend you."
"Didn't you?" Sometimes, Gryph reflected, his future Shieldmate displayed a most amazing talent for annoying him.
Sariana appeared uncharacteristically contrite. Her apology was gracious and formal. "I'm sorry if I have offended you or your social class. Please forgive me. All social classes are deserving of respect and equality, just as the social philosophers decreed when they created them. I have been under a certain amount of strain lately. Sometimes I speak before I think."
"You ought to watch that, Sariana," Gryph couldn't resist saying.
She frowned. "Watch what?"
"Speaking before you think. That's a western habit. We tend to get emotional about things, you see." To his surprise she took the comment seriously. "I have noticed the tendency." "I'll bet you have. You couldn't have lived here for a year and not seen a lot of examples of that
tendency. We're a little hot-blooded here in.the west. Also occasionally rash, passionate, and amazingly reckless at times."
Sariana grinned unexpectedly. "The Avylyns call it artistic temperament. They seem to think it was inevitable, given (he fact that most of the social classes on board The Serendipity had an artistic orientation. Sometimes I've wondered if it might be caused partly by your environment.
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