Read Online A Matter of Oaths by Helen S. Wright - Free Book Online

eyes and
relying on his ears to warn him of somebody coming up the riser.
    Yuellin Lord Buhklir. The name woke no echo, nor did he
expect it to; if it had, he would have distrusted it as wishful thinking. His
father, or brother, or merely somebody who shared his particular genetic mix:
it did not matter. As Rafell, he had no connection with the man and he never
would. If some belly-kick of fate took him back into the New Empire, he would
not have any memory of the encounter with Sajan; he would be identity-wiped
again. Insurance against an Oath-breaker deliberately recrossing the Disputed
Zone. Effective insurance.
    He sighed, wondering what the Commander had learned from
Sajan, and when he would find out. Not about the Outsiders: the safety of Bhattya might depend on his, or somebody
else ’ s, correct interpretation of
that information; Rallya was too good a Commander not to know that. But
anything she had learned about Buhklir, she would keep to herself until she
found a use for it, and that use would be against Rafe. Emperors knew how she
had amused herself before he had joined Bhattya .
Was there a forty-year-long succession of webbers with whom she had played like
a cat with small prey, or was he unique, because she thought he was uniquely
vulnerable?
    He had given her reason to question that earlier, and it was
too late to doubt the wisdom or otherwise of that moment of anger. He smiled,
briefly amused that she might think he had been upset by what Sajan had
revealed, angered by her method rather than her intent. She would learn
eventually. I will not lie down to be walked over, he promised her silently.
Because others saw fit to play god with my life, that does not give you the right.
I am not your toy, nor a pawn to prove your power. Push me too hard and it will
become very clear. Did you think I was angry today? You have never seen me
angry, Commander.
    He took a deep breath. In ten years he had never lost his
temper any further than he had with Rallya, and that only rarely. How then did
he know that he could, and that it was something for others to fear? Nothing
but skills and impersonal knowledge survived identity-wipe; it could not be
personal memory that told him. More wishful thinking? Or a near-human
race-memory? He shrugged. Another thing he would never know, and he could not
fret over every one of those, or even over any of them. If he did, he would
spend his life in a bottle of jack.
    A whisper of air blowing across his damp skin told him the
riser was in use. He sat up as Joshim stepped out, smiling a greeting which
Rafe returned.
    “ Sorry to keep you
waiting. ” Joshim moved aside for
Elanis. “ You two know each other. ”
    “ Yes, it ’ s a reunion. ” Elanis looked around avidly. “ I ’ m impressed. It makes Avannya look tiny, doesn ’ t it, Rafe? ” he commented.
    “ The changing room
is through here. ” Joshim steered him
in the right direction and out of sight. Rafe got to his feet and moved to
prepare one of the dry-web positions; Joshim would want a calibration sequence
first. He had just finished when Elanis reappeared.
    “ The Webmaster
said you ’ re to do a calibration
sequence, ” the junior announced.
    “ The Webmaster
asked if you ’ d do a calibration
sequence, please, ” Joshim called out.
    Elanis glared as he removed his web-bands. “ Are you a real First this time, or is
it still brevet? ” he asked more
quietly.
    “ Does it make a
difference? ” Rafe asked mildly. “ And whichever it is, you still ought to
check those contacts before you use them. ”
    “ I assumed you
had. ” He made a perfunctory check. “ You haven ’ t changed much, have you? ”
    “ That ’ s reassuring to know. ” You cannot like everyone you web with,
Rafe told himself strictly, starting the calibration sequence. You only need to
trust them. It was unfortunate that Elanis did not inspire trust either.
    Elanis ’ performance in