by C.J. Cherryh. All Rights Reserved. Cover art by Dorian Vallejo. Map by Jane S. Fancher and Lynn Abbey All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living ordead is strictly coincidental. For Elsie ?? CHAPTER 1 ?? ?? The wind blew from the sea out of the west sweeping up to the heights of the balcony andstirring the white tablecloth with a briskness that made the steaming breakfast tea quitewelcome. The view past the white-plastered balustrade was blue water pale sky and the famouscliffs of Elijiri from which the thought had crossed Bren Camerons mind wiitikiin mightjust possibly launch themselves. But no the sea was surely too great a hazard for the small elegant gliders. quotEggsquot lord Geigi urged with a wave of his fingers. It was a delicate preparation a sort ofcrusted souffle eggs of a species the cook swore were innocent of toxins for the human guest. Bren trusted himself to his staff Tano and Algini having made his sensitivities to certainnative spices quite clear to the cook and having made equally clear he was sure theconsequence of such an accident to the reputation of lord Geigi who had a personal stake innot poisoning him. He allowed the servant to pile on a second helping of the very excellentspiced dish. Rare that he found something he liked that he dared eat in quantity — it was apiece of intradepartmental wisdom that the way to survive atevi cuisine was to vary the intakeand not allow the occasional trace of an objectionable substance to become three and fourtraces at the same meal — but Tano and Algini thought this dish should be perfectly safe. Geigi was pleased clearly at his enthusiasm for the cuisine pleased in the crisp clean airof a seaside morning pleased in the presence of an important guest. Geigis appetite ran toanother far larger helping of the souffle. Black-skinned golden-eyed towering head andshoulders taller than any tall human besides being gifted with an alkaloid-tolerantmetabolism Geigi like any ateva of the mainland viewed food as a central point ofhospitality the consumption of it a mark of confidence and assurance of honestyunderstandable in a society in which assassins were an important guild and a regular recoursein interpersonal and political disputes. Such as happened were Tano and Algini watching over Brens shoulder standing near thisbreakfast table on the balcony such Bren was very sure were the pair who hovered on Geigisside of the table