Chapter 11 #3
I could tell, somehow, in this ritual of drinking and commenting on tea, that Violet had lost and was now somehow in Chiksai’s debt. It was all complex and hard to follow, but I had enough practice reading Violet and Tiri's interactions to at least see one side of the conversation.
Madam Chiksai turned to me. "And were you always a captain?" she asked, though not truly seeming too interested in the answer. Still, I played along.
"I always dreamed of space, though getting a ship under my name took far longer than expected.
" I smiled, aware of my own hidden meanings in that and realizing I shouldn't lie outright.
I would need to answer true enough to pass her test. So far, the madam seemed sharp enough that I worried any outright lie would be detected.
"Well, that's good for you," the madam said with a sigh. "I, for one, very much like keeping my tail here, on the ground." She shook her head and smirked at Violet. "It does not do well in zero gravity."
"It's not so bad on the tails." Violet chuckled.
"Speak for yourself." The older woman turned her nose up and began stroking her tail lovingly.
"Your tail looks lovely," I said, trying to re-enter the conversation. Violet said that complimenting tails was a good way to build rapport.
"Of course it does," the madam said, almost scandalized.
I paused, wondering if I had said something wrong before she saw my reaction and began laughing.
"She's teasing you, Captain," Violet said.
The madam wrinkled her nose, a smile on her face. "He is fun to tease. Don't spoil it all for me."
Both of their tails began twitching back and forth. Violet's ears had certainly loosened since we'd entered the room. All of this was telling me we were at least off to a better start than I'd expected.
"Well, thank you for the tea. This has been lovely," Violet said, finishing hers and setting the cup down, causing the older woman to sigh.
"Is it that time already?"
"I'm afraid we do have several other plans for the day," Violet apologized.
I got the sense that Violet was almost rushing us along but being careful not to do it so hastily that it upset the other woman.
"Well, I suppose I can't monopolize your entire day, little Violet." She clicked her tongue and tapped her chin, an almost playful expression of thinking on the madam's face. "Your master and you, if I recall correctly, were consummate experts with the saber."
Violet bobbed her head, and I jumped in. "I've seen her fight on the ship, and she's beyond excellent. I think consummate is the only fair word you could use."
The madam smiled at my jumping in, though it was the kind of look a person normally gave to a child who was ignorant of the true measure of how life worked.
"Well, then I suppose I have a nephew who's just picked up the saber.
" She smiled politely. "Your instruction could go a long way for him in learning the saber from a stable foundation.
Not to mention that the job wouldn't be too hard on you or the crew.”
“I'm afraid we may only have a few weeks at most," Violet said.
The madam waved a hand. "If you come by daily for, say, two weeks, I'll pay you thirty thousand."
"Thirty thousand tails," Violet said quickly, and I could tell the madam was slightly upset.
However, she sighed and nodded. "Thirty thousand tails it is. After all, it's only wise for us to negotiate and conduct currency exchange in our own sector." The madam looked down at her empty tea, almost regretfully. "Will you be able to start tomorrow?"
"Absolutely," Violet said, bobbing her head.
I sat quietly, letting the two of them negotiate as Violet worked out the details. I sipped the last of my tea as it cooled.
"Well then, Violet, it has been lovely to see you, and I guarantee I will be by my nephew's side on more than one occasion to catch up with you and see how he is progressing.
It's still so traditional, but learning the saber is still one of the foundations of our society.
" The madam smiled, and Violet stood and bowed quickly.
"As I said, we are busy, so I must apologize for leaving before the tea grows cold."
"I understand. Your life must be terribly busy." The madam's eyes shifted to me. "You don't, by chance, know the saber well?"
"If I'm honest, the saber's only for emergencies. I prefer to settle most problems while staying on the bridge of my ship." I chuckled.
"Ah," she said simply and seemed less than impressed with my response.
I bowed to her and stood. "We really must get going. I overbooked us, but we simply had to make time to visit one of Violet's old friends."
She smiled, and I couldn't detect a hint of anything in the look, which in itself made me a little nervous. I was ready to leave, and Violet stood up with me, giving the madam a half-bow.
"When you do visit your nephew, we should catch up. I've been away for so long I hardly recognized Toussaint," Violet commented.
"Much has changed since your master's passing," she said, and I couldn't help but catch the hint that somehow Violet's master's passing had a role to play in the change itself.