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“That’s very kind of you,” Natasatch said.
“What do you want in return?” AuRon asked.
Imfamnia waved a sii in the air. “Oh, call it a gift, in honor of your new rank as Protector of a key province.”
“You’re very kind,” Natasatch said.
“Will you be serving gold coin or silver to welcome your guests?”
“Coin?” AuRon asked.
“You grays are always forgetting coin. Yes, coin puts everyone in a pleasantly satisfied mood.”
“There’s precious little coin in Dairuss. It’s a poor province.”
“Oh, I’m sure you can urge your thralls—”
“Slaves, you mean,” AuRon said. “We don’t keep slaves, whatever you call them.”
AuRon, don’t start a quarrel with someone who is trying to be kind to us, Natasatch thought to him.
“Well, if it’s simply a bit of coin holding you back, I’d be happy to loan you some,” Imfamnia said.
“I’m grateful for your help with the food, but I must not accept coin,” AuRon said.
AuRon! Natasatch thought.
She led them into a balcony room AuRon remembered from his previous visits. The blood and flame had long since been washed away, as had the Red Queen’s taste in two-color decor. The Protectors of Ghioz preferred white and gold, accented with a little blue of various shades here and there.
“What’s keeping my mate? Dearflames, I must insist on supplying you with some coin. The Red Queen had centuries’ worth of coin tucked away. We’re always sniffing out new troves. You know the Ghioz of old buried their parents with it.”
“They don’t object to their ancestors being dug up?” AuRon asked.
“Ghioz? The only thing they regret is that they didn’t find the grave first. Even for humans they’re unusually bad.”
“If there’s to be an Imperial Feast I must get my scale into shape.” She rapped her tail against a gong and humans began to flow in from crevices like water into a leaky boat, lugging wooden boxes full of tools.
Her scale looked perfect to AuRon, but then dragonelles had a better eye for that sort of thing.
“There’s just one, tiny problem, AuRon. The Tyr—well, he’s banned me from his court. We had rather a misunderstanding about something that wasn’t my fault at all; it was my foolish first mate and his friend the Dragonblade. They somehow blame me for letting the dragonriders into the Lavadome.”
“I’ve heard a little about it. Your first mate was Tyr SiMevolant then, I believe.”
“Yes, and he was cruel and stupid. But he thought the Dragonblade was just what we needed to survive in a world of men. Have you seen his blade? I was shaking so hard my scale half-dropped out for fear. Yet Tyr RuGaard seems to believe I had something to do with those men taking over the Lavadome.”
AuRon rather doubted she had been that terrified. Though she did have a reputation for running from a fight. But enough of the past. “If I’m to be hosting this feast, I’ll say who’s to be invited and who’s not. You and your mate will be my guests. It’s the least I can do for your help with the victuals. But I’ll have to refuse your offer of coin. The food is generosity enough.”>“Where is this feast to be?” NoSohoth asked.
“Dairuss, of course,” the Copper said. “I must congratulate my brother on his triumph. Istach, would you be kind enough to act as the Tyr’s messenger, and tell your parents that we are coming to celebrate his new position?”
“Yes, Tyr,” Istach said. NoSohoth stamped at her not using the more proper “my Tyr” but it did a little good to have the old goldeater get some exercise being aggravated.
“A feast,” AuRon asked. “Here?”
“That is what they said. They shall be here in nineteen days. I flew hard, Father, to bring you the news. To tell the truth I’m famished.”
AuRon and Natasatch had taken possession of an old Ghioz mine in the Red Mountains above the City of the Golden Dome. Naf had worked out a signal with the mirror or a firework if he was needed, day or night. So far, he’d not called on his dragon Protector, but he had sent gifts in the form of herds of sheep and goats and a few blighter herdsmen. They were cattle thieves captured in the borderlands and pardoned to serve the dragons. AuRon didn’t think much of them, but Natasatch was training them with a will, eager to start having her own servants to attend them.
“It would help if we knew what a feast entailed,” Natasatch said, dryly.
