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I thought that the spouse had to stay for a period of 25 years… Oh. Kosandion was twenty-one when his father died. His mother must’ve left when he ascended the throne. Was it voluntary? Did she want to go home?
“I do not care about the Dominion’s interest,” Cyanide rumbled.
“What do you care about?” I asked.
“The neural nets,” Cyanide said. “And Clan Sai.”
Clan Sai, the Merchants who claimed the Dominion as their territory. This was getting convoluted. Officially, the Merchants had no territories, and many of them competed for the best trade partners, trying to outbid each other. But they always strived for a monopoly, and once a Merchant Clan grasped a region in its claws, it was difficult to shake them loose. According to Cookie, a century ago, Clan Sai managed to push out the other three Merchant Clans vying for the Dominion, and they had been highly protective of it ever since.
“What’s a neural net?” I asked.
“There is a special plant that grows on our planet,” Cyanide said. “A fur lichen den, formed by the long tendrils of the fur lichen plant colony. Many organisms coexist within the fur lichen, some microscopic and others large enough to be visible by even a human eye. The Fuzzy Worms feed on the many creatures of the fur lichen den and craft their webs within it. We harvest the webs and weave them into neural nets with our tools and claws.”
“The neural nets are the best solution for regeneration of the nervous system,” Kosandion said. “Once they’re implanted, the healing is miraculous. People whose paralysis resisted every other treatment regain the use of their limbs within days. Transplants, nanotherapy, artificial neurons, nothing else comes close.”
“We want to sell them to the Dominion,” Cyanide said. “But the Sai are blocking our way.”
“The Sai have moved a ship into the orbit of the Higgra planet,” Kosandion explained. “They’re pressuring the Higgra to use them as intermediaries for the sale. The Higgra have applied for a direct trade agreement with the Dominion; however, Clan Sai indicated that they are not above using their other trade agreements as leverage.”
“If you buy directly from the Higgra, the Merchants will pitch a fit and stop supplying you with other goods?” I guessed.
“Precisely,” Kosandion said. “According to the federal guidelines, a thorough review of the potential impact must be conducted by the Commerce Department, which could take years.”
“So, you’re cutting out the middleman and the bureaucracy by using the Higgra’s minor ask.” I brushed Cyanide’s throat.
“Yes.” Kosandion smiled. It was a sharp and cold smile. “I don’t react well to blackmail.”
A lot of things suddenly made sense. I kept brushing. Cyanide rumbled, her eyes closed. In the fireplace a log popped, sending sparks into the flue.
“If Clan Sai suddenly canceled their trade deals, it would put the Dominion’s economy into a difficult position,” I said. “If only there were another Merchant clan willing to step into the gap. Someone with a lot of resources, able to react to the situation quickly. Someone who might have sent a representative to observe this spousal selection.”
Kosandion chuckled. “By the end of this affair, we will make you into a proper Dominion politician, Dina. Let me know if you ever consider a career change.”
“No thank you,” I told him. “I’m happy right here, doing what I do now.”
Cyanide rumbled and turned on her side. Kosandion picked up the tablet and resumed his reading.
Outside the snow began to fall, fat fluffy snowflakes drifting softly to the ground. For the next half hour, I brushed the big cat and watched the snow, while the Sovereign caught up on his paperwork.
Tony ambushed me as soon as the Higgra’s date was over.
“Dad wants to talk to you.” He thrust the phone at me.
My heart made a pirouette. Most innkeepers avoided personal phone calls. Even getting a phone number of an innkeeper was a sign of trust, and it was understood that direct communication was only for emergencies. What was bad enough for him to call me?
Brian Rodriguez looked back at me from the screen. “Have you gotten anything from Lachlan Stewart?”
“No. I don’t know who he is. Should I know who he is?”
Brian heaved a sign. “How much do you know about the Loch Broom Inn?”
“Um… It’s an old castle in Scotland. Very remote. They specialize in large-scale events.”
Loch Broom was off the beaten path, and its beautiful but severe landscape meant that human visitors were rare. If you wanted to have a destination wedding on Earth, or a diplomatic summit, or a convention, Loch Broom Castle was your venue. It wasn’t the only inn catering to large-scale events, but it was one of the better known.
“Lachlan runs Loch Broom Castle. He is fourth generation, old, and crochety. Also stubborn like a goat.”
“Okay.”
“He wants to adopt you.”
“What?”
“He’s eighty years old, and he’s been looking for a successor. His oldest is an ad-hal, and her kids live off-planet. His youngest took over a small inn in Bulgaria just to get away from him. His kids don’t want to deal with their grandfather either. Lachlan’s been watching the coverage of the selection, and he’s decided you are worthy.”
