Page 12 of Scales of Time

“I am going to start locally. Merchant Yorness believes it would be handy or, at least, educational.”

“Many of the things she has put on your agenda would involve extensive travel.”

Kris smiled. “It is the best part of this job.”

“You are comfortable roaming a world alone?”

“No, but I will manage it.” Kris shrugged. “I am sure it will be interesting.”

Yorness snorted. “I am going to send her off with my nephews. Perhaps she will find one of them appealing.”

Kris paused and looked at her. “You are matchmaking?”

“Well, child. You are powerful and alone in the universe. I really want you safe and happy. I also have gotten used to having you close. It gives me comfort in my old age.”

“Um, interesting, but I still want to see Harwin one day. That will involve travel, and your people don’t travel.”

Yorness sighed. “It is unlikely that you are going to get authorization to set foot on Aten.”

“I will contact Harwin directly. We know how to get around customs if we have to.”

“How will you get there?”

Kris smirked. “A chain of six different transports and a drop shift if I have to.”

Essan blinked slowly. “She is a relative?”

“Chosen sister. We were crushed together, we were mutated together, and we recovered together.” She shrugged. “We were even designated as a work pair.”

She looked at Yorness. “Our lives and deaths were together. Her mind took the change and did one thing, and mine called fire.”

Essan filled her cup again. “How did that happen?”

“Wrong setting for wrong species on a repair unit. The same tech set both units. It was to be set for the Terran glyph. It wasn’t. We were told it was a near name, but that species doesn’t have these skills. I think they just wanted to find out what it would do.”

She took a sip and blinked. “That isn’t right.” She scanned the liquid, and it didn’t alert.

Yorness blinked. “It is evening wine. Made from natural syrups. You aren’t allergic?”

“Um. No. Alcohol tends to filter things. It removes some of the compounds that set me off.”

Her boss nodded. “That’s why you get drunk so easily.”

Kris grimaced. “Some places, it is all I can consume, and it has extra calories if nothing else.”

Yorness hissed in amusement. “It brings out her dance skills.”

Kris muttered, “It lowers inhibitions. Which is not really a good thing.”

Her boss hissed again. “It is wonderful to watch.”

Kris looked at her. “It is dangerous.”

Her boss shrugged, her green scales gleaming. “It is lovely. Oh, Overseer, I have a gift for you. Well, this one wasn’t delivered to the palace.”

Kris looked at the impish look in the old woman’s eyes. A servant walked in with a two-foot box.

Kris hissed, “Where did you hide that?”

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