brand new colony

It's late when Athyr gets in. The conference lasted another three hours, Esmeree fighting the whole time, and when he finally got out he couldn't find Lanselos, so he bothered Cai for a little while, to no real purpose. By the time he got a message from Lanselos begging off, it was time for the official dinner with the delegates from Glamorgan, and that took another two hours in and of itself.

He finally keys open the door to his quarters with Gwenore, rubbing the small of his back and unfastening the toggles of his dignitary robes and jacket.

"Lăotiān Yé, it's like negotiatin' with a randy bull," he mutters, raking a hand through his hair. "Gwenore?" then, raising his voice a little. "You in?"

After Lanselos leaves, Saigremort sits on his bed for nearly half an hour, looking at his hands and trying not to cry, aware all the time that since he came here he has lost almost all sense of professionalism and it's hurting him badly.

Finally he turns on his comm console and keys in the code for Arden, waiting for Clarie's face to appear on the holo.