The crystal variation, p.119
The Crystal Variation, page 119
Master ven’Deelin tipped her head to one side. “Invest in a trader, young Jethri?”
“Indeed, ma’am. Suppose I were to buy the contract of a full trader. Not only would I, a junior, have the opportunity to learn from him, my elder in trade, but as owner of his contract, a percentage of each trade he made would be credited to—”
“Your guild card.” She raised her hand. “Enough.”
Jethri sat back, watching her as she sipped her wine, eyes closed.
“It only amazes me,” she said eventually, “that no one has thought of this before. Truly, young Jethri, you have a gift.” She opened her eyes.
“You will now tell me if this notion of yours was serious, or merely brought forward to plague me.”
“Ma’am, you know I would never deliberately plague you—”
“Pah!”
“But, I had considered buying Trader pen’Akla’s contract, so that he might find a ship and a route that will value him, to their mutual profit.” He opened his hands, palm up, showing empty.
“I do quite see that such an arrangement would be—questionable, at best. But, if Elthoria bought his contract—” He leaned forward again, hands cupped, as if he held a rare treasure.
“Ma’am, allow me to present Tan Sim pen’Akla to you as a young trader of heart, imagination and energy. His melant’i is unimpeachable. He speaks Terran, he honors guild rule, and—” He swallowed, keeping his eyes on hers. “And if he continues on that route, ma’am, it will break his heart and suck his spirit dry.”
Silence. Jethri forced himself to sit back, to pick up his wine glass—
“You make a compelling case,” Master ven’Deelin said softly. “I will speak to young pen’Akla.”
Seated, he bowed, as deeply as he was able. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Such drama. So, while we are making dispositions of traders and contracts—what is your wish, Junior Trader Gobelyn? Shall you write contract with Elthoria, or has another ship caught your eye?”
Another ship? Jethri inclined his head.
“Ma’am, of course I wish to stay with Elthoria, and sit at the feet of her master trader. I have—much yet to learn.”
“Yes,” said Master ven’Deelin, smiling. “And so have I.”
LIADEN/TERRAN
DICTIONARY
Liaden/Terran Dictionary
Aelantaza:A specially bred human
Aetherium:A folded-space confinement area
A’nadelm:Heir to the nadelm
A’thodelm:Head-of-Line-to-Be
A’trezla:Lifemates
Al’bresh venat’i:Formal phrase of sorrow for another Clan’s loss,
as when someone dies
Al’kin Chernard’i:The Day Without Delight
Balent’i Kalandon:Our local galaxy
Balent’i tru’vad:The starweb of all creation
Batch:Humans made to order
Batcher:An individual grown as part of a Batch
Bounty hunters:Hunters, also charity agents
Candesa:A vapor which, enclosed and compressed, emits a
cloudy white light, at once too bright and hard to see by
Carolis:Next coin down from qwint
Cha’leket:Heartkin (heartbrother, heartsister)
Cha’trez:Heartsong
Chernubia:Confected delicacy
Chiat’a bei kruzon:Dream sweetly
Ckrakec:(derived from the Yxtrang) Approx. “Master Hunter”
Coab minshak’a:“Necessity exists”
Coderoy:Tough fabric from which soldier kit packs are
constructed
Confusion:A card game
Conselem:An absurdity
Delm:Head of Clan (Delm Korval, Korval Himself/Herself)
Delmae:Lifemate to the Delm
Demi-qwint:Small change
Denubia:Darling
Dramliza:A wizard; PLURAL: dramliz
Dri’at:Left
Dueling stick:A cross between a cattle prod and a stave
Edonai:Roughly, “My Lord” when speaking to an Iloheen
Eklykt’i:Unreturned
Eldema:First Speaker (most times, the delm)
Eldema-pernard’i:First-Speaker-In-Trust
Entranzia volecta:Good greetings (High Liaden)
Fastflame:Chemical fire that dies out after it consumes
its own fuel
Fa’vya:An aphrodisiac-laced wine sold at Festival
Flan: Next coin up from qwint
Flaran Cha’menthi:“I(/We) Dare”
Galandaria:Confederate? Countryperson?
Ge’shada:Mazel tov, congratulations
Galunus, two-headed: A mythic creature of loathsome aspect
and third-rate thought process
Glavda Empri:yo’Lanna’s house
I’ganin brath’a, vyan se’untor:Play with the body, rest the mind
I’lanta:Right
Ilania frrogudon palon dox:Approx. young ladies should
speak more gently
Illanga kilachi:(no translation available)
Iloheen: Sheriekes
Iloheen-bailed: Roughly, “Lord of Space and Matter”
Indra:Uncle
Jelaza Kazone:The Tree, also Korval’s Own House.Approx.
“Jela’s Fulfillment”
Lazenia spandok:Son of a bitch (REAL approximate)
Lisamia keshoc:Thank you (Low Liaden)
Jumping-jack(s), also 'jack(s):Cheap rooms for rent
Kalfer Shimni: Really expensive wiskey
Kenake: Roughly,”Foreigner,” “person without couth or shoes,”
“Flatlander”
Level One shielding:Lowest level energy shield
Logic tile:The smallest component of a computational device
Lumenpaint:Paint that lights itself up
Master of Unmaking: The Iloheen
Megelaar:The Dragon on Korval’s shield
Melant’i:Who one is in relation to current circumstances;
also who one is in sum, encompassing all
possible persons one might be
Menfri’at:Liaden karate
Mirada:Father
Misravot:Altanian wine; blue in color
Nadelm:Delm-to-Be
Nubiath’a:Gift given to end an affair of pleasure
OS-633:Overhead Shields Series 633
Palesci modassa:Thank you (High Liaden)
Prena’ma:Storyteller
Prethliu:Rumorbroker
Phantom lover: A punishment device
Pilot's Undernet:Pilot information network
Pin-laser:Sneak weapon
Pod:A Batch
Qe’andra:Man of business
Qua’lechi:Exclamation of horror
Qwint:Coin
Relumma:Division of a Liaden year, equaling 96 Standard days
Four relumma equal one year
Sadiline:A gemstone
SATA:Spiral Arm Trade Association
Ser:“Sir”, “Mr.”
Sheriekas: The Enemy
Skileti:Naturally occurring lycra
'Skins: protective suit for pilot wear on-planet
Smaly Tube: Used to move pallets from the port
to wharehouses within the city
Smartstrands:Computational media
Smartwire:Binding wire
Starsilk:Expensive fabric
Tanjalyre Institute:A school for aelantaza
Telomite: Rock, for carving
Tempo:A drug that increases mental acuity and reduces
the need to sleep, for a while.
Thawla:Mother (Low Liaden; approx. Mommy)
Thawlana:Grandmother
Thodelm:Head of Line
Tra’sia volecta:Good morning (Low Liaden)
Trealla Fantrol:The yos’Galan house
Truth-blade: A scholar’s instrument of proof
Undertrade:black market, specifically trade with the sheriekas
Valcon Berant’a:Dragon’s Price or Dragon Hoard,
the name of Korval’s valley
Valcon Melad’a:Dragon’s Way, the Delm’s Own ship
van’chela:beloved friend
va’netra:charity case, lame puppy
Viezy hide: Tanned hide of an extremely rare
and poisonous reptile
World-eaters:Sheriekas doomsday machines
Zaliata: Energy creatures
zerlam’ka:kinslayer
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Crystal Variation
Crystal Duology
Cast of Characters
Crystal Soldier
Part One: Soldier
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Part Two: Smugglers
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Afterword: On Growing Old, or at Least, Old Enough
Crystal Dragon
Sorcerer
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Thief
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Tweny
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Balance of Trade
Introduction: Balance of Trade
Cast of Characters
Note on Liaden Currency and Time
Balance of Trade
Day 29
Day 32
Day 33
Day 34
Day 35
Day 42
Day 42
Day 60
Day 63
Day 65
Day 66
Day 67
Day 80
Day 81
Day 106
Day 107
Day 107
Day 107
Day 108
Day 116
Day 123
Day 125
Day 135
Day 139
Day 140
Day 140
Day 140
Day 145
Day 155
Day 158
Day 161
Day 165
Day 166
Day 166
Day 168
Day 177
Day 178
Day 180
Day 185
Day 189
Liaden/Terran Dictionary
Sharon Lee; Steve Miller, The Crystal Variation
