Free The Stars Asunder: A New Novel of the Mageworlds by Debra Doyle, James D. MacDonald Page A

the space with a buzz of echoes. All the light sources had been covered up with red and blue filters that shifted color randomly as the vibrations hit.
    ’Rekhe felt young and awkward. He hadn’t gone to parties like this while he was living at home in the house of his brother, and somehow he’d ended up at two of them within the past three days. His mood wasn’t helped by noticing that Elaeli didn’t seem to feel awkward at all. She was dancing with Macse from the Path under one of the spots of changing light, and laughing at something he’d said.
    I wish somebody thought I was witty. ’Rekhe thought, and drifted over to the refreshment table. He pulled a bottle of guukl from the warmer and popped the lid.
    The hot spicy drink went down as easily as it had before. By the time the warmth had spread to his fingers and toes, he was feeling more cheerful. He finished the guukl and started another one.
    “Hey, sus-Peledaen!” It was another of the sus-Dariv crew members who’d given him and Elaeli a ride on Ildaon—Tuob, this time. “Anybody traded with you yet?”
    ’Rekhe shook his head. So far the guukl was only making it spin a little. “Nobody’s asked me.”
    “Who needs to ask? Y‘just come up to them like this”—Tuob gave ’Rekhe a clap on the shoulder that nearly felled him—“and y’say, ‘Hey, got anything?’ Go ahead—try it.”
    ’Rekhe took a swallow of guukl and tapped at Tuob’s upper arm with his fist. “Hey,” he said. “Got anything?”
    “Sure do. Take a look at this.” Tuob reached into his shirt pocket and took out a folding knife. Red and blue light shifted and reflected off the polished metal case, which had the words “sus-Dariv’s Path-Lined-withFlowers” engraved on it in flowing script. He pressed it into ’Rekhe’s hand. “Family special. Name on it and all. ’S yours.”
    “It’s too good—I can’t—”
    “Too late,” said Tuob. “You got it now. Trade me something back—’s how it’s done.”
    ’Rekhe pondered for a moment, his thoughts somewhat hampered by guukl -induced fuzziness, then pulled off his quilted red and blue ship-jacket and held it up. “It’s got my name on the pocket. Is that all right?”
    “It’s fantastic,” Tuob assured him. “I’ll show it to my girl back home, and she’ll know I had some real excitement on this run. You got a girl?”
    “Ah … no.”
    “What about th’ curlyhair you had with you back in port? She isn’t your girl?”
    ’Rekhe shook his head. “Last time I saw Elaeli she was dancing with Macse.”
    “Macse’s already got a girl,” said Tuob. “Got a couple of girls, in fact. You want to dance with th’ curlyhair, you go find her and ask.”
    “You think she would?”
    “Sure she would. Saw her kiss you, back on Ildaon. Some places, girls don’t kiss you like that ’til you’re married.”
    ’Rekhe finished his guukl at one draught. “If you’ll excuse me …” He made his way through the press of bodies in the Path ’s cargo bay to the cleared space that served as a dance floor. The music changed, and it took him a minute to spot Elaeli standing with Macse at the edge of the crowd. Quickly, before his nerve could give way, he went up to her.
    “Do you want to—I mean, may I have the next dance?”
    Her smile was even warmer and more dizzying than the guukl had been. “Of course.”
    Taking hands, they stepped into the dance. Elaeli was soft and graceful, and her hair smelled like flowers. ’Rekhe could have danced with her forever, and felt a stab of disappointment when the music ended.
    “Let’s go back to the Ribbon,” she said.
    “Now?” He tried to think of some excuse to keep her at the party so he could ask her to dance again. “Have you done any trading yet?”
    “Macse gave me a sus-Dariv bracelet,” she said. “So I gave him my Ribbon-of-Starlight keyholder with the thumbprint lock. I think he wanted something else instead, but I didn’t feel like giving it