Free The Wind After Time: Book One of the Shadow Warrior Trilogy by Chris Bunch

…” She shrugged. “I have my own friends, my own pursuits. Malcolm cares little what I do so long as I do not embarrass him or force him to take notice.
    “If I found you attractive, which I do, and we happened to spend some time together, that would only concern the two of us.
    “I am not sure, though, that that would be wise. For me. But I am still thinking about it.” Her fingers touched the fastener of her blouse for an instant, then went away.
    “What Malcolm perhaps does not yet realize is that I require the same from him. He must not embarrass me or force me to have to apologize for his sometimes unusual predilections.”
    “Such as the Lumina?”
    “Exactly. Did you know he was lying when he said he only wished to own the Lumina for itself?”
    “I did.”
    “My husband is a devotee of power,” Ariadne said carefully. “He chose to become a civil judge for that reason, instead of criminal law. That was well before the war, when our world was thriving.
    “Malcolm made his decisions wisely over the years, not so much for justice as for how they might benefit him. He was quite successful.
    “Then the war ruined him, as it ruined this world. When it was over and the Federation left, all the wonderful wheelings and dealings with land, and estates, and investments, on- and offworld, were mostly gone.
    “Malcolm had planned to use his Loyalty Courts to propel him into politics, possibly to the highest offices. But with peace came the new government, which holds office by the size of the welfare checks it gives out.”
    She shrugged. “I care nothing about that or about what the working man does or thinks.
    “Malcolm retired from the bench at the advice of several lawyers who said there might otherwise be an investigation of his decisions before and during the war.
    “So he looked about for other fields to conquer.
    “One of them was me. My family had been very indiscreet in war investments, so our standing with the hoi polloi was shaky. Also, I’d been a bit … indiscreet once when I was very, very young. Mandodari doesn’t care what goes on in its bedrooms so long as the windows are blanked. I wasn’t that cautious. The woman and her husband were able to leave, but I was trapped here, and Malcolm was a most convenient salvation.
    “You look surprised, Mister Wolfe. Isn’t a woman permitted to be honest about herself and her chances?”
    “I’m just surprised you’re telling all this to a stranger.”
    “Why not? Better to a stranger, one that’ll be off-world in a few days, than to the whale-mouthed gossips I normally associate with. As I was saying, marriage benefited us both. Malcolm received certain material advantages, perhaps what was known as a dowry in the old days, and I became a quote honest end quote woman.
    “After we were married, Malcolm started hearing about the Lumina stone. He already had his collection of jewels, which I truthfully believe is the only thing he completely loves, and so it didn’t seem that odd for him to want an Al’ar stone.”
    “The Lumina is not a jewel.”
    “And how many people know that? Let me continue. He felt that possession of a Lumina stone could bring him some feeling for power that might guide him to his next step.
    “At least that was what he thought when he began his quest. Then he heard about the
ur
-Lumina.”
    “The
what
?”
    “Now it’s my turn for surprise. I thought you would have known of that, since I heard Malcolm say you were among the Al’ar, although I’m not sure I completely understand.
    “Malcolm heard stories of a great Lumina, although I don’t know if anyone ever said anything about its physical size. I’ve heard him call it a ‘king Lumina’ or a ‘mother Lumina.’ He didn’t tell me what it was used for, what it was meant to do. But if a small Lumina had the purpose you told Malcolm, the great one would surely be worth possessing.
    “He was going to use the Lumina he had to track down the big one. I