Free The Sardonyx Net by Elizabeth A. Lynn

breakfast fruits in hand. “I'll take it,” he said. Balancing it on one palm, he returned up the stairway and tapped at Rhani's door. “It's me,” he said.  
    â€œCome in!”  
    She sat in the wing chair. He put the tray on the footstool. She wore a jumpsuit of deep metallic blue, the Yago crest color, the color of Chabad's sky. It darkened the amber of her eyes to hazel. “Good morning, Rhani-ka.”  
    She lifted her face up for his kiss. “Good morning, Zed-ka.”  
    There were three printout sheets, covered with figures, at her feet. “What are you working on?”  
    She took a piece of fruit from the tray. “Dorazine. Binkie computed for me this morning our storage figures and our demand figures: what we will need to supply the Net, the prisons of Sector Sardonyx, and our own workers at the kerit farm for one more year. We do not have enough. Look.” Zed took the sheet she handed him. “I wrote to Sherrix days ago, the same day I sent you the communigram. I offered to pay double the current market price for dorazine, hoping to loosen the market.”  
    â€œYou told me that when I called you from the moon,” said Zed. “That was also days ago.”  
    â€œAnd I expected to have an answer from Sherrix by this time.”  
    â€œYou haven't.”  
    She shook her head. “She's never not answered me before.” Her shoulders hunched.  
    â€œWrite again,” said Zed.  
    â€œYes,” she said almost absently. “I can do that.”  
    Zed said, “What else is happening on Chabad besides a dorazine shortage?”  
    â€œHuh?”  
    â€œMarriages, births, deaths?”  
    She focused on him. “I'm sorry, Zed-ka. I was thinking ... and no matter how badly I've missed you, an hour after you come back from the Net, it feels as if you'd never been away. Deaths—Domna Sam. And one of Imre and Aliza Kyneth's children almost married, but it didn't come off. I forget which one. Imre was re-elected head of the Council. He suggested I do it but I said I wouldn't if it meant I had to live in Abanat. Imre and I had a fight about water rates. I won. Tuli opened a second shop.” Zed nodded. Tuli had been cook on the Yago estate for three years: a silent, clever woman. When her contract expired, she took her money and bought a shop in Abanat.  
    â€œWere things well for you?” Zed asked.  
    â€œI missed you,” she said. “I was busy. I went back and forth to Abanat a lot.” She rubbed her chin. “I could have used a pilot. Domna Sam kept sending a bubble for me. I think I spent more time with her than Ferris.”  
    Zed said, “I don't even know what Ferris looks like.” Rhani made a face. “I'm sorry I wasn't here to pilot you.” Were you happy? he wanted to ask. Did you take a lover? If he asked her the first question, she would only smile, and say, “ Of course .”  
    He never asked about her lovers.  
    She said, “I have to go to Sovka.”  
    â€œWhy?”  
    â€œI retired the old manager, and appointed a new one, Erith Allogonga. She was head of the birthing section. I want to see how she's getting along. And I'm concerned about those litter deaths.”  
    â€œAre you feeling nostalgic?” he teased.  
    She laughed. “For Sovka? Zed, one couldn't feel nostalgic for Sovka.”  
    Unable to restrain himself, he said, “You went there eagerly enough.”  
    It was an old sore between them. Rhani touched his arm with her palm. “Zed-ka. I was seventeen, and I was not asked if I wanted to go. I was told to go. I was frightened. I couldn't talk back to Isobel.”  
    â€œI know. I'm sorry I said it.”  
    â€œShall I tell you more gossip? I can't think of anything more to tell. You'll have to ask Charity Diamos. Or I could have Binkie make printouts of the old