Free Dangerous Offspring by Steph Swainston Page A

through.
    Lightning refused it for the chance to show Eleonora his knowledge. ‘Our court was in power from five forty-nine until six eighty-seven. My mother held the throne at the time of the Games. The Avernwaters followed, from six eighty-seven to the year one thousand; they held out a long time but their town is now only a Tanager muster. The Piculets rose in power, from the year one thousand until ten eighty-one. Then the Pardalotes were very successful, ten eighty-one to thirteen twenty-six, when Insects killed the last. The Piculets returned from thirteen twenty-six to thirteen ninety-eight. I liked them, but I didn’t think much of the Fulvetta dynasty (thirteen ninety-eight to fifteen sixteen), very debauched in the fifteenth century. The exhilarating times of new Awia had long gone. They used to tell me, “Be decadent while you still can. The Insects will destroy us too.” Well, the last one, Lanare Fulvetta, poisoned her family and was imprisoned for patricide. Then rose the Scoters (fifteen sixteen to fifteen thirty-six) until a flu epidemic put an end to them and tens of thousands more. They were followed by an interregnum and I was champing at the bit then, let me tell you. The Falconets were merchant arrivistes–with sporadic insanity–who filled the vacuum from fifteen thirty-eight to sixteen forty-one. I had to sit through that; they were all quite mad. There was a schism in the family and poor Petronia Falconet went to Hacilith, but his son did well as the first Aver-Falconet. Then the Tanagers appeared, a famous warrior family–’ He smiled at Eleonora ‘–and succeeded to the throne. They restored some of the wonderful original vigour from sixteen fifteen until eighteen twelve…’
    ‘Financial problems,’ put in Eleonora graciously.
    ‘Financial problems,’ Lightning concurred. ‘The Rachiswaters rose to power (eighteen twelve to twenty fifteen). They founded Carniss but an Insect swarm ended them, and back came the Tanagers…twenty fifteen until who knows when?’
    Eleonora said, ‘That’s the way you see mortals, isn’t it? Just offshoots of family lines, just the latest kings or servants or soldiers.’
    Lightning prodded a finger at the table top. ‘That is a very involved question. So in simplest yes and no terms, let me just say, perhaps.’
    ‘I expect you think there’s no point in getting to know them personally.’
    The smile spread over his face again. ‘You, Eleonora, are an excellent personification of the Tanagers.’
    ‘We may have been good warriors but we weren’t so successful in peaceful times. My forebears didn’t care as much about money as yours must have done.’
    Lightning said, ‘Nevertheless, I think you’ll last. Pass the wine, please.’
    ‘You’ve drunk enough.’
    ‘I…have drunk enough claret in my life to fill Micawater lake. ‘S true. I worked it out. A whole damn lake of calret. Claret.’
    ‘Only Awia has such royal splendour,’ Eleonora continued. ‘I feel sorry for the other countries.’
    I felt sorry for Lightning’s daughter. He seemed to want her to begin his dynasty once more, so this time he could watch over it properly, but evidently he couldn’t even look after her. I said, ‘If I find Cyan, I’ll explain all this to her. Besides, I’ve been at the front for a long time; I’d welcome a change of scene.’
    ‘You all have your priorities wrong!’ Frost wailed.
    Lightning said to her, ‘I wouldn’t let Jant go if I didn’t think he could do it. Cyan knows and likes him. She listens to him.’
    ‘I know the underworld, too,’ I said.
    ‘Oh, god…Good luck.’
    ‘What do you want me to do if I find her?’
    Lightning propped his head on his hand. ‘Hmm. Send her to the palace. No, on second thoughts, bring her here. I can keep an eye on her. Otherwise she might run away again. Harrier may be growing too long in the tooth to keep up with her.’
    ‘She can watch us drawing up the troops,’ Eleonora