Chapter 5

An hour later Cobweb had just finished showing Lisia around the house and grounds when Morro approached them back in the guest bedroom. "Excuse me, Tiahaar, but Swift and Seel have just arrived and are waiting for you in the dining room. Yarrow has prepared an excellent meal."

Once Morro had gone, Cobweb turned to Lisia, who had been lying back enjoying the luxurious bed. "Ready?"

Lisia flashed a smile and sprang out of bed. "Of course! There's so much I want to tell Swift!" He was halfway out the door when Cobweb grabbed him lightly by the shoulder, indicating he should stay. "What is it?"

"Oh, I just thought maybe you might want to comb out your hair a bit," Cobweb said. "It seems to have gotten a little tangled from your rolling about on the bed."

"Really? Well, we had better fix it then but," Lisia paused, a saucy twinkle in his eye, "perhaps you could help me muss it up again later?"

Cobweb went to the dressing table, where Lisia had previously laid out his personal items. "Perhaps." He picked up the comb, his back still turned. "I'm surprised you're being so forward, Lisia."

Lisia came up beside him. "Well, so am I... but it just seemed natural to say. I... I mean I always used to flirt like that and-- well, not that this is the same but I wrote you how things are at home, how I--"

Cobweb prevented Lisia from further explanation by placing his fingers over his mouth. "Hush. I understand. Later. Now let me comb this so we can get down to dinner before it gets cold."

Dinner was a splendid affair -- rather too splendid, according to Lisia, who repeatedly protested that he was in no way worthy of such a special celebration. Of course Swift insisted otherwise, telling him over and over how delighted he was to have him visiting and how glad he was to be able to help Lisia out in a more personal way, beyond directing money, staff and supplies towards Harling Gardens.

Seel had already heard quite a lot about Lisia and was likewise pleased to be meeting him in person. For his part Lisia seemed to regard Seel with marked fascination, the explanation for which came out during the course of dinner, when they were all making conversation.

Seel had been going over an important political discussion he'd had with a member of the House when suddenly he'd interrupted himself to warn Azriel, "Stop that! No more playing kicksies. That goes for you Tyson. Show Lisia how sweet you two can be." He beamed at his son and reaching over, stroked his cheek, making the harling giggle.

When Seel looked back to the table he saw Lisia chewing on his food but obviously thinking more about something else -- from the direction of his eyes, Seel, who decided it was time to speak up. "Tiahaar Lisia--"

"Lisia is fine," the house guest interrupted softly.

"Ah, well, Lisia." Seel thought of how he should put it. "What I was going to ask you is, is there some reason you keep looking at me... funny? You've been staring at me all through dinner."

"Seel, you're so paranoid!" Swift burst out. "He hasn't been staring."

Lisia laughed nervously. "Well, actually, Swift, I have been," he confessed. "And before you get mad, Seel, it's nothing bad, it's just..."

"Just what?" Seel demanded, curious.

Lisia rolled his eyes up look at the ceiling before gazing back levelly. "It's just that I know you're a hostling and I've never seen a hostling who looked like you before."

Seel didn't quite know what to say at first and there was a moment's silence. "Oh. Well, I'm sorry if I'm not the model Varr hostling." Ever since coming into power alongside Swift, Seel had been faced with a certain number of hara who had trouble accepting him as a hostling because he did not fit the strictly soume role.

Lisia's face was aghast at his apparent faux pas. "Oh, no, no, Tiahaar Seel, please don't be sorry, I wasn't thinking that... Oh, no, no, I'm just trying to understand things more, see things. I just only know what I've grown up with and what I've learned the past few months. Now that I'm out in the world, I'm seeing new things."

Yarrow arrived with a large bottle of sheh, which he proceeded to pour for the adult hara; for the harlings he poured a favorite drink of sweetened currant juice. Seel took his glass and raised it. "To new things."

"To new things!" they all toasted.

A short time later the glasses were empty. Lisia let out a satisfied sigh. "You know, I really must thank you for that drink. It's been such a long, long time since I had anything fine to drink like that -- any alcohol."

"Ah, of course," Seel responded. "I'm not surprised you didn't have any up in the wilderness."

Lisia gave him a contradictory look. "No, actually we did have it, it's just that I personally haven't had any in a long time. Although we did run out finally -- couldn't afford it."

"Oh, but before that, you kept wine and spirits?" Seel queried.

"Yes, but even then I didn't get to drink it," Lisia sighed. "The wine was mostly always kept for the administrators and soldiers who came. They wouldn't let us drink, you know, because we were always--" It was at that moment that Lisia appeared to notice Tyson and Azriel. "Because of health reasons -- they didn't want to risk it."

Tyson was not easily fooled. "Cobweb, I don't understand what Lisia's talking about. You said drinking sheh was fine, not dangerous. What's he mean about not being able to drink it?"

Cobweb, adept at soothing his always-inquisitive harling, had an answer ready. "Oh, just that sometimes certain hara can't drink it because it might make them sick. Don't worry, though, as normally you know when that's true."

"Oh." Tyson conceded the point easily, apparently not deeply interested enough to continue questioning, which he could easily have done.

Finally they were all through. Seel and Swift agreed to put the harlings to bed so Cobweb could spend some more time talking with Lisia. Once they had gone Cobweb asked Lisia if he'd like to go back to the bedroom. The answer was a sharing of breath. "That might be nice. Especially now that I've had my sheh."