A Matter of Oaths Read Online Free Page A

web-cramp had been there last night: the rigid
control of voice and movement, the unnatural tension masquerading as alertness,
the dark circles of sleepless nights under the eyes, the untouched drink. How
had he not recognized them?
    “ Which ship
brought you from Jeram? ” he asked
angrily.
    “ Does it matter? ” Rafe made a gesture of dismissal. “ They ’ re
hardly unique in the way they feel about me. ”
    “ Which ship? ” Joshim insisted.
    “Deretya , ” Rafe said wearily.
    “ Have you
registered a complaint with the Guildhall? ”
    “ No, sir. It would
attract too much attention. ”
    Joshim nodded understanding, not liking it. Rafe ’ s position was too precarious to risk
claiming the rights that other webbers could take for granted. However, that
need not prevent Joshim from having a few sharp words with Deretya’ s Webmaster.
    “ We ’ ll go straight up to the web, ” he said briskly, unlocking the door to
the riser with his palm.
    Relief showed in Rafe ’ s
eyes, as if he had expected Joshim to change his mind, even so late. He covered
it quickly with long grey lashes, made a visible effort to steady his breathing
and followed Joshim into the riser.
    “ Did you
particularly want to wet-web? ” Joshim
asked as he stepped out at the top.
    “ Whatever is most
convenient for you, sir. ”
    Rafe was looking around hungrily as he answered. Bhattya’ s web was big, even for a
patrolship: twenty wet-web places and another four dry, all of them currently
idle. Joshim never managed to view it without a pleasing rush of pride. To
Rafe, it must look like heaven, after forty days of enforced abstinence; he was
twitching in anticipation.
    “ We ’ ll use these. ” Joshim indicated the nearest pair of dry places. Wet-webbing was
more satisfying, allowing total immersion in the web without the requirement
for a core of body control, but it took longer to prepare for and Rafe needed
to be in the web without delay.
    “ What size web did Avannya have? ” Joshim asked curiously, starting to prepare his place.
    “ Ten wet, two dry.
We ran with eight in the web normally, ten when jumping into a strange system
for the first time. ” Rafe rubbed at
his wrists unconsciously and moved to prepare the other place.
    “Bhattya runs with
twelve in the web. Eighteen in an alert, including six on filtered standby, ” Joshim told him. “ We ’ re thirty-six in the
web-room, plus the apprentices. ”
    “Avannya wasn ’ t rigged for filtered standby. There ’ d never been the need. You don ’ t expect EMP-mines in abandoned
systems, ” Rafe said bitterly. “ Especially not in the jump point. ” He laid the bunch of web-contacts down
on the couch in front of him and hesitated. “ I
have to warn you, sir, ” he said
nervously. “ I haven ’ t had any web-time in forty days. I ’ m going to be clumsy. There ’ s a risk that I ’ ll unbalance your web. ” The words came out as if it was the last thing he wanted to say. It probably
was, Joshim thought approvingly: all the more credit for saying it.
    “ I appreciate the
warning, but you can ’ t be any
clumsier than a junior in their first berth, ” he said easily. “ This web has coped
with hundreds of those. ”
    “ My extension is
greater than any junior in their first berth, ” Rafe insisted. “ It
might be safer if I waited for station time. ”
    “ If I need to, I
won ’ t have any problems limiting you. ” Joshim finished his preparations. “ If I thought there was any danger to my
web, you wouldn ’ t be here. ” He walked round to Rafe ’ s side and picked up the neglected
bunch of web-contacts. “ Happy with
these? ”
    “ Yes, sir. ”
    “ Then hook in. ” He made it an order.
    Rafe unfastened his wrist-bands and removed them, putting
them in easy reach on the ledge at the head of his couch. Predictably, the
contacts underneath were dull from disuse. He took cleaner from the ledge and