“Good evening How very glad we are to meet you.”
Now the seconds and thirds were beginning to arrive. Eric bon Haunser with Semeles bon Haunser on his arm.”A cousin,”said Andrea’s voice. “At one time said to have been Eric’s lover. She will attempt to seduce Tony, or failing that, the ambassador.”
Was there a quaver in Andrea’s voice at the thought of anyone seducing the ambassador. Was it amusement, perhaps? Gray haired Andrea, who knew Rigo as though he were her own younger brother. Who knew all about Eugenie. Amused? Tony flushed as he bowed over the hand of Semeles bon Haunser. Stella snorted, and Marjorie bit back a cheerless giggle as she smiled and bowed in her turn as Figor took her hand.
“Figor bon Damfels, younger brother of the Obermun. Yie has been instructed to flirt with Lady Westriding. Shevlok bon Damfels. He will pay court to Stella, though unwillingly, for he is still grieving over Janetta bon Maukerden. Sylvan bon Damfels.As usual, no one knows what he is up to.”
Marjorie’s placid voice addressed the bon Damfels’ sons. “Good evening. How nice to see you both again.”
“Good evening, Lady Westriding,” said Sylvan, bowing. “It is kind of you to have planned this amusement for us. We have talked of little else for days.” Smiling at Marjorie, at Stella, manfully clapping Tony on the shoulder, bowing slightly to Rigo. All this charm. In comparison, Shevlok was a poor player, able to muster only a muttered compliment, a sidelong glance, more cowed than seductive. Unconvincing, Marjorie thought. Damned loutish, Stella seethed. Unhappy Shevlok.
“Obermun Stavenger bon Damfels. Obermum Rowena bon Damfels.”
Now the firsts were beginning to appear, and Andrea’s whisperphone was silent. The Yrariers already knew what was common knowledge about the Obermuns, the Obermums.
“Obermun Kahrl bon Bindersen. Obermum Lisian bon Bindersen. Obermun Dimoth bon Maukerden. Obermum Geraldria bon Maukerden.”
“Good evening. We are honored to welcome you.”
“Obermun Gustave bon Smaerlok. Obermum Berta bon Smaerlok. Obermun Jerril bon Haunser. Obermum Felitia bon Haunser.”
“Good evening. Good evening.”
“Obermun Lancel bon Laupmon.”
“Alone,”whispered Andrea. “Recently widowed.”
Then, at last, one final man and an old. old woman in a mechanical chair. “Obermun Zoric bon Tanlig. Obermum Alideanne bon Tanlig.”
“She is the Obermun’s mother and the eldest among the first leaders,”whispered Andrea. “She is always the last to arrive.”
Now the Yrariers could follow the music and the smell of food, down a half flight from the long, chilly hall. Marjorie advanced into the ballroom, was swung into the dance by Rigo. Stella and Tony followed. They had practiced these antique steps under the watchful eye of a dancing master sent from Commons and they now swayed across the floor as though they had danced in this remarkably intimate fashion all their lives. The dance was called a valz. From here and there about the floor couples of the bons joined them on the floor, not so many as to look enthusiastic but not so few as to appear impolite.
“We are being put in our place,” Marjorie said, smiling into Rigo’s face.
‘They can only do it if we appear to notice it.” He smiled in return, flames of fury at the backs of his eyes.
They turned to other partners. Rigo allowed no opportunity for snubs. Though he was complimentary to all the bons, he asked no woman to dance who had not been ordered to approach him. Thanks to Persun, he knew who those were. As did Tony.
“Pretend it is an Olympic event,” Marjorie had told her fretful son. “If you do it right, you will get a medal. Treat your partner as you would a willful horse, gently but firmly. It is only athletics, after all.” And so Tony danced and smiled and tried to flirt, though he had had sadly little practice at it. Stella was far better at it than he, anger only increasing her vivacity.
Marjorie drank fruit juice, provided discreetly by Asmir Tanlig, and chanted to herself as she sometimes did when duty bade her do things she did not want to do. “Bow, smile, be led into the dance. Smile, flirt, talk of nothing much. Flirt, charm, be led back to your chair. Charm, bow, begin again.” The partners came and went, in relays. She began to long for a real drink, a real conversation.