Page 1 of Tattle Tail
Chapter 1
Two Years Ago
Peaceable
This was not a test, but it very much felt like one. Peaceable stood in the shade of a large tree, clutching her drink like a lifeline. Cold beads of sweat dripped down the glass, making it slippery and difficult to hold.
A housewarming party, which made no sense to her. It was summer, so the house did not require warming.
Idioms were tricky. She understood it to mean a celebration of a new home. Even in that context, it made no sense. Mr. Cayne had owned the property for several years, and his mate moved in nearly a year ago. An anniversary party would make more sense. When she pointed this out to Mr. Cayne, her boss, he gave a weary sigh. The matter lay beyond his control.
And that made even less sense. Winter Cayne was a wealthy male and headed a successful company. If he did not wish to have his house warmed, that should be the end of the issue.
Yet here she was, an awkward guest, sweltering in the heat at a party she did not understand, surrounded by people she barely knew.
This was agony.
“You have a very muddled aura,” an older human female said. She peered at Peaceable as if inspecting her. Sunlight gleamed on the silver strands in her hair. “The colors are lovely, but you need a catalyst to shake off this malaise.”
“Thank you?” Peaceable was unsure of how to respond. She knew this female to be Mr. Cayne’s mother-in-law, Valerian Moonquest, recently arrived on Corra and for whom the house required warming.
The older female perked, a smile on her face. “I know just the person. Come along and meet my son, Joseph. His aura won’t settle, you know.”
Peaceable did not know how to respond to that but allowed herself to be led by the hand across the garden. They approached Mr. Cayne’s mate, Marigold, and a human male, deep in conversation.
“This environmental fine is ridiculous. If I was flying the ship, yes, but charging a daily fine when it’s not in use?” The male gestured wildly with his hands. He had a pale complexion, caused by a lifetime of artificial lighting, though the sun tinged his skin pink. His dark, curling hair was pulled back, allowing a few curls to escape. The familial resemblance was obvious. This had to be Marigold’s brother.
“Then fix what needs to be fixed and make it compliant,” Marigold said.
“It’s new! There’s nothing to be fixed.”
They failed to notice Valerian and Peaceable.
“Corra takes environmental protection seriously. It would be foolish and expensive to maintain a vessel not in compliance,” Peaceable said. “A filtration system upgrade is what most vessels require. It is not difficult.”
The male frowned. His gaze swept over her in judgment. His lips quirked at the corners.
Peaceable knew that look. It was the calculating look of a male who only valued opinions from attractive people. Already she disliked the male.
“And you are…” His voice trailed off in a question.
“An engineer who is mindful of environmental regulations.” She had to consider several planets, their laws, and their requirements when designing CayneTech products. Not that she was the lead designer on any project at the moment.
“Oh, anexpert.” His tone sounded mocking.
Marigold jabbed him with her elbow. “Be nice. This is my brother, Joseph.” She made quick work of introductions. “Joseph, this is Peaceable. Winter’s assistant.”
Peaceable extended a hand for the traditional human greeting.
Joseph ignored her outstretched hand. Instead, he said, “My ship meets Interstellar Union standards.”
“Corra is not an IU planet.”
“I would expect that the standards for the largest interplanetary alliance in the universe would be good enough for Corra,” he said.
“That is a very arrogant attitude,” she replied, not even bothering to hide her dislike.
“I bought that ship for the journey here. It’s new. It should be good enough for this planet.”
