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ornate writing before.
"Must be nice to have that much time to spend on a letter, Pyke remarked. Cassi elbowed him in the
ribs.  Oh, sorry, theexalted didn't have to spend any time on it. Some poor sap of a dedicate clerk did
all the work."
"'To Taya Icarus, Greetings,' Taya read aloud for her friends. The rest of the dining hall fell silent as
everyone listened. Even the cook stood in the doorway, drying a platter.  'To offer thanksgiving and
gratitude for your timely rescue of Exalted Viera Octavus and Exalted Ariq Octavus, and to celebrate
perils overcome, you are invited as the guest of honor to Estate Octavus for a formal evening of dinner
and dancing. 
The other icarii in the room broke into applause. Taya turned red, reading further.  Oh, scrap! What am
I going to wear?"
Pyke groaned.
"I don't believe that was the first thing to come out of your mouth, he said with disgust.  How about an
observation about the comparative value of dinner and dancing to the life of a wife and a child? Not to
mention your own life, which was equally at risk."
"What wouldyou want? Cassilta asked, scornfully.
"A purse of gold masks, he replied at once.  Five hundred, a thousand, maybe. Somethinguseful . I
notice the exalted didn't send me an invitation."
"Pyke, you're cute but shallow, Cassi said.  Prestige is a lot more useful than money."
"Sure. That's what they want you to think. That's how they keep us in line. Prestige won't buy an army.
Poor people can't fund a revolution."
"Cassi! Taya turned to her friend, mentally running through her limited wardrobe. She was an icarus, for
the Lady's sake! She didn't own any fancy clothes.  Can I wear my armature? Please tell me I can wear
my wings."
"You cannot wear your wings, Cassi said firmly.  Not as the guest of honor. When's the party?"
"Three days from now."
"No problem. Pyke, tell Dispatch that Taya and I are taking the day off."
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"Why? To go dress shopping? The boss will love that."
"He will if he wants our caste well-represented in front of the exalteds, Cassi retorted.
"I'll tell him, volunteered an icarus from the next table.  Don't worry, nobody's going to make a fuss.
Taya deserves a day off, anyway."
"Thanks, Taya said, chewing on her lip as she re-read the invitation. Clothes. She'd never thought about
clothes. But a diplomatic envoy would need clothes, right? Why hadn't she thought about that earlier?
Oh, Lady, she was going to have to learn how to wear fancy clothes.
Cassi led her out of the dining room and up the three flights of stairs to her bedroom, where Taya set the
invitation on top of her bookshelf. She pulled on her groundling boots and a threadbare coat bearing a
stylized feather on one lapel, then tucked the slim leather wallet that held her identification papers into the
coat's inner pocket. Meanwhile, Cassi was rummaging through Taya's wardrobe, shaking her head.
"How can you only have two dresses and one pair of nice shoes? Don't you ever go out?"
"Yes. In flight leathers. Taya pulled out her bank book and looked at the balance. She saved as much
of her slim salary as she could, but a fancy dress would set her back by months.
Maybe she could rent a dress. Or did theaters lend out their costumes?
"Didn't Pyke ever take you anyplace nice?"
"Like where? One of his conspiracy meetings? We mostly stayed in and talked."
Her friend tsked, muttering about brains, biceps and waste or was it waist? before closing the
wardrobe door.
"Well, this is hopeless. We'll have to start from scratch."
"Do you think I can find something at the Great Market?"
"A readymade for an exalted's party? Taya, you make me despair for all womankind. Cassi grabbed
her hand and tugged her down the hall to her own room. There she pulled on a jacket and grabbed her
purse.  Don't worry. I have a secret weapon. My nephew just finished his apprenticeship and is opening
up his own couture business. You should see his designs. They're fantastic."
"I can't afford a custom-made dress."
"Don't be silly. He should payyou to wear one his dresses to the party. Cassi hurried down the stairs,
and Taya followed, feeling out of her depth.  This could be just the break he needs. Now come on.
Jayce is a miracle-worker, but three days isn't much time, and we've got a lot to do."
* * * *
Cassi's nephew had rented a hole-in-the-wall shop in a respectable part of Secundus. As soon as Cassi
explained Taya's predicament, he canceled all of his appointments and summoned a small army of friends
and associates to help. At first Taya questioned the wisdom of putting herself into the hands of a
baby-faced twenty-year-old dedicate, but after an hour of gazing at his designs and listening to his
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rapid-fire orders, she surrendered to his artistic vision and meekly let him do whatever he wanted.
After an hour, Cassi abandoned her to find shoes and jewelry.
"I can't afford jewelry! Taya yelped as her best friend vanished out the door.
"Don't worry. She'll get it on loan. Jayce ran a strip of measuring tape around her breasts and Taya
flinched.  Straighten up. You donot want your dress to sag here."
Taya stiffened her back.
"I can't believe you icarii, he grumbled.  You're thin enough, but none of you have any breasts. And
your legs are too short. And your arms! We'll have to hide your shoulders."
"What's wrong with my shoulders? Taya protested.  I mean, aside from the cut?"
"You're cut? How badly? Before she could argue, he'd pulled up her shirt and was groaning to himself.
 Not even bandaged. I don't believe this do youwant a scar? Fine, fine, no problem. I can work
around it. It's too cold for bare shoulders, anyway. Especially shoulders like yours."
"What's wrong with my shoulders? she insisted.
"Muscles aren't ladylike. He scowled, his pencil flying over a sheet of paper.  I feel like I'm dressing a
boy. Fortunately, I've made dresses for Cassi before, so I know a few tricks." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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