Thendara House Read Free

Melora, the deception had been discovered.
“The penalty for a man who invaded them in women’s clothes would have been death or castration,” Magda explained. “For a woman, the penalty is only that the lie must become truth; a woman may not enjoy the freedoms of the Oath without first renouncing the safety and protection of the laws specially protecting women.”
“An oath taken under duress - ” Cholayna began but Magda shook her head.
“No. I was given free choice. They offered to escort me to a Guild House where one of the Elders would decide the special circumstances - whether I could simply be sworn to secrecy and released.” She sighed, wearily wondering if it had been worth it. “That would have lost too much time; Peter was to be executed at Midwinter if not ransomed. I chose, quite freely, to take the Oath; but I took it with a lot of - of mental reservations. I felt just as you do now. Only between then and now I - I changed my mind.”
She knew that sounded ridiculously inadequate. She went on, telling only a little of the cruel conflict in her mind, when she had intended to escape, leave her Oath, even if she must kill Jaelle, or leave her to be slaughtered by bandits; and how she had found herself fighting at the woman’s side, saving her life…
Cholayna listened to the story in silence, rising once to refill the coffee cups. Finally she said, “I can understand, to some extent, why you feel obligated.”
“It’s not only that,” Magda said. “The Oath has become very real to me. I feel myself a Renunciate at heart - I think I would always have been one, had I known such a choice existed. Now - ” How could she explain it? She drained the cold coffee from the cup and concluded helplessly, “It is something I must do.”
Cholayna nodded. “I can see that. I don’t know if there is a precedent. I’ve heard of men going over the wall, going native, on some of the Empire planets. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a woman doing that, though.”
“I’m not exactly going over the wall ,” Magda pointed out.“If I were, would I be here in your office, formally turning in my resignation?”
“Which I do not intend to accept,” Cholayna said. “No, listen to me - I listened to you, didn’t I? There’s no precedent for this; I don’t think there’s any way to give up Empire citizenship for a sworn-in civil servant, and you made that choice when you accepted three years training in the Intelligence School - “
“I’ve done enough work to repay the Empire - “
Cholayna silenced her with a gesture. “Nobody questions that, Magda. I am perfectly willing to put you on inactive status, if you must have your six months - half year - how long is the Darkovan year anyhow? But something has come up which ties in very well with what you have told me.”
She turned to her desk and took up a file of printouts.
“As it happens, I have a transcript of that Council here,” she said, and Magda glanced at the printouts - the Council where Lord Hastur had been forced to accept the validity of a Terran’s Oath and where the Guild Mothers had arranged that the Terrans should engage the services of the Renunciate Jaelle n’ha Melora to work in Magda’s place in the Terran Headquarters, prior to the employment of a dozen Free Amazons. ” - Oh, very well, Renunciates,” Cholayna amended quickly, “to be trained in medical technology by our Medic Department, and possibly in other sciences and skills. With Jaelle working among us, and you in the Guild House, it seems to me that during this half year you will be especially qualified to determine personnel practices for Darkovan employees in the Empire, especially among women. We are prepared to put you on detached duty. Living among Darkovan women, you can find out which women could handle the culture shock of living among Terrans, as well as letting us know how we ought to treat them for the best communication between Terrans and Darkovans. You are