Out-Take Friday, 1

I’ve decided that in the month running up to Heavy Ice’s launch I’m going to post an extra Requite snippet every Friday. These aren’t excerpts from the book, they’re extras – some out-takes, some newly written. Here’s the first one:

From ClanFerah Reyes Gaby to her good cousin representative of those who carry the Emperor’s palanquin ClanFerah Reyes Ioanna, greetings.

It is my sorrow to report that the loss of the Sarah Brize and its convoy has been confirmed by those who hold the Imperial winding-sheet. Our own losses may, I believe, be kept to a minimum by scheduling the holding company with which the Sarah Brize and the Basma are registered for voluntary dissolution. The Glory KinRaed is a more difficult case, being as it is the private enterprise of our good cousin Reyes Ezquietli and registered at the port of Solanna Baiko-Taiko. You will recall that I warned her against this investment.

Considering other losses associated with the convoy, the most major is that of the three Makers associated with the ships. The Maker Vane Cinnabar was approaching the end of its useful lifespan in any case, but the loss of the other two is an annoyance as well as an expense, since with careful management they could have been expected to maintain performance for another two centuries. The cargo of the Glory KinRaed is also non-trivial, as are the various ship-crew.

Fortunately the Sarah Brize and the Basma were merely carrying Predispensationalist settlers, who had paid their fares in full in advance. The Genitrix facility and the industrial a-grav platform listed on the manifest of the Sarah Brize had also been purchased by the settlers at prime prices, and had already been written off against capital transfers for this season.

As you can see, the situation is not as grim as one might first have feared. The religious settlers, in particular, are no loss to anyone, and nor is that unpleasant person the temporary adopti Marshall Kapellan, who was retained as captain of the Sarah Brize against my express wishes. I would be most grateful if you would use your influence with those who cool the Emperor’s pillow to have his name removed at once, and permanently, from the register of adopti, before the ClanDornah or the ClanAtkah attempt to smear the skin of our own Clan with his foolishness.

I believe that all of this can be managed without attracting the attention of those who throw down petals before the Emperor’s feet, let alone the outClan organisation Icarus-Daedalus. Perhaps if the news were to be released on the same day as the announcement of one of the ClanAtkah’s less well-thought-through decisions? Failing that, one supposes it could always be blamed on the clanless-thing Nakia Considine and their rebels – though to posit that such a person might be capable of disrupting the commercial interests of the ClanFerah comes close to damaging our own skin.

I await your will, as always.

Yours beneath the shadow of the canopy

Reyes Gaby
Servant of the Lower Five