Word of Honour by Michael Pryor Page A

away, fainting or claiming that he was, in fact,
his own evil twin. 'Sorry,' he said, instead.
    Caroline smiled and Aubrey took it like a hard blow
to the chest. He was astonished that he didn't actually
stagger back a few steps. 'Good,' she said. 'That's an
improvement, anyway.'
    'Improvement?'
    'How quickly you were able to say sorry. When I first
met you, it didn't seem to be in your vocabulary.'
    'I'm aware of my shortcomings.'
    'Another improvement.'
    'In fact, it's hard to see past them, sometimes.'
    'Oh dear. Now you're starting to sound maudlin. And
that's a step backward.'
    'Hmm. What about melancholic?'
    'No. That sounds like someone who'd loll about under
a tree and write bad poetry.'
    'Brooding?'
    'Ugh. If you're brooding, you belong in a chicken
house.'
    'Good point. Would you settle for genuinely apologetic
and embarrassed for treating you so badly in
Lutetia?'
    'Boorish, insensitive, manipulative?'
    'All that.'
    'Scheming, big-headed, arrogant?'
    'Yes, yes.'
    She studied him. Her eyes were very dark blue and
there was no-one else in the entire city. 'I can go on.'
    And I'd be quite happy if you did . 'I'm sure you can.'
    'I don't want to, not really.' She looked away. 'Do you
know that I can't banter with anyone else like this?'
    'I beg your pardon?'
    'They can't keep up. Or they get confused. Or
offended.'
    He shrugged. 'Words. The better one can juggle them,
the better off one is.'
    'I agree. And I enjoy the sparring with you.'
    'Ah.'
    'That's why I don't think I can have anything to do
with you.'
    Aubrey actually looked over his shoulder. 'Are you
talking to me?'
    'Of course.'
    'I'm sorry. I thought I was keeping up well, but that last
conversational leap was a jump too far.'
    'What do you mean?'
    'You were saying how much you enjoyed being
with me.'
    'Talking to you.'
    'Which usually entails being in proximity.'
    She frowned, then nodded. 'Granted.'
    'Which, to my mind, was sounding promising. And
then you popped me on the jaw with "I can't have
anything to do with you".' Aubrey put his hands behind
his back and rocked on his heels for a few seconds.
    Caroline looked at the sky. 'Why do I feel a sports
metaphor coming on?'
    'I shan't disappoint you.' He cleared his throat. 'Cricket.
It's like being bowled up a series of delightful long hops
and then, when you're quite expecting another, getting a
searing bumper that takes your head off.'
    'There. Feel better now that's out of your system?'
    'Much. Thanks.'
    Caroline smiled, then frowned, then settled for something
in between that made Aubrey's heart ache. 'Do you
see what I mean?' she said.
    'About not seeing each other? No.'
    'About having fun.' She put her hands together. 'But
the reality is that I have other things to do in my life. Fun
can wait.'
    'No. Life should be fun. Life is fun.' Even when you're balanced halfway between life and death? 'Surely there is more to life than fun. Mindless fun.'
    'Not mindless fun. Intelligent fun. Thoughtful fun.
Complex, thrilling, challenging fun.'
    'It sounds to me as if you're addicted to stimulus.'
    Aubrey blinked. 'I suppose so. The notion had never
occurred to me.' He considered it for a moment. 'There
are worse flaws in a human being.'
    'Do you know how many human failings can be
excused that way? As long as a wicked person can find
someone more wicked, he can wave his deeds away by
saying, "Well, there are worse. "'
Aubrey put his hands together and studied them for a
time. They fitted neatly and they'd stopped trembling.
'How did we get here? Talking about the nature of good
and evil?'
    'We could trace back our conversational steps, if you
like, but that's looking backward.'
    Aubrey rubbed his chin. Where was George? 'No
chaperone tonight?'
    Caroline made a face. She obviously intended it to be
a grimace, but Aubrey found it delightful. 'Chaperone?
Please, Aubrey. We live in modern times, not the
dark ages. Why should a young woman need an escort?
To watch over me like a sheepdog? What an