Fighting Gravity (35 page)

“In addition to this, today I have granted him the duchy of Mexico.”

The silence in the room exploded into a collective gasp that reminded me to breathe.

“There is no one who appreciates something more than one who has lost it. Having regained his good standing in the Empire, I have no doubt that Duke Jacob will be diligent in executing his duties and fiercely loyal to both his people and to all of the Empire. I’m sure you will all want to find an opportunity to welcome and congratulate Duke Jacob in the days to come.”

He gestured for me to stand and the diners produced the expected applause. It sounded wan and grudging to me.

“
Duke?
” I demanded. I wasn’t ready to even acknowledge the other part yet. “You didn’t tell me that.”

He was grinning. “You didn’t ask.”

I made an exasperated noise. “Really Pete, you might have prepared me.”

“I told you I’d granted you a title of nobility. If they’re all disagreeable to you, does the specific one really matter?”

“Less is more,” I grumbled, but he just grinned at me and turned back to the room.

“But the real news of the evening,” he continued, “certainly the most important to me, is that yesterday I asked Jacob to marry me and he graciously agreed.”

He turned to me and his look held so much emotion a lump formed in my throat.

The applause was much more genuine. I suppose it was for Pete and his happiness rather than his specific choice.

A swarm of servants flooded the room distributing glasses of champagne. Aliana stood and toasted us. We ate delicate desserts, little works of art crafted in sugar.

Pete stood again. “Things such as engagement celebrations take time to arrange. But I’m not willing to wait so long when I’m in such a mood to celebrate. So tonight, at the conclusion of dinner, we’ll have an impromptu ball.” The applause was enthusiastic.

-

The palace loved a ball, even one they weren’t given an opportunity to prepare ostentatiously for. I’d never been one for balls. A long party where I was unwelcome wasn’t exactly my idea of fun. Even when I was promoted from being an insulting degradation of their lofty personages to unimportant background noise, I avoided the functions as often as possible. But I wouldn’t be allowed to get out of this one.

The orchestra began to play the first waltz. Pete always led the first dance with Aliana. So when he came over to me I didn’t understand what he was doing.

“You want us to dance together?” I sputtered, when he explained.

“Of course.”

“Pete, we’ve never danced together before. I barely know how to dance at all. How are we supposed to work that out when we’re both used to leading?”

“I don’t always lead when I dance with other men. I know how to follow.”

“Pete I’m no good at this. I can’t do it in front of all these people. You’re crazy.”

“I know,” he grinned, “but we’re celebrating our engagement and that means we’re going to dance together,” he concluded in his not-to-be-dissuaded voice.

So we danced. It went better than I expected. I didn’t fall on my face. I had to admit it was nice, dancing together.

The dance ended and we parted to make our separate ways to the next partner. I was angling toward Kirti, since Pete was already claiming Aliana, when Duchess Xian intercepted me.

Duchess Xian held a distinction no other could claim. In spite of having been at the palace and in Pete’s inner circle through the entirety of my previous residence there, I was certain she had never spoken to me at all.

“Your Grace,” she greeted me.

“Duchess,” I replied in return. I knew I was supposed to ask her to call me by name, the use of titles simply a necessary first step that would be dispensed with among equals. I didn’t. She waited but when I said nothing more, she moved on without any noticeable loss of poise.

“Next to the emperor you are doubtless the most sought after dance partner this evening, and a lady must seize an opportunity when she sees it, lest she lose out. In other words, Your Grace, I’m not going to wait, as I should, for you to ask me to dance. I have come to claim you.”

I knew exactly what I wanted to say to her. And I knew that I couldn’t. Well, that I shouldn’t. I looked for Pete, hoping that he would see and rescue me but he was already leading Aliana to the floor. Short of faking an injury or an illness, there was no way for me to extricate myself without creating problems that I didn’t need and that Pete wouldn’t be happy about. I only nodded in a slight bow of acceptance and led her to the floor.

She was an elegant dancer. Her manners were perfect, her conversation smooth and flowing. Her voice and inflection, even her laugh were expertly crafted. She was a professional. She’d spent her whole life training in the art of social politics. I had to acknowledge grudging admiration for her skill even as it galled me.

As we moved around the floor I could already discern the vultures circling. All of the most important women in the room, and the men who were so inclined, were maneuvering themselves so as to have the best opportunity to pounce on me next. I looked around for Kirti but couldn’t see her. When the song wound to its end I excused myself from Duchess Xian as quickly as could be argued to be polite and approached the first likely young lady.

She was hovering near two of the least impressive looking men in the room, but from the way she was positioned and her complete lack of participation in the conversation, she was essentially alone. She stood by Lord Edwards, a very minor noble from Faln. I only knew him because I’d had a few encounters with him in his official capacity in procurement. From the resemblance I assumed she was a relative, probably a daughter, and I didn’t think I’d met her before. Though it was possible I just didn’t remember her. She was unremarkable and forgettable in every way.

Lord Edwards was in animated conversation with another man I didn’t know. He was turned with his back to the room but his conversation partner saw me and, with a jerk, straightened up and watched me approach. Lord Edwards turned to see what had made the other man react. He actually jumped a little when he saw me standing there waiting to talk to him.

“Your Grace!” he exclaimed.

“Lord Edwards,” I greeted him. “Will you do me the honor of introducing me to this young lady? I’d like to ask her to dance.”

He gaped at me, glancing at the girl, as if he was checking to see if she had changed since he’d last seen her. The young lady was watching me, wide-eyed, as white as a sheet.

“Your Grace, this is my daughter, Elizabeth.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, Elizabeth. Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”

She reddened from her collar to her hairline. For a moment she said nothing and then she dropped into a shaky bow and mouthed, “Yes, Your Grace.”

It was obvious she had attempted to speak the words but no sound had come out. I took what I could get. I held out my hand to her and she placed hers in mine. She was trembling so much that I tucked her arm around mine so I would have a better hold on her in case she fainted.

Thankfully she didn’t and we made our way into the crowd of dancers. She danced nicely, not the stumbling, nervous manner I’d expected. She said nothing at all, however, so I did my best to carry on light conversation. She did occasionally nod or mouth “Yes, Your Grace,” but as for actual spoken words, there were none. That is, until I mentioned the subject of my current work.

“We’re studying that in school,” she whispered.

It was quiet but audible. Once she got started, she managed to relax just enough that the rest of the conversation was, if not stimulating, at least pleasant. She seemed sensible and bright. When the dance ended I found that I hadn’t been watching for it, as I had with Duchess Xian.

I thanked her for the dance once I led her back to her father. She blushed as she bowed again.

I was too far away from any other desirable target to avoid the next two ladies who attempted to snap me up, but I told them that I had promised the next dance to Aliana. I hadn’t, but from where I stood, she didn’t appear to be in danger of taking to the floor with someone else and I hoped that I could catch her in time to claim her.

I did. She told me, once we were safely alone among the other spinning couples, that I’d looked desperate.

I told her how things were going so far and she laughed with me at the foolishness and snobbery of others. She helped me position myself so that I claimed Kirti for the next dance before anyone else intercepted me.

I hadn’t been alone with Kirti since Pete had appeared at breakfast that morning and the wait hadn’t helped me figure out what to say to her. But she saved me.

“He really loves you, doesn’t he?” she asked.

“He seems to.”

“Good,” she said, and the matter of how she and I stood with each other seemed to be closed.

I made an effort to alternate every dance that evening with a partner of high rank followed by a partner of low rank. Though, privately, I thought the distinction was all in their heads—as everyone in the room who wasn’t a servant belonged to one of the highest classes. They noticed the pattern before long. The most important among them began to look frustrated and insulted. Which was the point.

Later that night, when we were alone, Pete asked me about my unorthodox pattern of partners and I explained it all to him. He laughed, and after that night, he regularly chose dance partners of low rank, too. Of course, I liked it best when he danced with me.

fg
39

It took me two days to work up the courage to speak to Pete about his grant.

“Why Mexico?” I said as we ate breakfast.

He looked up at me. “I’d think that would be obvious.”

“I’d think it would have been nice for you to ask me what I thought of that. Pete, that’s…”

He waited. But when I didn’t continue he said. “I thought you’d like it. You’re the one who would understand its poverty issues. It certainly seemed important to you two years ago.”

“And what am I supposed to do about that? I’m a physicist, not a politician. We’ve all seen what happens when I get anywhere near political issues.”

“It’s just a symbolic position, Jake. The governor’s still in place. You can ignore them if you really want.”

I glared at him.

“See? It obviously matters to you what happens to them. Why not be a symbol of hope for them? You can speak up for them and maybe even help improve their lives. Clearly we’re not doing it right without you. Just pay a visit, shake the governor’s hand and smile at the pretty girls. It’ll mean a lot to them. And then you can worry about the rest of it when you come back.”

I bit my lip and looked down at my plate. “I’m not sure I can handle this. I think you’re asking too much of me.”

“And I think you’re underestimating yourself.”

-

So I went, and Kirti and Chuck and Dr. Okoro went with me.

We never went near Mexico City, much less Abenez. A fact that made me feel both guilty and lightheaded with relief.

But as our parade wound through the capital city of Puerto Vallarta, we came upon part of the crowd markedly different from the rest; their poverty made even more obvious by the glittering buildings of the financial district they stood in.

“I took the liberty,” Jonathan said, “of making sure the unclass had access to the parade route. Though, as you can see, they were restricted to this one section.”

The injustice of it burned in my gut.

But as I looked at them, it hit me like a punch in the face that I’d never cared about them at all. Everything I’d ever said or done in defense of the unclass was for myself, not them. They scared me too. It wasn’t that I was a defender of my people, I was just too proud to be marginalized and prejudged. I hadn’t been trying to help them. I’d been trying to fix them, to pretty up a shameful part of my past.

I closed my eyes tight against that condemning realization.

“Your Grace?” Jonathan said.

I glared at him, privately thankful he’d done one of the things guaranteed to distract me: call me that title. He knew I hated it and I’d asked him at least three times not to use it.

He stared me down. I dropped my eyes first.

“I think I’m an asshole,” I said.

“It’s not an incurable condition.”

That got a huff of amusement out of me.

“We need to do something about it, Jonathan.”

“We will.”

-

My friends stayed at the palace through the full week of celebration of the engagement. Every night’s dinner was a feast, with the chefs attempting to outdo their spectacular creations of the night before. Each night there was a ball, more grand and splendid than the last. There was something going on at all times throughout the whole of the palace. Plays and exhibitions and concerts were in constant rotation.

I proposed a soccer game between the best of the amateur players at the palace, with Pete and me the captains of the opposing teams. The players voted for their all-stars and Pete and I divided them up—with plenty of good-natured bickering—into two teams. Out of consideration for myself and also the others playing with us, I positioned myself opposite Pete. Everyone loved that.

It was a good game and my team won. Pete challenged me to the best two of three. His team won the next two games. So I challenged him to the best three of five. After two more, hard-fought games, my team won our third by one goal. The crowd was wild with excitement.

We returned to our rooms, hot, sweaty, and high on adrenaline and goodwill.

We were in the bathroom stripping for the shower. “You know, you may be better at this politics thing than you think you are,” Pete said.

“Huh?”

“The games, that was a brilliant strategy. I don’t think you could have done anything that would have worked better to sway public opinion in your favor.”

“That’s not why I did it.”

He grinned. “I know. That’s why it worked so well. Something so basic and universal as sports and competition is an equalizer of sorts. You saw them today, screaming and cheering, for your team, for you. They forgot who you were or weren’t. And the fact that your team won? All those who were rooting for your team rode out of there on a wave of high spirits and victory and they know that you were part of what gave that to them. This is going to change things, you’ll see.”