Dustweed didn’t meet my eyes this morning. Perhaps zie
expects me to blast zir with some horrible spell or
instrument of my grandfather’s. (In point of fact, I
thought about it, but only briefly and in the sort of way
one considers suicide, or reading the mind of the Orren you
hope to sleep with, or some other horrid act.) Zie hurried
out of the apartment without eating, without talking. If I
ever decide to apologize, it had best include the price of
breakfast.

Havune was not so careful. Havune knew that I was upset
– there is no hiding any such thing from a Cani — but he
did not suspect why. The conversation went roughly as
follows:

Sythyry:Why didn’t you tell me?

Havune:[Blinking sleepily] Because it’s not
my business?

Sythyry:That’s foolish and inconsiderate.

Havune:Or, perhaps, because you have not paid me
the traditional go-between’s fee? Or even let me finish
making my morning kathia?

Sythyry:What are you talking about?

Havune:Spirshash’s latest escapade, or course.

Sythyry:Don’t be ridiculous.

Havune:[Peering closely at me.]What are
you talking about?

Sythyry:Dustweed.

Havune:Oh, Dustweed. Dustweed’s getting quite
seriously involved with Tethezai. Be glad: you might get a
room without an actual roommate sleeping in it now and
then.

Sythyry:[breathing fire in Havune's general
direction, though not getting close to him] No, about
Dustweed being both-female.

Havune:[menacing me with a pot of
water]Stop that. What more do you need to know about
it?

Sythyry:Why didn’t you tell me a long time
ago?

Havune:You didn’t know?

Sythyry:No.

Havune:How odd. Sythyry, you are a marvel and a
gleaming paladin of cluelessness.

At which point I flew out of the apartment, also
without breakfast. I consulted with Laryn Moorbent, who
holds affan in matters of decorum in the ducal palace — or,
rather, I sent Moorbent a brief note and got a rather
flatulent answer [See letters after last journal entry.]

Much later, after I slept through two classes, Tethezai
cornered me in the buttery. She very politely and gently
urged me to at least be civil to Dustweed, even if
actual friendliness evades me. Official manners recommends
that she threaten me at this point, typically with social
difficulties — Tethezai’s family is sufficently influential
to cause me various minor troubles, should they wish to –
but she quite oddly didn’t.

The threat actually very suitable, and almost
incidental. If I make Dustweed too miserable, zie will have
to move out; Tethezai will, in need, provide zir a place to
live. This leaves me paying more rent than I can afford, or
grovelling at my ~sister~, or some other such
unpleasantness. I can’t imagine Havune or Thery being
terribly helpful on the rent, if I have driven Dustweed out.

And the really odd thing, all day was that there was no
really odd thing all day. Everyone else in Vheshrame knows
about Dustweed; it is last years’ news. Nobody but
Herethroy cares any more, and even for them it is down to
the point of habit rather than active concern.

I am entirely at a loss.