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is he doing here? ‘There’s a band
from the Shadowvales playing at the Pool tonight,’ he said.
‘Everyhar’s going.’
    ‘I heard,’ I said.
    ‘We’ll save you a place. Come
over when you’ve finished your meal. It’ll be packed. A lot of
out-towners will show up.’
    I screwed up my nose. ‘Well,
I’m kind of busy tonight.’
    Zehn’s eyebrows went up.
‘Busy?’
    ‘I’m spending the evening with
a friend.’
    Zehn frowned quizzically. ‘Who?
Can’t they come too?’
    I turned to Ysobi. ‘We could go
over, if you’d like to.’
    Ysobi raised his hands,
shrugged. He looked cautious. ‘I…’
    Zehn laughed loudly. ‘No! I
don’t believe it! Don’t tell me you’re out on a purely social
level, Yz.’
    I had never seen Ysobi look
embarrassed, and the sight of it made me angry at Zehn. ‘Yz and I
are spending the evening together,’ I said. ‘We might come over
later. We’ll see how we feel. OK?’ I bared my teeth at him in a
fierce smile.
    Zehn stared at me for a moment.
He wasn’t laughing now. ‘Fine,’ he said. ‘See you.’
    After he’d gone, Ysobi
scratched at his hair and rubbed his face with both hands. He kept
his fingers over his nose for a moment, eyes closed.
    ‘Don’t mind him,’ I said. ‘He
lacks manners.’
    Ysobi shook his head, reached
for his glass. ‘It’s OK.’
    ‘No, really. Zehn is jealous,
that’s all.’
    ‘What of, Jass?’ Ysobi drained
his glass.
    I didn’t say anything.
    ‘Look,’ Ysobi said, ‘maybe we
shouldn’t be doing this.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘I make it a principle not to
socialise with my students, you know that. I hope you also know
why.’
    I folded my arms on the table top.
‘Perhaps you should tell me.’
    ‘Because of the nature of my
work. Jass, I…’ He rubbed his face again. ‘Look, I can’t get into
relationships easily. It would be difficult for any har I’m with.
My work is intense sometimes, you know that. Hara find that…
problematical. I have to be there for my students, always, and that
would often be at the expense of anyhar who shared my life.’
    ‘I understand,’ I said, and
added casually, ‘Yz, we’re only having dinner. It’s not a blood
bond, or anything! Lighten up.’
    ‘I’ve been burned,’ he said.
‘In the past.’
    ‘I can see that. Stop worrying
about it. We were having fun. Let’s just erase the last few minutes
and remember where we were.’
    ‘Yeah.’ Ysobi sighed. ‘You
remember you asked me a while ago if any student had ever fallen
for me? You must know the answer. I have to be so careful.’
    I ducked my head. ‘I know.’
    ‘It’s different with you
because you’re older. More sensible, I guess.’
    I put my head to one side,
smiled in what I hoped was an understanding way. ‘I like you, Yz.
You’ve taught me so much. I won’t do anything that will make you
feel compromised or uncomfortable. I mean that. When the training
is over, I want us to be friends. You should have friends. There’s
more to life than work.’
    He refilled his glass from the
jug of cider we’d ordered. ‘You think you’ll stay here in Jesith,
then?’
    ‘I haven’t got anywhere better
to go. I’ve put down roots now. I have a job, friends… I like it
here.’
    He nodded. ‘It’s a good
place.’
    There was a silence, then I
asked: ‘Do you want to go to the Pool?’
    Ysobi hesitated. ‘Why not? Let’s get
the tongues wagging. I’ve not been out to a bar for years, never
mind watched live music.’
    ‘Excellent!’
    ‘Jass…’ He drew in his breath.
‘This is just a meal and a drink between friends, isn’t
it?’
    I didn’t answer immediately.
Eventually, I said, ‘You call the shots, Yz. If that’s all you
want, that’s all it is.’
    He laughed uncertainly. ‘I
can’t give you anything.’
    ‘I disagree. You can give quite
a lot; good companionship, friendship. That shouldn’t be a
sacrifice. You’re allowed to have a life.’
    He reached out and touched one
of my hands.