[She instantly freezes up when he hugs her, because he's a stranger, why would he do that?! Is it her fault? She forgets to keep her guard up, shows a little vulnerability, and that means people think that's acceptable to do? Nobunaga's the only one she would have allowed to, and that's complicated, and (to her current knowledge) she's never going to see him again. You don't hug a competent military officer. You might hug a scared girl. Tayrey is furious with herself for it, and she stands there stiffly until he backs off again.

No more of that. She has to be stronger. Better than that. Forget about India. Forget about poor dead Clover Becket, who is far from the only spacer to have been killed by pirates.

She shrugs.]

I'm a Tradeliner. I do my duty. [She's polite enough not to point out how far he overstepped, because she thinks she's to blame - but she's certainly less talkative once she's thought about it.]

If there's nothing but bad contracts then your workers need to try group negotiation. With no workers, there are no profits. Your people learned not to enslave one another. You can do more. [It's a very low bar, but she has that much faith in you at least!]

[Despite the slightly awkward shift in her demeanour, she has no hesitation about getting the wine. She brings back a bottle, sweet and red, and pours it for him.] Something you said out there. Vampires. You know many of them? [It doesn't seem scornful or sarcastic, but genuinely curious.]