12
THE WOMAN’S EYES widened at the look of Nicha’s Palayi earrings. She took up a subservient position and he had to lightly touch her shoulder and lift her chin up before she could meet his eyes. She turned her attention to the counter, leafing through a grubby book, flicking pages forward and back again.
The man said something to her and put his hand on her arm as if to calm her. I couldn’t hear what he said and probably wouldn’t have understood but I guessed that he didn’t like it when she did this. He was not alone in this sentiment. This superior and inferior ranking business made even me uncomfortable, and I’d lived with it for years.
“I’m Tamu,” the woman said in Coldi, her voice timid. Omi clan, judging by her earrings. “How can I help you?”
“We need a place to stay for a few d
