My last interview in this series is a busy man. It took more than a little wrangling courtesy of Miss Whittager to get a few minutes chasing after him as he refused to slow down.

What is your greatest fear?

A little incident somewhere around a year ago reminded me of how vulnerable my nearest loved ones can become if I let my guard down.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I have to lose too much valuable time sleeping.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

That’s a hard one. In my line of work you expect all kinds of underhanded dealings around every corner. I almost deplore honest people because they present no challenge.

Which living person do you most admire?

The Merchant Lord Spaeker. Now there’s a man with a mind for business.

Which living person do you most despise?

The Merchant Lord Amberoon. So many toys and so little ambition.

When and where were you happiest?

That’s easy. In the middle of a tough negotiation.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

There’s this one lady, a so-so trader, but one of the finest engineers I have ever seen. Those were the only things she would ever agree to do for me.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Here I am, president of one of Uitnep’s fastest growing corps without the benefit of any Merchant Lord patronage.

What do you most value in your friends?

There is a core of people who will stand with me during even the bleakest of times.

What is your greatest regret?

That little incident I mentioned above? I made it possible. If the most unexpected of interventions hadn’t come along at just the right time…

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It took some digging, but I succeeded in tracking down a bar frequented by my latest interview. Her language is, to put it mildly, a little flowery, so the answers below have been a wee bit edited in accordance to my Clean Reads policy.

What is your greatest fear?

Discovering all the bars are closed after getting off a long shift. Er. Not the answer you were looking for?

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Not being able to wait until no one is looking before flattening an overly annoying person? You should patent that look.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

An inability to match me drink for drink. Okay, seriously, if you’re going to be that way, double minded people who don’t know what loyalty is.

Which living person do you most admire?

You may have trouble believing this, after all he is neither from Merchant Lord stock or supported by any major merchant consortium, but my boss. Not the little guys I have to answer to on a day to day basis, the big man, Carryl Runderfiord. I mean, look what he has build without the benefit of all those aforementioned connections.

Which living person do you most despise?

I have to name just one? You may want to move onto another question.

When and where were you happiest?

In spite of our present surroundings, I’m really the happiest when I’m elbow deep in a tricky engineering problem. Machines don’t make unreasoned demands on your time and attention.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I’m told I need to cultivate a modicum of self control. Refer back to my comment about waiting before flooring an, um, annoying person.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Surely you see this jagged scar above my right eyebrow. You’ve been glancing at it often enough. There’s quite the story, but I don’t think you’re up to it.

What do you most value in your friends?

They don’t give me that look when my language gets a little, shall we say, colourful.

What is your greatest regret?

I’m where I want to be, doing what I want to do. Well, my glass is empty.

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I was told Elder Roggi Exavent is too busy to speak to the likes of me. He offered me a cup of tea and all the time I needed.

What is your greatest fear?

I’ve lived so long and seen so much that it’s hard to talk in terms of a greatest fear, but there is one matter, steps I’ve taken. I know I’ve done the right thing, but there’s a shadow over my prayers that haunts me when things are quiet.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

This has changed many times over the decades, but more and more I deplore the way I have coddled my grandson Nivpul when even his father has implored me push him more to break out of his shell, socially speaking.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

The rigid adherence to religious doctrine among my peers when scripture drives us to be so much more.

Which living person do you most admire?

You’ve caught me there. I admire how well my son Peaul has done since that fateful day the Loabaycle was lost with all hands aboard, including my sweetest Ssilsnia and all five of Peauls siblings. I lost so many years after the news, years spent alternatively smothering and ignoring my son’s very real needs. That being said, I also admire my grandson Nivpul. So much like me in my early years before Ssilsnia came along. Maybe too much given he has yet to meet his Ssilsnia.

Which living person do you most despise?

The current Duke of Argodr. His father and grandfather were dangerous to be sure, but the present Duke, his ego and his avarice, surpasses that of any Noble I have ever had to mispleasure of dealing with.

When and where were you happiest?

The day my dear departed Ssilsnia cornered me into courting her affection. We had so many happy years together before the tragedy.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

To be honest. I am what the years have made me, there is little worth changing this late in life.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Marked characteristic? That has to be my refusal to limit myself to the rigid patterns practiced by most of the devoit aboard Motherload when asked to pray in public. As if I allow such rigidity to restrict me in private.

What do you most value in your friends?

Really, the fact that they are my friends. Once you’ve risen to my status as an Honoured Elder it is easy to surround yourself with status climbers or to spend too much time easing the status climb of your children.

What is your greatest regret?

Sigh. Even so many decades later I find myself torn by that question. Do I regret not clearing my calendar so I could be with my family when the Loabaycle was lost. Or regret letting Ssilsnia take the rest of the family ahead while Peaul stayed behind with me for the father to son talk.

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