Part 11 (1/2)

Ajresi might well be talking to Geigi politely, too, and mending fences with another Edi lord increasingly important in the peninsula and high in Tabini's favor.

He very much hoped so. That could be immensely important to the s.p.a.ce program.

As for why Banichi might have been selected for an a.s.signment in the peninsula, Banichi was was from Talidi Province, right next to the Marid. His house, whatever it was (and Banichi had never said) was at least well-acquainted with the situation. from Talidi Province, right next to the Marid. His house, whatever it was (and Banichi had never said) was at least well-acquainted with the situation.

”What do you think?” he asked Banichi. ”Are we under threat from the south now?”

”Not from the Marid,” Banichi said. ”Ajresi isn't that crazy.”

”If he relies on Badissuni he is,” Jago said.

”Make the man commit in public to serve Ajresi as lord?” Banichi returned. ”Badissuni had as soon eat gla.s.s. But he has has no choice but represent Ajresi; and he'll be dead by fall.” no choice but represent Ajresi; and he'll be dead by fall.”

”Do you know that?” Bren was so startled he forgot the softening nadi nadi and spoke intimately and into Guild business at the same time. and spoke intimately and into Guild business at the same time.

Banichi didn't give a flicker of offense. ”Of course Ajresi might be dead by fall, instead, if he he doesn't move first. So everything Badissuni negotiates with Tabini is also for himself, if he gets Ajresi before Ajresi gets him. I don't think he will, though. I know who's working for Ajresi.” doesn't move first. So everything Badissuni negotiates with Tabini is also for himself, if he gets Ajresi before Ajresi gets him. I don't think he will, though. I know who's working for Ajresi.”

”Simpler for us to do it,” Jago said glumly. ”And make Ajresi come in person and beg for himself.”

”I don't think he'll beg,” Banichi said. ”But a message may already have come from Ajresi signaling Tabini that a public agreement would secure private alliance.”

”Do you know so?” Jago asked, echoing the former query.

”Say that messages have flown thick and fast between Ajresi and Tatiseigi of the Atageini, and I think that Badissuni is the topic.” Banichi finished off his tea. ”Dead, I say. Before the snow falls, if Tatiseigi doesn't join Direiso - and Tabini-aiji is too wise to provoke that.”

Saidin was in the doorway, and Banichi said that. Bren's heart gave a thump. was in the doorway, and Banichi said that. Bren's heart gave a thump.

But it did tell him - Saidin was Damiri's; and Damiri was Tabini's; as Banichi and Jago were. Conspiracy was thick around them. Warfare was going on. One just didn't see lines of cavalry and blazing buildings.

And hoped one wouldn't.

The first order of business after breakfast was, Bren decided, to deal with Jase. The staff said Jase was sleeping; and sleeping through breakfast he accepted.

Jase waking after he'd left and receiving still more information through the staff was a different problem, very like the situation Jase had been presented by Yolanda Mercheson, in point of fact; and that could only add to his distress.

He knocked on Jase's door. And had no answer.

He walked in, found Jase abed. ”Jase,” he said, and stood there until Jase opened his eyes and frowned at him.

Then Jase looked both startled and upset to find him there.

”The phone lines are clear,” Bren said calmly, gently. ”At your wish, at any time, call the s.h.i.+p. The staff will a.s.sist you, nadi.”

”With or without recordings made?” Jase asked.

”Everything we do is recorded,” Bren said. ”I've told you that. Never expect differently. There are no exceptions, nadi.”

Jase flung off the covers, got out of bed and reached for his dressing-robe. ”I need to talk in private!”

”For your own protection, nadi. If some unscrupulous person should accuse you of wrongdoing - and in this society it can happen - there's proof of your honesty.”

”d.a.m.n this society!” The latter in his language. He shoved his arms into the robe and tied it.

They'd been down this path about the recordings before. And Jase challenged him on it one more time. But the manners were a step too far.

”In this culture -” Bren said patiently.

”Bren, just give me some room. I don't want to talk about it. I just want privacy to talk to my mother, dammit.”

”I can't guarantee that. If you'd use your head you'd know if I guaranteed it you couldn't trust the people I can't trust, and that's a long list, none of them with your or my welfare at heart, so you wouldn't know; they could edit it. So let's be sure our own people are listening and making a record.”

”Heart, is it? Affection? Are we talking about hearts, here?”

He hadn't meant to provoke Jase. But Jase was working hard to get a reaction, and it was one thing, with him; it was quite another with the Atageini staff, starting with Saidin, and he hoped to h.e.l.l Jase hadn't taken that pose with Saidin while he was gone.

”I can't trust you you,” he retorted. ”Is that what you're saying? Jase, just - for your information, for what it's worth: no one had any idea, and if you'd told Manasi what was going on, the message might have reached me.”

There was dead silence. No response. No change of expression.

He tried again. Looking for reaction, a fracture, any way past that reserve and into the truth. ”Not that I could have found a secure phone immediately. But if I knew there was an emergency here, I'd have found one.”

”Well. I'll call her. Thanks for checking for me.”

”I'm sorry, Jase. I'm really sorry.”

Jase had his back turned. His bedroom had no exterior windows, just a decorated screen, gilt, beautiful work. In the center was a painting of a mountain, no specific mountain that he knew. Jase stared at that as if it offered escape.

”Yeah,” Jase said. ”I know.”

”I have a meeting to go to. With Tabini. I'll have to go when he calls. But we need to talk, Jase. We need to talk - personally.” He wished to h.e.l.l he hadn't come in here for this interview on a fast, in-and-gone-again basis. a.s.sa.s.sins talked about a broken-legged contract, where the object wasn't to kill someone, just to keep them out of action. And, G.o.d, such desperate measures did flash through his mind where it regarded Jase's crisis and the one racketing through atevi affairs right now. ”I don't want you to have to track things secondhand again. I'm sorry. I really am. Please, just take it easy. The staff doesn't doesn't entirely understand. They're trying to, in all good will toward you.” entirely understand. They're trying to, in all good will toward you.”

”I'll manage. I'll call. I'll talk to you later.”

He couldn't expect Jase to be cheerful or or balanced, considering the situation; and he tried to desensitize his own nerves to Jase's jangled reactions with all the professional detachment he owned. Jase had some consideration coming. balanced, considering the situation; and he tried to desensitize his own nerves to Jase's jangled reactions with all the professional detachment he owned. Jase had some consideration coming.

Like time to talk, when he could spare it. If he could patch the gulf that had already grown between them. He hadn't been able to talk. Now he wanted to, and didn't dare open up the things he had to explain until Jase had weathered this crisis.

But he'd delivered his message. And there wasn't wasn't time right now. ”See you, probably at noon,” he said, and left and shut the door, wis.h.i.+ng there were something he could do, and trying to hang on to his own nerves. time right now. ”See you, probably at noon,” he said, and left and shut the door, wis.h.i.+ng there were something he could do, and trying to hang on to his own nerves.

Depression, he thought, was very easy from Jase's present situation. Human psych was part of the course of study that led to his job; he knew all the warnings and all the ways one fought back against isolation, bad news, lack of intelligible information from one's hosts or one's surroundings.

Depression: general tendency to want to sleep, general tendency to believe the worst in a situation rather than the better possibilities, general tendency to believe one couldn't rather than that one could.

And maybe his accepting being told that the phone lines were inaccessible to him without his even objecting to Manasi that it was a legitimate emergency wasn't just some s.h.i.+p-culture unwillingness to question a rule. Maybe it was a growing depression.

But, dammit, he had problems, too, and didn't, again, dammit, have time to worry about it right now.