Part 18 (1/2)

He turned it over to her, and walked out with her. But she went to the left, to the security station, and he went to the right, toward his bedroom, where servants converged and helped him to undress.

Jago's shots were generally on target. Even the man'chi business, which had no human application.

But it was was true. He and Barb had done each other a lot of damage, the same as he'd done tonight to Sandra. true. He and Barb had done each other a lot of damage, the same as he'd done tonight to Sandra.

Barb hadn't - hadn't told him about things. Barb had carried all the load until she couldn't carry it any more. And he loved her for that.

But she'd acted at the last to save herself herself. Jago saw that part, too. Practical of Barb. Maybe even essential.

But - dammit dammit - she could have just moved in with Paul. She didn't have to make it legal. - she could have just moved in with Paul. She didn't have to make it legal. That That said something final to the man she'd been illegal with for years. said something final to the man she'd been illegal with for years.

It said - a lot of what an ateva had just observed. The drift was in a direction other than toward him.

He sat down on the immaculate bed, and turned out the light and pulled the covers over himself.

He was more tired than he'd thought.

Worried about Sandra. Worried about his mother and his brother, but he'd been been worried so long he'd worn out the nerves to worry. Things just were. Somebody had thrown paint on his mother's building and the landlord was no doubt mad; it was in the news it was so notorious and somehow the atevi of the Messengers' Guild who monitored such things hadn't told Tano who consequently hadn't told him. worried so long he'd worn out the nerves to worry. Things just were. Somebody had thrown paint on his mother's building and the landlord was no doubt mad; it was in the news it was so notorious and somehow the atevi of the Messengers' Guild who monitored such things hadn't told Tano who consequently hadn't told him.

But Banichi indicated they hadn't told Tabini certain things, too, and that heads were about to be, the atevi word, collected.

He couldn't help matters. He knew that now. He sank into that twilight state in which a hundred a.s.sa.s.sins could have poured through the windows and he'd have directed them sleepily to the staff quarters.

CHAPTER 13.

THE TELEVISION was on its way out. One servant dusted the table on which it had rested for more than half a year in the historic premises, another stood by with a gilt and porcelain vase which would replace it, and a third carried the incriminating modernism out to the kitchen where (rather than send the thing through the dissection of security when it had to come back again) it would hide in the rear of a cupboard of utensils that the Atageini lord would surely not inspect.

The cabinet that held the vegetables, especially the locker that held the seasonal meat, Bren would not lay odds on. Cook had had illicit tomato sauce. Cook had by a miracle of persuasion gotten it through Mospheiran customs (let illicit tomato sauce. Cook had by a miracle of persuasion gotten it through Mospheiran customs (let Cook Cook talk to George Barrulin in the President's office, Bren thought glumly: Cook might fare better than he had) and now the offending cans of sauce from a human-imported vegetable had to hide somewhere. One simply didn't want to put anything through security examination if it could possibly be tucked away out of sight. Everything that went out of the apartment was a risk and a nuisance in its coming back in. talk to George Barrulin in the President's office, Bren thought glumly: Cook might fare better than he had) and now the offending cans of sauce from a human-imported vegetable had to hide somewhere. One simply didn't want to put anything through security examination if it could possibly be tucked away out of sight. Everything that went out of the apartment was a risk and a nuisance in its coming back in.

”I have the dread of Uncle opening a linen cabinet,” Bren said to Jase as they stood watching, ”and being crushed by falling contraband.”

”They've even checked under the bed,” Jase said. ”Will he?”

”I don't think he'll go that far.” He'd explained to Jase the importance, the deadly fragility of relations between Tatiseigi and Tabini, and the fact that on one level there was amus.e.m.e.nt in it; and on another, it was grimly, desperately serious, not only for the present, but for all the future of atevi and humans and Tabini's tenure as aiji. ”Ready?”

”Hamatha ta resa Tatiseigi-dathasa.”

”Impeccable.”

It was. Jase had been working on that tongue-twisting Felicitous greetings to your lords.h.i.+p Felicitous greetings to your lords.h.i.+p. Which wasn't easier because the name was Tatiseigi Tatiseigi.

”So,” Jase said. ”Where is is the tomato sauce?” the tomato sauce?”

”Cook's bed.”

Jase's nerves had been on all day, a skittish zigzag between panic and nervous humor. He laughed, and looked drawn thin and desperate. ”I can't do this. Bren, I can't.”

”You'll do fine.”

Uncle Tatiseigi had asked to see both both human residents, a point that had come to them by message from Damiri-daja this-afternoon, and he had pointedly not told Jase that small fact, not wanting to alarm him. But either the old man was curious, or the old man was going to make at least a minor issue of the human presence, possibly to try to create an incident that would give him points against Damiri - or Tabini. human residents, a point that had come to them by message from Damiri-daja this-afternoon, and he had pointedly not told Jase that small fact, not wanting to alarm him. But either the old man was curious, or the old man was going to make at least a minor issue of the human presence, possibly to try to create an incident that would give him points against Damiri - or Tabini.

”Just, whatever he says to you, listen carefully and stick to the children's language. He won't attack you if you do that.”

”What do you mean attack?”

”Just stay calm. You don't argue numbers with children or anyone speaking like a child. No matter if you know the adult version, stick to the athmai'in. Believe Believe me and don't be reckless.” me and don't be reckless.”

”I don't see how you do this.”

”Practice, practice, practice.” There was a commotion at the front door. He went and looked from the hall, Jase tagging him closely, and met an oncoming wall of atevi with cameras, cable, lights, and all the accouterments of television. The television set set went out as not proper, not went out as not proper, not kabiu kabiu, in an observant household, while the television service for the Bu-javid Archives came in in to record the reception and to (unprecedented) broadcast live pictures of the restored lily frieze, the emblem of the Atageini, which, d.a.m.ned right, Uncle wanted on national television. to record the reception and to (unprecedented) broadcast live pictures of the restored lily frieze, the emblem of the Atageini, which, d.a.m.ned right, Uncle wanted on national television.

Tabini had discovered how very useful television was: the world in a box, Tabini called it. The little box that makes people think the world and the screen are the same thing. Tabini used it, shamelessly, when he wished to create a reality in people's minds, and now Tatiseigi took to the medium, at least, no laggard to understand or to use that that aspect of technology. aspect of technology.

So there was an interview area being set up in the hallway near the historic dining room, so that for an evening the Atageini household would, hosting the aiji and and the Atageini lady closely allied to him and possibly intended to bear Tabini's heir, be linked in the minds of the whole ais.h.i.+di'tat, the whole Western a.s.sociation, meaning the majority of the world. the Atageini lady closely allied to him and possibly intended to bear Tabini's heir, be linked in the minds of the whole ais.h.i.+di'tat, the whole Western a.s.sociation, meaning the majority of the world.

And public interest? The rare chance to see see, on live television, the residential floors of the Bu-javid, inside a historic residence, with all the numbers and balance of arrangements about the rich and famous apparent to the eye?

The national treasures on display? Museums on both sides of the strait could long for such treasures as filled this apartment, but no public tours such as frequented the downstairs legislative halls had ever ever reached this floor. Such photography of historic treasures the security staff had allowed was limited to fine detail of certain objects, or set against a background, to prevent any public knowledge of the geography and geometry of the - in truth - rather simple and austere corridors outside, and of these fabled, far more ornate rooms. It was a television first. reached this floor. Such photography of historic treasures the security staff had allowed was limited to fine detail of certain objects, or set against a background, to prevent any public knowledge of the geography and geometry of the - in truth - rather simple and austere corridors outside, and of these fabled, far more ornate rooms. It was a television first.

And a live reception in a premise of the Bu-javid where cameras had never been, with a guest list that included Tabini and and his favored lady, who was contesting Uncle for supremacy in the Atageini clan? his favored lady, who was contesting Uncle for supremacy in the Atageini clan?

Machimi plays couldn't possibly touch it.

All of a sudden his his stomach knotted up in panic. stomach knotted up in panic.

”Nadi,” Banichi said, briskly coming from the same direction as the camera crew. ”It's all on schedule. The aiji's party is arriving in short order. Entry will be by precedence and and tenancy. They just settled it: tenancy. They just settled it: simultaneously simultaneously lord Tatiseigi will arrive at this door and the aiji and Damiri-daja will arrive from next door.” lord Tatiseigi will arrive at this door and the aiji and Damiri-daja will arrive from next door.”

The mind refused to grasp what convolutions of protocol and argument that that statement had settled. statement had settled.

”I'm going to forget,” Jase muttered under his breath. ”I'm going to forget his name. I'm going to forget all the forms.”

”You won't,” Bren said. ”You'll be brilliant. Just, if I have to go off with someone, stay with your security: Dureni will be with you - he'll he'll do the talking.” do the talking.”

Banichi was off down the hall talking to Saidin, who was keeping a stern eye on the camera crew and the gilt woodwork. Junior security was down there standing by with grim expressions. Dureni and his partner Ninicho had come from the security station, junior, very earnest, and they stood by, attaching themselves directly to the paidhiin at a time when Banichi and Jago were apt to have their hands full or be distracted to a critical duty at any given moment.

Jase was saying to himself, ”Hamatha ta resa Tati-seigi-dathasa. Hamatha ta resa Tatiseigi-dathasa. Hamatha ta resa Tatiseigi-dathasa.”

Madam Saidin was talking furiously with the cook. One of the maids ran - ran ran, to the rear hall. He didn't think he'd ever seen anyone run in the household.

The steel security barrier was gone. They'd taken that out while he was getting dressed for the occasion and he still hadn't seen the breakfast room, though he'd heard relief that the woodwork and the plaster was intact. Carts were coming from the kitchen, he heard them rattling. There was, for which he was infinitely grateful, no formal dinner, just a reception, at which guests, too many to seat, were going to be straying back and forth between the formal dining room and the breakfast room.

No one was stated to be a security risk except the lord who owned the apartment.

The rattle came closer. It and the maid must have met and dodged. There was a momentary pause: then a continued rattle.

Something evidently wasn't on schedule.