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“Bruises,” Banichi said grimly. “Nothing broken, no deep wound. Nothing to worry about.”
He shot a look at Jago, who sent one back, confirming Bren’s instincts—that it was something more than the physical injury that had put such a grim expression on Banichi’s face.
“You ca
Banichi gave him a surprised, wide-open look. “One in no wise doubts that, Bren-ji.”
“One wishes you to be sure of it,” he said.
More than acquaintances, that man and Banichi. Every instinct he had said so.
A man whose skill Banichi had rated very highly.
With a team probably of the same caliber, and a second team that had been first out of the house.
No one had survived what Jase’s bodyguard had thrown at that porch. But he knew Banichi’s return fire had been a killing shot. He had seen it hit. It was branded in his memory—before the world had exploded.
Before two renegade Guild units whose opinion it was that humans were not a good influence . . . had been blown to hell by human weapons.
Confirm for Banichi that his shot hadin fact taken Haikuti out before the world blew up?
Not without knowing exactly what that relationship had been.
• • •
The bus, with a damaged windshield and a bullet marring its door, pulled up to the front of Lord Tatiseigi’s house, stopped, and opened the door with a soft pneumatic sigh.
Bren gathered himself up as Jase and Aseida did. Banichi and Jago came forward to escort Lord Aseida off the bus. They all got down, followed by Tano and Algini, preceded by Kaplan and Polano.
Servants opened both doors atop the tall steps. Lord Tatiseigi came out onto the porch, forewarned at the very last moment and frowning like thunder . . . not an entirely comfortable welcome for the Kadagidi lord as he stepped onto the cobbled driveway.
“I request lodging,” Aseida said, “nandi, if you will be so gracious.”
“Gracious, is it?” Tatiseigi shot back, looking down from the top step. “After the events of last night?”
“Asien’dalun has suffered utter calamity in the conflict of one faction of the Guild against another. Wehave in no wise—”
“We are not a faction,” Banichi’s low voice cut in. “Make no such claims against the legitimate Guild, Kadagidi lord. You have supported renegades against the Assassins’ Guild, you have supported outlaws, those protecting you fired first, and any damage done is the result of your own choices.”
Aseida stood there stammering slightly, confused and angry and, if he was sane, deeply afraid at this point. He made a small gesture toward Lord Tatiseigi. “We appeal to the Atageini. These Guild renegades forced themselves on us. They threatened our lives. They forcedtheir way in even before Murini’s time, they stayed on against our will, and we have no doubt they will attempt to kill us to prevent us telling what we saw. If these are indeed legitimate Guild—and I believe they are, nadi!” He shot a nervous glance aside at Banichi, and back to Tatiseigi. “Have consideration, nandi! Extend your protection to a neighbor of the Padi Valley!”
“I have guests,” Tatiseigi said coldly, “guests who have nothing to do with your bad choices and the problems of Kadagidi clan, nandi. Foreign childrenas well as a ship-aiji who are guests under my roof have been threatened and alarmed by acts of outright lawlessness, the paidhi-aiji, another guest, is inconvenienced, and, we see, even injuredwhile protesting the situation on your estate! The heir to the aishidi’tat, my relative, is affronted by your actions and embarrassed by the threat to his personal guests! And the aiji-dowager, my guest, who I assure you has no patience with this situation, is irate beyond measure!”
“If Kadagidi goes down, you will lose the most ancient member of your own association, nandi! We strengthen each other! We are the first of associations, powerful in council—”
“One begs to remind you, your previous treason has disgraced the association and barred you from court! All you can contribute is the stain of your fingers on any action the Padi Valley Association might take!”
“Unfair, nandi!”
“Unfair? Your situation is consequent of a chain of decisions stretching back to your predecessors and culminating in your kinsman Murini the traitor—whose murderous administration of the aishidi’tat alienated all your neighbors and offended the peace of the heavens and the earth alike! You have the effrontery to seek shelter in my house . . . when I would be within my rights to lock you in the deepest cellar Tirnamardi affords and feed you on grain and bitter herbs until I have you before the association itself!” Tatiseigi drew a deep breath. “But unlike your allies, who fire on civilians and attack children and servants, Iregard the laws of the aishidi’tat. I shall appeal my grievances against you directly to the aiji in Shejidan, if his grandmother does not File on you first. And should trouble come to my doorstep on your account, I shall hold you further responsible! Give him over to my bodyguard, nandiin. If he wants protection, weshall take charge of him!”
Tatiseigi’s temper was well-known, and this time directed at the truly deserving. Tatiseigi snapped his fingers, and his two senior bodyguards took charge of the man and bundled him right back onto the bus.
“Well!” Tatiseigi said in satisfaction, and to the servants standing by. “The bus will need immediate cleaning, nadiin. The dowager has need of it. But, Jase-aiji, nand’ Bren, we are dismayed. Are these allthat have survived with you?”
“One rejoices to report no losses on our side at all, nandi,” Bren said. “The renegades were not so favored. Nonesurvived in that house, except the servants.” It was as politely as he could put the terrible business on the front porch, and at the back of the building as well, by what he had since heard. “The dowager’s men and some of your own guard and allies will secure the place until more reinforcements can arrive, and I understand we shall send for them.”
“You shall have whatever you need, as quickly as we can provide it. Come in, come in.” Tatiseigi started up the steps, and they walked with him, bodyguards and all. “Is Asien’dalun truly missing a section of its walls?”
“A large window and part of a corner, nandi.”
Ilisidi wanted the bus, he was thinking. For what did she want it? Where in hell was she going?
“They deserve it for my lilies,” Tatiseigi said. “An extraordinary day, nand’ paidhi! I shall support the Kadagidi and speak for the clan in court when it comes to that. But this scoundrel has gotten everything his predecessors have deserved, heaped up in his bed and set alight.” The old man looked back from the top step and waved at the servants, who had opened the baggage compartment. “Do not offload anything from the bus, nadiin-ji. Leave it all aboard!” To Bren he said, as they passed the doors and entered the lower foyer. “The dowager has called a train. Her men at Asien’dalun are to be relieved soon, you say.”
“Within the hour, one hopes.” Called a train. Leave the baggage on the bus. “Where are we to go,nandi?”
“To Shejidan, nand’ paidhi. If reinforcements indeed are on the way to Asien’dalun, we shall pick up her men in my estate truck with the baggage, and we shall all rendezvous at the station. The servants are packing. Baggage will be coming down very soon. The children are all downstairs with staff, again touring the collections.”
“Has something changed, nandi?”
Tatiseigi hesitated, took account of who was near them—which was, at the moment, only their aishidi, and Jase. “On the contrary, we are taking action, nand’ paidhi. We are not calling the aiji’s train. We have diverted a local far closer. The Guild is currently arranging a problem on the rails.”