Inheritor

But Tabini wouldn’t make that demand. At least the paidhi didn’t think so. Tabini continually asked the filers of Intent to choose recourse to the courts instead. It would say something very unusual for the aiji who backed judicial resort as policy to choose a second assassination.

Possibly Tabini’s own moderate position on this issue had placed him in a bind and threatened more bloodshed.

And Tabini was dealing with an Edi lord. That was another consideration: the ethnic division. The fact that Tabini wasRagi, and the majority of the peninsula, the most industrialized section of the nation, wasEdi.

There were reasons for moderation, then, rather than touching off ethnic jealousies; and Tabini knew what he was doing first in taking out Saigimi and then in leaving alive a man Jago in her own judgment called dangerous.

Jago clearly wanted the assignment in Badissuni’s case, should Tabini decide to take the harder line.

Don’t count that as the final skirmish, Jago had just said, regarding Ajresi’s seizure of power. Meaning Badissuni was going to take out Ajresi? Banichi said Badissuni was here as Ajresi’s messenger—while the other heir to the Edi lordship of the Marid, Cosadi, the daughter, was currently sheltering in Direiso’shousehold.

Ajresi might not like Tabini, but he’d definitely take alarm at Cosadi ru

So damn right Ajresi might send someone to hold talks with Tabini. Jago believed Badissuni was unreliable and didn’t want him near; but Banichi said a) the heirship wasn’t settled yet and b) Badissuni was a messenger.

If Ajresi claimed the clan by force of arms and sat as lord in the Hagrani household, he had nopercentage at all in dealing with Direiso so long as she was sheltering the other Hagrani heir from Ajresi’s assassins, bet on it. Ajresi had, at least for public consumption, detested Saigimi’s previous adventurous dealings with Direiso—the attempt against the paidhiin, which had cost the clan so dearly.

And as a result of Damiri’s association with Tabini, which had gone public in that attack, now Direiso’s association—the Kadigidi, the Atageini, the Tasigin Marid and the lords of Wingin in the peninsula and Wiigin in the northern reach—was threatened. Damiriwas the Atageini heir as well as Direiso’s neighbor, and the day Damiri succeeded her uncle as head of the Atageini clan, Direiso’s days were numbered.

Tabini’s removing Saigimi, whose heir, if it was Ajresi, would take the Marid and Wingin outof her association, meant Direiso was twice threatened. If Ajresi once secured an understanding with Tabini, the two holdings, the Marid and Wingin, wouldn’t become independent from Tabini—they’d never get that—but possibly they’d be held with a far lighter grip. They’d win rights, even economic consideration. Ajresi could win an immense advantage by talking to Tabini early and very politely in his rise to power.

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 space program.

As for why Banichi might have been selected for an assignment in the peninsula, Banichi wasfrom 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 glass. But he hasno choice but represent Ajresi; and he’ll be dead by fall.”

“Do you know that?” Bren was so startled he forgot the softening nadiand 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 hedoesn’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.”

Saidinwas 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 ship. The staff will assist 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.”

“Damn 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 ma

“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 hell Jase hadn’t taken that pose with Saidin while he was gone.

“I can’t trust 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.