Inheritor

“I have provided one. My informants say that Jase Graham has taken to his room in high and angry emotion. But that you estimate no danger in him.”

The informants were the entire staff over there, via lady Damiri, who said not a thing.

“He wishes to return to the ship,” Bren said, “—and he knows the way—the only way—lies through his performing his job. I do worry for him. But I believe he already shows signs of recovery from a very profound shock.” That was stretching it a bit. But one never wanted atevi to grow too quick-fingered about their defensive instincts. “Jase is not a dangerous man, aiji-ma. In terms of his knowledge, perhaps, but in terms of deliberate harm to the premises or to any individual, no, my human judgment says no.”

“On your judgment, Bren-paidhi. Do as you see fit regarding security, only so you protect yourself, the staff, the premises. You may have heard—” He slid a glance at Damiri. “There will be an inspection.”

“The lilies,” Damiri-daja said quietly.

“Lord Tatiseigi,” Tabini said, “will tour the restored breakfast room. And there will be cameras—official cameras. Do you think you can keep nadi Jase proper and kabiufor the duration? This is unavoidable timing. And highly unfortunate. But it might be an excuse, if Jase-paidhi were to take to mourning. Perhaps some human custom of retreat. Would it be appropriate for him to take ill?”

God, he wished he could say yes. He felt sick at his stomach, from sheer imagination of the Atageini lord visiting the apartment, ahead of television cameras. A formal reception. Jase, distracted as he was apt to be, in the mood he was bound to be in. He felt verysick at his stomach.

A broken-legged assassination? Dared he?

Maybe they could just slip Jase a sedative. A dose of mildly poisonous tea.

But no, no, then the press would blame the lord of the Atageini. The headlines would ba

Perhaps heshould take a double cup of the tea himself, and not have to face this lordly inspection tour.

But that would leave everything in Jase’s hands and thatwas impossible.

“I’ll decide,” he said to Tabini, “based on what I hear from him after he’s talked to his mother. But, in all honesty, aiji-ma, I fear I can’t offer a method. Unless we claimed some custom on the ship. Which—could answer to most anything, I suppose. If it were necessary.”

“I would have avoided this timing,” Tabini said. “But trying to delay it could make a worse problem.”

“One can’t tell my uncle no,” Damiri said, hands folded in her lap, very proper, very demure. “He wishes to see you, nand’ paidhi. And one believes this business on the peninsula has made him that much more aggressively determined.”

Bren drew a quiet breath, getting the full picture: Saigimi’s wife and daughter, relatives to Geigi, had fled to the Atageini’s neighbor, Direiso.

And Tabini entertaining lord Badissuni, the one Banichi said would be dead by fall.

“Not,” Damiri went on to say, “that my uncle will grieve for Saigimi. Nor that he will be displeased to see Direiso discomfited—but he will set great store on beinghere, nand’ paidhi, and in public, and—One relies on your discretion.”

Tabini shifted in his chair and propped his elbow on the arm, his forefinger across his lips as if, unrestrained, he would say something incredibly indiscreet.

The paidhi could well imagine. Tatiseigi would rather double-cross lady Direiso only aftershe’d knifed Tabini.

Failing that, was Tatiseigi’s move a public display calculated to a

Therewas the sticking point.

But meanwhile they’d be civilized. That was the essence of things: civilization. They were the lords of the Padi Valley: Tabini’s house, the Atageini, Direiso’s Kadigidi, and a handful else.

Tatiseigi of the Atageini and Direiso both had encouraged the peninsular lords to rash actions, which Saigimi had undertaken most rashly of all. Saigimi’s death was the means by which the aiji pulled the chain—hard—and reminded them all where authority and force rested.

Hell, it did beat war as a solution.

What he thought of saying was, It’s rather brave of Tatiseigi to walk in next door, considering he’s a logical target.

What he also thought was, God, what kind of Guild members is the old man going to have with him, and what if they break out guns, and shoot at Tabini?

What he did say was, “Would it be wise of me and nand’ Jase both to relocate permanently and allow your uncle possession of the apartment, Damiri-daja? Would that solve the problem? Or we might move for a few days—”

“No such thing!” Tabini said. “Let him be resourceful in his lodging!”

“I’d by no means wish—”

“No, nadi, let my uncle be resourceful,” Damiri said more quietly. “Nadi-ji, he will manage. With the aiji-dowager’s good grace, perhaps he will lodge directly downstairs: he is no stranger to her premises.”

“Is she here? I thought she was bound for Malguri.”

“Oh, grandmother isreturning here,” Tabini said. “She will arrive tomorrow. I’m sureshe stayed on in the western provinces for exactly this show—I mean the matter of the lily porcelains, not lord Saigimi and that nonsense. She’ll amuse herself with the party. Thenshe’ll be off to the east in all haste, mechieti and staff and all. So she promises me.” Tabini had settled back in the chair and folded his hands across his stomach, both elbows on the chair arms, feet out in front of him. “If you have wondered, nand’ paidhi, yes, regarding lord Saigimi. That is all I will say on the matter. And all you should reasonably ask. Grandmother will of course be furious with the affair in the peninsula and verybusy with phone calls all about the Padi Valley. But you have such a marvelous capacity to soothe her tempers, Bren-ji.—And I do trust you to do so.”

“Aiji-ma, I have no such influence, I assure you—”

“Oh, don’t be modest. She dotes on you. You’re civilized. That’s her word. Civilized. And you have, she says, such lovely hair.”

He tried not to flinch or to blush. Tabini was amused and Damiri’s mouth courted dimples one after the other. “So my security tells me,” he returned dryly, and was immediately aghast at himself. He’d twice now gotten direly reckless with atevi lords, but he drew a laugh from Tabini, who’d, in point of fact, challenged him.

In truth, the paidhi sat outside the system of lords and inheritance, and couldn’t possibly challenge Tabini in any sense that mattered.

“My uncle will not lodge with you, nand’ paidhi, be assured so.” That from Damiri-daja, and quite soberly. “Only be very careful. I ask you, be careful of him. He is in some ways delicate in constitution and more delicate in sensibilities.”

“He’s in all ways an unreasonable old man,” Tabini muttered. “It would be indecorous to file Intent on him, but, gods less felicitous! He does try me.—How, by the by, is the peninsular society this season? I hear you took advantage of lord Geigi’s hospitality.”

“He was a very good host and wishes you well, aiji-ma.”

“Well he should. Well, well, I’ll have your report of him. I trust you have it in preparation.”

“My staff does, yes, aiji-ma.”

“The plague of Uncle descends tomorrow—”

Tomorrow! he thought, and did not say.

“—barring rain,” Tabini said, “which I am told prevents the paint from drying completely enough. And the weather report is clear.—If you charm this impossible man, Bren, I do swear I’ll make you a ministerial department.”

“I doubt that I can do so much.” The relationship between the Atageini and the aiji’s house was already such that the aiji himself couldn’t stall the man or his questions, and probably many of those questions (except the peninsular assassination) involved two humans guesting on the property.