Conspirator

The dowager nodded slowly, grimly. “The paidhi is the more valuable,” she muttered.

He understood it all right down to the point Ilisidi said that, regarding her precious great-grandson. He was appalled. Didn’t know what to say.

And Ilisidi turned and walked away into the i

“Cenedi-ji,” he said. He thought maybe, under the circumstances, Cenedi might not favor the familiar address, but he knew the man, and did it anyway. “I will personally move the heavens and the earth to get Cajeiri back safely. One begs you let me and my staff assist you in what we do next.”

Cenedi nodded shortly in the affirmative. “We shall begin,” Cenedi said, “by asking nand’ Baiji what he knows about this. Will the paidhi wish to question him? The paidhi heard his prior responses.”

“Yes,” he said, and looked at Banichi and Jago, who gave him no sign to the contrary. “Nadiin-ji, I shall have to call the aiji.”

“One believes ’Sidi-ji is doing so at this moment,” Cenedi said. “There will be reinforcements within a few hours, asked or unasked.”

“Baiji’s household is suspect,” Banichi said grimly. “We did not recognize the men with him. Not a one. And we did not see all of them. Nor do we know about the servants.”

“Number?” Cenedi asked.

“Four uniformed, downstairs. The shots came from the roof.”

Crack. Tap. Ilisidi came back outof her room down the hall and said, with perfect and terrible calm, “We shall have a personal word with Baiji. I will spare half an hour. Come dark, we shall go get my great-grandson.”

Diplomacy might be his job. But security was wholly Guild business, and Guild was going to be in charge when they moved tonight. Dangerous enough, that they’d apparently just called Tabini to respond to the situation. Communications were a leaky business ever since the new technology had taken hold; and the Messengers’ Guild, in charge of the phones, had never been wholly reliable. The matter had gotten noisier and noisier, and if the lines were compromised, there might be more moving than a handful of Assassins over in Kajiminda.

Jago left quickly and quietly, and a very short time later came back in with two of the dowager’s security and Lord Baiji between them.

Baiji immediately bowed, a deep, deep bow, an apology, with: “I am i

Thump! went the cane on the carpet. “I care nothing for your i

“I—do not know, aiji-ma.”

Ilisidi flung up a dismissive hand. “Then you are useless! Why are you breathing?”

“I know who is behind this, aiji-ma! I am sure—I am certain— I am relatively sure I know—”

“Gods less fortunate! Make up your mind, man!”

“His guard,” Banichi said ominously, “left him under fire. They were new men attending him, not born to the house. And one is not certain we met a single Edi on the premises.”

“There were,” Baiji protested. “There were. My staff served you! And those Assassins on the roof—my guard—my guard was as stu

“Splendid!” Ilisidi’s voice was like the damning crack of the cane. “Splendid. His guard was stu

“They might have known Lord Bren would visitc”

“They might have known,” Ilisidi said, and now her voice had sunk, silken soft. “Are you a total fool, boy?”

“I—”

“—you have no idea how they would know this? And you are not sure? Do you know to whom you are currently speaking? Do you imagine we will be taken in by lies and maybes, considering the offense against our house and the breach of man’chi with your own uncle?”

“My guard—”

“Your guard is dead, incompetent, or in collusion! Where are the Edi?”

“My staff is there, aiji-ma, they have always been there.”

“But some have gone to Dalaigi Township,” Bren muttered. “Tell her.”

“They are there! Some left—long ago. But the faithful ones, the ones that know I am a good lordc”

“And your bodyguard?” Banichi asked. “Why did they desert you?”

“They—they were confusedc”

“They have no man’chi!” Ilisidi’s dreadful cane extended, upward, and rested on Baiji’s shoulder. “They are not yours, or they would not have retreated.”

“They—they—are mine. They just—”

“ The truth, man! Out with it!”

Baiji bowed, hands on knees, and came upright again, waving his hands desperately. “Aiji-ma, the Tasaigi of the Marid came to me, Lord Bren knows, during the Troubles. I temporized with them regarding a marriage—a marriage, a marriage which kept this peninsula safe, nand’ dowager! I—”

“So. The Marid. The Marid.”

“You assisted the search for nand’ Cajieri yesterday,” Bren said. “With what motive? To find him yourself? To kill him?”

“No! No. One had no idea—no idea of who the boy was. No idea. One only wished to be neighborly.”

“Kill this man,” Ilisidi said.

“No!” Baiji wailed, lifting his hands, then bowing. “No, aiji-ma. I can tell you—I can tell you everything!”

“Why did you search for my great-grandson?”

“It was the paidhi, it was the paidhi-aiji, aiji-ma, one knew— one knew he was here, one wished to warn himc”

“We were in radio contact, nandi,” Bren said. “Why did you not?”

“You left,” Baiji stammered. “You left. One—one thought of sailing into Najidama Bay, but—they might have come here. They might have come here and we all would die.”

“Tell us,” the dowager said quietly, “tell us the details of this, tell us once, and be accurate, as you hope for my patience. My great-grandson is in danger. Is he not?”

“He is in great danger, aiji-ma. The Tasaigi came a few days ago. They came with new proposals—regarding—regarding the wedding. One has—one has not wanted to trouble those waters. One had hoped—they would simply go away and not renew their offer.”

“A few days ago,” Bren said, “notice came that made them move. Some in the Bujavid knew I was coming here. Some at Tirnamardi knew. My staff here in Najida knew. But one would wager on someone within the Bujavid.”

“The Tasaigi flew in, we take it?” Ilisidi snapped, looking at Baiji. “They arrived in the district, you met with them. Where did you acquire your personal guard?”

“They are—they are a—”

“Gift from the proposed in-laws?”

Again the deep bow. The appeal with the hands. “No. No, nand’ dowager. My guard vanished—in the Troubles—greatly mourned. The Guild itself sent these two. One has never, never, nand’ dowager—one would never be so foolish—they are not Southern! I would know if they were Southern.”

“Central district,” Ilisidi said sharply. “Let me guess. The traitor Murini himself sent them.”

“No, aiji-ma. The Guild in Shejidan.”

Ilisidi looked ceilingward and turned away.

Then looked straight at Bren.

“One bears blame for this, aiji-ma,” Bren said with a bow. “I divided my staff. I trusted our old relations with Kajiminda.”

“ Wetrusted Kajiminda,” Ilisidi said bitterly, “trusting an old ally, trusting in those two childrenwho attend my great-grandson, besidesc” She spun on her heel and looked straight at Baiji. “Elaborate, man! The nature and extent of this contact. Nowyou may go into detail and meander as much as you like.”

“I—”

“And use nouns! They, they, they! No more they! Give me names!”

“Aiji-ma—”

“Sit down,” Ilisidi said sweetly. “Nand’ Bren, send for tea. And no, nephew of our esteemed Lord Geigi, ambitiousnephew of our Lord Geigi, we do not intend to poison you. Let us sit down and talk reasonably. We lack some time until dark, when we shall take action.”

Bren himself went to the door, opened it, and signaled the major domo. “Kindly provide tea, a service for three.” He added: “ Notthe historic set, if you please, Rama-ji. I think that would be best.”