Intruder

“Tell me no such things when you advocate ruinous measures that will utterly overthrow civilization!”

“If this remotely refers to the question of cell phones, nandi, I now openly and unreservedly admit you are right.”

The old man’s mouth stuck half-open. He blinked.

“One is quite in earnest, Lord of the Atageini, and since the paidhi-aiji is about to run counter to the desires of the aiji himself, and to those of the progressives on this matter, one hopes for your staunch support in this.”

“You claim you are now opposedto the bill!”

“You are right, nandi. You are absolutely right in your arguments. If the bill passes, my office still enables me to veto it. I shall. Lord Geigi concurs: This is the right thing to do.”

“Lord Geigi!”

“Likewise,” he said carefully and emphatically, “will the new lordships of the Gan and of the Edi, if they have gained seats before the vote, and so will the entire Marid bloc—which is already seated in the legislature—”

“That scoundrel Machigi—”

“—will be voting with you, with the Gan, and the Edi, and Lord Geigi. As shall I, as lord of Najida. If I must, should it somehow pass, I swear to you I shall wield my veto, which I have not done in many, many years; and I have already informed Tabini-aiji I am now opposed. In the recent violence in the southwest, I saw what might have resulted had cell phones been available, and I have come to agree with you utterly, nandi.”

“Tea, nadiin!”

That broke the discussion off in favor of yet another round of tea, and there was, for a time, no more conversation while Lord Tatiseigi contemplated the situation. Lord Tatiseigi sat with fingers steepled and didn’t even look at him until tea was served and the servants offered more teacakes.

Bren declined the latter. So did Tatiseigi. They drank in deep and meaningful silence. And at the end of just one cup, Tatiseigi set it down.

“Machigi,” Tatiseigi said, “will use any lull in hostilities to arm the Marid with any finance and any weapons he can get his hands on. After the recent wars, there are plenty of those lying about.”

“He might have that intention, one is fully aware. But the aiji-dowager plans to keep him busy—and constantly observed. This is one reason the aiji-dowager has offered him association. The Guild is bringing him under Guild protection, and the dowager plans to keep him and his resources so entirely concentrated on the project she will share with him that he will have no time nor energy for other adventurescuntil he can see clearly that the project will pay off; and war will not. She has it admirably mapped out, nandi. I am amazed at her brilliance.”

“This is her idea, is it?”

“None of mine, nandi, one assures you. Machigi will live to rule. He will offer Guild protection to his subordinate lords and they will live to rule the other districts under his direction. The legitimate Guild will gain the leverage in the Marid it has always lacked, and in the process, the Guild will root out every last vestige of the renegades who have established themselves there, while protecting Lord Machigi’s authority. More, the aiji-dowager is strongly urging any new lord of the Edi and the Gan to acquire their own Guild protection—which will have exactly the same effect on theirdistricts. The institution of Guild centered around those three powers, Machigi, the Edi, and the Gan, will completely change the culture of feud and warfare that has characterized the two districts and their relationship to the rest of the aishidi’tat. There is, one believes, brilliant simplicity in this plan, nandi, and the guilds are the key. If the Assassins’ Guildis the cha

“And rivalries, nandi. They will have rivalries and a tradition of armed conflict.”

“Rivalries that the aforesaid guilds will moderate. Forcibly if need be, but by denial of benefits which will push politics into motion, nandi, and stopwars, as against the interest of this and that entity.”

“This is a dream.”

“It is the aiji-dowager’s dream, nandi, and one suspects you may have heard pieces of it long before she ever brought it into operation. I know that she has been passionate about this from far back, and I believe it has, in this precise moment, found its best opportunity. She is doing more in the East than see to the marriage of Lord Geigi’s misbehaving nephew. She will be talking to numerous of her associates and allies; hence the unforecast delay in her return. One is quite certain that she would not have left so many unresolved questions in my hands if she had had a choice, and it is with the greatest trepidation, nandi, that I have approached you in her stead—hoping to bring you current with everything, because you are so very necessary to her hopes and plans. Therefore, before undertaking any such approach, one felt obliged to satisfy the debt to your hospitality, a debt in which I feel very strongly at disadvantage. It moved me to begin by showing you, even before I bring a similar piece before the Merchants’ Guild, an example of the best of the Marid and to make it yours, in small token of my indebtedness. The work is inspired by the great pillars that stand in the Residency of Tanaja, and I hope I have not offended you in such a gift. It comes from me, not at all from Lord Machigi. I was insistent on that point. And it comes only of my gratitude for your hospitality, no more, no less.”

Oh, that was laying it on. Tatiseigi shot him a straight-on look from under his brows and said, with an increasing level of interest: “Most thoughtful. Your level of taste is quite unexpectedly high, nand’ paidhi.”

And another layer of modesty. “It comes from the hand of an artist respected in Tanaja. I hoped it would suit.”

“It is extraordinary,” Tatiseigi said, for the first time allowing passion to creep into his voice. “It is quite extraordinary. If it is truly from you, and not from that scoundrel Machigi, one may accept it.”

“It is assuredly from me, nandi, as a personal gift that I was happy to make.”

“Ha. Well.” The old man gave a little bow in place and looked as happy as ever one could remember him. “Then one is pleased to accept such a sentiment. My collection at Tirnamardi boasts an item of blue glaze. Do you know what that means?”

“That such an item is a great treasure, nandi, and very, very old.”

“It is only a single cup, but priceless, from the Saie Period.”

Thank God for a little reading—it was before the Great Wave.

“One is astonished. My meager knowledge does tell me it is a true museum piece.”

“It was a time of better relations,” Tatiseigi said. “The artist was Diadin. A signed piece. We understand there are but three in existence.”

It was an hour before he could manage an escape. Lord Tatiseigi had found an audience. And the old man’s expertise was impressive.

“Nandi,” Bren said in parting, “one has so enjoyed this meeting—and the discussion with someone of your breadth of knowledge. I shall certainly look at the Bujavid collection with a more discerning eye, now, and since the very first items in trade that are proposed under the agreement are porcelains and artworks, there can be no better advisor to whom I may refer, if you will be so kind. There is another piece, which Machigi himself ordered from the same artist, for a gift to the aiji and the people of the aishidi’tat, which will be on exhibition in the lower hall. This one I chose for you shows no difference in quality that my untutored eye can discern. The other will be on limited exhibit at first, but one would be veryinterested to hear your expert assessment of it, and therefore of Machigi’s seriousness in paying a courtesy to Tabini-aiji. If you would possibly find time to view it, one would be glad to have your expert opinion. I confess I chose this one for its beautiful greens, which I intended to honor the Atageini colors.”