Intruder

“But you think it. You think I meant to ruin the nursery! You think I would harm my sister!”

“I believe you,” his mother said. “I have been worried. I have been listening, perhaps, to servants who have not offered the best advice.” His mother’s face looked very sad, very tired. “I never wanted to give you up.”

“I was too little to have any choice, honored Mother. But one still wants to understand my Ajuri side! And my Atageini side.”

“Your great-uncle,” his mother said with a sigh and a shake of her head. “And your grandfather.”

“Your grandfather ,”his father said, suddenly, “is ambitious. One could forgive that. But one ca

“One ca

“I am here,” Cajeiri was moved to say. “I do not mind being here. But—”

No, it was probably not the most auspicious time to argue about Boji. With luck, his mother would just let the matter fall.

“You have had a large life,” his mother said, “and this is a small apartment.”

“Yet I am happy in it.”

“You want that creature,” his mother said. “Will you keep him in your suite?”

“Beyond any doubt, honored Mother! I shall be very happy to keep him in, and train him, so he can be safe with my sister!”

“Do you wanta sister?”

“One hopes to,” he said. “One hopes to be a good son, honored Mother. One truly does. And you will have a baby to take care of, and we will all be especially good, honored Mother.”

“I have no lady servant now,” his mother said, suddenly upset. “I have no lady servant.”

“We will mend that,” his father said. “We will mend that tomorrow. One promises.”

She leaned forward, hands clasped on her knees. “Son of mine, shall I stay married to your father? Or not?”

“You have to! My father relies on you! And neither of you should be alone!”

“You constantly tell me how your great-grandmother does things. You consider her advice ahead of mine.”

“I have lived with you very little, honored Mother, but I think you are very smart, or my father would not listen to you. And he does. So I should.”

His mother looked at him without saying anything, seeming upset. Or not. He was not sure. “You are assuredly her handiwork,” his mother said with a shake of her head, “and your father’s. What a pair you are!”

“Yet—she should stay, should she not, honored Father?”

“We have told her so,” his father said. “And I have agreed your sister and you will take separate paths. Your sister will notbe turned over to your great-grandmother. She will be completely in your mother’s charge, so do not campaign for her to go to your great-grandmother.”

“If you will defend your little sister,” his mother said, “we would be grateful. And we hope you will not instruct her in how to slip past security until she is at least felicitous thirteen.”

His face went hot, but he knew when he was subtly being reprimanded, and laughed at, however gently.

“Yes,” he said. And could not help adding: “But she will be my sister, honored Mother, and one is quite sure she will be clever. Just I shall always be ahead of her.”

His mother smiled gently. “Then be sure to keep ahead of her, son of mine. And keep her safe.”

“You have not had supper, have you?” his father asked, gently.

“No,” he said. “Nor my staff.”

“Nor your mother nor I. Come.” His father stood up.

And his mother held out her hand, as if he had been a tiny child. He took it the way he took mani’s when she dispensed with her cane, and wrapped his arm around hers, with her hand atop.

So his father muttered to Jaidiri that they should have supper and let everyone out of his son’s apartment.

And nobody had ordered Boji sent back to the market or told him he could not have his birthday party.

And he did not have to have di

20

  There came a commotion of another group entering, and a little whisper of feminine voices attended. Bren did not even need to turn his head to know whose party had entered the room, to such universal interest from the ladies.

He went immediately toward the entry to meet Lord Machigi, who was there with only his bodyguard—Tema’s crew, with light arms, was immediately about him, and a second team, like an outer shell of dark planets, was positioning themselves starting at the door.

“Nandi,” Bren said, and bowed, and Machigi met him with a bow—another man might have worn a grim face and a wary look at walking in among former enemies, but Machigi wore charm like a garment—his face was relaxed, his bearing easy, and he had the look and grace of a lord in his own element.

“Paidhi,” he said. “A pleasure. Lord Geigi.” Two old enemies met with gracious nods. “You do me honor, nandi, even though one is certain it is for the aiji-dowager’s sake.”

“I hope to accumulate reason to do it for your own, nandi,” Lord Geigi said. “Let us hope for the future.”

“Indeed.” With a gracious nod, Machigi moved on toward the tables. Bren stayed with him, the massed dark knot of their security carving a passage through the crowded hall. There was old-fashioned lamplight, the glitter of the world’s treasures in jewelry, and, where figures grew more shadowy around the perimeter, the reflecting gold of atevi eyes, like so many more jewels in the dark. Every eye was on Machigi, every ateva present reckoning and measuring every move he made, his attitudes, his state of mind—his honesty. And every ateva present knew what the paidhi-aiji’s role had been in getting him here, and what his role was now, welcoming the lord of the Taisigi, providing small talk, marking time until the aiji-dowager herself might come downstairs and make her entry. Everything now was a dance, a precise order of moves that had to be made, a sequence that had to be followed, and with which everybody present would settle their minds, knowing exactly what came next.

Next—seemed like forever. “Did you have a smooth trip, nandi?” had to be asked, and Machigi was gracious enough not to say simply, “Yes,” and make his substitute host fish for another question. He said, “Quite smooth, but you are quite right about the airport road, nandi—badly in need of repair.”

“Najida would be pleased to meet your crews halfway, nandi. Our crews are, however, Edi folk.”

“We shall have some understandings to create,” Machigi said. “Guild in the area would reassure my people.”

“And the Edi are increasingly inclined to view their presence favorably,” Bren said. “I would have members of my house staff to supervise any area of contact, if that would suffice.”

“A very good notion, nand’ paidhi.”

“And your comfort in Najida?”

“Splendid. Quarters in the Bujavid could not be as comfortable.”

“Or as secure, one hopes. If you have any concerns at all—”

“Nandiin,” Banichi said, “the aiji-dowager has reached the lower hall.”

Machigi simply nodded and glanced toward the door.

Guild was clearing the crowd back. That usually produced a little subdued commotion.

Banichi said: “There is a situation. “Lord Komaji has shown up, from the public entry, demanding admission. Guild will admit him and sequester him, physically, not to delay the dowager.”

Komaji. Lord Ajuri. Damiri’s father. From the publicentrance?

Bren’s heart rate ticked up a notch.

“The aiji has withdrawn the supper invitation,” Jago said, as Banichi’s attention focused tightly on the door. “Geigi-ji, will you go to the doorway, immediately, with your guard? Divert Lord Ajuri.”

“Yes,” Geigi said, and moved.

“We have an incident,” Machigi said. It was a question.