The tall iduve glanced aside, embarrassed. “I comprehend the chanokhiathat Tejef found in these beings, both human and kallia.”
“You were responsible for swinging the takkhenesof Ashanometoward Tejef—your vaikkafor Chaikhe.”
Again he had looked toward her, and now bowed his head slightly. “Chaikhe is dhisais—as Rakhi can tell you: beyond vaikkaand no longer appropriate for my protection. I understand what you did, since you did not spare Rakhi, for whom you have most regard, and I admire the strength and chanokhiaof your action, o Chimele. You disadvantaged me repeatedly in your maneuvering, but it was in the interests of Ashanome.”
“Is it in our interests—what you have done?”
“Chimele,” said Rakhi softly, and such a look went between them that it seemed more than Rakhi might have spoken to her in that word, for Chimele seemed much disquieted.
“Khasif,” said Chimele suddenly, “can you be takkhewith this matter as it is?”
Khasif bowed. “I have brought you Tejef; and that vaikkais enough. He is srato me, Chimele, as you are. Do not ask me questions.”
“Chaikhe—” Chimele said.
“Orithain,” said Rakhi, “she has followed your orders amazingly welclass="underline" but remember that she was scarcely out of the dhiswhen she acquired Tejef’s interest.”
Her lips tightened. “Indeed,” she said, and after a moment: “Aiela, the harachiaof yourself and your asuthi is a disturbance for the moment. You did serve me and I rejoice in the honor of your efforts. You are dismissed, but you still owe me a vaikkafor your presumption today.”
He owed her at least the same risk he had taken for Tejef, to restore what he had stolen from her, though every instinct screamed run!“Chimele,” he said, “we honor you—from the heart, we honor you.”
Chimele looked full into his eyes. “ M’metane,” she said, “I have a m’melakhiafor the peculiarity that is Aiela Lyailleue. Curiosity impels me to inquire further and to refrain from dealing with you as you have so well deserved. You are the only m’metaneI have seen who has not feared to be m’metaneamong us. You are Ashanome’s greatest living curiosity—and so you are free with us, and you are getting into the perilous habit of taking liberties with Ashanome.The contagion has spread to your asuthi, I do perceive. In moderation, it has been of service to me.”
“I am honored by your interest, Chimele.”
Her attention fumed then to Ashakh. By some impulse that passed between them, Ashakh bowed very low, hands upon his thighs, and remained in that posture until Chimele’s agitation had passed. He seemed to receive that too, for he straightened without looking up before, and slowly lifted his face.
“Chimele, I protest I am takkhe.”
“I perceive your approval of these outrageous beings.”
“And I,” said Ashakh, “feel your disapproval of me. I am disadvantaged, Chimele, for I do honor you. If you insist, I shall go arrhei-nasul,for my m’melakhiais not adequate to challenge you, certainly not at the peril of the dynasty itself. You are essential and I am not. Only permit me to take these kamethi with me. Arastietheforbids I should abandon them.”
Chimele met his eyes a moment, then fumed aside and reached for Aiela’s arm. Her incredibly strong fingers numbed his hand, but it was not an act of anger.
“When we deal with m’metanei,” she wondered softly, “are we bound by the kastienyou observe? I protest we are akita, m’metane.”
“I do not understand,” Aiela said.
“We are takkhe,” she said to Ashakh then, and walked away into the inner recesses of the paredre.
One did not often see the nasithi-katasakkeon the kamethi level; and the presence of Rakhi caused a mild stir—only mild, for even the kamethi knew the eccentricity of this iduve. So it was not a great shock for Aiela and Isande to find the nasithgreeting them in passing. Beside them the great viewport showed starry space, no longer the sphere of Priamos. Ashanomewas free and running again.
“Sir,” the kamethi acknowledged his courtesy, bowing at once.
“And that third person?”
“‘I am here,’” said Daniel through Aiela’s lips. Trouble, Aiela? What does anas want with us at this hour?
Be calm. If Chimele meant harm, she would do that harm for herself, with no intermediary.Aiela compelled his asuthi to silence and kept his eyes on Rakhi’s so the nasithshould not know that communication flickered back and forth: this three-way communication bemused one to a point that it was hard not to appear to drift.
“Is the asuthithekkhepleasant?” Rakhi wondered, with the nearest thing to wistfulness they had ever heard in an iduve.
“It has its difficulties,” Aiela answered, ignoring the feedback from his asuthi. “But I would not choose otherwise.”
“The silence,” said Rakhi, “is awesome—without. For us the experience is not altogether pleasant. But being severed—makes a great silence.”
Aiela understood then, and pitied him. It was safe to pity Rakhi, whose m’melakhiawas not so fierce. “Is Chaikhe well, sir?”
“She is content. She is inward now—altogether. Dhisaiseigrow more and more that way. I have felt it.” Rakhi silenced himself with an embarrassed glance toward the viewport. The body of Ashanomepassed under the holding arm. For a moment all was dark. Their reflections, pale kallia and dusky iduve, stared back out of the viewport. “There is a small amaut who mentioned you with honor. His name is Kleph. Ashakh bade me say so: arastietheforbids the first of Navigators should carry messages. This person was greatly joyed by the sight of the gardens of Ashanome.Ashakh procured him this assignment. Arastietheforbade—”
“—that Ashakh should admit to gratitude.”
Rakhi frowned, even he a little nettled to be thus interrupted by a m’metane.“It was not chanokhiafor this amaut to have delivered Ashakh in a helpless condition aboard the base ship. This being could not appreciate vaikkain any reasonable sense, save to be disadvantaged in this way. Has Ashakh erred?”
“No,” said Aiela, “and Ashakh knows he has not.”
The ghost of a smile touched the nasith’sface, and Aiela frowned, suspecting he himself had just been the victim of a bit of iduve humor, straightfaced in delivery. Perhaps, he thought, the iduve had puzzled out the ways of m’metaneimore than the iduve chose to admit. Yet not even this most gentle of iduve was to be provoked: one had to remember that they studiedgratitude, could perhaps practice it for humor’s sake. Whether anything then stirred the cold of their dark hearts was worthy of debate.
Let be with him,Isande advised. Even Rakhi has his limits.
“ M’metanei,” said Rakhi, “I should advise that you go soft of step and well-nigh invisible about the paredrefor the next few days. Should Chimele summon you, as she will, be most agreeable.”