And, what was more, one suffered more than a slight suspicion that Geigi had not at all surprised Ilisidi when he had done it.
9
« ^ »
Lucasi and Veijico were not entirely happy. They had, of course, been listening at the door during mani’s session with the Grandmother and Lord Geigi, but they had not been pleased with being relegated to the hall.
And they had had their heads together at least twice since they had gotten back to the suite. Cajeiri noted that fact. He had very good ears—too good, Great-grandmother often said— and he knew a good many of the Guild hand-signs he was not supposed to know, because Banichi and Jago had taught him, and so had Antaro and Jegari, whenever they learned them.
There was no sign for our seniors are out of their mindsand there was none for we are superior to all these people. But that was rather well communicated without their saying a thing.
“Luca-ji. Jico-ji,” he said, in the process of shrugging on a light daycoat Jegari held for him. “Are we possibly discussing my great-grandmother’s business?”
That got their attention. Instantly. And he thought, If they lie to me, they will be in trouble.
Lucasi bowed slightly, a little more than a nod. “We were discussing the events in the house, yes, nandi.”
“Do we form policy, nadiin-ji?”
A small silence. A slightly seditious silence. Seditiouswas one of Great-uncle’s words. Conspiratorialwas another.
“We do not,” Lucasi said with a second bow.
Cajeiri wished he had a cane like Great-grandmother’s. It would be very useful with manners like that.
“You are much too smooth,” Cajeiri said. “Smoothness is just a little step from lying.”
“We do not lie, nandi!”
“What is a lie?” he asked back—seguing right to one of Great-grandmother’s little lectures.
“We do not lie.”
“Answer me! What is a lie?”
A deep, annoyed breath. “A falsehood, nandi. And where have we uttered a falsehood?”
“You try to give me a false impression. Thatis a lie. You talk in signs and you discuss my great-grandmother. That is stupid, by itself! And lying to me does not improve it!”
A sullen bow in reply. “If you choose to regard it that way, nandi.”
“Do you see a difference in it, nadiin? Ido not. You may be called upon to lie in my service. But never lie to me. Never lie to Antaro and Jegari. And never conceal your opinions from me! But be verycareful of my great-grandmother!”
They both looked as if they had a mouthful of something very unpleasant.
“Well?” he said. “Say it.”
“We are concerned,” Veijico said. “We are greatly concerned that your elders are making dangerous decisions. Your great-grandmother is aiji-dowager, but she is notthe aiji. We are bound to report to him.”
“And I say you do not! Who do you think you are, nadiin? Higher than Cenedi? Higher than Banichi?”
“We report to the aiji, your father!”
“Regarding me! Regarding when I break one of nand’ Bren’s rules or get lost on the boat! But you do not make calls to my father about my great-grandmother, or you will be very sorry for it. You do not meddle! Do you hear me?”
“We hear,” Lucasi said in a low voice, and not a shred of remorse was in evidence. “But we have an opinion, nandi.”
“State it.”
“These are foreigners,” Veijico said after a moment of silence, “with their own man’chi.”
“ Whois a foreigner?” he asked. “Do we mean the Edi?” Deeper breath. “Or do we mean nand’ Bren? Or do we mean nand’ Geigi, who comes from the space station?”
Another silence. Then, from Lucasi: “We are concerned about the welfare of this house, nandi. Your great-grandmother is attempting to replace the lord of Maschi clan. This will upset the whole aishidi’tat. It affects every lord. It will not be popular.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But it may be smart, if Pairuti is a fool like Baiji, or if he has made bad bargains with the wrong people.”
“And Lord Geigi and Lord Bren are considering going to the Maschi house! That is stupid, nandi!”
“We doubt it is.”
“ Youare eight years old.”
Oh, thereit was. Antaro and Jegari took in their breath. He saw their heads lift, and saw them both like wound springs, ready to say something. He signed no.
And smiled, just like Great-grandmother. “Yes, I am at an infelicitous age,” he said, not personally using the insulting and unlucky eight. “But I understand when not to touch things. You should learn it.”
Two very rigid faces. “We were put here,” Veijico said, “because we have a mature understanding, which you, young lord, do not yet—”
“ You were put here,” Cajeiri said, “because I make guards look bad and tutors quit. The only ones who can keep up with me are Antaro and Jegari. See if you can, if I get mad at you.”
That got frowns. “We can keep up with you,” Veijico said. “Never doubt that.”
“Good,” he said. “Baji-naji, nadiin. People have been wrong. And you do notcall my father to report on my great-grandmother. Sometimes my great-grandmother is scary. So are her associates. You should get used to this. My father is used to it. So should you be, if you are going to try to keep up with me.”
Sullen silence from Lucasi, and one from Veijico. A scarcely perceptible bow from Lucasi.
“Are you honest with me?” Cajeiri asked. “Do you still think I am stupid and have to be lied to?”
A little pause additional. Then a slow bow from Lucasi and from Veijico, nearly simultaneous. “No,” they said.
Not: No, nandi. Just no. They were saying what they had to say. But he realized something right then that he should have felt much sooner. There was no connection. There was no man’chi. And there was no inclination toward it. They might feel it toward his father. But who knew where else—if it was not to him?
But everybodywho was not his father’s enemy felt man’chi toward his father. To decide that wastheir man’chi—that was more than a little presumptuous on their part. Presumptuous. That was what mani would say. They thought they were in his father’s guard. They found fault with his great-grandmother and practically everybody, including him.
A lot of people in the central clans were like that. But theywere from the mountains. They had made up their minds to be like that.
And he was mad.
He was very mad at them. And they knew it. It was in the stares they gave back, and they were not in the least sorry.
“You know far less than you think you do,” he said. He would neverdare say that to the least of Great-grandmother’s men. He would never dare say that to the maid who cleaned the room. But he said it, and meant it, and glared at them.