“Or a sister,” his father said.
Among humans, one apparently had a way of telling. But either was important news. It affected his place in the world, but not too much, since the parentage was all the same two clans, Ragi and his mother’s Ajuri clan.
And having a baby of the same heritage might divert his mother andhis great-uncle from excessive worry about him, which could be good.
But—
—which would not be good—
Great-grandmother would have another great-grandchild to fuss over, who would get all the favors.
Thatwas not to be tolerated. That thought got his blood to racing.
He really, reallydid not want to share Great-grandmother’s attention. Or nand’ Bren’s. He was not going to share. No.
“We would rather have told you under calmer circumstances,” his father said, “and we would have done so in very short order, in fact, so you would not hear it first from other sources. But you left the capital.”
“Does Great-grandmother know it?”
A snort. “There is nothing your great-grandmother fails to know. Study that woman’s information-gathering. It is highly efficient.”
“She did not know we were going into a trap at Kajiminda.”
His father flung up a hand. “Say no more on that score! One has heard quite enough of that argument!”
He bowed, not knowing what had annoyed his father, but he was sure that something had, something to do with that incident.
And whatever it was, it had nothing to do with the truly important fact—namely that his parents were having another baby.
That possibly made him a little less valuable to some people. It meant if someone did away with him, his father would still have an heir. He supposed that was a good thing.
It meant somebody else would be available for people to watch and fuss over, which was definitely good. His father only had so many security resources. And that meant more freedom for him.
But it also meant he had to be better, in everything, or people would say his sib was better, which was already unfair.
It meant he was going to have to workand stay ahead forever. Or else. Thatwas a threatc a threat a lot more personal than the Marid posed by shooting at him. He never, ever wanted anybody to say his younger sib was better than him at anything.
Great-grandmother said if he was able to deal with the Edi because of meeting them and talking to them, that would be an asset for the future. And he was very sure that if they could settle the Marid’s ambitions that would be an asset for everybody’s future.
And he was not going to give up any assets he had. Not now. Not with competition on the way.
“Your great-grandmother says you can use common sense when you understand a danger is real,” his father said in that no-nonsense voice he had. “One suggests you consider that the danger in this entire district is quite real.”
“One has very well comprehended that, honored Father.”
“Continue to comprehend it,” his father said. “And obey knowledgeable elders!”
He was going to get to stay! “Yes,” he said triumphantly— but not too triumphantly. Nothing was safe until his father actually left him here in his great-grandmother’s keeping. And then he could dothings to secure his future and the aishidi’tat’s. He would be important. He would make himself important— given a head start.
“Behave!” his father said, and he bowed and his father nodded an end to the matter and that was that. His father left, taking his bodyguard with him, and he—
He looked at his intimates, his aishid, his bodyguard, who had necessarily heard all that exchange. He was gratified to see they all looked very respectful, even impressedc even Lucasi and Veijico, who were complete snobs about everything. He had come off rather well in that exchange, he thought, except being surprised by the information that he had a sib coming.
Still, one’s aishid had to be privy to moments like that. And they had to keep quiet about what they knew. It was part of what they were.
“We need information, nadiin-ji,” he said. “We need to know what my father said to my great-grandmother, for one, and to nand’ Bren. Find out.”
Jegari and Antaro were equal with Veijico and Lucasi in that mission: the two young Taibeni, who had reasonable access and credit with house staff, were able to get things from the servants, who heard almost everything. And the two newcomers, being real Guild, could gather information among senior Guild in the house. Both sets looked at him very soberly.
And then they dispersed, Antaro leaving Jegari on duty with him, and Veijico leaving Lucasi with him. Two sources, two kinds of inquiries—neither leaving him alone with the other for a moment—because the two halves of his aishid were notin good agreement.
That was the problem his father had given him alongwith his two real Guild members.
Well, that was all right. At least all his bodyguards were primarily his, not spies for Great-uncle, for his father, or even for Great-grandmother, and he would work it out. Veijico and Lucasi would take orders: they had said so, and they had better mean it.
He had been doing some talking with the two new members of his aishid over the last couple of days, and he had arrived at a fair understanding of their position. They weregood, they didunderstand Guild operations, and they would take the lead in defense. They had been very frustrated at having to live in the Guild house where nothing everhappened that the seniors did not take care of, and they realized that being attached to him was a great thing, and they looked forward to being in actionc
But they also understood that they had to take general orders from Antaro and Jegari as the two who best knew his mind on what Great-grandmother would call “staff policy.”
They had readily agreed they would not tell tales unless they feared he was making a serious, serious mistake—and he was determined not to do that, given their experienced advice. Which he promised to hear, at least, on any important question. He assured them of that, and they seemed happy.
So he had his household in fairly good order. Jegari and Antaro ran staff things and most of the defense planning for the room and all was done by Veijico and Lucasi, who could also get some information out of nand’ Bren’s bodyguard and some even from Great-grandmother’s.
And even his father had had to admit his presence here was an asset to the aishidi’tat, if he was learning things and making a good impression on people. He was proud of that.
So everybody agreed he would stay in nand’ Bren’s house, and he was so happy he could run through the halls shouting. But he did no such thing, because he was being proper.
He would be helpful. He would getthe man’chi of the Edi andthe Gan, the way Great-grandmother planned, so that someday when he was aiji, he would have the whole coast secure.
The Ragi? They ran the whole aishidi’tat, all the Western Association, and they might be upset with him dealing with the Edi, but they were always arguing about something. One thing he knew for certain: he had Uncle Tatiseigi backing him, which was the Central Clans; and he had Great-grandmother, who was the East; and he was fairly sure of the Isles and the North; and certainly of the Taibeni, who were Jegari and Antaro’s clan; and if he got the Edi, too, then they could flatten the Marid, and nobody was going to overthrow his father’s heir.