Aiji-ma, I stand in receipt of your letter and am honored by your personal favor.
As always, I will strive for the benefit of your household and the aishidi’tat, and all allies. I will do my best, aiji-ma. All information at my disposal makes me sure that the other station is under Pilots’ Guild authority. On evidence of past behavior of this Guild, I am determined that this Guild should by no means contact strangers in our name, and I will do all needful things to settle the situation in a stable fashion.
He was certain that Tabini knew what was happening in the ship, as he was certain Ilisidi was far from idle in her apartments. But he reported, all the same.
— Jase-paidhi has been appointed one of two aijiin to go with the ship. If only because the other captain must sleep, I believe he will periodically have real authority over the ship’s dealings, although he lacks technical skills and would by no means intervene in ship operations. I also predict he will not defy Sabin-aiji’s will except in demonstrable need, but he is not without intellectual resources and resources of authority, and I know he will be a valuable ally.
Ogun-aiji will remain here, as you may by now be aware, and I strongly urge, aiji-ma, that the aishidi’tat press forward in alliance with him in the building of the second ship, and the training of atevi personnel to manage it, as the most extreme priority.
Tabini who had had only rudimentary knowledge of his own solar system when he first came to power now had to understand the machinations of a human power at a remote station.
And he had to command and use a starship… considering the personally unwelcome prospect of losing Phoenix.
I have certain safety concerns regarding Mercheson-paidhi, who I understand will stand in my place, by your express invitation. I ask she also be allowed use of my apartment and all the resources of my staff in that service. They will save her duplicating my efforts in setting up and maintaining lines of communication.
Further, I am aware of certain areas where there may have been direct contact initiated by Ramirez, aiji-ma, and I am alarmed by the possibilities inherent in conversation unexamined for ambiguities. Mercheson seems a person of great competency and good will toward yourself and the aishidi’tat, and will perform honestly, I believe, but she is still a relative novice, not thoroughly conversant in court protocols and not as alert to nuance as she herself would wish.
I ask, therefore, that you yourself mediate where she is concerned, aiji-ma, no matter how provoked. I ask that you deal gently with Mercheson’s inexpertise and that you impose calm on all dealings that may result from error. The sane and good actions of reasonable individuals may still be misinterpreted, but the good will between Ogun and the aishidi’tat is too valuable to let fall, as I know that you are earnest in your desire to preserve all parties from needless harm.
For that reason I believe both Mercheson and Ogun-aiji may be in immediate danger from various persons and agencies ill-disposed toward the treaty. I have taken Mercheson into my quarters and advised her to stay there. I am at present unable to surround Ogun-aiji, but am seeking ways to protect him. I ask that their safety be assured without diminishing their independent authority, so that they may maintain their utmost value to the treaty association.
For the rest, aiji-ma, I cannot predict what I may find regarding the alien threat nor can I do so until I see what the situation may be at the remote station. I hope for the best outcome and will bend every effort to achieve peace.
I have no doubt of the aiji-dowager and thank you for approving her participation in this extraordinary venture.
I look forward to our next meeting, baji-naji, aiji-ma. Remote as I may be, I shall turn my mind often to your generosity and your many good deeds toward me, and hope to bring you favorable news.
It wasn’t a particularly brilliant letter. Humanly, he couldn’t write to an atevi lord what he felt at depth. Professionally, he couldn’t instruct the aiji how to deal with Mercheson in a single letter. Politically, he dared not say half he wished he could say: it was only a letter—and it might go astray.
He sent it the rounds of the staff. They praised it. Banichi and Jago would not flatter him, if it wasn’t adequate.
By then he’d made several assaults on familial letters—and erased them in despair.
And there was no word from Jase, none from the aiji-dowager.
Yolanda waked, having overslept her watch for two hours, and emerged, ribboned and braided, in court dress appropriate years ago—walked about as quietly as she could, but he called her in.
“Jase is out of contact,” he said. “Have youany means to call him?”
“I can go after him,” she said.
“I want you safe, Landa-ji. Can you call him? Can you call Polano, or Pressman, or anybody?”
“I know someone who can get to Pressman,” she said.
“Go try,” he said, not even caring what channels communication ran to at this point. “Tell him to call me.”
“Yes,” she said, and went out to the foyer, to their communications in the security station.
She clearly had some resources of her own. Inside fifteen minutes she came in with a portable communications unit, and contact.
“Jase,” he said.
“ Bren.”
“You all right?”
“ No problems. I was downtimed in the tank. Trying to absorb some of the schedule detail. It’s all right, Bren. Are you all right?”
“Going crazy here. I’m needing details of our accommodations. This came as a surprise to me.”
“ No one’s contacted you.”
“I think it’s assumed I’m working through the dowager. This isn’t the case. I’ll be taking Banichi and Jago and four staff, felicitous seven, thank you, plus our foodstuffs, our furnishings, our belongings. What’s our limitations?”
“ Nothing. None. You’ll be on deck five— they were going for four, and I explained there was no atevi going on deck four—”
“Thank you.”
“ You’ll have five virtually to yourselves. It’s operational, the plumbing works, the lights all work, and there’s nothing on maintenance. That’s room enough to swallow everything you’ve got in the two residencies. You could take the whole staff if you chose that…”
“I’m leaving an establishment for Ms. Mercheson, who’s taking over duties here—who I think you know is here. Her service is at Tabini’s request. It’s not negotiable. She’s detached from crew, to the paidhi’s office. Is that going to be a problem?”
“ No. That’s accepted.”
“I’d like to see you to go over some of this. Can we set a time?”
“ Today?” Jase made the offer, the essential is-it-critical?
“When’s convenient?” He made the matching counter. Criticality’s your call.
“ First off shift after undock. My breakfast. Your dinner.”
“Date.”
“ You got a flood of mail, I noticed.” That meant: Is there anything wrong I need to know?