"You claim no debts, nand' paidhi?"
"I'd be a fool. You're also honest."
"Oh, paidhi-ji. Don't ruin my reputation."
She touched such dangerous and human chords in him.
"The dowager knows exactly what she's doing," he said, "and the world won'tforget her, not if she did nothing more than she's already done. She needs nothing else."
Ilisidi's brows came down in a thunderous scowl. But didn't quite stay that way. "You are reprehensible, nadi. It was a marvelous performance last night, by the way. I don't say brilliant, but the faint was a nice touch."
"I honestly don't remember what I answered the gentleman."
"Damned reckless."
"Not if I went out there to tell the truth — as I did. Too many sides in this, nand' dowager. It's hard enough to track the truth. And if the paidhi once begins to shade the truth at all, the difficulties I can make for myself are absolute hell. Please, nand' dowager, never read anything atevi into my actions. It's very dangerous."
"Wicked, wicked man. You're so very skillful."
"Nand' dowager, in all seriousness, Malguri touches human instincts, so, so deeply."
"What, greed?"
"Respect, nand' dowager. A sense of age, of profound truths. Respect for something hands made, that's stood through storms and wars and time. It persuades us that things we do may last and matter."
"That's the best thing I've ever heard said about humans."
"I assure you it's so, nand' dowager."
"More tea?"
"I've a meeting I shouldn't be late to."
"With my grandson and the Policy Committee?"
"The dowager's intelligence is, as usual, accurate. May I ask a favor?"
"I don't say I'll grant it."
"It's to all our good. Nand' dowager, be frank with me constantly. I value your interests. Give me the benefit of your advice when you see me stray, and I swear I'll always trust the tea at your table."
Ilisidi laughed, a flash of white teeth. "Away with you. Flatterer."
"Aiji-ma." He did have the appointment. Jago had told him. It took effort to get up. He made his awkward bow, and Cenedi showed him toward the door —"Nand' paidhi," Cenedi said, when they reached the front hall, "take care. There are more fools loose."
"Is it a specific threat?"
"I can't name names."
"Forgive me." He didn't know the inner workings of the Guild.
Cenedi shrugged, avoiding his eyes. "My profession allows no debts, nand' paidhi. Understand. Ask Banichi."
"I haven't seen him."
"Not unrelated."
"Guild business?"
"That might be."
"Is he in danger?"
They'd reached the door, and two more of Ilisidi's security were on duty there; men he knew, men he'd hunted with, ridden with.
"Never worry about us," Cenedi said. "I can only say that fools have moved — several are dead fools — and there are voices in our Guild who speak for the paidhi. Contracts have been proposed, and voted down. I've spoken more already than I should. Ask Banichi. Or Jago. They'rewithin your man'chi."
"I'm very grateful for your concern, nand' Cenedi."
"In all matters," Cenedi said, "I take instruction from the aiji-dowager. Understand this. A favor given weighs nothing in my Guild. But if the paidhi were to come to grief in Shejidan notby the dowager's express order, certain of the Guild would sue to take personal contract."
"Nadi, I am vastly moved to think so."
"Do you understand, nand' paidhi, the burden you've placed on 'Sidi-ji?"
"I can't," he said. "I can't possibly, nadi, but I can't refrain from it — because she's essential to the peace. Capable of ruling the Association, I've no doubt. But her place in these events is greater than that. Which you and I both know — and I can't tell her that, nadi. I want to, in so many words. But she'd toss me right out her door. Deservedly — for my impudence."
"'Sidi-ji knows her own measure," Cenedi said. "And her value. She defends herself very well. Come. I'll walk you down to neutral ground, nadi."
"Where," he asked Jago sharply, when Jago picked him up after the committee hearings downstairs, "where, nadi, is Banichi?"
"At the moment?"
"Jago-ji, don't put me off. Cenedi says there's trouble. A matter before the Guild. That I should ask you and Banichi. — Is that where Banichi is?"
"Banichi is involved in Guild business," Jago said, the first that she'd actually admitted.
"About me?"
"It might be."
"Is that reason to worry?"
"It's reason to worry," Jago said.
"So why can't you tell me?"
"Not to worry you, nadi."
"You'll have noticed," he said, "that I amworried. I think I have reason to worry. Is he in danger?"
Jago didn't answer. They'd reached the door, and Jago spoke on the pocket-com to Tano, inside, asking him to open.
Brensaid quietly, standing by Jago's side, "The dowager knew Barb had broken with me."
And, casting that stone into the pool, he gave Jago something of her own to worry about. She did. She cast him a frowning glance.
"How, do you suppose?" he asked as Tano opened the door.
Jago didn't answer. They walked in, and servants wanted to take his coat. "Nadiin," he said to the servants, "I'll just pick up my work. I'm on my way down to my office."
"Nadi," Jago reproved him.
"To my office," he said. He'd never gone against Jago. But he'd never had Jago give him an order not regarding his performance of his job.
"No," Jago said, "nadi. I can't have you do this."
"Where am I supposed to get work done?"
"One has this rather extensive apartment, nand' paidhi, which I might remind the paidhi includes ample rooms and resources."
He was halfway stunned — was dismayed at his situation, Jago making him out an ingrate, or in the wrong, or somehow at odds with reasonable behavior. There was so damned much — so damned much to do: there were papers to write, there were positional statements to prepare…
There were, Cenedi had warned him, serious matters before the Assassins' Guild, in which Jago had warned him Banichi was occupied.
There was a man dead, last night, an otherwise decent man, by all the information he had on the subject; he'd had a long morning, a trying, tedious meeting rehearsing details and eventualities that only meant more letters to write; a towering lot of letters to write and no staff he could rely on for clerical work, the paidhi never having had the need for a staff because very few people had to consult the paidhi — who had been very safe in a minor office in a minor job in the Bu-javid doing very routine things and scanning trade manifests and long-range social concerns, before a human ship decided to pull up at the human station and multiply his mail by a thousandfold and his avenues of contact by the same, with no — no— proportionate increase in his resources. He saw no way over the stack of paper, he'd gotten three new jobs during the meeting with Associational lords who were asking questions all of which he could answer, but not without being sure of the numerical felicities of the situations they described. He was feeling desperate as it was, and all of a sudden he saw his whole job circumscribed by Jago, and Cenedi, and Banichi, and Tano, and assassins and their precautions, and no means to dothe things he needed to do — the mail and the messages alone were stacked up to —
"I am very sorry," Jago said quietly, "and I offer the paidhi all respect, but I cannot permit him in an unsecured area."
He'd done rather well in an unsecured area this morning, he thought. He'd gotten through the breakfast with llisidi with a sense of actual accomplishment, in that he thought he might have made some progress toward reason with the other side of the shadow-government that doubtless inspired his would-be assassins, a power that kept a cohesion of political forces that opposed the aiji scarcely in check — lately in open rebellion, but currently in check. Waiting. Dangerous. But, dammit, he'd drunk the dowager's tea. They got —