“Since the Great War?”
The eyebrows lifted. “Yes.” She paused. “I do not know what your word, your promise, means to you. You seemed surprised I would consider mine binding.”
“Not surprised, exactly. Lupi consider their word binding in an absolute sense like you do. They’re very careful what they promise. Ah…my culture places a high value on honoring one’s word, but it is not absolute. We believe there can be mitigating circumstances. If breaking my word was the only way to save lives, I would do that. But it would truly have to be the only way.”
Alycithin looked at her hands. She smoothed an invisible crease from the yellow silk of her gown then looked up and met Lily’s eyes. “Will you give me your word you will not repeat what I tell you now?”
“No.”
“No? You give me that single, naked response?”
“I’m careful where I give my promises, too. First, I don’t withhold information from Rule. That’s firm. I very seldom withhold things from my boss, and only when there’s…you might call it a conflict of honor. When I think honor is better served by my silence. You asked for too broad a promise.”
A smile tucked itself into the corners of Alycithin’s lips, making her look more catlike than ever. “Will you promise not to repeat what I tell you to any sidhe, and to withhold it as much as you honorably may from your own people?”
Lily thought that over, looked for trouble spots, and found one. “I will promise not to reveal it to any out-realm sidhe, and to withhold it as much as I honorably can from my own people.”
“Out-realm sidhe? But Earth has no…I see that you do not intend to explain.”
Lily shook her head. Arjenie’s secret wasn’t hers to reveal.
“Very well. I accept those terms. Do you so promise?”
“I do.”
“Benessarai and Lord Rethna were friends of the third degree. This is not known in my realm. This is not known by his father, Lord Thierath. Benessarai is known to have been friends with Lord Rethna, but all think it was of the fifth degree. He is not the only one now tainted in this way, for Rethna entertained widely among the lords of many realms, but there is no real danger from such an association. Fifth-degree friends have liking for each other, but very limited bonds of obligation. Third degree is quite different.” She took a slow breath. “That is the real reason Lord Sessena ensured I was coleader of this delegation. Benessarai needs a success to redeem himself, yes, but he also needs to be watched. Above all, it cannot be known that he had such close ties to Lord Rethna.”
Lily tried to think herself into Alycithin’s shoes. Her big fear was the Queens, Lily thought. Her people were scared that whatever was happening in Rethna’s realm would spill over into theirs. “It must have come as a shock when I told you that Friar, who is allied with or working for Benessarai, is the Great Bitch’s creature.”
“The…oh.” Amusement flashed in her eyes. “This is how you refer to the one we do not name? How charmingly irreverent. Also clever. Even a casual use-name may acquire resonance with sufficient repetition, but I think she will not recognize any resonance with that appellation. It was a shock, yes, but it did allow me to make sense of some things that have been bothering me. I have reworked my plans considerably while we talked. And so I have given you the knowledge to destroy me utterly, should you disregard your word. Just as I could destroy you, did I choose to dishonor mine. I have made us equal in power, Lily Yu. Do you see why?”
“You needed me to believe you,” she started. Stopped, and went in a slightly different direction. “And this is a negotiation. You can’t truly negotiate with someone who lacks power, can you?”
“Precisely! I like you, Lily. You are so grave, but quick and flexible. Those qualities do not often march together. I cannot violate my agreement with Robert Friar.”
“Even if he violates it first? Robert Friar places no value on his word. The Binai who killed Rethna was freed from her contract with him because he’d already broken it.”
“With all respect to the Binai, a vow is far more binding than a contract. If Robert Friar proves dishonorable, I have erred by entering into an agreement with him. My error does not affect what I have bound myself to do. And yet I must find a way to keep such a one from succeeding, for reasons both moral and personal. You were correct that I have been uneasy. I had…suspicions about Benessarai’s goals, but he and I are, to use your word, rivals. I thought he meant simply to damage my standing. I thought he did not understand why it would be disastrous to bring the masking device back to our realm.”
“The masking device? Is that what you call—wait. You mean you don’t want to take it back to your realm. You want to destroy it.”
She nodded. “Such a device would destabilize our realm. Hostages are fundamental to both our economic and our civic life, and the masking device would drastically alter the way power is balanced between hostage-holder and those with whom they would negotiate. Centuries-old agreements would turn unsteady. Imagine what would happen in your world if only one side in a contract had the means to enforce it. I took pains to explain this to Benessarai. He understood only that making such a device available would weaken my position, for my Gift is, indeed, both rare and valuable. He does not see the repercussions…or so I thought. Hoped. This is why I took the risk of making my own deal with Robert Friar. It took some time to learn what he wanted enough to…I believe your word is double-cross? An interesting word. I wanted him to double-cross Benessarai. You were the price he asked. As part of our agreement,” she added, “he is bound to observe the code.”
Lily snorted. “And you believed him?”
“If he does not, I must in all honor kill him. He knows this.”
“He may not be as afraid of you as he ought to be.”
She shrugged. “I arose from the warrior caste. If he did not know what that means, he should have asked.”
“That won’t be much consolation to me if he’s already fed me to his goddess.”
Alycithin’s lip curled in distaste. “Death magic?”
“That’s what I think he’s got in mind, yeah. He may want to do some really unpleasant things to me first, but apparently I’d make a tasty snack for her. Death magic violates one of those Queens’ Laws, doesn’t it?”
“This is not one of the Queens’ realms, however.”
“Bummer.” Lily decided she’d gone as far as she could without having a clue what they were negotiating. “Alycithin, I am puzzled. You want something from me, and you are unwilling or unable to say what. Nor have you offered me anything or hinted at what you might offer. Negotiations among your people may be conducted this way, but it’s not what I understand.”
“That is plain speaking.” The halfling woman spread her hands. “I cannot tell you. To do so would violate my word.”
Even bigger bummer. Lily drummed her fingers on the table. Alycithin hadn’t told her all this without a reason. There was a hint, a clue, hidden in what she’d been told, but damned if she could spot it. Maybe she hadn’t asked the right question yet. “Can you tell me what you promised Friar?”
This smile spread slowly. “That I can do. I agreed to take you hostage, if possible, and then hold you until Robert Friar notifies me that he is ready to exchange you for the masking device. While I hold you, I must make sure you have no weapons and no means of contacting your people. I am to let you know that you are going to pass into his hands.”