Communications with the shuttle might have gone through ship-com with far less fuss.
But right now it was important for Mospheirans to have their hands on the connection, and it was important to bring Mospheirans and atevi operators onto the job. Rumors had flowed from this room, from someone’s indiscretion. Let them flow again.
“Yes, sir,” the answer was. Mr. Okana started giving directions, and some of the techs, who had sat worried-looking and idle throughout, swung around to the boards and started to work. Others watched.
“When it comes,” Bren said, “put the volume up, so the whole shift can hear it.”
· · ·
“Young gentleman,” mani said. Mani sat in her most comfortable chair, with her cane at hand, and a small, untouched plate of pastries. “Nand’ Bren has successfully ejected Tillington-aiji.” Mani sounded very satisfied about that.
Cajeiri felt the same. He had sat studying his kyo notes for some time, keeping mani company, but his thoughts kept straying. He wished he might have gone with nand’ Bren, but that had not been likely, so he had not asked. He wished he might have added Antaro to the people with nand’ Bren, so he would get an account of what was going on. But he had not dared ask that, even.
So Antaro would have to get what she could from Nawari when he got back, if Nawari was permitted to say anything.
Tillington-aiji and Lord Geigi had been feuding about control of Central, he understood that extremely well; and Tillington was not behaving respectfully where it came to Lord Geigi, or reasonably where it came to the Reunioners.
And Lord Geigi had sent his letters over to the Mospheirans to be delivered, because that was the way things were supposed to work, but no answer had come back from them.
Which meant his letters were somewhere and not in the hands of his associates, he would be willing to bet on that. And that was Tillington’s fault. So whatever else Tillington had done wrong, he had also disrespected his father’s order and nand’ Bren’s arrangement.
And that was not smart.
“It is good,” mani said. “We are rid of that influence, or at least, rid of him in an administrative capacity. Tomorrow we shall be dealing with some different person, who, we trust, will have more common sense.”
“One is glad, mani.”
“What are you reading?”
“My notes on the kyo, mani.”
“Are they productive of such consistent frowns?”
He had let his face show things. And lying to mani was never a good thing to do. So he shrugged and told the truth, not pertly. “I was thinking of my associates, mani. One hoped they would be safe in all this. One is glad Tillington is gone.”
“He will be gone. Count nothing certain until then. But you have business before you.”
“Yes, mani. One does.”
Mani frowned. “We are relieved, be it known.”
“Might one ask, mani—could my associates be moved?”
“Should they be taken from their parents?”
“One would ask their parents be moved, mani, if we could.”
“And their relatives?”
He understood then what mani was saying. But he had already understood that. He and his associates had talked about it, and wished there were a place, if all the Reunioners were to be shipped to Maudit, the way Tillington wanted. They had talked about how they would solve that. And solving it needed mani’s help, at least. “Still,” he said, “they are in everybody’s thoughts. They cannot be ordinary people. They understand that. And one is worried.”
“I have not brought up a fool.” Mani frowned, but she was not unhappy with him. He sensed that. “Nand’ Bren believes that they are safer where they are at the moment. Nand’ Bren is in charge of Central, Tillington is gone, and the doors that seal them in also seal out the Mospheirans, which may be a good solution for the next number of days.”
“Do they know we are here?”
Mani nodded. “We understand they have been told. The guards at the doors have passed that word, and they have announced it.”
If they had said that, then they knew he was here. He had told them very definitely that nand’ Bren and mani and he would come to deal with the kyo should they come to visit.
They would know he was here, and they would know he would speak up for them, and track what was happening to them. They would trust nand’ Bren. And mani. It was on him, now, to be sure they were safe.
“Cenedi believes,” mani said, “that until we can lay hands on Braddock the doors should stay shut, and until we can lay hands on him, it would not be prudent for us to ask for your young people—since Braddock might then decide to bargain over them. And we will not, as a matter of policy, bargain with this man.”
“One understands, mani.”
“We are paying attention,” mani said, “and we do not fault your concern, Great-grandson. And this you may know, but forget you know. Nand’ Bren is working on a solution which will bring all Reunioners to live on Earth—not on the continent, be sure, but still, on Earth. The Presidenta’s agreement and the agreement of the legislature are required. Politics may still arise, and if it arises because someone has spoken too soon, it would make a settlement of your young associates very much more difficult.”
His heart had picked up its beats. “They will live on Mospheira?”
“Now I have told you something you absolutely must not tell them, young aiji. You can greatly harm their prospects if you tell this to them before nand’ Bren is ready to tell the Reunioners as a whole—and this will be when we have concluded all that we have to conclude with the kyo. So you, young aiji, have a secret to keep. And understand that anything which brings the Reunioners into conflict with Station authority could make this impossible. I rely on my great-grandson. I rely on him for discretion, and following instructions, and making no moves to contact these young people. This is a test. Are you of a disposition to be aiji? Prove it in this.”
He found nothing to say for the moment. It was the best outcome he could ask, the very best, coupled with disaster if he made a mistake and the notion got out.
“I shall not be a fool,” he said. “I shall not be a fool, mani.”
She nodded slowly. “I have every confidence you are not, Great-grandson, or I would not have told you. And I suggest that you consult us at any time common sense says you should consult, where it regards your young associates. Do not think your silence protects them. Ever.”
He so wished he were still young and stupid. Growing up left one looking at far too many sides of a thing.
If he had known they would one day be here, the way things were, would he have dared explore the ship-tunnels with strange humans he had just met?
What he knew now would make him afraid.
But he hoped he still would do it, someday.
He definitely still would do it. And they would get to ride again, together, at Lord Tatiseigi’s estate. And sail on nand’ Bren’s boat.
He just had to grow smarter and tell things the right way. Mani was telling him when and how to manage, and what politics he had to look out for.