And there was that growing fear. Ashanomehad been set back, and this was not an accustomed thing. It had been a hard decision, to sacrifice Khasif. In accepting risk, iduve disliked the irrational, a situation with too many variables. Were there any choice, common sense would dictate withdrawal; but there was no choice, and Tejef would surely seize upon the smallest weakness, the least hesitation: he was unorthodox and rash himself, e-chanokhia—but such qualities sometimes made for unpleasant surprises for his adversaries. Occasionally Isande could win at games of reason; the human Daniel had confounded skillfully laid plans by doing what no iduve would have done; and Qaoborn Aiela managed to have his own way of an Orithain much more often than was proper. The fact was that m’metaneioften bypassed the safe course. At times they did bluff, opposing themselves empty-handed to forces they ill understood, everything in the balance. This was not courage in the iduve sense, to whom acting as if one had what one did not smacked of falsity and unreason, which indicated a certain bent toward insanity. For the Orithain of Ashanometo bluff was indeed impossible: arastietheand sorithiasforbade.
But reversing the proposition, to allow another to assume he had what he did not, that was chanokhia,a vaikkawith humor indeed, if it worked. It it did not—the loss must be reckoned proportional to the failure of gain.
Her eyes strayed to the clock. As another figure turned over, the last hour of the night had begun. Soon the morning hour would begin the last day of Tejef’s life, or of her own.
“Chimele,” said the voice from controclass="underline" Raxomeqh, fourth of the Navigators. “Projection from Mijanothe.”
Predictable, if not predicted, Chimele sighed wearily and rose. “Accepted,” she said, and saw herself and her desk suddenly surrounded by the paredreof Mijanothe.She bowed respectfully before aged Thiane.
“Hail Thiane, venerable and honored among us.”
“Hail Ashanome,” said Thiane, leaning upon her staff, her eyes full of fire. “But do I hail you reckless or simply forgetful?”
“I am aware of the time, eldest of us all.”
“And I trust memory also has not failed you.”
“I am aware of your displeasure, reverend Thiane. So am I aware that the Orithanhe has given me this one more day, so despite your expressed wish, you have no power to order me otherwise.”
Thiane’s staff thudded against the carpeting. “You are risking somewhat more than my displeasure, Chimele. Destroy Priamos!”
“I have kamethi and nasithiwho must be evacuated. I estimate that as possible within the limit prescribed by the Orithanhe. I will comply with the terms of the original and proper decree at all deliberate speed.”
“There is no time for equivocation. Standing off to moonward is Tashavodh,if you have forgotten. I have restrained Kharxanen with difficulty from seeking a meeting with you at this moment.”
“I honor you for your wisdom, Thiane.”
“Destroy Priamos.”
“I will pursue my own course to the limit of the allotted time. Priamos will be destroyed or Tejef will be in our hands.”
“If,” said Thiane, “if you do this so that it seems vaikkaupon Tashavodh,then, Ashanome,run far, for I will either outlaw you, Chimele, and see you hunted to Tejef’s fate, or I will see the nasul Ashanomeitself hunted from star to star to all time. This I will do.”
“Neither will you do, Thiane, for if I am declared exile, I will seek out Tashavodhand kill Kharxanen and as many of his sraas I can reach when they take me aboard. I am sure he will oblige me.”
“Simplest of all to hear me and destroy Priamos. I am of many years and much travel, Chimele. I have seen the treasures of many worlds, and I know the value of life. But Priamos itself is not unique, not the sole repository of this species nor essential to the continuance of human culture. Our reports indicate even the human authorities abandoned it as unworthy of great risk in its defense. Need I remind you how far a conflict between Tashavodhand Ashanomecould spread, through how many star systems and at what hazard to our own species and life in general?”
“It is not solely in consideration of life on Priamos that I delay. It is my arastietheat stake. I have begun a vaikkaand I will finish it on my own terms.”
“Your m’melakhiais beyond limit. If your arastiethecan support such ambition, well; and if not, you will perish miserably, and your dynasty will perish with you. Ashanomewill become a whisper among the nasuli,a breath, a nothing.”
“I have told you my choice.”
“And I have told you mine. Hail Ashanome.I give you honor now. When next we meet, it may well be otherwise.”
“Hail Mijanothe,” said Chimele, and sank into her chair as the projection flicked out.
For a moment she remained so. Then with a steady voice she contacted Raxomeqh.
“Transmission to Weissmouth base two,” she directed, and the paredreof the lesser ship in Weissmouth came into being about her. Ashakh greeted her with a polite nod.
“Chaikhe is landing,” said Chimele, “but I forbid you to wait to meet her or to seek any contact with her.”
“Am I to know the reason?”
“In this matter, no. What is Aiela’s status?”
“Indeterminate. The amaut are searching street by street with considerable commotion. I have awaited your orders in this matter.”
“Arm yourself, locate Aiela, and go to him. Follow his advice.”
“Indeed,” Ashakh looked offended, as well he might. His arastiethehad grown troublesome in its intensity in the nasuclass="underline" it had suffered considerably in her service already. She chose not to react to his recalcitrance now and his expression became instead bewildered.
“For this there is clear reason,” she told him. “Aiela’s thinking will not be predictable to an iduve, and yet there is chanokhiain that person. In what things honor permits, seek and follow this kameth’s advice.”
“I have never failed you in an order, Chimele-Orithain, even at disadvantage. But I protest Chaikhe’s being—”
She ignored him. “Can you sense whether Khasif or Mejakh is alive?”
“Regarding Mejakh, I—feel otherwise. Regarding Khasif, I think so; but I sense also a great wrongness. I am annoyed that I cannot be more specific. Something is amiss, either with Tejef or with Khasif. I cannot be sure with them.”
“They are both violent men. Their takkhenesis always perturbing. It will be strange to think of Mejakh as dead. She was always a great force in the nasul.”
“Have you regret?”
“No,” said Chimele. “But for Khasif, great regret. Hail Ashakh. May your eye be keen and your mind ours.”
“Hail Chimele. May the nasullive.”
He had given her, she knew as the projection went out, the salutation of one who might not return. A kameth would think it ill-omened. The iduve were not fatalists.
11
Isande came awake slowly, aware of aching limbs and the general disorientation caused by drugs in her system. Upon reflex she felt for Aiela, and knew at once that she did not lie upon the concrete at the port. She was concerned to know if she had all her limbs, for it had been a terrible explosion.
Isande.Aiela’s thoughts burst into hers with an outpouring of joy. Pain came, cold, darkness, and the chill of earth, but above all relief. He read her confusion and fired multilevel into her mind that she must be aboard Tejef’s ship, and that amaut treachery and human help had put her there. A shell had exploded near them. He was whole. Was she? And the others?