A soft movement brought Cajeiri to the back of his great-grandmother’s chair, beside Cenedi. That space in the doorway having cleared, Banichi and Jago entered the room and stood against the wall, grimly listening.
“The Dojisigi district of the Marid,” Baiji said, “the lord of Amarja, Toric he sent to me, offering his granddaughter, Tiajo—promising support for this whole district if I made this alliance.”
“Tori,” Ilisidi said, “son of Badissuni.”
“The one, yes, aiji-ma. The proposal said—that the western coast—that I—had the choice of falling by force and assassination to the Kadigidi aiji and the North—or I could join with the Marid, by a close alliance that would respect the existing Associations of the coast. And one knows—one knows, aiji-ma, and knew then—”
“Out with it!”
“One suspected Lord Tori lied about respecting the coastal Associations. The Edi and the Marid are old enemies. But it has always been the position of the Maschi to protect the Edi of this coast—which we have always done, aiji-ma!”
“Then where are they?”
“Aiji-ma, one asks understanding! This was my thinking— that if one started to form new alliances, if you were lost, if the Marid and Murini of the Kadagidi were going to divide the world between them—at least one could save something. I could not contact my uncle. If one began to negotiate with the Marid at least with a starting agreement that the existing associations should persist, then one at least had a basis on which to negotiate for better things. One was no longer negotiating for things as they were—that was lost. One was trying to save what could be saved. The wars of the Edi with the Marid, the piracy, the raids—all these the Maschi had been able to calm. Could one not do this best in a new age by making an association withthe Marid, rather than fall to the Kadagidi and become a target when the Marid ultimately moved to assassinate Murini and seize the aijinate? If I had attempted to fight either of them, this whole coast would be under assault—and all the ancient agreements would be trampled down. All the old grudges would be paid off, Contracts would be issued on every handc the very living of the people would become impossible if the coast came under blockade, in a struggle between Murini and the Marid, and the humans would—” Baiji’s eyes shifted anxiously to Bren. “One has no idea what the humans might do if the Kadagidi and Marid started fighting in the strait, off their very shores. If humans invaded, and we had no association to protect us—we would become a battlefield.”
“Humans would not have invaded on their own behalf,” Bren said, hoping he believed it. “One strongly doubts your scenario for an invasion, nadi. Mospheira was aiding the Northern Isles to remain independent. Had you appealed to the Presidenta, you might have joined the Northern Isles and theymight have interdicted the Marid. Their navy might have saved you.”
“But it was an association we have never made, nandi,” Baiji protested.
“The Edi have close connections with the Isles,” Ilisidi said. “You might have asked themc if they had not already seen in you a policy and a future they would not tolerate.”
That panicked Baiji for a moment. His eyes shifted from one to the other of them, wildly. “So. But—with a successor, me being a young man, my honored mother having diedc”
“Another interesting point. Howdid she die?”
“You cannot think, aiji-ma! You cannot, you cannotthink—”
“She was in ill health, we understand. And whendid your flirtation with the Marid begin?”
“Aiji-ma, no! That had nothing to do with it! One never— neverwould have tolerated such a thing.”
“Back to the Edi. Whydid you not use their good offices to reach the north? Was it possibly too great an exertion for a young man? Or did the Edi already question your dealings?”
“They—they were upset by the death of my honored mother. One was in shock, aiji-ma—one hardly knew when—one day there were no servants. There were just no servants.”
“Indeed.”
“One was overwhelmed, nand’ dowager! One had no means to ask Uncle what to do. There was—there was this offer of marriage. This offer of alliance. If I refused it—it might be fatal. There might be no time for such maneuvers. So I thought, I thought—being new to my post, aiji-ma, and without your sage advice—”
Bang! “Do not annoy me, wretch! Your mother was dead, unfortunate dotingwoman, and you, still more unfortunate for the region, were alive. Go on!”
“I was stalling, aiji-ma. I was continually pretending to agree. One hoped—one hoped, aiji-ma, that your ship would any day reappear in the heavens with the true aiji’s heir, and that would solve everything. And if one could play for timec”
He had looked to Ilisidi a second time, and his voice faltered.
Bang! went the cane. “Go on. We are listening.”
“So I protested I had favored a lady of the district, and I lied, aiji-ma, that I had spoken to the daughter of the Hesi. But—” A tremor entered his voice. “This unfortunate girl—this entirely innocent girl, whom I had only met socially—she died within the month. At her own father’s table.” Baiji’s lips trembled. “And I knew—I knew surely it was my fault. It was because I used her name. They removed—removed her from consideration. And now—now I have the gravest doubt whether my mother’s death was from her illnessc I had not thought that. I never had thought that, aiji-ma.”
For the first time Bren felt a twinge of sympathy for the man who had harbored assassinsc not overmuch, since they had shot one of his people, killed two of Ilisidi’s, and attempted to kill him and Banichi and Jago. But the young man was a fool. Possibly he hadtried to match wits with the Marid.
“Go on,” Ilisidi said.
“Within two days I received a letter expressing condolence and renewing the offer. I have this letter. I have saved everything, aiji-ma—if you wish to have these things.”
“We shall expect it. Say on.”
“So—I could not call my uncle, I had the fate of the young lady of the Hesi on my conscience. One had the estate to protect—”
One noted he never said “my people.” And that he reverted to the remote formal when speaking of them.
“—so one hoped to temporize, never naming names: one pleaded grief for my mother, grief for the young lady. One asked questions, pretending not to understand clauses in the agreement. One conjured every remote provision of treaties and agreements which I wished specifically to be preserved—I have the list, aiji-ma. I have all those papers.”
“On, I say! You were grieving. And you saved the papers, as any reasonably careful accountant might do. What more?”
“Then—they wished me to visit the Marid, aiji-ma, but—but then you came back from the heavens, and Murini was about to fall, and I—one feared to travel in those days in the first place, and then my bodyguard left me, just like the servants. I thought they had gone to fight for you, aiji-ma, but I never saw them again.”
“Where did you acquire the ones you had?” Banichi asked from the side of the room.
“They came from the Guild. They gave me regards from my own guard and said they had taken their place.”
When the Guild itself had been suspect, in those last days of Murini’s administration.
“One fears you may never see your bodyguard again,” Bren murmured.
“The replacements,” Banichi said, unasked, “are dead.”
Baiji looked from one to the other of them, and his jaw trembled. “I was afraid of them, nandiin. I knew—I knew they reported elsewhere.”
“My grandson’s men,” Ilisidi said, “have taken the estate in hand until your uncle’s return. In himwe have confidence, and there will be questions and an accounting, a rendering of the books and records, a task in which he will have your assistance, if you wish to regain anything.”