Jago left quickly and quietly, and a very short time later came back in with two of the dowager’s security and Lord Baiji between them.
Baiji immediately bowed, a deep, deep bow, an apology, with: “I am innocent, aiji-ma.”
Thump! went the cane on the carpet. “I care nothing for your innocence or guilt or competency, man! I care for the whereabouts of my great-grandson! Where is he?”
“I—do not know, aiji-ma.”
Ilisidi flung up a dismissive hand. “Then you are useless! Why are you breathing?”
“I know who is behind this, aiji-ma! I am sure—I am certain— I am relatively sure I know—”
“Gods less fortunate! Make up your mind, man!”
“His guard,” Banichi said ominously, “left him under fire. They were new men attending him, not born to the house. And one is not certain we met a single Edi on the premises.”
“There were,” Baiji protested. “There were. My staff served you! And those Assassins on the roof—my guard—my guard was as stunned as all of us.”
“Splendid!” Ilisidi’s voice was like the damning crack of the cane. “Splendid. His guard was stunned into retreat, and there may or may not have been Edi! Give us your wisdom, lord of Kajiminda, while we have any patience left!”
“They might have known Lord Bren would visitc”
“They might have known,” Ilisidi said, and now her voice had sunk, silken soft. “Are you a total fool, boy?”
“I—”
“—you have no idea how they would know this? And you are not sure? Do you know to whom you are currently speaking? Do you imagine we will be taken in by lies and maybes, considering the offense against our house and the breach of man’chi with your own uncle?”
“My guard—”
“Your guard is dead, incompetent, or in collusion! Where are the Edi?”
“My staff is there, aiji-ma, they have always been there.”
“But some have gone to Dalaigi Township,” Bren muttered. “Tell her.”
“They are there! Some left—long ago. But the faithful ones, the ones that know I am a good lordc”
“And your bodyguard?” Banichi asked. “Why did they desert you?”
“They—they were confusedc”
“They have no man’chi!” Ilisidi’s dreadful cane extended, upward, and rested on Baiji’s shoulder. “They are not yours, or they would not have retreated.”
“They—they—are mine. They just—”
“ The truth, man! Out with it!”
Baiji bowed, hands on knees, and came upright again, waving his hands desperately. “Aiji-ma, the Tasaigi of the Marid came to me, Lord Bren knows, during the Troubles. I temporized with them regarding a marriage—a marriage, a marriage which kept this peninsula safe, nand’ dowager! I—”
“So. The Marid. The Marid.”
“You assisted the search for nand’ Cajieri yesterday,” Bren said. “With what motive? To find him yourself? To kill him?”
“No! No. One had no idea—no idea of who the boy was. No idea. One only wished to be neighborly.”
“Kill this man,” Ilisidi said.
“No!” Baiji wailed, lifting his hands, then bowing. “No, aiji-ma. I can tell you—I can tell you everything!”
“Why did you search for my great-grandson?”
“It was the paidhi, it was the paidhi-aiji, aiji-ma, one knew— one knew he was here, one wished to warn himc”
“We were in radio contact, nandi,” Bren said. “Why did you not?”
“You left,” Baiji stammered. “You left. One—one thought of sailing into Najidama Bay, but—they might have come here. They might have come here and we all would die.”
“Tell us,” the dowager said quietly, “tell us the details of this, tell us once, and be accurate, as you hope for my patience. My great-grandson is in danger. Is he not?”
“He is in great danger, aiji-ma. The Tasaigi came a few days ago. They came with new proposals—regarding—regarding the wedding. One has—one has not wanted to trouble those waters. One had hoped—they would simply go away and not renew their offer.”
“A few days ago,” Bren said, “notice came that made them move. Some in the Bujavid knew I was coming here. Some at Tirnamardi knew. My staff here in Najida knew. But one would wager on someone within the Bujavid.”
“The Tasaigi flew in, we take it?” Ilisidi snapped, looking at Baiji. “They arrived in the district, you met with them. Where did you acquire your personal guard?”
“They are—they are a—”
“Gift from the proposed in-laws?”
Again the deep bow. The appeal with the hands. “No. No, nand’ dowager. My guard vanished—in the Troubles—greatly mourned. The Guild itself sent these two. One has never, never, nand’ dowager—one would never be so foolish—they are not Southern! I would know if they were Southern.”
“Central district,” Ilisidi said sharply. “Let me guess. The traitor Murini himself sent them.”
“No, aiji-ma. The Guild in Shejidan.”
Ilisidi looked ceilingward and turned away.
Then looked straight at Bren.
“One bears blame for this, aiji-ma,” Bren said with a bow. “I divided my staff. I trusted our old relations with Kajiminda.”
“ Wetrusted Kajiminda,” Ilisidi said bitterly, “trusting an old ally, trusting in those two childrenwho attend my great-grandson, besidesc” She spun on her heel and looked straight at Baiji. “Elaborate, man! The nature and extent of this contact. Nowyou may go into detail and meander as much as you like.”
“I—”
“And use nouns! They, they, they! No more they! Give me names!”
“Aiji-ma—”
“Sit down,” Ilisidi said sweetly. “Nand’ Bren, send for tea. And no, nephew of our esteemed Lord Geigi, ambitiousnephew of our Lord Geigi, we do not intend to poison you. Let us sit down and talk reasonably. We lack some time until dark, when we shall take action.”
Bren himself went to the door, opened it, and signaled the major domo. “Kindly provide tea, a service for three.” He added: “ Notthe historic set, if you please, Rama-ji. I think that would be best.”
“Nandi.” A bow, and Ramaso was off like a shot, giving orders to two staffers on the way. Four of Ilisidi’s young men were out there. Tano and Algini were.
“Come in,” Bren said to them, increasing the coverage of black in the room, black uniforms wall to wall. He had assumed a tea service for three. He assumed he would sit with the dowager, and indeed, the dowager had taken a seat, and Baiji had, and, indeed, the dowager gestured to him that he should also take a chair, fortunate three.
“So,” the dowager said with sweet-voiced patience, while her great-grandson was at hazard of his life, while, very probably, hostile Southern interests had taken possession of Lord Baiji’s estate, while Assassins from the Marid were, very probably, moving against her as well. “How isthe spring planting shaping up?”
As if they were preparing to take tea with the traditional discussion of small topics, peaceful topics, pending service of the refreshment. Baiji stammered answers, sweat standing on his brow.
“And the dawi festival? How was it this year?”
“One did not attend, aiji-ma.”
“Did not attend?” the dowager asked with sudden sharpness. “Or do you fearto travel, Lord Baiji? Can it be fearthat kept you from, for instance, otherfestivities—such as, say, my grandson’s resumption of the aijinate? Or were you not celebratingthat event?”