But it had been a succession of weeks. Toby was getting tired of holding it.
Jago appeared in the doorway. She had her com in hand. Had been using it, he thought, maybe even following the conversation via a relay from the foyer-area security station. Surveillance here, in these premises, was always close, and lately it was overt, just one of those jobs his staff did to be up on things without having them explained.
Sometimes that was a good thing.
“The aiji is aware, nadi-ji.”
Not Bren-ji, not the familiar; but the still-remote formal combined with the personal address. Jago was being official. He was grateful for the professional distance. It was a damn sight more consideration than his brother managed.
“My man’chi,” he said, going to the heart of what he was sure would worry atevi, “is still to the office and the aiji, nadi. You may tell him that.”
“He wishes to speak to you, but cannot leave the breakfast room without notice nor speak to you intimately there. He says, through your security, that though he has said so before, now he urges your acceptance of his offer: at any time of your choosing, you may bring your household to the mainland and he will establish a place and lands for them, nadi-ji, as fits the house of a man of your stature. If you ask, he will make strong request to the Mospheiran government to secure their immediate passage across the strait, with all their goods and belongings. He is aware of the demands of those of your house, and your difficult position, nadi-ji, and is willing to take the strongest action to secure their safety.”
“Tell him—” The last time Tabini had moved to secure something from the Mospheiran government, he had threatened to shoot Deana Hanks if they didn’t get himback in twenty-four hours. Tabini’s offer was not without international consequences. And not without force behind it, though he didn’t know what human official Tabini could tell them he’d shoot this time. “Tell him I am grateful. Tell him—I hold his regard as the most important, even—” He almost said—above my family’s good opinion; and knew that circumstances and duty had made it true. Now anger and bitter hurt almost confirmed it. “Even above my life, nadi. Tell him that. And I will come back to the gathering when I have composed myself, which should be only a moment.”
“I shall tell him that, nadi.”
Jago was gone from the doorway, then, giving him the grace of privacy, but he was sure she’d gone no further than the hall outside to relay the message. And to achieve that composed manner he tried to widen his focus, to remind himself how very much was at issue, for three nations counting the ship Jase represented; and what a very extraordinary honor Tabini had offered him.
It was done for state reasons, he had to remind himself. For the same damn reasons of state that had put him in the position he was in.
He’d hung up on his brother.
And wouldn’t be home.
Fact. Fact. Fact. There was nothing that could change it, nothing that would get the barrier between peoples down any faster than the things he was doing. So it was two deep breaths and back to work.
He got to his feet and walked out into the hall, where as he expected, Jago was waiting; and where, in the distance, the television interviews were going on, with a scatter of the guests down there in the bright lights. He walked with Jago back into the crowded breakfast room, in which alcohol and alkaloids as well as the sweets were beginning to be a factor and the simple noise of conversation was beginning to sound like the subway below the building. Jase was still safe where he’d left him; and, not willing at this moment to talk to Jase or answer human questions, he tended toward Tabini, who was with Damiri, with Banichi, too.
Tabini’s regular security was at the moment hovering much closer to Tatiseigi, who was talking to Ilisidi.
“Aiji-ma,” Bren said quietly with a slight bow. “I heard your generous offer. I will present it at my first opportunity, but—” His wits unraveled. “I don’t know how to persuade them, aiji-ma. I wish that I could.”
“It seems to me,” Damiri said, “that this is a trap, nand’ paidhi. They wishyou to become concerned and to go there. This attack on your mother’s residence is not unrelated to this pressure on the Association and the outrageous behavior of your government. I even suspect the death of Jase’s father, but I know no design to make of it.”
He felt himself increasingly in shock, and willingto make patterns where possibly none existed. He dealt with atevi. And to the atevi mind there were patterns he could see, too, dire and threatening patterns; but he dealt so deeply in the language now he feared his own suspicions. “I know none, either, daja-ma, but I shall certainly think deeply on it.”
Another person moved up to speak to the aiji, a lord of the northwest coast, who was clearly waiting his turn, and he was, he decided, done with the things he could say. To be replaced was at the moment a relief from having to think in atevi complexity. He moved aside with the due and automatic courtesies—
And encountered lord Badissuni.
“Nandi,” he said.
“Nand’ paidhi.” The thin, unhappy lord looked sternly down at him. “Your security, one wishes to say, is highly accurate.”
What did one say? His heart was racing. “They areGuild, nandi.”
“Two of you, now,” the lord said. “Does Hanks speak for you?”
“By no means, nand’ Badissuni. I disapprove of her adventures and she wishes me dead.”
“So one hears,” Badissuni said. “ Isthis faster-than-light a lie?”
“No, nandi.”
“Will this ship fly?”
“I have no doubt, nandi. There is nodeception.”
“One was curious,” Badissuni said, and strayed off without another word.
More than damned curious. People were staring at him. He had the feeling he’d been used for display. A political prop. Talk to the paidhi. Be seen to talk to the paidhi. As he’d been seento talk with Tatiseigi and everyone else available. He didn’t see Jago. He didn’t think she’d approve his being used; and perhaps neither would Tabini, who’d nevertheless invited the man.
He retreated to the corner next to the doorway, next to a porcelain stand for abandoned drink glasses, where Jase, drink in hand, stood talking with his security, Dureni.
“What was that?” Jase asked. “Is anything wrong?”
A flash of dark and pale green advised him of someone of the house beside him, and he turned to find lord Tatiseigi himself under Ilisidi’s relentless escort, bound past them, he was sure, toward the interview area just outside.
“Everything all right?” Jase asked, and in that sense, yes, he was relieved to think.
Then something popped.
Security moved. Everyonemoved. Tatiseigi and Ilisidi were in the doorway and he didn’t think—he just shoved Jase to the floor as Jase was diving toward lord Tatiseigi in the doorway.
Lord Tatiseigi continued to the floor along with others diving of their own volition—Bren was down, half sheltered by Dureni; everyone was low; and an apparently unarmed security around the aiji had turned into a crouched, gun-bearing battle-line.
“A lightbulb exploded!” someone shouted from the interview area beyond the door, where indeed a deep and startling shadow had fallen. The lily room burst into relieved laughter, and more laughter, amid a murmur of disgust from Dureni and an apology as Dureni hoped he hadn’t hurt him.