“You will have both in fairly short order, in fact, as you admit the Messengers’ Guild. They will bring them in.”
Machigi frowned and rested his chin on his hand. “Computers. And who will run these machines?”
“Foreigners, until you educate Taisigi youngsters in their use. Which you can do if you allow the Academicians’ Guild to establish a school.”
“Computers. Schools. Guilds. Are we to becomeShejidan? We are notShejidan, paidhi! Nor are our fishermen going to send their sons to a school! You have no idea!”
“They may, however, send their daughters.”
“You are speaking of the utter overthrow of custom.”
“You will never become Shejidan, nandi, but you willbe the Marid, a modernAssociation within the aishidi’tat, and your people will have hospitals, schools, phones, and, one hesitates to say, television.”
“We have not bargained for the utter overthrow of tradition.”
“You will sign what seems logical to you to sign, and the Guilds must present their case to you for each of these changes. Things will change at whatever pace you decide, and your leadership, nandi, one is quite confident is equal to the task. When your people prosper, you will have their man’chi, one has no question. And your sons anddaughters will, one predicts, be working in space, beside Ragi and Maschi, Edi, Easterners—and humans. One would be dishonest to claim things will stay the same. But you will not have people dying of sickness a local hospital could cure with a single dose of medicine or of injuries a surgeon could heal. You will not have villages festering in situations one single phone call to your offices could relieve. That is power,nandi. That is power no lord in the Marid has ever wielded. Computers. Phones. Satellites to warn your ships of weather. Within the Marid, you will have the same authority the aiji-dowager has over the East and Tabini has over the Ragi and Lord Geigi has on the space station; and when you visit Shejidan, you will do so with the ceremony and respect of a regional lord. But, nandi, one first needs the guilds to make these things happen. And one needs at least a few schoolscnot for everyone. But schools there must be. Your urging can populate them.”
“You will get me assassinated.”
“You will need Guild protection, I have no doubt, but you have it. I have been threatened by persons claiming the shuttles pierce the sky and may let the planet’s atmosphere leak away into the ether. I have been personally attacked by an individual claiming his telephones are spying on him at nightcthese things will happen. You will not find it advisable to walk on quayside without your bodyguard, I regret to say. You will not find it advisable at any time to ignore your bodyguard’s warnings. That I can promise you, from personal experience. There are dangers. Not everyone will be pleased at every step of the way. But there are compensations.”
Machigi gave a long sigh. “You need not tell me about threats. But to have them coming from my own people—”
“The perception that I am harming the atmosphere is now confined to a very few of limited education or unstable mind, and the Guild will not accept a Filing on such grounds. I understand your hesitation, nandi. I understand it very well. At times I have caused great distress, and I have suffered from it. In my worst fears, Iam responsible for the disturbance that led to Murini’s rise. But I feel—I feel very strongly—that I have done what had to be done for people to live good lives—and long lives, safe from hazards that come from above the earth as well as on it. Baji-naji, it is terrifying to bethe flex in the universe. A very few cando it. The aiji-dowager has wagered heavily on your having the intelligence and the courage to be one of the few. You are far too intelligent to keep your people at a technological disadvantage. And I think your nerve will not fail you.”
“If I were that intelligent,” Machigi said glumly, “I could think of another answer.”
“ Youwill shape the Marid, nandi. You will influence the Guild in dealings with other clans. You will influence the succession in those clans. The Guild will accept advice. Make your choices well disposed to you. And agreeable.”
“Of the good will of Dausigi and Sungeni, one has no doubt, at present,” Machigi said. “The doubtful thing is to keep that good will, with the things you propose.”
“Use the Guild, nandi. Wrap it around you. In this one thing, you must benorthern. Everything else is adjustable. You have to stay alive, or everything falls back to chaos.”
A short, sharp laugh. “Paidhi, it is decent advice.”
“Tell me: with your knowledge, nandi—what would you advise the north now, about the succession in the northern Marid? Is the Guild moving in the right direction?”
“One is less concerned for the new lord in Senji: Bridai is old, and quiet. He will cause no trouble to me, and if the Guild is truly capable of being persuaded, I can steer his choice of a successor. Thenthere is Dojisigi. And Mujita.”
One hardly liked to hear that assessment, but one already knew it. Hisintercession had saved the man, perhaps his daughter. A child. A child as humans reckoned it. But not necessarily so.
“Mujita is a fool—but his daughter, Tiajo, is dangerous. One has come to know that child all too well, and her father will be lucky if he dies of old age. Nand’ Gediri thinks Ishould marry the girl and set an heir in place over Dojisigi. But I’ll not have her serving mytea. Or teaching any of mysuccessors.”
“Again, —” he began.
“—advise the Guild.” Machigi concluded, and leaned back. “So. They guard her. They guard me. Who prevails.”
“She will have to deserve the man’chi offered her. To the death. That is not so easily done, by a person of bad character.”
“She is an attractive little baggage. She would use that gift to the utmost.”
“The Guild does not train fools,” Bren said. “If she is what you say, she must convince the Guild she is the better ruler, or take her aishid down with her to ruin. And one suspects in her instance, the Guild may frustrate her inclinations and withdraw support entirely—which would not be a comfortable situation for her orher father.”
“What was the Guild’s position when they replaced Tabini-aiji? One is curious. One is quitecurious.
Blunt question. Very blunt question. And maybe a test of honesty.
“What is not widely stated, but what I do know—and in confidence, nandi—there was a coup, with bloodletting, inside the Guild, shortly before there was one inside the aishidi’tat. There was a countercoup, when the will of the people put Tabini-aiji back in power, and those we now call the renegades fled south, a number at first and then a slow trickle of those less exposed. A handful of those of ill intent came into Shejidan from outside, to use force; and force ultimately resettled the matter at Tabini-aiji’s return. It is unfortunate that Dojisigi sheltered these people. It cost them and everyone else. But you may now have confidence that the trouble has solved itself and that the Guild in Shejidan has declared man’chi to Tabini-aiji.”
“You say so.”
“One has great confidence in the persons who assured me so.”
“And who are they?”
“One is constrained from saying, nandi, but one does believe them.”
“Nand’ paidhi,” Machigi said. “You are one of the most curiously honestindividuals I have met, yet you represent two of the most devious alive! I am very reluctant to let you go. You will become corrupted by them.”