Banichi knocked at their own door, tested the handle, received some sort of signal, or gave one, via the pocket com, and opened the unlocked latch.
Algini sat at a small table near the window. He had a curious black box deployed and plugged into house circuits. He had not locked the door or secured the entry corridor against adventurous house staff on their proper and innocent business, but Algini was very much on alert, had a com-plug in one ear, and a pistol laid beside him on the little table.
Astonishing, Bren said to himelf. An operations center had materialized out of their luggage.
Banichi was not astonished. “Any news?” Banichi asked matter-of-factly, and Algini shrugged.
“Too much radio traffic for our safety,” Algini said. “The house itself no longer chatters freely, and we have our new guarded communications, besides the aiji’s staff and their network, but these newly arrived staffs are a liability. Every bus out there has a common-channel radio, and the citizens are by no means cautious in calling their relatives in the far reaches of the province.”
“The Kadagidi know by now there is a large component of common citizenry to this gathering,” Jago said, with a glance at Bren and at Cajeiri. “This is to our good, nandiin. They cannot press ahead with an attack and claim ignorance of the situation.”
“They will not attack, Jago-ji?” Cajeiri asked.
“One did not say so, young sir. But the Kadagidi will have to be much more cautious, not to proceed without finesse.”
“Finesse,” Cajeiri echoed.
“Indeed,” Jago said.
Assassins, Bren thought. The only way to get in a deft strike, and such a strike would aim at the house and the high-value targets.
Meanwhile Cajeiri had restrained himself from a look out the windows and instead sidled close to Algini’s black box device—had gained the sense not to reach out an inquisitive hand, but pointed at it. “Is it a com?”
“One might say so, young sir.” Algini flipped a switch and took out the earplug, with a look toward Bren. “Nandi.”
Offering his full attention, that was to say, and implying a question regarding their return to the room.
“It seems safer up here,” Bren said. “The aiji is having a family discussion downstairs. The plane is off and about to reconnoiter and Ajuri clan has come in, with its junior and senior members.”
A wry turn of Algini’s mouth. That situation needed little amplification.
“So what is funny?” Cajeiri asked.
“Very little, young sir.”
“The other installations?” Jago asked.
“Done,” Algini answered her. “Tano has been busy. One would recommend the young gentleman and his staff relocate to these premises or to the dowager’s for safety tonight.”
“My great-grandmother,” Cajeiri said with no hesitation. “We have to—” Talk to her was the probable next statement, but Jago cut that off with a sharp move and a finger uplifted to the ceiling, their code for possible listeners.
“Probably wise,” Bren said.
“So Jegari will bring Antaro here until then, shall he not, nand’ Bren?”
Pert. Entirely too pert, Ilisidi would say, but the boy was thinking, clearly.
“Excellent,” Bren said, and Jegari made a dart for the door.
“Halt!” From all his bodyguard at once. Jegari skidded to a stop and faced them, shock writ across his young face.
“Now the door is disarmed,” Algini said. “Make deliberate speed, young man, and inform your sister. And when you come back, knock. Always knock for admittance where Guild is involved and pray do not dart at doors. This is not Taiben Lodge.”
“Nadi.” A very chastened bow, and Jegari made a quieter departure from the premises.
“One assumes that vital instruction need not be repeated for others,” Bren said in a low voice, “young sir.”
“By no means, nand’ paidhi.” Oh, so quietly. Cajeiri’s eyes were wide and alert. Two reprimands in a handful of minutes, after his very adult response downstairs, and he was clearly off his balance.
“Come,” Jago said, “and one will instruct the young gentleman in other needful precautions.”
“Yes,” the lad said respectfully, and just then a distant hum obtruded, even to human ears. “The plane!” Cajeiri cried, and made one abortive move toward the window.
“Boy!” Banichi, in that tone, but Cajeiri had already frozen in midstep.
“I would not have touched—” Cajeiri began, and then the aircraft roared across the roof from east to west, distracting him.
“Keep your mind on business, young sir. Consider your staff, and restrain them from such moves. This is no game. This is never a game.”
“Yes, Banichi-nadi.” Meekly. Very softly. The plane buzzed in the distance, meanwhile, coming about for a landing, and Cajeiri did not even look toward that window to see.
“Excellent that you stopped,” Bren said, deciding such contrition deserved a little praise, ever so little, since a small dose was often overdose with this lad—but Banichi’s tone of voice would have chilled the dead. “House defenses are up, young gentleman, but more, defenses are up which you never saw used on the ship, things which might take a hand or a foot off. Jago will explain them for you and your staff, if you will attend her. In the meanwhile, one assumes the young gentleman from Dur is landing safely, if prematurely, and might have news for us. Tano-ji,” Tano had just come into the room, from the bath. “Will you inquire? And ask nand’ Rejiri to accept our hospitality in these premises immediately, if he cannot penetrate the family discussion below.”
“Nandi,” Tano said, and went off on his own errand, with— one hoped the boy noted the fact—a signaled coordination with his partner, who threw switches on a pocket remote.
“How shall I warn my bodyguard, nandi? Might I please go down the hall to advise them?”
Clearly thinking farther than himself and farther than the moment, now, twice in one half hour. And oh, so polite.
“Jago herself will go and advise them. It is an excellent idea, young sir, but security should handle security.”
The boy was getting the picture, and had a good head on his shoulders, which might ensure it lastingly stayed on his shoulders.
He stayed still, touching nothing, going nowhere, watching while Banichi did a walkaround tour of the windows and their precautions.
Meanwhile, switches had to be flicked off and reset again as Jago went out, then came back with Jegari, Antaro, and the all young company’s meager luggage—Jago settled that burden into the front cubby of a room—bringing with them, one noted, a bowl of seasonal fruit tucked into Antaro’s open carry-bag, a welcome little amenity which the forest bred youngsters did not leave behind in their transfer of residence.
The incoming luggage—saddlebags, in the case of the Taibeni youngsters—settled with their bags, the fruit bowl went onto the hall table, and the young trio followed Jago’s quick and thorough lecture, this time with embellishments from Cajeiri, who was a very quick study, in the dire things he had heard from Banichi.
There was, however, no Rejiri. The young man had not even entered the house to report, but had quickly gone off in a bus, so Tano said on his return from scouting. The contingent from Dur was about to reach the train station, the train coming in full bore, and they needed transport and guidance immediately— if not outright defense.
“The folk from the coast are coming in with Dur,” Tano reported, “by the same train, and with that group, notably, nandi, Adaran and Desigien.”
The fishing village where they had made their landing on the continent and the railhead village from which they had continued their journey, villages which had already risked a great deal in the dowager’s support.