“Can we see them land? Can we be there to watch?”
“Ask your great‑grandmother such things, young gentleman.” He had so many things he had to do, letters he had to write, arrangements to make before things started moving–but he was not about to leave the young gentleman unattended and in a state of high excitement.
He was very relieved when Jago came in to say they had been in touch with Cenedi, that they had informed the dowager as requested, and that the dowager was arriving to take charge of her grandson–and his baggage–at any moment.
“Well,” Bren began, but just then came a knock at the door, and it opened. That, he was sure, would be Ilisidi herself, or at very least, Cenedi.
Rescue.
“I am sure we will take care of Boji for you,” Bren said to his young guest. “I have ordered sufficient eggs.”
“He likes them raw, nandi.”
“One is not surprised to hear it.”
“You just give them to him. But sometimes we boil one. For a joke. He will eat it. But it confuses him.”
“We shall never have eggs left over from breakfast, then.” He rose, thinking he would have to meet Ilisidi, and offer to keep Boji.
The door opened. Jeladi ducked in, shut the door at his back and bowed. “Nandi. Lord Tatiseigi is in the foyer, nandi.”
He tried not to register utter dismay. One thing was certain: he could not sit in lordly splendor in his sitting room and ask Tatiseigi be brought in like some visiting client. He bowed to his young guest, and went to the door as Jeladi opened it.
Indeed, Lord Tatiseigi, with his full bodyguard, stood in the foyer, awaiting the courtesy of his appearance.
“Nandi,” Bren said, “you are very welcome here. Do accept the hospitality of the sitting room. The aiji‑dowager or her bodyguard will be here at any moment to pick up the young gentleman. I took your arrival for hers. Would you care for tea?”
“Things are running in a very slipshod way, nandi. This spaceship is proceeding ahead of plans and we hear only by our bodyguard’s advisement that the young gentleman has been turned out and sent here–with no warning, nandi, with no notice at all. We hope that there is some planning involved in this!”
He was not about to explain Geigi’s meddling with the shuttle launch schedule. Tatiseigi liked all events well‑planned, on firm schedules. He simply said, “Once the young gentleman knew the shuttle was coming, he was very anxious to be underway, nandi, and you and the dowager have been so very involved in the committee meeting . . .”
“Which is over,” Tatiseigi said somewhat more mildly.
“One heard it had gone well, with all gratitude to your efforts, indeed. I listened from the tea room, discreetly. I was available to get the message, and I was able to be here to meet the young gentleman. And to take custody of the young gentleman’s parid’ja, which needs to be housed, temporarily.” He was absolute sure Tatiseigi would not want that duty.
“Uncle,” Cajeiri said from the doorway.
“My boy,” Tatiseigi said. “We trust you have not been a burden to the paidhi.”
“No, Great‑uncle! Nand’ Bren has been explaining the shuttle schedule. And he says we might go to Najida!”
“I said,” Bren said quietly and quickly–a visit to Najida surely not being Tatiseigi’s fondest wish–“that all such questions would be the dowager’s to decide.”
“Well!” Tatiseigi said. “How would you like to go to Tirnamardi instead, young gentleman, and ride mecheiti?”
Tatiseigi’s estate? With human guests? Three–possibly four–very young human guests?
He thought of his conversation with Jago, in the servants’ bath.
And that with Geigi, in his office.
But Cajeiri didn’t waste a second.
“To Tirnamardi, Great‑uncle?”
“We have made arrangements with your great‑grandmother, considering this madness with the shuttle schedule and the inconvenience of having these guests in residence in the Bujavid. We have ample room.”
And Kadagidi clan next door. And a feud with Ajuri, not that far to the north.
“Yes!” the young rascal cried. “Oh, yes! ”
“Well, well,” Tatiseigi said. “You shall, then!” He turned a glance toward Bren. “These young people do not speak Ragi, do they?”
“It is not likely they do, beyond a few words, nandi.”
“Well, then, nand’ paidhi, so the aiji‑dowager said, and you will surely attend,” Tatiseigi said. And added, whimsically, “I do trust your aishid will not blow up another of my bedrooms!”
“Assuredly not, nandi!”
Oh, the man was in a good mood. But he could not be taking possession of Cajeiri and taking him off to his apartment, however short the walk–he had promised Tabini to take the boy into his keeping, and that was what was authorized. Tano and Algini had an unobstructed view, where they were standing, and he passed an emergency hand‑signal that non‑Guild were not supposed to use.
“The aiji‑dowager is on her way, nandi,” Tano said immediately.
“Indeed,” Bren said. “Lord Tatiseigi, will you like a pot of tea, and to wait for the dowager?”
“We have had tea enough at the legislative reception,” Tatiseigi said, not budging, “but so, well, we shall wait. Will you need to send for riding clothes, nephew?”
“No, Great‑uncle. I have everything with me.”
“Who has seen to your wardrobe, young man? Has your father’s staff?”
“I have servants, now, Great‑uncle! I have my own staff.”
“With you?”
“Indeed, Great‑uncle, I have two servants and my bodyguard.”
“Well, well,” Tatiseigi said. “Servants, indeed! Have you a warm coat? Formal clothing as well?”
“One had thought we might go to Najida, Great‑uncle, or Malguri, so I have everything in my baggage.”
“Exemplary foresight,” Tatiseigi said. “Exemplary! Well. Well.” They were standing with enough Guild in attendance for a small war, with Tatiseigi’s bodyguards outside and Cajeiri’s four and Banichi and Jago now in the foyer, and Tatiseigi in the doorway itself so that Narani had not been able to close it.
But they were about to acquire a fourth set of bodyguards. Bren heard the sounds of another approach to the door, men’s footsteps, and the light tap of Ilisidi’s cane on the stone flooring of the hall.
He was not the only one hearing it. “Mani is coming,” Cajeiri said, and indeed, Tatiseigi’s bodyguard moved out of the way in advance of that oncoming presence.
Tap. Tap. Tap. At her own pace, Ilisidi appeared in the doorway.
“Well,” she said, resting hands on her cane. “Well, Great‑grandson. Tati‑ji. Nand’ paidhi. Are we holding a meeting in the hallway?”
“Mani, Great‑uncle has said we shall go to Tirnamardi!”
“That we shall,” she said, both hands on her cane, with Cenedi and her guard behind her. “We shall go to the spaceport, gather up your young guests, and take them to enjoy a healthful sojourn in the country. Nand’ paidhi, we trust you can clear your schedule to go with us.”
Her idea. Or Cenedi’s. He recalled, again, that conversation in the bath. The business about positioning forces.
“I am in process of doing that right now, aiji‑ma.”
“Well, well, we shall have a day or two to see the bill passed. You are packed, nand’ paidhi?”
“I shall be, aiji‑ma.”
“Tati‑ji?”
“My staff will assure it,” Tatiseigi said.
“Well, we all three will be busy. Lord Tatiseigi and I will speak for the bill in the tashrid tomorrow. We expect the paidhi‑aiji will have a statement to read into the record.”