“Relaying that,” Jase said, and a moment later: “Also advising Geigi.”
“What’s his status?”
“It’s calm, over there. No lockdown. Up in ship-sector, the captains are all awake. Ogun’s ordered me to advise Geigi delay his going on-shift until we can get the humans calmed down. I did relay that. Sabin’s order was to call you. I told Geigi I’d report back, and that Sabin’s watching the situation with the Reunioners. As of five minutes ago Tillington was headed up to ship-sector for conference with Ogun. Sabin’s making an official announcement to the Reunioners just about now, what’s happened, the reason for the doors shutting, requesting calm, and everybody staying where they are.”
Understandable. Not optimum, but the situation up there wasn’t optimum.
“Atevi won’t riot. They will want to get information fairly soon, so stay in close communication with Geigi. They will expect the captains to have a plan and tell them about it. You can break the news to all concerned that we’re headed up there. You know the kyo pattern. We’re likely to have time. Calm and communication are the best route.”
“I’ll relay that to all concerned. I hear we are gaining some time. The kyo shed a little V at the same time as they started transmitting. They’re going to be arriving at least a day later. Maybe a lot more if they repeat the decel.”
That was another relief. The knowledge that Ogun had called the second and third shift Phoenix technicians on duty was a relief. They understood what had worked before. And the senior captains had authorized Jase to bring him into the loop. As had to be.
“With the kyo, we have to do everything the same as before. That’s official, from me. Phoenix has the records. But if anything happens that isn’t in the prior pattern, consult me before any response. Just repeat your prior response and stall with that.”
“Understood. I’ll relay that. I’ll be in touch when I know something more.”
“Right.” Damn it. “Tell Geigi call me if he needs me.”
“I will.” Contact clicked out.
The time? He had no idea. He had no clock in his office: a reminder of time was a nuisance when he was working.
Call Geigi? He needed to do that.
Call Ogun? Tell the senior captain what to do in his command?
He didn’t want to get into an argument with Ogun. Mistrust and infighting inside the Captains’ Council dated back at least to Ramirez—and likely from long before anyone now holding a captaincy.
Every Captain had his allies. Sabin and Jase had the paidhi-aiji, and Ogun, Ramirez’ closest ally, had—unfortunately—Tillington.
This was not going to be a happy divorce, upcoming, Ogun from Tillington. He’d known that before the kyo had entered the picture. Before Tillington had slammed doors shut as if the station were under attack.
Now that the kyo were involved, administrative changes that had had time to work out were coming on like snowballs rolling downhill. He couldn’t wait any longer to open discussions with Ogun. He had to deal with the man and tell him what was going on and about to go on, without letting the situation between Ogun and Sabin blow up.
And Tillington was in Ogun’s office for conference right now.
He feared he might have waited too long.
Jeladi arrived with a fresh pot of tea, quietly set it down and poured it. Jago arrived right behind Jeladi, in uniform, awake and on duty, and bearing his bath slippers.
He slipped his feet into them. They were numb. He accepted the cup of tea, and cradled it for warmth, while Jago and Jeladi waited for information his brain was rapidly sorting.
“Jase-aiji just called. The ship is signaling, nadiin-ji, transmitting as they did at Reunion, so it is the kyo; and the news is out, on the station. Ogun has taken command, and is conferencing with Tillington. Ogun has shut down all communication; I have asked it be opened, and authorized a response. Meanwhile the atevi section seems in good order, but Tillington has shut all the section doors, confining both the Reunioners and the Mospheirans wherever they happen to have been at the time. Sabin is advising the Reunioners what has happened. Tillington has likely made an announcement in the Mospheiran sections. I have authorized Jase to release information that we are coming up there. I cannot complain of the orders Ogun has given, though I am uneasy about Tillington. Advise the dowager’s staff, Ladi-ji, of all this. Jago-ji, advise the aiji’s bodyguard. There is no reason to wake him, but that will be at his staff’s discretion. It was well I caught a little sleep. Our day is starting early.”
There were solemn nods and, as quietly, both left.
He sat staring at nothing in particular, and the tea failed to warm him. Staff was already moving about the halls in greater numbers. Day staff was waking, not necessarily fully informed, but understanding the day was starting, and likely getting information from night staff.
The contact with their visitors was not going that badly. There had been far worse possibilities.
Now there was a manageable event, but it was acquiring a texture of small, troublesome details—one of which was that he had, pursuing the Tillington matter, been preferentially working with Sabin and Jase, who were not in the best relationship with Ogun.
Bet on it, bet on it, Ogun was getting Tillington’s opinions now. And Ogun wouldn’t be talking to the Reunioners, who had experienced this twice before. Or to Geigi, whose section was the only one not in turmoil. The Reunioners and Geigi were not Ogun’s usual contacts. The information flowed as it was accustomed to flow, and in this case, not from the best source.
He wrote a quick note to Tabini:
Aiji-ma, the incoming ship has signaled identically to the ship we dealt with at Reunion. This is very good news.
The signal has just been picked up by the humans on the space station and the news has spread unrestrained to all human sections of the station. I have asked Jase-aiji to relay information to Lord Geigi. Geigi and I discussed this scenario, among others, during his visit here. We have already laid out what to do and in what stages to do it. I have every confidence he is doing exactly that now, and if he encounters difficulty he will contact me with certain coded words. If anything disrupts communication with him, Jase-aiji will contact me. That, also, we have arranged. So I am confident in our arrangements.
Therefore one recommends that the lords of the aishidi’tat should now be given the news to let them prepare their own statements. One recommends this be announced as an impending state visit. We sincerely hope this is the truth.
To Ilisidi:
Aiji-ma, a signal from the foreign ship indicates these are the kyo, and one now has some reason to hope that the individuals we know are part of this mission.
Humans and atevi on the station are being informed of the situation. Transmission from the station has ceased, but I trust will resume soon. Humans on Mospheira will likely get the news as the sun rises if not before. Lord Geigi is implementing plans long since laid. I have advised the aiji your grandson that the lords of the aishidi’tat should be informed at this point. We are not officially releasing the information here on Earth that we are going up to the station, but the station is releasing that information.
The ship is also slowing slightly, giving us a day or two more, but our launch is firmly set and on schedule.
To his staff at Najida: to go by the Messengers’ Guild: Nadiin-ji, an urgent message is arriving simultaneously for my brother. Please wake Ramaso and nand’ Toby to receive it.