Deceiver: Foreigner #11 (36 page)
Read Deceiver: Foreigner #11 Online
Authors: C. J. Cherryh
And that question would likely go right up the chain to Machigi in the Taisigin Marid . . . guaranteeing at least some period of safety for Barb. And . . . he could not but think it without much humor at all . . . Barb was as likely to make herself a serious problem to her kidnappers—which could mean she was not as well off as one would ordinarily hope. They would not likely hurt her—since it was unlikely they could figure out her rank or her right to pitch a fit; but she could push them too far. Knowing Barb, she would take a little latitude as encouragement to push. And that wouldn’t be good. Not at all. He’d personally had an arm broken—by an ateva who didn’t know how fragile humans were.
Not to mention food. God, they could poison her so easily without the least intention. Just one wrong spice . . .
Stick to the bread, Barb,
he thought desperately.
Please stick to the bread.
Stick to the bread, Barb,
he thought desperately.
Please stick to the bread.
The servant collected the teacups. Geigi sighed and seemed apt to drift off to sleep.
“Has there been any news?” Bren asked Jago quietly, not to disturb Geigi.
“None yet,” Jago said. “Guild to Guild, Lord Pairuti has been informed officially to expect visitors. They have not phoned the Marid. We know that.”
That
was interesting. His bodyguard, over the years, had increasingly taken to informing him on things lords often didn’t find out . . . things somewhat in the realm of Guild secrets.
was interesting. His bodyguard, over the years, had increasingly taken to informing him on things lords often didn’t find out . . . things somewhat in the realm of Guild secrets.
“But then,” Tano said, “the Marid Guild has its own network.”
“Illegally so?”
“Oh, indeed illegally, Bren-ji,” Banichi said in his lowest voice. “But then, they are no longer privy to our codes.”
Tano said, from the facing seats: “The Guild has at least taken pains to keep them out. But
we
take care not to rely on that.”
we
take care not to rely on that.”
“If there is any Marid Guild in this district,” Jago said, “they will not be minor operators. And they will not be taking orders from the Maschi.”
“The Maschi lord,” Tano said, “directs nothing regarding any Marid operation. If Barb-daja is there, she will not be in his hands.”
“Therefore she will not be there,” Bren said glumly, “and we may expect they will move her as rapidly as possible to the Marid, I fear too rapidly for us to overtake them.”
“Plausibly so,” Algini said. “The best we may hope for, nandi, is to settle the Maschi.”
“By reason or otherwise,” Tano added. “And one very much doubts reason.”
“Nandi.” Algini, who had had a finger to his ear, listening to something relayed to him, took on a very sober demeanor. “Go to the convenience.”
At the rear of the bus. It was not better shielded back there. It was not the potential for gunfire that Algini meant, not so, if he was to be leaving Geigi behind. It had to be informational, a consultation waiting for him back there.
He got up and quietly walked down the aisle to the vicinity of the several strangers who had boarded with them. Algini was right behind him, and so, he saw, turning, was the rest of his aishid.
Which had to alarm Geigi’s bodyguard. He cast a look back down the aisle and saw none of that lot stirring.
The next glance was for Algini, who said, in a low voice, “The aiji has Filed, Bren-ji. Word has just now come through.”
“Filed.”
“On Pairuti, on Machigi, on every lord of the Marid.”
“One believes,” Jago added dryly, “that the Farai will be quitting your apartment tonight.”
The strangers near them could hear, surely. So could the domestics sitting nearby, and several of the dowager’s guard.
“Lord Geigi—should not know this, nandiin-ji?”
“His bodyguard, nandi, is simultaneously receiving the same information,” Tano said.
Then a glimmering of the reason came through. But he was not sure. “But Lord Geigi—”
“His honor and his position,” Banichi said, “would require he advise Pairuti, Bren-ji. His bodyguard need not do so. They will not advise him.”
“One understands, then.” He almost wished
he
had stayed ignorant. Far better, indeed, if Geigi were not put in a delicate position. His own, human, sense of honor was hard-put with the information—how to approach Pairuti with apparent clear conscience—how to walk into that hall and betray nothing. It was not fair play. It was not honest. It was not—
he
had stayed ignorant. Far better, indeed, if Geigi were not put in a delicate position. His own, human, sense of honor was hard-put with the information—how to approach Pairuti with apparent clear conscience—how to walk into that hall and betray nothing. It was not fair play. It was not honest. It was not—
It was not easy for his aishid, either, to breach Guild secrecy and bring their lord in on the facts—on Tabini-aiji’s business. He had no good instinct for what had moved them to do so, except that, he, more than Geigi, was adjunct to Tabini-aiji. Hell. He needed to understand that point.
“Why have you told me, nadiin-ji?” he asked outright.
“Tabini-aiji has specified you may be advised, nandi,” Algini said. “But that Geigi should not be.”
Use his head, then. That was what Tabini expected of the paidhi-aiji. Function in his official capacity. Think his way through. Advise the
Guild,
for God’s sake . . .
nobody
advised the Guild, except he had Banichi and Jago in his aishid, who had been Tabini’s; and Algini, who had been the Guild’s; and God knew what Tano had been, or why he had come in attached to Algini. His brain raced, finding connections, finding his own staff was a peculiar hybrid of high-level interests and that there was a
reason
his bodyguard told him things.
Guild,
for God’s sake . . .
nobody
advised the Guild, except he had Banichi and Jago in his aishid, who had been Tabini’s; and Algini, who had been the Guild’s; and God knew what Tano had been, or why he had come in attached to Algini. His brain raced, finding connections, finding his own staff was a peculiar hybrid of high-level interests and that there was a
reason
his bodyguard told him things.
The west coast was a damned mess, was what. The dowager hadn’t meant to get involved out here. She’d been on her way back to the East to spend a quiet spring. Tabini hadn’t intended to have his son come out here . . .
“Is the aiji protecting Najida?”
A nod from Jago. “Yes. Definitely.”
“And these four, with us?”
“Specialists,” Algini said.
Don’t ask, then. He didn’t.
But Algini said, further, “There are many more moving in, from all directions.”
Bren cast an involuntary glance at the windows. There was only rolling meadow. But they were not alone. Out in that landscape forces were moving, major forces . . . and he had told Toby they would get Barb back. He had believed it when he said it. But the operation had just mutated. Tabini-aiji was backing them, all right, but suddenly the dowager’s phone calls to Shejidan and the Filing all made one piece of cloth. Tabini had behaved for months as if exile might have changed him, made him more timid, more willing to ignore longstanding situations, anything to avoid another conflict that might destabilize the government.
Negotiating with the Farai, who had occupied the paidhi-aiji’s apartment and refused all hints they should quit the premises.
Negotiating with Machigi over old issues, as Machigi rose to power over the dead bodies of certain relatives who had supported the usurper Murini . . .
All leading to this.
Suddenly the argument between the dowager and Tabini about the Edi assumed a wholly different character. Reshaping the balance of power on the coast, hell! Reshaping the entire western half of the aishidi’tat, was what. Tabini had had an operation underway and Ilisidi had moved right into the middle of it with
her
agenda.
her
agenda.
And co-opted the paidhi-aiji into it.
He felt a little sick at his stomach. He looked at four faces gone utterly solemn, four close associates who absolutely understood how the game had changed—and changed in ways that profoundly affected the mixed company on this bus.
“Indeed,” he said, “I see.” Pairuti, like Geigi, had no children. Baiji was, in fact, the governing line’s main hope in that regard. So there was no family to get swept up into the order, but—“Is there a chance, still, nadiin-ji, that we can still go through with our plan and give Lord Pairuti the chance to resign?”
Banichi, Jago, and Tano all looked to Algini for that one. And Algini frowned.
“The order is without prejudice,” Algini said, “regarding his situation. He
is
given that latitude.”
is
given that latitude.”
“Is he viewed as complicitous, Gini-ji?” Bren said.
“As having cooperated with the Marid during the Troubles, nandi,” Algini said. “Complicitous to that extent.”
“Many did,” Bren said. “There is that extenuation. The demise of Lord Geigi’s sister, however—”
“He is not faulted in that,” Algini said.
“Can we give him at least the chance, then?” Bren said. He had never participated in an assassination order. He had the most extreme qualms, even to the extent he wanted to order his own aishid to hang back and not get involved. “Nadiin-ji, the paidhi-aiji is neutral. I am an intercessor, not—not the lord of Najida, in this matter. But one cannot jeopardize the mission, either, to the aiji’s detriment—or to the risk of his agents. One finds oneself in a most uncomfortable position.”
Banichi said. “We should take the house. That must be done, efficiently and completely, Bren-ji. If you say preserve him, we shall do that.”
“If,” Bren said uneasily, “if you can do it without risk to yourselves.” He took a deep breath and wiped his face with his hand. “This is
why
the Guild has a policy against involving outsiders, is it not, nadiin-ji? I am a fool. Forget everything I have said. I withdraw my statements. I place
no
such restriction or request. My intercession should have been with Tabini-aiji,
not
with Guild assigned to carry out his decision.”
why
the Guild has a policy against involving outsiders, is it not, nadiin-ji? I am a fool. Forget everything I have said. I withdraw my statements. I place
no
such restriction or request. My intercession should have been with Tabini-aiji,
not
with Guild assigned to carry out his decision.”
“Yet Lord Pairuti could provide useful information,” Banichi said. “It is not an unwise choice, Bren-ji. But the decision must be politically supported. That is not our decision. If you say help him live, we can do that.”
“What does Lord Geigi’s aishid say?”
“They are willing to go in
and
to take down the lord,” Jago said. “But they are
not
current with technology down here. It would be a risk we would not wish them to run. And they may have a personal connection with members of the household. That is another risk.”
and
to take down the lord,” Jago said. “But they are
not
current with technology down here. It would be a risk we would not wish them to run. And they may have a personal connection with members of the household. That is another risk.”
“We and the dowager’s men can take the house,” Banichi said. “We have no question.”
“The aiji’s men . . .” Bren began.
“We do not discuss that, Bren-ji,” Jago said—which told the story. They were undiscussable and they were going to vanish at some critical point. It took no great wit to know they were going overland and across the local border, and in what direction, and why they were not lingering to assist his operation.
Bren absorbed that information, and Jago said, further: “There are others. Many others.”
So
that
was how they were staying current with the situation. Relays—possibly something set up on Maschi land . . . and there were Guild out there—many others, Jago said, moving by stealth. Bren cast a look forward, where Geigi and his aishid sat—the bodyguard reading or with heads together in converse, Geigi still seeming to be asleep.
that
was how they were staying current with the situation. Relays—possibly something set up on Maschi land . . . and there were Guild out there—many others, Jago said, moving by stealth. Bren cast a look forward, where Geigi and his aishid sat—the bodyguard reading or with heads together in converse, Geigi still seeming to be asleep.
And one could not leave hanging the question of what to do with Lord Pairuti.
And one could not ask Geigi, either, nor get any useful opinion from Lord Geigi’s bodyguard.
Though one had this most uneasy notion that Geigi’s drowsiness might
not
be due to the schedule they had kept—that Geigi might be far more aware of things than he wanted to be, and intended to minimize what he did know.
not
be due to the schedule they had kept—that Geigi might be far more aware of things than he wanted to be, and intended to minimize what he did know.
The paidhi-aiji could have done the same thing—sit still while his bodyguard arranged things.
But his aishid had outright invited him into it—which meant, he thought, that they wanted him to make the political decision on what
was
left vague in their orders.
was
left vague in their orders.
He went back to his seat. His aishid settled around him. Lord Geigi stirred somewhat, but never opened his eyes.
They sat, on a bus rolling along toward a major problem, and stayed in silence for a while, in a landscape no longer even relatively safe.
God, he had promised Toby. He had promised and offered assurances he had thought were reasonable, knowing the way political kidnappings usually ran, and now Barb’s safety was nowhere assured in this. A whole quarter of the aishidi’tat was about to go up in major hostilities. Tabini was using their visit to the Maschi as cover for the wholesale movement of major forces . . . to attack the Marid in what amounted to war.
It was Tabini’s right to do it to them, and Tabini would naturally regret doing it—but—
Damn!
There might be villages deeper in the folded hills; they likely were numerous, with market roads leading elsewhere. This road bore an overgrowth of brush, opportunistic plants that sprang up in the clear spot a road made . . . indicative of a road unused for a space of time.
Except that this growth of brush had been broken down by a recent passage that might or might not be intermittent trips to the Separti road. One rather thought of the appearance of Marid Guild turning up at Kajiminda, and then at Najida, and Marid cells in Separti and Dalaigi.
Tabini’s reinforcements would have gotten ahead of them, clearing out any ambush. He had to rely on that.
One had no idea what they might arrive to find at Pairuti’s estate, Targai: the place in a shambles, or standing pristine and only this morning in reception of an official notice that there
would
be assassination attempts, an endless succession of them until one succeeded or until the contract was set aside. The Maschi were of course entitled to send
their
Guild members to assassinate the aiji without legal consequence, but it would be an enterprise little likely to succeed: the odds were somewhat lopsided.
would
be assassination attempts, an endless succession of them until one succeeded or until the contract was set aside. The Maschi were of course entitled to send
their
Guild members to assassinate the aiji without legal consequence, but it would be an enterprise little likely to succeed: the odds were somewhat lopsided.
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