Protector

While Murini had put himself forward as opposinghuman influence, opposingthe changes in atevi society, opposingthe factories and the space program, to get Conservative Party support—until his assassination and intimidation tactics had crossed a line and people realized this was notthe government they wanted.

Not a repudiation of the space program and human influence. A takeover . . . usingthat technology.

And the one way, the one waythey could have inserted theirpeople into the station was to get Geigi off it. Off it and, preferably, out of the picture completely.

No wonderthe Shadow Guild had been setting up a trap for Lord Geigi, hopinghe’d find reason to visit his estate at Kajiminda. They’d hijacked Machigi’s original plot to get his hands on Geigi’s estate. They’d taken over the operation and come scarily close to succeeding in delivering a major blow to Tabini’s year-old second administration.

Until they’d crossed the aiji-dowager.

Geigi had come down from the heavens, however—

And then of all things the Shadow Guild had taken to the field and decided to throw mortars at Najida.

“A question,” he said. “Nadiin-ji. Whydid the Shadow Guild take it to the field? Why did they blow the cover off?”

“That,” Algini said, “is an interesting question. And a sad situation. The ones most exposed fled south and to the coast when Murini fell. They began recruitment of Marid Guild, whose man’chi was to the region, with a lie: they told these people that the out-clan rule was going to be imposed by northern Guild, who would isolate them and impose northern lords over the Marid. The lie was toopotent. The Marid recruits slipped control, they took to the field, and they were not coordinated. The action now has evolved to words and reasoned argument, where possible—and the skirmishes that do take place now arewith those we have no reluctance to take down. Cenedi has had experience in the East. He asked Machigi for names from the Taisigin Marid, called respected persons out of retirement, and set them in positions in the Marid where their influence can be useful. The opposition is feeling more threatened by these influential seniors than by weapons, and local Guild is becoming aware that Murini’s people are, principally, outsiders to the Marid. The remnant of our enemy is resorting once again to Murini’stactics of intimidation and threats, and they continue to spread the rumors, primarily in the more rural areas, that the out-clan rule is coming and the aiji means to take over the Marid—which is still a rallying cry for the misled. It is a district by district struggle, in a region where the Messengers’ Guild does not operate, where there is no television, and radio is often short range and delivering disinformation. We have taken to distributing radios, and broadcasting our own message.”

Communication. A world perspective. Messengers’ Guild. Scholars’ Guild. Get those throughout the Marid and misinformation and truth could at least fight on a level field.

“Ironically, in the past, Assignments has not had the ability to deal with the Marid as well as it has in the north, but that situation is changing. The local Guild has taken a beating they are being told was the fault of their leaders. Machigi—is regarded with great suspicion in the northern Marid.”

One very much hoped that the next word would not be that Machigi himself was one of their problems.

“Whatever Machigi has been,” Banichi said, “he probably still is—but right now his best chance of survival is as a lord in Tabini-aiji’s man’chi, and by assuring everybodygoes over to the out-clan rule. Assignments, we are quite sure, is already lining up candidates to be installed the moment the aiji and Machigi agree on that move.”

“If Shishoji were removed,” Bren said, “would that settle it?”

A look flew between Banichi and Algini, Jago and Banichi. Tano just looked worried.

“It would not,” Bren concluded.

“We have a choice of targets,” Algini said, “but there are several what you call loose endswe must deal with beforewe can move—before we should, prudently, move—on Shishoji himself. And we are not sure—” Again the glance toward Banichi. “—who actually has the man’chi within that structure. We are of several opinions.”

“But it is between Haikuti, and Shishoji?”

A quick dip of the chin. “Haikuti has not the evident seniority or the authority Shishoji has,” Algini said. “He is a tactician. He was running Murini from his position as his cousin’s bodyguard. Cenedi believes his letting Murini do as much bloodletting as he wished was cold-blooded policy—and that once the enemies had been eliminated, Murini would die, and Aseida would step in with clean hands and a new policy the aishidi’tat would be glad to accept.”