Protector

“It’s not the way the Kadagidi normally go about things,” he said to Jase, “up close like this. Usually it’s sniping from a distance. Political maneuvering. However, they’ve been pretty well confined to their own borders this entire year. The people can come and go, but Aseida’s been bottled up—not his bodyguard, but Aseida himself. If he’s picked this time to make a nuisance of himself to Tatiseigi, it’s a bad time.”

“Not part two of the grandfather’s assassination.”

“I don’t rule anything out—from either side of that matter. If it’s a probe—they already suspect their answer. And finding that out’s fairly inevitable. We only figured the Malguri story to last a few days, as is—possibly not past a Kadagidi spy on the road here. There’s a reason the Taibeni met us at the train station. They were sweeping the area before we got there, and they’ve been watching the road between Kadagidi and here. The Kadagidi have their own train station, two of them, one in the township, one closer to the Kadagidi estate. It’s not as if they need to be using the road past Tatiseigi’s estate. As far as I know—it’s not been an issue.”

Koharu poured tea for them, as Supani was doing the same for Kaplan and Polano. Bren took a sip.

“The Taibeni have located them, nandiin,” Algini said. “The signal is located but not taken.”

Damn. A complication?

“What do you think is going on, Gini-ji?”

“One rather suspects,” Algini said, “that our problems are up a tree.”

•   •   •

They could have the lights on now, Nawari said as he arrived, and kindly turned them on.

Cajeiri was relieved that the alert seemed to be winding down, and he drew easier breaths with Nawari in the room to look things over. He trustedhis own aishid, that they could take care of things if they happened, but he by no means wanted things to happen tonight, with gunshots going off. He had heard that sound all too often in his life, and one could not trust being absolutely safe even on the second floor.

And his guests were impressed and seemed reassured, now that the light was on. Nawari walked around with his rifle in hand—Nawari was lean and particularly good-looking and very professional-looking in his glance over things.

“Good you had the lights out,” Nawari said.

Antaro said firmly, “The moment the alert came, Nawari-nadi.”

Nawari looked at the window latch, took a look outside, moving the filmy curtain with his hand, and looked satisfied.

Then he looked at him. “One understands you recovered the parid’ja, nandi.”

Cajeiri took a careful breath: Nawari would notchastise him or his aishid in front of his guests, no.

But he could not let his aishid be pulled aside for a reprimand, either. “Nawari-nadi, I ordered it. We heard the mecheiti. And then we heard Boji scratching at the window. We had turned the lights out.”

“We put the lights out immediately when we heard a disturbance,” Veijico said, which was right. “Records will note we notified security simultaneously.”

“Then Boji tapped the window,” Cajeiri said. “He makes this sound. My aishid was very careful. They opened the drape from the sides, we had the lights out, and we did not open the window but a crack. I had an egg, and Boji came in on his own.”

Nawari looked at Antaro and Jegari.

“The tap is distinctive, nadi,” Antaro said, “and we at no time presented a target.”

“Bear in mind that the window-glass would not stop an intruder, nadiin. —Our allies have deployed riders from both camps, tracking two targets. Do not look out the windows, even after the all-clear.”

“Great-uncle’s herd—” Cajeiri said, thinking instantly of Jeichido out there.

“Shut in,” Nawari said. “Safe and shut into their stable. Our allies are dealing with the matter. There may be unpleasantness. Your guests, young gentleman, should not be confronted with the view.”

He understood, then—he absolutely understood. “Yes, Nawari-nadi,” he said.

“You seem to be in good order here. Are you anxious about being by yourselves tonight, young gentleman? There will be guards in the hall all night.”

“We are perfectly fine,” he was quick to say. “Only no house servant should open our door.”

“That word is already out, for all the house.” Nawari headed the door, and Cajeiri cast a fast look about the tops of the curtains and hangings.

“Please,” he said as Nawari laid his hand on the latch, “please be very careful with the door, Nawari-nadi. Boji is hiding somewhere in the suite, and one does not wish him loose in Great-uncle’s house.”

“One will be very careful,” Nawari said solemnly, and was exactly that, in leaving them alone in the room.

The Taibeni had the mecheiti hunting the intruders.

At least they were not in Great-uncle’s basement.

He hopedthere were no more of them.

He faced his guests, who had not, he thought, gotten all of that past Nawari’s Malguri accent.

And he did not want to tell them all of it, about the mecheiti, or he would never get them back near the stables.