Protector

Then said, once the servant had reached the downstairs. “Matters came very close to Council action. Then Banichi was swept up into the aiji’s service, by the aiji’s order, not Assignments, and removedfrom that conflict. That did not please Haikuti at all. Almost immediately after that, he was assigned into Kadagidi.”

“Haikuti’s clan, Gini-ji. Wasit Kadagidi?”

A hesitation. “Ajuri,” Algini said. “He is our target’s nephew. Favored, at every turn. Haikuti and Banichi have had occasional encounters since. And Banichi was the person Haikuti least wanted to find on his doorstep this morning. There are many, many within the Guild who will be very glad to be rid of Haikuti and particularly glad to know who did it.”

Favored, at every turn. Close to the top. And evidently taking his orders from one man in Assignments, during Murini’s rise, during the coup, during the last year.

Bren nodded slowly. “I very wellunderstand, then. Take care of Banichi, nadiin-ji. Keep him safe.”

“Bren-ji,” Algini said, “we are entirely in agreement.”

19

There was permission for one brief trip out to the stables . . . with the bus sitting in the front drive. And Guild all about Cajeiri and his guests. They had to go out and come back quickly. Bad things had happened over at the Kadagidi estate. And the Taibeni were on high alert.

But they had pulled back from the stable area, so the grooms could let the mecheiti out into the pen. The doors opened, and they came out in a rush—the herd-leader, and two others, then the rest, pushing at the doorposts, as if they all could widen the door by shoving. Brass tusk-caps shone in the noon sun. Mecheiti snorted and blew and pawed the ground, maybe smelling the Taibeni mecheiti, or just because they had been pent up too long. The herd-leader had taken a noseful of black powder, but he was fine now: he had asked, and Great-uncle had said so—they had had the herd-leader breathing vapors, and he had coughed for a few hours, and his eyes had run, but he had come through very well.

One understood the Dojisigi had done very properly not to intend to shoot at the mecheiti. Cajeiri would not have forgiven them if they had done that. But they had behaved very well, Great-uncle had said, all things considered. The only mischief they had done was to eat up all the food in the mechanics’ refrigerator, out in the garage.

It was not quite all the mischief. They had messed up hisplans. But there were far more serious things going on than his birthday. He had to look at it that way. He was almost fortunate nine.

He climbed up on the rail, a little reckless, but he was in his traveling clothes, a little plainer, and his guests tried, but it was not easy for them. Lucasi and Jegari simply took Gene and Artur and lifted them up, so they could stand on the rail, and Antaro lifted Irene up, saying, “Jump down if one shows any interest in you, nadi.”

“Jeichido!” Cajeiri called out, seeing her, and made the sound riders made. “Chi-chi-chi, Jeichido!”

Jeichido actually looked his way, turned her entire body, and looked at the odd gathering on the fence. Several mecheiti had, nostrils working.

But it was Jeichido who took a step in their direction, then wandered halfway to the fence.

Jeichido was not Boji, who would go anywherefor an egg, and offering a treat to anybody but the herd-leader would start a fight. He just set Jeichido in his memory, and called out, “I shall be back, as soon as I can! We all will, if mani can get everything settled again! And then you will have your pasture back!”

“Do they really understand?” Gene asked.

“Not a bit,” he said, feeling better for having said it. “But she knows her name. And she has seen me twice now. And I willbe back. I have to! I can’t fit her into my father’s apartment.”

They laughed at that. He thought his great-grandmother’s bodyguards were probably getting impatient to have them off the back grounds, but it was his choice, whether to go back through the house, or to take the little walk in the sun, down the garden walk to the driveway, where he could see the rear of the red and black bus.

The truck was going to come and get Boji and his cage to the train, and Eisi and Lieidi would go with the truck and the baggage, and make sure they had a cover over Boji’s cage, and that he had a nice egg for the trip.

And there would be a van from the township to take the Kadagidi lord and the two Dojisigi and several of mani’s bodyguards to the train station.

They would go on the bus with mani, and Great-uncle, and nand’ Bren, and all their bodyguards and all their staff.

And the train would take them all to the Bujavid train station. They would go upstairs—and at that point he had absolutely no idea where his guests were going to be. Nand’ Jase and his bodyguards would probably be with nand’ Bren. He understood everybody was trying to make arrangements.

He really hoped his mother would be in a good mood.

They reached the bus. And Artur picked up a stone that caught his eye.