Deliberations:AForeignerShort

Story

by

C.J.Cherryh

ClosedCirclePublications

Box18656SpokaneWA99228

Deliberationscopyright©2012byC.J.CherryhAllrightsreservedClosedCirclePublicationsBox18656SpokaneWA,99228

Thisworkishand-edited

andpreparedbytheauthorpersonallytopresentthebestpossiblerepresentationoftheauthor'sactualwork.AllproceedsfromaClosedCirclepublicationgodirectlytotheauthor(s).Ifyoufindyourselfsomehowinpossessionofanunauthorizedfileofthisoranyotheroftheauthor'sworks,theauthorwillthankyouifyoudropby

http://www.closed-circle.netandmakeacontributiontotheauthor’slivelihood.Coverdesign:JaneFancher

Dedication

forJoAnn,whoaskedthequestion

AbouttheAuthorC.J. Cherryh, two-timewinner of the Hugo Awardfor Best Novel and once forBestShortStory,istheauthorof more than 60 novels.These include numerousindependent novels in theAlliance-Union universe, as

wellastheChanurbooks,theForeigner series, and others,and fantasy books such asFaeryMoonandtheFortressintheEyeofTimebooks.C.J.Cherryh is one third ofClosedCirclePublications.

Deliberations:AForeignerShort

Story

by

C.J.Cherryh

The tiled rooftops ofShejidanglistenedadullpalered in the twilight, twistingrows of many-storieddwellings clustered in theirancient associations, the oldheart of the oldest, greatestcity on the continent. Therewere, onewell knew, humancities on the Isle ofMospheira thatnever seemedto sleep— cities in square

grids,blazingwithlightsoncethe sun went down; butShejidan’s maze of streetswent more softly into thenight, content with thestarlightandthemoon.One might take the viewbelow for peaceful...lookingdown on those roofs from abalconyhighupinthehilltopfortress— the Bujavid, thatboth protected and ruled themassivecontinent.

One might think, so quietthe city was, that the wholeworldwasingoodorder,andthat nothing disturbed thepeace.Butpeoplehadbeenquietlyhoarding food for days, andthe trains had seen anuncommon traffic of peopleoutbound, leaving the capitalandseekingthesaferquietoftheirclanselsewhere.Fear ran those twisted

walkways.Tabini was infelicitoustwenty-two— a numberpartly redeemed because itwas only divisible by twomoderatelyfelicitouselevens.Tomorrow he would turnfelicitous twenty-three, anumber that struck fear intotheworldnotforitssumsanddivisions, but because attwenty-three, Tabini, son ofValasi-aiji, grandson of the

aiji-regent, would be legallyof age to rule...and to claimhisrightstothesuccession.Infelicitous eight was thenumberofyearssinceValasi-aiji had died— undercircumstances some calledsuspicious. Valasi had died,and Valasi’s mother Ilisidi,theaiji-dowager,hadbecomeregent for his minor son—nottouniversalrejoicing.Tabini remembered vividly

themomenthehadheard thenews of his father’s death—herememberedthesunonthewall opposite the old arrow-slit, in his retreat atMalguri.Hisgrandmother’sbodyguardhad come up to the ancienttowertotellhim.Herecalledtheyellowstone,thecrackinthe ruined floor.Everydetailcame back to him. Theprecisewordshewouldneverforget: “Your father, young

gentleman, has died. Thecausesarenotclear.”Are Grandmother and Inext? he had wondered.Fourteen was young to beassassinated, but it was notunheard of, in the world’shistory.His grandmother hadsnatchedhimupinthathour,whisked him down fromancientMalguriandtheyhadgone back to Shejidan, clear

across the continent, by amode of travel no aiji of theatevi had ever used before:they had flown, in a small,very cold plane— slow, bythe standards of today’s fleetofjets,butfasterthananyonein Shejidan had remotelyexpectedthem.Hisgrandmotherhad ralliedher allies by the sheerunexpectednessofher arrival— and by the fact his

grandmother had her ownGuild already in place in thewestern Guildhall, and alliesshe could call on. Hisgrandmother had cleared hisfather’s mistresses and thecurrent wife out of theBujavid with a suddennessthat had stunned and deeplyoffended several clans. Thelegislature had gone intoemergencysession topreventher—andcouldnotachievea

quorum— since somemaintained the session wasnotlegal.Inthatconfusion,Ilisidihadproclaimed herself, for thesecondtime,aiji-regentoftheaishidi’tat,ruleroftheworld,in the name of a minor son.Sheeffectivelycontrolled,forone major asset, theleadership of the Assassins’Guild— and the size of herpersonalbodyguard, threaded

through the west as well astheEast,was,foralordoftheaishidi’tat,unprecedented.In twodays, themistresses’relativeshadfoundretreatthebest defense. Her enemieshad had a falling-out, andattempted to use the issue ofthe plane flight to draw herown conservative base intothe argument. A few‘counters had attempted tofind adverse numbers in the

event, but her supporters hadtheirown‘counters,and theyfound predictions of disasterin the other party. In twodays,IlisidihadpresidedoverValasi’s funeral, and on thethird, the felicitous third, shehad taken up residence inValasi’s apartment, replacingall Valasi’s staff with herown.Shehadbeen,fromthehourofherlandinginShejidan,in

chargeofthegovernment.Down in the starlit towntonightpeoplewerepreparingbuckets of water in case thewaterfailed,weaponsincaseofcivildisorder,foodincaseof disorder and siege, andthose districts that hadelectricity were bringing oillamps out of storage, in caseofpowerfailure.Tabiniknewthese things. His bodyguardshadtoldhimitwasgoingon.

Would he launch a claimimmediately as tomorrowdawned? He might have nochoice.Therewerethosewhowould launch it forhimifhedelayed— and his inactionwould signal badly for thefutureofhisrule.Hedrewinadeepbreathofchill air, then quietlywithdrew from the balconyandshutthedoors.Therewasno danger from rifles at this

height above the city— itwould be a remarkable eyethat could even note hispresenceon thebalcony.Butheshutthedoorsallthesame,and walked from that littlebreakfast room into thesitting-room of his Bujavidapartment. Supper was past.Heoftentookasmallbrandyat this hour, and his servantswaited to provide it, but hedid not feel in the least

celebratory this evening, andone brandy might lead tounwisetwo.His bodyguard was there—theyalwaysshadowedhim,atleast two of the four—Nochidi and Keigan werewithhimnow.Theotherpairwere likely doing what wisebodyguardswoulddoatsucha time— gatheringinformation,keepinganeartoBujavid security, which he

didnot command, andwhichmightnotgivehisbodyguardthe exact truth whenconsulted.Nochidi and Keigan were,like everyone around him,originally his grandmother’smen, trained in the EasternGuild, and tonight— hewonderedjusteversoslightlywhethertheloyaltytheygavehim had ever overcome theloyalty they owed the aiji-

dowager.“Tea,”hesaid,andservantsmoved to make it for him,and for his bodyguard if hesatdownwiththem.Hedidthat.They were older men. Hecould not remember a timetheyhadnotbeenpartofhislife. They were— all ateviwere— darkskinned, golden-eyed,eyesshimmeringalittlein indirect light as they sat

oppositehim.Thesetwoworethe black leather of theAssassins’ Guild, the guildamong other guilds thatmaintained the law of theaishidi’tat, the WesternAssociation. Theirpredecessors had stood offthehumans,andconfinedtheinvaders all to their islandenclave. They were, always,protectors of lords andofficers, preserving order,

balancingpowers,conductingnegotiations—preventing theaishidi’tat from sliding backintochaos.And if his grandmother, asaiji-regent, had decided thather grandson should not seetomorrow, if she had giventheorder—theyhadallcomefrom her service, and mightgobacktoittomorrow.Hesatwith themanddrankthetea,ashealwayshad—he

trustedEidi,hismajordomo,ashealwayshad.Thoughhecould not to this hour saydefinitively where his staff’sloyalty rested, still, he hadtrusted them for all theseyears, and found doubtingthem more uncomfortablethantrustingthemtonight.Would they take his ordersin the other direction, andassassinate his grandmother?They might. He had been in

the servants’ care almostfrom the day of his birth—fromthedayhisgrandmotherhad dismissed the Taibeniclansmen his Taibeni motherhad tried to attach to him asbodyguards. She had set herownGuildsmen to guard hergrandson day and night.Thesetwohadbeenwithhimliterally from his infancy,setting their lives betweenhim and harm. The four had

riddenwithhim,huntedwithhim, laughed with him—warnedhimofdangers.TheirGuild could order themindependently. There wasthat, too. But ultimately—their man’chi, their sense ofloyalty, their sense of centerand balance in the universe,tookprecedence.So he drank the tea hisservantsmade,andwonderedwhat his bodyguards were

thinkingtonight.Perhapstheyaskedthemselvesifhewouldmake a move against hisgrandmother, and if theywould be put to that painfulchoice.“Have we heard from theaiji-regent this evening,nadiin-ji?”“From her aishid, nandi,”Nochidi said quietly...theyknewwhatwas on hismind,everybitofit.Andhewould

not ask them even yetwheretheir man’chi lay. It couldshift inan instant.Andwhenman’chi shifted, at such atime—thewholeworldtilted.Aijiin rose and fell. People’sliveschanged.Peopledied.“Was there anythingremarkable?” he asked, andKeigansaid,“Only the advisement offactional meetings, nandi.Therewillbesuch,incoming

days.”“Beyondanydoubt.”“Your grandmother,”Nochidi said, “thought youwouldpreferdinnerwithyourown staff this evening, soCenedisays.”He had not been surprisedthat no invitation had come.He nodded. “Absent hermove against me,” he said,which he had not said, yet,this year, “I shall not move

againsther.Beassured.”“Youmaynothaveachoice,nandi,”Keigansaid.“The factions will movewithoutus,youmean.”“Order,”Keigan said, “maysuffer. They have waited forthis day, both for andagainst.”“Neitherside,”Nochidisaid,“is more reasonable than theother. Either may takeindependentaction.”

“Not sanctioned by theGuild.”“No,”Nochidi assured him.“There is no legal motionafoot.”Itwasgoodtohear.Butthequestionhungintheair,whathe would do, whether hewould start proceedings toclaimtheaijinate,whetherhewould decide to rule now—ortotakehisfather’scourse,and wait, while factions

plotted, plots crossed plots,andsomedied.Hehadgivennopublicclue,madenopublic statementsatall.Itwas,hethought,wisetoplan his moves— and makethemdecisively; unwise, too,to tell even his supporterswhat sort of ruler he wouldbe. Everyone had an opinion—mostsayingthathewouldbe more liberal than hisGrandmother. Some were

quite wrong in theirassumptions. Some thoughthe would be easy— but hedid not decline theirsupport...fornow.Mospheirahaditsopinionofhim, certainly. And he hadone regarding theirrepresentative. The paidhi,the translator for the humans—wasweak.His father hadgotten concessions fromWilson-paidhi that had

changed— everything— andoffendedthetraditionalists.The traditionalists hadwillingly backed hisgrandmother’s assumption ofpower when Valasi died. Asea trade had long existedbetween the atevi mainlandandthehumanenclave—andit had increased markedly inValasi’s time. There hadarisen new markets. Newimports.Nowtherehadcome

tobeagreatappetiteforsuchthings—tothedistressofthekabiuteri, the kabiu masters,who arranged what wasproper, down to the flowersin an entryway, or theseasonality of fruits and fishonthetable.There was now a concreteairport atShejidan. Jetspliedthe transcontinental routes,and the corridor betweenShejidan and Port Jackson.

Television images crossedclan borders— receivers satin public halls, so thateveryone could see howsomeone said a thing aswellas hear it. There was aproposal under considerationto broadcast a series of theclassicmachimiplays,sothatgreat performances of themasters could be preserved,and so that one excellentperformance could be shown

across the nation. Themachimi unified the clans.They transmitted the oldstories.Evenhisgrandmotherhad to admit that was abenefit.But what unified, alsodivided. Television conveyedother things, too, andsometimes news got out thatwas not well-considered.Sometimes it started rumors,and let controversies erupt

that needed not havehappened. The traditionalistswanted no more of Wilson-paidhi’s world-shaking gifts—ortheywantedweaponsofthesortpriorgenerationshadcast intothesea.Theliberalswanted as much technologyas they could possibly get—whatever goods Wilson hadavailable to trade, theywanted in generaldistribution, andmanyof the

loudest proponents evincedno fear of socialconsequences.As for the aiji-regent, sheregardedWilson-paidhiasfarmore than the coward mostpeoplebelievedhewas—notatimidmanwhohadcavedinto Valasi-aiji’s threats anddemands—butadeviousandclever foreigner who, farfrom being terrified ofValasi-aiji, had retaliated to

the aiji’s threats by givingatevitheverygiftsthatwoulddestroythetraditions,corruptwhatwaskabiu,andputmoreandmoreprofitintothehandsof politicians on the othersideofthedividingstraits.Which view of Wilson-paidhi was true? Hisgrandmother would not dealwith Wilson-paidhi at all,would scarcely even look athimonceremonialoccasions,

whentheirpathsdidcross.Tabini personally distrustedWilson-paidhi.Deeply.But give up what Wilsonhad given them? Give upflight, and television? No.They were useful. Even hisgrandmother had not pushedthosegiftsintothesea.Flighthad gotten them back toShejidan in time to stopcertain clans from seizingpower. Flight let atevi

reconnoiter the Isle ofMospheira from above, andseewhathumanswereup to,in their isolation.They couldsee the cities lit up likefestivals, all night long, andthey had a good view of thebroadstreetswith theraillessvehicles Mospheirans hadonceadvisedateviwouldruintheworld.Flight and television hadexposed Mospheira’s

duplicity and shown it to thewholecontinent.But perhaps, too, there hadbeen some sense in thehumans’ advice. Humanswere clanless. They lovedsquaresandgridsandhadnoapparent concept ofassociations. Roads withpeoplefreetostopwheretheyliked would have broughtclans into disputes, withintrusions and disturbance

and some clans wanting tobar passage to others,whereas trains running onfixedschedulestoaregulatedset of depots kept the peaceamongneighbors.Ilisidi,asaiji-regent,hadnotcomplainedabouttheissueofthe vehicles and the roads.She had not wanted to hearmore technology proposed.She wanted nothing morefrom Wilson-paidhi, and she

would not bring up the issueof what they had seen fromtheair,eveninreproach.AndwhatwouldhedowithWilson-paidhi,inhisday?He had a great deal yet tolearn about the world, andparticularly about Wilson,who had been silent the lasteightyears.Andwhenwouldhedoit?He sat and sipped tea,thinking that his aishid most

of all deserved a warning ofhis intentions, and he had togive it, if not tonight,tomorrow.Aswellitbesooner.Hewasconfident he had enoughbacking. The Taibeni, hismother’s clan, wereparticularly upset at hisgrandmother’s long intriguewith their neighbor, LordTatiseigi, of Atageini clan—the Taibeni more than

mistrusted Lord Tatiseigi’sambitions. Taiben and theAtageinihadbeentechnicallyatwarfornearlytwohundredyears...ever since theWar ofthe Landing, when atevi hadpushedhumanstothesea.He had the liberals, all ofthem, in his hand. They hadchafed under hisgrandmother’srule.He had the backing of theNorthern Association, which

also distrustedLordTatiseigiand his influence— thatassociation had a very livelyfeud with Lord Tatiseigi,which his father had patchedup in recent months, but ittook very little nudging tohaveitbreaklooseagain.Hisgrandmotherhadall theEast, which was half thecontinent, but it was amountainous, empty half:there was little population,

exceptinthreebroadvalleys,andonthecoast.She had a massive Guildpresence—fewotherlordsofthe East had allowed theguildswithin their territories,when they had applied tocomein,buthisgrandmotherhadmore thanallowed them.She had declared her largebodyguard was for regionalstability, in a land stillclinging to feudalways.And

the East, for years, hadtraineditsown.She had gained the goodopinion of thetraditionalists...but she hadalienated the south, theMarid, itself intenselytraditional. The Marid wasupset over her campaign tosettle old political debts onthe west coast, which theMarid had had ambitions toownfrombeforehumansever

landed.Itwasadelicatebalancetheaiji-regenthadmaintainedallalong: allies deeply uneasywith each other, upset at thecontradictionstheysawinheractions.Therewererumors—mattersmore ofman’chi andpassionandfearsofwhatshemight do next, than of anysubstantive action that shehad actually taken. Her ownallies feared her, making a

wispysetofconnections thatamounted to nothing anyonecouldname—exceptshewasEastern,notwestern,andshehadamassivepersonalguard.Ilisidi had been aiji-consortbefore her twoadministrationsasaiji-regent.The aishidi’tat had beenunder her governance longerthan any single aiji had everserved.Shewas showingherage, and even some of the

conservativesbegantotalkofwhatcamenext.Ilisidi swore her healthwasfragile.Shestillrode,shestillhunted, shewas a dead shot,butnowandagainshewalkedwith a cane. She sufferedfrom myalgia and she hadpalpitations.Of course she hadpalpitations and myalgias—every time a minister had apresentationshedisapproved.

She had headaches. She hadindispositions.When she didlisten— she listened to whatalreadypleasedher,andthosewho confronted her oftenfoundtheirpreparedspeechesdwinding away in confusionin the face of herinterruptions and herquestions. Anyone whobrought a proposal withwhich Ilisidi did not alreadyagreehadbetterhavehisfacts

andargumentsingoodorder.She was the canniest, themost dangerous politicianevertoholdtheaijinate,andagambler would not lay oddseven her grandson knewevery stew she had had afinger in, or what she hadpromised this and thatsupporter under whatconditions.Popular? Still wildly so insome quarters. And the

traditionalistnumber-counterswho tracked horoscopes andthe numerology of the worldmaintained that she wouldhavealong,longrule.He had added his ownnumbers, in his own way,puttingnomorerealcredencein the ‘counters than Ilisididid. His personal numbersnow completely excludedWilson-paidhi, who hadrefusedtomeetwithhim.He

would remember that. Themoment he took theaishidi’tat, Wilson would beonhiswaybacktoMospheira— if Wilson was lucky. Letthe Mospheirans worry howtheyweretotalktotheaijiinShejidan,sincetheir lastmanhad become offensive anduntrustworthy.He saw before him anopportunity resting primarilyonthepromisesofallieswho

thought they could controlhim—oldlordsandministerswho might suspect he meantto wield the power theywould pretend to give him—but confident he was tooyoung to get the better ofthem.He meant to show themdifferently: to wield powerfirmly, and wield it withexactlywhathisgrandmotherhad— an understanding of

the real numbers of theworld, unobfuscated by theself-important ‘counters andthe kabiuteri— numbersabout trade, and industry,numbersabout theclans, andfinance, numbers about clanlordswhohadalwaysknowntheywould someday have todecide in his favor or hisgrandmother’s—But over time, youth won.Youthultimatelywon.

What he had not madeentirely evident to the worldwas his attention to hisgrandmother’s lessons. Hewas, in every minute detail,his grandmother’s student,andhedidnotforget.Believethe ‘counters prophecies andplanthingsbytheirnumbers?Hewasnomoresuperstitiousthanshewas.Believe the promises ofpolitical allies? She had

taught him history she hadwitnessed.Make black be white andday be night in the samespeech, dependant on thehearer? She had taught himthatart,too.“I shall make my claimtomorrow,” he said at last,“nadiin-ji. Tell mygrandmother’saishidso.”

#“He says, aiji-ma,” Cenedi

reported, “that he willannounce for the aijinatetomorrow.”Interesting, Ilisidi thought.Asearlyastomorrow.Andshesmiled.Cenedistoodwaiting,handsfolded behind him, black-clad, all impassivity. Cenediwould do whatever sheordered. Cenedi would bendtheGuild itself, if he had to.He waited, in formal stance,

not looking at her. She said,stillinherformaldressatthishour, sitting in the uprightsquare lines of a chair thatpredated the War of theLanding— “We are notsurprised.”He waited, still. And shesaid, “Taiben will supporthim.”“Sowill the north,” Cenedisaid.“AndtheMarid,andthelesserlordsofthecoast.”

Itwasastrangealliancethatbacked her grandson, analliance of lords who wouldnotoccupy thesameroominpeace. It was the old issue,the tribal peoples, displacedfromthe islandofMospheirawhen the aishidi’tat had hadto find somewhere to settlethe humans. It was a two-hundred-year legacy oftrouble, having moved twoculturallydistinctpopulations

onto the mainland, settlingthem in areas where theycouldmakea livingfromtheseaandpreservetheirancientways. It had sounded wise.The aishidi’tat had found asolution to humans havingdropped from the heavens—andithadonlycostbackwardtribesmenarelocationtoveryrich fishing grounds. Tribalpeoples could practicewhatevertheypleasedintheir

new home. They were notpart of the aishidi’tat. Theywouldberepresentedbylordswhowere.She had insisted that thesettlement had been a badidea,andthatthearrangementshould be altered. Sheinsisted on assimilation— avain insistence, since it hadnever happened; but herinsistence had stirred up thetribalpeoples,theEdiandthe

Gan,whohadnovote in theaijinate—and their vexation,carried to the extreme, hadmanaged to vex the coastallords,who had neverwantedthetribalpeoplessettlednexttothem.AndthefactthattheEdi people had taken towrecking shipping hadsimultaneouslyvexednotjustthewestcoast,butthecentralsouth, the Marid, who hadalways wanted to slaughter

thecoastal lordsand take thewhole territory. Now Maridships, too, were beingwrecked by peopledeliberately tampering withwarningbuoys.Alienatingall threeof thosedistricts at once was a rareaccomplishment. Unifyingthem on a single point wasunprecedented. It was aquestion whether she haddoneit—orhergrandsonhad

— but unified, yes, theywere, and entirely upsetwithher.And the NorthernAssociation had nowapparently defected to hergrandson on the very eve ofhis majority— because theyhated Tatiseigi. Personally.Ajuri clan was central to theNorthernAssociation, andanAtageini-Ajuri marriage hadgoneverybadindeed.

Valasi had patched up thatfeud a few years ago.Shejidan’s Winter Festivalhad offered him a chance,when an angry youngdaughter of the NorthernAssociation had stormed offfrom their tents, lost herselfin the crowds, and a bannerhad caught her eye— thewhite lilies of Atageini clan,her deceased mother’srelatives,powerfulinthePadi

ValleyAssociation.Thathadbeenamoment.Aminor child had plantedherself in Lord Tatiseigi’scamp,takingrefugeunderthelily banner. Ajuri clan hadcalled a meeting of theNorthernAssociation right inmid-festival— and thingscould have gone very badindeed,ifValasihadnotsentthe Guild in to negotiate onboth sides.Valasi had gotten

the two sides calmed down,andtheunhappydaughterhadamicably settled in LordTatiseigi’s house for a fewseasons.But one heard she had nowgone back to her father’sclan,beingequallyupsetwithTatiseigi.Well, it had been anagreement just waiting anexcuse to unravel. And theAjuri now thought they

would fare better with hergrandson.Thatwasamusing.“My grandson gains thenorth,”shesaid.“Thereisanuneasy bargain for him.Reasonable, given he is halfTaibeni—butthatassociationwill undoubtedly rise up totrouble him.Will he make atry at us tonight, do youthink,‘Nedi-ji?”Cenedi turned his head,looked down at her, asked,

with deadly implications:“Whatdoyouwishdone,aiji-ma?”Whatdidshewishdone?Whatwasmoreimportant—the aishidi’tat, or hergrandson?She could,without Tabini’sflirtations with the liberals,settle the fractious lords. Ifher grandson died tonight,there would be a few weeksof upset and shouting, and

then, lacking any othercredible claimant to theaijinate, the liberal and theconservative lords wouldcome to the sane realizationthat nothing done in hastewould last. Choosing one ofthemtoruletheotherswoulddissolvetheaishidi’tatincivilwar, which could even bringin thehumansonMospheira.Disorder gathered moredisorder, from snowball to

snowslidetoavalanche.Andnoonewantedthat.TheGuildwouldstopittheirownway, start eliminating keylords, defusing any action—unless some lord was sointemperate as to assassinateher.Then—Thenshehadtofearfor theaishidi’tat. For allcivilization. The Ragi atevi,that little center of the west,

includingherhusband’sclan,and Valasi’s, and Tabini’s,had become necessary to thepeace. They had alwaysruled,sincetherehadbeenanaishidi’tat. If they ceased torule...and power were left tothestrongest...Chaosfollowed.She had kept the Eastseparate from the west,behind its mountain walls.Malguri was a plain, stone-

walledfortress,lookingmuchasithadlookedwhenhumanshad first descended to theworld. Electricity was anafterthought, a conveniencefortheGuild.And should she and hergrandson go down, theEastern Guild would holdtogether whatever ofcivilization could beheld...the traditions, thehistory.

But recover it? Bring backwhat they had, in theaishidit’at?Without the Ragi atevi, theaishidi’tatwould come apart.AndtheEastdidnotholdtheknowledgeof,say,aTatiseigi— the connections, theinfluence— the industry, orthewealth.The East did not have therail system, did not have thephone system—muchas she

detestedthethought, theEastdidnothave thehistorywithhumans. Or the knowledgehow to deal with the paidhi-aiji,offensivecreaturethathewas— but— he was apressure gauge, in a way ofspeaking, thatwouldwarnanaijioftrouble.Noneoftheseassetsexistedon the other side of thecontinentaldivide.No, theEastwouldnot rule

the aishidi’tat. It would pullaway. The world she hadunited, by marrying herhusband, would fall apartagain.And if only humans wereunited, then who knew whatcouldresult?Humans needed resourcesMospheira lacked. That hadkept them in check. Theaishidi’tatlimitedwhatitsoldthem, but sold them enough

tokeepthemcomplacentandcontent. That was anotherthing in which the East hadnoexperience.Ifhumansonedaydecidedtheyhadtohavethose resources— and therewere no aishidi’tat to stopthem— it would be a dark,darkdayindeed.“Tell my grandson,” shesaidtoCenedi,“thatweneednot taketheworldapart.Tellhis aishid---we shall defend,

butnotattack.”“Aiji-ma.” Cenedi noddedwithoutfurthercomment,andleft her, to convey thatmessage.It offered nothing to reducethetension.Itsaidnothingtoreassure anyone who mighthavespiesinherhousehold—except that she would notprecipitateacrisistonight.She—andthischair—werethe center of the civilized

worldat themoment.Alittlepiece of Malguri. Like her.Like her bodyguard. All ofthem.Standingfast.The East had not acceptedthe western guilds. ButMalgurihad.Herpredecessor inMalguri,hergrandfather,had receivedthe emissary from the aiji inShejidan, asking him to usehis influence to install theguildsintheprovincesof the

East. He had not been theonly Eastern lord thusapproached, in what wassurelyaploytobringtheEastunder western influence, andgovernance. Her grandfatherhad been the only one toagree to receive the Guildemissaries— the Assassins,theTreasurers,theCraftsmen,Trade, Commerce, theKabiuteri,theEngineers...HehadrefusedsomeGuilds,

seeing no use for them. ButtheAssassins, theCraftsmen,and theEngineers and others— he had installed, to learnfrom them, he had said— ithadbeenatrial.And in her day— she hadfound the guilds in MalguriTownshipaveryusefulasset.TheclansoftheEastwereofadifferentsort thantheclansof the west. They hunted,fished, and worked crafts.

Some guilds to this dayseemed too western to gainanyfootingthere.But the Assassins hadbrought skills— importantskills.The Assassins that servedher grandfather had madeMalguri powerful over itsneighbors.Butshe hadgiventhem the benefit of aguildhall, a training facilityshe hadestablished, and they

had found no dearth ofrecruits. The guildhall hadorganized their own training,and subsequently allowedcertainoftheirmemberstobeassigned to the Guild inShejidan— but the East hadallowednooutsiderstocomeinto their guildhall.Thewestfound in them a source ofGuild Assassins with nowestern clan affilitations, noman’chi scattered into places

near them, and the EasternAssassins’ Guild came intohigh repute as reliable andskilled.Shehad,ofcourse,herownbodyguard. And more Guildthat had spread out intovarious lesser halls, instrategic places. Malguri hadnot attacked its neighbors inhertime.Ithadnotneededtobe heavy-handed. Malguri’sinterests were all it served.

But Malguri occasionallystepped in to settle disputes.Itwasverydifferentfromthewestern guild, that had itsguildhallinShejidan.She had grown powerful.ShehadbeenaijioftheEast,with no legislature, no othergovernmenttoconsult.Then the new aiji inShejidan, never having mether,hadsentheraproposalofmarriage— to bring the two

halves of the continent intoagreement, he had said, toshare the benefits of trade,and—whichhementionedina minor way— to unite thewestandtheeastbyrail.The proposal was one ofmarriage, not merely ofcontractmarriage.Itofferedalifelong union, exclusivity,and a rail link would breachthe continental divide, apermanent route for western

ideastoentertheEast.She understood what herproposed husband did not:that while her power wasextensive, she could notguarantee the other lords’acceptanceof a railroad...andaccesstominesintheEast.But— from Shejidan, withher extended bodyguardguaranteeing, if not peace, atleast everyone keeping theirbordersintheEast,shemight

find leverage on those lords,who were also amenable torewards for their agreement.And her prospective husbandneednotknowthat.She would produce an heir— or not— at her pleasure.That was another sort ofleverage— over the west.Was the prospective fatherintelligent?Hewasreputedtobe. And had he not had thevision to see her situation in

the East, and to know morethan the Eastern mines wereanasset?Was he apt to produce ahandsomechild?He had sent a picture, apainting. There was a littlesoftness about the eyes. Thatdid not appeal. But perhapsthepainterhadhopedtomakehim more personable. Thefacewashandsomeenough.Had he a good reputation

among his servants? She hadhersources, intheAssassins’Guild in Shejidan. He wasreputedtohaveatemper,buthe had been proper with hisservants.Didhehunt?Hedid.Often.So he could ride. He was,thenofahealthyconsitution,andnotasitabout.She agreed. She set heraffairs in order, set herhousehold in order, and set

about what was then, bymechieta,anentiresummer’sjourney from Malguri to thenearest railhead.Shehadhadample time, she and Cenediand her hand-pickedbodyguard of handsomeyoungmen,toreasonthroughtheir plans, their precautions,and their intentions— if shehad needed to return toMalguri,insomedisputewithher intended, she had

arranged her resources in theGuild, and there was everypossibility,ifchallenged,thather defenses could deal withhis.In fact— twenty years later—withValasi a boy of five—theyhaddoneexactlythat.Shehadputupwithagreatdeal from that husband. Shehad brought a great deal tothemarriage,andshehadhadopinions.When her opinions

diverged from his, thearguments had sent theservantsintothedeeperhalls.When he grew intransigent,and attempted to order herregarding Malguri, and herson—herhusbandhadfallenill, and died, thereafter, notquickly. He had beeninsensible most of the lastseasonofhislife.Lordscameseeking this and that---andshe had been knowledgeable

of their problems. She hadoffered solutions, she hadinvited them to dine, andproposed alliances. She hadhelpedcertainlords,andnowthat the rail link hadpenetrated the East, she hadbeen able to shift assets tobolster certain allies— assetsandwealththedepthofwhichsomewhat dismayed theGuild inShejidan.Therewasalittlefussaboutherholding

audience, and conducting thecourtsessions,whichbroughther into the public eye. ButCenedihaddealtwiththat.Her husband died, fourmonths after the onset of hisillness,andValasi’smaternalgrandfather had meanwhileconceivedambitionstobeaijiand made certainarrangements.Sohadthreeofherhusband’scousins.Butby thencertain lordsof

the west knew that she wastheir ally. They knew thatlittleValasiwould grow intoa western aiji, and wereassured he would havewestern tutors.Theclaimantswere persuaded, all but one,to retire. It went to thelegislature, and there—certain lords strongly arguedtherewas no need to see theaiji-consortreturntotheEast.Mostespeciallytherewasno

need to have her, offended,pull theentireeasternhalfofthe continent out of theaishidi’tat.The legislature would notnameheraiji,buttheynamedher aiji-regent, proxy for herson Valasi, inventing theoffice on the spot. She hadruled the aishiditat fortwenty-two years afterward.She had held off the humanpresence. She had strictly

controlled human access tocritical materials. She haddealt sharply with theirindustrialization,thathadsentsmokeacrossthestraitsinthenorth. She had attempted toresolve the west coastalsituation...shehadwarnedthewestern lords they wouldhavetheMaridtodealwithifthey did not resolve it.Unhappily the last had notbeenasuccess.

Sheruledwithacoalitionofconservatives andtraditionalists, with certainregional interests. CenedireturnedtoMalgurifromtimetotime,butsherarelydid:tohave removed Valasi toMalguri even for a seasonwould have stirred up afirestorm,oh,indeeditwouldhave.Valasi grew from rowdy,willful youngster to a

handsome young man withfar too keen an interest inwillingladies.Therehadbeenascandalwithamaidservant,another with a minor lord’sdaughter...Valasi became a difficultyoung man, and managed,with his ungovernabletemper, to offend LordTatiseigi,whichstirredupanentire nest of difficulty. Theliberalshadseentheirchance

in his pursuit of curiosities,ladies, festivity, and humantechnology, and began tocourt the lad. So did theTaibeni, who were hisgrandmother’s clan. Thenorth and the mountainsjoined in the courtship ofValasi...at a time when badharvests, bad fishery reports,and a dispute betweensouthern clans had made adifficultyear—

Andattwenty-seven,Valasihad finally gathered supportin the legislature to declarehimself aiji...peacefully,without threat to her, butstronglysuggestingshemightfind a few years in Malgurioverdue.Valasihadmanagedhisownlifethereafter.Inthefirstyearof his administration, hecreated a crisis with theMospheirans,whichupsetthe

liberals, and simultaneously,with three mistresses inShejidan,hehadcontractedamarriage with a Taibeni,which greatly offended theconservatives and especiallythe conservative Padi Valleyclans,neighborstoTaiben.She had had a crisis inMalguriwhich prevented hercoming back to unwind thattangle. But then it wasreported the Taibeni consort

was pregnant with anheir...and that altered thesituationimmensely.Tabiniwastheresult.Andifthe aishidi’tat had beenunsettled with that situation,there quickly followed thedeparture of Tabini’s motherto her clan in high offense,since therewerenowno lessthan five mistresses inresidence inShejidan, oneofthemof theancientKadagidi

clan, besides a Maschidaughter who was so youngas to create an independentscandal. He placated theconservatives by taking ahard linewithWilson-paidhi,and virtually stopping oreshipments.Then Wilson-paidhi— aftera series of closed-doormeetings with Valasi—countered and advanced himhuman plans for improved

rail, for airplanes, andtelevision, a sudden flood ofinformation from Mospheira,if his stranglehold onresourcescouldberelaxed.Relaxed?Valasihadopenedthe floodgates.He had givenWilson-paidhi everythingWilson-paidhiasked.Did one want to return toShejidan and deal with thepoliticsofthat situation?Shehad been little inclined. She

could not mend Valasi’sfaults. She could not mustervotes enough in thelegislature to unseat him.Assassinatinghim—Shehadthoughtaboutthat.She had not been the onlyone. There were threeassassination attempts, oneinvolving a servant-mistress.The mistresses werescheming to take the wife’splace,and tobring the infant

heirundertheirinfluence,andat this certain lords hadprotested. The furor hadproduced only one result: apromise not to allow any ofthe mistresses access to hisson...with the hope, perhaps,that this would curtail theaccess of the mistresses toValasi.It in no wise reformedValasi. Valasi had sent hisinfant son toMalguri,with a

letter suggesting Ilisidi wasthe proper tutor for a futureruler,andthatshecouldkeepthechildsafe.While he pursued hispleasures with a vengeance,andmadeWilson’stenurenotahappyone.She had had Tabini in herhands. Sending the heir toMalguri had not made allValasi’s critics happy— butwithin the year, two lords of

the aishidi’tat had made thedifficult journey by rail toMalguri, to see thecountryside,theysaid.OnewasTatiseigi.Theotherwas his neighbor, the lord oftheKadagidi.They indicated that thingscould only go so far beforesomething had to bedone...that the coalition thathad supportedValasi’s claimwasshowingcracks.Andthat

they could do nothingimmediate, but thatsomething ultimately had tobedone.But— Valasi stayed inpower. She had her reports,fromvisitors,andfromwithinthe guilds in Shejidan. Hisbullying of Wilson, histhreats of embargos, broughta flood of minortechnological conveniencesthat turned out to be far, far

more than expected— andrequired more exoticmaterials.Frozenfood,whichthe kabiuteri abhorred. Thebuilding of airfields at keypoints across the aishidi’tat.She had one built, herself.The Eastern guildhallacquired electricity, andinstalled the most modernequipment.Valasi’s reputationimprovedwithprosperity.He

had become unassailabledespitehisindiscretions.He died unexpectedly,however, after only fifteenyearsofrule,stillarelativelyyoung man, in a worldchangedbyhisrule.Tabini had been a bright,good lad, who rode, hunted,andtookreadilytobooksandciphering.Andshehadbroughthimupwith strictures she had never

been able to apply toValasi.Hergrandsonhadgrownupastranger to electric light, towestern conveniences, toairplanes andto television.She had taught him thehistoryandheraldryofeveryclan in the aishidi’tat. Shehad spent evenings by thefireside, telling him, afterdinner,thestoriesoftheWarof the Landing, and thechanges it hadbrought, good

and bad. She had taught himpoetry, and the nature, use,and location, of the mineralresourcesValasitraded.She had read him themachimi,andquestionedhimon his understanding,assuring he understood thefinerpointsinthoselessons.She had shaped him as shewould have sharpened aweapon— a ruler-to-be, anassethisfatherhadcarelessly

discarded. She had knownwherein the tutors’permissiveness with Valasihad encouraged badtendencies. She was dealingwiththatheritage,andwithahalf-Taibeni, a reclusive,suspiciousclan thathadbeentoostubborntosettleapeace— no, they had rather carryon a state of war with theirneighbor for two hundredyears. That was the

disposition she was dealingwith,not tomentionherownheritage—icecoldresolutioncombined with the unbridledtemper of his westernheritage.Thatcouldbegood.Or thatcouldbebad.It could be particularly badonthedayshewouldhavetopass the aishidi’tat intohishands.Shehadbroughthimbackto

Shejidan when Valasi died.She had gathered hersupporters andagainapplied,withlittlehope, tobeelectedaiji in her own right, namingTabiniasherheir.The legislature would havenone of it. They hadappointedher, for the secondtime,onlyaiji-regent.Well, she had had eightyears’ more rule, until thisnight. She had dealtwith the

imports and exports issue,withMospheira. She had setWilson-paidhi on noticeaboutenvironmentalconcerns— either shut down thesmokeaffectingthenorthwestcoastacrosstheStrait,orfindneeded materials in shortsupply.Wilson-paidhi had not beenpleased.That was well enough. Shehadnotbeenpleased.

And seeing her grandson’stwenty-third year looming,shehadmadeonemoretryatsettling the west coastsituation, the tribal peoplesissue— this time with thehelp of certain of hergrandson’ssupporters,andofcertain of the conservatives,notably Lord Tatiseigi, usinghis influence to draw theKadagidi into the supportcolumn. The Taibeni,

surprisingly, also favored thenotion...on what they calledmoral grounds. The coastalclan of Dur joined themovement.But the legislature’s lowerhouse balked, on all points.Regional interests did notwantpiecesof the settlementTreaty reopened, for fear ofhaving theirown pieces of itreopened. TheMarid did notwant Shejidan to settle what

they called regionalproblems, and nobody butDur cared about smoke thatwas mostly landing on theGanpeoples,aboutwhomnoonebutDurcared,sincetheyhad never signed on to theaishidi’tat.Well, it had been a bitterfight.Looking back on a longcareer, thirty years alone atthe head of the aishidi’tat—

andhavingguidedthreeofitsaijiininonewayoranother—the lasting mess around theTreaty of the Landing hadbeenhergreatestfrustration.Now—Apparently her grandsonwasgoingtomakehismove,with an unlikely—and, shewassure,temporarycoalitionof the Taibeni, theKadagidi,the Marid, the mountainclans, and, just lately, the

NorthernAssociation, largelybecauseLordTatiseigiwassofirmlyonherside.Tatiseigi had asked to callon her this evening. But shehad refused, wishing not toplace him in danger ofassassination. She hadthoughtperhapshergrandsonmightwait—aseasonortwo.But Cenedi had said hewouldnot.Good, she thought, on that

score.Theboywasusinghishead. He was drawing therightconclusions.She had written a letter toTatiseigi.Sherangalittlebellon the side table, and aservant entered. “My bestmessage cylinder,” she said,“is on the table beside you,”she said. “Themessage is toLordTatiseigi.Tellhismajordomotoregarditasurgent.”“Aiji-ma,” the servant said.

Handsomelad.Theyallwere,even the old ones, who hadweathered well, over thedecades.The servant took the letterand the cylinder and quietlyclosedthedoorinleaving.She had written, in thatletter, Tati-ji, we have doneourutmostwiththeboy.Iamnotafraid, neitherof the endofmylife,norofthefutureofthe aishidi’tat. My grandson

hasatemper,buthedoesnotact in it. He does notsquander his opportunities,and I did not believe hewould squander this one.Nowweare informedhewillcall on the legislaturetomorrow.This is wise. This coalitionof his will not improve withtime. Ifheacts resolutely,hewill astonish his allies, whoare still laying their plans—

we both know them. He willtake them quite by surprise,and they will discover whatweknow:thatheisnottimid,nor hesitant once a decisionisnecessary.We ask you, our intimate,our staunchest ally, ourclosestassociate,tobearhimno ill will whatever theoutcome. You may differ inopinion regarding the bestcourse, but he knows how to

govern from the middle. Lethimmoveasheseesfit.Heisaslikemeasyoucouldwish.You will come to know that.He will respect my closestallies as a resource he willhope to deserve. I do notknowwhetherthismaybethelastwordIshallsendtoyou.Butitwasneverourdesiretokeep the world fromchanging. Change it will.Humansare,asthe‘counters

would say, part of thenumbers,now,andthereisnogoing back from that. Wecannot say what we wouldhave been, but we can stillsaywhat wewill be.We aremaking up that sentence aswego,andweshallneverbethroughwiththatstatement.Support him. Lead him todeserveyou.Learnfromhim.We have leftmatters for himto settle and he will need

advisors who have theinterests of the aishidi’tatbeforetheirown...There were a few linesmore, a request for Tatiseigitoshelterherhouseholdstaff,should it be needful. Shehoped that Cenedi and hisclosestcompanionswouldgoto his service, if it came tothat. Cenediwould not serveher grandson, if she were todie.

Thewholecitywasonedgetonight. Some feared shewould call on her guard—that there would be conflictwiththeShejidaniGuild.Some even feared therewould be riots, outbreaks ofassociational violence in theborderlands— a breakup oftheaishidi’tatitself.If that should happen— ifthat should happen, if therewasviolence,andclansbegan

settling old grudges, thenthere was the fear that thehumans on Mospheira mighttake advantage of thesituation and attack themainland...Silly notion, that. Thehumans were too few. Thecontinent was too wide, itsrecesses too extreme and itspeople toodifferent.Humanshad had a taste of closenesswith atevi. They would not

cross the straits. If therewasanyone with something thatextreme to fear— humansshould be afraid, becausethere were very many ateviwho thought the numberscouldbechanged.Even shewould not go thatfar. And she did not favorhumans.Still—peopleweredownatthe foot of the hill, storingfood in their houses, storing

water, buying candles,cleaning old hunting pieces.ThenumberofrequeststotheAssassins’ Guild for hiredprotection of buildings,businesses, and even privatehomes was reportedlyunprecedented.Nonsense, all of it.Shehadbuilt the aishidi’tat. Thelegislaturemightnotadmitit.The histories later writtenmight not say so. But it was

her handiwork, in all waysthatmattered.Andshewouldnotdestroyit.She heard the door of theapartmentopen,not thequietpassageofaservantbearingamessage, but a moredisturbing presence. Sheheardquickfootstepspassherdoor, and heard the rattle ofweapons.Somethinghadarrived.More footsteps, softer, but

quick.Aquickknockandthedoor opened to let in one ofthe youngest servants. “Aiji-ma.Yourgrandson—”Onecouldthinkofcalamityafter calamity while the laddrewawholebreath.“Is here, aiji-ma. With hisaishid.”“Indeed?”Sherosefromherchair. There was a sound ofvoicesintheouterhall.“TellCenedi-nadi I shall see my

grandson.With his aishid, ifheinsists.”“Aiji-ma.” The boy duckedout,softlyclosingthedoor.Well, she thought, andstraightened the lace at hercuffs.Shehaddressedfortheoccasion. She wore a formalcoat, black, black lace at herthroatwith a scatter of smallrubies.Two rings sheprized.She looked as she chose tolook, aiji-regent, and nothing

less.Steps approached the door,booted steps, in number.Hergrandson— his aishid, andsince she had not heard anyaltercationinthehall,Cenediandherbodyguard.The door opened. Hergrandsoncamein.Alone.Thebodyguardsstayedinthehall,facing each other, ready tobloweachothertooblivion.“Grandmother.” Not her

title. Certainly not thedeferentialaiji-ma.“Grandson.”“Tomorrow,” he said, “Ibecomeofage.”“Onehasnotforgotten.Oneunderstands you will claimthe aijinate. Have you cometo ask our opinion? Or haveyouothernotions?”Tabini made a gesturetowardtheopendoor.“Thereis no provision for this

moment. The legislaturecreated theregency.Theysettheageatwhichanaijicanbeelected. They made noprovision for how a regentendsaregency.Thelasttime—didmyfatherevenask?”“Notforthreeyears.”“Iask.”Sheliftedadismissivehand.“Ask away, but we cannotend it. Only the legislaturecan.Atleastletusnotputthe

burdenonourbodyguards.”“One agrees to that. Onewonders— whether weshould remove the decisionfrom the legislature.” Ashrug.“Thestreetsareempty,down there. People expectwar. One hopes not. I recallMalguriisveryfinethistimeofyear.”“Ithasbitterwinters.”“Endureafew.”She had to smile. She

nodded. “At your request,Grandson. But accept onepiece of advice.Do not trustWilson-paidhi.”“Isthatallyouradvice?”“That will suffice. The restyoucandiscoverforyourself.Shall I tell you where I putthe keys? Or where my filesare? If you ask nicely, Imight.”“Grandmother.” It was awarningtone.

“Be a good lad, and I shallbeahelpfulgrandmother.”“YouwillbeinMalguri!”“That might be well,” shesaid. “I should be hard-pressed to spare my advicewhen you make mistakes.Andyouwillmakemistakes.”“Grandmother.”“Ah,well,well.”Shewavedahand.“Takeyouraishidandgo.Orexpressyourgratitudethat I did not move against

you.”He stared at her. He had avery effective stare...withother opponents. She hadwithstood it for twenty-twoyears.She smiled. “There arephones, now.Callme if youcannotfindafile.”“Maddeningwoman!”“Soyourgrandfatherusedtosay. Shall we relieveeveryone and announce an

agreement?”He nodded. “Onewould begladofthat...ifyoumeanit.”“Thismodernworld! In theold days, understand, itneedednearlyhalf ayear foryour grandfather’s proposalto reach me. But thingschange. We surprised theworld—whenwetwoturnedup inShejidanovernight.Noone expected us. Let us endthis the sameway.Letusgo

down to the audience hall.Let us have these televisioncameras.Wake them up. Letushaveusontelevision,sideby side, in every townshipgathering-place, all daytomorrow. Let us surprisethemagain,shallwe?”He took a moment to thinkaboutit.“Television.”“It lacks elegance,” sheagreed. “But it is efficient. Itisveryuseful—inpreventing

rumors.”“Orcreatingthem,”hesaid.“Let us make a few.” Sheadvanced a step, caught hertall, handsome grandson bythe elbow, knowing thebodyguards would see it,knowing they would alltwitch, thoughnevershowit.She steered him toward thedoor, and their waitingguards.“Letusdosomethingdifferent than our

predecessors have done. Letusconfoundourenemies,andourallies—whoare,betweenthe two of us, one and thesame.Let them wonderwhatto do next. Let Mospheirawonder about Wilson’sreports.TheywillregretIstillexist.—And our enemies sorichlydeserveit.”