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Narani bowed. “If I do not go, nandi, I shall worry about you every hour.”

“We would have communication from here to there. You could advise me from here.”

“And one is certain there will be very tight security, nandi, that cuts us off from knowing what we most want to know at the moment we would most wish to know it. One earnestly wishes to go.”

“Jeladi would wish to go, too, do you think?”

“He will, nandi. I am very sure of it.”

“Who else would go?”

“Asicho. Asicho would say so instantly, nandi. And Bindanda, one believes.”

Asicho had tended Jago's wardrobe needs on the ship, a point of modesty which in no wise bothered Jago, he suspected, but it was a convenience.

And Bindanda was already on the list.

“Tell them individually, Rani-ji, that I need to speak to them.”

“Indeed, nandi.”

“One considers, perhaps, Supani and Koharu might fill your post and Jeladi's, until you return.”

“An excellent choice, nandi. Jeladi and I, rather than displacing any of the household up there, might fill
their
posts quite comfortably, if you will.”

That was exactly what he had thought. He nodded. “Absolutely. And as to the content of my wardrobe, I leave it entirely to you, Rani-ji. Utmost court dress, for some meetings. You know my needs, you know the customs restrictions, you know the environment and the requirements, which already relieves my mind of a list of burdens. Do everything discreetly as touches the outside world: the fewer staff that know any details of timing, the less chance someone will slip. For public distribution, I shall maintain the same story: that I am traveling to Najida to see my brother and help him repair his boat from storm damage.”

“Entirely understood, nandi.”

“Thank
you, Rani-ji.”

“Nandi.” With a composed little bow, Narani left on his business.

And with Narani fully informed and on a mission,
he
could stop worrying about household details.

Now it came down to a letter that had to be very carefully phrased—and transmitted in highest security.

He was accustomed to compose on paper, with a quill and inkpot. But this one was going by different means. He set his computer up onto the desk, and opened it.

Bren, Paidhi-aiji,

To Geigi, Lord of Kajiminda, Station-aiji—

There were half a dozen other titles. He keystroked them in, and wrote:

The porcelain with the fishing boats has been located, nandi, and will be returned to your collection in fifteen days.

Translation: the kyo are here: we have fifteen days.

Might you find time, nandi, to invite Jase-aiji and the heir's recent guests for a very extensive debriefing on their recent visit? I hope you will be able to extend your hospitality to them over several days. It would delight them.

Translation: get the kids into your section and hold them there, because of circumstances you can imagine.

You may reliably use Jase-aiji as an intermediary. He will know how to observe human custom in the invitation. Please add him to your guest list.

Translation: work with Jase. Don't do anything to upset the parents. Get as many to safety as you can.

The kyo visit was going to upset everybody, human and atevi—and Louis Baynes Braddock wouldn't hesitate to use that fact.

Braddock and Tillington would take extreme positions, and the result might be outright violence. Arresting Braddock in advance might be a good idea, but they had to get Tillington out first.

The ship could take the children and their parents aboard if push came to shove. The captains might be reluctant to take that step and create an issue with the Reunioners—but so might the youngsters' association with Cajeiri create an issue with Tabini-aiji should Braddock or Tillington attempt to use them politically. Delaying too long in protecting those kids, who now had an official relationship to the atevi court, could blow a minor difficulty up into a major and distracting problem.

The ship had territory it could seal off unto itself. Geigi held territory that was fairly well sealed.

And Geigi could always claim convenient ignorance of human custom.

That was one vital letter done, waiting to be sent.

The next letter—

Toby. Frozen Dessert, as his code name was, when he was an agent for the Mospheiran government. Toby's service to Mospheira being much more current than his own, Toby very likely had codes and accesses he didn't have, these days, with no need to rely on couriered messages. He hoped so. He fervently hoped so.

Brother, our aunt Margaret's headed for a visit, and I'm trying to arrange things. Didn't know about this in advance. I'm sorry.

Translation: the kyo are here, brother. We've been surprised and I've got to deal with it.

So sorry about the damage to the boat. Please ask Ramaso for anything you need and enjoy the hospitality of the estate, so repairs can get underway. I'm sending you one of my personal staff who speaks Mosphei'.

I hope you can extend your stay. I've got your official permission. And as soon as I clear up Aunt Margaret's problem I'll be on my way to Najida myself.

Translation: you're fine where you are. I've got to deal with the kyo. The aiji knows you're there and it's all right for you to stay a prolonged time.

Toby was his backup, of humans who knew enough Ragi to put two sentences together. There were people at the University who could manage, but nobody who'd actually dealt with the language in the field. Toby had. Toby could do it. Toby docked on the coast of the mainland and ready to assist Tabini and Shawn with direct communication was the best situation he could ask for.

Love you, brother. Love to Barb.

That last line didn't need interpretation.

He printed out and put that letter into a plain steel Messengers' cylinder.
That
was going out via numerical transliteration, as an ordinary telegram.
That
was the cover story, and if spies intercepted parts of it, that was what they could have. It was all the word Toby would have until a courier could get there with a physical message.

Toby would be keeping all options open until he got further instructions—and he'd be expecting that couriered letter, no question.

Quill and paper, then, and a second letter to Toby.

And this letter—this further request of Toby required a change of plans, a request he didn't want to make—but he couldn't do two jobs, couldn't handle a fight with Tillington and Braddock
and
prepare a mission to meet the kyo. The Reunioners weren't going to be calmer or easier to reason with when the news got out the kyo were coming in. And they couldn't have two leaders up there pouring fuel on the fire.

Obviously I can't make it to Najida. I'm headed upstairs in five days, and I need you to get a message to Shawn, speed of the essence, but not outweighing security. He doesn't know what's happened.

He's already working on a problem for me. Stationmaster Tillington stated that Captain Sabin was behind Cajeiri's meeting the human children, and that she made a private deal with the Reunioners. It implies an attempt at overthrowing Captain Ogun and overthrowing Mospheiran authority on the station with, by implication, atevi standing by idle. This accusation has implications involving my integrity, Sabin's, and considerably beyond. I leave it to you to imagine. Whether or not Tillington has any concept what he has set in motion, he has to be replaced, and I've contacted Shawn with that request. But with this new event his replacement and repair of the damage has just become urgent.

I suspect Shawn's silence after my request means he's encountering some political resistance regarding the Tillington situation. You may know that better than I do. But now there's no leeway left in the situation and Tillington's presence is a problem. We can't have him and Braddock going to war in the middle of this situation, not to mention the atevi reaction if those provocative statements get out—and we have, with luck, fifteen days to settle this.

Tillington needs to be removed immediately and replaced with someone who can take definitive charge of Mospheiran operations without an argument. Once the Mospheirans settle, then the captains can do something about Braddock, on the other side of the line.

If you can call Shawn securely from where you are, tell him.
Jaishan's
equipment is at your disposal. If that's not possible, take
Jaishan
and courier that message over there yourself. But if you can do it otherwise, stay put so you can serve as paidhi-aiji in my absence. Love you, brother. Wish we could have had that holiday.

Wish us luck.

Second piece of paper.

He wrote, furiously, also in Mosphei':

Mr. President, this information is critical beyond any communication I have ever sent you. An unidentified ship is now in the solar system. We believe it is kyo. This arrival is known only to a few as yet: myself, my brother, the ship captains, Lord Geigi, the aiji-dowager, and Tabini-aiji. We hope Tillington does not know. We will delay releasing the information to the public below and aloft until we organize a response, and we hope to delay release of that information until Tillington's replacement is in charge.

I have delayed our next shuttle launch. Five days from now I shall be going up to the station with the aiji-dowager and the aiji's heir to take charge of contact with these visitors. We are the persons the kyo dealt with last time, and we wish to take up our dealing with them exactly where we left it in the hope of achieving a peaceful dialogue.

This event has made the Tillington situation extremely delicate. If the dowager officially hears about his statement regarding the young gentleman, the political consequences will be dire, and if the information reaches the atevi community aloft it will be politically necessary for the dowager to take measures.

In the strongest possible terms, I again request his immediate removal as Stationmaster, and his replacement by someone carrying Presidential authority during this critical meeting. I strongly suggest Kate Shugart for that role. She has high credibility with the Mospheiran workers. She knows the technicalities, she knows the systems, and she would be an asset to my mission.

The kyo ETA is fifteen days at their current rate of approach, which could change considerably in either direction. Again, I cannot stress strongly enough, the kyo must not see evidence of conflict among us.

If your shuttle launch can configure for passengers and go on your original schedule you will arrive right behind us.

The Mospheiran shuttle launch usually followed an atevi launch by a margin that gave the atevi shuttle ample time to offload, clear the small docking area, and move over into the service dock. That meant that his delaying the atevi shuttle five days would automatically delay the Mospheiran launch by an equal time—unless Shawn gave orders to the contrary.

I will try to avoid confrontation with Tillington until his replacement arrives. Once Tillington's agitation is removed, the ship-folk can then deal with Braddock and I will be urging them to do so. A human quarrel in front of the kyo could be disastrous, casting doubt on what we assured them was a firm alliance.

Toby took storm damage at sea. He's at my estate at the moment. His antenna is gone, but
Jaishan
's is fine. He has lines open at Najida that can reach the aiji. Please use them at need. I have gained him permission to stay in place as long as he wishes, and respectfully suggest he could be valuable there.

I will attempt to hasten the departure of the atevi shuttle to clear the bay for your early arrival.

Be assured I shall do my best to communicate with our visitors and to secure a peaceful and productive meeting.

It might not be the most coherent letter he had ever written, and it intruded into business which, since he was no longer operating under presidential orders himself, was no longer
his
business. But it was critical he make it clear: they had to get Tillington out. Fast.

 • • • 

The exchange of couriers necessitated one more phone call to Mospheira, one more phone call to Shawn's office.

Shawn, it developed, was at a committee meeting.

“I have to talk to him,” he said to the aide who took the call. “It's fast.” And gratifyingly quickly, he had Shawn on the line.

“Bren?”

“Shawn, more than the previous matter. It's critical. Courier. Charter jet. Please.”

“Done,”
Shawn said.

“That's it,” he said. “All I can say.”

“Understood,”
Shawn said, and Bren hung up the phone—then carefully put the two letters to be couriered into distinctive cylinders, sealed them with wax and his imprint, then reached for the bell-pull and called Narani.

“This one,” he said of the unsealed message, “must go right now to the Messengers, in an initial answer to my brother's letter, telling him to await a courier. The other,” he said, handing Narani the second, more ornate cylinder, under his personal seal, and bearing flowers carved in sea-ivory, “staff must physically courier to Najida, this hour, by charter. It explains everything to nand' Toby in plain words and sets him to stay in position to keep the Presidenta in communication with the aiji. I need a courier who will not delay, attract attention, or make any mistakes. That person must get this cylinder into nand' Toby's hands personally. That person may then relax and stay a few days at his leisure. Ramaso can send one of his staff back here with any reply. Speed, Rani-ji, and extreme secrecy, is of the essence. The courier will also be carrying orders for Ramaso and an emergency permission for my brother's presence on the mainland. Please put those together for me. That will be the cover story when we engage the Red Train for the spaceport. Use completely ordinary procedures on the steel cylinder. It goes to the Messengers' Guild, to transmit to Toby within the hour. It will lead him to expect our couriered message to follow.”