Читать книгу The Complete Empire Trilogy - Raymond E. Feist, Janny Wurts - Страница 20

Mara listened to the water.

The tiny stream that ran from the pool in the Acoma contemplation glade splashed softly as it rippled over rocks along its course. The wind gusted through the tree branches, a fitful sound that matched Ayaki’s fussy mood. He looked on unsmiling as his mother raised the urn containing his father’s remains. The ceremony of mourning was too much for his young mind to encompass; he knew only that the breeze chilled him and his mother wouldn’t let him crawl off to play.

Mara experienced neither sorrow nor regret as she poured Buntokapi’s ashes into the hollow beneath the Acoma natami. Her husband was dead, and the Lord of the Anasati mourned a son, even if only a poorly loved third son. Tecuma’s bitterness would be doubled, for Buntokapi’s end had been contrived by one beyond reach; as his mother of the only Anasati grandson, Mara was exempt from reprisal. Yet the girl herself felt no victory. Wind gusted sharply, tearing at her robe. Mara shivered. She must never allow herself to regret. What had been done was past, and necessary; to think otherwise was to be troubled by worse than her husband’s angry shade. If doubts, even uncertainty, were permitted to grow, she risked paralysing her ability to make decisions in the future. That would surely consign the Acoma to eventual obliteration at the hands of enemies, for the Game of the Council would go on. Regret must be banished, despite her momentary sorrow, and indecision must be forever kept at bay.

For the second time in less than two years, Mara performed the ritual of mourning. Only now, instead of pain locked deep within, there was sadness. Sezu had taught that death was a part of politics, but now she understood that the forms were simply a rationale to justify murder. That awakening left her uneasy.

Mara sought comfort in a silent prayer, addressed to the shade of her husband. Buntokapi, she thought, for whatever rest it will bring your spirit, at the last you died with dignity. For a moment, no matter how briefly, you were worthy of the name Lord of the Acoma. For that I honour you. May your journey around the Wheel bring you better reward in your next life.

Now Mara rent her clothing, cut her arm, and placed ashes between her breasts. Ayaki stirred restlessly at her side, having tossed away the beads Nacoya had loaned to keep him occupied. Mara tore the baby’s wrap and smudged ashes on his tiny chest. He looked down and made a face. Tough as his father, Ayaki would not cry when Mara pinched him; instead he stuck his lower lip out and scowled belligerently. With the ceremonial dagger Mara pricked the boy’s forearm, earning a wail of protest to complete the ritual. She held Ayaki’s arm over the pool, letting his blood mix with her own in the water.

Tears came easily then. Alone and free from the scrutiny of hovering advisers and servants, Mara admitted her inner fear: that she was not equal to the next round of the Game of the Council. The humiliation and pain she had suffered at Buntokapi’s hands, the doubt and the anguish as she plotted his downfall, and each danger endured to survive the murder of her father and brother – all these might still be as nothing, blown away by the winds of circumstance and political fortune. The Minwanabi never slept in their hatred of the Acoma. Sometimes Mara felt helpless beyond hope.

Seeking the stability of the practical, she dressed Ayaki in the tiny ceremonial gown left for him. Then she donned her own white robe, silenced her wailing son, and carried him through the gusty afternoon to the grove’s entrance.

The noise warned her first that visitors had arrived. Armour clanked in the yard, and the excited voice of a servant carried over the sigh of wind through leaves. Mara tightened her fingers around Ayaki’s solid warmth, earning a wiggle of protest. Tense with apprehension, she stepped around the shielding hedges and almost collided with Keyoke’s weaponed bulk. The old Force Commander had positioned himself squarely across the entrance, and by the keepers left loose on his buckles, Mara realized he had pulled his ceremonial armour on with the greatest haste. The visitors, then, would be significant.

‘Anasati?’ she queried softly.

Keyoke returned a terse nod. ‘Papewaio and Nacoya await you, Lady. And Lujan oversees the arming of two companies at the barracks.’

Mara frowned. Keyoke would hardly have mentioned such precautions if Tecuma had come with peaceful intentions; her fears were confirmed as the Force Commander deliberately raised a hand and scratched his chin with his thumb.

Mara took a deep breath, ducking as Ayaki swung a playful fist. ‘Lashima reward your foresight, Keyoke,’ she murmured. And her pulse quickened as she stepped past the hedge, into view.

The yard was jammed with an assemblage of courtiers, warriors, and servants, all dusty from travel by road and wearing armour that was serviceable and plain, not the fancy enamelled style worn on state visits. A loud patch of colour in his house colours and plumes of mourning, the Lord of the Anasati sat patiently upon his litter, his adviser Chumaka at his right hand. Silence fell as Mara approached, Nacoya and Papewaio falling into step one pace behind. The Anasati soldiers assumed formal poses and formation as the Lady of the Acoma bowed, as slightly as possible without giving offence to one of Tecuma’s rank.

‘Welcome, father of my husband.’

‘Greetings, daughter,’ he said bitterly. ‘I see the son of my son in your arms. May I view him?’

Mara felt a momentary pang of guilt. The presentation of a grandson should have been an occasion for joy, instead, in a moment tense with unspoken antagonism, Ayaki was passed into his grandfather’s outstretched arms. Engulfed in scented cloth and the sharp edges of gemstone decorations, the infant squirmed but did not cry. Tecuma regarded this stolid little face and said, ‘He looks like Bunto.’

Mara nodded in agreement.

After a long moment of cuddling the child, Tecuma returned him in cold silence. Mara immediately relinquished him to the custody of Nacoya, who settled him as she had the boy’s mother, after a mourning ritual many years before.

‘Take my son to his nursery,’ said the Lady of the Acoma. As the old nurse departed, Mara regarded the hostile face of her father-in-law. ‘I offer the hospitality of the house.’

‘No, daughter.’ Tecuma qualified the word, all tenderness gone with Ayaki. ‘I will not set foot in the house of my son’s murderess.’

Mara almost flinched. With great effort she managed an impassive reply. ‘Your son took his own life, my Lord, to satisfy the demands of honour.’

Tecuma bowed his head once, swiftly, in salute. ‘I know, Mara. But I also knew my son. Despite his ineptness as a ruler, even he would never have contrived that insult to the Warlord and his own father. Only you could have brought such a thing to pass.’ Something akin to respect coloured his manner for a brief instant. ‘I salute your brilliance in the Game of the Council, Mara of the Acoma’ – then his voice turned flint-hard – ‘but for this one bloody victory you shall pay in kind.’

Mara measured Tecuma and realized that grief and anger were making him say more than he might under normal circumstances. Inwardly she cautioned herself. ‘My Lord, I merely obeyed my husband and Lord and repeated to you the commands he gave me, before witnesses.’

Tecuma waved away the objection. ‘Enough. It does not matter. My grandson inherits the mantle of the Acoma, and he shall ensure a loyal tie between my house and his.’ At this a man stepped forward from the Anasati retinue, a thin, predatory fellow with shrewd eyes and a belt of enamelled caro hide. The Lord said, ‘This is Nalgara, who shall act on my behalf until Ayaki is of age.’

Mara was not caught off guard. ‘My Lord, no.’

Tecuma’s eyes narrowed. ‘I did not hear you say that.’

Mara resisted showing weakness by offering justification. ‘You will take this man with you when you leave.’

Armour rattled among the Anasati warriors as hands reached for weapons, and Tecuma’s arm trembled, ready to signal an attack. ‘Woman, you dare?’

Hoping that Lujan had had time to arm her own companies, Mara held her ground. ‘No, my Lord. I demand.’

Tecuma abandoned his pretence of politeness. ‘I shall decide how Ayaki’s legacy is to be managed. I am Lord of the Anasati.’

‘But these are Acoma lands,’ Mara interrupted, her voice ringing with an anger all her own. ‘My Lord of the Anasati seems to forget that his son was Lord of the Acoma. And the Acoma have never been, are not now, and shall never be vassals to the Anasati. Your grandson is now heir to the title of Lord. As his mother, I am again Ruling Lady of the Acoma until the day he comes of age.’

Tecuma’s face twisted with suppressed rage. ‘Woman, do not seek to anger me!’

‘It appears my Lord is already angry, so that what I say could have little consequence.’ Stalling for time, Mara searched for a glimpse of green between the weaponed ranks of the Anasati guard. But the retinue pressed too closely together to allow any view of Lujan’s men. She had no choice but to continue. ‘When Bunto assumed Acoma Lordship, he ceased to have any obligations to you save those he freely chose, as you must have known, Tecuma, for your son could not swear oath before the Acoma natami until you released him from fealty. Show me a document, any document, appointing you as guardian for Ayaki in the event of Bunto’s death and denying me my right to inherit. Then I will step aside. But without lawful evidence, you are not ruler of the Acoma.’

The slightest twitch of Tecuma’s lips revealed a frustration he dared not express.

Mara hastened to drive home her point, before the confrontation turned to violence. ‘We are not of the same clan, so you have no call upon the Acoma. You don’t even have a political claim on our loyalty. Bunto never sought to change our alliances, so the Acoma are still members of the Jade Eye Party, not the Imperial. You have no authority here, Tecuma.’ She motioned with her hand then, on faith, and to her immense relief Lujan and three dozen Acoma soldiers stepped forward, ready to defend their mistress. To the rear of Tecuma’s party, another fifty soldiers had gathered in battle armour, ready for instant action should there be cause. Mara finished with a smile of irony. ‘Once again I rule the Acoma, until Ayaki is twenty-five years of age.’

The Lord of the Anasati prepared to speak, but his adviser, Chumaka, intervened. ‘My Lord, she is correct. Such is the law.’

Balked, Tecuma paused a long minute, his eyes distant with calculation. ‘Then what of the boy if you die?’

In even tones Mara said, ‘Then Ayaki is ruler of the Acoma, as I was before the age of twenty-five, ready or not.’

Tecuma made a subtle gesture, indicating that Mara was once again a woman alone against enemies. ‘The boy will surely die.’

But the threat failed to move the young Lady, who stood defiantly straight. ‘At the hands of the Lord of the Minwanabi, or some other seeking to rise over Acoma bodies, perhaps.’

Tecuma conceded defeat. ‘Very well, daughter. You have made your point. I shall endeavour to keep you alive, at least until Ayaki comes to his majority. But if you make any move that I judge a menace to the Anasati –’

‘Do not threaten me in my own house, father of my husband,’ Mara warned. ‘I could end this here and now.’ She pointed to Lujan and the soldiers who waited ready to answer their mistress’s command. The odds against Tecuma were now overwhelming, with only a score of soldiers to protect him against the possibility of attack by two companies. Were he to press the issue, he could die very quickly.

Mara regarded the stiff features of her father-in-law. ‘I have no wish to be at odds with you, Tecuma. Your differences with my father were strictly political.’ With a sigh more eloquent than words, she shook her head. ‘We both know that what I have done was also a matter of politics.

‘Should you die here … Jingu of the Minwanabi would be without any real rival in the game. No, I do not ask you to be my ally. I just wish you not to be my foe.’

The fist Tecuma had raised to signal his soldiers relaxed and lowered. He regarded Mara keenly. ‘Minwanabi … yes. Already he thinks himself powerful enough to move against me.’ The Lord of the Anasati sighed, at last acknowledging the quiet strength in Mara’s stance. ‘Perhaps you can make some difference.’ He shook his head. ‘I underestimated you. Perhaps Jingu will do likewise.’

After a silent minute he bowed to take his leave. ‘Very well, Mara. You have my word on this, then; so long as Ayaki lives, I will not oppose you when you seek to discomfort the Minwanabi. But I make no such assurances where Anasati interests are concerned. We still have many differences. But once my grandson inherits the mantle of the Acoma, Lady, you shall find my memory is long. Should any harm befall him before then, from that instant your life will be measured in minutes.’

Curtly Tecuma signalled his retinue to assemble for the journey back to Sulan-Qu. Wind tugged at the officers’ plumes, and streamed through Mara’s dark hair as she watched the Anasati Lord and his followers muster and march from the yard. The first part of her plan had been successful. For a time the second most powerful of her father’s enemies had been neutralized; even more, made a reluctant ally. There were not many in the Empire who would tempt Tecuma’s wrath by harming his grandson; only the Lords of the Keda, Xacatecas, and Minwanabi, and perhaps one or two others. Most would refrain, if only to see that the Lord of the Minwanabi did not grow too powerful. As Jingu’s enemy, Mara had value, if only to keep him occupied. And despite the protection she had garnered from Tecuma, Mara knew the blood feud would go on. She had only forced her family’s greatest foe to move cautiously. No more bungled assassinations, of that she was certain. Attack would come, but for the first time since Keyoke had fetched her from the temple, the Lady of the Acoma felt that she had gained a measure of time. She must be diligent about how she used it.

Turning her mind to the tasks before her, Mara dismissed Lujan and his warriors. With Keyoke and Papewaio at her side, she returned to the cool and the comfort of her chamber. First upon her agenda the next day was a journey to Sulan-Qu, for if Arakasi’s information was correct, a Minwanabi spy resided in the town house owned by the Acoma. Buntokapi’s concubine, Teani, must be dealt with at the earliest opportunity.

The erstwhile Lord of the Acoma had avoided the fashionable quarter of town for his dwelling. The side street where it lay was tidy and quiet, removed from the noisy thoroughfares of commerce, but still an easy walk to the public wrestling arenas. Mara stepped from her litter, sandals crunching gently over ulo leaves, which shed seasonally during the dry months. Accompanied by a retinue that included both Papewaio and Arakasi, she stepped up to the wide doorway whose posts were carved into the decorative forms of warriors in battle array. A strange servant opened the screen.

He bowed deeply. ‘I bid the Lady of the Acoma welcome.’

Mara acknowledged the greeting with the barest wave of her hand and stepped across the threshold into shadow tinged scarlet by the sunlight that filtered through the hangings. An aroma of sweet spices filled the air, mixed with furniture oil and a woman’s perfume. The house staff, numbering four, sank to their knees, awaiting Mara’s command as she surveyed the fine rugs, a shell-inlaid weapons rack, and chests enamelled and set with red gems. Her husband’s town house was a cosy enough nest, she decided. But the taste and the decor of the place were influenced by a mind other than that of her late husband. Buntokapi would never have set marble statues of nymphs by the doorway, and the paintings on the screens were of flowers and graceful birds, not the battle scenes he invariably chose for himself.

Mara waited until Papewaio and Arakasi reached her side. The sword carried by the former was not for show, and the latter wore an officer’s plumes, to disguise his true purpose; but in the end Mara did not require the Spy Master’s guidance to spot the woman who had won her husband’s heart, all for the motive of spying for the Minwanabi. Though Teani bowed submissively with the other servants, she could never be mistaken for other than Buntokapi’s mistress.

Mara studied her profile and understood her husband’s obsession. The concubine was a truly beautiful woman, with unblemished skin and hair touched by sun-gold and red – though Mara suspected that effect might have come from artifice rather than nature. Even though she was kneeling, the light silk of the concubine’s robes draped a ripe, soft figure with breasts that were high and well formed despite being large, a small waist, and flaring hips. Mara’s own body seemed boyish in comparison, and for no good reason the fact rankled. For every minute Buntokapi had been gone from the estate, his wife had thanked the gods; yet now the stunning beauty of the woman he had preferred irked Mara. A voice remembered from the temple warned, ‘Beware vanity and false pride.’ Mara almost laughed. Yes, she was feeling wounded vanity and injured pride. And yet fate had been kind in an odd and unexpected way.

Jingu of the Minwanabi had sent this woman to further his plot to destroy the Acoma. But instead, Teani only managed to distract Buntokapi, enabling Mara to realize her plans more quickly. And the ultimate aim of those plans was the strengthening of House Acoma … and the destruction of the Minwanabi. Mara savoured the irony in silence. Teani must go back to her master ignorant that her true role had been uncovered. Let Jingu think this woman had been banished by a jealous wife.

Prudently, Mara motioned for two of her soldiers to stand guard by the door. Then, stepping ahead of her bodyguards, but keeping carefully beyond reach of a knife thrust, she spoke to the kneeling concubine. ‘What is your name?’

‘Teani, mistress.’ The woman kept her eyes cast downward.

Mara distrusted her subservience. ‘Look at me.’

Teani raised her head, and Mara heard a slight stir from the warriors who looked on. The concubine’s golden, heart-shaped face framed lovely eyes, almost amber in colour. Her features were perfect, and sweet as the honey in the hives of the red-bee. But beyond beauty, Mara saw something that made her hesitate. This woman was dangerous, as much a threat as any player in the Great Game. Yet the Lady of the Acoma spoke no hint of her conclusion aloud. ‘What are your duties?’

Still upon her knees, Teani said, ‘I served your husband as a maid, mistress.’

The Lady of the Acoma almost laughed at the woman’s brazen act. To call herself a maid while sitting upon her heels in a robe more costly than any Mara owned save for her ceremonial attire was an insult to human intelligence. Brusquely Mara said, ‘I think not.’

Teani’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she said nothing. Then Mara understood: for the briefest instant the concubine had wondered whether her role as spy was discovered. To disarm any suspicion, Mara enquired after the other servants. ‘What are your duties?’

The staff identified themselves as a cook, a gardener, and a maid, facts Mara already knew from the intelligence given her by Jican. She ordered the three of them to the estate and told them to ask the hadonra for new duties. They left quickly, glad to be avoiding the coming confrontation between their late Lord’s wife and his mistress.

When the room was empty save for Mara, Teani, and the soldiers, Mara said, ‘I think we shall have no need for your services at the estate house.’

Teani’s poise remained admirably unbroken. ‘Have I displeased my mistress?’

Mara stifled an urge to smile. ‘No, on the contrary, you spared me a great deal of pain, inconvenience, and irritation over the last few months. Yet I am not as adventuresome in my tastes as some ladies of great houses; my appetites do not turn towards members of my own sex.’ She glanced at the fading bruise that mottled the skin over Teani’s collarbone. ‘You seem to have shared my husband’s taste for … rough sport. Your talents would go to waste on my estates – unless you think you would care to entertain my soldiers?’

Teani’s head jerked, ever so slightly; she managed not to expel her breath in a hiss of anger, and Mara was forced to admiration of her action. The insult was great; as a courtesan or mistress, Teani would have a certain legitimacy in Tsurani society. In ancient times there had been little difference between a lord’s courtesan and wife in Tsurani culture. Had Mara died before her husband, any real courtesan of Buntokapi’s might have been permanently installed in the Acoma house. And if Teani survived both wife and master, a Ruling Lord’s resident mistress had certain legal rights and privileges of inheritance. A woman of the Reed Life was considered a craftsperson or even an artist in the ways of pleasure. But a camp follower was a woman of the meanest class. Anywhere but in a camp of war, the women who followed the armies of the Empire were shunned and despised. And they had no honour. Teani had been named a whore, and if the women had been warriors Mara would now be fighting for her life.

The concubine only glared at Mara. Struggling with her self-control just enough to convince, she pressed her forehead to the floor, red-gold hair almost brushing the toes of her mistress’s sandals. ‘My Lady, I think you misjudge me. I am an accomplished musician and am skilled in the arts of massage and conversation. I know the seven ways to rid the body of aches and pain: by pressure, by stroking, by rubbing, by herbs, by smoke, by pins, and by realignment of the joints. I can quote passages of the sagas from memory and I can dance.’

No doubt the woman was capable in all the named skills, though Buntokapi had probably availed himself of little other than an occasional massage, or a song before indulging in sex. But Teani was also an agent and, likely as not, a trained assassin. With Buntokapi dead, she needed only one opportunity to rid her Minwanabi master of both Mara and Ayaki, ending the Acoma forever.

Dread of Jingu’s plots caused Mara to respond sharply. Not allowing Teani the courtesy of rising from her knees, she said, ‘You’ll have little difficulty finding yourself another position. A maid blessed with such talents as yours should easily catch the fancy of some great Lord, one who would be eager to have you at his side. Within the hour a factor will arrive to close down this house in preparation for selling it and all the furnishings. Take whatever gifts my husband left you and depart, for nothing of the Acoma shall remain here.’ She paused and regarded Teani’s ripe curves with contempt. ‘And of course no trash shall be left behind for the new owner.’

Mara spun and walked through the door, as if the concubine she had dismissed were now beneath her notice. Only the observant eyes of Arakasi saw Teani release the iron control she had exercised for the deception of her mistress. An expression of naked hatred settled upon the young woman’s face; her beauty became a cruel thing, black and twisted and murderous to behold. And in that moment Arakasi observed that the insults of Mara of the Acoma would be carefully remembered, that each might be separately avenged.

Borrowing the authority of his officer’s plumes, the Spy Master seized the initiative and assigned two warriors to remain on the premises to see his Lady’s orders carried out. Then, before Teani had bridled her rage enough to remember his face, he slipped swiftly through the door.

Outside, as he hurried into place beside his mistress, Mara said, ‘Is she the one?’

Arakasi unhooked the chin strap of his helm so he could speak without being overheard. ‘Indeed, my Lady. Teani is the spy. Until she arrived in the city, she was a favourite with the Lord of the Minwanabi and shared his bed on a regular basis. Why she was chosen to spy upon Lord Buntokapi is not clear, but she must have convinced her master she could serve his interests.’ They reached the litter, dead leaves obscuring the conversation from chance eavesdroppers. Even on the quietest side street, Arakasi exercised his customary caution. As he helped Mara onto her cushions, he whispered, ‘What Teani did before she came to Minwanabi service our agent cannot say.’ He directed a meaningful glance at the town house. ‘I will rest easier when my men have had the chance to discover more about her, for I think you have made an enemy, Lady. Only I saw the expression in her eyes as you left. It was murder.’

Mara rested her head back, eyes half-closed. Wisely or not, she dismissed the issue, for the next step in her plans demanded all of her attention. ‘Kill me for duty, kill me for personal reasons, the risk is no more.’

Her slender body stiffened against the jostling motion as the slaves lifted the litter. Arakasi fell into step, with Papewaio on the other side. Over the tramp of marching feet he murmured, ‘There you are wrong, mistress. Some might falter in their resolve if they are motivated solely by duty. But to avenge a personal slight, many care nothing if they perish, as long as their foe dies with them.’

Mara opened angry eyes. ‘You are saying I acted the fool?’

Arakasi did not flinch from her regard. ‘I suggest that in future my Lady weighs her words with more caution.’

Mara sighed. ‘I shall take your advice to heart. If Keyoke had been with me, he would probably have been frantically scratching his chin with his thumb.’

‘That’s Papewaio’s habit,’ said Arakasi, obviously puzzled.

His mistress smiled. ‘Your observation is very keen. One day I shall have to explain that warning sign to you. Now let us go home, senior officer, for the heat grows even as we speak, and much business remains to be attended to.’

Arakasi saluted smartly. Playing the part of an Acoma Strike Leader brazenly, for all present knew of his inept swordplay, he ordered the guards to surround the litter bearing the Lady of the Acoma during her return to the estates.

As late afternoon painted purple shadows across the paving, another litter set out through the north gate of Sulan-Qu. Once on the Imperial Highway, the bearers wearing the badge of the Guild of Porters turned towards the Holy City. They maintained a leisurely pace, as if the client behind the curtains wished their services for sightseeing and a breath of fresh air in the countryside. When, after two hours, she ordered a stop for rest, the bearers gathered by a roadside well a short distance off. They were all freemen, members of the Commercial Guild of Bearers, hired by those who needed to travel but without a retinue of slaves to carry them. Granted rest an hour ahead of contract, they munched upon the light fare carried in their hip bags and whispered admiringly of the woman who had commissioned them for this journey. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but she had paid them fine metal for what so far had proved an exceedingly easy job.

Presently a pot seller stepped out of the general flow of traffic, his wares dangling from throngs that affixed them to a long pole balanced across his shoulder. He halted beside the litter, apparently to catch a breather. His angular face was red from exertion, and his eyes beady and quick. Attracted by the rattle of his crockery, the woman behind the curtains motioned him closer. Pretending to examine a pot, she said, ‘I am glad you had not reached Sulan-Qu yet. It would have complicated things.’

The trader mopped his brow with a fine silk cloth. ‘What has passed?’

The woman curled her pretty lip and let the pot fall with a sour clank. ‘As I suspected. The Acoma bitch would not allow me into her household. Jingu was a fool to think she might.’

The pot seller who was not a merchant exclaimed in annoyance and examined his piece for chips. When he found none, his manner appeared to ease. ‘The Lord of the Minwanabi listens to his own counsel first.’

The woman traced the fancy enamel ornamenting a slop jar with an exquisitely manicured nail. ‘I will return to Jingu’s side. He will regret this setback in getting an agent into the Acoma house, but he will have missed me.’ Her lips shaped a dreamy smile. ‘I know there are things he misses about me. None of his other girls have my … skills.’

Drily the pot seller said, ‘Or perhaps they simply lack your tolerance for abuse, Teani.’

‘Enough.’ The concubine tossed tawny hair, and her robe fell open. A glimpse of what lay beneath made the pot seller smile at the contradiction between the astonishing beauty and the unexpected cruelty in this woman. Misreading his expression as male lust, and amused by it, Teani spoke, recovering his attention. ‘Buntokapi was never of use to Jingu. Mara was truly in control, though she was clever in not letting her Lord discover that until too late. Inform our true master that I shall return to the Minwanabi house once again, and send him whatever information I may.’

The merchant nodded, rubbing uncalloused fingers over the wood of his pole. ‘That is good. I have carried these damned ceramics since I left our Lord’s river barge this morning, and I am glad to end this charade.’

Teani focused on him, as if enjoying his discomfort. ‘Give me the slop jar,’ she murmured. ‘The bearers must believe I had a reason to speak with you.’

The man unhooked the item. Enamel flashed gaudily in the sunlight as he handed it to the woman, his attitude one of undisguised irony. ‘One less to carry.’

‘Why did you come yourself?’

The merchant grimaced, for the pole bore down unmercifully and he could not reach around it to scratch an itch. ‘I dared trust no one else with the task. When my Lord’s barge left the city last night, we simply poled upriver a few miles and tied up. He supposed you would still be at the town house; hence my disguise. None of us guessed the Lady Mara would be so quick to rid herself of Bunto’s city property. She only quit the contemplation glade yesterday.’

Teani glanced towards the well where the bearers sat gossiping. She inclined her head in their direction. ‘I think you had better order them all killed. One might mention this encounter.’

The merchant considered the eight men by the well. ‘It will be messy, but worse if we risk discovery. Besides, if you are attacked by robbers along the highway, how can the Commercial Guild of Bearers fault you? I will make arrangements just before you reach the Minwanabi estates, so you can rush to the safety of Jingu’s arms. Now, our master’s instructions: despite all that has transpired, the Lady Mara is to be left untroubled.’

Teani stiffened in surprise. ‘After Buntokapi’s murder?’

‘Our master commands this. We must not speak longer.’ With an unfeigned grimace of distaste, the merchant shifted his clanking wares to his other shoulder.

Teani sat silently as he left, her professional detachment lost. Mara of the Acoma inspired a personal rage and hatred deeper than any she had previously known. The concubine did not trouble to analyse the cause. Born to a woman of the Reed Life, and cast into the streets at the age of six, she had survived by wits alone. Her unusual beauty had brought her quickly to the attention of men and she had barely escaped slavers on several occasions, despite having committed no crime to warrant such a conviction; in the dirtier alleys of the Empire, the niceties of the law might occasionally be put aside for enough money. Teani discovered early that to some men honour was negotiable. She learned abuse before love, and at twelve sold herself for the first time, to a man who kept her in his home for two years. He had been a twisted soul who took pleasure inflicting pain upon beauty. Teani had struggled at first, until suffering taught her to ignore her discomfort. In time she had killed her tormentor, but the memory of pain stayed with her, a familiar thing she understood. After that she had used beauty and natural wit to rise up society’s ladder, choosing one benefactor after another, each more rich and powerful than the last. For seven years she had served her present employer, though never in bed as with previous masters. Beneath her soft beauty and cruel passions this Lord saw the stony hatred that motivated Teani; he had set those qualities to use against his enemy, the Lord of the Minwanabi, never once tempted to make the relationship other than professional for his own use. For this the concubine conceded her loyalty, for this master was unique among those she had met along the road of her life.

But only Buntokapi had touched her as a person. Before him Teani had taken little personal interest in the men she slept with or murdered. Though the Lord of the Acoma had been like a porina boar in a wallow, even to the point where he stank like one, rushing to take her with the sweat from his wrestling still rank on his body, he had understood her. Buntokapi had given her the pain she needed to survive, and the love she had never known in all twenty-eight years of her life. Teani shivered slightly at the memory of his hands, tearing at her soft flesh at the height of his passion; she had dug her nails into his back, even taught him to enjoy the pain himself. But Mara of the Acoma had ended that.

Teani’s fingers tightened on the bright enamel of the slop jar, while anger built in her heart. Buntokapi had been tricked to his death, ruined by his natural tendency to count honour over life. Teani understood nothing of honour … but rivalry, that was a thing she knew well. That she-dog of a wife – innocent as a babe, Teani thought in disgust. How easily abuse would crack the cool façade of the Lady! What pleasure the concubine would find in humiliating Mara for hours, days perhaps, before giving her to Turakamu. Teani licked her lips, sweating lightly in the heat. The pleasure of dominating the Lady of the Acoma promised more than she could imagine from sex with any men she had known. But the ignoble way that Mara had evicted her from the town house cut off any immediate avenues of vengeance. Now Teani had no recourse but to resume her post as spy in Jingu’s household. The obese Lord of the Minwanabi revolted her, and his fawning would be difficult to endure; but he and the Acoma were sworn enemies. Through him Teani thought to arrange her satisfaction. Mara would die, slowly and in torment, or shamefully if no other option availed. That the concubine’s true master now wished otherwise affected nothing. Teani had changed employers many times in the past.

On that thought she tossed the slop jar violently among the cushions and signalled her bearers to return. As they crossed the road, the powerful, coarse body of the one in the lead caught her eye. He had fine muscles and a bullying manner to his walk. Excited by prospects of violence and vengeance, Teani decided to stop in a secluded glade down the road. She would have some sport; the man and his companions were going to die anyway, and not to use them for pleasure would be a waste of fine meat. Besides, a few extra marks on her face and body would convince Jingu that bandits had indeed molested her, and keep him from becoming suspicious. So thinking, Teani shivered in anticipation as the bearers lifted her litter and resumed their journey towards the Holy City.

Down the road to Sulan-Qu, the pot seller halted, as if to count whatever payment the fine lady had given him. From under a broad-brimmed hat he watched the litter depart, while silently pondering what made the woman dally before calling her bearers. The likely daydreams of a creature like Teani were not pleasant to contemplate. With a grunt of disgust he shifted the weight of his pots. He had been the one to convince their Lord her talents went beyond the bedchamber, and a dozen times in the past her work had borne out his judgement. But lately she had been showing signs of independence, a tendency to interpret directions to her own liking. Alone in the dusty road, amid the noise of passing traffic, the sham merchant debated whether that trait signalled a growing instability. He soothed his uncertainty in his usual economical manner: either way, Teani could only bring trouble to the Minwanabi. If she exchanged loyalties, at best Jingu would gain a servant of questionable reliability. Besides, she could be removed if she became a problem.

Irritated by the weight of the pole as it bit into his shoulder, Chumaka, First Adviser to the Lord of the Anasati, turned towards Sulan-Qu. Benefits would come of sending Teani back to the Minwanabi household; though she had surprised them all by turning up in Buntokapi’s town house, Chumaka considered that things had turned towards a better course. His master would disagree, but then his master had just lost a son. Chumaka counted that for little. He had never cared for Bunto, and while the Acoma girl was more talented than anticipated, Minwanabi was the real menace. Things were stirring in the High Council, and the game gained intensity as the Warlord’s campaign on Midkemia continued. The ins and outs of intrigue always quickened Chumaka’s blood. Gods, but I love politics, he thought as he walked down the road. Feeling almost cheery, he began to whistle over the rattle of his crockery.

Following her return from Sulan-Qu, Mara called a meeting. Her closest advisers gathered in her chamber while cool twilight veiled the fields and thyza paddies of the estate. Nacoya sat to her right, a red scarf tied over her hair in deference to Turakamu, into whose domain the late master had passed. Baskets of red reeds had been placed by every door in the estate house, in recognition of mourning, that the Red God might avert his eyes from those who grieved.

Mara wore traditional robes of the same colour, but her manner showed nothing of sorrow. She sat straight and proud as Jican, Keyoke, Papewaio, Lujan, and Arakasi made their bows and chose seats upon cushions arranged in a circle upon the floor.

When the last of them had settled, the Lady of the Acoma met the eyes of each in turn. ‘We know what has occurred. None need ever again speak of it. But before we lay the memory of Buntokapi to rest for all time, I wish to say this. What has passed, what is to come as a result of what has passed, all responsibility rests upon my head. None who serve the Acoma need fear for one moment that they have acted without honour. If others in the Empire whisper of dishonour in corners, the shame is mine alone to bear.’ With that, Mara closed the tally sheet on her dead husband. None would ever again wonder if they had betrayed their lawful Lord.

Almost briskly Mara turned to other matters. Though red as a colour flattered her, a frown marred her forehead as she addressed Keyoke. ‘We must speed up recruitment of soldiers. The Minwanabi are temporarily thwarted, and we must use what time we have available to us to consolidate our position.’

The Force Commander nodded in his usual spare manner. “That is possible, if we call every available young son, and if all of them respond. Some will answer the summons of other houses. My Lords of the Minwanabi and Kehotara are still trying to replace the three hundred soldiers they sent against us several months ago. I think we can add another two hundred safely, within the next two months – though they will all be unseasoned boys. The other three you ask for might take as long as another year to recruit.’

Mara had to be satisfied with this; Buntokapi had left some sizeable debts, and Jican had mentioned that time would be needed to rebuild the estate’s capital. By the time the recruiting was completed, finances should have recovered enough to underwrite the expense of the new warriors’ training. And with the reluctant alliance with the Anasati, few would dare attack, and none openly.

As always, Nacoya broke in with a warning. ‘Mistress, as the Acoma gain allies and garrison strength, you must be especially cautious of indirect attacks.’

Arakasi agreed. ‘Mistress, on the day your official mourning ends, you will surely receive invitations carried by marriage brokers on behalf of one suitor or another. When some of those worthy sons of noble houses come to call, agents of the Minwanabi are most certain to be among their retainers.’

Mara considered this with a hard expression. ‘Then we shall have to ensure that such agents find nothing noteworthy to report back to their masters.’

The meeting went on, with Mara confidently assimilating her former role as ruler of the Acoma. As darkness deepened and lamps were tended by silent slaves, decisions were made and fresh information discussed; through the interval between nightfall and midnight, more business was conducted than during the entire tenure of Buntokapi as Lord of the Acoma. At the end Jican arose with a sigh of evident satisfaction. And whatever private guilt or relief the others might have felt at Buntokapi’s passing was hidden as they arose to depart. There were too many new problems to confront.

As Nacoya, who was slowest, began stiffy to rise from her cushions, Mara gestured impulsively for her to remain. The others had nearly reached the door, but they stopped deferentially as she requested one more thing.

A mischievous glint lit the Lady’s eyes as she studied the expectant faces of her senior staff. ‘What would you think if I officially appointed Nacoya as permanent First Adviser to the Acoma?’

The old nurse gasped aloud, and Keyoke broke into a rare grin.

‘The post has stood empty since Jajoran’s death,’ Mara said. Her amusement deepened as Nacoya, who never lacked for chatter, opened and closed her mouth soundlessly, like a fish.

Arakasi was first to respond, offering the aged woman a gallant bow. ‘The promotion and the honour go well with your years, old mother.’

Lujan offered a rakish comment, but Papewaio had known Nacoya since he was a small boy, and his memories of her kindness ran deep. In total abandon of decorum, he lifted the old woman off her feet and spun her full circle through the air.

‘Go and celebrate,’ Mara called over her former nurse’s startled yelp of delight. ‘For never has a servant of the Acoma better deserved a promotion.’

‘I’ll have to survive the experience first,’ said a breathless Nacoya. Papewaio set her down, delicately, as if she were made of cho-ja crafted glass; and as Keyoke, Arakasi, Jican, and a laughing Lujan crowded around to embrace the new First Adviser, Mara reflected that she had not seen such joy in the house since before her father’s death. Lashima grant me wisdom to make it last, she prayed; for the Minwanabi threat was not ended, but was only forced back by an unstable alliance.

The traditional period of mourning came to an end, and the priests of Turakamu came to burn the red reeds that had sat in the baskets by the doors for three continuous weeks. Smoke still lingered over the Acoma fields when the first of the marriage brokers arrived, and within a day three ornately calligraphed petitions with wax seals lay piled in the study. Glad to be wearing a colour other than red, Mara called Nacoya and Arakasi into attendance and reviewed the top parchment. A thoughtful expression crossed her face. ‘It seems our friend Minwanabi’s favourite lapdog has an unmarried son. What do you know of him?’

Seated by her knee, Arakasi took the document she offered. The parchment had been perfumed, and the scent warred with that of the akasi blossoms beyond the screen. ‘Bruli of the Kehotara. His father, Mekasi, has tried to marry him off twice, and both courtings have failed. Now the boy serves as a Patrol Leader in his father’s army, though he’s not a brilliant tactician, apparently. His company has drawn only garrison duty since he took command.’ The Spy Master tapped the parchment, a faint smile on his face. ‘I would not, however, count him a fool. We can expect he is a mask for another Minwanabi agent in his retinue, or an assassin in his own right.’

Mara recovered the parchment from Arakasi, her lip pinched tightly between her teeth. To refuse to consider the petition of Bruli of the Kehotara would be a public admission of weakness. ‘They intend to shame me, or kill me,’ she said, but the sick feeling of fear in her heart could not be heard in her voice. ‘I say we take the bait and turn it sour.’

The slightest bit shy in her new role as First Adviser, Nacoya offered no comment; but Arakasi sat utterly still. ‘That could be perilous, mistress. Bruli’s father, Mekasi, is a gambler and not a good one. He lost enough that his estates are heavily mortgaged. His son is a vain boy who insists that everything he wears or uses be only of the costliest work, and his two older sisters and older brother were similarly indulged. Their spending on top of existing debts has nearly ruined their father. The Minwanabi cleared the accounts, but not out of charity. What makes Mekasi of the Kehotara truly dangerous is that his family tradition is sworn to the ancient code of Tan-jin-qu.’

Mara’s hand tightened on the parchment, for she had not been aware of this detail. The code of Tan-jin-qu – the name was ancient Tsurani for ‘lifelong’ or ‘until death’ – meant that Mekasi had bound the Kehotara to the Minwanabi in an ancient form of vassalage, almost forgotten except as an historical oddity. By its terms, any pledge made was impossible to revoke, amend, or modify. If Mekasi of the Kehotara vowed obedience to the Lord of the Minwanabi, he would murder his children without hesitation upon Jingu’s order. As betrayed alliances were common fare in the Game of the Council, Tan-jin-qu made the Kehotara as dependable as if they were part of the Minwanabi household, even more dependable than families in the same clan. Only when Mekasi died and his eldest son assumed the mantle of Lord could the family negotiate a new beginning. Until then the Kehotara could not be threatened, bullied, bought, or bribed to betray the Minwanabi.

‘Well then,’ said Mara, a determined set to her shoulders, ‘we must make sure this Bruli is entertained in a manner befitting his station.’ Arakasi looked keenly at his mistress.

Trying to seem bland, for Mara’s suggestion was no trifle, Nacoya said, ‘I assume you intend to grant this petition a hearing?’

‘Of course,’ Mara seemed distant. ‘We must not be hasty in rebuffing this overture. Do we wish to offer insult to so august a personage as the Lord of the Kehotara?’

‘Then you have a plan.’ Arakasi smiled slowly.

Mara responded without humour. ‘No. But I will have, by the time this minion of Jingu’s presents himself – that is, if your agents can gather me all the information they have on Bruli and his family, before his retinue arrives.’

Forced to admire her boldness, Arakasi leaned forward. ‘It will be costly. You shall have to cover the expenses of the fastest runners in the Guild of Porters, and these must be sworn and bonded, so that their messages cannot be intercepted or tortured from them.’

‘Of course,’ answered Mara, though Jican would howl. Men willing to die for the integrity of the messages they carried could not be hired for other than cold metal. ‘See to this at once, Arakasi.’

The Spy Master rose swiftly, his steps buoyed by exultation. This was what his network was intended for! A bold player of the game who was unafraid to carve out the advantage; and the bonus was that Mara’s target was an ally of the Minwanabi. Suddenly the day seemed perfect.

Darkness sprang into light as the screens were thrown open, admitting the petitioner for marriage into the great hall of the Acoma. Bruli of the Kehotara was almost beautiful in his black-trimmed red armour; and from the dais at the head of the hall, under the weight of her massive ceremonial costume, Mara saw at once that Arakasi’s agents had reported accurately. The man was vain as a calley bird. He had good reason to be; slender yet muscular, whereas the majority of men in the three central nations of the Empire tended towards the stocky, he moved with the grace of a dancer. His blue eyes were a rare and startling counterpoint to his almost black hair, and he had a warm smile. That he would happily murder as soon as marry the woman he approached on the dais was not far from Mara’s mind as she wistfully considered, for just a moment, how different Bruli was from Bunto.

As if reading her mind, Nacoya leaned close and whispered. ‘He’d spend more time looking at himself in the mirror than looking at you, daughter.’

Mara resisted a smile. Her pose remained outwardly formal as she welcomed the second son of the Kehotara to her house.

Two unprepossessing Kehotara warriors accompanied Bruli’s litter, while another six were housed with Acoma soldiers. Mara was certain the honour guard had been picked for their homely appearance, to heighten the contrast to their master’s handsome features as they marched into the Lady of the Acoma’s presence.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, acting as Bruli’s First Adviser. ‘Lady Mara, I have the honour to introduce Bruli of the Kehotara to you.’

Nacoya returned the ritual reply. ‘The Lady Mara welcomes so honoured a guest as Bruli of the Kehotara into our presence.’

At that moment the small form of the runner slave appeared through a side door. He carried a baton marked with white ribbons, signalling the arrival of a message. Mara feigned a struggle to hide relief. ‘Bruli,’ she said quickly, ‘you are welcome in our home. Please ask for whatever you wish from our servants. They will see that you are comfortable. Now, if you will excuse me, the press of business cannot be long ignored by the Lady of the Acoma. I will see you again, perhaps tomorrow?’

She rose, revealing a slenderness hidden until now by the elaborate ceremonial dress. Her bow was peremptory, and she stepped precipitously through a side screen, leaving Bruli of the Kehotara with memorized words of poetry unsaid and a befuddled expression on his face.

Nacoya took over smoothly, according to plan. Knowing vanity to be the great weakness of this young noble, she stepped to Bruli’s side, taking his arm and patting it in a motherly manner.

Bruli’s gaze hardened, still fixed upon the doorway through which Mara had departed. ‘Mother of wisdom, the Lady’s behaviour borders on insult. What matter of business could not wait for my humble words of praise?’ Bruli paused and touched his hair to reassure himself that he had not mussed it when he removed his helm for his bow. ‘Surely something more has caused the Lady Mara to rebuff me in so abrupt a manner. Tell me, what is amiss?’

Nacoya resisted a smile while steering the pretty man towards a side chamber prepared with tables of wine and fruit. ‘Young sir, come take some refreshment. Then I will tell you what I have mentioned to no other, for I think you handsome and well mannered. Lady Mara is a young girl, despite being a widow. Her father, brother and husband were all warriors, fine warriors, but they are all she has ever known. She is weary of men in armour. If you wish to court her favour, return at once to Sulan-Qu and seek the best tailors there. Have them fashion lovely robes of soft weave and jaunty colours. I think if you appeared tomorrow with the look of the scholar or poet, not the warrior, that is more likely than anything to change her cold reception to your advances.’

Bruli’s forehead knitted in thought. To be a warrior was the highest goal of any Tsurani male, but women had all sorts of odd notions. His blue eyes came alight. ‘Thank you, ancient mother. Your advice is sound.’ He sighed in self-reproach and accepted the wine Nacoya offered. ‘Had I wits, I would have anticipated this. Of course, it is now obvious. I shall return tomorrow and Mara shall see how gentle I can be, a man of refinements and grace, with no need of armour and arms to proclaim my manhood. Thank you.’

Nacoya patted Bruli’s sleeve, her brow disingenuously furrowed. ‘And music, I think. My lady would be impressed with any man who showed interest in the fine arts.’ Bruli nodded and handed his empty glass to a servant. ‘My thanks, old mother. Now, you will understand if I do not tarry. If I am to have new robes from the tailors, I must depart for Sulan-Qu on the hour.’

‘You are a diligent suitor, worthy of the Lady’s attention.’ Nacoya clapped for servants to summon Bruli’s litter and his guardsmen. There followed a comical bustle as Bruli rearranged his honour guard by height, that the picture they made while marching should seem bold and harmonious to the eye. When he had departed from the estates, for the first time in memory Nacoya couldn’t contain herself. She crossed the hall to the door to Mara’s quarters, doubled over. Then her laughter could no longer be stifled. Clapping a withered hand to her mouth in helpless desperation, she hurried to meet her mistress. Who but a Ruling Lady would have seized upon Bruli’s vanity and worked that weakness into a plan? The Lords Jingu of the Minwanabi and Mekasi of the Kehotara would learn that matters of honour were not always settled with weapons.

Still chuckling, Nacoya entered Mara’s quarters, where Jican and Arakasi were already meeting with the Lady of the Acoma. Mara looked up from a scroll and noticed the hand still pressed tightly over her First Adviser’s mouth. ‘You seem amused.’

Nacoya sat, slowly, her disarranged hairpins sliding further to one side. ‘If a foe can be bested without bloodshed, what harm if a little entertainment can be derived from the act?’

Mara’s interest sharpened. ‘Then our plan is working, mother of my heart?’

Nacoya returned a spirited nod. ‘I think I can keep Bruli busy for a week or so and spare you the need to insult the Kehotara. The idea we discussed looks promising.’

Mara nodded her approval, resuming her interrupted conversation with Jican. ‘Did you say that Hokanu of the Shinzawai requests permission to call upon the Acoma?’

The hadonra consulted the parchment in his hand, which was of quality penmanship but not an ornamented petition for marriage. ‘The Lord of the Shinzawai sends word that his son will be passing through on his way from their town home in Jamar to the main estates in the north. He begs leave to have Hokanu call upon you.’

Mara remembered Hokanu from the wedding, a striking, darkly handsome man about her own age. She did not need Nacoya’s prompting to remind her that he had been one of the choices for her consort before she had selected Buntokapi.

Aware of Arakasi’s intent expression, Mara asked the Spy Master’s opinion.

‘Hokanu’s interest might be a wise thing to foster. The Shinzawai are among the oldest and most influential families in the High Council; the grandfather was Clan Kanazawai Warchief until he retired, then Kamatsu was. Two Warchiefs in succession from the same family shows rare deftness in clan politics. And they are not vicious players of the Game of the Council, but have gained position through skill and intelligence, with no blood feuds under way, and no debts. And they are the only major family beside the Xacatecas not in alliance with the Warlord, the Minwanabi, or the Anasati. But they are enmeshed in some plot of the Blue Wheel Party.’

So Arakasi, too, thought an alliance through marriage would benefit the Acoma. But Mara’s interest was political only. ‘What plot?’

‘I don’t know,’ Arakasi gestured in frustration. ‘My agents are not well placed for getting inside information on the Blue Wheel. I deduce a move is afoot to blunt the influence of the Warlord, since Blue Wheel sentiment within the council holds that Almecho commands too much power. Still, since Almecho’s invasion of the barbarian world, that movement has all but ceased to exist. Even the Shinzawai provide support. Kamatsu’s oldest son, Kasumi, is a Force Leader of the Kanazawai forces upon Midkemia’ – the Spy Master frowned as he pronounced the foreign names – ‘facing the armies of Crydee in the westernmost province of what the barbarians call the Kingdom of the Isles.’

Mara was always astonished at the amount of information Arakasi could remember, even down to seemingly trivial details. He never made notes or kept lists; other than coded messages disguised as normal business documents, he never permitted his agents to write their reports. And his intuitive guesses were uncanny.

‘Do you think the Blue Wheel Party had changed alliance?’ she asked.

‘No.’ Arakasi seemed certain. ‘The world of Midkemia holds too many riches for one man’s gain, and Kamatsu is too crafty a player of the game. I expect the Blue Wheel will withdraw support from the Alliance for War at a critical moment, leaving the Warlord dangerously overextended. If so, the aftermath should prove interesting.’

Mara reconsidered the note from the Lord of the Shinzawai in the light of this information and reluctantly decided to decline. Her plans for Bruli and the snarled state of Acoma financial affairs would prevent her from honouring Hokanu with the hospitality he deserved. Later, perhaps, she would send him an invitation to make up for the regret she must send now. ‘Jican, instruct the scribes to answer with a polite letter informing the younger son of the Lord of the Shinzawai that we will be unable to offer our hospitality at this time … My Lord’s death has left much confusion in the affairs of the estate, and for this we must humbly beg understanding. I will sign the parchment personally, for Hokanu is one I earnestly wish not to offend.’

Jican made a note on his tally slate. Then his brow furrowed with more than usual resignation. ‘There is the matter of the late Lord Bunto’s gambling debts, Lady.’

Tired of sitting, Mara rose and wandered over to the screen that opened onto the garden. Staring at the flowers, she said, ‘How much did he lose?’

The hadonra answered without hesitation, as if the numbers had haunted his sleep for some nights. ‘Seven thousand centuries of metal, twenty-seven dimis, and sixty-five cintis … and four tenths.’

Mara turned to face him. ‘Can we pay it?’

‘Certainly, though it will limit capital flow for a season, until the next crop is sold off.’ As if the matter pained him, Jican added, ‘We shall have to deal in some credits.’

But the cho-ja craftsmen were starting to produce marketable jade; the time of debt would be short. Mara said, ‘Pay them now.’

Jican made another note. ‘Then there is the matter of the debt of the Lord of the Tuscalora.’

‘What debt?’ The Tuscalora lands bordered the Acoma holdings to the south, and to Mara’s knowledge there had been no ties of business with the Ruling Lord for several generations.

Jican sighed. ‘Your husband was a poor gambler, but at wrestling he excelled. He defeated the Tuscalora champion on four occasions, and Lord Jidu lost heavily each time. He wagered thirty centuries on the first bout, and paid in gems. The second bout was for five hundred centuries, and this he noted in the paper contract he since chose not to honour, for the next two bets were wagered double or nothing. His champion was beaten; it was the talk of Sulan-Qu for a week. At present the Lord of the Tuscalora owes the Acoma a total of two thousand centuries.’

‘Two thousand! That would ease our finances considerably.’

Jican shrugged. ‘If he has assets to pay – I have sent two polite reminders and received no answer at all, probably because the Lord had extended himself on credit until this season’s crops are harvested for market.’

‘Send a strongly worded demand, over my personal chop.’ Mara looked away a moment, thoughtfully, then added, ‘Much good will be lost if anyone thinks he may take advantage because a woman is again ruling House Acoma. Let the Lord of the Tuscalora know I require an immediate answer.’

Jican nodded. Mara allowed him to withdraw and, alone, considered the uneasy feeling that had arisen within her over the Tuscalora debt to the House of the Acoma. Her neighbour to the south had been of no consequence, neither ally nor enemy. But his army was large enough to threaten Acoma safety should the matter of debt turn into contention between the two houses. But not to demand her rightful due was to invite gossip about Acoma weakness in every marketplace within the Empire. Mara sighed. The Lord of the Tuscalora was known for his touchy and belligerent temperament. He disliked backing down, which was why Buntokapi had led the man so far into debt to begin with. Mara hoped this one time Jidu of the Tuscalora would prove a reasonable neighbour.

Mara read the parchment, her throat tightening with anger and no small amount of fear. Arakasi, Keyoke, Papewaio, and Nacoya all waited silently as she finished the return message from the Lord of the Tuscalora. She sat silently for a long time, tapping the scroll against her fingers. Finally she said, ‘We cannot ignore this. Keyoke, what would my father had done with a message like this?’

The Force Commander said, ‘The men would be arming, even now.’ He studied Sezu’s daughter and added, ‘I can march at your word, mistress.’

Mara sighed, taking no pains to hide her distress from these, her four closest advisers. ‘I cannot accept this defiance and insult as a declaration of war, Keyoke. For us to engage in conflict with the Tuscalora would mean our destruction.’

Keyoke regarded her levelly. ‘We can take his measure.’

Mara’s brown eyes were unflinching as she met her Force Commander’s stare. ‘At what cost? The Tuscalora forces are not so inferior that we can march in and not suffer.’ She shook her head. ‘Shall we find ourselves where we were after Father and Lano died? This time our enemies will not be so slow to strike.’ Her voice became thick with frustration. ‘Everything I have built, all that I’ve endured, would be as nothing.’

Nacoya’s old hand cut down in emphasis as she said, ‘Then do nothing, Lady. The amount is not so large as to warrant putting yourself and Ayaki at risk. Deal with this insulting little man when you are better able.’

Mara became very still. ‘No, I must do something. For us to ignore this rejection of our claim would be to announce to every house in the Empire that we are unable to answer insult to our honour.’ She dropped the parchment on a side table, as if it were poisonous. ‘This must be answered.

‘Keyoke, have the entire garrison ready to march at first light. I wish the men marshalled as close to the border of the Tuscalora estates as possible without alerting his sentries.’

Keyoke inclined his head. ‘The terrain there is unfavourable for a charge. We would need twenty minutes to reach the estate house should trouble arise.’

Mara stared grimly at the flower bed beyond the screen. ‘It shall be as nothing to me if the assault takes five minutes or five hours. By the time you arrive, I would already be dead. No. We must carve our advantage through other things than strength of arms alone.’

There followed a discussion of tactics that extended long past dusk. Servants brought a repast that went largely untouched; even Arakasi’s appetite seemed off. And in the end, when Keyoke and Papewaio had exhausted their knowledge of warcraft, Mara suggested another plan, the one that offered a dangerous hope.

Nacoya grew silent and white-faced. Papewaio sat stroking his chin with his thumb, over and over again, while Keyoke simply looked grim. But only Arakasi truly understood Mara’s bitterness as she excused her advisers, saying, ‘I will travel tomorrow to confront Lord Jidu. And if the gods are ill disposed to the Acoma, then our ruin will not be due to the plottings of the Anasati or the treachery of the Minwanabi, but to an honourless man’s seeking to renege on a debt.’