Guilt Edged Ivory

by Doris Egan

  "Oh, no, he borrowed the initial capital on the strength of his name."

  "He borrowed it," said Ran slowly. "For this to turn a profit, he'd have to lend it out at a rather high rate of interest."

  Leel Canerol chuckled. "He certainly did." Eliana glared at her.

  Well, well. If I understood correctly, the first son and heir to Porath had been carving out a reputation as a loanshark.

  "Sorry I missed knowing him," I said softly.

  Eliana looked up. "Don't tell Father. Whatever you do."

  Ran stood. "We'll do what we can," he said, keeping it vague. "I'm afraid we'll have to move on, now—"

  "But Lysander? Are you going to tell him about this?"

  "At the moment," he said, "I consider the marriage a separate issue from the matter of your brother."

  She smiled. We left her to her keepers, both aware that no promises had been made.

  Coalis was a very different sort of fish. We found him lying on his stomach in the tiny courtyard attached to the west wing, reading a book of poetry. He was stretched on a patch of very carefully cultivated lawn grass of soft yellow-green, facing a miniature fountain. He sat up when we came.

  "Room for three," he said, speaking of the patch of grass. "Hello, Theodora. My greetings, sir Cormallon."

  He wore an undertunic of silver and a silver outerrobe. Death of his hopes and dreams, possibly. "Hello, Coalis," I said in the same direct way, not waiting for Ran to speak. "My husband offers the sympathy of our House."

  Coalis smiled lazily, pleased in a gentle fashion with the way we'd just run over tradition. Na' telleths were often amused by that sort of thing. "It's appreciated. I heard you were coming, you know. Heard Eliana cornered you when you got in."

  "She did," said Ran. "She seemed concerned about your family's reputation."

  "Well, she probably has her reasons."

  "What are you reading?" I asked.

  He held up the book. "Kesey's Erotic Poems.'"

  "Really, I was flipping through his general collection just yesterday." Kesey had been dead about six hundred years, but his work enjoyed a certain vogue among classicists. The edition I had was a translation to modern Ivoran, but Coalis' looked like the real thing. "What do you think of them?"

  He pursed his lips thoughtfully. Finally he said, "I suppose I'm not the best person to ask." He put down the volume. "Perhaps I should have gotten the illustrated version." He looked toward Ran, then back to me. "You have questions for me," he said.

  "We do," agreed Ran.

  I said, "Your father thinks—or thought—that we might have had something to do with Kade's death."

  Ran gave me one of his unreadable looks, but it's not as though everyone else wouldn't have thought of it.

  Coalis lifted a fistful of grass. "Well, he would, wouldn't he?"

  "We didn't."

  "And you'd like to know where else the blame might be spread?"

  Ran said, "Briefly put—yes."

  "Well, it's nothing to me one way or the other. I have to deal with the fact he's no longer here; how he got that way is irrelevant."

  "Not to us," said Ran.

  I said, "Eliana told us he was a gameplayer."

  "She said that? How odd."

  "He wasn't a gameplayer?"

  "When he was fourteen, fifteen. I was that way myself at that age," added Coalis, from the height of his sixteen years. "He swore off when he reached majority, and if he ever dabbled, I never heard of it."

  "She also said that he lent money at high rates of interest." I could see that Ran disapproved of my method of questioning, but he kept quiet.

  "Well, now, that I'd heard of. I suppose I'll have to take over the business for a while, or sell it to somebody—the House could use the money, and somebody's got to bring it in now that the marriage thing is drying up. —Don't tell Father, though."

  Ran frowned. "Kade brought you into the business? I wouldn't think it would hold much appeal for a na' telleth."

  "Oh, I didn't learn about it from Kade."

  "Then who?"

  "The Provincial Minister," said Coalis. "Stereth Tar'krim."

  Tripping over Stereth's name always throws me—and, I suspect, Ran—a little off balance. Particularly at a time like this, when the connection seemed so remote. Ran sat back slightly, looking as though a small, impossible-to-swat insect was buzzing in his ears. He said, "Stereth Tar'krim discussed your brother's business with you?"

  "Yes, he's a friend of mine. We met at a na' telleth retreat day."

  Now that was a setup if I'd ever heard one. Stereth Tar'krim was about as na' telleth as… or was he? I remembered a fateful hour several lifetimes ago, when I'd talked about blood and death and failure with Stereth. "If it happens, it happens," he'd said, though he knew then how likely it was; a na' telleth answer if there ever was one. Stereth… rebel, killer, gangster… monk? I shook my head as though to clear it.

  "Wait," I said. "How did Stereth know about Kade's moneylending?"

  "He wanted to be partners with Kade," said Coalis. "He wanted an alliance with our House, an official alliance—he asked to be listed as an acknowledged House-friend. Father couldn't know about the business, of course, but once he was gone—"

  "So he was a friend of Kade's," said Ran, trying to get this straight.

  "No, Kade would have nothing to do with it. Why split it, when he could keep it all?"

  "And Kade told you this."

  "No. Stereth told me. Kade never knew I knew anything about what he was doing."

  Ran looked irritated. "You knew Stereth, you knew he wanted to ally with your House, Kade was in the way— and you didn't warn him?"

  "Why would I do that?"

  Before Ran became more annoyed I said, "For one thing, to avoid the situation you're in now. Heir to Porath, good-bye to the monastery."

  "Oh! Kade's death. Oh, I'm sure Stereth had nothing to do with that."

  After a moment of blankness, Ran and I mutually decided to leave that statement where it lay. I said, "I don't suppose you'd know where we could get a list of Kade's vict—clients?"

  "I'm sorry. I'm sure he had a list somewhere, but I've no idea where it is."

  Ran let out a breath and rose to his feet, extending a hand to me. "We won't interrupt you any further, then." Clearly we were going to postpone a discussion of the hopelessness of this entire situation till we were out of earshot of the family.

  Coalis didn't bother to get up. He dipped his head to acknowledge our bows and smiled politely. As we left the courtyard I saw he'd opened the book again. His feet were propped on the rim of the fountain.

  We made our way through the hall that led to the garden. None too soon, I'd been digging out my handkerchief rather frequently there toward the end of the conversation. I gave a good blow, tucked the white linen square into the sleeve of my robe where I could get at it again quickly, and said, "I don't like all this talk of Stereth."

  "Can you believe he'd get into loansharking in the capital, now that he's a minister of the empire?"

  "All too willingly. Ministers need money like everybody else."

  "But he must have negotiated a big payoff from the Emperor when he quit being an outlaw."

  I shrugged. "I don't know how big. And who knows what he might want the money for? Maybe he has other projects in mind."

  "Great bumbling gods." We reached the main door. It would be polite to wait for the steward to let us out; but I wanted to get into the open air. "Do you see a pattern of repetition here? With Stereth, I mean?"

  "I'm not sure. What do you mean?" I reminded myself not to rub my eyes or they'd become infected.

  "Remember our summer with his outlaw crew? He wanted to combine forces with the Deathwell bands, but Dramonta Sol opposed it. Tarniss Cord was willing."

  I nodded. "And suddenly Dramonta Sol was dead and Tarniss Cord was in charge of all the Deathwell outlaws. I know. It's not a day I'm likely to forget. But what are we supposed to do now? We don
't know he's behind Kade's murder, but what if he is? I mean, he is sort of a friend of ours."

  Ran was silent, the way he'd been with Eliana, neither confirming nor denying. I started to push against the heavy wooden door.

  "Besides," I went on, "even if he weren't, I don't think I'd like to make an enemy of him."

  Ran looked at me. I said, "Come on, you know it's true. If it comes down to alienating the Poraths or alienating Stereth Tar'krim—"

  "Somebody mention my name?"

  Stereth stood in the doorway, smiling in the midday sun.

  "It's good to be remembered," he said. "I hope you were saying nice things."

  Ran took a step backward that he probably wasn't even aware of, leaving me to say, "Hello, Stereth."

  "Hello, Tymon." He called me by my old road name, and now that there was nobody to see, he bent and kissed me on the cheek. Then he glanced past me. "Ran. It was good to see you both yesterday." He reached behind to close the door, but I put a hand on his arm.

  "Don't, please. I'd rather get some fresh air. I'm allergic to this place." I used the Ivoran word "aversion."

  "Tymon, really? All the silver crepe getting you down?" His voice was not without sympathy. He was scary that way sometimes.

  "Cats. I get stuffed up."

  "My poor barbarian." He opened the heavy door easily, with one arm. He doesn't look that strong until you get to know him. Sunlight streamed in, with the musty smell of old wood from the porch and a faint perfumey scent from the garden.

  I ducked under his arm and stepped outside, taking a long draught of uncontaminated air. Ran followed me out. Then Stereth joined us, shutting the door behind him. "I ought to wait for the house steward anyway. I hate to be rude. We can talk here."

  Ran's feelings toward Stereth I can only describe as mixed, but certainly he'd always regarded Stereth's "talks" with unadulterated suspicion. He said quietly, "I suppose you're another one who wants to question us about the investigation."

  "What investigation? I came to pay a condolence call."

  We looked at him.

  He said, "There has been a death, you know."

  "Yes." Ran took a deep breath. "Jusik Porath asked us to look into it." Everyone did seem to know that fact anyway.

  "Oh? Well, best of luck to you." His tone was uninterested. "Actually, I was wondering if I might speak to Tymon here alone."

  There's nobody like Stereth for surprising the hell out of you. I had no idea what to say to that, and left it to Ran. He groped for a response. "I really don't see what—"

  "Oh, come on, Sokol, humor me and wait under that coyu tree there. We all know she'll just stroll over to you shortly and repeat everything I've said."

  Back in control, Ran said coolly, "Then why ask me to leave?"

  "Because I'll feel less inhibited in my conversation. Now, please? For an old companion-of-the-road?"

  The trouble with Stereth is that he's like a force of nature. He can say "please" all he wants, but you still have the feeling that if you disagree with him on something like this, a giant hand will reach out of heaven and move you over to the coyu tree anyway.

  Still, he did say "please." And asked as a friend. Ran sighed and walked down the path to the tree. When he reached it, he turned and raised his hands as though to say, Well? What more do you want?

  Stereth watched him with a look of affectionate familiarity. "He's not happy. He wasn't very happy in the Northwest Sector, either. I swear, Tymon, sometimes I wonder what you see in him."

  "He's happy enough when you're not around, Stereth."

  He chuckled. "Because you let him have things his own way, no doubt."

  "Well, you would know about needing to have things your own way."

  "Touche." Stereth spoke of Ran as one would of a troublesome younger brother. "But what I want to talk to you about is doing me a favor."

  "Oh?"

  "What a noncommittal sound after all we've been through together. What about 'Yes, Stereth, nothing you want can be too great?' "

  "What did you have in mind?"

  "Do you remember Keleen Van Gelder?"

  I was disoriented for a moment, thinking he meant someone who'd been in the outlaw band, though it wasn't an Ivoran name. "I don't think I know the person."

  "She's junior ambassador from Tellys. You saw her at the garden party and again on the boat." I frowned. He said, "A blond woman, handsome, in her forties or fifties. A bit taller than the average barbarian. She said she tried to speak to you but couldn't get your attention in the press of the crowd."

  I flashed back to the woman with the blonde braid who'd stopped her conversation and stared at me. "Yes, I think I remember. I didn't know she was the Tellys ambassador."

  "She wants to talk to you."

  Another surprise. "Whatever for?"

  "I have no idea. But I'm trying to make some Tellysian friends and I told her I'd get you to visit her."

  Couldn't he tell her he'd ask me to visit her? Not and be Stereth, he couldn't. "Why do you want Tellysian friends?"

  "I'm a friendly person. What about it, Theodora?"

  "And you really don't know what she wants."

  "I really don't. I'm just collecting a favor."

  I considered it. An idea occurred. I said, "Listen here, companion-of-the-road. It's not customary to exchange favors within the same family, because it's assumed that all family members are working toward the same goals anyway."

  "We're not in the same family."

  "I'm not talking about you and me. I'll go see the junior ambassador—"

  "Thank you."

  "You'll owe me a favor. Hold onto it. Should you ever, in the future, be in a position where Ran owes you a favor, I want you to ask him to go visit the medical clinic of his wife's choosing, and take what tests she decrees."

  For once I'd thrown Stereth off-stride. He repeated, "Medical clinic." Then he said, "Forgive my pointing this out, but as his wife you seem in a unique position to make this request yourself."

  "I'll forgive you," I said. "Now do we have a deal?"

  "We do." We clasped hands. Ran, down at the coyu tree, dug one foot in the ground impatiently.

  I said, "I'll have to tell him about Van Gelder."

  "I thought you would. I only wanted you alone because you'd be more likely to agree."

  "No mention of our deal, though," I said warningly.

  "No, I didn't think so."

  I waved to Ran from the porch and he walked up the path, looking far from pleased.

  Chapter 7

  When the house steward had led Stereth away, Ran simply said, "If you've taken in enough lungfuls, we'd better get to the west wing."

  I'd been so expecting him to launch into a cross-examination that it left me at a momentary loss, as no doubt he'd intended. Besides— "You mean the body? Now?"

  "No better time. He'll be burnt by tomorrow."

  Ugh. I followed him over the path to the west porch and up the step. The aroma of bitter incense was strong here, to drive away the evil spirits. (If you've never seen Ivoran death customs, I should mention that nobody on the entire planet takes these evil spirits seriously. Well, not entirely, anyway. Nobody omits the incense either. I suppose if you offered a bereaved family member a thousand tabals to dump the incense, they'd take the cash. But I don't think they'd be entirely comfortable about it.)

  Silver streamers hung over the doorway. Having already been admitted to the house proper, there was no reason we couldn't step right in, but I hesitated. "Will there be people in there?" I asked.

  "Possibly. Beloved family members are supposed to keep watch over the body."

  And Coalis was reading a book, Eliana was working through her options, and Grandmother was sedated. "Maybe Jusik will be in there. He might not be thrilled at our monkeying around with the corpse. Especially since he's not sure you didn't kill him, anyway."

  "Jusik will be too busy at a time like this," said Ran, and he pushed aside the streamers and ope
ned the door.

  The room was empty. I hoped for his sake that Kade's popularity in death didn't match that of life but I was begin-

  ning to get the impression that it did. Except for Grandmother, of course, but they'd probably only wake her up for the funeral ceremony.

  There was no coffin. Instead there was a flat board, like a wooden stretcher, set atop a heavy table. It being Kade Porath, first son of his House, the wood was a dark, carved mahogany, and the shallow silver incense bowls set on the floor at each of the four corners had the look of heirlooms. Kade's body was laid out on the board, wearing a suit of robes in gray, burgundy, and snow white. His head rested on a white satin pillow. Appearances had been maintained, I saw; somebody had been in to touch up his face with cosmetics and brush his hair. There is no embalming on Ivory, except for the occasional emperor. They consider it a repulsive custom, and about what one could expect of barbarians; the one or two people I'd asked about it had made disgusted faces, looked away, and changed the subject.

  So much the better for us, anyway; aside from a little rouge and face powder, Kade was much the way he'd been when they fished him out of the canal. Ran went over at once and lifted the body's head, touching his thumbs to the base of Kade's chin. I found that I'd backed up as far as the ceremonial candlesticks lined against the wall.

  "Come here, Theodora, give me a hand with this."

  "Right." I walked over to the table, working for some normalcy in my stride. Theodora of Pyrene, I had no idea you were so squeamish.

  —What did you expect? How many dead people have I seen? And I never had to touch any of them.

  —You're seriously disappointing me. This is disgraceful. You're just not living up to my image of you.

  —Time you found out the truth, then.

  I get schizoid sometimes in moments of stress. Bear with it, you'll probably see it happen again.

  I ignored the sense of repulsion and put my hands where Ran indicated, turning Kade's head to one side while Ran rubbed Kade's earlobe between his fingers, as though testing a lettuce leaf.

  "The doorways of the senses," said Ran softly. "This is where traces of tampering can usually be found."