Tasaio smiled, revealing straight white teeth. 'I have ascertained the identity of Mara's three spies.'
Desio was silent a moment. The anger fled his visage, quickly replaced by astonishment. 'Wonderful,' he said softly. Then, with more pleasure than Incomo had heard since the death of Desio's father, the young Lord repeated himself. 'Wonderful!' He clapped his hands together. 'This calls for a celebration, cousin.' While a servant hastened off to fetch refreshments, and a carafe of a rare vintage sa wine, the Lord sank back on his cushions, eyes narrowed with rapturous speculation. 'How do you plan to punish these traitors, cousin?'
Tasaio's expression never changed. 'We shall use them as our pawns, send falsified reports to the Acoma, and arrange Keyoke's demise.'
'Ah!' Desio echoed his cousin's smile as his thoughts leaped ahead. The plan conceived in words the season before at last seemed a reality to him: to kill the Acoma Force Commander, and force Mara to personally command troops in the field, where Tasaio could seek her out and kill her. He clenched a fist, his pleasure almost sexual in intensity. 'I look forward to seeing the Acoma bitch's head on the floor before me. We shall feed the spies our false information this afternoon.'
Incomo muffled a grunt of annoyance behind his hand, but if Tasaio shared his impatience with Desio's shortsightedness, he showed no sign. 'My cousin,' the warrior said evenly, 'to send the reports today would be gratifying, I admit. But we must bide our time until precisely the right moment to utilize our knowledge. To use Mara's agents now would certainly reveal our infiltration and waste our advantage. These men are not simple servants but men who, in their own way, are fierce in their loyalty to the Acoma. Like warriors, they have made peace with the gods and are ready to die at any moment. Should Mara learn that we have uncovered them, she will simply cut them loose. They would welcome death at her order, rather than betray her trust. They might try to flee to the safety of her estates, or they might fall upon their swords. If their courage fails, we might have the small satisfaction of executing them, but for Minwanabi advantage, we gain nothing.'
Incomo added his agreement. 'Given the fact Mara has three agents here, her Spy Master will certainly work to install replacements. We could then be reduced to another lengthy search to smoke out the new culprits.'
Tasaio urged his cousin, 'Make no overt move until the fall. By then I can smuggle enough of our warriors into Dustari to have a fair chance against the army Xacatecas and Acoma will send against the nomads. All through the summer, Mara must wonder what our crucial move will be. She will He awake at night and sweat in the darkness, and send out informants, and learn nothing. Are we trying to strangle her grain markets? she will ask. Will we insinuate ourselves between her and potential allies in the council? Might we raid outlying warehouses when her finances are vulnerable? Let her conceive of a thousand possibilities and agonize over each and every one.'
Tasaio sat forward, his amber eyes afire. 'Then, after harvest, when she has exhausted herself with worry and taxed her useless spies to their limits, we strike.' Fast as a sword stroke, the Minwanabi cousin clapped his hands. 'Keyoke dies, along with a company of Mara's best soldiers — perhaps her First Strike Leader, Lujan, falls as well. The Acoma household is left without military cohesion, and whatever surviving officer the Lady promotes to wear plumes must assume a post for which he is unpractised. Troops that have served under the same commander for thirty years cannot help but become disrupted.' As he looked directly at Desio, Tasaio's manner embodied confidence. 'Now, cousin, suppose we further the Acoma's disarray? Suppose that the summons to Dustari arrives from the High Council before Keyoke's ashes have a chance to grow cold?'
Desio's eyes lit. Though the plan was as familiar to him as a prayer, the repetition swept away his doubts; his anger dissolved, and as Incomo observed his master, he saw the wisdom of Tasaio's manipulation. When Desio doubted, he became unstable, a danger to his house, as he acted on impulse. The oath sworn to the Red God at the young Lord's investiture might have brought such a disaster. But like a master tactician, Tasaio would turn the blunder into victory. Not for the first time, Incomo wondered why the gods had not switched fathers of the two cousins, that the truly brilliant man might wear the Lord's mantle instead of the one who at best was merely competent.
Desio heaved his .bulk straight on his cushions and released a deep-chested chuckle. The sound gained force, until the young Lord rocked with laughter. 'My cousin, you are brilliant,' he gasped between paroxysms, 'brilliant.'
Tasaio inclined his head. 'All for your honour, my Lord, and for the triumph of the Minwanabi.'
* * *
Summer came, and the Acoma silk samples disrupted all of the southern trading districts' markets. The factors for the northern guilds were taken entirely by surprise. No longer could they market their lesser-quality goods for premium prices in the south. The auctions were an Acoma triumph, and the talk of every clan gathering the breadth of the Tsurani Empire. Supplied with enough orders to busy the cho-ja for five years, Jican had to restrain himself to keep from dancing in his mistress's presence. At one stroke, the Acoma's monetary position had gone from critically overdrawn to abundant. From a well-to-do house without much liquidity, the Acoma had become among the wealthiest in the central Empire, with enough cash reserves to narrow any threat posed by enemies.
Mara smiled at her hadonra's elation. This victory upon the silk market had been a long time in the planning, but she was given no time to appreciate her hard-won fortune. Just one hour after word arrived from the auctions, another messenger delivered fresh news. Her southern neighbour, Jidu of the Tuscalora, presented himself, asking audience, presumably to beg for Acoma vassalage to save his house from irremediable debt.
This touched off a flurry of activity. The Acoma senior advisers all gathered with Mara to meet Lord Jidu in the great hall. An honour guard in ceremonial armour stood arrayed behind her dais. With Nacoya on her right hand, and Keyoke and Lujan on her left, the Lady observed the proper forms as the fat Lord — splendid in pale blue robes and clouds of expensive perfumes — presented his appeal. Once Mara's Tsurani soul would have revelled in the sight of an antagonist brought to his knees before her, particularly since Jidu had tried to bully her as if she were an importunate girl after her husband's death. Though she and her honour guard had suffered an attack at this neighbour's command, and she had come close to being killed, the humbling of a man twice her age had lost all sense of triumph. Perhaps Mara had matured in the past year; certainly the exposure to Kevin's alien concepts had changed her.
Where once she would have seen only glory gained for the Acoma, now she could not escape noticing the hatred in Lord Jidu's pouched eyes as he paid her obeisance. She could not block her ears to his overtones of anger, nor entirely absolve herself from his self-made burden of shame. With stiff shoulders, and eyes that sparkled with frustration too private for expression, Lord Jidu admitted his dependence upon Acoma good grace.
Almost, Mara found herself wishing she could turn this event to another ending: allow Jidu to redeem his honour through Acoma generosity, and gain his gratitude and willing alliance. As Jidu ground out his last sentence, she was haunted by Kevin's accusation on the last morning she had seen him: "Are all Tsurani nobles born cruel?"
And yet leniency where Lord Jidu was concerned was a dangerous indulgence. In the machinations of the Great Game, mercy could be dispensed only by the unassailably strong; in the small or the weak, it was considered weakness. The ruler of the Tuscalora might be lax in matters of finance, but he had strong warriors and a gift for strategy on the field. Given his penchant for gross overspending, his loyalty could all too easily be bought by an enemy, and Mara dared not leave such a threat unattended on her southern border. As her vassal, Jidu could make no alliances without Acoma sanction. The honour of his house would be entrusted to Mara's hands, and those of Mara's heirs, for the span of Lord Jidu's living days. Her sovereignty would become such that he could not fall upon his sword without her
leave to die.
'You drive hard and dangerous bargains, Lady Mara,' the Lord of the Tuscalora warned. Should the Tuscalora effectively be reduced to a pawn for Acoma ambitions, his clan and fellow members of the Yellow Serpent Party would be less willing to treat with her because of Acoma domination over one of their own.
'The Great Game is a dangerous undertaking,' Mara replied. Her words were not empty platitude; Arakasi kept her informed of politics afield. If clan or party action brewed up against her family, she would hear well in advance of the fact. Her heart might be divided, concerning Jidu, but her options stayed unequivocally clear. 'I choose to take your oath, Lord Jidu.'
The ruler of the Tuscalora bowed his head. Pearl ornaments chinked on his clothing as he knelt in submission, to recite the formal words. Mara signalled, and Lujan stepped from the ranks, the rare metal sword of her ancestors in his hands. As the Acoma Strike Leader poised the shining blade over Jidu's bent neck, the Lord swore his oath of vassalage, his voice hard and deep with pent-up hatred, and his fists clenched helplessly in rage. He ended the last phrase and arose. 'Mistress.' He pronounced the word as if he tasted poison. 'I ask your leave to withdraw.'
On impulse, Mara withheld her consent. While Lord Jidu flushed red, and her honour guard went from ready to tensely nervous, she weighed her need for control against her wish to ease this man's humiliation. 'A moment, Jidu,' she said finally. As he looked up, suspicious, Mara strove to impart understanding. 'The Acoma need allies, not slaves. Give up your resentment over my victory, and willingly join with me, and both of our families will benefit.' She sat back upon her seat, speaking as if to a trusted friend. 'Lord Jidu, my enemies would not treat you so gently. The Lord of the Minwanabi demands Tan-jin-qu of his vassals.' The word she used was ancient, describing an absolute vassalage that granted the overlord powers of life and death over the members of a subservient household. Under Tan-jin-qu, not only would Jidu become Mara's vassal, he would be her virtual slave. 'Bruli of the Kehotara refused to continue that abject service to the Minwanabi when he inherited his office, and as a result, Desio withholds many of the protections the Kehotara have known for years. Bruli suffers because he wishes the appearance of independence. I do not shame you by demanding the lives of all your subjects, Jidu.'
The stout Lord conceded this point with a curt nod, but his anger and humiliation did not lessen. His was not an enviable position, to be at the mercy of a woman he had once tried to kill. Yet something in Mara's sincerity caused him to listen.
'I will establish policies that benefit both our houses,' Mara decreed, 'but the daily affairs of your estates remain yours to oversee. Profits from your chocha-la harvest shall stay in the Tuscalora coffers. Your house will pay no tribute to the Acoma. I shall ask nothing from you save your honour to serve ours.' Then, given insight on how she might mollify this enemy, Mara added, 'My belief in Tuscalora honour is such that I shall entrust the protection of our southern borders to your troops. All Acoma guards and patrols will be withdrawn from the boundary of our two lands.'
Keyoke's expression did not change at this development, but he scratched his chin with his thumb, in a long-standing secret code of warning.
Mara reassured her Force Commander with a suggestion of a smile. Then her attention returned to Lord Jidu. 'I see you do not trust that friendship might exist between us. I will show my good intentions. To celebrate our alliance, we shall mount a new prayer gate at the entrance to your estate, in glory to Chochocan. This will be followed by a gift of one hundred thousand centuries to clear your past debts, that the profits from this year's harvest may be used for the good of your estate.'
Nacoya's eyes widened at the amount, fully a fifth of the funds being forwarded from the silk auction. While Mara could afford to be generous, this honour gift cut considerably into Acoma reserves. Jican was certain to become apoplectic when his mistress ordered the sum transferred to the wastrel Lord of the Tuscalora.
Jidu searched Mara's face. But study as he might, he saw nothing to indicate that she toyed with him. Her words were spoken sincerely. Considerably subdued, he said, 'My Lady of the Acoma is generous.'
'The Lady of the Acoma strives to be fair,' Mara corrected. 'A weak ally is a drain, not a benefit. Go, and know that should you have need, the Acoma will answer your call, as we expect you to honour ours,' and she gracefully allowed him leave to withdraw.
No longer angered, but profoundly puzzled by his sudden shift in fortune, Jidu of the Tuscalora left the hall.
As the last of his blue-armoured guardsmen marched out, Mara abandoned her formal posture. She rubbed weary eyes and inwardly cursed her weariness. Months had passed since she sent Kevin off to oversee the crew clearing forests. She still slept poorly at nights.
'My beautiful Lady, let me compliment you on your deft handling of a particularly vicious dog,' said Lujan with a respectful bow. 'Lord Jidu is now well collared, and he may only whine and snap at your command, but he dare not bite.'
Mara focused her attention with an effort. 'At least we won't need soldiers guarding that cursed needra bridge day and night after this.'
Keyoke burst into sudden laughter, to the astonishment of both Lujan and Mara, for the old soldier rarely showed pleasure.
'What?' said Mara.
'Your stated intention to strip our southern border had me concerned, my Lady.' The Force Commander shrugged. 'Until I understood that, without needing to patrol the Tuscalora side of our boundary, we have freed several companies to reinforce more critical defences. And with no further worries from the north, Lord Jidu can mount more vigilant defences on other fronts. We have effectively gained another thousand warriors to guard one larger estate.'
Nacoya joined in. 'And with your generous gift, daughter, Jidu can afford to ensure his men are properly armed and armoured, and that cousins can be called to serve to expand his army.'
Mara smiled at the approval. 'Which will be my first . . . ah, "request" of my new vassal. His warriors are good, but they lack the numbers for our needs. When Jidu recovers from wounded pride, I shall "ask" that his Force Commander consult with Keyoke on the best ways to protect our common interests.'
Keyoke returned a guarded nod. 'Your father would look upon your farsightedness proudly, Lady Mara.' He bowed in respect. 'I must return to duty.'
Mara granted him permission to leave. Beside her, Lujan inclined his plumed head. 'Your warriors will all drink to your health, pretty Lady.' A playful frown creased his forehead. 'Though we might do well to assign a patrol to ensure that Lord Jidu does not tumble headfirst from his litter and bash in his skull on the way home.'
'Why would he do that?' Mara demanded.
Lujan shrugged. 'Drink can spoil the best man's balance, Lady. Jidu smelled like he had been guzzling since dawn.'
Mara's brows rose in surprise. 'You could smell through all that perfume?'
The Strike Leader returned an irreverent gesture around the scabbard of the ancestral sword. 'You didn't have to lean over the Lord's bared neck with a blade.'
Mara rewarded him with a laugh, but her moment of levity did not last. She waved dismissal to her honour guard, then retired to her study with Nacoya. Since her wedding to Buntokapi, she was disinclined to linger in the great hall, and with the redheaded Midkemian slave sent away, she found no relief in solitude. Day after day, she immersed herself in accounts with Jican, or reviewed clan politics with Nacoya, or played with Ayaki, whose current passion was the wooden soldiers carved for him by her officers. Yet even when Mara sat on the nursery's waxed wooden floor and arranged troops for her son — who played at being Lord of the Acoma, and who regularly routed whole armies of Minwanabi enemies — she could not escape the realities. Desio and Tasaio might die a hundred deaths on the nursery floor, to Ayaki's bloodthirsty and childish delight, but all too likely, the boy who played at vanquishing his enemies would himself become sacrificed to the Red God, victim of the intrigue that shadowed his house.
When Mara was not fretti
ng about enemies, she sought diversion from heartache. Nacoya had assured her that time would ease her desires. But as the days passed, and the dust of the dry season rose in clouds as this year's needra culls were driven to market, Mara still woke in the night, miserable with longing for the man who had taught her that love could be gentle. She missed his presence, his blundering ways, his odd thoughts, and most of all his intuitive grasp of those moments when she most wanted sympathy, but was too much the proud Ruling Lady to show her need.
His willingness to give strength and his kindness were as rain to a heart parched by troubles. Damn that man, she thought to herself. He had her trapped more helplessly than any enemy ever would. And perhaps, for that reason, Nacoya was right. He was more dangerous to her house than the most vicious of her foes, for somehow he had insinuated himself within her most personal defences.
* * *
A week passed, then another. Mara called on the cho-ja Queen and was invited to tour the caverns where the silk makers industriously worked to meet the auction contracts. A worker escorted Mara through the hive to the level where dyers and weavers laboured to transform the gossamer fibres into finished cloth. The tunnels were dim and cool after the sunlight outside. Always when Mara visited the hives, she felt as though she entered another world. Cho-ja workers rushed past her, speedily completing errands. They moved too swiftly for the eye to follow through tunnels lit by globes that shed pale light. Despite the gloom, the insectoid creatures never blundered into one another. Mara never felt more than a soft brush as the rapidly moving creatures negotiated the narrowest passages. The chamber where the silk was spun was wide and low. Here Mara raised a hand to make sure the jade pins that held her hair would not scrape the ceiling.
The escort cho-ja paused and waved a forelimb. 'The workers hatched for spinning are specialized,' it pointed out.
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