The Guild was talking to everybody else and getting information as fast as they could. And if Great-grandmother could take Barb-daja into her sitting-room and get everything she knew in good order, Great-grandmother would be doing that, but she was right: Barb-daja would tell everything to Toby.

So he had an important part in things. “Yes, mani-ma,” he said with a quick little bow, and said, “Barb-daja, Great-grandmother says go downstairs. Nand’ Toby wants to see you.”

“ Toby,” she said, and forgot to bow to Great-grandmother, then remembered and halfway did, and headed for the dining room hall at a near run.

She startled mani’s guard—but not him. He bowed for both of them and started to follow her.

And happened to catch a look from Veijico, who was upset and let it show. The look was directed at him. Worried. Unhappy, maybe, that he had not really looked at her or made a fuss about her safe return.

Well, she had reason to be upset about that. But so did he, considering everything was her fault. He was responsible for her. More, Veijico was about to be in a lot of trouble with Cenedi, who was very senior Guild, and if there was a rule Veijico had missed breaking, as Jago would put it—one hardly knew what that was.

Definitely she hoped he might stand up for her. But she had hardly deserved it.

And Great-grandmother had just given him a direct order, and Barb-daja was already headed down the back stairs.

He went after Barb-daja, with Antaro close on his heels. He ran the steps to catch up and was with Barb-daja as she reached the basement hall.

She had no idea where she was going. “This way,” he said and walked with her down to the corner and to nand’ Toby’s room. He opened the door himself, and Barb-daja shoved past him, intent on Toby, who, it turned out, was sleeping—the painkillers made sure he did a lot of that. Jegari got up, looking shocked.

Cajeiri signed it was all right and stood by the door watching and listening, as mani had told him to do.

“Toby?” Barb said, sitting on the bed and patting his face. “Toby?”

And Toby waked up and saw her. “Barb,” he said, sounding confused and sleepy. Then: “Oh, my God. Barb!”

Barb-daja laughed in a funny way, and kissed him, and when she sat back, Toby took hold and brought her hand to his lips, which was sort of embarrassing. But mani said listen.

“Barb,” Toby said, really awake, now. “Barb, are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Barb starting crying and wiping her eyes with her fingers. “I was so scared.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No,” she said, gulping air. “No. Veijico rescued me.”

“Veijico.”

“She shot them. And then both of us got caught by Machigi’s people. And then Bren—Bren got us sent to him. He’s there. With Lord Machigi.”

There was no way to stop her. Now Toby knew.

“He’s one of the bad guys,” Barb said. “Isn’t he?”

“A very bad guy,” Toby said faintly. “What in hell is Bren doing there?”

“He’s talking to Machigi. I don’t know what all about. But his bodyguard is with him. They all have their guns. He seems to be getting along all right.”

“God.” Toby raked a hand through his hair, and propped his head up higher, to look at her.

“In the Marid? Is he in the Marid?”

“In Tanaja.”

“And you were there?”

“I was there.”

Toby moved his hand and let his head fall back.

“I remember—” Toby said, staring at the ceiling. “I remember people on the walk, in the dark. You were up there—by the housec”

Nand’ Toby’s memory was not very good for that whole hour. He’d been shot, bleeding all over the walk, and when Barb-daja had run up the walk to get help, kidnappers had carried her off. Cajeiri knew that part all too well. He’d run into Veijico and her partner Lucasi at that point, and he told them—

He had toldthem to help Barb-daja.

He remembered that part now. It upset his stomach.

He had toldthem to go after her.

And Veijico and Lucasi had done exactly that. They had not been smart about it. They had gone off on their own without linking up with other Guild. They’d tracked the kidnappers clear out of Najida’s territory, clear out of Sarini Province.

But they had done what he told them to do.

“I don’t remember much,” Barb was saying, sniffing and wiping her nose, “except these people. Guild. They were so strong—I couldn’t do anything. We were running through brush, they carried me as if I were just nothing, and they got in a truck, like a workman’s truck, and threw me in the back of it, and they just drove off down the road. I think—I think we went east. I’m not sure. At some point I know we did.”

Nand’ Toby moved to sit up, and Barb-daja moved to stop him.

“No, it’s fine,” nand’ Toby said. “I’m doing pretty well now. Considering. I’m up walking some.”

“Where were you hit?”

Nand’ Toby put a hand toward his ribs, where he still had bandages, but no more tubes. “Not too sore. Stitches. Lot of bruises from falling down the damn steps. Bren—Bren went looking for you. And he promised me he’d bring you back. I didn’t know he’d follow you clear to Tanaja.”

“He’s staying there. He says he has business. He’s still negotiating with Machigi. I don’t know what about.”

“There’s a long list. Damn. But he got you out.”

“Me. Veijico. A whole busload of Tabini’s people.”

“In Tanaja?”

“They were. They came in with Bren.”

That confused nand’ Toby. “Tabini’s people.”

“I’m sure they were. They came back as far as Targai and Lord Geigi.”

“He’s there.” Toby rubbed his forehead. “But Bren’s in Tanaja. Since when?”

“A couple of days ago.”

“How is he?”

“He’s fine.” A little wobble crept into Barb’s voice. Toby looked at her from under his hand.

“ Howfine, Barb?”

“He’s all right. He—he had a kind of an accident. Not in Tanaja. He’s sore. But he’s getting around all right. And he’s working, he says.”

“Working.”

“It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t bad at all after I got there. They were taking good care of us.” Her voice went thin. “But I didn’t have my makeup. I just had what I’m wearing. I’m just a mess.”

“Barb. You’re beautiful. How did Bren get there? Did the aiji send him?”

“I don’t know. He came with a busload of Guild, but they wouldn’t get off the bus. They stayed parked in the driveway, out front of this house, or palace, or whatever that place is, and Bren’s in a really nice suite, very fancy. Veijico and I stayed in the sitting room. Bren kind of needed his bed. He’s pretty sore. And he was talking with Machigi, long sessions. I couldn’t understand much of it. I hit my head.” Barb put a hand on the back of her skull.

“When I first saw him. It was my mistake, not his. And Bren was—Bren was, you know, the way he is when he’s working. Dead serious. Focused. But I don’t think he’s scared. Just worried and working.”

“Damn. Damn,” Toby said, and in Ragi, with a glance in Cajeiri’s direction. “Young gentleman?”

That was that. Nand’ Toby knew Bren was in trouble and now nand’ Toby had figured out they’d been lying to him. Cajeiri folded his arms and fervently wished he had somewhere else to be.

“Do youknow what’s going on?”

That was a very big question. A very scary question. But now, finally, he had to answer it and not make nand’ Toby too mad at Great-grandmother while he was doing it.

“Great-grandmother sent him there,” he said, “because the Guild was going to kill Machigi.”

5

« ^ »

It was a quiet afternoon, at least—a small stack of atlases and a growing number of sheets of paper, with more sketched maps, sites of interest noted, and a rough list of points one wanted to make with Machigi.

Machigi might, personally, be a scoundrel and possibly a murderer. In the cold equations of diplomacy, it didn’t matter—if greed could bring Machigi to link his self-interest to a program that would produce peace for the majority of innocent citizens.