Tracker (47 page)

“You've got the dowager's backing. Mine. Geigi's. Gin's, for that matter. Get back here.”

“Soon as I get a report,”
Jase said.

He took an absent-minded sip of the awful tea. Swallowed. “You're on.”

A second sip, still staring at the screen, waiting.

“Meanwhile,” he said in Ragi, “I am speaking with Prakuyo an Tep. He has made contact. He will likely answer my invitation in a moment. And I shall answer him. Then, likely, we shall have a little time.” Two measured breaths, with the sounds of young voices trying to be quiet, in the heart of Central. “I think, nadiin, the dowager definitely should wish to rest now. Tell her I shall deal with the kyo. I thank her for standing by us. Beyond that, beyond that—I think I shall have to shift my attention to the kyo ship.”

A weight descended on his shoulder . . . Banichi's hand, rare gesture from an ateva. “Understood,” Banichi said. “Do as you need to do. We are here. We shall be here. Gin-nandi will provide relief, and deal with Ogun-aiji. And we shall deal with the kyo when they come.”

 • • • 

They had gotten all the parents, and Cajeiri met them—everybody's parents but one. Everybody had gathered in Lord Geigi's sitting room, being served tea and cakes, retelling their adventures, how they had hid, and were afraid even to turn the com on, until it came on by itself, and they had heard nand' Bren telling people he was there, and they were safe.

Then they had gotten up and headed out, because nand' Bren had said he was there, and they were going to go down to the exit and try make themselves heard. Gene had heard, too, and headed up to the joining with 23.

Now Gene and Artur and Bjorn were all going to spend the night with their parents, in Lord Geigi's beautiful guest quarters. The parents were all happy and relieved to have them safe, and absolutely overwhelmed at the quantity of food and the beautiful furnishings and Lord Geigi's hospitality.

Everybody but Irene.

Irene had told her story, but solemnly so, without the excitement or the laughter—how she had cut and stained her hair, stolen the key and just walked out; and how she had gotten the guards at the doors to take her to Lord Geigi. Irene did laugh a little, because she
was
glad to be safe, and to have everybody out, and Cajeiri was glad about that. But Irene made a silence around her story. The other parents put arms about her and thanked her, and told her they were grateful.

But Irene's mother was not with them. Irene's mother was still with ship security, and ship security might not let her go right away. Nand' Bren had said he was going to ask Gin-nandi to get Irene's mother out. Tomorrow. And meanwhile Irene's mother was safe, and the ship-folk would see she stayed safe.

So Irene said she was glad about that.

But now Irene just sat in a chair in the corner, looking tired and sad, now that the excitement was dying down and the others were helping Lord Geigi's servants talk to their parents.

Cajeiri went over to her and pulled a chair over close to hers. “Nand' Bren will do what he said,” he told her. “And your mother will get here.”

“She can go away,” Irene said quietly, and drew a deep breath. “She will not be happy with me.”

“You will not be obliged to see her, if you wish not.”

“I wish not.” Her eyes shed water that trailed down her face. “I wish to be in Tirnamardi. I wish to be at Najida. I wish us all to be at Najida.”

“You shall be,” he said. He was determined about that. “I shall make it happen.”

She wiped her face and clamped her lips together. “You will try.”

“I shall
do
it.”

That brought a very small spark. A slight smile.
“Here
is all right.” The smile died. “If the kyo do not attack.”

“Nand' Bren will fix things,” he said, and added: “And there is good news! Nand' Bren says it is definitely Prakuyo an Tep, and I shall be glad to see him! He said he would come to see us, and I shall talk to him, right along with nand' Bren and mani, and solve everything!”

It was a little immodest, if it had been under less scary circumstances. But Irene took courage from it.

Nand' Bren and mani had both gone to bed. Mani had simply dismissed them all to Lord Geigi's care the instant she reached her apartment, saying she had given instruction for her own dinner. Jase-aiji had gone off duty—well, he had
been
off-duty since the whole search of the tunnels began, but now he had to explain everything to Ogun-aiji and Sabin-aiji, who were not necessarily on the best of terms. So Jase-aiji was not having a pleasant evening, and they had not seen him at all.

Lord Geigi, too, had disappeared with his aishid a little while ago, and one rather suspected he had gone to bed, because he had been on duty in Central and only sleeping in small naps for days.

Now their party was winding down in exhaustion. They had not that much energy left. Mani's physician, nand' Siegi, had had a look at everybody who had been in the tunnels, and patched the cuts on Gene's fingers—Gene had gotten them bending a piece of metal out of the way, so he could pull his mother up a very difficult ladder. Gene's mother was a very little woman, who by no means looked strong, but she had made it. And she had had one little glass of vodka, that was all, and nand' Siegi had said he wanted to see her tomorrow morning.

They were all strangers, all to get to know.

And Gin-nandi was coming to help them, on the shuttle that was coming in. Gin-nandi would talk to the Mospheirans
and
she would talk to the Reunioners and calm everybody down.

Secretly there was a plan by which
everybody
could come down to the world. But he was strictly warned not to mention that.

He wished he could tell Irene more than he had said, but he had already pushed the edge of what he could say.

“When everybody goes to bed,” he said to Irene, once people began to talk about going to their rooms, “come with me to mani's apartment. We shall be very proper. There is a room for you, next to mine. Veijico will give you her bed, and Veijico and Antaro can take Jegari's and Lucasi's, and Jegari and Lucasi can sleep with me. Everybody will be glad if you come.”

Irene thought about it a moment. “Will your great-grandmother be upset? Or Lord Geigi?”

“By no means. Come. Tomorrow mani will sleep late, and likely nand' Bren will sleep until Gin-aiji comes; and Lord Geigi will go back to Central early, because his people are still holding on there—they have to do that until Gin-aiji can call the Mospheirans back to order, and until they get all the door locks proper again. But Lord Geigi told nand' Bren that is almost done. Come stay in mani's apartment and we shall come back here for breakfast with everybody.”

Gene came over. And Artur. And Bjorn, who was with them for the first time.

They were all together, all worried about Irene.

But Irene was going to be with them, and right then he made up his mind he was going to see to it that, whatever Irene's mother wanted, or whatever her associations turned out to be, none of it ever separated them.

Nand' Bren would say exactly the same. He was absolutely sure of it.

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