Her lips tightened. “Indeed,” she said, and after a moment: “Aiela, the harachia of yourself and your asuthi is a disturbance for the moment. You did serve me and I rejoice in the honor of your efforts. You are dismissed, but you still owe me a vaikka for your presumption today.”
He owed her at least the same risk he had taken for Tejef, to restore what he had stolen from her, though every instinct screamed run! “Chimele,” he said, “we honor you—from the heart, we honor you.”
Chimele looked full into his eyes. “M’metane,” she said, “I have a m’melakhia for the peculiarity that is Aiela Lyailleue. Curiosity impels me to inquire further and to refrain from dealing with you as you have so well deserved. You are the only m’metane I have seen who has not feared to be m’metane among us. You are Ashanome’s greatest living curiosity—and so you are free with us, and you are getting into the perilous habit of taking liberties with Ashanome. The contagion has spread to your asuthi, I do perceive. In moderation, it has been of service to me.”
“I am honored by your interest, Chimele.”
Her attention turned then to Ashakh. By some impulse that passed between them, Ashakh bowed very low, hands upon his thighs, and remained in that posture until Chimele’s agitation had passed. He seemed to receive that too, for he straightened without looking up before, and slowly lifted his face.
“Chimele, I protest I am takkhe.”
“I perceive your approval of these outrageous beings.”
“And I,” said Ashakh, “feel your disapproval of me. I am disadvantaged, Chimele, for I do honor you. If you insist, I shall go arrhei-nasul, for my m’melakhia is not adequate to challenge you, certainly not at the peril of the dynasty itself. You are essential and I am not. Only permit me to take these kamethi with me. Arastiethe forbids I should abandon them.”
Chimele met his eyes a moment, then turned aside and reached for Aiela’s arm. Her incredibly strong fingers numbed his hand, but it was not an act of anger.
One did not often see the nasithi-katasakke on the kamethi level; and the presence of Rakhi caused a mild stir—only mild, for even the kamethi knew the eccentricity of this iduve. So it was not a great shock for Aiela and Isande to find the nasith greeting them in passing. Beside them the great viewport showed starry space, no longer the sphere of Priamos. Ashanome was free and running again.
“Sir,” the kamethi acknowledged his courtesy, bowing at once.
“And that third person?”
“‘I am here,'” said Daniel through Aiela’s lips. Trouble, Aiela? What does a nas want with us at this hour?
Be calm. If Chimele meant harm, she would do that harm for herself, with no intermediary. Aiela compelled his asuthi to silence and kept his eyes on Rakhi’s so the nasith should not know that communication flickered back and forth: this three-way communication bemused one to a point that it was hard not to appear to drift.
“Is the asuthithekkhe pleasant?” Rakhi wondered, with the nearest thing to wistfulness they had ever heard in an iduve.
“It has its difficulties,” Aiela answered, ignoring the feedback from his asuthi. “But I would not choose otherwise.”
“The silence,” said Rakhi, “is awesome—without. For us the experience is not altogether pleasant. But being severed— makes a great silence.”
Aiela understood then, and pitied him. It was safe to pity Rakhi, whose m’melakhia was not so fierce. “Is Chaikhe well, sir?”
“She is content She is inward now—altogether. Dhisaisei grow more and more that way. I have felt it.” Rakhi silenced himself with an embarrassed glance toward the viewport. The body of Ashanome passed under the holding arm. For a moment all was dark. Their reflections, pale kallia and dusky iduve, stared back out of the viewport. “There is a small amaut who mentioned you with honor. His name is Kleph. Ashakh bade me say so: arastiethe forbids the first of Navigators should carry messages. This person was greatly joyed by the sight of the gardens of Ashanome. Ashakh procured him this assignment. Arastiethe forbade—”
“—that Ashakh should admit to gratitude.”