Perhaps to ease the sting of it a nas-katasakke of Kharxanen could be requested for kataberihe, for Tashavodh’s m’melakhia to gain sra within the orith-sra of Ashanome was of long standing. Chaxal her predecessor had refused it, and Chimele bristled at the thought: she would bear the heir Ashanome needed, perhaps two for safety’s sake, as rapidly as her health could bear. Then she could declare dissatisfaction with her mate and send him packing to his own nasul in dishonor; that would not be a proper vaikka—the Orithanhe forbade—but it would be pleasant.
But defeat—at the hands of Tejef and Tashavodh—to see him welcomed in triumph—was unthinkable. She would not bear it.
And there was that growing fear. Ashanome had been set back, and this was not an accustomed thing. It had been a hard decision, to sacrifice Khasif. In accepting risk, iduve disliked the irrational, a situation with too many variables. Were there any choice, common sense would dictate withdrawal; but there was no choice, and Tejef would surely seize upon the smallest weakness, the least hesitation: he was unorthodox and rash himself, e-chanokhia—but such qualities sometimes made for unpleasant surprises for his adversaries. Occasionally Isande could win at games of reason; the human Daniel had confounded skillfully laid plans by doing what no iduve would have done; and Qao-born Aiela managed to have his own way of an Orithain much more often than was proper. The fact was that m’metanei often bypassed the safe course. At times they did bluff, opposing themselves empty-handed to forces they ill understood, everything in the balance. This was not courage in the iduve sense, to whom acting as if one had what one did not smacked of falsity and unreason, which indicated a certain bent toward insanity. For the Orithain of Ashanome to bluff was indeed impossible: arastiethe and sorithias forbade.
But reversing the proposition, to allow another to assume he had what he did not, that was chanokhia, a vaikka with humor indeed, if it worked. It it did not—the loss must be reckoned proportional to the failure of gain.
Her eyes strayed to the clock. As another figure turned over, the last hour of the night had begun. Soon the morning hour would begin the last day of Tejef s life, or of her own.
“Chimele,” said the voice from control: Raxomeqh, fourth of the Navigators. “Projection from Mijanothe.”
Predictable, if not predicted, Chimele sighed wearily and rose. “Accepted,” she said, and saw herself and her desk suddenly surrounded by the paredre of Mijanothe. She bowed respectfully before aged Thiane.
“Hail Thiane, venerable and honored among us.”
“Hail Ashanome,” said Thiane, leaning upon her staff, her eyes full of fire. “But do I hail you reckless or simply forgetful?”
“I am aware of the time, eldest of us all.”
“And I trust memory also has not failed you.”
“I am aware of your displeasure, reverend Thiane. So am I aware that the Orithanhe has given me this one more day, so despite your expressed wish, you have no power to order me otherwise.”
Thiane’s staff thudded against the carpeting. “You are risking somewhat more than my displeasure, Chimele. Destroy Priamos!”
“I have kamethi and nasithi who must be evacuated. I estimate that as possible within the limit prescribed by the Orithanhe. I will comply with the terms of the original and proper decree at all deliberate speed.”
“There is no time for equivocation. Standing off to moon-ward is Tashavodh, if you have forgotten. I have restrained Kharxanen with difficulty from seeking a meeting with you at this moment.”
“I honor you for your wisdom, Thiane.”
“Destroy Priamos.”
“I will pursue my own course to the limit of the allotted time. Priamos will be destroyed or Tejef will be in our hands.”
“If,” said Thiane, “if you do this so that it seems vaikka upon Tashavodh, then, Ashanome, run far, for I will either outlaw you, Chimele, and see you hunted to Tejef’s fate, or I will see the nasul Ashanome itself hunted from star to star to all time. This I will do.”
“Neither will you do, Thiane, for if I am declared exile, I will seek out Tashavodh and kill Kharxanen and as many of his sra as I can reach when they take me aboard. I am sure he will oblige me.”