the birds and insects out even as they scented the air. Radaani tilted
his head, distant eyes narrowing. Maati felt like a gem being valued by
a merchant.
"I have one son in Yalakeht, overseeing our business interests. I have a
grandson who has recently learned how to sing and jump sticks at the
same time. I can't see that either of them would be. well suited to the
Khai's chair. I would have to either abandon my family's business or put
a child in power over the city."
"Certainly there must be some financial advantages to being the Khai
Machi," Maati said. "I can't think it would hurt your family to exchange
your work in Yalakcht to join the Khaiem."
"Then you haven't spoken to my overseers," Radaani laughed. "We are
pulling in more gold from the ships in Yalakeht and Chaburi-Tan than the
Khai Machi can pull out of the ground, even with the andat. No. If I
want power, I can purchase it and not have to compromise anything.
Besides, I have six or eight daughters I'd be happy for the new Khai to
marry. He could have one for every day of the week."
"You could take the chair for yourself," Maati said. "You're not so old...."
"And I'm not so young as to be that stupid. Here, Vaupathai, let me lay
this out for you. I am old, gouty as often as not, and rich. I have what
I want from life, and being the Khai Maehi would mean that if I were
lucky, my grandsons would be slitting each other's throats. I don't want
that for them, and I don't want the trouble of running a city for
myself. Other men want it, and they can have it. None of them will cross
me, and I will support whoever takes the name."
"So you have no preference," Maati said.
"Now I didn't go so far as to say that, did I? Why does the Dai-kvo care
which of its becomes the Khai?"
"He doesn't. But that doesn't mean he's uninterested."
""Then let him wait two weeks, and he can have the name. It doesn't
figure. Dither he has a favorite or ... or is this about your belly
getting opened for you?" Radaani pursed his lips, his eyes darting back
and forth over Maati's face. "I'he upstart's dead, so it isn't that. You
think someone was working with Otah Machi? That one of the houses was
backing him?"
"I didn't go so far as to say that, did I? And even if they were, it's
no concern of the Dai-kvo's," Maati said.
""lrue, but no one tried to fish-gut the Dai-kvo. Could it be, Maaticha,
that you're here on your own interest?"
"You give me too much credit," Maati said. "I'm only a simple man trying
to make sense of complex times."
"Yes, aren't we all," Radaani said with an expression of distaste.
Mlaati kept the rest of the interview to empty niceties and social
forms, and left with the distinct feeling that he'd given out more
information than he'd gathered. Chewing absently at his inner lip, he
turned west, away from the palaces and out into the streets of the city.
The pale mourning cloth was coming down already, and the festival colors
were going back up for the marriage of Adrah Vaunyogi and Idaan Machi.
Maati watched as a young boy, skin brown as a nut, sat atop a lantern