the table hard enough to make the wine bowls rattle. The room went
silent, surprised eyes turning to him.
"I believe, gentlemen, that I understand the issues at hand," Utah said.
"I appreciate Amiit-cha's concern for my safety, but the time for
caution has passed."
"It's a vice," Sinja agreed, grinning.
"Next time, you can give me your advice without cracking my ribs," Utah
said. "Lamara-cha, I thank you for the offer of the tunnels to work
from, and I accept it. We'll leave tonight."
"Otah-cha, I don't think you've...," Amiit began, his hands held out in
an appeal, but Otah only shook his head. Amiit frowned deeply, and then,
to Otah's surprise, smiled and took a pose of acceptance.
"Shojen-cha," Utah said. "I need to know what Maati is thinking. What
he's found, what he intends, whether he's hoping to save me or destroy
me. Both arc possible, and everything we do will he different depending
on his stance."
"I appreciate that," Shojen said, "but I don't know how I'd discover it.
It isn't as though he confides in me. Or in anyone else that I can tell."
Utah rubbed his fingertips across the rough wood of the table,
considering that. He felt their eyes on him, pressing him for a
decision. This one, at least, was simple enough. He knew what had to be
done.
"Bring him to me," he said. "Once we've set ourselves up and we're sure
of the place, bring him there. I'll speak with him."
"That's a mistake," Sinja said.
"Then it's the mistake I'm making," Otah said. "How long before we can
be ready to leave?"
"We can have all the things we need on a cart by sundown," Amiit said.
"That would put us in Machi just after the half-candle. We could be in
the tunnels and tucked as safely away as we're likely to manage by dawn.
But there are going to be some people in the streets, even then."
"Get flowers. Decorate the cart as if we're preparing for the wedding,"
Otah said. "Then even if they think it odd to see us, they'll have a
story to tell themselves."
"I'll collect the poet whenever you like," Shojen said, his confident
voice undermined by the nervous way he fingered his rings.
"Also tomorrow. And Lamara-cha, I'll want reports from your man at the
council as soon as there's word to be had."
"As you say," Lamara said.
Otah moved his hands into a pose of thanks, then stood.
"Unless there's more to be said, I'm going to sleep now. I'm not sure
when I'll have the chance again. Any of you who aren't involved in
preparations for the move might consider doing the same."
They murmured their agreement, and the meeting ended, but when later
Otah lay in the cot, one arm thrown over his eyes to blot out the light,
he was certain he could no more sleep than fly. He was wrong. Sleep came
easily, and he didn't hear the old leather hinges creak when Kiyan
entered the room. It was her voice that pulled him into awareness.
"It's a mistake I'm making?'That's quite the way to lead men."