Otah took a simple pose that acknowledged what Sinja said as truth.
"Where would you take them?"
"Annaster and Notting were on the edge of fighting last autumn.
Something about the Warden of Annaster's son getting killed in a hunt.
It's a long way south, but we're a small enough group to travel fast,
and the passes cleared early this year. Even if nothing comes of it,
there'll he keeps down there that want a garrison."
"How long before you could go?"
"I can have the men ready in two days if you'll send food carts out
after us. A week if I have to stay to make the arrangements for the
supplies."
Otah looked into Sinja's eyes. The years had whitened Sinja's temples
but had made him no easier to read.
"That seems fast," Otah said.
"It's already tinder way," Sinja replied, then seeing Otah's reaction,
shrugged. "It seemed likely."
"Two days, then," Otah said. Sinja smiled, stood, took a rough pose that
accepted the order, and turned to go. As he lifted the door's latch,
Otah spoke again. "Try not to get killed. Kiyan would take it amiss if I
sent you off to die."
The captain paused in the open door. What had happened between Kiyan and
Sinja-the Khai Machi's first and only wife and the captain of his
private armsmen-had found its resolution on a snow-covered field ten
years before. Sinja had done as Kiyan had asked him and the issue had
ended there. Otah found that the anger and feelings of betrayal had
thinned with time, leaving him more embarrassed than wrathful. That they
were two men who loved the same woman was understood and unspoken. It
wasn't comfortable ground for either of them.
"I'll keep breathing, Otah-cha. You do the same."
The door closed softly behind him, and Otah took another sip of wine. It
was fewer than a dozen breaths before a quiet scratching came at the
door. Rising and straightening the folds of his robes, Otah prepared
himself for the next appearance, the next performance in his ongoing,
unending mummer's show. He pressed down a twinge of envy for Sinja and
the men who would be slogging through cold mud and dirty snow. He told
himself the journey only looked liberating to someone who was staying
near a fire grate. He adopted a somber expression, held his body with
the rigid grace expected of him, and called out for the servant to enter.
'T'here was a meeting to take with House Daikani over a new mine they
were proposing in the South. Mikah Radaani had also put a petition with
the Master of Tides to schedule a meeting with the Khai Machi to discuss
the prospect of resurrecting the summer fair in Amnat- "Ian. And there
was the letter to the Dai-kvo to compose, and a ceremony at the temple
at moonrise at which his presence was required, and so on through the
day and into the night. Otah listened patiently to the list of duties
and obligations and tried not to feel haunted by the thought that
sending the guard away had been the wrong thing to do.
EIAH TOOK A BITE OF THE ALMOND CAKE, WIPING HONEY FROM HER MOU"FH with
the back of her hand, and Maati was amazed again by how tall she'd