Invader by C. J. Cherryh Read Free Book Online

ordinary when I'm not on duty. And I'd been out of touch for days. Surely you can't fault —"
    "I'm aware of the scene downstairs. She claimed she was going to the airport, when in fact she had no travel pass and no clearance. Her intention was plainly to accost you publicly and create gossip."
    "If it was to make dissent in the paidhi's office evident, I fear she succeeded."
    "One fears so, yes. Bren-ji, I'd gladly have taken her to the airport under guard; I'd gladly set her adrift in a row-boat, if I didn't feel such a dismissal would not better relations with Mospheira."
    "I ask you to give her the travel pass, aiji-ma."
    "Is this so? The Treaty says there shall be a paidhi. So since you won't answer my questions about their intent, at least tell me who are
you
? Do you still have the office, or does this woman hold it? Does her arrival have more to do with your absence from Shejidan — or with the appearance of that ship in our sky? Do you see the drift of my thoughts, Bren-ji? Who is in charge, now, in your government, and whom does this woman represent?"
    He felt himself short of breath, putting together the threads — and not certain he had all of them. "There's no change in government or policy that I'm aware of. But I went straight from here to hospital. And my mind isn't clear, aiji-ma. Someone may have told me about Hanks' whereabouts. I — just — can't remember. I — can't — bring that back."
    "The day you left for Malguri, your government requested you to answer a message sent to your office. You weren't here, obviously. More messages followed. One can guess their sudden urgency had somewhat to do with the apparition in our heavens."
    "One would — indeed — think so, aiji-ma."
    "On the third day an aircraft requested landing with this woman aboard. We saw the likelihood of close questions regarding your whereabouts, so we asked for the television interview with you, for —"
    "For tape of
me
?" One didn't interrupt the aiji when he was talking. "Forgive me, aiji-ma."
    "It was useful," Tabini said. "One learns about television, among other blasphemous possibilities, that it plays very interesting games with time, with scale, with numbers in general. An impious device. A box of illusions. But it did quiet some general questions about your good health. And it maintained the idea in the public mind that you'd never ceased in office. — But you keep evading my very serious question, Bren-ji. Have they sent you back merely to quiet my demands — or are you back with real authority?"
    "The most of my authority, aiji-ma, is the plain fact that I speak the language of the chief atevi Association, and the equally plain fact that I'm here by your invitation and that you choose to deal with me. I assume that you deal with me."
    "True."
    "Have you dealt at all with Hanks? Is there an agreement? Are there negotiations in progress? Are there proposals on the table?"
    "With the likes of Taigi and Naijo. With every damned potential conspirator in the Association — possibly. With me — no."
    Appalling information. "Surely she's sought meetings with you."
    "Shall I empower this interloper? I dealt with this woman once and only once, when I told her to tell Mospheira send you back immediately or I would have her shot. By the result, I believe she transmitted my message faithfully."
    God — was the gut-level, Mospheiran reaction. But this wasn't Mospheira. Indeed Tabini could have had her shot. And if Tabini had threatened it — Tabini absolutely would have had to do it if Hanks hadn't complied.
    "I have to ask for her safety," he said quietly. "Please, aiji-ma."
    "Does the paidhi ask? Do you have the support of the Treaty?"
    "I trust," he said, light-headed with the awareness he was hedging on a breach of Department rules
and
the Treaty, "that if persons in authority on Mospheira did send me, they sent me by the terms of your request, and by that, if they receive messages from me they'll know they're your messages