Hantigo rubbed dampness from his temples, reluctant to roncede her point. Minwanabi’s plotting had certainly inconvenienced Acoma fortunes for three years; the house’s entry into the silk trade had been nearly ruined by that one action alone. But if the First Adviser sympathized, he could not grant Mara’s terms without leave from his master; the transfer of a vote in the High Council was not a concession to be granted by an emissary. Regretfully, Hantigo said, ‘Even with such assurances, I doubt my master will accept your terms.’
That the man had ceased protesting impossibilities was significant. Confident of victory, and knowing Andero of the Keda for a man of steadfast integrity, Mara concluded the interview. ‘Then you had best fly to your master and apprise him of my offer. We shall await his decision with interest. Tell him that we leave for the celebration at Kentosani within a week. Here, or in the Holy City, let him know I will be at his disposal’ – she gave a precise smile – ‘to hear his reply.’
The First Adviser of the Keda rose and bowed, his disappointment masterfully hidden. Attended by his troop of scribes and factors, he departed from the hall with dignity.
Mara dispatched Jican to attend the Keda First Adviser’s departure. Then she waited a prudent interval and motioned Arakasi to her side. ‘Shall we count upon a Keda vote in the council?’
Her Spy Master turned a look as keen as a killwing’s through the doorway the emissary had just vacated. ‘I suspect the Lord may relent, but you will have to provide him with sureties. Lord Keda is firm in his role of Clan Warchief. He’ll do nothing to compromise house or Kanazawai interests, and most particularly he would not become embroiled in any conflict with the Minwanabi.’
Lujan took a step away, toward the door and his awaiting duties, but observed, ‘Still, even if they’re publicly in the Jade Eye Party, the Keda have many relatives involved with the Blue Wheel Party. If they’re as deep into the Game of the Council as that suggests, perhaps giving Desio only one more reason to hate them won’t matter very much?’
A faint smile was all that remark earned from Mara. Worn by the aftermath of a trying afternoon, she tugged out an itching hairpin. ‘We’ve done all we can without risking insult.’ She turned the pin over in her hands, watching the light flash and sparkle in the small bead at the end. ‘I don’t enjoy twisting the tail of a Clan Warchief, but I’ll need all the support I can garner to thwart Minwanabi in the High Council. Our house cannot afford a repetition of our near-disaster in Tsubar.’
Mara pulled out another hairpin, then motioned for a servant to remove her headpiece. Dark locks cascaded down her back, making her more comfortable, but hotter. ‘Where does that leave us now?’
Nacoya furrowed her brow, then snapped fingers for a maid to attend to her mistress’s loose hair. ‘If every promise made to you is kept, you could sway close to one third of the High Council.’
Weighing the odds as he had once done on the battlefield, Keyoke added, ‘I would wager some will dishonour their vow, given adverse circumstances, my Lady.’
But the game was never assured; Mara had learned the pitfalls of Tsurani politics at a very tender age. While the fingers of her servant worked her hair into a comfortable braid, she hugged her elbows against her chest and rested her chin on her fists. ‘But if the Clan Warchief of the Kanazawai were to yield me his vote, others who might be inclined to waver would follow the stronger man’s lead.’
Unspoken beneath her conjecture was the fear that she had gone too far and goaded House Keda into enmity; if Lord Andero took offence, not even the fact that the Acoma and he both held to the Jade Eye Party would prevent a move in retaliation.
But uncertainties did not make for greatness. As the maid finished off her braid with a velvet tie, Mara asked for a lighter, plainer robe, then regarded her circle of advisers. ‘We have much to do in preparation for the journey.’ A glance at the window showed several hours of daylight still remained. ‘Lujan, please assemble an escort. Ayaki and the natami must be secured against attack during our absence, and a shipment of our silk bales must be sent to those warehouses, so the Keda have no cause to complain that we monopolized the space to disadvantage them. For that I must make arrangements with the cho-ja Queen before nightfall.’