Tasaio laughed, the sound unexpectedly bright over the dissonant undertone of the butana. ‘You will be made to understand a truth. A man with enough stature may do as he pleases with impunity, Mara.’ He studied her from under veiling eyelids and said, ‘We waste time. Why are you here?’
‘For the Good of the Empire,’ Mara reiterated. ‘You bring your army and the bulk of Clan Shonshoni to Kentosani. I believe you come to make war upon the Emperor.’
Tasaio’s manner showed interest, but under his veneer of civility, Mara sensed an almost physical wave of hatred. She resisted an instinct to step back and barely managed to keep her composure. As with dogs who circled before a fight, she sensed that the first one to turn away would be the one to invite attack.
‘You bring the bulk of Clan Hadama behind you,’ the Minwanabi Lord replied in deceptively lazy inflections. ‘Yet I do not accuse you of preparing treasonous assault upon the Light of Heaven.’
Mara spelled out the obvious. ‘I am in no position to claim the white and gold.’
As if conceding a compliment, Tasaio inclined his head. Yet his feline, watching eyes tracked her every movement, seeking opening.
The Lady of the Acoma gathered courage and added a barb. ‘Cease your preening, Tasaio. Your position of ascendance has nothing to do with merit. The other claimants are in disarray because of their dealings with Axantucar.’
‘A fine point,’ snapped Tasaio. Then he smiled. ‘In the end, for whatever reason, I win.’
‘No.’ Mara allowed a slight pause. ‘A stalemate could go on indefinitely. That would serve the Light of Heaven, since delay would allow him to bring the Empire under his own control. The Imperial Government may be asleep, but it is not dead. Over time, more and more Lords would accede to the jurisdiction of the imperial court and governors, and less power would reside with the High Council. Should Ichindar order the smaller Lords, one at a time, to send support to his Imperial Whites, consolidating his authority, soon the roads and the river between your estates and the trade cities would be commanded by his army. Already the Kanazawai serve alongside the Whites. Who next? The Xacala? How long before you become a Lord only within the boundaries of your own lands?’
A light touched Tasaio’s eyes, hard-edged as the burn of the stars in a sky stripped of haze by the butana. ‘You speak of possibilities, Mara, and remote ones at that.’
Yet his manner had become subtly guarded. Pressing her narrow advantage, Mara sought to unbalance him. ‘Not that remote, Tasaio, and well you know it.’ Before he could speak, she said, ‘There is another possibility: what if Lords Keda and Xacatecas threw their support to Tonmargu at the outset?’
Tasaio’s attention focused instantly upon Mara. Beyond that he concealed his surprise. He was aware Lord Hoppara was her ally, but mention of the Lord of the Keda was unexpected.
As Tasaio continued his flat stare in silence, Mara said, ‘I have a proposal. The other three claimants to the white and gold could form alliance only to frustrate you. Even joined, they cannot win their own choice. Given that, I control enough votes in the council to swing the outcome.’
Tasaio’s patience seemed suddenly worn. ‘Then do so, Mara. Give the white and gold to Frasai of the Tonmargu and go home.’
Mara felt the wind like a tingle of chill against her skin. She played a dangerous game for perilous stakes, and knew it. Yet she saw no other option. Too much innocent blood would be spilled if events were permitted to run their worst course. Choosing .her phrases with care, she said, ‘The difficulty is that while I would rather die than see you gain the white and gold, you are the only man who could hold the throne. Lord Tonmargu is not the sort of man to face down the Light of Heaven inside his own palace. So, we are left with two choices: a Warlord who is the Emperor’s puppet . . . or you.’
Wary, and not so vain as to swallow all he heard without suspicion, Tasaio considered, if a figurehead Warlord is a fate worse than death, but you wish my instant obliteration, what solution do you propose?’
‘I can do for you what I could also offer Frasai of the Tonmargu: should I bid, enough Lords will support you to put you firmly upon the Warlord’s throne.’