Chapter 3 #3
Kai could tell Bashat’s companions had recognized him as well. They assented readily, making polite gestures as they turned to retreat downstairs. As they left, Bashat gestured ahead down the hall. “We can talk in the salon.”
Kai turned and walked toward the family quarters.
It gave him a chance to brace himself for this confrontation.
If Bashat had struggled just a little more, if he had betrayed any confusion, it would have been more bearable.
But after that moment of shock, he had himself under such tight control that even his tension was invisible.
Kai turned into the open doorway. It wasn’t a large room but it was a comfortable one, with a couple of long low divans, a scatter of floor cushions on the richly colored rugs.
Arike-style murals covered the walls, antique ones, nothing to do with the Hierarchs’ war.
They depicted old conflicts, from ages ago when Prince-heirs and the cities of the Arik fought each other with weapons instead of words and trading contracts.
They weren’t very good murals, but this place hadn’t been redecorated in a long time, not when Benais House was now considered the city seat.
Kai wondered if Bashat had meant to renovate this old home, to turn it into a palace meant for the Emperor of the Rising World.
Bashat followed him in, the cadre taking up guard positions outside.
Bashat took his seat on a floor cushion at the table and gestured Kai to the opposite side, so they faced each other.
He must have planned to have a private conference, or maybe the people who had been with him were friends.
There were wooden serving plates with cakes and other sweets and a glass drinking set with several cups on the low table.
Like the politician he was, Bashat went for the first move. He smiled. “You look well.”
“Don’t test me,” Kai said. He wasn’t a politician, or a warrior, he was a killer, and he didn’t waste time. “Tahren knows the whole story, but I’ve asked her not to speak of it to the council.”
Bashat took in a breath. This was a moment when he could say knows what?
and try to put Kai on the defensive, turn this into a conversation of accusation and deflection.
To forestall that, Kai said, “I’m not here to kill you, if you’re worried about that.
And you should be worried about that.” With deliberate calm, he added, “It would be my turn, after all.”
He watched the flicker in Bashat’s gaze as he considered several different responses, then settled on saying mildly, “Do me the courtesy of knowing you better than that.” He lifted the carafe, filled with a clear liquor. “Would you like a drink?”
Kai tilted his head, knowing a mortal would read the motion as snakelike, but Bashat deserved it for this. It wasn’t wine, at least. “You must be joking.” He added, “Albre was lurking in the Cloisters so I assume she made the pearl for you. I hope you’re being careful with your own wine.”
“Since we’re speaking so plainly.” Bashat poured himself a cup.
The scent of distilled apricot rose in the air.
It was a drink that was only served at night in Benais-arik, after business and work were done for the day.
“I assume I have you to thank for the loss of Enalin’s support during the coalition renewal. ”
“You’re welcome,” Kai said, and smiled, small and mean.
Lifting the drink to his lips, Bashat stilled for a moment, as if whatever response he had expected, that wasn’t it. He took a sip to recover and said, “And if you had not succeeded? Would you go to war with me?”
He kept his tone light, but Kai could smell the suppressed anger now. Kai said evenly, “I think we’ve already been at war, you just didn’t tell me about it.”
Bashat laughed a little wryly, shifting his tactics without hesitation. “I think I made you my enemy without knowing it. It must have taken some time—months? Years? To gain the cooperation of all the Enalin leaders and their people.”
He’s really angry about that, Kai thought. Good. “We aren’t Hierarchs’ puppets, Bashat, we can oppose each other politically without resorting to murder. At least I thought we could.”
“I don’t remember those times.” Bashat regarded him with just the right amount of gravity. “I did not realize we opposed each other politically.”
That was disingenuous. “Then you weren’t paying attention.” Because he really needed to hear the answer, he said, “But I know you always pay attention. You were raised in a world without empires, how can you want to create one out of what we have now?”
Bashat let a little frustration show. “I don’t understand. I never have. You never opposed me as Prince-heir. Why oppose me in taking a larger role?”
“A larger role?” Kai repeated. “Is that what you’re worried about?
” Bashat could lose the leadership of the Benais city-state and its position as the capital city of all the Arik, if he lost the support of the other Prince-heirs, the merchants, the artisans’ guilds, the farmers guild, and enough of the population.
If the news that he had used the Nient-arik conspiracy for his own advantage got out, the city might not be pleased with a Prince-heir who wanted to govern the Rising World more than he wanted to govern Benais-arik, who permitted a conspiracy to unfold in order to accomplish that goal.
Even for those who didn’t remember the days before and during the Hierarch occupation, when powerful Arike families had been manipulated into assassination and infighting when they should have been uniting against the invaders, a public airing of the truth could mean a new Prince-heir taking the seat.
Which made Bashat all the more dangerous right now.
Fortunately, Kai had been dangerous far longer than Bashat had been alive.
“I’m worried about what is best for Benais-arik. We are the seat of the Rising World. It began here, it should be ruled from here.” Bashat’s expression was earnest, and it hurt that Kai knew it wasn’t a pretense, that Bashat really believed this.
Kai said, “The leadership of Benais-arik isn’t my business anymore.
” That was disingenuous too; Kai had fought for this city, he didn’t want to see it hurt.
He added more truthfully, “I’ve always thought you were a good Prince-heir.
You’ve kept Benais-arik not only prosperous, but happy.
” Bashat had not only been wise enough to keep Bashasa’s innovations to the Arike way of governing, but he had refined some and added others.
He was a good Prince-heir, who knew how to listen to wiser heads and the people’s wishes, when to embrace change, when to temper it with caution.
It was why he probably thought he would make a good emperor for the Rising World.
Not understanding there could never be any such thing as a good emperor.
Bashat’s brows lifted incredulously. “Are you mocking me?” It was a genuine question.
Kai wondered again what Bashat thought of him.
He had known that their understanding and opinions differed.
He had never thought they were enemies, but apparently he had been a complete fool.
He let himself smile again. “I’ve never been called subtle before.
If I thought you would lead Bashasa’s city to ruin, you would have known about it before now. ”
“Then why not support me?” Bashat set his cup on the table with a clink and leaned forward, allowing a glimpse of his real passion to show.
“If you think I’m a good leader? Give me a chance to show you what the Rising World could be.
” His expression took on an edge. “If you were displeased, you could always destroy me later.”
Ramad had said Bashat wasn’t power mad, he just wanted the best for the Rising World.
Just because that might be true didn’t make Bashat’s ambition any less dangerous.
“It’s not me you have to worry about. Empires subjugate, Bashat, they aren’t coalitions of equals.
Try to subjugate Enalin and they will rise up and sweep across the Arik like a wave.
The other lands would take sides, you would tear us apart and leave us vulnerable. ”
“Vulnerable to what?” Bashat snapped. “There are no more Hierarchs! Just expositors rooting for scraps like carrion birds, just the free cities, refuges for pirates and marauders. You, all of you long-lived ones, you are living in the past!”
“Oh, like the Immortal Blessed who plotted with Nient-arik against Benais-arik?” Kai retorted. “That past, what, three days ago?”
Bashat had the audacity to look offended. “I would never have let them succeed.”
Kai laid his hands on the wooden surface of the table, feeling the old nicks under the new polish, and let his fingers curl into claws.
“You murdered me. You had Ziede buried alive. You walled up Tahren Stargard—” He forced himself to stop.
He had a well of bitter anger inside him, and it was all so pointless.
Bashat’s expression had turned conflicted, his control slipping a little.
Kai made his voice cold and continued, “If not for us you would never have been born. This city would be a mass grave in a wasteland, and this is how you repay us. Oppose us all you want, argue with us, fight everything we stand for, but you threw us away like vermin into a midden.”
Bashat pressed his lips together and looked away. His throat moved as he swallowed, then he said finally, “Our information said the conspirators did not mean to kill or harm you. Not you, not Ziede, not Tahren. I would never have let it happen if we had any hint an expositor was involved—”