“But that’s only mathematics.”
“Jewel of my heart,” Master Asharan said, laughing, “believe me when I promise you that there is nothing ‘only’about mathematics!”
Master Asharan had called himjewel of my heart,freely, openly, in front of the entire neighborhood; for a moment Rahat could barely breathe.
“B-but then if… if you’re in need of financial assistance…”
“Ah — no, no, that isnota request for coin. That is in fact a requestnotto offer me coin, because who knows where I would misplace it! No, I assure you, Hira keeps our books well in line.”
“And she despairs of you each time she does,” Hira called from the doorway, bringing another refilled pot of chai to set on the bench. “Rahat-sahib, if you can explain to this math-mangler why double-entry bookkeeping is actually valuable, youwill spare me tearing my fur out by the fistful in frustration at tax-season.”
“Oh! Oh, but ofcoursedouble-entry bookkeeping is important! It’s the best way to catch entry errors on the first pass, and also one of the better protections against dishonest bank-assistants trying to skim a bit for themselves, which happens far more frequently than one would wish…”
Master Asharan was smiling at him again, this time with the politely attentive smile of a diplomat who was thinkingI am not going to understand a word of this and possibly not care, but I should still look interested.
“I’m sorry,” Rahat said awkwardly, “I shouldn’t bore you,ya majid.” It didn’t take much skill with prophecy to foreseethatmuch.
“You arenotboring,” Master Asharan said. “But I have as little faith in my mathematics as you have in your charms, I’m afraid. We should practice with each other.”
“Of all the things we could do with the moments that remain to us before we must part,” Rahat murmured, “you would choose mathematics?”
“Oh, if you left the choice to me, I would most certainly choose to further persuade you of your charms,” Master Asharan said easily. “All of your charms, in their rich and generous variety, many of which we have yet even to discover! But then we would play to my strengths and your uncertainties, which is neither fair nor comfortable for you.”
“I would prefer the charms,truly,” Rahat said, “since we might explore them together. And we have so little time…”
“But you have promised to visit me again when your Sahar bears her kittens!” With a sudden grin, he added, “I am certain even I can manage to count well enough to number her kittens, if I am allowed to use my fingers.”
“Yeah, still check his maths there,” Hira said wryly, with her arms crossed.
Rahat looked up at a scuffling sound, just in time to discover another kitten being pushed towards him by three of her giggling age-mates. The poor darling looked to be on the verge of tears of embarrassment, and he certainly understoodthatfeeling.
“Go on,” one of the others hissed not quite as quietly as they thought. “Ask him, Priye!”
She made a tiny mew of distress.
“You have to ask him!” another one gloated. “Use yourwords.”
Rahat sighed, because bullies were bullies regardless of their size or species or courtly finery. “Would you like a sweet, my dear?”
She nodded a little, trembling.
“Shehas toask,” the tallest of them declared, tailtip twitching.
“Well, that won’t be a problem! We have certainly established the now-traditional method,” Rahat reminded them, a bit rueful.
(He would be hearing Kamil complain about how difficult it was to guard a body that didn’t want to be guarded, for weeks if not months. And it didn’t take much talent for prophecy to see that coming either, he thought; it just took knowing Kamil. But Rahat was not about to let the bullies win, not when the cost was only one more little hit to his already well-battered dignity, or his lack thereof.)
He beckoned her closer with his brightest smile and inviting hands, until she took a couple little steps forward and offered him hers. Gently, he took her hand and patted his belly just as the other children had. Then he turned her hand over and kissedthe palm, before curling her little fingers around one of the rose-sweets. “There,ya habibti. Perfectly well asked.”
It was rare for someone to truly startle him. His foresight usually handled that with seething future-shadows and warning-flares at the corner of his eyes, especially when dangers or life-altering precipices loomed. But this little brindle kitten was nothing at all like a threat, and so he had no warning when she flung herself into his arms and rubbed her cheek against his, absolutely vibrating with purrs.
“Oh — well, thank you, little one,” Rahat said, stroking her fur, which was wonderfully soft. “If you see me about the town — not that I’d be wearing this bathrobe, of course, but the rose-pouch? If you see me about, come and ask whenever you like. I’ll be certain to have sweets for you.”
The kitten nodded vigorously against his cheek, then took a nibble of her sweet and gave a little chirrup of delight. She bowed to him, then dashed away.
Kamil made a moan of utter despair, burying his face in both hands.
But Master Asharan said, with his eyes shining as brightly as the sunrise, “And you could ever wonder why I adore you so,ya rahati.” He bent to kiss Rahat’s cheek, in full view of the entire neighborhood, before he took the empty pot back into the kitchen.
