“I’ve been trying not to think about that,” Ashar admitted. “Because in all the tales I’ve heard, he is thenadhirwho foresees the coming of trouble.”
“Trouble he decided was worth it,” Hira said. “You were his first, weren’t you? Perhaps not his first physical experience, but his first delight in it.”
“I would never kiss and tell, Hira.”
“You don’t have to. Not when I’m the one who’s telling you.” Hira’s eyes weren’t human, of course, but they were familiar, and very understanding. “What he sees in you, what he finds in your arms, is something he’s never found anywhere else. Ifdifficultwas enough to stop him, he wouldn’t have come toyouto begin with.”
“And you say this with authority, having known how difficult I am for years now?”
Hira batted him over the head just enough to ruffle his curls, with the hand that didn’t have the pen-tips. “When Kalyani comes in, we’ll get her to judge.”
“She always agrees with you.”
“That’s because I’m always right.”
Ashar put a hand over his mouth to try to hide his expression, but Hira batted him over the head again anyway.
“So explain again why you gave him an enchanted sweets pouch and aimed all the children at him if you don’t expect him to return?”
“There is a very great deal of this city which is not the House of Jasmines,” Ashar said. “And the children might be intimidated by Kamil’s claws, but I doubt he’d fool the kittens with his grumbling. Ihadrather hoped to set the pattern of trading secrets rather than petting, but I also think Kamil could do with a bit more petting than he admits.”
“And Upaja’s priests?”
“I was quite desperatenotto send Rahat through the town on foot in full daylight wearing either saffron-dyed silk or a bathrobe dyed with our jasmines,” Ashar admitted, running both hands through his hair. “And the city is growing full of priests of a hundred faiths for the Greater Convocation; one unfamiliar priest would be far less remarked upon now than a month from now. And Upaja’s High Priest himself sets a precedent for a wealthy nobleman with an Imperial accent to his speech who found his calling and his home here.”
“You’re braver than I, risking Shai Vishal’s personal attention to a sham involving his priests’ reputation.”
“Tell me you think Rahat would ever do anything cruel enough or selfish enough to offend Shai Vishal.”
“Of course not,” Hira said, ears flattened. “But tell meyouthink Shai Vishal won’t notice when children start patting his belly and asking him and his priests for sugared treats.”
Ashar sighed. “I’m certainly going to need to make more offerings at Upaja’s shrine,” he admitted. “But I did hope for something like that to happen. Because Upaja’s priests are not powerful in the way that the war-gods and wealth-gods are powerful. They are laughed about by those who are proud of other strengths, and they will face more of those than usual this month. But Upaja’s priests serve all, regardless of the jests and the condescension. You and I might understand that condescension, I thought.”
“Oh,Iunderstand that,” Hira said, because she was a mollycat who served in a bath-house in the Catsprowl. “I just don’t think Shai Vishal will.”
“Not at first,” Ashar agreed, setting out a tray and arranging severalkatayefupon it for something less fretful to do with his hands. “He’s too reserved, and too modest. But I hope when he sees how happy Shai Madhur will be to share treats withgiggling children who run to greet him? At that point I hope Shai Vishal will see some of what I see in the value of being adored in more noticeable, more public ways. The validation the priests of a fat and humble God might feel, even among powerful and proud men of other gods, when they are so visibly and personallycelebratedfor the soft, welcoming, generous kindness that cynics and fools have too often mistaken for weakness.”
Hira blinked, then tilted her head. “You aredevious.Even for a human, you are devious.”
“I was also desperate,” Ashar admitted wryly. “And I think I should find more time to study, because if I’d mastered living, breathing illusions already, then none of that subterfuge would have been necessary.”
“You’re never going to be good at illusions of deception,” Hira said, resigned. “You’re charmingbecauseyou’re so devoted to sharing sincere pleasure. I can imagine misdirection working for you, but I don’t think you could lie with your whole body that much.”
“You might be surprised,” Ashar said, thinking of some of his more difficult clients. “But I should still learn more, if I can.”
The beads and bells hanging in the doorway clattered and chimed as Kalyani pushed them aside, stepping into the front hall and slipping off her street-shoes. She put on one of her house-slippers, but then she glared up at Ashar with her good eye and smacked the sole of the other slipper against her thigh meaningfully.
Ashar winced a little, because he had to confess he hadn’t been thinking of Kalyani’s reputation when he’d taken Rahat to the courtyard for all the aunties to see.
“I’m sorry?” he offered, and stepped closer and offered his arm for her to smack, because both of them knew he needed his hands. “Did Padma-auntie’s son start in on youalready?”
“Start? Chetan neverstops,” Kalyani said, and swung the slipper toward his shoulder. She missed by an inch or two; she often had trouble with depth perception since she’d lost the use of that eye. Ashar stepped closer, so that she could try again.
“I really am sorry,” he said. “I was thinking of other things. Too many other things. It was careless of me.”
“Chetan’s not your fault. Chetan’s his own fault,” Kalyani said, and touched the slipper to his shoulder to take better aim. “But this is for not evenwarningme first.”
“It was a matter of considerable impulse,” Ashar admitted as she smacked him with the slipper, then grabbed his elbow for balance as she put the slipper on her foot.
