12 - You and Whose Warflock

“Da... you told me that I should stop asking about Amir Ishfahsalar and that he was fine.” Kyrus sat across from his da, his elbows on the desk.  This was the old guy’s old office, deep inside, past all the security doors.  The only people down here were zardukar working on things.  The bees hummed in and out of the open window, that overlooked the canyon, and the quiet murmur of people talking as they worked was like the sound of the Great Hive. “I haven’t been able to find any records of him in the Rasheem roster at all.”

His Radiance raised an eyebrow, and set down the wax teaching tool that Diryish had left him.  “So instead of asking me, you went and did some research on your own?  Good... as far as it goes, since you defied the spirit of what I told you even if you didn’t defy the letter of my command.  You are still concerned for our Amir?”

“Well, yes.  I’m sorry I kept looking but he was a good man to know and I didn’t want to lose touch with him.”

Kyrus stared at him and then looked at the ceiling for a while.  “I see.  You’re right that he is a good man to have on your side.” Ky burst in on the heels of his words.

“Da, I know he’s not just an Amir.  It was kind of obvious, at least what he showed to you and me—“

“—indeed.” Kyrus Sr.’s tone was dry as the desert outside.  “The old warbird is on a mission for me.  For all of us, as is his duty.  Son.  I suggest that you cultivate friends and confidantes here in the city. Hivelord Raghnall and Shashi Basserus for instance.”

“I already hang out with...” Ky skidded to a halt as he re-thought what his father was saying.  “You mean...”

“I don’t mean a thing.  Other than Nasera Basserus and her aged and infirm father might be good friends for you to know.  Perhaps you and Hara and Werfas should go out to that family’s holdings and meet the old man.  Since he is too infirm to travel to the city... and once he recovers from his latest illness.”

“His latest illness.”  Ky thought that one over.  “Do you think I might be surprised at the timing and duration of his illnesses if I were to look at them differently?”

“I am absolutely certain you would not be surprised at all.  His last great infirmity was during the hunt for you and I, strangely enough.”

Ky looked down at the wax and machine thing on his father’s desk.  It rolled over and extruded legs to stand firm on the level surface.  “Funny, that.”

“Indeed.  As I said, you needn’t be concerned for our Amir.  He’s in perfect health... doing his duty to Lainz.”

“Da.”

“Yes, my son?”

“You didn’t used to be be like this.”

“Like what?”

“Talking three ways at once.”

Kyrus ran a hand up under his veil and then pinched the bridge of his nose.  “No, son.  But no zon of mine ever thought I was a slow learner.  For our lives, I’d better be an extremely fast learner indeed.”

Ky looked over at his father and saw the deep fatigue around his eyes.  “I’m glad you have the husband you have, da.”

“So am I, son.  I’m also extremely glad of the rest of my family.”  Except for your da, Ky thought.  He’s only willing to talk to you because you’re the Radiance now.  You can’t trust that he’s doing it out of any reason other than gilding his own ass. 

He reached a hand and tapped his father’s arm, not sure what to say at first. “Well, I’m glad you’re not a fetch, da.”

That startled a laugh out of him.  “Oh, I am too, son.” His smile, the bits of it that showed clear through the veil, warmed him right down to his toes.  “I’ll join you and everyone else for a workout in the morning and prove on your body that I’m not a fetch.”

“Good, da.  Prove on my body?  You and whose warflock?”

“Insolence!  I don’t need a whole warflock.”