My life sucks, Cardenia thought to herself. I am emperox of all humanity, and my life sucks. She laughed a little bit at that.

“Ma’am?” Nadashe said, bringing her out of her reverie.

“Sorry,” Cardenia said. “I was thinking about our predicament.”

“May I offer a suggestion?” Nadashe asked.

“You may.”

“For my house and for my brother I would be willing to give up my seat on the council, but only if it were because you agreed to marriage. So let me suggest this. While you are in mourning, spend significant time with Amit. Not merely formal settings but situations where the two of you could be yourselves with each other, if you were together. Where you might learn to see him as a partner. A consort. A spouse. On the anniversary of your coronation, tell him whether you accept him. If you do, I’ll resign from the executive committee. But if not, I’ll stay on, and at least Amit and my house have an answer. But I would need your promise that you wouldn’t then attempt to dismiss me from the committee. Is that acceptable?”

Cardenia thought about it. “I think so,” she said.

“Good,” Nadashe said. “In that case, I have an invitation for you, from Amit. Your construction yards have just completed the House of Nohamapetan’s latest tenner, the If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out. He invites you to a private tour of the ship, with him.”

“When?”

“In two days.”

“And your brother issued this invitation when?”

“Yesterday. He would have sent it directly but I’m on the committee and he knew I’d see you.”

“And you anticipated us having this conversation, Nadashe?”

Nadashe smiled. “No, ma’am. I wouldn’t have imagined that the House of Lagos would convince other houses to try to have me removed, although I’m not surprised now that I know. Or could know that you and I would make a deal because of it. No, the thing is, ma’am, Amit actually seems to like you. So he asked me to intercede on his behalf.”

“You’re a good sister.”

“I’m an adequate sister,” Nadashe said. “I mean, I was going to see you anyway. It wasn’t any extra effort.”

They both had a laugh at that.

Shortly thereafter Cardenia was back in her private wing, with Gell Deng. “I’d like you to keep me updated on the latest about the bombing today,” she said. “Not just from the news feeds.”

“Of course, ma’am,” Deng said.

“Also, I’ve agreed to tour a new ship with Amit Nohamapetan two days from now. Please contact his people and make the arrangements. Allow for two hours, plus travel. Late afternoon.”

Deng raised his eyebrows slightly at this but otherwise said nothing on it directly. Instead he said, “The Imperial Guard will want blueprints and a proposed tour path.”