“I wonder,” the sanisi said, “what does a pretty parajista with a fiery interest in death have to say to a plain-faced crippled girl?”

“You have a weird way of seeing people,” Roh said. “I don’t know why being plain matters. She’s very smart.”

“I suppose when you don’t seek to own a thing,” the sanisi said, “its beauty matters less.”

“Will you teach me to fight?” Roh asked.

Someone knocked at the door. “Permission to enter?” Dasai’s voice, speaking perfect Saiduan.

Roh sighed. It was the sewer dregs for a year, for sure.

“Do enter,” the sanisi said.

Roh stepped away from the door, and Dasai came in. They regarded each other for a long moment, then Roh looked at his feet.

“I apologize deeply for the impolite behavior of our young people,” Dasai said, in Dhai this time. “We are quite isolated. Unfortunately, that means our young don’t often engage foreign visitors. If this child caused offense–”

“Offense was given,” the sanisi said, “but can be mitigated. Thus far, I have been instructed to bathe in a great underground chamber, given flowery clothes smelling of rotten plant matter, and had rice thrown at me. Yet my purpose for this visit has yet to be fulfilled. I understand you heard word of my coming from my Patron. I should not have been unexpected.”

“The acting Kai is now prepared to meet you,” Dasai said. “I do apologize for the delay. Ora Chali is waiting outside to escort you.”

Dasai motioned for the sanisi to move into the hall. Roh saw his own older brother, Chali Finahin Badu, standing there with hands clasped, his too-long hair hanging into his eyes. Most people didn’t guess that Chali and Roh were brothers – they shared a family of two mothers and three fathers but were not blooded relations.

Chali’s eyes widened when he saw Roh, but he said nothing. Roh knew he’d hear about it later. Chali was always telling Roh how something or other Roh did hurt Chali’s chances of being Elder Ora of Tira’s Temple someday.

“Ora Chali, escort our guest upstairs, please,” Dasai said. “I will be but a moment.”

Roh half hoped Dasai would be so busy with the sanisi that he’d just send Roh downstairs.

Chali and the sanisi moved down the hall. Roh waited.

And waited.

“You’re angry,” Roh said.

“I am furious,” Dasai said. “There is a game here you don’t understand. You could be exiled.”

“Exiled? We were talking. Just talking!”

Dasai lowered his voice. “That is a Saiduan assassin. He has killed more people with his own hands than inhabit this temple.”

Roh wanted to correct Dasai on the sanisi’s gender but thought better of it. Dasai was still using the male-assertive pronoun, while Roh now thought female-assertive was more appropriate. The sanisi had carefully used none in reference to herself.