A few hours later someone else came into the cell. Gentian. A maid trailing behind her. Xiakinni knew her from the secretarial pool. Gentian, not the maid. Xiakinni was having trouble figuring out exactly what she was feeling. Envy? A sense of unfairness? But then, it wasn’t like she did it out of spite or anything.

“So. Long time no see.” Gentian seemed to not know what to say either. Not everyday you find your coworker chained naked to a wall in a dungeon, awaiting execution.

“A few months. Time does seem to fly. Hilarious as you may find it to hear that from a Xia.”

“Not really.” Gentian said quietly.

Xiakinni went quiet too.

“So. You had a kid outside the Clan.”

“Rebbi. He’s turning two next month.” Xiakinni murmured.

“And your… lover ran off with him?”

“Yes. Or so I thought. It sounds more like one of your co-religionists snatched up both of them.” She didn’t bother to hide the bitterness in her voice.

Gentian spoke very softly. “I get it, you know. Can’t go to the Clan. Can’t go to the Vigiles. Can’t go to anyone. Then someone throws you a line, and you have to choose- your child, or the Clan that drove you to this. I really do understand.”

Xiakinni just shook her head. “Why are you here, Gentian? We weren’t close, and I already told Xiatokte everything I know.”

“I don’t really know myself. Looking at a path not taken, maybe.”

“Hah. Well. Not much to see.”

They went quiet again.

“This is Roberta, my maid.” Gentian gestured to the silent form next to her. “Cooperate with her, and we will get you into clothes and fed. And cleaned, I suppose.”

Xiakinni could only nod. It had been hours, chained to the wall. It was what it was. Gentian turned to leave. Hesitated, and turned back.

“I can’t imagine how it would happen, but, should we find your lover and son, I will try to have at least your son spared. I will adopt him, if I must.” Gentian said quietly.

“Well. I thank you for your pity, but I don’t think you will be able to protect him long if you don’t get rid of it.”

“It’s not exactly pity. Guilt, perhaps.” Gentian looked lost.

“For landing Xiatoktok ahead of me?” Xiakinni asked. Funny. She had never held it against Gentian. The girl was a ringer on an inside track. She was going to be the path maker for the rest of the aspiring concubines.

“For falling in love.”

It was Kiakinni’s turn to look confused.

“Mistress and I were already pretty close when she put me in the pool. Not romantically close, but… emotionally. She really looked out for me a lot. For her own ends, completely, but you get used to that working for the Xia. Still, I felt the care. Not so much with Master. Hard to feel much affection for a person who you know refuses to acknowledge you and only acknowledges your work.”

Xiakinni snorted at that.

“Did you know that he genuinely had no idea who I was? Not in the sense of being planted by Mistress, he truly could not remember me at all. There was exactly one redhead in his secretarial pool and… total blank. Not an ego boost, let me tell you.”

Xiakinni actually managed a chuckle. “I can see that.”

“I came in on a straight cash deal. I was going to be a pampered little princess and raise a load of pampered little princesses and princes while enjoying front row seats to high quality Xia drama. And I was looking forward to it. I was one hundred percent happy with this arrangement. But SOMEHOW, in less than HALF A YEAR, I am a fucking symbol of Xia-Throng unity!” All the repressed emotions boiled up.

“I, somehow, I don’t fucking know how, am a symbol of the, the, the “Enduring Spirit of Joy,” and “A guiding light for the next generation of the Throng!” I have become a patron of schools, a style inspiration, a symbol. A goddamn. Symbol. I became the person who had to shoulder the testament of the Black Revel. And in the middle of all this, all this chaos and horror and… unwanted expectations… I managed to fall in love.”

She sagged a bit, leaning on her spear. It must be tiring, Xiakinny thought, to have to carry it all the time. But Gentian was never without it. Must be a story there.

“Falling in love with a pair of seventy year old time vampires as a war breaks out. A war with more sides to it than a bowl of noodles.”

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“Happens in high stress situations, actually. More common than you would think.” Xiakinni’s voice was, to her own surprise, both calm and cheerful.

“Hah. Well. Glad to hear at least that much is usual.”

“You feel guilty because, despite all your burdens, you live in unimaginable comfort and luxury, compared to most in the city. And now, despite the fact that I did, genuinely, for my own emotional comfort, poison your husband, you still can’t quite bring yourself to hate me. So you will look after my kid, because there is no saving me.”

“Pretty much.” Gentian agreed.

“Well. Thanks?”

There was another pause.

“Funny, the social compulsion to say “You’re welcome” is still there, even though you really, really aren’t.”

“Well. Thanks anyway.”

“Yeah. Alright Roberta.” Gentian rapped on the door. A guard came in with a little man who set out pens and papers on the desk Xiatokte had used. The maid walked up to Xiakinni and caressed the back of her neck. There was a sharp pinch.

Xiatamqi and Xiatampan had cornered Xiatokmia in her office. “We aren’t suggesting a formal handover of power. Xiatoktok would remain President, you would remain vice-president, as would Xiatokte. Some of your juniors would have lateral shifts. But you would have the support of the Council and their most talented administrators. Or you can keep trying to fight us off. Your choice.” Xiatampan clearly didn’t see any choice at all.

“Noted. Scram.” ’Mai didn’t either.

“Oh no, not this time.” Xiatamqi growled. “The Bank is in turmoil. Clearly a result of mismanagement- a more robust succession plan is obviously necessary. As such, the Council has a duty to step in. And will. If we have to fight you to do it, the consequences for you will be unpleasant.”

“Does it? Will it? Will they? I don’t know. What I do know is that the Council hasn’t a shred of right to come poking their nose in here, and they know it. The bank’s only instability is coming from the damn Council itself, and I am happy to have it out, loudly and publicly, if that’s what they want to do.” Xiatokmai grinned horribly. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you coming at the President’s shares alone. Push too hard on this, and you can explain to the Patriarch why you’re fishing in his pond.”

“Oh yes, the Patriarch. A person who famously cares for the sick. The… weakened. Are you sure we are the biggest problem Xiatoktok has?” Xiatampan’s voice dripped like poison.

“Yes, I am. He’s already shaking off the poison, and he’s making the Clan insane amounts of money and, yes, time. The Patriarch is enjoying an endless buffet right now, and given his investments in the President and his family, looks a long way from cashing out.”

“Oh, what an investment. He took a meeting and loaned out a spear from his warehouse. How ever will he bear to lose that?” Xiatamqi had developed a lively dislike for Xiatoktok over the last few months.

“The President didn’t ask for the spear. The Patriarch just decided that Xia Gentian needed it. Look how it’s paying off too. Say, do you think you could step in and fill her role? Keeping the City from selling us to the Collective to buy peace? Do you think you might be a good fit for that job, Xiatamqi? How about you, Xiatampan?”

’Mai locked eyes with them. Each side was subtly touching their favorite weapons, but the Voices of Reason were keenly aware that they were on the wrong side of the mines. ’Mai’s office was a well known deathtrap, second only to her private residence. And she was practically begging them to test her willingness to pull the trigger.

They were locked in a furious stalemate. The Business Council had more than enough muscle to force their way into almost anything they liked, because the consequences of crossing them were catastrophic. One way or the other. On the other hand, the Bank really was the private pond of the Patriarch and whatever fish he was fattening up. On the other-other hand, ’Mai was a well known killer both physically and financially, and Xiatokte was very nearly as lethal. To say nothing of the fact that Xiatokja controlled a decent chunk of the City’s food supply. Taking them down would be costly. The Bank was a fat piece of meat and it was hanging just in front of their teeth but in the end…

They didn’t dare take a bite.

Xiatampam smiled suddenly. “I’m so glad to hear the President is on the mend. I, and the Council, will certainly be expecting him to testify in person at the inquest, as well as reporting the condition of the bank.” We will make him stand for hours. Days. Exhaust him. Kill him with the poison of another. And you can’t do a damn thing. Except give in.

“Expect what you like.” ’Mai “smiled” right back. “Of course, we would have to devote a great deal of time and resources to supporting your inquiries. It would be a shame if it distracted us from the usual operation of the Bank. Or if we had to call in some outstanding loans on short notice. Or failed to process commercial paper requests in a timely way. Say, how are you leveraged? I mean personally? You know what- I bet I can find out real quick.”

Sneering, the Voices left. ’Mai did not allow herself to collapse. She slowly sat down and steadied her breathing. They were entirely capable of making good on their threats, and the Patriarch’s protection only extended so far. Would the Council be so foolish as to try and kill with a borrowed knife?

For that amount of money and power? It would be stupid to rule it out. Serious money has a way of blinding people to unpleasant externalities. You can see your own balance sheet. You can’t really put a price on “externality.” No without a lot of effort. Would it be incredibly self sabotaging in the long run? Absolutely, yes. But it was an awful lot of money in the short term.

’Mai sighed, checked her weapons, and called for a few ledgers. The Council doubtless kept their most important investments off the Bank’s books, but people got lazy. Got sloppy. A person with an eye for finding connections would doubtless find something. She just hoped it would be enough.

In the Cathedral basement, Gert the very normal gardener sat with his fingers in Xiatoktok’s throat. He just stared at the wall. The guards were going insane with boredom, somehow made worse by the fact that Gert, plainly, wasn’t. He had sat there all day. He gave every sign of sitting all night, and all tomorrow too. Just… staring at the wall. Didn’t ask for food. Didn’t get up to pee. Just stared straight at the wall. With his fingers in another man’s throat. Even the Xia guards thought this was some top notch creepy behavior.

After a literal day of silence and immobility, Gert frowned. “Oh, that’s not good.” His voice made the guards spasm with shock. “ Could one of you youngsters fetch his wife? She’s needed.”