A police boat lazed slowly along, turned, and began to pace them at a respectful distance, escorting them in, one supposed-acceptable so long as it kept its distance. They had an appointed berth, which Toby’s communications had assigned them this morning, number seven, a politic choice, a number which humans and atevi alike found fortunate… not a marina berth, but a massive floating dock used by the ferries, the water taxis, and the small Mospheiran Navy craft, which doubled as sea rescue. Toby fired up the motor while they were still underway, and eased them into the harbor under power. He was kitted up now in pale beige with collar and cuff lace, his queue was done up in a fresh white silk ribbon, and the pale blue silk vest, glittering with gold embroidery, was bulletproof-but not up to handling rope. Shoes and the casuals from the luggage, as well as the traveling clothes he had worn on the train. “The difference will be,” Bren said, “ is beginning to be-that the aiji is the one who’ll We get along much better as individuals than we do in groups.” “ That’s not a uniquely atevi attribute,” Shawn said. Tabini-aiji has to worry about clans and regions. You have to worry about the corporations, who’s to be blessed and who’s going to lose. And here I am, recommending Reunioner tech to the whole world.” “Most of which is in energy and materials, as I understand it.” “Which will change us both economically.

Clan lords, maybe: that’s still under consideration, but that’s a decision the Guild may make, with their own technology. People walking into traffic-” “ They’ll exist on the mainland, but they’ll be restricted to the Assassins’ Guild, who already have a similar technology. It’ll be his.” “ They’re a damned nuisance.

I’ve thought about it, and, functioning in my old capacity, I’ve advised Tabini not to allow them for the public. But there will be resistance, too, of a sort that the paidhi-aiji is uniquely fitted to understand.” “ Cell phones,” he said. There’s excitement about that in some quarters. It’s been a question, in the last two years- do we take everything the ship can offer? And now we’ve got Reunioner science coming down on us.

Convergence cj cherryh