Different Senses (25 page)

The two of them had to get
themselves to work, and the twins to childcare, so after bustling
about and making me comfortable, extracting a promise that I’d call
if I needed anything, they headed off. All I wanted was sleep,
since the pills took the edge off the pain.

I woke in the mid-afternoon,
still sore but a lot more clear-headed. A trip to the bathroom was
tiresome in the extreme, but while I was up, I drank, ate and took
another pill. I also found my phone and my reader to take back to
bed with me. I called Shardul and asked him to call me back before
Tara came home from school, which he did in two minutes.

“Feeling better?”

“A little. Where did you get
those drugs?”

“From a cousin.”

I rolled my eyes. “So what
gives on the bail? I wasn’t cooperating. No way should they have
let me loose.”

“Well, the burglary charge is
going to be rather hard to prove, since you were headed away from
the house, nothing was found in your possession, you had no house
breaking tools, and Kly won’t say what was stolen. He says you had
a confederate, but how can he prove it? But he can push the angle
that you were on the estate with the intent of planning a crime. If
he can’t prove that, then all they’ve got is trespass, though
that’s damaging enough for your career since your investigator’s
licence would be revoked. That’s how I convinced them to release
you on bail. With another complainant, they probably wouldn’t
charge you at all, given your family’s position. The politics are
certainly interesting.”

My father would go
nuts
.
“What’s this costing me?”

“A hundred an hour, of course.
Meanwhile the police have had an anonymous tip off that two recent
thefts, one involving violence, may be connected to a Gagan Warl
who has, it seems, form. Lots of form. Burglary, fraud, receiving
stolen goods and assault. He’s on parole for that right now. Induma
tells me he’s disappeared from the estate. Kly is still after your
blood.”

“Spectacular.”

“Don’t worry about that. You’re
paying me to deal with it.”

He really
enjoyed
pointing that out. “What about Induma? Does Kly suspect
her?”

“No, and with Gagan
disappearing, the suspicion falls on him. Kly’s resigned to not
being able to complete the ceremony. She says he now wants to live
his remaining time in peace.”

“While being after my
blood.”

“That’s a point of honour. I
said, don’t worry about it. I understand it will take you some time
to recover.”

“Yeah. Would you like to come
visit me while I’m all hurt and needy?”

He sniffed in disgust.
“Absolutely not. I’ll take you to your bail appointment next week,
and then we can talk if you’re fit. Until then, say nothing to
anyone. Direct any questions to me. But there won’t be any.”

I ended the call, and wondered
why I trusted the man. But he could have left me hanging, just as I
could have named him as an accomplice. Not so much “honour among
thieves” as “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”, maybe.

Being largely immobile and at
the mercy of curious and impatient relatives wasn’t much fun.
Fortunately no whisper of my arrest had yet reached the media or my
father, though Yashi suspected something was up. I cited client
confidentiality until I was sick of saying it, but he didn’t
believe me. Didn’t blame him, since I was lying like a wretched
beggar.

By the time Shardul came to
collect me for my appointment at the station, I could walk with a
stick and sit with the humiliating assistance of an inflated
cushion. “Wipe that smirk off your face, you bastard,” I said to
him. “This is an honourable wound.”

“Did I say otherwise? Here, let
me help you,” he said, assisting me as if I was a centenarian.

“I should shoot you in the
butt, see how much fun that is.”

“Sadly your plans for my butt
have to wait. We’re going to visit my aunt over at Rupa’s
house.”

“Police station first.”

“Oh, they dropped the charges
days ago. Didn’t I tell you?”

“No, you did not,” I said,
giving him my best glare. “You’re a piece of work, Shardul.”

“Yes, I am. Now, are you
comfortable?”

I growled at him, which he took
as assent, and drove off.

I realised belatedly that
the meeting at Rupa’s house was arranged because her office was on
the ground floor, whereas I’d have to climb stairs at Roshni-ji’s.
I
could
have. But it wouldn’t have been something I’d
enjoy.

“Forgive me for not kneeling,
Roshni-ji,” I said as Shardul led me into Rupa’s office.

“Never mind, Javen. Are you
healed?”

“Not completely. The, uh,
position is difficult.”

Rupa hid a grin behind her
hand. Shardul didn’t bother hiding anything. “A brave feat,”
Roshni-ji said, “for which we are very grateful. Please sit, if you
can.”

Shardul, still smirking, helped
me to a comfortable chair and onto the cushion. It hurt, but there
wasn’t much I could do about it. “So...who wants to start? Shardul,
has Kly given up on me?”

“Certainly, thanks to my dear
aunt.”

I turned to her for
explanation. “I visited Sri Kly because I felt it my duty to try
and undo the damage done by that dreadful man. He was very nice to
me, very respectful, and when I explained exactly how great a harm
he had done by trying to keep the
gatha
from us, he was most
sorrowful. All he wants to do is die with his soul cleansed, and to
be reborn. I told him that he needed to make amends for his sins,
apologise to those he’d harmed, and repair the hurt he’d caused. He
began by calling the police and asking them to drop the case
against you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Javen, but it
was little enough effort.”

“She’s being modest,” Shardul
said, grinning. “She also persuaded him to cut Gagan out of the
will, increase the settlement for Induma and other members of his
household—”

“
And leave his house and
estate to a trust run entirely by the
udawathei
. The incarnation’s
burial site will be under our control again,” Rupa said, her
excitement bubbling over. “He’s also returning all the artefacts he
collected to us and will do what he can before he dies to persuade
other collectors to do so, at least after their death.”

“Wow.” I blinked at them all.
“Roshni-ji, what did you have to threaten to make him do all
that?”

“Nothing. I simply showed him
the path to absolution, and a peaceful death. Induma will be with
him during these last days and weeks, acting as his spiritual
guide. Even making these decisions left him much happier. To shed
possessions, to settle debts, to make reparations, is a very
healing thing. I don’t threaten people, Javen.”

I shook my head in amazement.
“Wait, there’s more,” Shardul said. “Rupa’s finished her research.
I thought you’d like to pick it up.”

I’d spent most of the
time lying in bed reading books on the history of Medele, and
trying and failing to make some progress with a simple language
instruction course. I was desperate to talk to a
person
about it. “Can I look at it here?”

Rupa brought the mass of papers
over, and Shardul set a little table before me. I sensed the three
of them shared some huge joke at my expense, and I wondered what
nasty surprise her research had turned up.

“
Here’s the revised
family tree. I found out more about Udy. He became locally famous
as a Kelon convert to
udawa
, very pious, spending his
declining years reading the Seeker’s teachings and the scholars’
glosses, and writing a story of his life and that of his family. I
believe a copy of that record exists and I am trying to locate it
for you.”

“That would be...hey, he had
more children.”

“Yes. A surprise at his age,
but his third wife was younger, and fertile.”

The family record looked like a
mushroom. “Four kids. I wonder what the first two daughters thought
about that.”

“If we locate that record, you
might find out. Trace this line down, Javen.”

I did as she said, still
wondering what the joke was. Then I saw it, and stared at Shardul.
“Sainted reason! You’re related to me?”

“Very, very, very distantly.”
He tried to look severe and failed. “I thought it would amuse
you.”

“Or horrify me. Doesn’t it
bother you? I thought you were so proud of being pure blood.”

“
All about the taint,” he
murmured. “I’m proud of being
udawatha
. One or two Kelon
ancestors doesn’t change that, any more than your ancestor makes
you one of us.”

“Still.... You had no
idea?”

“No. It really doesn’t bother
me. It’s interesting, but it doesn’t change me.”

“But now I’m your cousin.”

“Not in this or any lifetime,”
he said, now a little nettled.

“
Loosely
speaking he is,” his aunt
said, her lips twitching with unconcealed amusement. “You must
admit it, Shardul.”

“
Beloved
muor
, not
even for you.”

Rupa laughed. “Now I think it’s
time for chai. Javen, take your time to read my notes. You can pay
me before you leave.”

“Ah yes. I too must render my
account.” Shardul pulled some folded papers from his briefcase, and
passed it over. I didn’t look. He’d earned it, whatever he
charged.

“And we must pay what we owe,”
Roshni-ji said. “Send your bill to Shardul and you’ll be paid
immediately.”

“Actually, Roshni-ji, I wonder
if we could cut a deal?”

“How so?”

“I’ve been struggling, trying
to find books on your history and culture that actually respect it.
I’ve tried to learn your language but...I just don’t have that
talent. I want to learn about your people but I need a teacher.
Would it offend you if I offered to convert what you owe me into
the equivalent number of lessons? From you, or whoever you thought
would do it? Same rate as I charge.”

Shardul raised his eyebrows,
and looked at his aunt. “I confess to surprise,” he said,
displeased at the fact.

“You don’t have to accept,” I
said. “I’ll waive the bill anyway. I figured...well, the Kelon owe
you a lot more than that. Consider it a personal apology for what
my ancestors did.”

“Javen, you have a good soul. I
accept. It would be my pleasure.”

I grinned. “Thank you. And what
I learn, I can tell my grandfather. He’ll love that.”

“That would please me too.”

Shardul sighed and
plucked his bill out of my hands. “In the circumstances....” He
tore the papers in two, and tossed them into a bin near Rupa’s
desk. “I never do that for
chuma
. Be honoured.”

I bowed. “I am.” And tickled,
though I’d never tell him.

~~~~~~~~

He dropped me off at the house
two hours later. I wondered what his law practice was like that he
could take so much time off for trivialities, but it was his
business.

“Do you need help?”

I batted my eyelids at him.
“Yes. Tuck me in?”

“Give it up, Ythen.”

“But you can’t even say I’m not
your species any more.”

“You’re relentless, I’ll give
you that. Come on, I have work to do.”

I stood on the pavement,
leaning on my stick. “I have the house to myself.”

“Seriously, you’re wasting your
time.”

“Last man on earth—”

“—And still not a
chance...Javen.”

He winked, closed the
window, and sped off, leaving me gaping.
That son of a....

I grinned, picked up my stick,
and tossed it into the air. Some things were definitely worth being
shot in the arse for.

My partner, Madan, dropped his
report onto my desk and plopped into the chair across from me.
“Asdil case.”

“Is the husband screwing
around?”

“Only philosophically.”

I scanned the first page. “The
House of Higher Thought? What’s that?”

“
It’s run by an
indigenous woman, Krupa and her lover, Mohini, to educate Kelons
about
uduwa
. Our client’s husband isn’t cheating on her—he’s planning
to convert.”

Lesbian proprietors did not
make a convincing case for an affair. “Send this to the client with
an interim bill. Tell her that unless she’s got another likely
suspect for a mistress, we can’t help her further.”

Madan grunted. “She won’t be
happy. She’s desperate to get out of that pre-marital.”

“
Too bad. She’ll have to
deal with it.” Shrimati Asdil had been having an affair, and her
only hope of avoiding a punitive settlement was to prove her
husband had been unfaithful too. But he hadn’t been, and no judge
would accept conversion to religion—not even the
banis
religion—as equivalent. “Anything else? I’ve got that
meeting at the Institute.”

“
Boss?” Prachi, one of
our two assistants, waved a form at me. “Sri Nel’s lab returned
results on the hair sample in the Bedem case. Positive for
larin
.”

“Great. Stupid kid. Madan, can
you send that report to the parents too? Usual bill, and the advice
sheet for parents of drug users. Prachi can run that up. Where’s
Vik?”

“Library,” Prachi said. “Do you
need him for the meeting?”

“No, just wondered. Okay, guys,
see you after lunch.’

A year after I’d set up office
with another ex-cop to form Ythen, Bilwil and Associates, and I
still sometimes wondered how I’d ended up like this. But so far I
had managed to keep the business going and our two assistants and
trainees paid, which was all I planned to do in the first two
years. Like me, Madan had a police pension, which gave us a
cushion. Business was very slowly growing, even if I hated selling
our services as much as I ever did. If pre-maritals ever went out
of fashion, every private investigator in Medele would go broke
overnight. No sign of it happening yet.