He came awake with the passage of a shadow between him and the light, and saw Banichi standing between him and the windows. Jago was with him. Tano and Algini were behind them. “Nadiin-ji?” He sorted his wits for relevant recent information and remembered breakfast, and a post-breakfast conference in progress among his staff. “We have a plan, Bren-ji.” Wonderful. A plan. He so much wanted a plan. He had failed to come up with one, and he was sure Banichi’s was going to involve his staff doing something that would risk their lives. He mustered the wit and fortitude to say no to those gathered, earnest faces. “Sit down, please, nadiin.” He wanted a quiet conference, one in which they did not cut out his sunlight, or loom over him with superior force. “One hopes it by no means involves your going to Sheijidan without me.” Not a twitch. “No, Bren-ji.” From Banichi. “It involves Lord Tatiseigi’s men going there.” “One would hardly count on his assisting us.” “For the dowager’s sake,”
