“One man,” Esnat murmured.
“Ajani,” I said. “A Northern borjuni—a man who burns very brightly.”
Frowning, Esnat rubbed his chin. “Hadjib wouldn’t listen,” he murmured. “We have tried, all of us; they ignore the wisdom we offer. They are angry, powerful men unwilling to think of compromise when war is another way.” He stared blankly at me. “They want this war, Sandtiger. They want it contained in Iskandar so no domains are threatened.”
“More than domains are threatened,” I declared. “Things are bad enough in the Punja for caravans, what with borjuni and a few hostile tribes. If the tribes went into full revolt, they could cut off all the caravan routes. That would destroy the domains as well as anything else.” I shook my head. “Some would survive, yes, but not the small ones so dependent on trade. What about Sasqaat? You supplement your people with outside trade, don’t you?”
“Of course. Sasqaat would die without trade.”
“Well, then?”
“Well, then,” he echoed. “What is there to do when the other tanzeers won’t listen? We can’t just send them home, though it would be the best thing.”
“Challenge them,” Del suggested.
Esnat blinked at her. “What do you mean: ‘challenge’?”
Her voice was very quiet. “This is the South, is it not? Where things in the lives of tanzeers are often decided by a sword-dance. Two men hired for a single purpose: to settle differences. To make a ruling by the sword. To declare a single winner.”
“Southron tradition,” I said, “can be a very powerful thing.”
Esnat stared at us. “They have already tried to assassinate the Oracle.”
“If there’s an Oracle,” I agreed. “Ajani may have already relieved him of his duties. And I have no doubts that if he’s shown himself as the jhihadi to the tribes—or is planning to—he’s surrounded himself with guards.” I shook my head. “Already tonight we’ve seen what the tribes will do to protect their Oracle. For the jhihadi, they will do worse. I don’t think the tanzeers will find another man willing to risk that.”
“But there are other ways. And they will look for that way.”
I shook my head. “Not if a ruling based on the outcome of a traditional sword-dance won your side the chance to defy them openly, to declare the Oracle and jhihadi safe. If all the tanzeers attended—from both sides—and agreed to abide by the outcome, you could end the war before it began.”
“If we won,” he said.
“That’s always a risk,” I agreed. “If Hadjib’s faction won, you’d have to let them do whatever they wanted. You’d have no say in their plans, even if it included assassination.”
His tone was thoughtful. “But if they lost, we could send them home.”
“And probably prevent more violence.”
Esnat frowned. “But the tribes. No one can be certain what they’ll do.”
“No. But if Ajani’s behind this thing, and all the tanzeers go home, he’ll lose some of his power. If they left, I doubt Ajani could keep the tribes reconciled long enough to march all over the South capturing domains for himself. Eventually, the tribes would fall to quarreling.” I shook my head. “For all we know, it was Ajani’s idea to lure as many tanzeers as possible here to Iskandar. Contained, tanzeers are controllable; scattered, they are not. Much like the tribes.”
Esnat studied me intently. “He is playing one against the other.”
“The trick is to dilute Ajani’s plan. Forcing the other tanzeers to withdraw would do it. If your side won the dance and all the other tanzeers went home, half the battle would be won without a sword being drawn, except for those in the circle.” I shrugged. “Maybe the whole war.”
Esnat considered it. “If I talked with the others who feel as I do and they agreed … we’d have to find the proper words, the kind of words that will cause the other tanzeers to accept such a challenge …”
I interrupted. “Make it a formal challenge to Hadjib. If he feels he’s in control of the pro-war faction, his pride will require that he answer the challenge personally. I can give you the ritual phrases that will demand an acceptance.”
Esnat continued, easily incorporating my suggestion into his plan. “—then hire a sword-dancer worthy of the dance, one worthy of the risk, because it wouldn’t be a risk, if we were certain he could win—” Brown eyes sharpened. “Will you do it, Sandtiger?”
I smiled. I’ve never been the kind of man to ignore an opportunity as golden as this one. “You already hired me to dance in hopes of impressing a woman. For that, you offered a very generous—”