A Thousand Leagues of Wind, the Sky at Dawn

14-1

Her rescuer came into the room. "How are you feeling?"

Shoukei smiled stiffly. "Nothing worse than a sprain. Thank you."

The man had carried her to a dilapidated house in Hokkaku. The first thing she'd noticed when they arrived was that she couldn't walk. She'd twisted her ankle either when she was scrambling up to the parapets or jumping down into the alleyway. She'd already observed it swelling up a bit.

Shoukei sat down with her leg propped up on a couch. The man pulled out a chair. "You're a brave young girl, but caution is the better part of valor. The girl who ran off into the countryside, do you know who she was?"

"I don't. She helped me get away and then just disappeared."

The man said absently to himself, "Her actions struck me as something more than simple kindness--more an extraordinary display of resolve."

Shoukei leaned forward. "I could say the same about you."

The man smiled broadly, a smile that bespoke the character of a good-natured individual. "Call me Kantai. I've settled here in Hokkaku. I'm a mercenary of sorts."

"A mercenary? You?" His laid-back attitude didn't match the merciless image of a soldier.

"I've got a good arm for it. You run into a lot of highwaymen around here. So I get hired to protect people and their stuff. You don't really need to be all that strong. There simply aren't that many men who really know how to handle a sword."

"And that's why you came to my rescue?"

Kantai gently smiled. "I know the feeling, wanting to clobber somebody with a rock like that."

"Oh." Shoukei felt the tension ease out of her shoulders. "I'm Shoukei."

"Shoukei-san. Did you have a place to stay tonight? The gates have closed already."

Shoukei shook her head.

"You can stay here if you'd like. I'm renting the place with a couple of my mercenary friends. They're admittedly an ill-bred lot, but they're not bad blokes."

"Thank you, but I hate to impose."

Kantai laughed. "Forget about it. After having to look at their sorry faces all day, a pretty girl like you is a breath of fresh air. Anyway, you'd have a tough time trying to find an inn after this."

Shoukei nodded. There was still the possibility that people were searching for her. "But what about yourself? I'd think they would remember your face as well."

This truly did bring a worried look to the man's face. "That's for damn sure. I'm going to have to lay off work for a while. Well, at any rate, food's not an issue, so I'm not too concerned."

"I'm sorry."

"You've got nothing to be sorry about. It was my decision to rescue you, after all. I've got my own thoughts about the way they do things around here." Shoukei leaned closer and looked at him. Kantai smiled a bit awkwardly. "When you take seventy percent in taxes, not everybody's going to be able to pay."

"Seventy percent."

"In Wa Province, seventy percent is the standard. In fact, the governor of Shisui is the only beast who collects seventy percent. So you're talking fifty to sixty percent on the outside. But nobody can live under that kind of tax burden. In Wa, everybody lives the life of a refugee."

"That's awful."

The tax rate was normally ten percent. At the very worse, additional levies could increase it to thirty percent. At seventy percent, it's tough getting enough to eat, let alone living any kind of life.

"And if you don't pay, you end up like they did. On top of the taxes are the heavy demands placed on the work gangs, building walls, roads, bridges. Those walls are what you get when you throw people off their land and press them into hard labor."

"Why do they put up with it?"

"Because nobody wants to be crucified."

"Yeah."

Kantai patted Shoukei on the shoulder. "Until things calm down, you can rest here. Take your time. " He smiled a bit bashfully. "But before you go, I could use a little help around the kitchen."

"Understood. Thanks for everything."

The house was about the same size as a rike. As private residences went, it was pretty big. The courtyard was surrounded by four halls, with the main gate in the southeast corner. Kantai seemed to be the landlord. He lived in the main wing, and as his guest, she was given the use of a room across the parlor from his room. Her room didn't have so much as a bed, but a divan instead.

Twenty men who looked a lot like soldiers were camped out in three of the rooms surrounding the courtyard. There were maybe two or three women, and they were all quite striking.

The next day, Shoukei found that she could at least walk, so she first decided to check out the kitchen instead of going to an inn. Even the pots on the stove had collected dust. The kitchen obviously had not been used in ages.

"Amazing," she said to herself.

"What is?" Kantai asked.

Shoukei literally jumped. "You surprised me."

"Sorry. How are you doing? Can you walk?"

"It doesn't hurt that much. Does anybody actually use this kitchen?"

Kantai smiled. "Most everybody here eats out. To tell the truth, I'd be happy just to be able to brew a cup of tea. But you can see the state things are in."

"Well, then let's get to the point where we can brew a cup of tea."

"Anything I can do to help?"

She looked up at him and was about to say it'd probably be easier for her to do it by herself, when he smiled sheepishly. "Naw. I know I'd better stick to the cleaning up. I'm all thumbs when it comes to stuff like this."

"You don't say. So, I take it you were brought up in nice digs."

Men and women became independent at the age of twenty, and were at least capable of doing what they observed going on around them. Those who could not were betraying their reliance on servants, of being brought up in luxurious surroundings, of having somebody to watch over them.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Well, I'll wash the pots. You run the water."

"That I shall do."

His overly formal answer struck her as a bit odd. The two of them carried the assortment of pots outside, to the rear of the kitchen. There was a bucket next to the well. The dipper in the bucket suggested that whenever anybody wanted a drink they just came out here and helped themselves.

"It really is every man for himself here."

"They're not the type who give such matters a second thought."

"When was the last time this bucket was cleaned? Unbelievable."

"You think so?"

"No matter. Are you a citizen of Kei, Kantai?"

"Yes. And you?"

"I was born in Hou."

"So you've come a long way to end up here."

Shoukei filled the bucket to overflowing. She washed her hands and smiled. "Yes, I did. I've come a long way. I never thought I'd ever end up in a kingdom where it didn't snow in the winter."

"Huh," said Kantai, as he lowered the bucket into the well.

"I didn't think there were any other kingdoms besides Hou that did something as cruel as crucifixion."

"Yeah," said Kantai, hauling up the bucket. "But Wa Province is unique. The province lord doesn't bother enforcing the rule of law."

"That's not true of all of Kei, is it?"

"Well, I don't know about all of Kei. I suspect only Gahou could make such a mess of things as this."

"Gahou? The Marquis of Wa?"

"Yes. Two beasts rule in Wa. The province lord, Gahou, and the governor of Shisui Prefecture, Shoukou."

"Shisui Prefecture. I was thinking of going there."

"Why?"

He asked with such doubtful expression that Shoukei shrugged her shoulders when she said, "If you go to Shisui, you'll get land and registered on the census. They're bringing in refugees from Tai. You don't know about that?"

Kantai shook his head. "I don't. It's the first I've heard of it. I do see wagons carrying people passing through Meikaku, headed for Shisui."

"You know, that's probably why. When I get to Shisui, I figure there will at least be a job waiting for me."

"I'd stop thinking things like that, if I was you."

"Why?"

"I told you. Beasts prowl the land in Wa, and Shoukou leads the pack."

"But he'd at least want to help the refugees--"

"Shoukou isn't the kind of person who would ever help anybody. If you go there, I guarantee that you'll regret it."

"You're sure?"

A look of firm resolution came to his face. "The reason they're bringing people to Shisui is because they're losing people. There's only so much land. No matter how wealthy, a prefecture can't keep bringing in refugees. The only reason they can is because the people who came before them are dead."

"Oh." Shoukei bit her lip. "So that's what it's about." She'd walked into this one with her eyes wide open, and had blindly thrown encouraging words around as well. If any among those she'd met before ended up going to Shisui, she'd have to apologize to them.

"I wonder what the Royal Kei is doing?" Why does she leave such monsters in positions of power? Wasn't Kei supposed to be entering a new era?

"Our Empress is no good," Kantai sighed.

Shoukei gave him a hard look. "No good?"

"They say the ministers at the Imperial Court lead her around by the nose. That's what happened to our last empress. She didn't care what happened to the kingdom. So she didn't care who governed us."

"Then why doesn't anybody tell that to the Empress?"

"Tell the Empress?" Kantai said, his eyes wide with surprise.

"If you're right, then she's got to be told the truth! Otherwise, they'll turn her into a puppet. Somebody's got to make her see the light!"

"You are--"

"If the Royal Kei doesn't know what state the kingdom is in, it's going to come back to hurt her. Ignorance will be no excuse. Her own weakness won't be an excuse. Somebody has to tell her!" So she wouldn't meet the same fate as herself. So she wouldn't meet the same fate as her father.

Kantai blinked. "Aren't you from Hou?"

Shoukei came back to her senses and reddened a bit. "Yes… but… it's like the Royal Kei isn't a stranger to me. I heard she was the same age as me." She looked down. "Somebody has to tell her! If she doesn't find out, who knows what will happen to the throne?"

"How would you go about telling her? She lives in the heart of Kinpa Palace in Gyouten."

"Indeed."

"Rather, spark a flame here in Wa Province, and she's bound to notice."

Shoukei raised her head and looked carefully into Kantai's gentle and smiling face.

"Light fires throughout all the provinces," he continued, "and she'll notice the embers burning at her feet. Don't you think?"

"I don't know."

This man had saved her life. He'd fought the soldiers chasing her and had given her shelter. Now he was a marked man as well. Why would he go so far? Because he'd been on the run from the beginning. Or he believed he was being pursued. At any rate, this man was preparing to raise the flag of rebellion against the province lord of Wa.

"I don't know, but I do know that something must be done. The state of things here cannot go on. Somehow or other, we've got to make the Royal Kei aware of conditions here."

Kantai laughed without a touch of cynicism or reproach. "I think so, too. Well, let's straighten things up here. Now, you don't have anyplace to go, right? So why not stick around a while longer?"

14-2

Suzu helped out doing odd jobs around the inn. On occasion, she transported goods on her sansui and delivered messages back and forth.

The sansui already disliked being ridden by anybody else but her. Koshou tried mounting up once, but got bucked off and very nearly walloped by a pair of hind legs capable of vaulting the walls of the city. Breaking a you-beast demanded the guts to go toe-to-toe (or hoof) with one, and fully training a pegasus required at least a decade. Its pride must be marshalled first. And only that tamed part of a pegasus would demonstrate a significant diminution of its assertiveness.

"When you get a bit better at mastering this beast… " said Koshou, gazing wistfully at the sansui.

"Me?" Gathering greens from the garden, Suzu stopped and looked over her shoulder at Koshou, who was sitting at the side of the well.

"A pegasus that's been really well trained will follow the orders its master gives it. The sooner you can become that kind of master, the sooner it will do what you tell it. Like, 'Let Koshou ride you.'"

"Well, I'll keep at it and see. It takes time."

"Sure does. When you've got a pegasus, riding a horse pales in comparison."

"Would you like a pegasus, too, Koshou?"

"Not that I could ever afford one. Talk is cheaper. Even if I became a soldier."

"Don't soldiers get pegasi?"

"Only if you rise really high in the ranks. And that depends on luck, but more on having the kind of connections that I don't have."

"Why not?"

"To get promoted, you need a good sword arm, sure, but you have to go to secondary school, too. The commanders of the Imperial Army all graduated from college, don't you know. On top of that, you've got to get commendations. Right now, the only way to get commendations is working for people like Shoukou and beating the crap out of farmers. That's not the kind of soldiering I care to do."

"I see."

"But it'd be nice if I could follow through on something like that."

"How so?"

Koshou tore his eyes away from the sansui and laughed bitterly. "When you're a soldier, you don't need to go to school, and it doesn't matter where you came from. If I could become a soldier somewhere, I could send Sekki away from Wa Province. He's got a good head on his shoulders, so I want to do what I can to make sure he succeeds in life. I want to take him away from here, but until he turns twenty, I got to find work somewhere. Even if I'm looking for a wife, he's coming along, too."

Koshou and Sekki didn't have parents. They'd been in the care of the orphanage until Koshou turned twenty. When he got his independence, Koshou took custody of Sekki. Unfortunately, Koshou had been born in Takuhou, and there was a surplus of land in Takuhou. Not because the amount of land was growing but because the population was shrinking due to the constant turmoil. Many farmers abandoned the land. The unluckier ones stayed and died.

Sekki was registered on the Takuhou census as well, so it was pretty much assured that when he turned twenty, he would get a partition in Takuhou. Even if he wanted to sell out and buy a shop in the city, land elsewhere was more valuable. Those landowners would have the upper hand when it came to making advantageous deals for themselves.

"If he hung in there and attended a local secondary school, it'd have to be a school in Wa. If Sekki demonstrated promise, he could go to university or at least the provincial academy and become a civil servant. But he'd still be stuck in Wa. Even if I found myself a wife and transferred my partition, Sekki couldn't come with me. That's how things stand now. To do right by Sekki, I'd have to become a soldier in another province, and Sekki would have to find a wife there as well… . "

With that, Koshou clapped his hands. "Well, Suzu, how are things going?"

"Oh, stop it." Suzu playfully hit Koshou with the basket she was gathering the greens with. "That kind of thinking isn't like you at all. Wouldn't it be better to make Wa Province a nice place to live by the time Sekki turns twenty?"

Koshou grinned. "That's for sure."

Sekki piped up, "Rather than what worries others, what about what worries me?"

At the sound of his voice, Suzu and Koshou started and turned to the main wing of the inn.

"For example, even if we went to another province, I wouldn't stop worrying about my big brother. Being short tempered and liable to fly off at the handle and all."

Sekki ignored the glare Koshou directed at him and smiled at Suzu. "It's just about lunchtime."

Most of the guests staying at the inn had some reason for being there, so the lion's share of the income was earned at mealtimes. The old man who stood guard in the kitchen was not without talent, and kept the tavern neat and trim. As a consequence, it had gained some small fame in this forlorn corner of the city. The clientele, though, was anything but "high class."

Because alcohol was served, bar fights were the norm. If Koshou wasn't there, things tended to get out of control. "Business has really picked up, thanks to you, Suzu," Sekki laughed as they prepared the noonday meal.

"Don't be silly."

"A girl is a strange sight around here. Many have returned, but women are still scarce in Kei. It's because the last empress had them all expelled."

"Oh."

"And because they were glad to get away from a dump like this, they're not eager to return. Those who know a craft or have some sort of ability aren't coming back. It's going to take some time."

After lunch, the only hangers-on were the same men who always hung out in the tavern. There definitely was not a woman in sight. Not a one. It was very odd.

And then she came into the tavern.

Suzu was wiping down the tables and stopped what she was doing. The girl wore a shabby-looking overcoat that made her look like a boy. But having met her before, Suzu knew at once she was a girl.

"It's you… . "

And that unforgettable crimson hair.

The girl's gaze fell upon her and her eyes widened. "You must be Suzu."

"Yes," Suzu nodded. "Thank you, for before."

The girl had tended to Seishuu when he was run over and killed. Since then, Suzu hadn't had the chance to express her gratitude.

"No need to thank me," the girl said, shaking her head.

Suzu pulled out a chair for her. "Please, have a seat. Do you want something to eat? I'll bring some tea."

Suzu hurried into the kitchen. When she rushed in, Sekki came to his feet. "Suzu, do you know her?"

"I don't really know her. We met once before."

"Oh," said Sekki, a dark expression briefly clouding his face.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. Go on and serve her. Until the regular crowd comes in, I'll straighten up here."

"Well, don't let me stop you," Suzu laughed. She filled a teacup and hastened back to the dining hall.

The girl was also examining the tavern with a similarly grim expression.

"Here you go." She placed the teacup down on the table.

The girl bowed slightly. "It's only you, today, Suzu? The last time I came here, a tall man and a boy of fifteen or so were here."

"You mean, Koshou and Sekki? Koshou is out on an errand. Sekki's in the kitchen. Did you come to see them?"

"No, not necessarily."

"My name is Suzu Ooki."

"Suzu Ooki," the girl repeated. Her name seemed to surprise her.

"Thank you for helping out on that day. I don't like to admit it, but I'm grateful for what you told me about Seishuu."

"The child?"

"Seishuu? He's buried in a cemetery outside Takuhou. He was originally a child of Kei. When Kei fell into chaos, he fled to Kou. When the new empress was chosen, he decided to come back, but then was killed. He's buried in Takuhou, but cannot rest in peace."

"I see," the girl said, with a bitter countenance.

"I met Seishuu in Sou. We sailed to Kei together. There were a lot of people from Kei on the boat. They all expected that things were going to get better, now that there was a new empress. But so far, things have been disappointing. Having a new empress doesn't change anything. The marquis and the governor haven't changed." Suzu asked, "And you are?"

"Youshi," she replied. "I live in Kokei."

"Kokei. Ah, in Hokui. Next door in Ei Province. Is Ei a nice place?"

"More or less," she mumbled.

"I wonder if Kei is pretty much the same everywhere. But it's got to be better than Takuhou."

Youshi didn't answer.

"Life can be tough no matter where you live. But I do think some kingdoms are better off than others. I know there are places like that. I came from Sai. The Empress of Sai is a good person. Kingdoms not blessed with good rulers are pretty pitiful."

"Yeah," Youshi nodded.

"I have to wonder what the Royal Kei is doing, you know? Maybe she doesn't even understand the state her kingdom is in."

"She's a puppet," Youshi abruptly blurted out.

Suzu leaned forward. "Eh?"

"She's not terribly competent. Since she isn't trusted by the ministers, there's not much she can do. And not much she can get them to do. So her best recourse is to shut up and do as she's told."

"Really? You seem to know a lot about Gyouten, Youshi."

Youshi shook her head. "Just rumors."

"Rumors, huh. Just like the previous empress, those in government are left to their own devices, and she remains deaf to the cries of the people. That's why she banished the Marquis of Baku."

"What?" Youshi said.

Suzu furrowed her brows. "Even though the Marquis of Baku is a really good person, the Royal Kei still forced him out of office. He was loved by the people of Baku. But at the same time, she gives the Marquis of Wa a pass. It really is astonishing."

"Yes it is." Youshi stood up. "Sorry, but I won't be staying for dinner."

"Oh. Was it something I said?"

"No. I was passing by, and decided to drop in and see how things were going. I wasn't that hungry to start with."

"Will you come again?"

Youshi smiled thinly and nodded.

After Suzu saw her off, she tilted her head to one side and put down her cup. She noticed that Youshi hadn't even touched her tea. She said to herself, "I wonder if she got fed up with all the chit-chat."

There really weren't that many women in Kei. It was even rarer for her to meet a girl her same age. She had the feeling she carried on a bit more than usual.

Puzzling over this, she went to the kitchen and found Sekki and Koshou loitering in the doorway.

"Oh, you're back."

"Suzu, who was that girl?" Koshou asked, a grave expression on his face.

Suzu answered with a shake of her head. "Somebody I met before. She said she lives in Hokui."

"Hokui."

Sekki looked up at Koshou and said, "Rou's house, remember?"

Koshou nodded. Again with a fierce look, he grasped her arm. "What did you talk about?"

"Nothing in particular."

They hadn't talked about anything unusual, that was for sure. Her complaints were no more severe than what people in Takuhou said instead of the usual hellos and goodbyes.

"She didn't have anything to say?"

"Not especially. Ah, she did talk about the Empress in Gyouten."

"Did she strike you as well informed about Gyouten?"

"I don't know, but… she said it was all rumors, though she seemed pretty knowledgeable of the place."

Koshou glanced at Sekki. Sekki nodded. "We'd better move, then."

"Eh?" said Suzu, turning to Sekki.

"She was here before. It was like she was looking for something. If she has a detailed knowledge of Gyouten, then she probably is from Gyouten."

"And that means… ?"

"There are rumors intimating that Shoukou and Gahou have a free rein because they've got the Royal Kei watching their backs. If somebody was sent from Gyouten to check out the situation here, then those rumors may be true."

Sekki nodded at the surprised Suzu. "Get your things together. Better safe than sorry. We'll leave here and move in with some friends of ours."

"But… . "

"That girl was no ordinary person."

14-3

To Rangyoku, it was a day like any other, save the fact that Youshi had been gone now for ten days.

"When's Youshi coming back?" Keikei asked in a bored voice.

Rangyoku smiled. Keikei was lonely. Since the other children at the orphanage had died, he really did have a lot of time on his hands.

"Is Youshi gonna get married?"

"You mean, move in with that guy she went to see? Who knows."

Youshi couldn't get married until she had legally come of age, but common law marriage was not prohibited. If she had parents, they would have to approve, but Youshi didn't have any parents.

"Even supposing she did, she couldn't move away until she turned twenty."

As she explained this, Rangyoku found herself strangely doubting that what Keikei had proposed was true. Though Youshi was supposedly an orphan, Enho treated her more like a guest. And being a guest, she would be leaving before long.

Rangyoku had Keikei help her clean the dishes and wipe off the shelves. After straightening up the kitchen, she glanced over her shoulder at Keikei and said, "Good work. It's about time for tea. Why don't you call Enho?"

"Okay," Keikei said with a big bow, and ran off toward the study.

Rangyoku watched as he scampered into the main hall, smiling. She was proud of her little brother. He was smart and kind, a hard worker. Everybody who met him said so. Even Enho said that after elementary school, he'd recommend Keikei to the prefectural academy.

Pleased with herself, Rangyoku laughed as she arranged the utensils. She heard the door to the main wing opening.

"Enho, would you like some tea?"

No one answered. Rangyoku looked up and glanced toward the doorway. She froze. Several men stood there, men she had never seen before.

"Yes?"

There were six of them. At a glance, they seemed like ordinary men, but there was an air of danger about them. Unconsciously, Rangyoku took a step back.

One of the men shut the door and stood in front of it, blocking the way.

"Who are you? What are you doing--?"

Her inquiry cut off mid-sentence. A man produced a dagger from inside his jacket. Rangyoku screamed and spun around. Heavy footsteps pounded after her. Her arms were pinned from behind.

"What are you--"

A hand covered her mouth. The man holding her nodded to the others. The men positioned themselves next to the door.

What is going on? Who are these men?

The light footsteps padded down the hallway. It was Keikei. Rangyoku's eyes opened wide. The door started to open. In the same instant, she twisted free with all her might and screamed, "Keikei! Run!"

Her feet were scooped out from under her and she crashed to the floor. She lifted her head and looked at the doorway. Her small sibling stood there petrified.

"Run! Keikei, Run!"

With startled eyes, Keikei turned to run, but the men closed on him faster. One effortlessly dragged Keikei toward him and struck him with his fist. No, not a fist, he was holding a knife in his hand.

"What's this!" came Enho's voice, and the sound of his feet.

At the same time, her eyes fell on Keikei body, like he had just decided to sit down. Right above his belt, the handle of the knife.

"Keikei!"

Something struck her hard in the back. Rangyoku screamed and curled into a ball. At the same time came a shooting pain and she screamed again.

PAGE 156

She raised her head and saw Keikei kneeling there, his head almost touching the floor, and Enho running up behind him.

"Enho! Keikei!"

Before Enho reached Keikei, the men rushed at him and grabbed his arms. Enho shook himself free, knelt and picked up Keikei's body. With remarkable strength, he clasped Keikei against his chest, cast her a glance that spoke volumes, and headed toward the courtyard.

"Enho… run… . "

A man blocked his way. With Keikei still in his arms, Enho turned and ran in the direction of the study, the men in pursuit.

Why? Why is this happening?

Keikei.

Rangyoku planted her hands and got to her feet. Swaying, she turned toward the doorway.

Enho.

She heard the sounds of running, the pounding of footsteps from deep within the rike. She dug her fingernails into the walls and staggered down the corridor, gripping the handrail. Should she rush outside to get help? She hesitated, then continued on down the hallway, clinging to the railing.

Keikei.

She ran with a lurching jog, ignoring the burning pain in her back. She came to the walk between the guest room and the study and found Keikei and Enho lying there on the floor.

"Enho!"

"Rangyoku, get away from here!"

"But!" She looked down at her brother crumpled on the floor. The small pool of blood was growing. Keikei didn't move, not for her cries, not for her tears.

This can't be happening.

"Rangyoku!"

She came back to her senses. The men rushed at them, weapons in hand. Instinctively, she turned and ran sluggishly down the corridor. A blade struck her in the back, the impact driving her to her knees. She rolled to the floor, picked herself up, ran on. The weapons slashed at her feet, slammed against the back of her neck. She stumbled into the closest doorway.

Safe haven.

It was the guest room. Her eyes fell on the door to the bedroom. She reached out and crawled toward it.

The lock.

As Rangyoku opened the door and plunged inside, she felt another sharp shock of pain in her back. Ah, she sighed. Something warm flowed down from the back of her neck and across her chest. She grabbed hold of a shelf and collapsed, unable to support herself. A small box tumbled off the shelf and fell open next to her.

It's Youshi's, she thought listlessly. What a strange girl. Now there'll be nobody at the rike at all. Enho will be lonely.

"Enho!"

She'd left him behind. What would become of him now?

What did we ever do to them?

The sight of her brother lying in a pool of blood pained her far more than her own blood gathering around her. He was still so small. Such a good kid. The only person left in her family. When their parents had died, they had joined hands and gone on living together.

What a sad kingdom this was. Being born in Kei was such a pitiful fate. Kei had killed their parents, had tried to banish her, and in the end even pursued them to this orphanage, where at last they had made a peaceful life for themselves. Kei was in such chaos that hoodlums and thieves had a free rein.

Youshi, Rangyoku thought, unconsciously tightening her grip on the small square of cloth in the palm of her hand. Strike down Keikei's killers. Show them no mercy.

There was a hard object in the cloth. Dazed, she stared at her hand and saw gold glimmering between her fingers.

What's this?

A golden seal with an engraved face.

What's it doing here?

Heavy footsteps approached. Rangyoku tightened her grip around it, to hide it from the assassins. A second, a third sharp pain pierced her back.

The Imperial Seal of the Royal Kei.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Help us, Youshi. Please. The way you saved us from the Kyuuki.

Save us, and save the people of Kei.

14-4

"You may leave."

Keiki spoke softly to his shirei. The two youma wordlessly vanished. Kokei and Hokui were visible not too far off in the distance. As usual, they had alighted in a forest a safe remove from the highway.

Keiki's lord stood next to him, sullen and silent. What kind of person is the Marquis of Baku? she had asked.

Something happened in Takuhou. He did not know what she'd heard there, but when she came to where he was waiting outside the city, that was the question she'd posed to him. Keiki hadn't entered the city. The smell of death was too overwhelming.

Youko had returned in something of a rage. He hadn't inquired of the shirei who'd accompanied her as to the specifics of the situation. He had no idea why Her Highness asked such a question with such vehemence, and she wouldn't reveal her real intentions.

"Your Highness has been fully informed, has she not?"

"I haven't. That's why I asked."

"You dismissed Koukan knowing nothing of his temperament?"

Youko had no ready answer.

"I recommended to Your Highness that she act only after making a thorough investigation, that she not rely solely on the word of her ministers. And yet, at this juncture, you pose such a question to me?"

"And investigations were done. Koukan refused to cooperate with the pretender because he had designs on the throne. He envied me and tried to assassinate me. The plot was revealed and he fled."

"Yes, that is how things stand."

"But now I hear that Koukan is beloved by the people of Baku."

"And I have heard such things as well."

"Then why wasn't I told!"

"I shall look into the matter. However, had I deigned to defend Koukan, would Your Highness have listened to me?"

Youko again was at a loss for words.

"In terms of protecting Koukan, I asked on many occasions that Your Highness reconsider his dismissal. Did you not value the words of the ministers over my advice? I said I did not think Koukan was the man being so described. Why ask me at this late date, having already dismissed him?"

"What do you think of him?"

"He struck me as a capable man, though I have only met him twice. That was the impression he left upon me."

"Dammit, Keiki!"

"Shall I take that to mean you have amended your opinion of him? Among others, you have the words of the ministers, the testimony of the witnesses, and my own advice. Did you not consider all points of view?"

"Enough already," she spat.

Traveling from Takuhou to Kokei, she didn't say another word. And now she stared sullenly at Kokei.

"Your Highness, the gates are closing."

"I know," she growled.

"Is Your Highness upset with me?"

She was standing with her back to him. "No." She shook her head. "I'm just pissed at myself."

Keiki sighed. His words were not sufficient. It was not that he was sparing with his words, but that they were never appropriate to the moment. Only afterwards would he realize their insufficiency.

"I do apologize."

"It's not your fault." She glanced back at him, a confused smile rising to her face. "Sorry for losing my temper. You know me, flying off at the handle at all."

"I should have said more."

"Naw. I wouldn't have listened. Sorry about all that. Let's go."

The expression on his lord's face urged him on, and briefly Keiki found himself smiling. The resolute heart of a forgiving lord gave him much cause to rejoice. But at the same time, his thoughts were tinged with longing and regret.

No, said that youthful and dearly-missed voice. I won't jump to conclusions. Better to ask you directly. Keiki stared at the darkening indigo heavens. That kingdom over yonder skies.

Youko thought as they walked back to Kokei, I am so incomplete in so many ways. And not trusting Keiki was first on the list.

"You heading back?" she asked as they passed through the gate.

Keiki looked up at the sky. "I believe there is enough time to say hello to Enho. I will return afterwards."

"That's the kind of guy Enho is, huh?"

"Indeed he is." A worried look flashed across his face. "He was originally from Baku. A man well versed in the Way, in logic and in reason. To tell the truth, I received a request from the Marquis. There were those who envied Enho's popularity and the great regard in which he was held, and wished him harm. Consequently, I received a communique from the Marquis requesting that he be transferred to Ei Province."

"From Koukan. I see."

And fearing that Youko nursed a grudge against him, Keiki had not revealed this to her. Considering all this, she laughed in self-derision. I really do have some ways to go.

Turning these thoughts on her mind, she turned the corner adjacent the rike and continued on several paces when Keiki suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"What is it?"

"I smell… blood," he said, his forehead deeply furrowing.

Youko examined their surroundings. It was a town in winter and the streets were deserted.

"You're kidding." She felt a thump in her heart and took off running. She ran through the gate into the rike, sprinted into the main hall and froze.

Drops of blood dotted the floor.

The living room was empty. She felt no other presence in the rike.

"Rangyoku! Keikei!"

The trail of blood continued on down the hallway.

"Enho!"

She ran toward the back of the rike. At her feet, a youma appeared, saying, "The enemy is not here." She acknowledged the voice and kept running. Turning a corner, she found Keikei, collapsed in the corridor.

"Keikei!"

Youko raced up to him and fell to her knees. A knife was buried deeply in the small body. When she touched him, there seemed to be no energy left in his body at all.

"Keikei!"

"Do not try to move him." Youko looked back at Keiki's grimacing face. "There is still breath in him. Hyouki, take the child to Kinpa Palace."

"We won't make it in time," the low voice said.

But Keiki nodded and said anyway, "If the occasion requires it, I shall carry him and go on ahead."

"By your command," came the gruff answer.

The red panther materialized beneath Keikei's body and hoisted the child onto its back. At the same time, a woman with white feathered arms appeared and bore him up.

Youko said, "Hyouki, Kaiko, please do this for me."

She looked around. The blood continued on into the guest quarters. Following the trail, she arrived at her own room. The floor was smeared with blood and gore. In the face of the horror, Keiki faltered and could not proceed.

"Keiki, don't push yourself. Get out of here."

"But--"

"Look after Keikei for me. Get him to a doctor. There's not a moment to lose."

"Yes, but--"

Heedlessly, Youko entered the living room. She noticed that the door to the bedroom was open and headed toward it. Inside was the body of a girl.

"Rangyoku!"

Youko ran up to her, put her hand on her shoulder, and immediately withdrew it. She covered her face with her hands. "Why?"

Rangyoku was dead.

Youko couldn't begin to imagine who could hate Keikei and Rangyoku enough to kill them. Rangyoku's back was covered with countless wounds. She could not begin to grasp a reason for such brutality.

"Why did this happen?" She tore at her hair and then suddenly lifted her head. "Enho?"

"He is not here," said Hankyo.

"Not here?"

"Nowhere in the rike. I have searched every nook and cranny. Neither Enho nor his corpse."

"How do you know?"

"I smell three different bloods. He would seem to have been wounded. I conclude he was kidnaped."

Youko bit her lip. Several nights before, a number of men had surrounded the rike. Perhaps men who had come to see Enho, men with dark faces. Perhaps men from Takuhou. It wouldn't necessarily have changed anything if she had been able to connect the dots, but it grieved her that she hadn't been able to protect them.

"Rangyoku, I'm sorry," she said, stroking her back.

Youko straightened Rangyoku's tangled hair. Her hands were clasped together beneath her body. It struck Youko as such a piteous posture that she pulled her arms out from under her. Her right hand was tightly curled into a fist. From the shape of her fist, it was obvious she was holding onto something. Youko took hold of the still warm hand and gently pried open the fingers. The golden seal tumbled out.

"Oh, Rangyoku."

Youko looked at the seal and at Rangyoku with wide eyes. In the end, had she grasped what it meant? She wouldn't have had time check the impression on the seal. Even if she had, with her wounds, and the fact that the impression was the mirror-image of the characters themselves, would have made reading it difficult, if not impossible.

As Youko pondered this, she also considered the significance of how Rangyoku had hidden it, beneath her body, trying to keep it from being discovered. And the only people she could be hiding it from could have been the killers. But why had she hidden it? Because it belonged to Youko, because it was made out of gold. Or both.

"Rangyoku… thank you." She didn't want to cry, but couldn't hold back the tears. "I am so sorry."

PAGE 169

If she hadn't left the rike, she could have protected them.

"Hankyo, where is Keiki?"

"Returning to the palace."

Youko nodded. At the very least, Keikei alone must survive. If he did not, mere condolences would hardly be enough.

A child also died in Takuhou.

Biting her lip, Youko looked down at Rangyoku. She bowed her head to the floor. "This sorry excuse for an empress truly begs your forgiveness."