Kiai! & Mistress of Death

by Piers Anthony

  My feet were blocked by Chiyako's body. I stepped over her, feeling her blood on my bare feet. I dug my toes into the earth, bracing against Kan-Sen.

  We hovered there above her, weaving back and forth, but the advantage was his. I had to step back, and back again, while that wicked blade inched closer. He stepped over the body, his heel almost striking her nose.

  Then his foot landed in the pool of blood that had gushed from Chiyako's throat. It coated the flat leather sole, and he slipped. His arm came down in an automatic effort to regain balance. I augmented that motion with a shove, and as we fell, once more over Chiyako, his knife was caught between us, the blade pointed inward.

  My weight landed on him, shoving the knife down. I could not see the action, but he gave a sharp cry and went limp. So Kan-Sen expired, victim of his own knife, and the blood of the girl he had murdered. Now his blood mingled with hers.

  I kneeled beside Chiyako, hoping for a miracle, but she was long beyond recovery. Numbly fighting off the returning fatigue, I set about the rest of my task. I took matches from Kan-Sen's pocket and set fire to the dry leaves on the ground under the small forest. But they failed to burn well.

  I staggered through the empty complex until I found a work area, and gasoline. I spread it methodically as far as it would go, over floor and wall. I lit it and moved back into the garden. My love would have a fitting pyre. I trusted the fumes from the incinerated Kill-13 would be diffuse enough not to cause undue commotion in the city. It was still night; I discovered that in the course of my search for inflammables. Kan-Sen had simply changed night into day by turning on the artificial sun in the garden. So maybe few citizens would be exposed before it dissipated into the other smog.

  How would I live without Chiyako?

  No way. The mission for which the Shaolin monks had set me up, sacrificing themselves in the process, had been accomplished, with the help of this last kung-fu loss. Chiyako had been sent to me to see that I did my job, not to make me happy. Let it be sealed over again, until time made the truth tolerable.

  Meanwhile, I would remain here. It was possible that my extraordinary activity had burned out the initial sniff of Kill-13 so completely that I could survive withdrawal. Perhaps my ki would help me too. Kan-Sen had obviously feared I was not fully hooked. An involuntary sniff followed by severe exertion, and the drug's weakness was exposed.

  So I could probably throw it off. But to what point? I had destroyed Kill-13, but the drug had destroyed me too. My remaining strength was exhausted, my last reserves were gone, my love was dead.

  I sank down between the twin fires I had set, waiting for the end. As the awful heat and light closed in, consuming the heart of the demon empire, I pondered. I was at peace, but my thoughts continued.

  Everything had fallen into place except one thing: the animation of the goddess Kali.

  It could have been part of my vision, as Kan-Sen had claimed. But I had not, even in my vision, slain twenty demons. Their bodies on the turf were wrong, for one thing; the pattern of the carnage suggested two fronts, not one.

  But neither could a metal statue have come to life—and if it had, it would not have fought on my side. Kali was goddess of the demons, not the straights.

  There was only one explanation. Ilunga had entered the fray, and I had seen her as the black goddess. I had left her unconscious, after the leopard fight. Obviously she had revived, for the body was no longer there.

  Yet why had she helped me, against her own kind? And why had she vanished the moment the job was done? She hated me, she said. I was out to destroy the demon cult, and she was an addict. She would probably die in the agonies of an impossible withdrawal.

  So Kan-Sen must have been right. Ilunga had a thing for me, however she might deny it. After being labeled as a traitor she had no certain future with the demons. So she had helped me.

  Could she have had the foresight to raid the Kill-13 supplies while I was facing Kan-Sen? In that case she was gone—and I could not begrudge her that escape. Obviously she was not about to go on a demon-conversion binge that would only exhaust her own supply of the drug.

  So it was neatly ended. I sat by Chiyako, holding her head in my lap and her hand in my hand. I was bleeding from a hundred cuts, but it didn't matter. I felt the cleansing heat of the encircling fire. Perhaps this way was best. If Chiyako had killed me before, they would have tortured her to death, then executed Ilunga and rebuilt the Kill-13 factory in the Honduras or elsewhere. This way the job was really done, for the leadership and knowledge were gone.

  A shape came toward me. It hauled me away from my dead love, away from the fires, and I was too weak to resist.

  "No, Kali!" I gasped. "I am not one of your demons."

  "White master, you're going to live!" Ilunga said as she heaved me up over her shoulder with demon strength. Her tone indicated that the words she meant were "Honky bastard"; strange that she should not say them directly.

  And so the black mistress had the most exquisite vengeance of all. She saved my life.

  Glossary

  Aikido [ai-KEE-doh] A martial art, strictly defensive in philosophy and application, specializing in avoidance of brute force. It is noted for its application of the inner power of the mind, or ki. Aikido is extremely effective for self-defense, utilizing wrist and arm locks, not strikes or bone-crushing techniques. atemi-waza Judo striking techniques, special blows taught only to black belts. Deadly.

  Bo A wooden staff used as a weapon.

  Budo [BOO-doh] The proper spirit of martial art.

  Bushido [BOO-shee-DOH] The way of the samurai or warrior in Japan; roughly equivalent to European chivalry.

  Daimyo A feudal lord.

  Dan A master grade in judo, karate, aikido, and other martial arts, usually indicated by a black belt. The highest grade achieved is Tenth Dan, or judan; there are no living judans today. Jason Striker is a fifth-degree black belt, or godan; Roberto Fuentes, co-author of this novel, is a second-degree black belt, or nidan.

  Dojo [Doh-joh] The exercise hall in judo, karate, and aikido. The equivalent term in kung fu is kwoon.

  Gi [GEE, hard G as in Good] Short for judogi, the judo costume.

  Hara-kiri Literally, "belly-slitting"; formal suicide, or seppuku, accomplished by disembowelment with a short sword. An honorable way to die, but most uncomfortable. The hara, or belly, was considered to be the seat of the soul, the ultimate source of strength.

  Ippon [ee-PONE] One point in a match, sufficient to win. In judo an ippon is scored by a clean throw, a thirty-second holddown, an armlock, choke, or strangle.

  Ippon Seoi Nage The one-arm back-carry throw in judo. Essentially, you haul your opponent's arm over your shoulder and heave him over you so that he lands on his back.

  Jodo [JOH-doh] The art of fighting with sticks or short staffs.

  Judo [JOO-doh] Literally, the "gentle way." A leading unarmed martial art, consisting primarily of throws, holds, and chokes but also employing atemi striking techniques and locks against the joints. It is distinguished from most other martial arts by its worldwide standardization: a first-degree black belt must meet the same criteria of proficiency and attitude in America, Japan, or Timbuktu. Jason Striker's primary proficiency is in judo.

  Jujitsu An ancient martial art, the forerunner of judo. Also spelled jiu jitsu or ju jutsu. It faded in Japan when the feudal system ended there.

  Karate [kah-RAH-teh] Literally, "empty hand." A leading martial art consisting primarily of striking with the hands or feet or other parts of the body, so as to subdue opposition. Since direct application of its techniques can be dangerous, some karatekas specialize in breaking boards or bricks with strikes of their bare hands. Such strikes against the head or body of an opponent are often fatal.

  Ki [KEE] A special inner force or power, possessed by every person but developed by few, associated primarily with the martial art of aikido. Stories of ki, such as those represented in this novel, are exaggerated, but there is no question
that this remarkable force exists.

  Kiai [kee-AI] A battle cry, used to add strength to a technique while dismaying the enemy. Ear-splitting.

  Kyoketsu-Shogi A ninja two-bladed knife attached to a rope made of woman's hair with a ring at the other end.

  Kuji-Kiri The ninja's hypnotic movement of the fingers.

  Kung Fu The Western term for the family of Chinese martial arts consisting primarily of strikes with the feet, fists, or fingers. It is said to be the oldest of all martial arts, the forerunner of karate. Recent TV coverage has exaggerated the scope of kung fu, and motion pictures and fiction have made it into virtual fantasy, but at the root it is a formidable fighting art.

  Kusarigama A weapon consisting of a chain with a sickle on one end and an iron ball on the other.

  Kwoon The exercise hall in kung fu, equivalent to the dojo.

  Kyu A lesser or student grade in judo, indicated by belts of assorted colors: white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, or brown. Piers Anthony, coauthor of this novel, is a green belt, yonkyu, a middle grade.

  Manriki-Kusari A weighted chain used as a weapon.

  Maitta A cry of surrender: "I give up!"

  Ninja A practitioner of ninjitsu (or ninjutsu); an expert spy or espionage agent. Ninjitsu incorporated the medieval bushido warrior code as well as every form of martial art known. Fu Antos, master of ninjas, is fictional (derived from FUenteS and ANTHOny, co-authors); but the ninjas were real, and they performed astonishing feats.

  Nunchaku [nin-CHA-koo] A weapon consisting of two clubs strung together, sometimes three. Now becoming popular in America, but illegal in many states.

  O-Soto-Gari The "big outside clip" in judo, in which you catch your opponent's leg behind yours and throw him back and down. Easy for the beginner to learn, yet effective.

  Randori [rahn-DOH-reel Free practice in judo, like a mock match, in which the players strike to overcome each other without taking it too seriously or counting points.

  Ronin A masterless samurai warrior.

  Sake [SAH-keh] Japanese rice wine, very potent.

  Samurai [SAH-moo-rai] The Japanese warrior, or warrior class. Equivalent to the European knight.

  Saya-ate Striking the scabbard of a samurai with your own; a deadly offense, often atoned for by blood.

  Seppuku Ritual suicide; hara-kiri.

  Shogun Hereditary commander-in-chief of the Japanese army; the true seat of power for some centuries.

  Shuriken Small starlike throwing weapons used by ninja.

  Tonki Small throwing knives or needles used by ninja.

  Ukemi [oo-KEM-ee] Breakfalls. It is important to be able to take a fall without getting hurt, so this is practiced.