by Guy Antibes
“How long will we be studying?” Tanner asked.
“Father thinks that six months is an optimistic timeframe.”
“Six months!” Jack said. “I’ll be an old man by the time we are through.”
“I hope not,” Grigar said. “When you are an old man, I’ll no longer be a man of any age.”
“Sorry,” Jack said.
Namori smiled. “Good. We Masukaians say we are sorry a lot. It is part of our culture to apologize. The depth of an apology is reflected in the depth of the bow. If someone apologizes to you and bows, you don’t bow as deeply unless you have been deeply affected by the apology.”
“Why was my first bow offensive to you, then?” Jack said.
“If a young man bows deeper than a woman, he is saying to her that his granting of the apology means more than her own. It is better to never bow more deeply to a woman than she does to you.”
“Is that a hard rule?” Helen said, looking a little offended herself.
“It is, mostly, unless the two are married, then it is between the couple.
“What if a woman bows like a man,” Helen asked.
“Then she will be treated like a man. In some situations that might be acceptable, in others, it would lead to the ruination of the woman.” Namori gave Helen a steady gaze. “For you, return a bow exactly of the same degree and the same length. The bow’s duration can have meaning. A similar bow won’t offend but bear in mind, it won’t placate, either.”
Helen grunted. “I’ll have to practice.”
“You all will have to practice. I will bring in servants to help, but we will talk about bowing a lot more.” Her lecture was cut short by a gong.
“Dinner bell. We wash our faces and hands and change our stockings or wash our feet before dinner. You might as well start that now.”
Jack groaned, but the others chuckled.
“When in Masukai, you must be Masukaian,” Grigar said as they filed out.
~
Dinner proved to be a primer in ceremonial eating. Kiro and Namori did most of the lecturing about how to use the Masukaian utensils that consisted of a large spoon and a pair of sticks that were used for pinching food with their tips instead of using fingers, which was generally offensive. They were called eating sticks, prosaically enough.
Their instruction for the night finished with a description of what polite company did after dinner. Non-controversial topics were discussed, books were read, and stories were told, especially if the host provided alcohol, which Kiro did not.
Just before they were to leave, Grigar asked Kiro. “Is there a wife?”
“Ah. That is another part of my errand. I am not permitted in Yomomai under normal circumstances. My wife and son live in a modest manor close to the Imperial Palace. They are not allowed to join me.”
“They are held hostage?” Tanner asked.
“A blunt way of putting it,” Kiro said, “but accurate. I would like her freed. It happens enough, but it is a dangerous enterprise, and for reasons you will learn later, she will be safer if you four rescue her rather than others who have offered.” Kiro glanced at his daughter. “It is more complicated than that, but we can save that for another day. Your success will depend on your ranking, and I will not push you in any way.”
“It is uncourteous,” Namori said.
And dangerous, Jack thought. Would foreigners freeing Kiro’s wife and son be instantly executed? He guessed that anyone attempting a rescue would as well. Perhaps Namori had offered any number of times, and her father had always rejected her request.
“We would like to know more about the situation before we commit, not that we are opposed to helping,” Tanner said.
“And you, young Winder?” Kiro said.
“I agree with Tanner. We will help you in any way that works for both of us,” Jack said.
“That is a good answer. We will talk about it later. Don’t consider yourself committed at this point. The situation may be quite different by the time you are ranked,” Kiro Ganshi said.
Jack didn’t know what would change since the situation was probably a long-term one. Perhaps they could ask Haruno some questions.
Chapter Seven
~
T heir classes began the next day, and within two weeks, with the start they had on board the ship that brought them to Masukai, all of them had mastered the alphabet and were beginning to read. Luckily, the alphabet was phonetic, so they could puzzle out sounds; although, at first glance, the Masukaian alphabet seemed incomprehensible to Jack. Now he could sound out what the alphabet indicated, but he had no idea what kind of sounds were proper or what the words meant.
Unfortunately, that meant the confiscation of Jack’s textbooks. That was nearly as bad as getting used to Masukaian clothing. Helen looked rather nice in her dresses, but Grigar, as short and round as he was, looked like a ball of cloth. To Jack, everything felt too loose. There wasn’t a belt. They weren’t given boots to wear but wore sandals that kept slipping off Jack’s stockinged feet.
They were also refused the use of a barber. They had to grow their hair out, but they were expected to shave. Jack didn’t remember having really long hair ever. His father always kept Jack’s hair short in his shop for safety concerns, or so he claimed.
But the worst part was they could only speak in Masukaian when a native speaker was present. Namori and Haruno were very insistent and made sure there was always a servant or two in the pavilion to check.
“I need exercise,” Tanner said as they sat in the classroom part of the pavilion.
Helen nodded. “I agree.”
“So do I,” Jack said. Grigar remained silent.
Tanner swore under his breath. “Damn language. I feel like I am in diapers,” he said quietly in Corandian. “Every sentence is only a few words, and half of those we have to check.”
A servant stepped closer, earning a glare from Tanner.
Namori walked in for a culture lesson. Today she brought a few illustrated books so they could learn various uniforms worn throughout the country.
“Exercise?” Tanner said. It looked like he didn’t have any more words inside of him.
“Tomorrow, outside,” Namori said. She spoke to them like they were children, but Jack understood the words and had begun to scrawl how he thought the word was written. He nodded enthusiastically to his two mercenary friends. Grigar just sat back and smiled.
Jack paid close attention to the details in the prints of various Masukaian dress. He felt they needed to know the subtle differences, and Jack could tell he had a long way to go to notice those.
Namori left, and for the rest of the day, as the others struggled to pronounce words for Haruno and one of the ever-present servants, Jack closely examined the drawings. By the end of the day, he had noticed a difference in armor patterns and in sashes. The Masukaians wore pressed leather helmets, which were formed into all kinds of shapes. Jack didn’t know how effective they were, but he guessed from the drawings that they were painted to match other colors on the uniforms.
The next day, Namori wore her own version of Masukaian armor and brought an armful of long, thin swords.
“We will have to speak Corandian for exercise, or it will take forever to explain the moves we are going to go through.”
“Moves?” Tanner asked.
“Of course. Did you think Corandian weapons are acceptable in Masukai? Not so. You will have to use our swords and our armor. Some feel armor is cowardly. As for me, it is for my protection while I teach you to use these.”
Jack groaned inside. His Lajian sword was an object of power. Now he’d have to imbue a Masukaian set of weapons. He would have to do what he could to maintain his ability to fight.
Namori gave swords to them all.
Jack pulled his out. It was made out of a hardwood. “You need armor for this?”
“They bruise,” she said.
Jack shrugged.
Helen pulled hers out. “This has a diffe
rent kind of balance. I use it one-handed or two?”
Namori smiled. “Either. The formal method is two-handed, but I prefer to use it one-handed and hold a matching knife in my other hand or a catching glove.”
“What is a catching glove?” Tanner asked.
“I will show you later. Don’t worry about it now,” she said.
“Martial arts are very important to the warrior and ruling classes of Masukai. Each rank requires a certain level of expertise in martial arts. All women are taught martial arts of a different kind,” Namori said, grinning. “I am adept at both.”
Jack groaned. He hoped she wasn’t going to turn into another Penny. He pulled out his own sword and laid the scabbard on a garden bench. He stared at the bench since he hadn’t noticed before that it was much higher than cushions. Perhaps he would do some studying in the courtyard. Grigar had the same idea. He grinned at Jack when he sat on the bench and patted the seat.
He flipped the sword around, but the way it was weighted, the sword didn’t comfortably move like his Lajian blade, so he stopped and watched as Tanner and Helen tested their swords, but they weren’t any more successful in getting comfortable than him.
Namori giggled. He hadn’t heard her laugh like that before. She knew her way around the sword, but it wasn’t just the sword. Her entire body worked the forms. Jack always used practice forms, but they didn’t look as graceful as Namori’s moves. He could see her speed up her routine. She dipped and swayed, moving her feet much more than a Corandian would. Tanner frowned, but Helen’s eyes lit up.
Just the few moments that Namori worked, a sheen of sweat beaded her brow. A quick workout, but Jack was sure she could go on for much longer. The young woman beckoned Tanner.
“Shall we play for a bit?” she said.
Tanner’s eyebrows rose. “Sure.”
Jack’s mouth dropped open as Tanner slashed and parried and didn’t lay a blade on Namori. Normally he had more speed, but perhaps it was the difference in the Masukaian sword, Her swordplay was very similar to her warming up dance, and she tapped him here and tapped him there until she straightened up.
“I am not a master,” she said. “You can learn what I have, but we will start with the forms, not the one I showed you but a simpler set. If you use Corandian techniques, you may not survive.”
“It isn’t a style meant for battle,” Tanner said.
Namori brightened. “You are right! I’m glad you saw that. The Corandian style will work in a situation of many to many, but one to one or one to many, the Masukaian style will prevail.”
Helen nodded, but to Jack’s eye, she didn’t fully agree. “Why don’t we have a go?” she said.
Namori smiled primly and gave Helen a little bow. The bow was one of a younger person bowing to an older person the younger person respected. The act wasn’t lost on Helen.
Helen relaxed and moved the alien blade with her wrist. Namori presented herself just as she had with Tanner. Helen’s stance wasn’t her normal one. Namori pulled back to slash at Helen, but the Corandian moved to the side, much faster than Tanner would have done and slid the edge of her blade along Namori’s armor.
The girl blinked and that was the beginning of the end of the match, for Helen began a series of blows that pushed Namori back. The girl couldn’t retain her forms and raised her hand.
“I have received a lesson,” she said, bowing more deeply to Helen. “I will reflect on my defeat.”
Tanner laughed. “Good for you, Namori.”
Jack realized that Tanner had purposely struggled with his speed as a set up for Helen’s speed. They had pulled a prank on their hostess. He tried not to smile, but he heard Grigar chuckling behind him.
“Care to fight me again?” Tanner asked.
Namori blushed. “No. My lesson wasn’t just from Helen.” She bowed to Tanner and left them in the courtyard.
“I’ll fight you, then,” Tanner said, poking Jack with the tip of his blade.
Jack sighed. “I might as well get this over,” he said. He had sustained many drubbings from Tanner in the past, and he was prepared to endure yet another. He stepped to the middle of their corner of the courtyard and tried to get a feel for the blade at address. He found a spot and looked at Tanner.
“Shall we begin?” Jack said.
“You sound as if you will lose,” Tanner said, mockingly.
“I will, but it will give me a lesson to reflect on,” Jack said, paraphrasing Namori’s gracious words.
“Good!” Tanner attacked.
Jack was pushed back, but he could see that Tanner’s difficulties weren’t all act. The man had a difficult time adjusting to the blade. Jack’s Lajian sword was a bit closer in design to the thin wooden blade. It didn’t give him an advantage, but he survived Tanner’s onslaught a bit better than he had expected.
The flat of Tanner’s blade slapped against his neck. Jack’s first thought was that would leave a mark, the second thought was that he would have been decapitated.
Tanner withdrew the sword and swished it around. “This will take some getting used to, he said. “Not bad, Winder. Your reactions are as slow as they have ever been, but your wrist work seems better. I think that sword suits you.”
Jack nodded, but he remembered to give Tanner a bow.
“Oh yeah,” Tanner said. He carefully measured his own bow back to Jack.
~
Jack stared at his food. He took the spoon and took a few sips. Today was his twentieth birthday, and no one noticed. Of course, why would they care? Jack didn’t know the birthdays of his three friends, and he had been with Tanner and Helen long enough that they had to have passed their birthdays on their travels.
He lifted his head. They didn’t know his birthday, either, he thought. Jack smiled, sadly. Time passes for everyone, but personal milestones happen and go unnoticed except for family. He sighed. He was far, far away from family, but he wasn’t alone. Jack did have friends, and that was enough for him.
Jack toyed with the idea of telling his friends, but that wasn’t the Masukaian way. It was impolite to call attention to yourself for pretty much everything, he guessed, although he would bet that stories were told in Masukaian drinking establishments. They had been kept in Ganshi’s manor for weeks and had additional months to go, so Jack didn’t know what one was like.
His whole Masukaian experience was like a birthday present. He unwrapped new knowledge every day, and he already noticed that practice was making him better.
~
“You will be able to improve your speed,” Namori told Jack as they practiced in the courtyard, while Tanner and Helen took a break. “It is a matter of training your muscles properly. It takes years for some.”
“Forever, for me,” Jack said as he went through a new end to the Masukaian form set that Namori taught him. “I’ve never been a good swordsman.”
“That is because you haven’t really tried. I can see it. I hesitate to call you lazy, but you are perhaps too casual in your approach to martial arts.”
“Casual? I never thought of it like that. I’ve generally considered myself slow and clumsy, but that might be casual to someone else.”
Namori giggled. “No. Not slow and clumsy. I will take you so far, here in my father’s house, but when you receive an initial ranking, we will go to the capital to an academy that I know of where you will learn how to augment your speed.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Not for you, but for me. When Tanner and Helen beat me, I realized that I needed to increase my proficiency. Father is letting me accompany you to Yomomai.”
Jack ruffled his longish hair. “Does this have anything to do with freeing your mother?”
Namori playfully put her finger to her lips. “It might, but Father chooses to ignore my role. He has seen us practice and feels more confident about your group’s ability to protect me.”
“He didn’t before?”
“No. Father thinks that foreigners will co
me up with a more unique solution to freeing my mother than the three times he has sent Masukaians to their deaths trying to rescue Mother.”
“And he thinks we will succeed?”
She nodded. “The others were warriors. You are a wizard-warrior, or you will become one, but you will need more training.”
“What if I don’t want to become a wizard-warrior, or what if I become one and change sides and become a Red Heron?” Jack asked.
“Oh!” Namori said, looking a bit alarmed.
Jack laughed. “That won’t happen. I’m sure the Red Herons are just like the Black Finger Society in Corand. I don’t go for forcing people to change their will.”
“They do that in Corand too?”
Jack nodded. “I don’t like it.”
She grinned and grabbed Jack’s arm, but blushed when she saw her hand around his wrist. “I am sorry.” Namori bowed deeply. She had crossed the line, but Jack hadn’t even noticed. “I am happy you are against them as much as my father is.”
“Maybe more so,” Jack said.
Tanner and Helen showed up from their break, and all continued to work on the forms.
The session was over, and Namori suggested they use the extra time for study. Jack thought it was time to have a conversation with Fasher, but first, he would communicate with Penny so he could report to his mentor how Fasher’s apprentice was doing.
He brought a textbook from the classroom in the Bright Emerald Pavilion and returned to a secluded corner of the courtyard that had a bench and lowered his shield before he attempted to contact Penny.
Penny?
For once you caught me between classes, Penny said. Have you left Taiyo yet?
No. It has only been four months. We have at least another two ahead of us. We did get our first taste of Masukaian martial arts training. They use a different philosophy in their swordplay. I think you’d like it, Jack said. You constantly move, and everything is more fluid.
Is it better than what I know?
I can’t say. Our trainer soundly thrashed me, which isn’t unusual, but she once did the same to Tanner until he caught on to what she was doing, Jack said.