by Duncan, Dave
Iron Spur’s voice gave the password.
“We will continue in the morning,” the Emperor told his secretary. “Enter!”
Ash Staff obediently corked his ink bottle and put his tools away in his scribe’s box.
The general entered and bowed. It had taken two weeks to train him not to kowtow out here in the field. He was very effective as a leader, Iron Spur. His men adored him, and he organized their fodder and comfort meticulously so he could drive them hard. Quite likely, he was a very able tactician, but a strategist, probably not. Butterfly Sword tended to think of him as “Young” Iron Spur, although he must have at least five years on Butterfly Sword himself.
“Greetings, Supreme Guardian. I haven’t seen you smile like that in a month. You have good news.”
“Indeed, yes, Your Majesty! The learned governor completely confirms what your imperial wisdom had already discerned. The great Fish Moon Earthquake did dam the Golden River just downstream from Wedlock, and when the river did escape from its chains, it indeed displayed its anger with a great flood, but its fury abated downstream. Many vessels are now riding its vast waters again untroubled.”
So now it was safe to bathe? Mustn’t say so, mustn’t make jokes. At times, Butterfly Sword had to restrain himself from sharing confidences with Iron Spur, for he was not in on the great conspiracy. His grandfather First Mandarin would not have told him that he was to serve a phony Emperor, because if the deception were ever revealed, all those in the know would face the death of a thousand cuts, or worse. Only Butterfly Sword, First Mandarin, and “Empress” Snow Lily knew the truth—plus Gray Sister Lark and unknown members of the Gray Order, of course.
“Let us drink together to celebrate your news.”
Of course, the general had to unwrap the flask from its cooling wet wrappings and fill the goblets. He even had to drink first, to show that it was not poisoned—or if it were, that he was not party to the fact.
It didn’t seem to be. Butterfly Sword took a swig.
“And has the noble governor any vessel he might put at our disposal?”
“Indeed he had, sire! The Starlight Dream, a recently commissioned but well-tested paddleboat scheduled to leave tomorrow laden with rice for the stricken lands. He promised to continue coal loading through the night and have accommodation arranged for us on board.”
Had Iron Spur hinted that his party included a very important person he must not name? Had he threatened force? Or was the governor just a loyal servant of the throne? Stranger things could happen, but not often.
“Is he dispatching the food for charity or to make a profit on the famine prices upstream, do you know?”
Iron Spur smiled respectfully. “He implied the first, sire, and the truth should be available when we arrive near the disaster.”
“Wherever the truth lies, we will hold him up as an example to others. And once we are safely afloat and on our way, I think the noble Starlight Dream should fly our imperial flag, so that the people may know we are attending to our duties.”
And if the Emperor ever did manage to catch up with his lost army, he could appropriate more ships, load his troops on board, and sail them up the Golden and Jade Rivers to Cherish, which he hoped to reach in time to intercept the Bamboo Banner. But that would depend on events.
“What did the governor say about the passage of our army through Jiading?”
“He was reticent, sire, but I believe your orders against looting and uncompensated expropriation were not fully carried out. Evidence for a court-martial could be readily obtained hereabouts.”
“I will have Ash Staff collect some statements before we sail. You have other news?” Butterfly Sword could read Iron Spur quite easily now. He was fairly sure that the warrior’s loyalty had ripened from duty to sincere respect. Yet how many Emperors had died believing such improbabilities?
“His Excellency reported some news of the Bamboo Banner, reports he had received from Jingyan Province. The governor there is convinced that the rebel rank and file have all been addicted to yang leaf, sire. That might explain some of their alleged miracles.”
“Inform us about yang.”
“A narcotic, sire, grown in tropical lands. It dulls pain, makes the user both gullible and submissive. Apparently, Bamboo has been doping all his followers with it. The governor personally questioned some prisoners—three of them, all skinny as ferrets and raving imbeciles from yang withdrawal. They begged him to put them to death, Your Majesty. He refused to oblige traitors, and just chained them up in public to starve. Which did not take them long, regrettably.”
“And where is Bamboo getting this invidious yang?”
“That we do not know, but he cannot have an unlimited supply.”
“You mean that his army may explode into thousands of raving lunatics swarming in all directions?”
“As Your Majesty says.” Even yet, Iron Spur had not quite adjusted to the idea that Emperors sometimes had brains.
“Would that be an improvement?”
“It would be a shame, if Your Celestial Majesty will forgive my saying so, to come all this way and not find anyone to fight.”
“Spoken like a true warrior. You may pour more wine.”
The collapse of the Bamboo Banner into a crazy rabble would not be the worst of events for the Son of the Sun himself, but it might be harder on the Gentle People than a straightforward military massacre. The Empress Mother had never said that running an empire was easy.
Chapter 16
When the new road up to Goat Haven became passable, Silky gave strict orders that all visitors must be carefully vetted at the lower checkpoint. Strangers would be turned away. He set the guard roster, making sure that at least one longtime resident and one Gray Helper were always present to vouch for those he would allow in. Moreover, the upper-level guards were to notify him as soon as anyone was seen coming up the hill.
For the first few days, only strangers appealed for admittance and the lower guards allowed none of them through. About noon on the third day, he was told that two horsemen were on their way up, and replied he would be there to meet them when they arrived. He had been working on a better version of the affidavit that made him rightful owner of Goat Haven, but he hid that away and wandered outside to enjoy the fine summer sunshine.
He was delighted to see that the report had been in error, and that the leading rider was Plum Blossom, his accomplice from Wedlock. She was thinner and showed signs of prolonged stress, which she was making no effort to dissemble. Behind her came a youngster from the Cherish abbey, whom Silky remembered as Noodles, as he had once been Tug. Silky stood at the upper gate to welcome them, backed by half a dozen guards, all of them Goat Haven men.
“Your Highness!” Plum Blossom slid from her saddle and dropped to her knees. “We were so worried that you might have perished in the earthquake.”
Noodles joined her. One of the lower guards at the moment was Watersprite, who would have dropped enough hints to bring the newcomers up-to-date on the situation.
Silky laughed and urged them to rise. “And I rejoice that two such worthy retainers have been spared. Are there any more of our company alive?”
“Another five, Your Highness. We found shelter about two hours’ ride away. We have been anxiously waiting to see whether you and Prince Luminous Aspect were safe!”
“Alas, he ascended the ladder of worlds in the disaster, as did my esteemed father, Sky Hammer. Can you”—he turned to Noodles—“I confess I have forgotten your name, warrior.”
“North Star, Your Highness.”
“Can you ride back and bring the others?” An extra seven supporters in Goat Haven would practically guarantee that Silky could survive any effort to evict him.
Making a good show of deference, North Star asked if he might eat first.
“Of course. How thoughtless of me! An
d do the others have horses?” Silky quickly ordered that North Star be conducted to the kitchens, be well fed, and then be provided with three horses and a sack of rice to take with him. He also ordered a meal for Plum Blossom to be brought to his study and led her there.
The moment the door closed behind them, he kissed her with intimations of serious intent. They had been sex partners since they were children copying the big folk. She would be a welcome change from Watersprite, but her response was less fervent than he had hoped for.
When they broke apart, he said, “How are you?”
“Very weary.” Plum Blossom sank gratefully onto a divan. “Weeks and weeks of just me and six Brothers?”
“Still, nice work if you can get it.”
“Nice work if you don’t have a broken collarbone.”
“Cherish must have been hit very hard?”
“You haven’t heard? Totally flattened: the House of Joyful Departure, your house, everything. The abbess died of her injuries. General Scarlet Meadow … The docks and all the shipping, too. Hasn’t Verdant arrived?”
No, nor Thunderbot. Demons take the abbess—who cared about her? Silky shook his head and sat down to hear the worst.
“Last I saw of her, she was riding away with Silkworm and Walnut Shell. It was a miracle all three of them were outdoors and escaped the calamity. With my broken collarbone, I couldn’t go with her, but I told her where you were.”
Silky was surprised at how dismayed he felt at the prospect of never seeing Verdant again. He had won power and fortune beyond his dreams, and yet it felt strangely empty without her to share it. Even if she had come in search of him—and he knew that it was far more likely that she had headed off back to Wedlock—then she must have starved to death on his doorstep with all the thousands of others. To have lost her to the earthquake—well, that was the will of Heaven. For some reason, it hurt much more to know that she had survived the cataclysm and then perished in the chaos.
“Any news of Wedlock?”
Plum Blossom shrugged. “Wedlock has gone completely, so they say, at least all the old town. The Golden River backed up and made a lake of it. Now the water level has started to drop, so the flood is moving downstream to claim more victims.” She smirked. “So we’re free! Nobody knows our leashes anymore.”
“That’s right,” he said, although he knew her leash. The Abbot had told Brother Luminous before they left Wedlock, and Luminous had later told Silky.
Only a couple of ranch hands were admitted during the next few days—no one of any importance, older men greeted with hysterical joy by their wives. Then came news that a party of five was on the way up, and that moved Silky to reinforce the guard at the upper gate. By the time he arrived there, the five had reached the steep slope at the top, so he couldn’t see their faces until they were right at the gate.
He recognized the first one instantly as the former Happy, one of his childhood friends in the Wedlock House, one of the two who had taught him to wash corpses on his very first day. When he had been assigned, his client had named him Chariot Driver. They both stayed in character, of course, Chariot Driver dismounting and bowing to Prince Silk Hand.
Right behind him came Tooth, that other teacher of corpse washing, later renamed Specter. His eyes lit up on seeing Silky, but he copied Chariot Driver’s lead.
So Silky had gained two good men who would support him in his control over Goat Haven. And right behind them was Niello, another contemporary, and in her case, a very early sex partner. The fact that all three had made their way here suggested that their clients had all died in the disaster.
The third rider was another woman: Verdant! She had survived after all—weather-beaten and thinner, certainly, but smiling and apparently uninjured! But, alas, no Thunderbot? Small wonder. All babies were vulnerable, and the poor little tyke could have had little chance in the sort of catastrophe Plum Blossom had described. Verdant could give him more children. No pretense of royalty with her: It was with great delight that he held out his arms to catch her as she slid down from the saddle.
“Darling!” He kissed her passionately. She responded with an enthusiasm she had not displayed since very early in their marriage. When they broke free, it was to mouth all the predictable platitudes about missing you, it being wonderful to see … and so on. Then another long kiss.
“Silkworm?” he asked eventually.
“He’s safe.”
“No! Really?”
“Yes, really. I left him with a woman who lost a child in the earthquake. I can lead you right to him.”
“And you will! I’ll take a troop along and we’ll reunite him by force if we have to. Where—” Silky suddenly became aware of a vaguely familiar, but peculiarly revolting miasma. Looking past Verdant, he met the unwelcome smile of the Brother Archives from Wedlock.
“Oh, darling,” Verdant said, “this is the Honorable Pearl White 11, from Wedlock. He rescued me from— Is something wrong?”
“Of course not! This is indeed an honor and a pleasure, Your Excellency.”
But plenty was wrong. Brother Archives had trained Silky and would expect to continue outranking him even if he was claiming to be the Emperor himself, let alone a mountain warlord. He had always been renowned for his memory, able to quote anything recorded in the house’s annals without having to look it up. He would not have forgotten Silky’s leash, so Silky must be very careful never to be alone with him. A tragic fall over the cliff edge might be justified.
“The pleasure is entirely mine, my lord,” Brother Archives said with a toxic laugh. The glint in his eye indicated that he was speaking the truth, for once.
At the back of the gathering crowd, Plum Blossom must have seen the danger, because she looked aghast.
But that problem could wait. The importance of the moment was that Verdant was back. Silky barked orders that the phony Pearl White 11 had to be assigned a room and made welcome as an honored guest. Likewise, his retainers were to be fed and housed. Then Silky wrapped an arm around Verdant and led her to his bedroom, where they could cuddle and kiss in private. It had been Sky Rider’s, so it was large and commanded a fine view of the hills and the icy mountains beyond. Something would have to be done about the furniture, but that could wait for another day.
“I was such a fool. I should have ridden right here—”
“But you would have died! There was no way up the hill then. Your ancestors guided you. You were very fortunate that you were even allowed in today.” Silky had just realized that the Gray Helper currently in charge of the lower guard post had been Mercy, who could not have recognized Verdant had she arrived alone. Nor would he have recognized any of the Wedlock crowd with her, but the Gray Helpers had signals to identify one another.
Silky brought out wine and settled beside her on his couch. They drank together while they exchanged stories. He told of how Luminous and Sky Rider had fallen to their deaths.
“So Heaven gave you Goat Haven?”
“It felt like that.”
“You always claimed you didn’t have any ancestors to worship. I think that you do and they are looking after you very well!”
“Indeed they are.”
“You didn’t have to kill anyone to get it all?” Verdant had a very steely eye at times, but there must be no lies between them now.
“He was dying anyway. I put him out of his pain, is all. And everyone else just wanted a leader. I saved them from chaos.”
“Good for you, my lord. That is what aristocrats are for.”
“And your ancestors protected you from harm?” He topped up her goblet.
Verdant admitted that Walnut Shell had raped her before abandoning her. Silky had already guessed that, for she was a very desirable woman and even Plum Blossom had grumbled that Walnut Shell was a greedy lover. But at least the man had helped Verdant escape from the shattered city, and had
left her at a village, not alone in the empty hills.
“And they gave you shelter in return for Silkworm?”
“I had to work for my keep.” She hesitated, then smiled. “I was worthy of you, darling. I collected corpses.”
Yes, that was funny in retrospect, but he would not have expected her to see the humor in such a grisly situation. He laughed and hugged her again. Their reunion ought to be moving rapidly toward coition, but her pregnancy was probably too far advanced for that.
But then Verdant narrated her escape by boat and the assault by a total stranger while she slept. Silky’s amorous mood changed, he felt his dander rising. That was cause for retribution, but how to find the brute?
“Again I was worthy, dear.”
“What do you mean?”
“I stuck a knife in him and killed him. Can you forgive me?”
“Forgive you? I worship you! I adore you!”
Ever since the night when he had pretended to climb up to her window to seduce her, he had known she was a determined woman, but this was stupendous. She was warrior, tigress, vengeance of Heaven! They embraced again. The wine was taking effect. Unable to wait longer, Silky scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. She did not protest; she made approving sounds.
He had barely begun to undress her when the door flew open, and Specter burst in.
“Scat!” Silky said. “I’m busy.”
But Specter came running with Chariot Driver right behind him. Too late Silky saw the danger. He leaped off the bed, dagger flashing into his hand. A Gray Brother could trounce two laymen anytime, never two Gray Brothers. Friends, yes, but they had been enslaved by Brother Archives. Specter threw a mugful of tea in Silky’s face, and Chariot struck his hand to make it drop the knife. Then they grabbed his arms.
Brother Archives strode into the room. Ugly the rock, but beautiful the ripples spread. … Jade and garnet, summer dawn.
Silky screamed. His captors released him, and he toppled to the ground, writhing in agony.