by J J Moriarty
I wish I had some ekstasis. Hyzou thought.
Then he remembered that Safia couldn’t use her Qi, so it wouldn’t help anyway.
Eventually, after ten or so minutes, the moneylender returned.
“Please, come inside”, the man said.
Hyzou heard the heavy latch on the other side of the door open and be pulled inside. A further corridor opened up in front of them, blocked by one of the giant guards. The guard bowed, turned on his heel and walked down the corridor.
“Follow my companion, if you will”, the man said.
Hyzou did so. This corridor was even darker, there was no lighting anywhere, and Hyzou had to own his envy and use his Qi to correctly follow the guard. The guard moved slowly, but the corridor twisted and turned and diverged with others. Finally, they reached a set of stairs and Hyzou began to climb. With each step, the surroundings grew brighter. Hyzou realised that there was a light at the end of the climb.
They came out of the stairs, up onto a balcony. The balcony looked over a gigantic pit in the centre of the building. The pit was full of people, milling about like ants. The noise from them rose in waves, a hundred different things in a hundred different tongues. Hyzou thought he even heard some Piquean. Despite the different tongues and conversations however, Hyzou could tell that they were only talking about one thing. Business. Snaking away from the pit were hundreds of stairs and balconies just like the one Hyzou was currently standing on.
The guard led them along the balcony, past two heavy doors and on to a third much lighter one. The guard rapped lightly. The door opened up. A young boy stepped forward from the darkness and bowed. The guard left.
“Come in”, a voice said, from deep inside the room.
The boy, who was a gelding, stepped aside to let them in.
The room was long and poorly lit. It ended in a desk, where an aged gelding sat in front of a dimmed lamp. The gelding’s chair was plush, and it rested its feet on a dusty footstool. At its right hand stood a little girl, whose face was covered by a heavy hood.
“Pour our friends some spirits”, the eunuch said.
Safia bowed her head, so Hyzou did the same.
“Come, take a seat. I am Zaeem Abrushi”, the eunuch said.
Safia looked at Hyzou.
She wants me to speak. Hyzou thought.
Attempting his best CaSuan, Hyzou did so.
“I am foreign in these parts, and this is my ward. She is a native CaSuan”, Hyzou said.
Abrushi’s face lit up.
“Is this your first time in CaSu?” Abrushi asked.
Hyzou nodded.
“It is”, Hyzou said.
“You have that shocked look in your eyes. Like you’ve just been to the underworld. Where are you from, may I ask?” Abrushi asked.
“Piquea”, Hyzou said.
“But if you are a mercenary so far from home, I must assume that you are no friend of Pharaoh Ganymedes. Are you an exile?” Abrushi said.
“Is that important?” Hyzou asked.
“No. And yes. The Pharaoh may be a long way away from here, but his enemies have a horrible habit of dying. That makes them poor debtors”, Abrushi said.
“I left Piquea long ago. My loyalties lie elsewhere today”, Hyzou said.
Abrushi nodded.
“To your ward?” Abrushi asked.
Hyzou looked to Safia.
“I’ve promised to protect her. It is my service”, Hyzou said.
“But you have not been pruned”, Abrushi said.
“Pruned? I have not yet learned this word”, Hyzou said.
“Castrated. Gelded”, Abrushi said.
“No, you’re the only gelding in this room”, Hyzou said.
“What kind of father would let his daughter spend time with a man who has not been pruned?” Abrushi said. “Her honour is her only worth. No aristocrat would let you within a mile of their daughter.”
“I assure you, my discipline is immaculate”, Hyzou said.
Abrushi’s eyes flashed.
“Yours may be, but hers will not. It is the purpose of the heifer to poison the bull”, Abrushi said.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Hyzou asked.
“You’re a liar. You both are liars”, Abrushi said.
Safia looked at him. Hyzou’s breath quickened.
“Liars?” Hyzou asked.
“It is believable that an aristocrat be too old to come to the House of Daborah. It is just within the realms of possibility that he would send a daughter instead of a son. No CaSuan would leave his daughter with a man who has not been pruned”, Abrushi said.
Hyzou didn’t know what to do. He looked at Safia, hoping she had answer, but her face was blanker than his.
“But there is no need to worry. You are here under false pretences, and so I must assume that you are here for a reason. If you have come to try and defraud the House of Daborah of money, you should know that the price for that is death”, Abrushi said.
Hyzou reached down underneath his cloak, found the pommel of his sword. Abrushi reached over to his side, picked up a large grey urn. He held it over his bald head.
“If I drop this, the dust inside will, in a manner of seconds, change the colour of a painted strip outside my door. That will summon guards in their hundreds. Within a minute you’ll be trapped”, Abrushi said.
Hyzou reached out with his Qi, surrounded Abrushi with it. Abrushi couldn’t sense it, but Hyzou was a second away from controlling Abrushi’s every movement.
“I’ll give you a chance”, Abrushi said. “Explain yourselves.”
Safia stepped forward, in front of Hyzou, and just a few feet from Abrushi’s face.
“Bring me to Shumur”, she said.
Abrushi grinned.
“Is that your plan? Pretend you’re here on some mysterious quest that can only be explained to Shumur?” Abrushi asked.
“No. I’m here to see Shumur”, Safia said.
“Well he’s not here. So if that’s all…” Abrushi began.
“Lies”, Safia said.
“What did you say to me?” Abrushi said.
Anger spasmed across the gelding’s face.
“Shumur comes here every day. He oversees business, every day. He sees it as his duty”, Safia said.
“So you know Shumur, is that supposed to save you?” Abrushi asked.
“No, but he knows me too. Bring him to see me, he’ll be pleased to see me, I tell you”, Safia said.
“You’re lying, and I’m afraid that this is not good enough. If this is all you’re offering me I’m afraid that it just won’t do. You must wait here, a guard will be with you soon”, Abrushi said.
“Wait!” Safia said.
Hyzou prepared to subsume Abrushi’s consciousness, to stop him from dropping the urn.
“Please, you can’t turn us over. Just take us to Shumur, you’ll see”, Safia said.
“Give me one reason why”, Abrushi said.
“I can’t. Please”, Safia said.
Abrushi shrugged.
“Very well”, Abrushi said.
Abrushi went to drop the urn. Then he looked in surprise over at his left hand, which still held the urn. He’d lost control of all his left arm.
“What is this?” Abrushi said.
Abrushi leaned over with his right hand in order to knock the urn over. His right hand froze just in front of his body. He looked up, his eyes alight with fear.
“Sorcerers. Demons”, Abrushi said.
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let you drop that urn”, Hyzou said. “I’ll just let you put it back where it was.”
Hyzou manipulated Abrushi’s figure, forcing him to gently place the urn back on its table, and then stand to attention.
Hyzou looked over at Safia. Her eyes were wide with shock.
“I’d heard you could do that, but I didn’t really believe it. So easily, too”, Safia said. “How powerful are you?”
“Do you know where your fa
ther is?” Hyzou asked.
“No. Well, I know where his quarters are. He’ll be there sometime today”, Safia said.
Behind him, Hyzou sensed the young gelding at the door reach for the handle. Hyzou let it just open the door, then he forced his will onto it.
“I should probably control you too”, Hyzou said to the young girl.
He forced his will onto her, and made her walk to the end of the room and stand beside the gelding.
“Come, Abrushi. We’re going for a walk. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine in a few hours. It’s a strange sensation, but you’ll be quite alright”, Hyzou said.
Abrushi stepped forward and left the room, flanked by the two children.
“You’re controlling three people?” Safia asked.
“Bring us to your father’s room”, Hyzou said.
Safia left the room, out onto the landing. Hyzou made Abrushi and the two children remain in front of them, exactly as they would if they were actually leading them somewhere.
“At the end of this landing is a set of stairs, do you see it?” Safia whispered.
Hyzou nodded and directed the three to lead them towards it. Though Abrushi got some strange looks, no one tried to talk to him. The Zaeem clearly had enough authority to do as he wished within the House.
Safia led them along that balcony and then up another flight of stairs. So they went, onwards up five floors, until they finally reached the top of the house.
“We’re on the wrong side”, Safia whispered.
She gestured towards a bridge. There was a heavyset gelding guarding the entrance to the bridge.
“Abrushi. What are you doing?” The guard asked them.
Clearly it’s not normal for a Zaeem to bring guests to Shumur. Hyzou thought.
But Hyzou wasn’t bothered, he just forced his will onto the guard as well and made him walk along with them.
On the rest of their journey to Shumur’s quarters, they ran into three further guards, so that by the time they reached Shumur’s door, Hyzou was controlling the movements of seven individuals. He was beginning to feel the exertion of so much pressure on his Qi.
Abrushi knocked loudly on Shumur’s door. It was a gigantic round construction of expensive looking wood. It swung inside after a minute or so, and a hunchbacked man poked his head out of the gap in the wall.
“Abrushi. This is unusual. What do you want?”
Hyzou looked at Safia.
“That him?” Hyzou asked.
Safia shook her head. Hyzou rolled his eyes and assumed control of the hunchbacked attendee as well. Hyzou began to shake with the strain. The man stepped aside, let them inside. Hyzou, Safia, and their entourage entered the room. It was well lit, lamps on every side of it.
Hyzou didn’t need to be told that the man sitting at the end of the room was Shumur. Perhaps it was how he sat, or the fact that his appearance was one of wealth and the good health that went with that. Whatever it was, he reminded Hyzou of Pharaoh Ganymedes. This was a man ready to see his will become law before his own eyes.
“What is this?” A man at Shumur’s right said.
Safia stepped forward from among them, and Hyzou saw Shumur’s eyes widen.
“How?” Shumur whispered.
“Please, before we speak. I had to trick my way up here, and all these people with me, they’re here against their will. My being here must be secret, so they can’t tell anyone, they can’t comment on this. No one can know. Please”, Safia said.
Shumur didn’t even pause. He just stood and clapped his hands. Imagining it safe, Hyzou released the eight of them from the bonds he had placed upon their will. They gasped, all of them, and the children let out a scream.
“Silence!” Shumur said, raising his voice.
It was as if a god had willed it, a deathly quiet set in on the room.
“I’m sorry you were all involved in this. But you will forget everything about this woman. You will not speak of her to each other, or to anyone else, you shall not even think about her again. In return I shall give each of you a promotion. Should you disobey my will you will be disobeying the Daborah family and shall have forfeited your life”, Shumur said.
All nine of the individuals bowed low. They didn’t need to respond, Shumur had not been making an offer.
“Now go”, Shumur said.
They all did so, even the men who had been at Shumur’s side. Only when they had gone did Shumur’s face split with a smile.
“Oh, I’ve missed you”, Shumur said.
“Father”, Safia said.
“Come here”, he said.
He leaned forwards and grabbed Safia, planted a kiss on each of her cheeks.
“And who are you?” Shumur said.
“This is Hyzou. He’s my teacher”, Safia said. “He’s from Uqing.”
Shumur nodded to Hyzou, and Hyzou nodded back in return.
“Have you two got something to do for the day?” Shumur asked.
The question took Hyzou back, but Safia just shrugged. There was no urgency in his voice.
“Great. This evening come to my home, you remember it, right? You haven’t been gone for that long, have you?” Shumur said.
“I remember it father”, Safia said.
Shumur smiled.
“Good. Very good. I’m busy now, but tonight you must tell me everything about you. Oh, how I’ve missed you”, Shumur said.
“I’ve missed you too”, Safia said.
“Good. Tonight it is then. Tonight it is”, Shumur said.
When they left Shumur’s quarters a few minutes later, the hunchbacked man and a guard were there waiting outside. Neither of them looked Hyzou in the eye.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
She looks so determined. Hyzou thought.
He was going to ask Safia if she felt alright going ahead with this, but he knew she wouldn’t take the question well. All afternoon she had been overtaken by a horrible illness, vomiting and shivering for hours. Yet she had refused to cancel the dinner. So Hyzou let her sleep for a few hours while he explored CaSu. That seemed to do just enough for her.
They were expected, and at a set of expensive gates an oily gelding bowed before them.
“Please, follow me”, the gelding said.
Hyzou did so. He was led through the heavy bronze gates, and into the garden sheltered behind tall dark walls.
“It’s beautiful”, Hyzou said.
The bushes were in blossom as far as the eye could see. Rows of them crowded their path, and the gentle breeze blew pink petals before them as they walked.
“Wait until you see the main garden”, Safia said.
Hyzou stepped around a large swan.
“You will be eating in this building just ahead of us here”, the gelding said.
“I hardly expected Shumur to lay out the feast hall just for us. Dining for three it’s a bit excessive”, Safia said.
“There will be four dining tonight, my lady”, the gelding said.
Hyzou frowned.
“My father is bringing an advisor?” Safia said.
“No, my lady, Marrea is dining too”, the gelding said.
“Who’s Marrea?” Safia asked
“The Patriarch shall introduce you, it is not my place”, the gelding said.
The gelding led them up a small path that peeled off their own. It ended at a small, ornate looking building, surrounded by luscious pample trees. The building had a large set of steps outside of it, fashioned out of wood.
“Please, if you would go upstairs, the Patriarch awaits you”, the gelding said.
Safia climbed the stairs ahead of Hyzou. On one of the higher steps her footing gave way and she tripped. Hyzou grabbed her, and she righted herself. They reached the roof.
Aside from two children waiting to serve them, there were two people on the roof of the building. There was Shumur, now dressed in a long, flowing, purple gown. Sitting at his right hand was a child, a girl. She looked just like a younger Safia. Where Safia ha
d shaved her head, this girl’s hair was very long, growing down below her waist.
Shumur stood and spoke.
“Safia. This is Marrea. She’s your…”
“…sister”, Safia finished.
The little girl flashed a smile up at Safia.
“Full blooded sister. She came from the golden womb”, Shumur said.
Hyzou raised an eyebrow at that phrase, but no one was looking at him.
“I’ve got a sister”, Safia said.
“Your mother was heartbroken when you left. She’d lost her only daughter”, Shumur said.
“So you made a new one”, Safia said.
“Safia”, Hyzou said.
“I’m sorry. That sounded much worse than I meant it to. Hello sister”, Safia said, and she went over and placed her arms around Marrea.
Marrea hugged her sister back.
Looking up from his two daughters, Shumur looked at Hyzou.
“I’m sorry, we haven’t been introduced. I’m Shumur Min Daborah. And you are?” Shumur said.
“Hyzou of Nuyin”, Hyzou said.
Shumur walked over and took Hyzou’s hand. He planted a kiss on Hyzou’s fingers.
“And you come from Uqing? It’s been years since I’ve heard word of my daughter”, Shumur said.
“Uqing expects our whole loyalty”, Safia said.
Shumur sat down.
“Of course, of course. And you are my daughter, I would expect no less of you”, Shumur said. “Have you two been married?”
Safia blushed.
“No… We”, Safia began.
“I’m her teacher”, Hyzou said.
“Her teacher? But you look nigh on the same age”, Shumur said.
“Close enough”, Hyzou said, and he sat down too.
“Hyzou is an Archaier”, Safia said.
Shumur’s eyes widened with surprise.
“Now that’s something I didn’t expect. I’ve met several Archaiers in my life, and all had very grey hair”, Shumur said.
“They tend to be old, yes”, Hyzou said.
“Forgive me. I’ve been speaking to you all this time like you’re just a common mercenary, not the leader of a Crown City. Not a man of political power”, Shumur said.
“Please, I’m not here in my role as an Archaier. Uqing doesn’t know where I am”, Hyzou said.