The Habit of the Kingmaker

by J J Moriarty

  Shumur’s eyes lingered on Hyzou, eyeing him up.

  “What’s that word used in Uqing, for the head of the Archai? You elect a new one every year”, Shumur said.

  “Protakyrios. And there’s two of them, elected every two years”, Hyzou said.

  “The politics of Uqing must be fascinating”, Shumur said.

  “No more interesting than that of CaSu”, Hyzou said. “As in only interesting to those involved.”

  Shumur smiled politely. Hyzou could tell that he was on edge. Shumur knew exactly how much Uqing meant, and what offending an Archaier could mean to him.

  “So, my beautiful flower, what are you doing here? Why did you come to CaSu?” Shumur said to Safia.

  Safia began to speak, but Hyzou raised his right hand and she fell silent.

  “We’re here, because we’re interested in the politics of CaSu”, Hyzou said.

  Shumur frowned.

  “Is that so?” Shumur said.

  “Safia, can you explain?” Hyzou said.

  Safia leaned forward.

  “How safe is it to talk here?” Safia asked.

  “It’s my garden, isn’t it?” Shumur said.

  “We heard that you want to kill Kinzonzi Min Sfaza”, Hyzou said.

  Shumur grimaced.

  “Well it’s not safe to talk about that”, Shumur spat.

  Marrea was staring at Hyzou, mouth agape.

  “Is there somewhere safer?” Hyzou asked.

  Shumur drummed his fingers on the table.

  “I don’t know who you are, but I want nothing to do with your plots. I should report you to the Nukhba Guard”, Shumur said.

  “Father, please”, Safia said.

  Shumur looked at Safia, then narrowed his eyes.

  “How can a man turn his own daughter away?” Shumur growled. “I don’t like this.”

  “Father what’s going on?” Marrea asked.

  Shumur looked to Hyzou then Safia then back again. His scowl evaporated and a smile so false a player would have been proud split his face.

  “We’re going to have a feast tomorrow!” Shumur said.

  “Oh, really?” Marrea exclaimed. “Can I come?”

  “Yes, yes of course. You’ll get to get all dressed up”, Shumur said.

  “Sister, let me dress you for it too”, Marrea said.

  “Uh… Er…” Safia hummed.

  “You two should come as well. The feast room is entirely safe, no one can overhear anything said in there”, Shumur said.

  Safia’s face softened.

  “Thank you”, Safia said.

  “But no one can know who you really are”, Shumur said.

  “Agreed”, Safia said.

  “Can you keep a secret Marrea? Can you pretend that Safia is your cousin Magia, come to visit us from the River Cities? And that Hyzou here is her bodyguard Duck?” Shumur said.

  Hyzou frowned.

  Duck? Hyzou thought.

  Marrea nodded.

  “Good. Very good then”, Shumur said. “We’ll be having a feast then tomorrow. But for now, dinner.”

  “Duck here hasn’t had much Mujaden food”, Safia said.

  Hyzou glared at her.

  “We can use real names when we’re together like this”, Shumur said, his smile showing his golden teeth. “But what do you usually eat?”

  Hyzou shrugged.

  “Rice… Er”, Hyzou thought.

  Shumur smiled.

  “Born in the river cities, you eat like you’re from there too”, Shumur said.

  “I suppose”, Hyzou said.

  “See, in the River Cities your peoples grow in accordance with the rain. Your monsoons allow you to grow rice. Your summers are hot, and wet. Here, it rains more often in winter than in summer which can be dangerous when you’re a farmer. If a summer gets just a little too hot, or a winter just a little too dry, then all your rice will die. That’s why most plantations in the Mountain Cities don’t grow rice, we grow millet”, Shumur said.

  “You know a lot about farming for a merchant”, Hyzou said.

  “I’m a merchant, but I’m also a Patriarch. I help the King of Kings rule, and that means knowing about feeding our people”, Shumur said.

  A trapdoor opened, and slaves came up onto the roof. The first was carrying slabs of wood, and one was laid before Hyzou.

  “Instead of a bowl”, Shumur said.

  Another slave came along and slapped something that looked like a skin down on Hyzou’s slab.

  “A pancake”, Shumur said.

  Then another slave came along and left a tiny bowl beside Hyzou’s pancake.

  “Yoghurt mixed with spice”, Shumur said.

  A larger bowl was placed before Hyzou.

  “Spiced offal”, Shumur said.

  And a final plate was laid before Hyzou. He knew this one.

  “And eggs”, Shumur said.

  Hyzou soon learned what Shumur meant when he said spiced. Both the yoghurt mix, and the meat, burned Hyzou’s mouth and throat like nothing he had ever tasted before. As he ate through the food he was forced to own his envy when the heat grew to be too much, his eyes watered and sweat coated his brow. There was no way he’d show Shumur he couldn’t finish the meal.

  Finally, he finished, and tears rolled down his face.

  “Tomorrow I’ll make sure to tell the slaves to cook a variety of foods, and some that are a bit milder”, Shumur said.

  “Thank you”, Hyzou gasped.

  He looked around at Safia, who was straining slightly with the heat, and Marrea who seemed to barely be affected.

  It’s something you just must get used to. Hyzou thought.

  He was brought a cup of beer by a slave, and drained the whole thing.

  “Father”, Safia said.

  “Yes?” Shumur replied.

  Safia ran her hand over the stubble that coated her head.

  “Where’s mother?” Safia asked.

  A silence fell over the table. Hyzou looked away, feeling awkward.

  Shumur took a sup of his drink, then spoke.

  “Your mother passed away, I’m sorry”, Shumur said.

  Safia let out a brief cry, then stopped herself as soon as she began. She held her hand up to her mouth.

  “How?” Safia whispered.

  “Yes, how did mother die?” Marrea asked.

  Shumur looked uncomfortable.

  “She died giving birth”, Shumur said.

  “To me?” Marrea said.

  Shumur nodded. Now Marrea began to wail too.

  I don’t need to see this. Hyzou thought.

  “I’m going to go”, Hyzou said, and he stood.

  “The sweet is still to be eaten”, Shumur said.

  “But I need to find a boarding house for tonight”, Hyzou said.

  “A boarding house? Nonsense. You’ll be staying here with us”, Shumur said.

  “Oh, right. Well then”, Hyzou began.

  “Then you’ll stay for the sweet”, Shumur said.

  Shumur clicked his fingers in the air. A slave rushed in and removed the wooden slabs and the bowls. An uncomfortable silence pervaded, with Safia sobbing over the other side of the table.

  It continued as they ate the sweet. It was a stewed apple with porridge and honey. Hyzou ate it and made as little eye contact as possible. When all four had finished their silent sweet, Shumur stood, and introduced them to the slave that would lead him to his quarters. Marrea left first, taken to the ‘Daughter’s Chambers’ by a wizened old woman who seemed to recognise Safia. Shumur left next and finally left them with a gelding who offered them to take them to their guesthouses.

  Hyzou ignored the gelding and turned to Safia.

  “I’m sorry”, he said.

  She shook her head, as tears ran down her face.

  “She’s been dead for so long…” Safia said.

  She threw her arms around Hyzou. Hyzou felt his breath slip a notch.

  “It’s ok Safia”, Hyzou said.


  He patted her on the back.

  “I hate it here”, Safia said.

  For some reason, Hyzou wasn’t surprised to hear that at all. And for some other reason, though he didn’t quite know why, he hated it here too.

  “We’ll be in Uqing soon. Just a few weeks then we can go home”, Hyzou said.

  Hyzou felt her nod against his shoulder. He considered saying something else. He knew he should let go. But he just kept holding on to her.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Beneath a bent, blighted tree, Hyzou meditated.

  The pollen danced around him while the birds chirped above him. He didn’t own his envy, and instead stayed entirely within his physical form. He felt all his pains, his tired body, his sore mind. He tried to focus on the present, on the task before him. He knew he couldn’t be dragged into Shumur’s political games. That Shumur wanted Kinzonzi dead meant that he and Hyzou shared an objective, but no matter how well treated Hyzou was, he was an Archaier, and if he was caught, it could mean war between Uqing and CaSu.

  So Hyzou focused all his attention on Shumur, CaSu and the task ahead of him. He knew he needed to re-examine everything that had happened, just as Sparrow had taught him.

  But he couldn’t. Last night’s nightmares kept intruding. It was the same one as before, Gardem meeting with the Supreme Commander, and some starving family after that, their desolate existence stretching before them on the rice plantations of Piquea. Then the voice, that voice.

  “Hyzou”, Safia’s voice said.

  Hyzou opened his eyes, saw Safia and Marrea standing in front of him, holding hands.

  “Marrea made you something”, Safia said.

  Hyzou looked at her, looked at Marrea.

  “Give it to him”, Safia whispered.

  Marrea stepped forward shyly and held out her hand. Around her tiny palm was a tied a chain of bright green orchids.

  “It’s a crown”, Marrea mumbled.

  “You should wear it”, Safia said.

  Hyzou took it, looked up at Safia, and wondered who was in charge among the two of them.

  “You can crown me”, Hyzou said to Marrea.

  Marrea placed the chain of orchids gently on Hyzou’s brow.

  “See, I told you he wasn’t always grumpy”, Safia said.

  She hugged her sister.

  “Grumpy?” Hyzou asked.

  Safia just smiled.

  “Have you two had fun today?” Hyzou asked.

  “We spent all morning playing”, Marrea said.

  “Playing? You two were friends fast”, Hyzou said.

  “Well, you know how sisters are”, Safia said.

  Hyzou remembered one day years ago, when he had rushed out onto his street to tell all the neighbours that his mother had just given birth to a tiny girl.

  “I know how sisters are, yes”, Hyzou said.

  “Where do you come from?” Marrea asked.

  “Piquea”, Hyzou said.

  Marrea screwed her face up.

  “Piquea is ruled by Pharaoh Ganymedes”, Marrea said.

  “Do you have a tutor?” Hyzou said.

  Marrea nodded.

  “Did she teach you that?” Hyzou asked.

  Marrea nodded.

  “Hyzou doesn’t much like Pharaoh Ganymedes”, Safia said.

  Marrea looked up at her sister.

  “Why?” Marrea said.

  “Because I remember when he didn’t rule Piquea”, Hyzou said.

  “When was that?” Marrea asked.

  “You were just a tiny baby back then. It’s the last time I saw it too”, Hyzou said.

  “Who was the Pharaoh of Piquea before Ganymedes?” Marrea asked.

  “There wasn’t a Pharaoh. There was a King. King Imhotep”, Hyzou said.

  “Was he a good King?” Marrea asked.

  “He let Pharaoh Ganymedes invade. Do you think that made him a good King?” Hyzou asked.

  Marrea shook her head.

  “Marrea, look at this”, Hyzou said.

  Hyzou owned his envy. He surrounded her brain with his Qi and corrupted her sight. He made her see an explosion of colours coming out of Hyzou’s hands.

  Marrea gasped. Hyzou stopped the illusion.

  “What was that?” She asked.

  “Magic”, Hyzou said.

  “What did you do?” Safia asked.

  “The colours”, Marrea said. “Didn’t you see them?”

  Safia shook her head.

  “Magic”, Marrea said. “How do you do that?”

  “Deep within every person there is a soul. We call those souls their Qi. With enough training, if someone’s Qi is strong enough, they can use the power of their own souls to change their reality”, Hyzou said.

  “Can someone have a strong soul, and not know it?” Marrea asked.

  “They can. Like your mother”, Hyzou said.

  “My what?” Safia said, letting go of Maria.

  “Sometimes the Qi appears without it being in the bloodline, but when two sisters have it, like you two, it means it’s been passed down in blood”, Hyzou said.

  “Shumur?” Safia asked.

  “His Qi is weak. I sensed it yesterday at dinner”, Hyzou said.

  Marrea was frowning.

  “But I don’t have any of my mother’s blood”, Marrea said. “Tutor said so.”

  Hyzou was about to respond, but Hyzou saw that Safia was shaking her head.

  “CaSuan children are taught that the bull gives the calf to the heifer, and the heifer just grows it”, Safia said.

  “That must make them uniquely poor breeders”, Hyzou said.

  “What?” Marrea asked.

  “It doesn’t matter”, Hyzou said. “Do you two have brothers? Full-blooded brothers I mean, from the same… golden womb.”

  “Three brothers”, Marrea said. “We have three brothers.”

  “One older than me, and two between Marrea and I”, Safia said.

  “What are they like?” Hyzou asked.

  Safia shrugged.

  “I’ve only ever met them twice”, Safia said.

  Hyzou shook his head.

  “CaSu is strange”, Hyzou said.

  “I’ve never met them”, Marrea said.

  “Well, maybe they have a Qi as strong as yours”, Hyzou said.

  “Can you teach me to use it?” Marrea said, suddenly becoming excited.

  Behind her sister, Safia was shaking her head.

  “I already teach one Min Daborah, and one is likely enough”, Hyzou said.

  Marrea looked disappointed.

  “And you have a big future ahead of you anyway”, Safia said.

  “Maybe my husband can teach me”, Marrea said.

  “Maybe he can”, Safia said.

  “So what are you wearing tonight?” Marrea asked.

  “Wearing? I haven’t really thought about it. Armour, I suppose, if I’m supposed to be a bodyguard”, Hyzou said.

  “Armour? But Safia and I are going to get dressed up. You can’t just look like a soldier”, Marrea said.

  “Dressed up? What’s this? Safia, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything but training or travel gear”, Hyzou said.

  “Marrea is going to dress me like a proper CaSuan lady, aren’t you sweetheart?” Safia said.

  “We’re doing it together. Only Safia doesn’t have enough hair to braid”, Marrea said.

  “Everything but the hair, I do have”, Safia said.

  “I look forward to seeing it”, Hyzou said.

  Silence fell, but it was punctured soon by Marrea, asking Hyzou questions all about Uqing.

  They kept talking together until the afternoon began to fade into evening, and an old woman came to find Marrea and tell her she had to get ready.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Please, meet Duck”, Shumur said.

  There were only four or five revellers here so far, men and women reclining in strange looking yellow seats. They all stopped what they were doing and eyed
Hyzou up and down.

  “Duck? What kind of name is that?” A bearded man asked.

  Hyzou shrugged.

  “Not the given kind”, Hyzou said.

  “What do you do?” A woman said.

  “I am Magia’s bodyguard”, Hyzou said.

  “A bodyguard? But where is Magia? It’s a poor bodyguard that loses his quarry”, the bearded man said.

  “Magia decided to get ready with her cousin Marrea. She is under the security of Patriarch Shumur. I trust that she will be safe”, Hyzou said.

  “And indeed she will, Duck. Now, I must speak to you”, Shumur said.

  “You must?” Hyzou asked.

  “Come, sit beside me”, Shumur said.

  He gestured to the empty space on the bench beside him. Hyzou walked past each of the guests and sat beside Shumur.

  “Musicians! Begin!” Shumur said.

  From each corner of the room, lyre players began plucking at their strings, and the noise level was raised. Shumur sat in silence, and four more guests arrived.

  “Now the room is loud. So loud that no one can overhear us, if we speak gently”, Shumur said.

  Four geldings entered the room. They began to dance before the guests. Behind them a large drummer entered, and the lyre players came to the front of the room too. The cacophony distracted everyone in the room.

  “Won’t some of your guests wonder what we have to talk about?” Hyzou asked.

  “They think I’m asking about spice routes”, Shumur said.

  “You sell money, why do you care about spice routes?” Hyzou asked.

  “The merchant must know only the goods he sells, but the financier must know everything about all business. Finance makes Kings, Hyzou of Nuyin. It truly is a force of nature”, Shumur said.

  “If you say so”, Hyzou said.

  “Oh, I know what you Servants think. This all-powerful Qi”, Shumur said.

  “We do think it rather important”, Hyzou said.

  “And I agree, that’s why I gave you my daughter. Do you know how valuable my daughter’s hand in marriage would be? I forsake that all to give her the chance to gain real power. To realise her potential. For the rest of us though, who aren’t quite as mystic as you, money is the greatest force in this world”, Shumur said.

  “You love her, don’t you?” Hyzou asked.

  “Safia? I love my daughters more than anything else in this world. Even more than my sons”, Shumur said.

  “That’s touching”, Hyzou said.