by J J Moriarty
Shumur chuckled.
“Now, to business”, Shumur said.
“Tell me about this change in religion in CaSu”, Hyzou said.
“You heard about that?” Shumur said.
“It’s a big deal, isn’t it?” Hyzou asked.
“The biggest change in the city in decades. Maybe centuries”, Shumur said.
“How do people feel about it?” Hyzou asked.
“They don’t know. Not even all the Patriarchs know yet. How do you know this, by the way?” Shumur asked.
“Magic”, Hyzou said.
Shumur snorted.
“I hope that’s not true”, Shumur said.
“It’s not”, Hyzou said.
“Very well then. Don’t tell me. But here we are, the city is peaceful, and it doesn’t know it’s about to be ripped open. This is serious”, Shumur said.
“CaSu seems to be anything but peaceful”, Hyzou said.
“Oh, it’s peaceful. If you ever saw it when it’s angry, or in civil war, you’d understand”, Shumur said.
“Is that a risk? Civil war?” Hyzou said.
Shumur sighed.
“Yes, I’m afraid so. Kinzonzi Min Sfaza means to strike using the element of surprise. He will have soldiers ransack the Temples throughout the city, have them all converted over to the cult of Thanatis”, Shumur said. “It’ll be violent, and violence always begets violence.”
“Why? Why is he doing this?” Hyzou asked.
“Kinzonzi Min Sfaza was shown the light at a young age. Long before he grew to become the King of Kings, he was introduced to the teachings of the God of Thanatis. You would have to meet the man, but he is deeply paranoid, and neurotic. He fears death, more than anything, and from a young age has felt that the only way he could find any salvation was through serving Thanatis”, Shumur said.
“How long has he been planning this?” Hyzou asked.
“Decades. What you’ve to understand about the King of Kings is that he isn’t a fool. He never has been. Kinzonzi may be devoted to his faith, and truly believe that the only salvation to the torment within his mind is through Thanatis’ will, but he has other motives too”, Shumur said.
“What do you mean?” Hyzou asked.
“It’s always said that Kinzonzi is just a puppet for Thanatis’ Temple. But Kinzonzi’s uncle is in charge of the Temple, and he was put there by the King of Kings himself. For decades now Kinzonzi has been donating land, and resources to the Priests of Thanatis, but they’ve been making the Sfaza family rich too. The Sfaza family has infiltrated Thanatis’ Temple, and therefore, it really is just an extension of their family. By removing the other gods from CaSu, Kinzonzi is really only acting to ensure that the Sfaza family grow stronger”, Shumur said.
“The Anarchy, didn’t CaSu change the King of Kings during the Anarchy?” Hyzou asked.
Shumur nodded.
“I helped finance the Sfaza family’s takeover of power. They did control the throne before the Anarchy, but it was in partnership with two other families. The civil war involved the Sfaza family seizing total control”, Shumur said.
“Why are you so uneasy then? Kinzonzi seems like an ally of yours”, Hyzou said.
“Our relationship has become… Strained”, Shumur said.
“Why?” Hyzou asked.
“Kinzonzi imagined that Safia would marry his firstborn, and he was ill-pleased to hear that she was going to Uqing. I’ve made quite a bit of money competing with his interests too”, Shumur said.
“Forgive me, but it sounds like you two are still on good terms”, Hyzou said.
“We are, but he must be stopped. This manoeuvre he has planned goes too far, much too far”, Shumur said. “Don’t you agree?”
“Does my opinion matter?” Hyzou asked.
“Well I wonder what made you want to join with me. Why does the Archai care about Kinzonzi Min Sfaza?” Shumur said.
“And I thought I told you, this isn’t about the Archai. It’s me, and my decision. I’m acting on my own”, Hyzou said.
“Do Archaiers do that?” Shumur said.
Hyzou sighed. But he had an idea.
“They do when piety is at stake”, Hyzou said.
Shumur leaned forward.
“You’re doing this… For religious reasons?” Shumur asked.
“You know how close Uqing is to the gods”, Hyzou said.
“You’re a madman”, Shumur said. “And you’re in charge of my daughter.”
Hyzou chuckled this time.
“You can’t put a price on faith”, Hyzou said. “Perhaps that’s what scares you Shumur.”
“I think we should stop talking”, Shumur said. “A man such as you would be as likely to kill me as you are to kill Kinzonzi.”
“I shouldn’t think so. And you ought not to worry. Much like the Sfaza family have here with the Priests of Thanatis, I also have an interest in certain Priests”, Hyzou said.
Shumur relaxed.
“You should just have said”, Shumur said.
“I’m easier to work with because I’m corrupt?” Hyzou said.
“You are. There’s nothing worse than a Paladin. At least I know now that you won’t turn around after having killed Kinzonzi, and kill me”, Shumur said.
“I couldn’t see why I’d want to. I just couldn’t have monotheism catching on, even so far away from the River Cities. It might give people some ideas”, Hyzou said.
“And that would disrupt your business?” Shumur asked.
Hyzou nodded.
“Thank you for telling me that”, Shumur said. “Perhaps we will make good partners.”
“If we’re going to make good partners you should be at least as honest”, Hyzou said.
“I don’t understand”, Shumur said.
“Do you, or don’t you, plan to assume the Kingship after Kinzonzi is dead?” Hyzou asked.
Shumur’s face was impassive. He shrugged.
“What will be will be, at least we know we have each other’s side”, Shumur said.
“But you understand then that it must happen before the King of Kings moves to expel all other gods from the city. This is vital”, Hyzou said.
“That’s not giving us much time”, Shumur said.
“Not much time? When’s Kinzonzi planning to make his move?” Hyzou said.
“At the end of the week”, Shumur said.
“This week?” Hyzou said, alarmed.
“Yes, this week. At the open of business next week his forces will swoop and force the other priests from the city. Put their Temples to the sack”, Shumur said.
Less than a week to avoid war. Hyzou thought.
Panic struck him.
“We have to stop him before that”, Hyzou said.
“Why? The carnage will make it much easier to kill him”, Shumur said.
“It must happen before he moves, it must happen this week. Do you understand?” Hyzou said.
“I understand, but I’m not sure how possible it’s going to be”, Shumur said.
“Why not?” Hyzou asked.
“The King of Kings is a paranoid man, afraid of death. He imagines that the enemies of Thanatis wish him ill. Looks like he was right, I suppose”, Shumur said.
“So what? Every King is paranoid, such is their nature”, Hyzou said.
“Kinzonzi has the Nukhba Guard. And they’re led by The Bodyguard”, Shumur said.
“Every King has a bodyguard”, Hyzou said.
“Not just a bodyguard. The Bodyguard. Devoted to Kinzonzi, he’s a genius and an expert hand-to-hand fighter. You won’t get within a mile of Kinzonzi with any kind of weapon”, Shumur said.
Hyzou sighed.
“Shumur, please, trust me. Can you get me near Kinzonzi anytime this week? I don’t care about weapons, or anything. Just get me into the same room as him and I’ll kill him”, Hyzou said.
“You’re that confident in your ability? The Bodyguard isn’t alone, he has a whole force dedicated to defending
the King of Kings”, Shumur said.
“Get me into the same room as them and I will crush them. It just has to be this week”, Hyzou said.
Shumur looked at Hyzou, then sighed.
“Stay the night here, tomorrow morning I’ll introduce you to someone who might be able to get you near Kinzonzi. But you’ll be alone. With no armour or weapons”, Shumur said.
“That’s all I need”, Hyzou said. “How will it happen?”
“We can talk about it tomorrow. For now, my daughters have arrived”, Shumur said.
The dancers parted before them and revealed two girls standing at the end of the room. Marrea Hyzou recognised, she was just a more ornate version of the girl he had spent time with today. Safia, however, was a new woman.
A wig of thick black hair flowed from her scalp down to her waist. The normally mannish features of her figure, her strong jaw and underbite, her physical gait, her flat chest and athletic stance, were all covered by a dress of long purple silk that must have cost a Kingdom. Her face’s scars, pockmarks and many pimples were covered by a heavy arsenic blush, and ash had been applied to her face, drawn in dark lines around her eyes. She entered the room barefoot and smiled, showing a gold false jaw that hid her crooked front teeth. She was crowned by a tiara that was varnished to look like a pod and its lotus flower, and around her slender neck a chain of twelve fresh lotus flowers hung, tied together with golden thread.
Safia and Marrea bowed before the guests, and everyone began to clap. Unsure what to do, Hyzou joined in. The two girls walked from guest to guest, greeting them and talking to each individually. They twirled before every one of the guests. The band played, and so Hyzou couldn’t hear anything they said, but as they went from person to person, children carrying serving bowls walked around the hall.
One stopped before Hyzou and handed him a very small bowl. Hyzou looked at Shumur.
“Don’t worry, it’s mild. I had it made especially for you”, Shumur said.
Hyzou began to eat. It was tasty.
After she had spoken with everyone, Safia came up to him.
“Do I’ve to twirl in front of you too?” She said.
“You look so different”, Hyzou said.
“You should talk to Amul. Maybe he can make you as pretty as he made me”, Safia said.
“Pretty. Sure”, Hyzou said.
“He lives over by the…” Safia began.
“I know. He gave me this armour”, Hyzou said.
“Have you spoken to my father?” Safia asked.
“Yes, we’re planning it all tomorrow. Kinzonzi is making his change once this week is over”, Hyzou said.
“This week?” Safia asked.
“Relax, we’ll work on it tomorrow”, Hyzou said.
Safia began to chew her third finger again. She nodded and walked to the bench. She sat beside her sister.
You know how little sisters are. Hyzou thought.
The meal was tedious, a lot of ceremony between short courses. Hyzou excused himself as soon as he could, and no one seemed to mind too much as he headed off to his guesthouse.
However, on his way he found himself sidetracked. His feet carried him to Alum’s workshop. It was empty.
Hyzou went to the pools of water and stared, stared at his face. He smiled, and saw the black chasms where his teeth would once have been. His nose was flat with a horrible bump in the middle of it, it had never recovered from being broken in Lamybla. His right cheekbone had broken once as well, and had reset itself by growing outwards, meaning a large lump protruded from his face just underneath is right eye. The persistent black eyes he had suffered in Lamybla had hardened the skin and gave them a gaunt, starved look. His ears had inflated and looked like puffy tumours.
Hyzou looked at his hands, resting at the edge of the looking pool. Eight of his ten fingers had been broken and not set properly, they were disfigured and scarred, like the rest of him.
Hyzou thought of Persimmon, a man who had always been regarded as being rather ugly. A tall man, with a hairy scowling face and a lanky stride, Persimmon was no one’s muse.
On reflection, he’s prettier than me. Hyzou thought.
The thought made him sad, a kind of sadness that ached right to the marrow in his bones.
A voice behind him coughed, and Hyzou whirled around.
“Oh, hello Duck, what can I do for you?” Alum asked.
“I just came to return the armour”, Hyzou said.
“You could have waited until morning”, Alum said.
“Well, I’m here now”, Hyzou said.
Hyzou began to undress.
“Tonight, I saw Safia wearing false teeth. Do you think I could get some of those? Fill in the gaps?” Hyzou asked.
With that Hyzou smiled, showed Alum the teeth he was missing.
“Sure, just come here someday soon, during the day. We have a surgeon and a dentist here, and I’ll see what they can do”, Alum said.
Hyzou smiled.
“I’ll see you someday soon then”, Hyzou said.
“You won’t even notice the gaps after we’re done”, Alum said. “It’ll be like they never happened.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Safia yawned loudly.
“How late were you up?” Hyzou said.
“Marrea and I stayed up talking”, Safia said. “Sorry, I’m taking this seriously I promise.”
You know how sisters are. Hyzou thought.
Hyzou ran his hand over his scalp.
“This contact of Shumur’s had better have some solution for us. We don’t have time. We’ve only got days. Aliya put this into motion far too late”, Hyzou said.
“What’s the plan if there’s no way to get close to the King of Kings in time?” Safia said.
“I’ve been thinking about that. Maybe a fire?” Hyzou proposed.
“A fire?” Safia asked.
“Yes, a fire. A big fire throughout the city will stop Kinzonzi from acting”, Hyzou said.
“You can’t mean that, can you?” Safia said.
“You heard Eanno. We have to stop this in any way”, Hyzou said.
“And you do that by killing Kinzonzi”, Safia said. “There’s no other way.”
Hyzou sighed.
“It won’t come to fire, all I need… All we need, should I say, is that we be allowed into the same room as Kinzonzi. Then, I can kill him”, Hyzou said.
Safia yawned again.
Hyzou watched her do it. She had removed the paint from last night, and her face was pale and drawn.
“Are you still feeling ill? Still vomiting?” Hyzou asked.
“Yes. How did you know?” Safia asked.
“I could sense it”, Hyzou said.
“The Qi can’t sense that, can it?” Safia asked.
“No”, Hyzou said. “You’re just paler.”
“Oh. Yes, I still can’t keep any food down”, Safia said.
“You’ll need your strength, even if you’re not fighting”, Hyzou said.
“I’ll try and eat something”, Safia said.
The dim morning light that reached them from the long windows at the end of the hall seemed to hang around Safia. She yawned again and began to bite her third finger. Hyzou’s breath slowed as he watched her lips, thin pink lines pulled tight with worry.
Then the realisation dawned.
Oh no. Not with a pupil. Not with a pupil. Hyzou thought.
But he couldn’t help it. His fingers tightened around the arm of his chair and he ground his teeth in frustration. When he ascended to the position of Archaier, there had been grumbles, with Hyzou’s immaturity being among the favourites. And here he was, having fallen for his own pupil. Had he just proved them all right?
But beneath all that, Hyzou knew something else.
I don’t care. Hyzou thought.
He didn’t care about what being with Safia would do to his credibility as an Archaier, he didn’t care what effect it would have on the mission and he definitely didn’t care t
hat the world as he knew it could die by next week. Looking at her, trying to stay awake, Hyzou realised that he didn’t care about anything but her.
And within him he felt something he was certain had died, a piece of him that had shattered when the flaming stone had descended upon his family. It had reawakened these past few days, something that had been taken from him as his body had been broken after the fall of Piquea.
“What?” Safia asked.
“Oh, sorry. I lost my attention”, Hyzou said.
“Do you need to sleep?” Safia asked.
“No. Actually I need…” Hyzou began.
“Hyzou! Safia! Here comes your man.”
Shumur’s voice was booming. Hyzou turned to the doors, where Shumur was standing with a pockmarked man. This man looked out of place. Unwashed and sharp eyed, Hyzou didn’t know his profession, but he could take a guess.
The man said something to Shumur, but Hyzou didn’t understand it.
“Do you speak CaSuan?” Hyzou asked.
The shifty looking man sat down across from them. He said something in reply.
Safia leaned into Hyzou’s ear and spoke. Hyzou was very aware of her breath against his neck. She spoke in Piquean.
“He’s speaking CaSuan. He’s just using a poor man’s dialect”, Safia said.
“I can barely speak aristocratic CaSuan”, Hyzou whispered.
Safia touched his arm, and Hyzou noticed that too.
“Don’t worry about it”, Safia said. “I can translate.”
Hyzou nodded, and Safia spoke to the man to tell him.
The man spoke, and Safia translated into Piquean.
“This is a risky game. Shumur here tells me that you just want to get into the same room as the King of Kings? I think you haven’t thought this through”, the man said.
“What’s your name?” Hyzou asked.
Safia translated.
“They call me the Swan”, the man said, speaking through Safia.
“Swan? Well, Swan, why do you think I haven’t thought this through?” Hyzou asked.
“Because I don’t know where you come from, but here, the King of Kings is well guarded. I hope you don’t think I’ll be getting you into killing range, because I won’t. You’ll be unarmed, in a room full of people, and Kinzonzi will be standing behind a circle of the Nukhba Guard. That’s as close as I can get you”, Swan said.