Sitting on an empty bed, Flying Arrow shook his head and looked at the floor. “You didn't hear how he protested his innocence, even denying the bracelet was his. He's like you and me, Lord Bear—loyal to the core of his being. So loyal he'd rather see the northern lands lie fallow than let the murderer of his people build an Empire anew.”
Sighing, Guarding Bear nodded. “That's the problem with traitors, Lord: They're either incorruptible or too easily corrupted. Scowling Tiger was right about colonizing, eh?”
“Yes, he was.” Flying Arrow frowned. “I should have ordered colonization, but I couldn't because he suggested it. I was young, threatened by his stature and influence. Sometimes I think that if I'd been five years older, none of this would've happened.”
“Oh, I don't know,” Guarding Bear said. “It's not your fault. You did what you thought best at the time. You couldn't have done any different, Lord Emperor.”
Healing Hand seemed to follow every nuance of the conversation, looking at each man as he spoke.
Shrugging, Flying Arrow looked at Guarding Bear. “Well, perhaps not all's lost. Has the Wizard arrived from Burrow?”
“I don't know, Lord Emperor. I sent the summons only yesterday. All the inducements are ready for him.”
“Good, Lord Bear. If anyone can force Lurking Hawk to reveal the location of the Heir Sword, Spying Eagle can, eh?”
“Yes, Lord, if he agrees to interrogate. Uh, I also need him for the siege.” Smiling at the boy beside him, Guarding Bear tousled his hair.
“All right. I can delay the execution, if necessary. How long do you think you'll need?”
“I'd rather not say in these surroundings, Lord Emperor. Scowling Tiger has more spies here than we did there.”
“Yes, he probably does—the only man better informed than you, eh?”
Grinning, Guarding Bear shrugged. “I want to say thank you, Lord Emperor. For acting so swiftly in gathering the depositions and other needed evidence. Thank you, Lord, thank you very much. I feel very, very relieved that the Traitor's reign of terror is over.”
“Was it that bad, Lord Bear?” Flying Arrow grinned.
“Bad enough, Lord. Please don't invest another traitor, eh? Living like that isn't easy. All my life I've had to look over my shoulder for Scowling Tiger's next assassin. I don't like it. I'm glad Lurking Hawk's out of your way, Lord Emperor, I really am.”
“Frankly, so am I. I couldn't have expedited this matter without your help, Lord Bear. I congratulate you on the ingenuity of using the Inviolate Insignia. That was the stroke of a master tactician.”
“Thank you, Lord Emperor, but, uh, I didn't suggest it.” Guarding Bear felt distinctly uncomfortable.
“Eh? Of course, you did, Lord Bear. Don't be so modest. Not a better strategist in all four Empires.”
“Well, Lord Emperor, if you say so.” I didn't suggest it, Guarding Bear thought vehemently, frowning. “If you'll forgive me, Lord, I have to prepare. I have a fortress to invest, eh? Again, Lord, thank you, and Infinite be with you.” Smiling and bowing, he gestured Healing Hand to follow.
* * *
Nodding to acknowledge their obeisances, Flying Arrow returned his gaze to the floor. Wanting to ask the Traitor a thousand questions, he guessed Lurking Hawk would never answer the most important one.
What had the Traitor said or done to Lofty Lion?
Looking at the bracelet in his hand, Flying Arrow recalled that Lurking Hawk had always worn it. Never in all those years had he or anyone else known it was a talisman. No one had ever seen the Traitor use it. Why have a talisman and not use it? the Emperor wondered.
Not knowing the answer, Flying Arrow stood and looked down the corridor leading to Lurking Hawk's prison cell. Shaking his head, he wanted a clearer mind when he continued the interrogation. Leaving the infirmary, Flying Arrow entered the corridors of Emparia Castle, not seeing them, not seeing anyone. His gaze on the blue and white marble flooring, he strolled in the general direction of the eastern hall, not because it was his destination, but simply because he had none.
He found himself staring into the empty audience chamber behind the eastern hall, without a memory of walking there. Rubbing his aching left arm, Flying Arrow ordered his personal guards to remain at the door. Closing it behind him, he placed a cushion on the floor and sat. Composing himself, the Emperor chose a spot on the tapestry in front of him, seeking communion with the Infinite, wanting oblivion.
What had the Traitor said or done to Lofty Lion?
Chapter 12
The Tiger Fortress, the ancient home of the Emperors Peregrine, was as defensible a structure as ever built. Although the southern gate was vulnerable, Scowling Tiger ordered it sealed after he occupied the fortress. Closing the western and eastern entrances also, the bandit general effectively directed all traffic through the northern gate. Thousands entered and exited on any given day during the heyday of the Tiger Raiders.—The Political Geography, by Guarding Bear.
* * *
Approaching the twin towers standing sentinel at the mouth of the ravine, Easing Comfort slowed to a walk, breathing roughly. Glancing at the sky, the Wizard-medacor wondered as he sloshed through slush if more snow was on the way. Travel hadn't been easy, neither leaving nor returning, and the expatriate felt glad to be home.
At the crossroads, a quarter mile north of the actual fortress entrance, the orderly movement of travelers disintegrated into a throng of pushing, shoving, angry individuals, all moving in different directions. For the influential, the crossroads confluence was never a problem. Warriors cleared the intersection to ease the passage of bandit nobles.
Although one of those bandit nobles, Easing Comfort had given no notice of his arrival, not objecting to the crush. Since he didn't claim such perquisites, other bandits regarded him as insignificant in the hierarchy of the fortress, despite his having the bandit general's friendship. The Wizard-medacor preferred to be anonymous, which he considered synonymous with autonomous.
Having patiently made his way through the crossroads chaos, Easing Comfort entered the narrow ravine, smiling in spite of the crowds. The past few days of inclement weather and the slushy mud underfoot hadn't diminished traffic at the northern entrance at all. People and commerce clogged the road, those on the left half of the thoroughfare traveling southward, those on the right, northward. Nearly all who had business at the Tiger Fortress traveled through the northern entrance.
Ahead, just inside the fortress entrance, Easing Comfort saw signs of construction. The snow around the entrance was brown, even the snow untrampled by traveler. Inside the archway, a levithon moved a large block of stone while a warrior held up traffic. Among the northward-bound travelers, a levithon transported a bin of rubble, the container hovering a foot above the path.
The way ahead cleared.
Entering the fortress, the Wizard-medacor soon saw for himself the extent of the reconstruction. The entire ground level looked redesigned. The psychic flow told him Scowling Tiger had ordered the first three levels completely refurbished.
Why? Easing Comfort wondered, walking to the central stairwell. Long ago, the tube at the core of the mountain had been a volcano spout. There too, he saw signs of construction, but its nature eluded him for several moments. He examined the underpinnings of the stairwell ramp above him. Between each new bracket was a small gap where the ramp had once attached directly to the sides of the cylinder. He wondered at the structural integrity of the central stairwell. The brackets seemed too insubstantial. In fact, detaching the brackets would plunge the whole stairwell downward, each level demolishing the level below until the mountain core filled with rubble. Ascending, he saw that the changes extended the whole way up. Since occasional earthquakes shook the Windy Mountains, the Wizard-medacor wondered how prudent a weakened central stairwell was.
Why has Scowling Tiger ordered this madness? he wondered.
At the fifth level from the top, Easing Comfort stopped where a corridor intersected th
e stairwell, and inspected the underpinnings again.
Incredulous, he shook his head and entered the corridor. Turning into the first of ten alcoves, Easing Comfort opened the door of his private suite.
No one greeted him. Of all the top fortress administrators, only he lived alone, and only he depended on less than three servants. His one servant was probably at home, in one of the thousands of dwellings below his.
Humming a pleasant tune, Easing Comfort yawned and stepped into the excretory. He teleported his wastes into the receptacle, where the piping shunted them down to sewage reclamation. Shedding his pack, utility belt, robes, moccasins, and loincloth, he scrubbed himself clean with his chemathonic talent, lifting off dirt, oils, dead skin and other detritus of travel. He used no water or soap, the talent more cleansing than the hottest of baths. In less than a minute his body was immaculate. Doing the same to his clothes, he carried them into his bedroom. He hung the robes in the closet, selecting more formal robes.
Singing wordlessly, he danced into the scullery and decided on roast leg of lamb with applesauce and broccoli. The leg too large for just himself, he cut it with his mind and sprinkled the cutlet with five different seasonings. Pulsing it with heat, he drew a copious breath, savoring the aroma of perfectly cooked lamb. Quickly, he steamed the broccoli, made a butter-lemon sauce and carried all the food into the refectory.
Sighing when he finished, he belched, sated.
Rising, Easing Comfort waddled to the door of his suite, yawning. Remembering he hadn't slept in a long time, he entered the central stairwell and ascended.
The pair of guards at the Lair entrance bowed to him.
Nodding, he strode between them.
Other than a pair of guards at the base of staircase, the Lair was empty.
Passing between them with a nod, Easing Comfort ascended into a cloudy midmorning.
On the balustrade, looking south over his shoulder, was Scowling Tiger. Raging River and Melding Mind were on their haunches, their backs to the landing. Both turned to look.
Nodding to them, Easing Comfort smiled at their nods, the two men his equals here. “Lord Tiger,” he said, bending at the waist in a crisp bow. Straightening, he embraced the bandit general. “Infinite be with you, my friend. If I'm interrupting an important conference, send me away, eh? I just wanted to let you know I've returned. Your gift to Flying Arrow was well-received. So gracious of you to return the heads of their spies, my friend, a truly magnanimous gesture.”
Scowling Tiger laughed, looking pleased. “Glad you're back, Lord Comfort. What do you say, Lord Mind?”
Easing Comfort turned to the other Wizard. “How have you been, my friend?” The two men embraced.
Melding Mind was brown of hair, of eye, of skin. “My health is good, but not my mood,” the Wizard said. “Stay and listen, my friend.
“I'm sad you haven't felt well, Lord, and thank you for letting me stay. Lord River, you look well.” Easing Comfort grinned. “Keeping the courtesans busy?”
“I couldn't keep the wenches off me, Lord Comfort,” Raging River replied. His banter with the other man sounded easy and relaxed. “Now that you're back, I can rest. I've never seen a man with more juice than you.”
“You're much too modest, Lord. You've much more vigor than I.” Easing Comfort lowered himself to the stone beside Melding Mind. “Only because you're younger, eh?”
Raging River laughed, both men over fifty.
* * *
“We'd just concluded the formalities, Lord Comfort,” Scowling Tiger said. On the cushion he settled himself. On his lap he lay his sword. On his thigh he propped his fist. On the Wizard he turned his gaze. “What did you want to see me about, Lord Mind?”
“The Lord Tiger has recruited a thousand warriors since the Consort cuckolded the Emperor.”
Melding Mind looks more dour than usual, Scowling Tiger thought, nodding. “Almost a quarter of whom the tiger discovered were spies.”
“Yes, Lord, forgive me for not detecting them when I first examined them. I don't know how—”
“Don't bother yourself over it, Lord Mind,” Scowling Tiger interrupted, shrugging. “The animal's like a talisman—an unthinking machine. You're human—capable of erring, eh?”
“I'm grateful you consider me such, Lord. Except in that respect, I might be more human than acceptable, as I'll explain. Even machines such as the animal, Lord, do only what they're able to do. Another errant human endowed the animal, eh?”
“You and the tiger both sifted the recruits, eh?”
“True, Lord. The animal and I are sieves formed from the same mold, though. Hence, she and I have similar imperfections.”
“I expect a certain amount of error. Don't feel troubled.”
“Ah, Lord, but I am,” Melding Mind replied. “I can easily distinguish a mind implanted with or without a person's permission, and I don't worry that I've missed an implanted assassin or spy. True, I'm not perfect. Without thorough study, I can't see an entire mind. I can only scan a mind with an eye sensitive to incongruity.”
Scowling Tiger nodded. “You've examined over fifteen hundred potential recruits in the last eight months, of whom you cleared only a thousand.” The Tiger Raiders had turned away those Melding Mind had rejected.
“When I examine another's mind, Lord, I listen not only to the person's thoughts, I listen to my own. I listen not only to the thoughts themselves but to the patterns my thoughts betray.
“First, Lord, I haven't been at ease within myself, and I've erred more than usual. Second, Lord, among these recruits is a camaraderie, a unity, some binding force that brings them together like wolves to a slaughter.”
“It's not, I assume, a common hatred for the cuckold?”
“No, Lord—an antithesis of that, perhaps.”
“Eh? Not the opposite, but an antithesis?”
“There's a distinction, Lord, yes.” Glancing at Easing Comfort, Melding Mind smiled. “Concealing an enmity is easy enough, Lord Tiger. Our Wizard-medacor loves a woman south of these mountains and has just returned from seeing her, eh Lord Comfort?”
Easing Comfort grinned.
Melding Mind continued. “Although border patrols have intercepted him many times, not once has he revealed his hatred for his former Empire. Like yours, Lord, it's not a hatred for the Empire itself, only for those who rule it, eh? His business there is his own, and I wouldn't presume to make it mine or to judge him for it. It exemplifies my point, however: He hates Flying Arrow as much as you or I, but he never reveals it unless it suits him. What I think is this, Lord: Many of these recruits betray no enmity toward yourself or your purpose. Neither do they betray a shade of fervor for it.”
“All right, but do you have any other proof?”
“Every person fears psychological examination, Lord—a natural fear, borne of being vulnerable in such examinations. Certain people fear it more than others; the reasons vary. Few people, Lord, fear it like some of these recruits.”
“Perhaps they've heard of your exploits, eh?”
Melding Mind snorted contemptuously. “Everyone fears the Traitor far more than me—and for far less reason. When that fear and the lack of fervor coincide, I get suspicious.”
“What about those you suspect?”
“They're under surveillance, of course.”
“Good, Lord Mind. You've done all you can, eh? Leave the results to the Infinite now.”
As if he hadn't heard his liege lord, Melding Mind looked past him, off to the south, sadness upon his face.
“Listen, old friend,” the bandit general said gently, “whatever bothers you, it's ephemeral.” Scowling Tiger lifted his left fist from his knee and gestured over his shoulder to indicate the Eastern Empire. “Remember the knife we're preparing, eh?”
Melding Mind winced, dropping his gaze to the stone beneath them. “Lord Tiger, it's about that … knife. I'm sorry, Lord, but…”
“What is it, eh? Out with it, man.”
“Th
ey've conscripted Percipient Mind, Lord! They've abducted him, interrogated him, conscripted him, and stationed him at Burrow! Infinite blast them all!” Melding Mind fulminated.
Easing Comfort put his arm around Melding Mind's shoulder.
Raging River strangled the hilt of his sword.
Scowling Tiger closed his eyes and muttered an imprecation. “We had such high aspirations for him. It grieves me to hear this. This makes no sense! He was a psychologist with a private practice, by the Infinite! How did it happen, Lord Mind?”
The Wizard breathed deeply before answering. “Not all the events are clear, Lord. You'll remember that just after the tiger-Traitress trade, Flying Arrow summoned Guarding Bear to Emparia Castle?”
“I do, Lord. What do you suppose the Emperor did to him?”
“I don't know, Lord Tiger. The new Captain, as instructed, suggested the services of my son to the Water-Bear household at the first opportunity. The next day, the Matriarch Water summoned Percipient Mind to the Bear residence, presumably to have him remove the shafts Flying Arrow inserted in his back passage. When Percipient Mind left, however, Lurking Hawk ordered him captured, taken to the dungeons, interrogated, then shipped north.”
“Well, Infinite piss on 'em!” Scowling Tiger muttered. “I'm sorry to hear our plan didn't work, Lord Mind.”
“So am I, Lord Tiger. We needed to take the risk, but unfortunately, Percipient Mind came to the attention of the wrong people. Guarding Bear hasn't had a Wizard at his service for over a year. Percipient Mind was perfect for the position! Why didn't Guarding Bear enlist him, Infinite blast it? What went wrong?”
“I don't know, Lord Mind,” Scowling Tiger said. “We did all we could do, and something went awry. I don't understand it either. I'm sorry your son suffered at the talons of Lurking Hawk.”
“Infinite remove that Traitor from this earth!”
Raging River grunted. “The way he abuses his talents, that won't be long.”
The Bandit (Fall of the Swords Book 2) Page 14