“True, Lord River,” Melding Mind said. “Why do you suppose he was sleeping on the south bank of the River Placid?”
“Why does a traitor do anything?” Raging River grumbled.
“Patience, Lord Mind,” Scowling Tiger said, shrugging. “We'll get your son placed appropriately, eh? This is only a setback. A few days from now, we'll work through a plan or two for getting him another post. Until then, be thinking how we might do that—all three of you, eh?” He looked at Melding Mind. “I feel so upset I can't think clearly on the matter right now.” Scowling Tiger paused, letting that sink in with the Wizard.
“I'm glad you're both here, Lords Comfort and Mind,” he continued. “Something I've wanted to discuss with you both: My daughter's new pet.”
“A dangerous choice of pets, Lord,” Melding Mind replied.
Scowling Tiger smiled, appreciating the man's honesty. “Indeed. This morning, someone saw the tiger loping west, toward the caves of Leaping Elk.”
Melding Mind and Easing Comfort exchanged a glance. “Do you think she's a spy, Lord?” the medacor asked.
Scowling Tiger nodded. “While I don't mind if the animal acts as a courier between myself and the Emperor Jaguar, I do want to know what she takes south.” Sighing, the bandit general looked west, toward the caves of Leaping Elk. “I have a decision to make: Whether to keep the tiger and risk Snarling Jaguar's knowing important secrets, or get rid of it and break my daughter's heart.”
“Kill the flea-infested pussy!” Raging River said immediately.
Scowling Tiger smiled at his retainer. The man was very good at killing—too good sometimes. “I want you to study the animal, Lords. I'll ask her to divulge the contents of any missives, and I expect her to submit. I still don't like the tiger's having divided loyalties, eh? Evaluate her capabilities: The range of frequencies she can perceive and emit, the capacity of her memory, the depth of her analytical faculties, and if she has them, her principles.”
“Yes, Lord,” both Wizards said.
“Thank you, both of you. Lord Comfort, I've watched you squirm with anticipation of some sort. Can it wait a minute? Infinite bless you.”
Scowling Tiger turned his gaze on the other man. “Lord Mind, you have Broken Arrow contacts, eh? I need their help with the siege. Guarding Bear's not stupid. He knows no one has ever taken this structure by storm, and he'll have a surprise for us. Ask the Broken Arrows what that surprise might be, Lord Mind.”
Melding Mind nodded. “I'll ask, Lord Tiger, but you know how they cut with both edges of the knife. Guarding Bear's success in this venture weakens Arrow Sovereignty, and of course weakens us, their allies across the border. The Broken Arrows might take the neutral ground, eh?”
“They might, Lord, but ask them anyway,” Scowling Tiger said. “Take the opportunity to thank them shipping us the arrows they intercepted between Cove and Burrow. Remarkable work they do, eh?”
“Indeed, Lord.”
Two weeks ago, they'd found the shipment of a thousand sheaves of arrows near the southern entrance, like an orphan on a doorstep. In the shipment was one sheaf of seven broken arrows, the only sign that it was from the ancient resistance movement.
Easing Comfort leaned forward. “Lord Tiger, if I may ask, I noticed the renovations to the central stairwell. How advisable is that, with the seismic activity in the Windy Mountains?”
Scowling Tiger shrugged. “The structural engineers tell me the stairwell will hold for all but the worst temblor. Retractable hooks hold the new brackets. If or when Imperial Warriors penetrate to the stairwell, we'll retract the hooks and bury them alive, eh? Any warrior who follows won't have a stairwell to climb. I think the risk is worth it. So how's the Infinite treating you?”
Easing Comfort smiled. “With blessings upon blessings, Lord. I have a daughter now, a cute little button of a girl like her mother.”
“Well, congratulations!” Scowling Tiger said jovially, pleased.
Melding Mind embraced his friend, happy for him.
“Infinite curse the birth of another Easterner,” Raging River muttered, “but congratulations to you, Lord Comfort.”
“Thank you, Lord River, and today,” Easing Comfort continued, “my son began his apprenticeship under Soothing Spirit.”
Again, the bandits congratulated him.
“Blessings upon blessings, indeed!” Scowling Tiger said. “I'd appreciate having a message—”
Frowning, Easing Comfort interrupted. “Lord Tiger, I remind you of the conditions under which I enlisted in your service. My son's life is his own, Lord. I'll neither sanction nor cooperate with any interference from you.”
“ 'Interference'? You misconstrue my intentions. I only want a little help with Percipient Mind.”
“I won't give it, Lord Tiger, please excuse me. I admonish you to stay away from my son. He has his own fate, and my being his sire—and not his father—has little bearing on that fate.”
“All right, Lord. I heed you. It pleases me he's preparing for his grandfather's position. Talented boy you have. He's what? Eight years old?”
“Yes, Lord. He went with the Matriarch when she swept out Nest and put to sleep those seven hundred malefactors trying to escape her broom.”
“He's the one, eh? Incredible! Listen, Lord Comfort, you must feel tired. Why don't you wait a few days before you resume your duties? We've plenty of medacors and most are idle right now. You'll join me for the evening meal, as usual?”
“Yes, Lord, thank you. I'd appreciate a few days rest, and I'll see you this evening. Infinite be with you, Lord Tiger.” Rising, Easing Comfort bowed. “Melding Mind, my friend, how about a treatment, eh? You look like you need one.”
“Oh, would you? I do need to soothe my troubled mind. With the Lord Tiger's permission?” Melding Mind glanced at the bandit general, who nodded. “Infinite be with you, Lord Tiger, Lord River.”
The two Wizards bowed.
Nodding, Scowling Tiger watched them retreat. After the two men descended into the Lair, the bandit general smirked at Raging River.
“Expatriates!” he spat. “Only when they face their children across the lines of battle will we know their true loyalty.”
“Indeed, Lord,” the retainer replied.
Scowling Tiger rose. “I want to break the sleeping fast, Lord River. You're welcome to join me.”
“Forgive me, Lord, no. I have duties.”
Scowling Tiger nodded to the retainer's obeisance and watched him leave. He glanced south, as if to insure that the Eastern Empire hadn't gone anywhere while he wasn't looking, then descended into the Lair.
Yesterday morning, with Raging River, he'd left the fortress during the snowstorm's worst. Across the border, as they'd entered Burrow, not a single warrior had tried to intercept them. He'd personally signed the crate's bill of lading. Later they'd discovered that the sentries had withdrawn from the garrison battlements because of the weather. Because of the weather, however, the two levithons had been reluctant to transport the crate. On the spot, Scowling Tiger had paid each man a hundred taels to get the crate to Emparia Castle by sunset. They'd complied with dispatch, arriving before sunset.
The bandit general stopped at the rear door of the Lair. At his feet was a bow, a quiver nearby. He looked at the target a hundred paces away. Picking up the bow, he checked the thong for imperfections, knowing it had none. Lowering himself to a knee, one foot extended for balance, he notched an arrow.
Now, because of his “gift,” Guarding Bear had volunteered to mount an assault on the Tiger Fortress.
His hands absently launching arrows, Scowling Tiger smiled, hoping the attack didn't come too soon. As yet, he didn't know how the General planned to penetrate the impregnable defenses of the fortress, but with all his spies in the Eastern Empire, Scowling Tiger would find out soon enough. Then, he'd end the thirty years' feud between himself and Guarding Bear.
All his arrows struck with unerring accuracy, the second one splitting the sha
ft of first, the third splitting the shaft of second, and so on until the quiver was empty.
Putting down the bow, Scowling Tiger entered his private suite, stopping to place a hand on the statue in the antechamber.
The statue depicted a warrior, his blade held high as though to strike a killing blow, three arrow shafts protruding at different angles from the left shoulder, a sheared-off spear-head impaling the right thigh, the left arm ending at mid-forearm in a stump, on the features a terrible howl.
Sadly, Scowling Tiger recalled the death of his brother. In the battle between the Eastern Armed Forces and the Caven Hills rebels, the battalion Commander Howling Tiger had died in a duel with Guarding Bear.
Searching the rubble of the first major confrontation between Tiger and Bear, Scowling Tiger had found this statue of his brother Howling Tiger. With his wild talent, Guarding Bear had transmuted the very flesh of Howling Tiger into stone.
“I'll kill the Usurper yet, my brother,” Scowling Tiger whispered.
Chapter 13
When they first met, they acted as though they'd known each other for many years. Healing Hand and Spying Eagle were so alike in disposition and talent that they might have been siblings. From what we know of their heritage, their immediate familiarity was natural, even destined to happen.—Wizard and Medacor, by the Matriarch Rippling Water.
* * *
When Guarding Bear and Healing Hand entered the small office, they found someone waiting in the antechamber.
Brown of hair, of eye, of skin, Spying Eagle rose and bowed. “Lord General Bear.”
“Lord Corporal Eagle.” Guarding Bear nodded to acknowledge. “Lord Hand, would you wait here for a few minutes?”
“Of course, Lord,” Healing Hand replied, regarding the Wizard with an expression of awe and wonder.
Spying Eagle returned the regard with a beneficent smile.
“Follow me, Lord Corporal Eagle.”
Guarding Bear strode through the opposite door. Beyond was an office so recently occupied that it was bare. It contained a desk, two chairs, maps on the walls, a bulletin board with many pins holding nothing, and a grimy coffee cup.
“Shut the door, would you, Lord Corporal?” Guarding Bear said, rummaging in one of the desk drawers.
“Yes, Lord General,” the Wizard replied and complied.
Easing himself into the more comfortable chair, Guarding Bear gestured at the other one, inviting the Wizard to sit. “I'm glad you got here so quickly, Lord. Sorry to order you to travel at such an early hour.”
“Why was I summoned, Lord General Bear?” Spying Eagle lowered himself to the other chair.
Guarding Bear handed him a piece of parchment. “Your discharge, Lord Eagle, effective immediately.” He handed him another. “A release of all confiscated assets and properties.” He handed him another. “An apology written by the Lord Emperor himself.”
The General sat back in his chair. “I want you to know how sorry I am that this happened, Lord. Infinite forgive everyone who took part in this injustice. No one can replace the eight months of life that you lost, but at least between us, I want to balance the scales. I have a debt to you that I can never repay. You now have a debt to me. Perhaps they balance—I don't know. I'm not the person to do the weighing.”
Rising, Guarding Bear opened the door, gesturing toward it. “Welcome home, Lord Eagle. I have a request, but if you're not interested, you're free to go. If that's the case, Infinite be with you.” Guarding Bear bowed deeply and held it, then returned to his chair.
Spying Eagle made no move to leave. He stared silently at the discharge from the Eastern Armed Forces. Freedom on parchment. How cruel we must be, Guarding Bear thought, to reduce to material form a matter for the spirit, for the soul.
A splotch stained the discharge.
The General watched dispassionately as the Wizard began to grieve. To him, how others acted and reacted under stress was a science worth study. In all his years of watching people, he'd never seen anyone react in quite the same way as the Wizard Spying Eagle.
The man didn't cry. Tears poured down his face, yes, but with no commensurate change of expression, no sobs, no sniffles, no change of posture, no averting of gaze, no wiping away of water, no attempt to hide the pain, no attempt to suppress it. Just tears.
Guarding Bear wondered what immense inner strength that required, what deep spiritual faith. In the other man, he saw neither stoicism nor denial. Spying Eagle embraced the experience. The strength of the Infinite infused him in the way he accepted and expressed his complex emotions. Guarding Bear knew no one who had such a degree of complete presence. Everyone he knew needed to remove himself or herself from reality at some time—usually times of stress.
Not the Wizard Spying Eagle.
An eternity later, the man cleared his throat.
Looking up, Guarding Bear smiled.
“Thank you, Lord General.”
He nodded, not needing to do anything else.
“Can I ask you a question, Lord General?”
Guarding Bear nodded again, his gaze benign, his harmony complete.
“What debt do you have to me, Lord?” Spying Eagle asked.
“We—my mate and I—we should have expected that Imperial minions would capture and interrogate you after you examined me. Our failure to expect it, although inadvertent, was partly responsible for your terrible treatment. It's a hazard of station, you might say, always having to protect those who serve us.”
Spying Eagle frowned. “I'd have refused protection, Lord General.”
“So I surmised, from what the Lady Water told me. We didn't offer, Lord Eagle, and that was our failure.”
“I see, Lord.” Spying Eagle looked at the release of confiscated assets. “This isn't accurate, Lord General. I had only a few thousand taels in the bank, not a hundred thousand.”
Smiling, Guarding Bear shrugged. “Some accountant made a mistake.”
“What do I have to do to correct it?”
The General snorted. “It's compensation, Lord Eagle. For the indignities you suffered. You'll notice that you now own your office and home, instead of renting them.”
“I can't accept it, Lord.”
Guarding Bear nodded his head, frowning. “Well, I did tell him you wouldn't. Of course, the Lord Emperor doesn't always listen to me. If you insist, I'll have this document corrected, but you have other options as well. You might, for instance, donate the money and property to some organization. The Institute of Psychology would more than welcome such a donation.”
“I could do that, I guess,” Spying Eagle replied, nodding.
“The Lord Emperor has need of your services, however, as do I. Would you consider the money and property payment for services you'll render?”
Spying Eagle looked at Guarding Bear with an expression suggesting that they'd planned this.
The General smiled in response, confirming that they had. “The position of Sorcerer Apprentice is vacant as well.”
The Wizard laughed, shaking his head. “No, thank you, Lord. I don't want it.”
“I didn't think you would. The Lord Emperor wanted me to ask.”
Spying Eagle smiled, nodding. “What services, Lord?”
“He wants you to question the Traitor Lurking Hawk, Lord Eagle. You're the only one who can dominate him.”
“Subject him to the same indignities he did me? No, thank you, Lord,” Spying Eagle replied. “What about you? You stated you had a request.”
Shaking his head, Guarding Bear looked at Spying Eagle. “You've had two chances to kill him, and a third to do to him at least what he did to you. Yet you refuse. From what substance did the Lord Infinite make you, Lord Eagle?”
Spying Eagle shrugged, looking mystified but smiling.
“Everyone has a key. I don't know yours, and I suspect it's beyond my understanding. Oh, if I searched, I might find it, but more important than my knowing is that you know. Anyway, Lord Eagle, I won't appeal to your loyalt
y to the Empire. They abducted and interrogated you out of loyalty, eh? Flying Arrow and I think Lurking Hawk knows the location of the Northern Heir Sword, missing all these years. It's a stupid piece of metal but, Infinite blast, an important one. I want you to think about questioning him. Would you consider it?”
He sighed. “Yes, Lord General, but my answer probably won't change.”
“If it doesn't change, it doesn't change, Lord Eagle. I appreciate your considering it. Anyway, I need your help for a task not so repulsive. Lord Hand?”
“Yes, Lord Bear?” Healing Hand said, appearing at the doorway.
“Sorry you had to wait so long, Little Lord. Bring a chair in here, would you? I want you to join us.”
Nodding, Healing Hand did as he was bidden. The office was so small that three chairs barely fit.
Shutting the door, Guarding Bear activated the room shields from the panel beside the door. He pulled a portable shield from his belt, concentrated for a moment on its settings and activated it. “Watch carefully, Lord Hand. Disable it, Lord Eagle.”
Spying Eagle blinked and the shield shut itself off.
Guarding Bear checked the readout. “Incredible,” he murmured, tossing it on the desk. “By the way, congratulations on your elevation to noble, Lord Hand.”
“Thank you, Lord Bear.”
Guarding Bear nodded, sighing. “I remember my own elevation to nobility. The event was bittersweet. At the time, they called me the noble savage, and my retort was to call them savage nobles. I hated them for their indifference to the people they governed. They hated me for caring. I'm grateful they haven't corrupted me. Lord Hand, how many people can you put to sleep?”
“I don't know.” Healing Hand shrugged, his palms supinated beside his shoulders in an elaborate gesture.
“Guess for me, eh?” He wondered how many thousands that was.
Healing Hand pursed his lips. “I'll bet I could do five, Lord.”
“Just five people, Lord Hand?” Spying Eagle asked. “You appear more powerful than that, just from your shields.”
“No, I meant five thousand, Lord Eagle.”
The Bandit (Fall of the Swords Book 2) Page 15