The Beast Player

by Nahoko Uehashi

  “But there are many who will not believe that this is the result of her efforts. They will look at the color of her eyes and connect her achievement to the blood that runs in her veins.” She seemed to be struggling to keep the anguish from her face. “If someone else had also been able to control Leelan as Elin did, I would not be so worried… But both Tomura and I tried it. We plucked the harp the same way she did, but the cub only listened. It did not respond the way that it did to Elin.”

  The expressions on the teachers’ faces revealed mixed emotions. Esalu watched them with her right hand pressed against her temple. “Yes, you see. Just as you are now thinking, anyone who hears this will feel that Elin must be different from us. But, you know, I don’t believe that that’s the case. I ask you to think about this objectively as beast doctors. From Leelan’s point of view, yes, Elin is special. But that’s not because she’s an Ahlyo. It’s because she managed to make Leelan see her as its mother.

  “Think about it. It’s as if Leelan has been reborn. The cub was lost in the terror of darkness, with no mother to respond to its cries. And who was it who responded as its own mother had? Elin. It was Elin who gave it food, while reassuring it that it was safe to eat.”

  Yassa stroked his beard. “You mean it’s a type of imprinting?” he murmured.

  Esalu nodded. “Most likely. Our knowledge of the Beasts is limited, so it’s hard to say for sure, but I believe that that’s highly probable.”

  A young teacher spoke, his face thoughtful. “But many cubs that age have been brought to our sanctuary and raised here, yet there has never been any report of this kind of imprinting.”

  Esalu turned to look at him, brushing an unruly strand of hair from her face. “What is the procedure you use to feed the cubs?”

  He looked surprised, as if he were wondering why she would ask such an obvious question. “I leave the food in the cub’s enclosure while it’s out in the meadow. If it’s raining, or if for some other reason I can’t let the cub outside, I blow the Silent Whistle and paralyze it before leaving the meat inside.”

  Esalu nodded. “Exactly. Now imagine what that looks like to the cub. Food is placed in its enclosure when it’s not there, or food appears before its eyes while it lies paralyzed. How could a cub possibly see us as a mother figure who feeds it?”

  “Oh,” the young teacher whispered.

  Esalu continued in a quiet voice. “We’ve never tried to have any intimate contact with the Royal Beasts. We care for them for decades and nurse them when they die, yet we never establish the type of relationship with them that we would with a cherished dog or horse… And as long as we follow the procedures dictated by the Royal Beast Canon, we never will establish such a relationship.” The teachers stared at her silently, as if pondering this new perspective. “Elin, who does not know the Canon, cared for Leelan as she would have for a dog or horse. As a result, she is the first person in the entire nation to have succeeded in bonding with a Royal Beast.”

  Esalu’s face was tinged with sadness. “But in the eyes of the statesmen in the palace, this result will have an entirely different meaning. They will rejoice to know that the Royal Beasts can be controlled. And they will try to use Elin for their political schemes because of her special power.” Esalu’s voice grew hoarse. “When I think of how they will treat her—this unique young woman, who is so clearly of Ahlyo lineage—I am overcome with fear.

  “If she becomes the focus of such attention, she cannot fail to attract the notice of the Aluhan and his people. Remember, the Royal Beast, the only living creature capable of devouring the Toda, symbolizes the ascendancy of the Yojeh’s power over the Aluhan. I am sure that even you can guess what would happen then.”

  A heavy silence enveloped the room. Esalu whispered, “If I had known that that child would do something so unorthodox, I would never have entrusted Leelan into her care. But regret will not turn back time. All I can do now is to find a way to protect her.

  “Let me ask you once again,” she said quietly.” Do you think we should report what has happened to the palace?”

  Despite the sunny afternoon, at sunset, clouds moved in to cover the sky, and night brought with it a driving rain. Elin crouched on the floor of the stable as always, watching Leelan sleep while she listened to the rain strike the roof.

  At suppertime, Esalu had explained to the entire school how Elin had helped Leelan recover. Her explanation had been very clear, and so convincing, it squashed for good the rumor that Elin had used Ahlyo magic. When she had finished, Esalu had called on everyone to guard the story within the walls of Kazalumu. If people from the palace were to learn of this tale, she had said, they would find an excuse to take Elin and Leelan away to Lazalu, the official Beast sanctuary. She had begged them to vow to protect their classmate and the Beast cub and prevent that from happening.

  When she had finished speaking, everyone—teachers and students alike—had risen to their feet and, placing their hand over their heart, had vowed to do so. At the sound of their voices, which had shaken the dining hall, Elin had felt for the first time in her life what it was like to be protected by friends. A hot rush of joy spread through her as Yuyan’s hand squeezed hers and her fellow students beamed at her.

  But when the meal was over, Esalu had summoned her to her office. There she had learnt the other meaning concealed within this vow, and the knowledge made her skin crawl. The Royal Beasts that devoured the Toda were the symbol of the Yojeh’s power, Esalu had explained, and her ability to manipulate them would make her a crucial pawn in the eyes of both the Yojeh and the Aluhan. It had never occurred to Elin that the bond between her and Leelan could be seen in that way. Esalu had once told her that the Royal Beasts were political creatures, but now, for the first time, the reality of those words pressed against her heart.

  That’s what Esalu was protecting us from by making the whole school vow to keep Leelan’s story a secret.

  Elin covered her face with her hands. It’s all so stupid, she thought. Royal Beasts eat Toda because that’s what they were born to do, just like horses eat grass. How could anyone claim that this gave them the right to rule the country? In her mind’s eye, she saw the face of the inspector who had sentenced her mother to death. His reasons had been ludicrous, yet he had spoken as if what he was doing was for the highest good. The most important qualification for the care of the Toda, he had shouted, is unwavering loyalty to the Aluhan!

  Mother…

  Unlike her grandfather, she was sure that her mother had looked after the Toda for their own sake, not for the sake of the Aluhan. Otherwise, she would not have loathed the Silent Whistle or tokujisui. Had she cared about the Toda the same way that Elin cared about Leelan? Had she wished that these creatures, who were born in the wild, could live as nature had intended them to live?

  Elin’s hands slid slowly from her face. The damp night air touched her cheeks. No matter what happened, she would stay true to her heart. It was no concern of hers what the Yojeh or the Aluhan hoped to achieve through their struggle for power. Even should it put her life in danger, she would not bend in her resolve. Regardless of what the Royal Beast Canon said, she would never make Leelan drink tokujisui, something a Beast in the wild would never touch. Nor would she ever use the Silent Whistle.

  She had shared these feelings with Esalu, although she did not tell her about her mother. Esalu’s expression had seemed dark, as if she were pondering something, but she had agreed, “Because,” she had said, “I promised to leave the cub in your care if you could make it eat again.”

  Elin had always thought of Esalu as an intimidating woman, and had suspected her of having hidden motives. To her surprise, however, the expression that had flitted across her face at that moment had reminded her of her mother.

  A strong wind shook the Beast stable, and the rain lashed against the walls. The sound must have startled the cub because its eyes popped open. It stood up, making an anxious sound in its throat, and tottered over to the bars t
o butt its head against them. Without thinking, Elin rose and, putting her arm through the bars, reached up to rub Leelan’s cheek. Its fur, which she was touching for the first time, was far softer than she had imagined. The cub’s eyes narrowed and, it rubbed its cheek against her hand, crying plaintively. Affection welled up inside her. How she wished she was big enough to wrap her arms around this poor frightened little cub.

  4 THE LAST LETTER

  Leelan grew rapidly. So much so that Elin noticed changes almost daily. The Summer Trials, exams that determined which students could go on to the next level, were approaching, and she could not afford to spend so much time with the cub. But when she was not there, Leelan wandered about the meadow forlornly, crying and searching for her, and this made it hard for her to focus on her studies.

  Kazalumu School could not afford to let students stay any longer than necessary. Those who failed their exams had to leave. If their parents were wealthy enough to pay for tuition, students who failed could stay on for an extra year, but Elin had no intention of asking Joeun for money. Of course, Yuyan helped Elin to catch up on her studies but, much to her surprise, Tomura also came to her rescue. He would have to take the Graduation Trials very soon, which ought to mean that he had no time to spare for anyone else. But he did not seem in the least concerned when he was tutoring her. His claim that he was an exceptional student must be true.

  Somehow she managed to make it through the Summer Trials, and then the long summer holidays began. Students were allowed to return home, except when they were in charge of the Royal Beasts and any sick animals from neighboring farms. Most students could not wait to be reunited with their families, while their parents, who needed every pair of helping hands during the busy farming season, were just as eager to welcome them home.

  When Elin found out that she could go home for the holidays if she chose, the thought of visiting Joeun passed through her mind. But when she considered how he might greet her now that he had returned to his old life in the capital, she did not have the courage to put that thought into action. And then there was Leelan. If she left the cub behind, someone might use the Silent Whistle. In the end, she contented herself with writing him a long letter. She wrote about life at the school, about Yuyan, and many other things, but she did not mention Leelan, just in case Joeun’s son read it. Only a few months had passed since she and Joeun had parted, but the days they had lived together now seemed like some distant dream. She found this both strange and sad.

  Yuyan left for her home far away, complaining repeatedly about how much she would miss Elin. Even though she knew that she would see Yuyan in the fall, the room seemed huge and empty without her.

  Tomura had passed his exams at the top of his class and was now a qualified beast doctor. He told Elin that he was going to stay in Kazalumu for a year starting in the fall, and help care for the animals while he thought about what to do next. Having graduated with the highest score, he also had the right to remain at the school as an assistant teacher. He had told her frankly that he was considering that option.

  With far fewer people, the school was very quiet. The Kazalumu highlands remained fairly cool even in summer. Still, the sultry hum of cicadas could be heard from the forest bordering the meadow, and Elin found herself drenched in sweat every time she cleaned the stables.

  Freed from her studies, she spent all her time with Leelan, from early morning until late at night, as if they were parent and child or siblings. One day, she realized something astonishing. Leelan seemed to understand what she was saying—not everything, in the way that a human would, but without a doubt, the cub recognized and understood certain words.

  She was cleaning the stable when she first noticed this. Leelan came back before she was finished and was about to come inside. Without thinking, she shouted, “Stay outside! I’m not finished yet!” Instantly, Leelan halted at the doorway. The cub poked its head inside to see what she was doing, but did not come in. At first, Elin could not believe it. She finished cleaning, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and placed a lump of meat in its stall. “It’s all right. You can come in now,” she said. As soon as she had spoken, Leelan rushed inside. Elin felt the hairs rise on the nape of her neck.

  The only possible explanation for the cub’s behavior was that it had understood what she had said. When she thought about this, she realized that it was not so strange. After all, dogs, when trained, could understand such commands as “Stay!” so it made sense that Royal Beasts could, too. But the thought of the possibilities this opened up made her tingle with excitement.

  How much language can Royal Beasts understand? she wondered. If she combined harp notes with words and gestures, Leelan might be capable of understanding quite a lot.

  From that day onward, she threw herself into teaching Leelan words. Once she started, it was soon obvious that Leelan picked up meanings much more quickly and intuitively than a dog or a horse. Not only that, but the cub watched her closely and tried to mimic her. Perhaps Leelan was observing her facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice just as intently as Elin had been doing with Leelan in order to guess how the cub was feeling. Royal Beast cubs spent most of their time with their mothers, learning one-on-one how to survive, so remembering the mother’s gestures and tone of voice must be very important.

  At the same time, Elin was struck by the enormity of the responsibility she had taken on. Is it really all right for me to act as Leelan’s surrogate mother? After pondering this for some time, she decided to consult Esalu.

  Esalu listened carefully to her concern. When she spoke, her expression was grave. “I see.” She paused and stroked her chin. Then she raised her eyes and looked at Elin. “So you’re worried that if you try to serve as Leelan’s mother, the cub won’t learn how to live or communicate as a Royal Beast, and instead will learn to communicate with humans. Is that correct?”

  “Yes. If I go on like this, the cub will learn the words that I speak, but not the language of other Beasts.”

  A sad smile crossed Esalu’s face. “Elin, you don’t need to worry about that.”

  “Really? Why?” Elin asked.

  “Because the cub will live and die here…” Esalu said quietly. “It was a gift to the Yojeh. It will never be returned to the wild. You have forgotten that.”

  Elin felt as if she had been punched in the chest. Stunned into silence, she could only stare at Esalu.

  She did not remember bowing or leaving the room, or even walking down the corridor. When she saw Leelan standing in the bright summer sun, a fierce sorrow surged within her. Even if she never used the Silent Whistle and never gave the cub tokujisui, in the end, Leelan could still never live as Beasts did in the wild. The cub would have to live here to the end of its days. She wept soundlessly, the tears pouring down her cheeks.

  Not long after, Elin’s letter to Joeun came back in an un expected way. One evening, as she was feeding Leelan, one of the custodians came and told her that Esalu wanted to see her urgently. She washed her hands quickly and hurried to the office, but when she asked for permission to enter, the voice that responded sounded so husky that she thought it must be someone else.

  When she entered the room, Esalu gazed at her steadily with red-rimmed eyes and flushed cheeks. “Come here, Elin,” she said.

  Elin walked over to her, and Esalu handed her a thin envelope that lay on top of a parcel. Elin’s name was written on it in strong black script. She turned it over and saw that the sender was Asan Tohsana. A chill pierced her heart. With trembling fingers, she opened the envelope and extracted the letter, spreading it open. The first line leapt out at her.

  My father, Joeun Tohsana, passed away yesterday morning from a heart attack.

  The sentence rang repeatedly in her mind. Her brain seemed to have gone numb. No matter how many times she tried to read the rest of the letter, her eyes just slid over the words. She did not realize that she was crying until Esalu gently took the letter from her hands. “May I read it?” she asked. />
  Elin nodded. Esalu quickly read it through. “Very brief, isn’t it? He wrote only the bare minimum… What a heartless son.” She sighed and gripped Elin’s shoulder. “You must be brave, Elin.”

  Hearing the huskiness in Esalu’s voice, the truth suddenly sank heavy in her chest: Joeun was gone.

  His face, his voice, rose in her mind. She would never, ever see him again.

  Even though she had hoped someday to surprise him by showing him Leelan. Even though she had been aiming to graduate at the top of her class so that she could see the pride in his face and hear him praise her; even though she had been planning to thank him on that day for taking her in, to tell him that her life had been happy, because of him.

  She had not told him any of the things that really mattered. And now he had left her without any chance to do so.

  Elin covered her face with her hands and wept aloud. Esalu came around her desk and embraced her awkwardly. She held her until she stopped crying. “Don’t cry, Elin,” she said. “Joeun told me how happy he was to have lived with you. He was so proud of you. So don’t cry anymore.” She let her arms fall and opened the large parcel that lay on her desk. “Look. Joeun left these for you.”

  Inside the brown waxed paper were the books that Elin had discovered in Joeun’s closet and read in secret.

  “Isn’t that just like him?”

  Elin did not answer. She rested her forehead on the books and wept again.

  Joeun’s son, in accordance with his father’s will, had sent the books to Elin and Esalu after the funeral, along with the simple note announcing his father’s death. It was very clear that he wanted nothing to do with the Ahlyo girl that his eccentric father had taken under his wing. Still, because of Esalu’s prestige, he would have done what was proper for Elin if she had asked him. Elin, however, had no intention of meeting him ever again. She felt no desire to have a guardian other than Joeun. She was no longer a child. Fortunately, she did not need to worry about food, clothing or shelter until she graduated, and by then, she would be old enough to take care of herself.