The Beast Player

by Nahoko Uehashi

  Ialu’s face froze. He felt as if he had been slammed in the chest.

  Damiya looked almost bashful. “We are not able to make it public at this time because of the current circumstances, but just before you arrived, the Yojeh accepted my offer of marriage.”

  Ialu stared at Damiya for a few moments and then bowed his head. “Congratulations, my Lord.”

  Damiya laughed gaily. “Yes, I must admit that I am not only happy but relieved, too. The country will now be safe.”

  Raising his head, Ialu was startled by the look on Damiya’s face. Despite his smile, a cold light shone in his eyes.

  “Swift-footed Ialu,” he said mockingly. “Such a sharp-witted man. You saved my aunt’s life countless times. I’m sure you keep far more hidden inside than you ever show. While you offer me your congratulations, I can see that you’re thinking something else. I believe, however, that you misjudge me.” His eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Ialu’s. “I did not seek this marriage out of personal ambition… Think about it. Other than Seimiya, the blood of the Yojeh runs thickest in my veins. Our union is the best thing that could happen to this country. Instead of watering down the sacred blood, we can strengthen it and purify the land.

  “For three hundred years, the divine Yojeh has ruled, pure and stainless, and the Aluhan has guarded her from defilement, by accepting it in her stead. It’s a perfect system of governance, one not found in any other country, wouldn’t you agree?”

  There was no trace of his usual bantering tone. “The fissures in this country are caused by people losing faith in the Yojeh. You heard what the Aluhan’s son proposed, didn’t you? What a perfect demonstration of the disease that afflicts this land. He himself is the root cause. Yet, in one sense, his very existence is fortunate for us. What could more obviously demonstrate divine will than for the source of that disease to be punished?”

  Sweat trickled down Ialu’s back. Chills ran in waves through his body, and he struggled to control them. Damiya’s voice sounded like distant thunder. “On Tahai Azeh, the Aluhan will witness a miracle and know that the Yojeh is a god.”

  He stood and pointed to the door. “You may go now, Ialu. Soon you shall be released from your onerous task.”

  As Ialu stepped into the corridor, the Se Zan standing guard outside handed him a small envelope. “A servant brought this a short time ago. He said that he had heard you were here.”

  Ialu took it with a nod and began walking down the broad roofed passageway that led to the Yojeh’s quarters. It was empty, and the stillness of the summer evening hung heavy in the air. He stopped and leant against the handrail as he opened the letter, then stared at his fingers. They were trembling.

  Surely not… He had been plagued by chills during his interview with Damiya, but now he broke into a cold sweat. There must have been something in the halaku. He closed his eyes. So he knows…

  Opening his eyes, he tore the letter open with his teeth and spread it out with shaking fingers. It was from the man he had ordered to investigate Damiya. The message said only that he was waiting in the east stable.

  Shoving the letter into his robe, Ialu stepped through an opening in the rails and entered the garden. His ears seemed to be plugged with throbbing metal. A dull ringing swelled slowly in his brain. With his left hand, he pulled off the decorative sash that hung around his shoulders while with his right, he removed the dagger from the sheath at his back. He wrapped his right fist, dagger and all, with the sash and, clamping one end between his teeth, tied it tightly. He let that arm hang loosely at his side and began cutting through the forest to the stables. Although he tried to move quietly, twigs and branches caught at his arms and legs, cracking noisily. The trembling must be making him stagger, he thought.

  The moon was full. The thin shadows of the trees cast a dark net on the ground through which Ialu walked doggedly. At last he came to a break in the trees and stumbled out into a wide grassy area. He had reached the east stable. The moonlight gave the night sky a yellowish tinge and cast a pale glow over the grassy field, as if it were covered with frost. The stable roof was fringed with light, while the building beneath it sank into blackness.

  The scene seemed to warp and waver in Ialu’s eyes. The ringing in his head intensified, interfering with his ability to discern the presence of any enemies. All he could hear was the incessant stomping of the horses in their stalls.

  Breathing shallowly, he placed his hand on the door and pulled it open, leaning his weight against it. In the light of the moon shining through the stable window, he glimpsed a man lying face down on the floor with his hands tied behind his back.

  As he stepped across the threshold, Ialu swung his right hand out suddenly. A scream erupted from a man who had been lurking beside the door. The man’s blood spurted across Ialu’s back as he dropped to one knee to evade a sword blow from the left. Swinging his right arm in a horizontal arc, he slashed open the thigh of the man wielding the sword. Though roaring with pain, the man swung the sword upwards. Ialu could see the blow coming, but could not avoid it. He barely managed to turn his head as the blade pierced his chest between his collarbone and his shoulder. There was a thud as it struck his collarbone, and the impact shuddered through him, followed seconds later by searing pain.

  Still on one knee, Ialu fell forward, thrusting his dagger into the man’s belly. There was a sickening sensation in his hand as his blade pierced the man’s clothing and sank deep into his flesh. Without uttering a sound, the man dropped his sword and fell, grasping Ialu’s sword arm in both hands. Ialu fell with him, eyes closed and nostrils filled with the stench of blood and entrails, which spilled from the twitching body.

  When the man finally lay still, Ialu opened his eyes. His breath came in shallow gasps as he pulled his dagger from the man’s stomach. Then he dragged himself over to his fallen comrade. He was still alive. A slit of eye glittered as he raised his swollen lids. Through cracked and bleeding lips, he croaked, “I’m… sorry…”

  Breathing raggedly, Ialu sawed at the ropes, his blade sticky with blood. “No,” he whispered, “I’m sorry.” He pushed himself against the man to turn him face up. “Can you get up by yourself?”

  The man nodded. He raised himself and hunched over, cradling his abdomen.

  “Take a minute to rest. Then get out of here… Find somewhere to hide, and don’t move until you’re sure it’s safe.” Ialu placed his left hand on the man’s shoulder and, clenching his teeth, stood up. Using his teeth and one hand, he removed the sash wrapped around his right fist and shook the dagger from his hand. Then he untied the sash at his waist.

  Perhaps because of the drug, he felt the pain of his wound only dully, as if he were numb, but blood flowed down his side and soaked his clothes. He took the letter he had received from inside his robe, folded it in half and pressed it against the wound. Then, using his teeth and his good hand, he wound his belt around his shoulders to tie the paper securely in place. Staggering to one of the stalls, he slipped inside. The horse reared away from him, eyes wide with fright, but he spoke softly until it settled. He was shaking so badly he could not saddle it, but he managed to clamber astride, using an upturned tub retrieved from a corner of the stall to stand on.

  “Where will you go?” his comrade asked hoarsely, but he did not answer. It was all he could do to wrench himself back from the brink of oblivion. He turned his horse’s head north as he left the stable. There was only one place he could think of where someone might take him in, although he doubted that he would be able to make it even that far… It was half a toh away, but right now it seemed like it must take forever. At this time of night, if he followed the forest around the palace, he might make it without being seen. Pain jolted his body with every step. Using this to keep him conscious, he clung to his horse and vanished into the moonlit forest.

  6 THE FUGITIVE

  Alu’s eyes glittered in the light of the lantern that hung from the post. Unlike Leelan and Eku, who were already sleeping, he was wide
awake and appeared still ready to play. He had shot up in height and was now as tall as Leelan when Elin had first met her. He was also at the peak of his need for affection and attention. He just could not stay still, even while Elin was combing his fur with a horse brush. Being with Alu brought back the warm bond she had once shared with Leelan. Even though she told herself it was just an illusion, his affectionate behavior warmed her heart.

  “Be still, will you? The brush will get caught in the tangles.” As she chided Alu in a hushed voice, Eku suddenly raised his head. Leelan looked up, too, and stared at the stable entrance. Turning, Elin saw someone leaning against the door frame. In the dim light of the lantern, she recognized his face and gasped.

  “Ialu?”

  The sight startled her. It was as if the man who had battled the Toda on the ship had leapt through time to appear at her door. Once her confusion had passed, however, the oddness of his appearance hit her. Sweat plastered his hair to his head, and his clothes were wet with blood. His face was ghastly pale, and his eyes were glazed.

  Elin dropped the brush and ran to him. His eyes were open, but she could tell that they saw nothing. As she put an arm around him, he crumpled, as though a string had been cut. His knees buckled, and his head knocked against her shoulder. She almost fell as his full weight bore down upon her. Holding him up, she staggered toward the wall where she laid him gently down on the wool blanket she had spread out for her bed.

  He did not open his eyes, even when she lowered him to the floor. He had used his belt as a tourniquet, and his robe fell open, exposing his abdomen. Elin undid the strings that held his collar closed and carefully explored for wounds. Despite his blood-drenched clothes, his only injury was the one he had bandaged himself. Elin bit her lip.

  If she were at Kazalumu, she would have had everything she needed to treat him, but here, she did not yet know her way around. And she hesitated to ask anyone for help. Why had he come here if he was this badly hurt?

  She sighed. It would do no good to waste time thinking. She had better treat him as best she could under the circumstances. Using her fingernails, she slowly pried loose the piece of paper, which was now as stiff as a thin board. Ialu groaned, and Elin stopped, but he did not open his eyes. She began again, gently peeling back the paper to reveal an ugly gash. He must have been stabbed with a very sharp blade, for the single stroke had penetrated deeply. It had missed any large veins, but had it struck only a fraction to the right, it would have severed the artery in his neck, and he would not have survived. He was a lucky man.

  But the wound would not heal on its own. It would need stitches. She frowned. She could probably get a needle and thread, but how was she to sterilize the wound?

  Leelan, probably disturbed by the smell of blood, began to growl. The sound sparked an idea in Elin’s mind. Of course! Tokujisui…

  Tokujisui contained atsune root, which acted as a disinfectant. As this was a Royal Beast sanctuary, each stable was bound to have the ingredients on hand. She rose and went to the sleeping quarters where she asked the caretaker for a needle and thread. Then she returned to the stable and found a bottle of atsune root extract on a shelf in the shed outside. Bearing these, she hurried back to Ialu’s side.

  The atsune extract must have stung because when she poured it over his wound, Ialu cried and swung out his arm, barely missing her nose. She grasped his right hand. “Ialu,” she said, “Don’t move!”

  Pressing his arm down with her knee, she slapped his cheek. He opened his eyes slightly, but they were unfocused. “Can you hear me?” Elin asked. “Don’t move! It’s dangerous.” His eyes slowly came into focus, and she saw a light gleam within. “Ialu, do you hear me? Answer me if you can.”

  He blinked as though with a great effort. She brought her face close to his ear and said slowly and clearly, “I’m going to sew up your wound. It will hurt, but please don’t move… Do you understand? Nod your head if you do.” He gave the barest of nods.

  She sterilized the needle and thread, and began to sew. With only one hand, it was much harder than she had expected and seemed to take forever. Yet Ialu gritted his teeth and bore it without a whimper. Stitching up a man was very different from stitching up a Beast; the whole time she worried about how much pain she was causing him.

  She must have been holding her breath because when she finished, her forehead was beaded with sweat, and silver specks of light flickered before her eyes. Realizing that she was about to faint, she put her head between her knees and stayed still for some time. When the ringing in her ears had faded and her dizziness had passed, Ialu was lying limply with his eyes closed, unresponsive to her voice.

  She took his pulse, then relaxed. His heart was beating regularly. A wave of relief washed through her, followed quickly by a rush of fatigue. Perhaps because she had slept so little the night before, it took a supreme effort just to stay sitting. It was as if her body were being sucked down into the bowels of the earth. She forced herself to reach out and cover Ialu with the blanket. Then she lay down beside him and instantly fell asleep, unaware that she had even closed her eyes.

  Ialu woke abruptly, just as the night was paling to dawn. The pain, which had never left him even while he slept, became acute. For a moment, he did not know where he was or why he hurt so badly, but as he gazed up at the pale blue glow beyond the window near the ceiling, the events of the previous night came back, one by one.

  He heard someone breathing gently in his ear. Turning his head slowly, he saw Elin’s sleeping face next to his. Although in the dim pre-dawn light he could make out neither eyes nor mouth, the touch of her breath upon his cheek sent a sharp sadness through his chest—a pang of the agonizing grief that he had locked away at the age of fifteen or sixteen when he had first understood the cruel meaning of the oath he had been forced to swear as a child. Before he could stop them, tears pricked his eyes and welled from the corners. For a long time, he lay staring at the vague outline of Elin’s face.

  Elin sat up, startled by the menacing growls of the adult Beasts. Leaping to her feet, she went and peered out the door. Several figures were moving through the morning mist, heading purposefully toward the stable.

  “Have they come after me?” Ialu whispered, sitting up.

  “Yes.” She ran back to his side and, grabbing his arm, helped him to his feet. If he tried to escape, they would surely catch him. But there was no place for him to hide in the stable either, and the bloodstains on the blanket made it impossible to deny that he had been here. She turned and looked at Leelan, then made up her mind.

  “Leelan, hide him!”

  A light gleamed in Leelan’s eyes, as if she were remembering something.

  With her left hand useless, Elin could not support Ialu and still use her Silent Whistle, but that was a risk she would have to take. There was no time to lose.

  “Trust me,” she whispered. “And don’t make a sound.” With one hand she opened the stall gate, then she half carried Ialu between the Beasts. Eku and Leelan raised their hackles, but moved to one side and let them through. As soon as she had lowered Ialu gently to the floor and covered his body with straw, the Beasts sat back down where they had been before.

  Elin was stroking Alu, who was mewling anxiously, when she heard the sound of running feet. Several men appeared at the doorway. Behind them came Damiya. The first man through turned to him with a triumphant expression, like a hound who has caught the scent of its prey. “There’s blood on this blanket!”

  Damiya strolled inside, glanced at the blanket, and then looked at Elin. “Where’s Ialu?”

  Elin stared at him, her face bloodless. Her chest felt as stiff as a board and it was hard to breathe. “…I don’t know,” she answered finally.

  Damiya smiled. “There’s no use hiding him. It’s all too obvious that he was here.”

  Breathing shallowly, Elin kept silent, watching the men as they searched every corner of the stable. At last they said, “He’s not here.”

  “Searc
h outside,” Damiya ordered. “He can’t have gone far.” The men left, but Damiya remained behind. He stared silently at Elin, though he gave no clue as to what he was thinking.

  Unable to stand the silence any longer, she whispered, “What did he do?”

  “He killed two gatekeepers,” Damiya said, without moving his gaze from her face. His voice hit her like a shock of cold water.

  “Why would he do that?” she murmured.

  He shrugged. “That’s why we’re looking for him. To find out. If you would answer truthfully, you could save us a lot of trouble, you know.”

  Elin was not a good liar, and Damiya was very shrewd. She did not think she could lie to him and get away with it. Terrified that even this thought might show on her face, she remained silent.

  Damiya continued to regard her carefully, but finally he smiled again. “Do you like him then?”

  He ignored her failure to respond and continued in a quiet voice, “It’s of no consequence really. If you wish to protect him, go ahead. It just means I have one more chain with which to bind you. There’s nothing more that he can do now anyway.” He rested a hand on a post and sighed. “The poor man. Not even I am made privy to where each Se Zan comes from, so I don’t know his origins. But I do know that all of them were sold by their parents for a bag full of gold. That’s the kind of family he comes from.

  “He was sworn to solitude before he was old enough to understand, and he has lived solely to shield the Yojeh ever since. That’s the only life he knows. It’s the kind of job no man could bear without at least seeking solace among the prostitutes, yet he’s so serious, they say he never dallies with women.” He raised his eyes to look outside the window. “It would not do for a man like that to look at the narrowness of his world, and especially not for someone as smart as he. Once he did, he’d no longer be able to endure the suffocating closeness.”