by Fuyumi Ono
"The Rikkan doesn't know how to deal with him, either. They've done investigations, but they never turn up sufficient grounds for dismissal."
"Indeed. At any rate, this kind of thing--"
A knock came at the door, causing both Enho and Youko to look up.
"Hey, Gramps, a messenger came!" said Keikei, bounding into the study. "Oops, sorry."
Enho took the letter from Keikei. He opened it and cast a concerned look in Youko's direction.
"What is it? Bad news?"
"Oh, it's nothing," said Enho dismissively, folding up the letter. He said to Youko, "It looks like I'll be having a visitor tonight."
Meaning there would be no lessons after dinner. Youko nodded.
Keikei looked up at Enho. "A guest? So he'll need a meal and a room?"
"Oh, no need to worry about that. He'll be here after dinnertime and will be returning tonight as well. I'll make all the arrangements, so you can go to bed without any concerns."
That night, in her bedroom, Youko secretly met with a visitor of her own. It was Hyouki, one of Keiki's shirei.
"And how is everybody doing?" she asked, apparently to no one. There was no one besides her in the room.
"As always, all are doing well." The answer seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere in the room. A person overhearing the conversation would imagine a voice coming from beneath the floor. That wouldn't necessarily be wrong. Hyouki had hidden himself within the ground.
Shirei could travel through the invisible conduits and currents in the heavens and in the earth. Following these pathways, they moved unbeknownst to humans. It was called tonkou, or "the art of hidden escape." Keiki could travel on the currents of the wind, but he couldn't move that far. He certainly couldn't travel all the way from the palace at Gyouten to Hokui.
Because he couldn't make the trip by himself, he sent his shirei in his stead. Hyouki reported in detail about the conditions of the palace. Upon his return, he would in turn relay to Keiki how Youko was doing.
"Koukan's whereabouts are still unknown."
Youko nodded. Koukan had plotted her assassination and then slipped his shackles and was currently on the run.
"There is a rumor among the province lords that Your Highness has fled to En in fear for her life."
Youko had to smile. "I thought they'd come up with something like that. Well, then, let them go on believing it."
"Nevertheless, you must be on your guard. If Koukan were to discover your current location, he would certainly conspire to kill you again."
"No need to worry. Hankyo and Jouyuu are with me."
"I shall communicate the same."
She saw Hyouki off. In fact, there was no need to "see him off." He simply left from where he was. And Youko exited the room.
The basic layout of the apartments in the building consisted of one open room or living area attached to two private rooms. This was the case with Youko's room as well. In terms of Japanese architecture, it consisted of two 3 jou bedrooms adjoining a 4.5 jou living room. In a big house, the bedroom on one side would have a bed for sleeping and the other room would be furnished with a divan that could be used as a bed or couch, along with a writing desk and shelves so that it could be turned into a study. Between the two rooms was a living area. During seasons when the climate was agreeable, the door could be opened and screens set up to preserve some privacy.
It was also common to completely remove the thin, sliding doors, creating a large open space. More than a room, it turned into a broad extension of the veranda. Youko figured she could put a table and chairs there.
There wasn't any class in the sliding doors at the rike. Paper was glued to the fine latticework within the doorframe, like a Japanese shouji door. Those doors were closed. When you went to bed, unless you wanted to discourage others from coming in, no matter how cold it was, it was considered polite to leave the doors open a crack. So Youko opened the doors just a bit.
From Youko's living space, she could directly see the portico facing the small study that was sandwiched between the courtyard gardens. She saw a silhouette advancing down the corridor. She fixed her attention on that spot.
She could only make out that it was a man. Not young enough to be a boy, and not an old man. He was wearing a cotton-padded jacket over a plain outfit. And a hat. A black veil fell down from the brim of the insignificant-looking cap. Furthermore, a shawl was wrapped around his neck up to and covering his face. As a result, she could not make out any features of his face.
"Who is that?"
Now matter how hard she looked, his face remained hidden from her. The silhouette appeared to bow and disappeared into the study. Youko observed this, drawing her eyebrows together. Then she left the living room and headed down the corridor to the orphanage.
"Rangyoku."
Hearing Youko's voice from the hallway, Rangyoku lifted her head. Keikei jumped to his feet and took Youko by the hand.
"What's going on?" Rangyoku asked.
"Let's go play!" Keikei said.
"Could I speak with you a minute?"
"Go ahead," said Rangyoku with a smile. She took the pot from off the brazier. She had brewed some tea in the kitchen and was warming it on the brazier. "Oh, that's right. Enho has a visitor, so you don't have classes tonight."
"That's right," Youko smiled, taking the teacup Rangyoku offered her.
"Do you know who it is?"
"His visitor? I don't know. I haven't heard anything."
Keikei tugged on her sleeve. "Hey, sis, it's that guy, the one with the calico hair. I delivered the letter for him."
Ah, Rangyoku nodded. She thought maybe he'd said his name was Rou. He had black hair mottled with brown. He visited Enho occasionally. He seemed to be some kind of servant. She didn't know anything more about him than that.
"Rou-san. So then who that creepy visitor?"
"Creepy?"
"The way he always hides his face. The way he calls on Enho now and then. First he sends Rou-san. He always comes at night, and always late into the night. I know when he's coming because Enho says it's okay not to lock all the doors at night."
"Do you know where he's from?"
"No. I asked Enho, but he wouldn't say a word. I don't like him."
Keikei nodded as well.
"Don't like that man?"
"He's got to be a bad man, for sure," said Keikei, looking at Rangyoku.
Rangyoku gently rebuked him. "You shouldn't say that. But whenever he does come by, the next day Enho looks all depressed."
"Why?"
"I don't know. He won't say. Just one more thing to worry about, you know?"
"Yes, I know very well."
She talked a while longer with Rangyoku and Keikei and then returned to her room.
"Hankyo."
"I am here."
"When that man leaves, tail him. I want to know where he is lodging."
He had to be staying somewhere. The city gates would be closed at this time of night.
"By your command."
7-2
The boat passed Mt. Koushuu at the borders of Kou and Kei. The Koushuu were the ranges of mountains that demarcated the borders between each of the eight kingdoms. There was at least one crossing, and no more than three, where the mountains could be traversed from one kingdom to the other.
Because every kingdom had the same geography at its borders, the borders were also known as the Koushuu. Suzu gathered that from the Koushuu mountains separating Kou and Kei to the port of Goto in the northern quarter of the Kei, centrally located on the eastern coast, it was a trip of four days and four nights.
"Hey, Suzu, I've got a present for you!"
Suzu was standing on the deck looking out at the ocean. Seishuu ran up to her.
"Here," he said, proudly producing a piece of dried fruit, a candied apricot.
"What's this?"
"It's for you," he said with a pleased look.
What a strange child. He'd given her such a har
d time, you'd think he'd keep his distance afterwards. But that was not the case. Rather, they seemed to bury the hatchet rather quickly. He was cheeky enough to come into the women's stateroom and sleep next to her. Suzu as well was somehow able to keep her temper in check. Anyway, anybody picking on Seishuu because he was a child would catch it in spades. The kid really had a mouth on him.
Also because they were now sleeping in the same room, Suzu couldn't help but observe how often he was in pain. Almost every morning found him holding his head and moaning. He wasn't lying when he said that he'd get better after some rest, but even when he was on the mend, he often got sick to his stomach. When he was well, he'd go back to behaving as if nothing were wrong. Otherwise, he could hardly keep his feet under him, and would have to half-crawl, half-walk to get around.
Suzu suspected that Seishuu did not have an ordinary illness. He said he'd been attacked by a youma. Suzu had seen the wound once. There was a small cut in the back of his head right beneath his pony tail. She was relieved that it did not look like a particularly severe injury, but he said that his head began to ache only after being wounded there.
"Hey, Seishuu, you really okay?"
He popped an apricot into his mouth and looked at her in surprise. "What?"
"Your injury. You say it still hurts, so that must mean it's not healing. How are you doing?"
"You're right. I'm not really okay."
"Have you been seen by a doctor?"
Seishuu shook his head, no. "Never had the time. But it's okay. I just got to rest for it to get better."
"Is it as bad as it used to be? Or is it somehow getting worse?"
She had noticed that the periods of time he was in pain were getting longer and longer. And after he woke up, it was taking him longer before he could walk normally.
Seishuu said in a disconcerted voice, "Hard to say, I guess."
"The last couple of days, you've been rubbing at your eyes. Are your eyes feeling bad, too?"
"It's getting hard to see."
Suzu gasped. "Obviously, something's wrong. Don't keep saying it's getting better. When we get to Kei, we're taking you straightaway to see a doctor."
"Okay."
"Did you have a place you needed to go?"
"Seishuu shook his head. "My mom's dead--"
"I don't believe it. So you just randomly headed for Kei? Shouldn't you have just stayed in Sou?"
Seishuu turned away with a huff. "Mom said to go back to Kei, so I'm going back to Kei."
Suzu took a deep breath. "At any rate, when we arrive in Kei, I'm taking you to the doctor for an examination. For all we know, you could be at death's door."
Seishuu suddenly trembled. "You know that because you're a wizard, Suzu? Am I really dying?" He looked up at her with the frightened face of a child.
"It's just words, Seishuu. I don't have any reason to thinking your dying."
"You've got a mean streak in you, Suzu."
"Yes, I do. Sorry. And you're a plenty bad stinker of a kid as well. Besides, you know that only the good die young."
Seishuu laughed in agreement and Suzu gazed briefly at his bright, smiling face.
The sailor laughed. "Feeling seasick, little guy?"
"No way," Seishuu shot back.
Suzu poked her head out from the shelter and wrinkled her brows in concern. It was awful the way he dragged his body along. The sun was low in the sky and yet his condition hadn't improved.
"But I am feeling a little dizzy."
"Don't get yourself all worked up so. Take it easy. You must be getting all worked up about returning to Kei, huh?"
"I'm not!"
The sailor said that because Seishuu's hands were trembling. More than a tremor, he was almost convulsing.
"The best thing to do when you're sick is to sleep it off. Tottering around like this you're going to fall overboard."
"Okay," Seishuu laughed and disappeared into the stateroom.
Suzu watched this with some relief. Seeing Seishuu like that frightened her terribly. A headache or a few tremors, perhaps she wouldn't be very concerned. But day after day it all piled up, that's what worried her so. She followed Seishuu into the stateroom. Seishuu was sitting there with a vacant look on his face.
"You okay?"
Seishuu looked over his shoulder at her, glancing around the stateroom with a puzzled look on his face. He blinked several times, then rubbed his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm not okay at all. My eyes are really blurry."
"But are your eyes okay?"
Suzu rushed up to him. She knelt down on his right and examined his face. "Does it hurt? Do you have a headache?"
Several times, Seishuu glanced back and forth between Suzu and the wall in front of him. "Suzu, I can't see you."
"You can't?"
"When I'm looking ahead like this, I can't see you at all."
Suzu hurriedly directed her gaze forward. People normally had a wide field of vision. She could clearly see Seishuu out of the corners of her eyes.
"What's wrong with me?"
His childlike face colored with fear.
"Seishuu--"
His stricken countenance crumpled. She thought he was going to cry, but instead he laughed. The tint of fear still hung in his eyes. "I guess I'm a good boy after all."
"Seishuu."
"Yeah, looks like I'm going to die."
"No, you're not! Don't say stupid things like that!"
His face fell again.
"Let's go together." Suzu reached out and grasped his trembling hands. "Let's go to Gyouten together."
"Gyouten?"
"I'm going to Gyouten to see the Royal Kei. Surely the Empress will be able to heal you. The best doctors are in the royal palace. So shall we?"
Seishuu shook his head. "I don't think people like that are going to want to see me."
"But it hurts, doesn't it? And your headaches are real bad. What happens if things just keep getting worse and worse?"
"Do you think she can heal me?"
"If the Royal Kei can't, we'll go onto Sai. I'm sure the Royal Sai will."
"Okay," Seishuu nodded. A small tear spilled down his cheek. "I'm scared to die."
"Seishuu."
"No matter who you are, everybody dies. But you can't laugh about your own death."
"Idiot. You're going to be fine."
Seishuu laughed and cried at the same time. "It looks like I'm going to have to practice my poker face a lot more."
"Don't be a smart-ass." Seishuu nodded and rested his head in Suzu's lap. "Everything's going to be okay," she said, stroking his back. "I promise."
Three days later, they finally made it to Goto. Though called a "port," Goto had no real docks or piers. Instead, a series of large boulders had been sunken off the coast in a gentle arc. The boat anchored to the stones within the arc, and then barges came out from the cliffs to meet them. The barges were from the floating wharf at the foot of the cliffs. From there, a stone stairway carved into the cliff face in switchbacks up to the top of the cliffs.
Suzu helped Seishuu down from the stones, assisting him on his right side. His eyes still hadn't improved. Since that day when he said he couldn't see her, the vision on his right side hadn't returned.
Many times his feet got tangled up and they almost fell. A longshoreman, seeing that Suzu was not able to support Seishuu without losing her own footing, offered to carry him the rest of the way. They arrived at the top of the cliffs out of breath. From there they could survey the whole of the countryside. A long and narrow village spread out along the edge of the cliffs.
The Kingdom of Kei, Wa Province, the port of Goto. They were in the eastern reaches of Wa Province in the northeast quarter of Kei.
Seishuu slid down from the man's back and took in the landscape. Suzu grasped his hand. They were going to Gyouten and the Royal Kei was going to help them.
7-3
The kitsuryou galloped effortlessly through the sky. Shouk
ei looked down at the landscape and felt a heavy weight lift from her chest.
This is the only way to go.
She would hardly be meekly returning to the orphanage or becoming a servant again. From the start, she had determined to free herself and run away. She was never going to kowtow to anybody ever again.
Shoukei headed straight for the Black Sea, arriving at a town along the coast before the gates closed. There she sold an earring, fixed up her clothes and got a room. The sensation of silk against her skin after so long, a luxurious meal, a bed made up with embroidered quilts. She went to sleep, checking her urge to shriek aloud with delight.
The next day she sold another earing and flew off toward the Black Sea
A kitsuryou could cross a kingdom in two days. She passed over the featureless borders and entered Ryuu. There she got a room. The following day she headed north along the coast. Before evening, she had arrived at Haikyou, a port town in the central part of the kingdom. She was now closer to En than to Kyou.
The kitsuryou's reins in hand, she passed through the big gate. The gate was covered in a carved floral pattern. The walls were punctuated with a series of latticed skylights. Lanterns hung from the eaves, lighting the cozy forecourt that spread out from the middle of the gate. It was a large inn.
A man came running out to meet her. To Shoukei question he smiled and bowed low. "There is a fine room available, m'lady."
"Good," said Shoukei, smiling sweetly in return. "I shall stay here, then. Please look after my kitsuryou."
A groom hurried over and took the kitsuryou's reins. A bellhop undid the luggage from the saddle and the groom led the kitsuryou to the stables next to the gate. Shoukei went from the forecourt into the building through the gated entranceway.
Immediately inside the doors was a large parlor. Tables were generously spaced along the walls at which the guests sat and conversed together. To the concierge who walked up and bowed, Shoukei took a silver hairpin from her fashionably done-up hair and held it out to him.