The Initiate Brother Duology (74 page)

The melody followed the falling leaves down to a small waterfall that became a stream winding down the mountainside among the pines. The sound of temple bells echoed in the strings of the harp as the stream passed one of the many fanes among the mountain groves.

It was not a long piece, and when it was over everyone sat in silence for several moments. As though on cue, Kitsura and Lady Nishima rose and their servants collected up their instruments.

“Please excuse our interruption,” Kitsura almost whispered. And before the men could protest, the women had retreated the way they had come.

The room seemed as empty as a bell after it has been rung. The men sat quietly, each lost in his own thoughts and the feelings the music and the presence of the women had stirred. Shonto finally broke the silence.

“All official business should have such interruptions. It provides the proper perspective from which to proceed.” He looked at each member of the group in turn, holding each of their gazes for just an instant, and then he nodded. The audience began.

“General Jaku, may I begin by expressing the thanks of the government of Seh for what you have so recently accomplished on the Grand Canal. We are all in your debt and owe much to the Son of Heaven who sent you on such a worthy enterprise.” He nodded to Jaku again.

“Do you plan to stay long in Seh, General? We could plan some fine hunting and other entertainments, which your officers may also enjoy.”

Jaku paused before answering. “I have completed my work on the canal sooner than anticipated, Lord Shonto. As I have no orders as of yet, I had hoped to offer some small service in your military efforts. It would be an honor to serve with such a renowned general.”

“This is better news than I had expected, General. It would be an honor to have your counsel.” Shonto smiled broadly. “If this is indeed your intention, Katta-sum, then I would happily share what little I have learned of our situation here.”

Jaku said nothing but composed himself to listen.

“Only this morning I have finished a long report to our Emperor detailing
the situation we have found in Seh. Although this is a report for the eyes of our ruler I feel that, as you command the Emperor’s Guard, I may speak to you with complete confidence.

“As you no doubt are aware, there is a disagreement among the lords of Seh regarding the barbarians and their intentions and also about their numbers. On both sides of this debate stand men with many years of experience and proven wisdom. As you might imagine, this made deciding between the two arguments difficult. I have always believed that the direct approach is best whenever possible. We decided to send men into the desert to find out what we could.

“The only people of the Empire who can travel north of the border of Seh are the healing Brothers, so Brother Shuyun, accompanied by Lord Komawara disguised as a Botahist Brother, went into the desert.” Shonto turned to Komawara. “Perhaps, Lord Komawara, you should tell this tale.”

The young lord nodded and, as agreed, told an abridged version of his journey into the desert, saying nothing of the Kalam, or the cult of the Dragon and its shrine. Shonto watched the Imperial Guard Commander’s face throughout, but Jaku betrayed nothing. When Komawara finished, he bowed to Lord Shonto.

“Please, General,” Shonto said, “I’m sure both Shuyun-sum and Lord Komawara would answer any questions you might have.”

“I must have time to consider this information further, Lord Shonto. Please, continue, it is a most intriguing tale.”

Shonto took a long drink of his wine as though the talk of the desert had caused him thirst. “As you see, General, I am much more concerned with the situation in the north than I was when I set out on the Grand Canal.” He shook his head and then looked up and caught the guardsman’s eye. “Do you know anything of the barbarian Dragon Cult, General Jaku?”

It was a minute reaction, but Shonto was sure Jaku hesitated as though surprised.

“I have not heard of it, though dragon worship is not uncommon even within our Empire, Sire.”

“Huh.” Shonto looked thoughtful for a moment. “Perhaps that explains it.” He was silent for a moment. “I believe that we are about to encounter a threat the likes of which we have not seen since the day of Emperor Jirri. And this will not be a threat that confines itself to Seh, for though the men
of Seh are brave and skilled in the arts of war, they are few in number as the plague destroyed most of a generation here.

“The situation is complicated by other factors. It is my belief that barbarian raids on Seh fit into someone’s design, someone within our Empire. Their purpose I leave to your imagination. For this reason the true threat will not be understood until it is perhaps too late.”

Shonto stopped and looked at Jaku expectantly.

“Lord Shonto, I am not sure what you suggest, but certainly no one within the Empire would be foolish enough to betray us to the barbarian. Why would anyone do such a thing?”

“I was hoping, General, that you might tell me.”

Jaku drew himself up to his full sitting height. “Lord Shonto,” his voice showed signs of an effort toward control, “you come close to suggesting that I am party to a treason.”

Careful, General, the lord thought, you speak to the lord of the Shonto. I will accuse whom I please. He nodded to Kamu who signaled an unseen attendant. A screen slid open and two of the Hajiwara men, now in Komawara livery, entered carrying a black, ironbound trunk on a pole. They set this on the mat before the dais and at a nod from Komawara they opened the lid and spilled the contents onto the floor before the Emperor’s Guard Commander. A cascade of gold spread like a landslide across the floor and came to rest, glittering in the lamplight. An Emperor’s ransom in gold coins!

The two Komawara guards retreated, and as they did so a third man entered. The Kalam, dressed in his barbarian clothing, came and sat between Lord Komawara and Shuyun.

When Jaku raised his eyes from the fortune that had been spread before him, his face seemed utterly changed. Perhaps it was the light reflected from the coins, but his skin had grown pale and appeared to be drawn taut over rigid muscles. The sight of the barbarian caused him to stop as he began to speak.

Lord Shonto caught the Tiger’s eye again. Now you wonder what I truly know, Shonto thought. You even wonder if I know your part in our beloved Emperor’s plot. “By the middle of the summer,” Shonto said, his voice hard, “the Empire of Wa will have been overrun by an army the size of which has not been seen in a hundred years. Everything we strive toward will be destroyed
utterly. Anything that gives meaning to the life of General Jaku Katta will have been rendered meaningless…. Everything you value—family, your command, lovers, estates—will all become the prerogative of a Khan who will sit upon the Throne of our Empire. And he will distribute what is left of your life among his lieutenants and chieftains.” Shonto stopped to let his words have their effect.

“Akantsu,” Shonto said, using no title or honorific, “does not understand what he has done. In his mad attempt to bring down the Shonto House, he will bring down his Empire and blacken the name of Yamaku for all of history.

“I am prepared to mount a force to take you into the desert, General Jaku, so you may see with your own eyes the things that Lord Komawara and Brother Shuyun have seen. I will spare no effort to convince you that the barbarian threat is real, for if we do not gain Imperial support before spring we cannot stand against the force that will come out of the desert. Without your influence at court, General Jaku, the Empire of Wa will fall.”

Jaku reached out and took up a handful of coins, but he did this without sign of desire or awe, as though it was a fist full of sand he held. He let the coins run through his fingers, ringing as they fell back into the pile, the sound echoing in the silent room.

Picking up a single coin, Jaku turned it over, examining it as though the meaning of gold had just become clear to him, and its meaning did not bring him comfort.

He turned his gaze on the Governor’s Spiritual Advisor. “Brother Shuyun, on the soul of Botahara, do you swear that this story of what was seen in the desert is true?”

Komawara almost rose from his cushion. “You cannot ask him to commit a blasphemy! It is against his…”

Shuyun reached out and grasped the young lord’s arm and he stopped in mid-sentence.

“I cannot speak as you ask, General Jaku, but may my own soul be bound eternally to the wheel if what Lord Komawara has said is not truth. There is little doubt in my mind that the picture Lord Shonto has painted will come to be if the Empire does not rise to the defense of Seh. The army we saw in the desert was as real as the coins you see before you and the warriors more numerous.”

Jaku gave a nodding bow to the monk and looked back to the coin in his
hand, turning it slowly over and over. “I cannot guarantee that the Son of Heaven will heed my words, Lord Shonto. In certain endeavors our Emperor does not listen to the sound of reason. I will, however, do what I can. Certainly the Emperor will believe that this is only a ploy to gain control of a large force and that I have fallen victim to your cunning. Or the fact that I am convinced by your words may suggest treachery more than it will suggest an accurate military assessment.” He placed the coin carefully back in the pile. “A way that we could strengthen our case would be to convince a certain lord in Seh of the danger to the Empire.” He hesitated. “But I am concerned that revealing his name might bring about his own demise, and that would certainly put assistance from the Son of Heaven out of reach forever.”

Shonto shifted his armrest again. “If I were to invite this lord to the palace and display the contents of this trunk to him, do you think you could assist us in convincing him of the true danger to Seh?”

Jaku nodded. “I believe I could help make the argument convincing. Again I stress that if I reveal his name, revenge must not be sought against him. This could damage our cause beyond any hope of repair.”

“General Jaku,” Shonto said, “the Empire has been brought into great danger through the rivalry of its Houses. If we are to save Wa, all such pettiness must be put aside.” He turned to his steward. “Kamu-sum, invite Lord Kintari and his two oldest sons to come and hear the ladies of the capital play.” He turned back to Jaku and raised an eyebrow. The Black Tiger nodded.

*   *   *

Each rhythmic sweep of the oarsmen sent the fine craft gliding along the silent canal. The speed of his boat often brought Jaku great pleasure; when he discovered an empty stretch of water he would exhort his boatmen to greater and greater speed for the pure joy of it. This evening, however, he seemed unaware of his crew’s efforts.

Jaku Katta had absolutely no doubt that the Supreme Master of the Botahist Order could look him in the eye and lie as easily as he chanted the name of Botahara. He was equally convinced that Brother Shuyun was as incapable of this as his former servant had been.

Despite all that he felt about the Botahist Brotherhood and its meddling, he knew that this boy-monk had somehow remained pure, untouched by the hypocrisy of his Order. How else could one explain the feat that Jaku had
witnessed in the kick boxing ring? The boy had deflected a blow without actual physical contact! Jaku had felt it.

Even though Jaku had long worn the humiliation of that defeat and the years of anger that it had caused, he knew that Initiate Brother Shuyun was not another Botahist hypocrite…. What the boy was Jaku could not be certain, but his suspicion caused him both awe and fear. Shuyun, he sometimes believed, was a child touched by Botahara himself.

Jaku considered what he had heard in his audience with the governor. The barbarians were no longer pawns in the Emperor’s plot. The tribes had plans of their own, it seemed—were under no one’s control except perhaps this Golden Khan. Should he tell Shonto what he knew about this one? Perhaps. He would see.

Jaku looked out at the thoroughfare that edged the canal. Like most of the streets of Rhojo-ma, it was almost without traffic. By the Gods, if he joined Shonto he would come to war with the Emperor. Akantsu would never be convinced that his barbarian chieftain had escaped his control. Never, never, never.

Jaku rubbed his temple. To join Shonto was probably a decision to commit suicide, there was no doubt of that. Yet only Shonto could save the Empire. That was also beyond doubt. And if the Empire was saved? What then?

Jaku thought of the Lady Nishima, sitting before her harp. Was it possible that there was another solution? What if he truly became worthy of Shonto’s daughter? If Shonto won the coming war, the Yamaku would fall. Who would Shonto put on the Throne?

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…. Perhaps Shonto could escape the Emperor’s trap. Shonto, Jaku was beginning to believe, was capable of anything. He thought of the trunk of gold and this brought him back to the question he had considered earlier. How long had Shonto known?

The canal slipped by and before Jaku realized it he had arrived at the Emperor’s Barge. Absorbed in thought, the Commander of the Imperial Guard sat in his sampan. His boatmen waited without sign of impatience.

The path has grown too narrow, Jaku thought, I have no choices left. If Wa falls to a barbarian chieftain, it will be as Shonto says—the Jaku will lose everything. He shook his head. When there are no choices, one should not be frozen in indecision. The Empire must be defended. One cannot play gii without a gii board.

Jaku almost bounded onto the deck of the barge. Bowing guards fell back in surprise. Their commander laughed at their reaction. He mounted the steps to the upper deck as he tackled the question of how to raise an army. He considered any number of lies he could tell the Emperor, all of them far more plausible than the truth. But some part of him balked at this course, and he found this reaction somewhat strange as though it belonged to someone else and appeared in his personality entirely by accident.