The Initiate Brother Duology (83 page)

With her practiced eye, Lady Nishima noticed that a number of prominent lords had disappeared, as had most of Lord Shonto’s senior advisors. She turned toward the governor’s dais and found her father slipping out through
an open screen followed by personal guards and Initiate Brother Shuyun. She offered a silent prayer to Botahara.

*   *   *

There were perhaps a dozen and a half men gathered in the room, dressed in their finest robes and seated on silk cushions. Shonto sat before them on a low dais and to his right and left knelt the Major Chancellor, Lord Gitoyo, and the aging Lord Akima, Minister of War. Kamu, General Hojo, and Brother Shuyun, as the lord’s senior advisors, sat nearby, while General Jaku and Lord Komawara were barely farther away.

Facing the dais were the lords of Seh’s most important Houses, each sitting with the kinsmen and senior members of their staff. Prominent among them was the Lord of the Toshaki House accompanied by his eldest son and Toshaki Shinga, general of Seh’s standing garrison. Shonto knew of Lord Toshaki by reputation only and was surprised by the man’s apparent youth. Toshaki had seen at least seventy First Moon Festivals in his time, yet he seemed like a man whose gray hair and beard had turned long before their time. Lord Toshaki was aware of his status in Seh, and though there was no greater distance between him and the others, he sat apart all the same. If Shonto was any judge of such things, Lord Toshaki would allow his kinsman, Toshaki Shinga, to speak for him.

Of the province’s other major Houses, Lord Taiki Kiyorama came accompanied only by his senior officer and he bowed lower than required to Shuyun and Kamu in recognition of their service to his son who had come near to losing his life in the palace garden.

Lord Ranan was another matter. The Ranan House had been the right hand of the Hanama Emperors in Seh for two hundred years and had enriched themselves accordingly. To say they were resented in the north would be an understatement of considerable proportion. Nonetheless, they were wealthy and still held power in the province, if not the favor of the Emperor that had nominally passed to the Toshaki.

It was this group that Shonto needed to win to his cause if he were to raise an army. Lord Taiki was already preparing his forces, but the rivalry between the Toshaki and the Ranan did not bode well for an alliance.

Shonto nodded to Kamu who turned and bowed to the gathered lords and officials.

“Lord Shonto Motoru, Imperial Governor of the Province of Seh.”

All present bowed as their rank required and returned to the sitting position.

Shonto nodded in response and sat quietly for a moment, surveying the gathering. “The Shonto House is honored by your presence, Lords of Seh. The ancestor for whom I was named rode into battle with your grandsires and great grandsires.” Shonto reached back and took a sword from its stand. “This is the sword my grandfather presented to the Emperor Jirri—legends now—yet this sword rode into battle in an Emperor’s hands, and Seh retained its borders.” He paused and looked around the group again.

“My Emperor has charged me to end the barbarian raids across the border into Seh and to this end I have focused my efforts. It became apparent that we needed to inform ourselves of the situation in the wastelands. To accomplish this we chose the most direct course—we sent men into the desert to look with their own eyes.”

A small shifting of men in the room, eyes meeting for an instant, then all attention returned to Shonto.

“What we have learned will be related to you and no doubt you will find it as disturbing as I have. We enter a time of great decisions where our actions will affect the course of the history of our Empire. Let it be said by future generations that at this time we were filled with the wisdom of Hakata and the spirit of Emperor Jirri.

“We must speak openly, my lords, for the guarded spirit and the hidden intentions will bring us down as surely as a barbarian sword. I would know your thoughts, Lords of Seh, if you will honor me with them.” Shonto fell silent for a moment, but before he could proceed a cousin of the Ranan Lord bowed to Shonto and spoke.

“In this spirit, Lord Governor, I would ask of rumors that whisper throughout Seh.” He was an older man, obviously chosen for his habits of speech, for he sounded like an old scholar though he looked as hardy as an old peasant. “The people ask, where are the Kintari? And it is said there is a barbarian in your service.”

They were bold questions put in a manner more direct than should have been used with an Imperial Governor, not to mention a lord of such note, yet Shonto could see the approval of the men of Seh.

“Lord Ranan,” Shonto’s voice was low, “I should like to ask the same question of the Kintari….” He laid his sword across his knees. “As to the barbarian,
we shall speak of him now, if you will consent to hear of the journey into the desert?”

The lords nodded and Shonto continued.

“As it is difficult for men of Seh to travel in the barbarian lands, it was with some risk that we did so. The only men of our Empire who can travel into the desert with any hope of living should they encounter tribesmen are the healing Brothers. For this reason my Advisor, Brother Shuyun, traveled across our border. He was accompanied by Lord Komawara, also dressed as a Botahist monk.

Turning to Komawara, Shonto nodded and the lord bowed. His wound no longer required binding and all of it but a small purple mark on his temple was hidden by newly grown hair.

“Brother Shuyun and I traveled into the steppe at the time of the Field Burning Festival,” Komawara began, his voice stilted but strong. “Although we saw increasing signs of barbarian patrols the farther into the wastes we traveled, we met no tribesmen for many days. At the spring of the Brothers we found signs that barbarian tribesmen used it as a camp, though they were not there at the time. One can only surmise where they might have been.

“We traveled farther into the steppe, indeed we approached the edge of the desert itself. As we did so, we were trapped in a draw by a band of tribesmen but, due to the skills of Brother Shuyun, we were able to overcome these brigands. We questioned one—Brother Shuyun speaks their tongue—and found that they were of a tribe that hid from the Khan, refusing to join the chieftain’s armies.

“As we were convinced these men did not raid across our border, it was agreed that one of their number would guide us in return for the lives of the others.”

Again the lords exchanged glances but said nothing.

“This is the tribesman you have heard rumors of, Lord Ranan. Our understanding of the tribes’ customs was imperfect and we did not realize that this one barbarian had traded his life and honor for the lives of his kinsmen. That is why he is with us still. He is honor bound to serve Brother Shuyun and cannot be released from that now.”

“Barbarian honor?” General Toshaki smirked. “A spy in your midst seems more likely, Lord Komawara.”

“I have placed my life in this barbarian’s hands on more than one occasion, General. I am still alive. He is more than honor bound, as the barbarians
understand it. He is truly frightened by the chieftain called the Golden Khan, believing this man will bring destruction down upon the tribes and their way of life.”

“He shows wisdom in this, at least,” General Toshaki said to half-smiles from the other lords.

Komawara continued his tale, saying nothing of the dragon shrine or the gold coins. The lords of Seh listened with apparent politeness until Komawara described the encampment of the army they had found in the desert.

“Excuse me, Lord Shonto, Lord Komawara,” Akima interrupted. “But it is difficult to imagine a barbarian army that has more men than the total population of barbarians has ever been. How can you explain this?”

“As I am unaware of the last Imperial census of the barbarian tribes,” Komawara said acidly, “I cannot answer you, Lord Akima. When were these figures compiled?”

“My lords,” Kamu interrupted, “before we begin to discuss what is and is not possible, it may be best to hear what Lord Komawara and Brother Shuyun have seen with their own eyes.”

Both Akima and Komawara gave half bows toward the dais.

“We left the encampment following the trail of the force that made its way toward our border. We were a day catching them. From a rise we were able to see a barbarian force of no less than forty thousand men. It was clear daylight—there could have been no mistake. This army turned east, it is believed to winter with the tribes of the steppe. Having seen this, we returned to Seh as quickly as our mounts would travel.” Komawara bowed to Lord Shonto and the gathered lords and then sat rigidly silent.

“I thank you, Lord Komawara. I honor you and Brother Shuyun for this journey undertaken in our time of need.” Shonto turned to the gathered lords. “As you see, the situation is one that requires decisive action. Now is the time for questions and discussion, my lords.”

No one spoke. Shonto wondered who would be chosen as the voice of this group and watched the silent selection with interest. Finally, General Toshaki Shinga bowed to his governor. So, Shonto thought, the Toshaki will lead here.

“This is a delicate situation, Governor Shonto. We have been asked to speak our thoughts, but I for one do not wish to offend anyone present by arguing their beliefs…or calling their judgment into question.”

“General Toshaki, in Shonto councils we speak our minds openly—to do
otherwise could bring us to the greatest disaster. I have asked you all to share your years of experience and wisdom. If this requires that you disagree with me or any of my staff, so be it. Please, speak as you would in your own council.”

Toshaki bowed. “The estimate of the size of this barbarian army seems beyond possibility, though I would hesitate to question what Lord Komawara and Brother Shuyun have seen with their own eyes,” he added quickly. “Is it possible the barbarians war among themselves?”

Shonto turned to Shuyun who gave his double bow.

His voice was a surprise in this company, soft and quiet as though he felt no need to force his opinions on anyone. “It is the opinion of the tribesman Lord Komawara has spoken of that the Khan has every intention of invading Seh in the spring. The tribes that oppose him are small in number, Lord Toshaki, and scattered. They are no threat to this Khan. I can conceive of no other reason to gather an army of such size except to war upon our Empire.”

“Excuse me, Brother, if I have difficulty believing one can hear truth from a barbarian,” General Toshaki said evenly.

Shuyun’s face did not change, though the hue of Komawara’s skin seemed to darken.

The kinsman of Lord Ranan bowed now and Kamu acknowledged him.

“Sire,” the younger man said with a note of respect, “there is yet another question that we would ask.” Reaching into his sleeve, he removed a small leather pouch which he opened with some care. Retrieving something from its interior, he passed it to a Ranan officer who in turn moved forward to give this to Kamu.

The Shonto steward placed the small object on the dais before Lord Shonto who barely looked down.

“Yes, Lord Ranan?” Shonto said. Many eyes strained to catch a glimpse of what lay glinting on the dais.

“Coins such as this were taken from a raiding barbarian in my lord’s western fief. You will see a strange dragon form on its face. What do these signify, my lord wonders? To our knowledge there has never been gold found among the barbarians before.”

Shonto reached out and pushed the coin with the tip of his sword. “Let the others see this,” Shonto said quietly and Kamu retrieved the coin, handing it to Lord Akima.

“What you see, Lords of Seh, is a talisman of the cult that is linked to this Khan who has risen among the tribes.”

“You have seen these coins before, Lord Shonto?”

Shonto nodded. “Other raiders have carried them.”

“There seems to be a great depth to your knowledge, Lord Shonto,” the senior Ranan lord said. His voice was deep and rich and carried weight among the voices heard so far. “Do the barbarians mine gold, then? Or shall we assume it has been stolen from some source we are not aware of? Some lord’s secret treasure?”

Shonto contemplated this for some seconds. “The gold comes from Yankura, Lord Ranan, that is all we know. How it makes its way into the desert is unclear. What purpose it serves is also a mystery.”

One could almost hear the snow falling in the courtyard. The senior Ranan Lord looked at his palm as though he would read his next words there. A lamp sputtered, a drop of condensation finding the flame.

“Do you suggest that someone in our Empire pays some form of tribute to the barbarians, Lord Governor?” the Ranan Lord said, his voice suddenly quiet.

“It is a likely explanation,” Shonto answered calmly, as though what he said was not an accusation of high treason. Whom the accusation was aimed at no one needed to ask.

Ranan nodded. The coin had reached General Toshaki now.

“The purpose of this cult,” General Toshaki said, “is it known?”

“It seems to give legitimacy to the Khan, General.”

“How is it that we have learned this, Lord Shonto?” Toshaki asked.

Shonto nodded to Komawara.

Komawara bowed rigidly. “The Kalam, the tribesman who serves Shuyun-sum, he has spoken of the dragon cult. Also, when we traveled in the desert, we saw the shrine of the dragon.”

General Toshaki looked at the senior member of his House who gave the smallest gesture with his hand.

“Lord Komawara,” the general said, taking his cue. “There is another rumor that has been whispered in Seh.” The edges of his mouth curled in the slightest smile. “It is said that you saw the remains of a dragon on your recent journey. Can such a thing be true?”

Hojo interrupted, ignoring the general and looking directly at his Toshaki master. “Rumors, Sire, are often smoke without flame.” And he smiled also.

The senior Toshaki lord held Hojo’s gaze for a few seconds, then he visibly dismissed him, turning to Komawara. “Lord Komawara, on the honor of your family, do you believe you saw the remains of a dragon in the desert?”

Komawara hesitated, darting a glance at Shonto. “I saw the skeleton of a large beast, Lord Toshaki.”