28
• Merchants Journey South •
• Celestial Palace In Ch'ang-an •
• Various Welcomes •
THREE MERCHANTS LEFT NANG-PEI at dawn. The innkeeper felt sorry to see them go. They had paid handsomely for services required. One had been ill but was now recovered, and all had set off south on business. What their business was, the innkeeper neither knew nor cared.
He did wonder, idly and briefly, why these gentlemen traveled without servants or carriage driver. The stubby, paunchy one took the reins himself and seemed quite skilled at it. The innkeeper did not inquire why he performed a task more befitting a groom or house hold servant. The long-legged one struck the innkeeper as a trifle eccentric, ever muttering about his nose and ears. But, wealthy guests were entitled to be eccentric.
As for the youngest, he said little, appearing withdrawn; the result, no doubt, of illness. A junior colleague, the innkeeper assumed, not having been informed that the young man happened to be the new king of T'ang.
This secrecy had been Jen's choice. As he told Mafoo and Moxa, the last thing in the world he wanted was to proclaim his identity.
"Without proof?" Jen said. "Whenever I tell anybody who I am, either they take me for a madman or I end up in trouble. Can you see us walking into an official's yamen and trying to convince him? He'd throw us all in prison, or worse."
Mafoo disagreed. "The palace has to know you're alive and on your way back. Otherwise, the ministers and councillors will be flapping around, making a mess of things. No telling what those fools will be up to. We'll send word. Privately."
Jen finally consented. At their first halt after leaving Nang-pei, he wrote a message in accordance with Mafoo's suggestion. Mafoo picked out a sturdy, reliable-looking fellow among the servants at the village inn, bought him a horse, handed him a purse of money, and ordered him to ride for Ch'ang-an as fast as he could.
"He'll be there well ahead of us," Mafoo said. "Since he can't read or write, he has no idea what he's carrying and won't gossip about it along the way. He'll do as he's told, he won't make off with the horse and money because he knows he'll be paid again doubly once he reaches the palace."
"Excellent plan," put in Moxa. "Greed will keep him honest."
Jen was satisfied with that. And not satisfied at all.
"Do I return as a king? No, I return as a failure," Jen said, in bitter self-reproach. "My father depended on me, but I turned away from my journey. The gifts he entrusted to me are lost, every one. I've even lost Voyaging Moon."
"You'll find your flute girl," Mafoo insisted. "You have royal power now. Once home, you can order searches in every corner of T'ang. Notify every official in every yamen. She's bound to turn up somewhere sooner or later."
"We might even come across her on the way," added Moxa. "The Nose, the Ear, the Eye are devoted to your service. In short, I'll keep on the lookout for her."
Jen had to admit that Mafoo was right. As king, Jen commanded more resources than before. The sooner in Ch'angan, the sooner he could use them.
In all haste to reach the capital, Jen urged Mafoo to continue on the roads past nightfall and to set off again before daybreak, with fresh horses wherever they could be found. Sometimes they galloped long stretches without a halt, one taking the reins while the other two slept. Near the end of their longest day, the weary travelers came in sight of the Lotus Bridge and the city's outskirts.
"Our messenger got there safely." Mafoo pulled up the horses. "We're expected. Look, they've sent an escort to welcome us. Out with you, Divine Majesty, and submit to the formal greetings."
Moxa had leaped from the carriage and was eagerly beckoning to the escort by the time Jen climbed down. With Mafoo beside him, Jen stood, hands in sleeves, while the warriors galloped toward them.
"Are you Jen Shao-yeh?" The troop captain reined up his mount. "The Young Lord Prince?"
Before Jen could answer, Mafoo stepped forward.
"No, he is not," Mafoo indignantly retorted. "What discourtesy is this? Dismount, captain. Pay respect properly. He is no longer Young Lord Prince, but His Divine Majesty Jen."
The troop captain seemed familiar. Jen had seen him before. Among the palace guard? Li Kwang's warriors? The memory teased and eluded him.
"There is no such ruler," the officer replied.
Jen suddenly recalled the cavern, the bandits. The man had been one of the Yellow Scarves. Jen cried a warning to Mafoo and Moxa. Too late. The troop had surrounded them.
"There is only one king of T'ang." The warrior drew his sword. "King Natha."
The prisoners were to be granted indulgence by the grace and generosity of Natha, King of T'ang. The troop captain informed them of this as they were herded under guard into the Celestial Palace, down corridors usually bustling with officials but now empty and echoing.
"Indulgence?" muttered Mafoo. "Grace and generosity? We're prisoners no matter how you look at it."
"He's doing us the favor of keeping us alive, I suppose," Jen said. "He could have had us killed out of hand."
"Then," Mafoo remarked, "be sure he's saving us for something equally nasty."
"The Nose of Suspicion failed," Moxa groaned: "I should have smelled a trap."
"Natha would have caught us sooner or later," Jen consoled the dismayed robber. "As we're alive, we may still have a chance."
They halted at a heavy door where two warriors stood guard. The troop captain unbolted it and gestured for them to enter. The portal swung shut behind them. The lamplight showed chambers sparsely furnished. The room held another occupant.
"Young Lord! Why did you not tell me who you were?" An old woman hobbled toward Jen, who stared a moment before recognizing her. "Plum Blossom?"
"You brought my Fragrance of Orchid to life again." Plum Blossom would have kowtowed, but Jen took her hands in his own.
"The child is well, then?"
"Your gift restored her," Plum Blossom said, "and she flew away with it. Even so, I must believe she lives, happy wherever she may be."
The old woman's words puzzled him as much as her presence here. Jen asked no further explanation. His eyes had gone to the slender figure who had stepped from the adjoining chamber.
He cried out as Voyaging Moon ran to him. His months in the cangue, his hopeless searching, his failed journey all vanished from his mind. Mafoo's eyes popped, Moxa grinned all over his face.
"The Heart of Devotion swells!" exclaimed the Mad Robber. "The Eye of Tender Affection sheds a tear of joy-but if your sweetheart's in the palace, Your Majesty, it occurs to me she's a captive as much as we are."
"I couldn't warn you," Voyaging Moon said. "Natha told me you were on your way. The message you sent fell into his hands. He and his warriors had already captured the palace. They attacked Ch'ang-an when your father died. Plum Blossom and I had no chance to escape.
"Natha had secret dealings with some of the officials, so I heard," Voyaging Moon went on. "They practically invited him in. As for you, they thought they were well rid of you. They knew you were supposed to learn how Yuan-ming governed his kingdom and do likewise in T'ang. A king who knew how to rule was the last thing they wanted. They were afraid you'd be wise enough to kick them all out. Natha promised them."
"That makes no difference now," Jen broke in. "We have to find a way out. We're together. That's all that matters. I lost you once. I won't lose you again. For the rest, for the palace, for Ch'angan, for the Kingdom of Tang, I don't care!"
"You have to care," Voyaging Moon said. "You're king, not Natha. You know what he is. A brute and a killer. He forced you to give up the sword. Will you let him take your people, too?"
"Can I stop him?" Jen returned. "Any more than I stopped him from taking Yuan-ming's gift?"
"I don't know," Voyaging Moon said, "but you'd better start thinking about it. And about your father. He never lost hope that you'd come back. He counted on you to rule wisely in his place. I told him I knew you would. He was happy
with that, and at peace."
"You saw my father? You were here, then?"
"I was with him when he died," Voyaging Moon said quietly. "I told him about our betrothal. He was glad. He gave us his blessing. Yes, I came to Ch'angan," she went on. "I'd been looking everywhere for you. Finally, I knew I couldn't find you on my own. I needed more help. I thought your father could give it. And so he'd have done, had there been time."
"I'm surprised they let you into the palace," Mafoo put in. "You've no idea how hard it is to gain an audience."
"Not for Lady Shadow Behind a Screen." Voyaging Moon grinned immodestly. "Her reputation traveled as fast as she did. The famous, mysterious flute girl? With news of the Young Lord Prince? They fell all over themselves opening the gates.
"And you, dearest Jen," Voyaging Moon continued, turning to him, "I played for you wherever I went, hoping you'd hear. Now I wish I hadn't. Because all it did was draw Natha's attention. He knew of Lady Shadow Behind a Screen. To find her in the palace what an unexpected prize for him! All the more since he remembered me from the cavern. He remembered me all too well. Pig! He really gloated over finding me again. He's been keeping me under lock and key. Plum Blossom, too."
Voyaging Moon put a hand on the old woman's arm. "Poor soul, I saw her limping along the road, in the midst of a snowstorm. I took her into my carriage. She told me about her granddaughter. And the young stranger who gave her a kite. So I knew at least you hadn't drowned in the Lo. I meant to do Plum Blossom a service, taking her with me to Ch'angan, to get help from your father. Now she's in the same pickle as we are."
"Natha has no grievance against her," Jen said. "Why should he do her any harm? For myself, that's a different matter. He'll have to get rid of me. I'm surprised he hasn't done it already. I'm surprised he even let me see you. He's not one to do favors."
"That," said Voyaging Moon, "was my idea. I struck a bargain with him. He agreed to give me a few hours with you. Royally generous! He thinks himself quite the king, but he's still the same arrogant ruffian. Worse. He's gone a little mad on top of everything else. I've heard he talks to his sword. He struts and preens enough to turn your stomach. He wanted an ornament for the palace, something to flaunt and boast about. In this case: Lady Shadow Behind a Screen.
"That's my part of the bargain," Voyaging Moon added. "I told him I'd marry him."
• • • • •
Noble sacrifice! Terrible bargain! Has Jen found Voyaging Moon only to lose her, along with his life? What hope at all far him? Can a desperate situation turn worse? It can and does. To learn how, go on to the next chapter.
29
• Voyaging Moon Breaks A Bargain •
• The Mad Robber Offers A Plan •
• King Natha And King Jen •
"HUSH, HUSH. IT WON'T HAPPEN." Voyaging Moon put a hand on Jen's lips. "Do you think I'd keep a bargain like that? Natha gave me what I wanted. He'll get nothing back for it.
"I wanted you with me, and so you are," Voyaging Moon went on. "I wanted time. We have some. Not much. But if I can stretch it out, we might have a chance. The longer you stay alive, the better chance we'll have."
"How can there be any chance at all?" Jen said. "Time? Time for what?"
"Natha calls himself King of T'ang," Voyaging Moon said. "He isn't. I've heard things since I've been here. The northern province is rallying against him. It started last winter. One village held him off. That heartened other villages. Now, half the districts are up in arms. He's had to send most of his warriors north. They put down one uprising, another starts. He's bitten off more than he can chew. King? Yes, in Ch'ang-an and some of the outlying towns. Even there, he's stretched too thin."
"That's all as may be," Mafoo put in. "What's happening someplace else doesn't do anything for us here. That turtle has the palace. Worse, he has us inside it."
"So, the more delay the better," Voyaging Moon said. She turned back to Jen. "You have more friends than you think. Not all the officials took up with Natha. Some turned out surprisingly honest and spoke against him. It cost their lives. A lot of others are on your side, but they're too terrified to say anything. Once word spreads that you' re here, they could try to help you. The palace troops have been disarmed. If they can get their weapons back."
"If?" Jen said, with a bleak smile. "So many 'ifs. If I hadn't fished Master Fu out of the river? If we hadn't gone searching for Li Kwang? And still another if. If you can't put off Natha? If he forces the marriage?"
"I've thought of that, too," Voyaging Moon said. "He's let me have serving women. I talked one of them into giving me this."
The girl reached into her jacket and brought out a dagger. "At the ceremony, as soon as I'm close enough to him."
"No," Jen said. "His guards would kill you an instant later. No. I can't let you try."
"Dear Jen," Voyaging Moon answered, "you may not be in a position to say much about it."
"It's a fine scheme!" exclaimed Moxa. "I see it now! The wedding ritual cut short-for Natha, in every sense of the word. But the unwilling bride won't be our lovely flute girl. It will be: myself!
"I'll be robed and veiled," Moxa hurried on. "Your serving women will help with that, won't they? I'll have the dagger ready to hand. Then, I step up to embrace that villain." Voyaging Moon smiled and shook her head. "Moxa, you're a lunatic. A courageous one, and we love you. But, for one thing, you can't pass yourself off as me, no matter how you dress up. For another, you'll end up dead. For still another, your arithmetic's bad. One captive missing? What will I be doing in the meantime? What does Natha have in store for the rest of you?"
"Correct," said Mafoo. "That scheme's ridiculous on the very face of it. If we try anything, we try to get ourselves out of here. I've been calculating exactly where we are."
"We aren't near the royal apartments," Jen said. "I don't know this wing of the palace."
"I do," Mafoo said. "Inner chambers. At ground level. Beyond that wall should be arcades, the Gardens of Tranquil Delight."
"Utterly simple!" cried Moxa. "Why didn't you say that before? You forget I was a professional robber before I took up an easier trade. Here, let me have that dagger."
Voyaging Moon handed him the blade. At Moxa's instruction, Jen and Mafoo tore down the draperies covering the wall. Mafoo eyed the heavy stones.
"Robber or not, you can't dig your way through that."
"Of course I can." Moxa rolled up his sleeves. "There's always a weak spot somewhere. If I chip away the mortar, get one stone loose." Jen watched doubtfully as the robber scraped and scratched at the unyielding wall. Mafoo glanced at Jen and shook his head. Undaunted, Moxa kept on.
"The Hand of Consummate Skill," declared the robber. "The Spirit of Patient Determination." The blade snapped.
Moxa stared, crestfallen. "Ah-yes, the Hand might have gone at it a little too vigorously."
"Let it be," Jen said. "We can't do anything from inside. We'll need help from outside. You have serving women?" he asked Voyaging Moon. "Could they get word to an official we trust?"
"Possibly," Voyaging Moon said. "They come in the mornings. I don't know if we dare wait that long."
"No choice," Mafoo said. "Keep thinking, meantime. Even Moxa might come up with a workable plan."
In the lamplit chamber, Jen could not tell night from day. As they settled themselves, Voyaging Moon brought out the flute and quietly played. Jen closed his eyes and listened gratefully, but his heart was heavy, scarcely open to the melody. For the few moments that he drowsed, he dreamed the wooden collar hung once again around his neck.
He started up. The lamps guttered. The door had flung open. Armed warriors were upon them, seizing Jen, surrounding Voyaging Moon and the others.
"Stand away. Let him face me." Natha swaggered into the chamber. The bandit glittered in full armor. At his side hung the sword destined for Yuan-ming.
Natha put his hands on his hips and looked Jen up and down. His eyes glittered like his breastplate. "You told th
e truth when last we met. If I'd known you were a royal whelp, you wouldn't be alive at this moment. For all that, you served me well. The sword you gave me-unwillingly, but you gave it none the less that sword and I are close comrades." Natha glanced at the weapon. "Aren't we, my thirsty friend? Together, we rule."
"Bandit then, bandit now," Jen replied. "Your kingdom's narrow as the edge of your blade."
"Is it?" Natha grinned. "I don't think so. Oh, no, my lad, I don't think so at all. Your gift turned out more interesting than you might have known. I spared your life in exchange for it. That was a mistake. No matter, it will be corrected. You'll soon count yourself amoung your ancestors."
The terror which had threatened to drown Jen in the cavern began rising. Yet, as he raised his head to meet Natha's eyes, the tide ebbed and drained away. He could see the man before him as no more than a grotesque, posturing shadow, weightless, without substance. Jen looked at him with contempt and with a strange pity. "You have already lost. You have lost without knowing it.
"Do you remember Ping-erh? I thought I failed. Perhaps I did. But others did not. Pebbles stopped the avalanche. In the end, they will break you, and you will break yourself on them."
Natha's hand went to his sword. Foam flecks came to his lips. Jen thought the man would strike him down where he stood. Natha ground his teeth and drew a great breath. His glance wavered. He turned away to fix on Voyaging Moon.
"Lady Shadow Behind a Screen. You and I have a bargain."
"Broken," Voyaging Moon said. "Broken even as I made it."
"You'll keep it," Natha said, with a cold smile. "Willing or not." He turned to Mafoo and Moxa. "You'll follow your master." Mafoo shrugged. "As I've always done."
"The Sinews of Courage!" cried Moxa. "The Heart of Devotion will not falter!"
"You think not?" Natha said. "Poor fools, both of you. Have you seen a man killed? A head roll in the dirt? Oh, you will. You'll smell real blood. Then find out how long your bravery lasts. I'll hear you scream for mercy."