“Are either of these alive?”
“No. The Tiger lady killed one. The Tiger lord killed the other.” Twentyseven-Ten hurried on, volunteering information for the first time. “My master—he who will be the new Horse—knew this man, and so assigned thirteen warriors to accompany Captain. We were to follow Captain’s orders, and if, by chance, anything happened to him, to continue the mission on our own.”
“How,” Albert said, “did you intend to return to the Lands once you had your captives?”
“We were each given an amulet,” Twentyseven-Ten said, “keyed to us personally. It does not create a bridge, but rather enables recall for ourselves and any we touch.”
Riprap cut in. “When Flying Claw and I stripped the captives down, Flying Claw found the amulets. We took them off before we gave them back their underclothes. The same amulets were on the bodies.”
Riprap reached into his pocket and took out a small sandwich bag with a zip closure. It held four small items. Leaning for a closer look, Brenda saw the amulets were jade carvings of birds, their wings outstretched in flight.
Albert Yu turned to Twentyseven-Ten. “Are these what you are referring to?”
Twentyseven-Ten nodded, his expression showing a moment of longing. “Those are the amulets.”
“Then is the bridge anchored in Waking Lizard no longer active?” Albert asked.
“It is not,” Twentyseven-Ten said, “or so we were told. I have not tested that for myself.”
Trying to keep us from trusting Waking Lizard
, Brenda thought.
Well, why should he help us more than he must?
“And the amulets will only work for you?” Albert asked.
“One to each one of us,” Twentyseven-Ten said. “You can read the inscriptions yourself.”
That’s right
, Brenda thought, swallowing a grin.
Keep yourself alive at all costs. Don’t you think we’ll figure out the weakness of using those amulets? Even as eager as Righteous Drum is to get back to his family, he’s got to have seen it.
“So you were sent here to retrieve the ‘renegades,’ as you term them,” Albert Yu said. “And what were your orders regarding the rest of us?”
“Sir?” For the first time Twentyseven-Ten looked flustered.
“Come now,” Albert said, his voice hardening. “You told us your task was to retrieve the Earthly Branches. Myself and my associates are the current affiliates of those Branches. What were your intentions toward us?”
Twentyseven-Ten tightened his lips into a thin line, and refused to say anything.
Pearl laughed, a hard, throaty growl more like a tiger’s cough. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? If three from the Lands—three whose only crime was supporting the wrong candidate for the throne—were considered disposable, what do you think our value would be? If Righteous Drum had not succeeded in stripping us of the Branches, then Twentyseven-Ten and his associates would have taken over the job—and somehow I have the impression they would not have cared what happened to us when they went about the extraction.”
“Still,” Albert said. “Even if Twentyseven-Ten was less than helpful about this one point, he has been useful. I believe he may continue living. Do any of you have other questions?”
Brenda had several, but they would have given away too much of their own weaknesses, their own ignorance. She shook her head.
Nissa asked Twentyseven-Ten, “Are you injured? Are any of the other captives injured?”
Twentyseven-Ten blinked in astonishment. He seemed to have a bit of trouble focusing on Nissa. Well, no great surprise there. If all the people he knew were dark-haired and dark-eyed, a strawberry blonde with really bright turquoise eyes would be startling. He might never have seen freckles before.
“A few bruises,” he replied with a manly shrug. “I do not know about the others.”
“The one Pearl clubbed at the back of the neck,” Riprap said, “seems a bit stiff. Any way short of an X-ray you can tell if she broke something?”
“I can try,” Nissa said doubtfully, “but neck injuries are tricky at the best of times.”
She looked reproachfully at Pearl.
Pearl said, “He was going to cut Brenda in half. I did manage not to kill him.”
“Ah.” Nissa considered. “I’ll check him out. Are we done here?”
Albert looked at the others, offering courtesy approaching deference to the four from the Lands. “Any questions?”
“Later,” Righteous Drum said. “Perhaps. This has given us much to consider.”
The other three nodded agreement, and Flying Claw led Twentyseven-Ten away.
“In answer to your question, Nissa,” Albert said, “we seem to be done with the interview, but not with planning. We have much to decide.”
“And I have a backhoe to order,” Riprap said, “and a big hole to dig. Those bodies are going to get nasty in July heat.”
Des rose. “I can help with that. I’ll set a north wind to keep them cool. It’s not refrigeration, but it’s also not the sort of spell that will draw much attention.”
“‘Attention,’” Brenda repeated. “You and Pearl keep hinting that this morning’s fight is going to have brought some sort of attention on us—and I don’t think you mean the nosy supernatural creatures you taught us to ward against before you taught us our first spells. We’d set those sort of protections before we started the practice. What’s going on?”
Des smiled, a thin smile without a great deal of humor in it.
“Brenda, we’ve told you that there are other magical traditions in this world. Do you think the indigenous magical traditions were particularly happy to have thirteen—well, twelve, actually, since the Cat was but a child—twelve highly trained, highly skilled adepts suddenly emerge into their world?”
“I hadn’t thought about it,” Brenda frowned, “but I guess not. Did those indigenous types notice then?”
“Indeed they did,” Des said, “especially when, not long thereafter, our ancestors’ enemies came after them and some rather violent magic came into use.”
“You didn’t mention this in your earlier account,” Nissa said, her tone mildly accusing. “You made it sound like the
only opposition the Twelve had to deal with came from the people who had exiled them.”
“You had enough to take in,” Des said, “without that.”
Thinking back to the cascade of events that had begun shortly after her own arrival in California, Brenda had to admit that this had been only too true. Nissa nodded.
“As I indicated a moment ago,” Des said, “the Thirteen Orphans met with hostility from the start. Beginning with the indigenous magical traditions of China, where the bridge that took them into exile had deposited them, they were treated as if they were invaders rather than refugees.
“Eventually, an uneasy truce arose between the groups, with the Thirteen assuring their unwilling hosts that they intended to do nothing to change the current balance of power. However, this truce was still young when enemies from the Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice—the home of the Thirteen—the very ones who had sworn to leave the exiles in peace if they would agree to leave—came after them.”
Des paused as if to give Righteous Drum and Honey Dream an opportunity to speak up for their homeland, but both maintained studiously polite listening expressions. Waking Lizard had fallen asleep again.
“When the Thirteen—twelve really—used their magics to defend themselves, the indigenous magical traditions, this time not only of China but of other parts of the world as well, viewed this as an indication that the Thirteen Orphans were willing to break the parameters of their truce. The Thirteen pleaded to be left to deal with the invaders themselves, saying they wanted no one else involved with their quarrels. When the battles were over, the Twelve did their best to prove to the indigenous magical traditions by their actions that they were willing to live in peace—as long as they were not threatened.”
“Are you saying they gave up using magic?” Brenda said incredulously.
“No,” Des replied. “I am not. What I’m saying is that they pretty much gave up the more aggressive forms of
magic—except in highly controlled practice sessions. Look, Brenda, we can talk about this later. The indigenous traditions are something we can’t avoid. Is it enough to say that our battle this morning is going to have set a bunch of idiots worrying that we’re about to try and conquer the world?”
Brenda blinked. “I guess so. Conquer the world, huh? I thought we were only trying to stay alive.”
When offered
a chance to go lie down, Brenda decided to take it. The slash across her middle was at least eight inches long, and the shock of realizing that her best had not been enough, that if Pearl hadn’t been there, Brenda would have been dead, was sinking in.
I was lucky that the sword that cut me hadn’t been spelled like the one that took off Righteous Drum’s arm. I was lucky Pearl was there. Why don’t I feel lucky?
Brenda knew perfectly well, why. She didn’t want to be lucky. She wanted to be admirable, extraordinary. This morning, she’d been neither.
About an hour later, somewhat rested in body, but not the least in spirit, she rejoined the others as the group reassembled in the living room.
Both Waking Lizard and Righteous Drum looked better for having had a rest. Riprap reported that a backhoe would be delivered in about an hour, and that the newly cleaned arms and armor were stored in a trunk in the attic.
Nissa had apparently driven back to Pearl’s to check on Lani, and reported that everything at Pearl’s house was fine.
“I’d meant to bring Lani back with me, but she and Wong were busy potting a dwarf pomegranate tree, and I couldn’t budge her. Wong said she could take her nap in the apartment over the garage—Hastings is out—and Lani was as enchanted as if he’d offered her a trip to the circus.”
Pearl smiled. “Hastings came to me yesterday and said that he’s been offered a job with a touring company—lead for the role he’d been understudying. I suppose I’ll be looking for a new chauffeur soon.”
Her expression grew serious. “But perhaps I should wait to interview until after our situation is more settled. I maintain a driver mostly to avoid having to worry about the car when I have meetings, and I don’t think I’m going to be attending many committee meetings for a while. In fact, I think I should make reservations to go to New York and see Shen.”
Albert Yu had changed his suit for tailored slacks and a collarless shirt that, judging from their outdated style, probably came from one of the props trunks. Despite his change in attire, he looked no more relaxed. He sat on the edge of his chair, leaning slightly forward, fingertips steepled.
“Yes. Both Shen and Deborah need to be updated, and we certainly cannot mention most of this over the telephone or even in an e-mail. Moreover, although they have verbally agreed to the treaty, I want their signatures on it as soon as possible—as we noted earlier, the conflicting duties imposed on Waking Lizard may have diluted the force of the attack. I want them protected as well.”
“What about the others?” Nissa asked. “All of us here have signed, as has Brenda’s father. You’ve mentioned Deborah Van Bergenstein, the Pig, and Shen Kung, the Dragon. What about the other five members of the Thirteen Orphans? Don’t they have to sign as well?”
Albert’s expression became very unhappy, but Brenda didn’t think the unhappiness was directed toward Nissa.
“The situation with those five—our Ox, Snake, Horse, Ram, and Monkey—is complex.”
“I know they’re among the lineages that were lost or have lapsed or whatever,” Nissa said, “but still, shouldn’t they sign? Don’t we need them?”
Albert held up a hand in an eloquent gesture that begged for forbearance. “Please. You’re absolutely right, but first we must deal with the complications resulting from this morning’s attack.”
Nissa did not look pleased, but she nodded. “All right. What’s first?”
“Well,” Albert said, “Pearl has already mentioned getting Shen and Deborah to sign the treaty. Pearl, if you’re willing to make the trip to New York, I’ll go to Michigan and see Deborah.”
He looked at the four from the Lands. “Deborah lives near Ann Arbor. As you may recall, that is not precisely near New York City.”
Honey Dream and Flying Claw looked blank with the blankness that indicates an unwillingness to show embarrassment. Righteous Drum, however, nodded without any discomfort—even though the reason for his knowing where Deborah lived was that he had gone there to attack her.
“Both states are more part of what you call East than West, but, yes, they are not close. Still, you should be able to reach there easily.”
“That is not the difficulty,” Albert said. “The treaty is. Currently, we have one copy. I would prefer we not ship that, but neither do I wish Pearl and myself to add to our travels. In your magical tradition, is it the document, or the sense of the document that counts?”
Righteous Dream answered promptly. “In the case of a treaty, the sense of the document. Ideally, everyone would sign the same piece of paper, but when this cannot be done, multiple copies are made and linked.”
“Good,” Albert said. “We might as well leave the original safely here. I recall Honey Dream is an excellent calligrapher. Perhaps she would…”
The Snake gave a graceful inclination of her head. “I would be pleased to make copies.”
“Another problem,” Riprap said into the pause that followed, “is the prisoners. We can’t bury them like we can the corpses.”
And we don’t dare leave them here
, Brenda thought,
in the custody of the four from the Lands. The prisoners aren’t protected by any treaty, and I wouldn’t trust Honey Dream not to poison them. Or seduce them into a new alliance.
Brenda was certain at least a few of the others shared her thoughts, but no one voiced them.
Instead, Pearl said, “While I don’t want the prisoners in my house, I suppose we could put them in the garage apartment. It isn’t large, but it is covered by my general wards, and we could put up other spells. Hastings said he would be moving his things out today.”
“He already has,” Nissa clarified. “That’s why Wong thought Lani could take her nap there.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Riprap agreed. “We’ll put them where we can keep an eye on them, but not where we’ll have them underfoot.”