Shanji. Part 12

Mengmoshu will care for you as a father would, Kati. In a way, you are our daughter. You will learn

from us, and grow, and at times it will be difficult. But you will never be alone. Come to me anytime,

Kati. Practice what you have just learned. I will be waiting.

The eyes vanished, along with the stars, but Mengmoshu remained.

Sleep, child. This is just the beginning.

He was still with her when she drifted off.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

SHEYUE.

Kati did not get a horse for either her eighth or ninth birthday, but for her tenth the gift from Weimeng was a person.

Her name was Sheyue, which means musk, and she was twelve years old.

Weimeng gave a party in her suite, and all of Kati's teachers were there, including Huomeng. It was the first time she'd ever seen him in the black formal robe of the Moshuguang. He filled it out nicely and looked quite distinguished, she thought. But she missed the presence of Lui Pang, who was not from a n.o.ble family, and had not been invited. She thought about him a great deal these days.

The atmosphere was festive and there were many gifts to open. Most of them were clothing, including a new set of riding leathers, for her legs were suddenly growing longer and sometimes she felt as if she were walking on the stilts worn by the comic who provided their entertainment at the party.

He was a small man, dressed in a lady's red robe, and he wore a black wig with the double buns of a n.o.blewoman's coiffure. His face was painted and rouged, with huge, black eyelashes which he batted and fluttered throughout his act. In one hand he carried a delicate fan, behind which he flirted with the men as he minced around the room on those long stilts. At first the men were embarra.s.sed, but soon they joined the women in laughter at the man's antics.

Juimoshu gave Kati a pendant: a disk of gold on a long chain, and in the center of the disk was a single emerald, dark green. Kati put it on to join the other two pendants she'd worn continuously since coming to the Emperor's city.

Huomeng, always the teacher, gave her two disks for her learning machine. There was a pair of riding boots from Mengyao, and then Mengmoshu presented her with a long, curved sword of flexible polymer and informed her that private lessons with Master Yung would begin the following day.

Kati was thrilled. It was the most wonderful birthday ever. She hugged everyone, but when she got to Huomeng his eyes got very large and so she shook his hand in thanks.

"There is one more gift," said Weimeng, just as Kati thought it was all finished.

Tanchun came in, leading a tall, lovely girl by the hand. The girl had a long, graceful neck and skin like white porcelain. The buns of her hair were decorated with sparkling combs, and she seemed to float across the carpet, her body held proudly erect. As she came up to Weimeng, she bowed, lowering her eyes first, tiny, painted lips curving into a serene smile. The blue robe she wore seemed to enhance her calm presence.

Everyone seemed startled by the appearance of this girl. Huomeng's mouth hung open, and he was gawking stupidly at her.

Weimeng gestured to Kati, and said, "This is Mengnu."

The girl turned to Kati and bowed again. Her voice was clear, but soft, almost a whisper. "My name is Sheyue," she said, "and I am honored to be of service to you."

"Sheyue comes to us from one of our finest families," said Weimeng. "She will be your companion when you wish it, and will instruct you in the ways of fas.h.i.+on and etiquette as practiced in palace society. Her rooms will be near this suite, and you can be together as often as you like."

Kati was surprised, momentarily at a loss for words, but she felt a terrible fear coming from behind that serene face, and it was the fear of rejection. There were no thoughts in Kati's mind, no advice coming from anyone, but Sheyue's fear was like waves cras.h.i.+ng against a cliff-face. Her family was highly honored by Weimeng's choice. To return this girl to her family would be an unbearable disgrace for her.

Kati smiled, and held out her hands. "Welcome, Sheyue. My rooms are also yours, and I hope we will be like sisters. I've always wished for a girl I could talk to and share secrets with."

She clasped Sheyue's hands, then embraced her. Her hair smelled like sweet gra.s.s, her relief so strong it nearly brought tears to Kati's eyes.

Kati looked at Weimeng, and said, "Thank you for the gift of a friend. It is more than I could wish for."

Weimeng looked pleased, and everyone was smiling, even Huomeng, who had lost that stupid look on his face. There had been tension in the room, but now it was gone. Everyone began talking again and the comic came back to resume his flirtations. Sheyue laughed at him, but hid her laugh in a secretive way behind one hand.

Kati took Sheyue's hand in hers, and led her around the room, introducing her teachers to the girl. She saved Huomeng for last, because he hadn't thought to mask the terror building in him and she was relis.h.i.+ng every moment of it. When they reached him, his eyes were wide again, and he stood stiffly, making a curt bow when Kati introduced him.

"Welcome," he croaked, then seemed to recover his senses. "I come here to tutor Mengnu, so perhaps I will see you again."

His mind was suddenly a blank, and Kati knew he had sensed her peering at him. But he was clearly awed by Sheyue, a girl he thought his age, or even older. When meeting him, she'd looked straight into his eyes, then lowered her long eyelashes as she began her bow. "Honored teacher," was all she'd said.

This girl would not just be a companion, thought Kati. There was much to be learned from her.

The adults were now talking to each other, and Kati went to Weimeng. "May I show Sheyue my rooms?"

"Yes, dear, but come back within an hour. We will have a meal to end your party."

Kati fetched her new leathers, boots and sword, and led Sheyue to the rooms adjacent to Weimeng's

suite. She showed her the rooms, the view from her sitting room window, the canopied bed. Sheyue nodded pleasantly at each sight, but did not seem impressed at all, so perhaps she was used to such luxury. But she asked about Kati's leathers, intrigued by them.

"They are for riding," said Kati. "The leather breaks the wind, and keeps me from being sc.r.a.ped or chaffed."

"You ride a horse?""Twice each week. One of the troopers' sons is my escort, to make sure I don't b.u.mp my head, or something."

"Is he handsome?" asked Sheyue, with a sly smile.

"Very. He is four years older than I, but treats me like an equal, not a child."

"You are not so much a child, Mengnu. I'm only two years older than you."

Kati was astounded. "I thought you were much older, perhaps eighteen, or twenty. I think Huomeng

believes you are much older. His heart was pounding when he met you just now."

Sheyue's laugh was like softly tinkling bells, hidden behind her hand. "Really? He seems like a nice, intelligent man."

Man? Kati still thought of Huomeng as a somewhat arrogant boy.

"He's very intelligent, but self-centered and difficult to please. It's said he has much talent that hasn't

been explored yet."

Sheyue smiled serenely, and said, "Even grown men are little boys. It is very easy for a knowledgeable

woman to please them."

Oh, yes, thought Kati, but first there must be knowledge.

She changed her robe from yellow to red, and wore Juimoshu's pendant on the outside of it. Sheyue gave her an appraising look, and said, "Mengnu, please allow me to give you a gift for your birthday."

Sheyue took a black comb from her hair. It was crusted with tiny gems in green, red and blue. She put it in Kati's short, straight hair to the left of her forehead and looked at her again.

"There. It gives color to your hair."

Kati thanked her, and when they arrived back in Weimeng's suite, they were walking hand-in-hand.

Throughout the meal, Kati watched Sheyue from her place of honor at the head of the table. She watched the slow, smooth motions of sticks and silver utensils, the dainty bites chewed slowly, mouth closed, the frequent use of finger-bowl and moist towel, the smile and lowering of the eyelashes when accepting a new dish. All the adults were oblivious to it, but Huomeng also watched Sheyue constantly, and when the girl caught him looking at her, she would blink slowly, with a hint of a smile, and then avert his gaze. By the end of the meal, Huomeng had eaten little, and was sitting there in a kind of hypnotic state, looking confused.

For some reason, the sight of him that way made Kati a little angry.

Her life seemed defined for her, and today there was another new thing, but again it was something she'd asked for.

Kati sat uncomfortably on the hard bench, the sword across her lap, and nervously awaited the call from Master Yung. Mengmoshu had suggested she wear her leathers, without the tunic, but still she was warm inside her light, woolen s.h.i.+rt. There was sweat on her forehead, though she'd pulled her hair away from it, and tied it in a little tail behind her head.

She drummed her boot-heels on the floor, fingered the sword, and sighed. Finally, the door beside her opened with a click. A little man in a plain, white robe stepped outside, and made a short bow to her. He was quite old: wrinkled face, white, wispy hair, a few long hairs on his chin. He looked at her with small, twinkling eyes, and said, "You may come in, now."

The room was small, perhaps ten meters on a side, with floor to ceiling mirrors covering two sides. The floor was ebonite, polished to a gleam, the ceiling yellow, with four light panels brightly lighting the room. The third wall was built-in storage, with drawers and cabinets floor-to-ceiling, but it was the fourth wall that first caught her eye. There was an altar, with a little shrine of lit candles, and a bra.s.s urn from which smoke rose in a helical path, and around the urn were offerings of various vegetables and fruits.

Above it, on a wall painted red, were two long, curving swords, blades crossed and gleaming.

The old man shuffled to the shrine, and came back with a bunch of grapes in his hand. The air moved with him, bringing the odor of sweet incense to Kati. He offered the grapes to her.

"No thank you, sir. I'm not hungry. I've come for a lesson with Master Yung. Will he be here soon?"

The old man popped a grape into his mouth. "Just as soon as he's finished his lunch," he said, smiling.

Kati's face flushed with shame. "I'm very sorry, Master; I've never seen you before now."

"It's nothing. I'm a deceptive man. That's how I've come to be so old." He put several grapes in his

mouth at once, chewed vigorously, then beckoned to her to follow him to the center of the room. She did

so, holding her sword in the crook of an arm.

When he turned to face her, close, their eyes were at the same level. "So, you come to learn the art of the sword. Now, tell me why you wish to learn it. What is your motive?"

Kati hadn't really thought about it. "I wish to learn everything," she said.

Yung shook his head. "No. You must be specific. You could learn to cook, or sew, or how to be charming. Why do you seek the ancient arts of war?"

Kati flushed again, but an answer was coming to her. "Do you know who I am, Master?"

"Of course. Mengmoshu has told me everything about you, and how you came to be here, but I know

that even Tumatsin women use weapons only in ceremony. They do not practice with them."

"Mandughai did. Our Emerald Empress led her soldiers against the Emperor in ancient times. When I was little, there was a tapestry above my bed which showed the scene of her attack. And she carried a

sword like those above the shrine in this room. When I was little, I dreamed of being like Mandughai-and I still do!"

Yung chewed the last of his grapes reflectively, and then there was a long moment of silence as he

studied her. He moved a step to her left.

"Hold out your sword. Aim its blade at the point of intersection of the swords on the wall, and keep it

there."

Kati obeyed. Yung put his hands on her arm, stretching it out until she felt pressure in her elbow. He fiddled with her fingers, pus.h.i.+ng and pulling. "Squeeze firmly with these two, thumb on top, gently with these two. Hold it there."