Part 18 (2/2)
”Oh. Well,” I cleared my throat, not knowing whether to feel pride or self-conscious. ”I mean, the water was just a little bit cold, but I'm flattered that you would--”
”With the way you handled my father,” said Mitsu.
”Oh.”
”Earlier. The manner in which you manipulated my father's be liefs, played to his sense of G.o.dlysuperiority. That was very deft. You might fit in here after all.”
”I'm just a visitor,” I said, shaking my head vigorously. ”And, considering what transpired here minutes ago, not even all that welcome a visitor at that.”
”You should not sell yourself short, Apropos... all evidence to the contrary.” When she saw my face fall upon that comment, she laughed lightly. ”You are a very serious individual. You need to become more relaxed. Do you see that table?”
She pointed to a table standing nearby. I nodded. ”Go lie down flat upon it. Remove your robe. Keep the towel around your middle if you wish.”
”I really don't see how...”
”Do as I say,” she said firmly.
Deciding it wouldn't be wise to press matters with her, I limped over to the table, removed my robe (but maintained the towel, as per her suggestion), and lay flat.
I had no idea what to expect. Then I heard the quick movements of bare running feet, and one of the bath maidens landed feet-first upon my back. I gasped in surprise. She weighed almost nothing; her bones must have been hollow. ”Now... now just a minute,” I started to say.
Then she started to move across my back, digging her toes in, loosening the muscles. I couldn't believe it as the tension began to seep out of me.
”Feeling a bit more at ease, Apropos?” inquired the princess.
I tried to reply, but all I was able to manage was an inarticulate ”ggrrcchh.”
”There are many techniques, many aspects of Chinpan of which you can avail yourself. If you do not do so, it would be a great tragedy.”
I should have just lain flat and enjoyed it. Instead I forced myself to look over in her direction as she soaked in the tub. ”And if I fail to do so... will I be required to kill myself?”
She looked puzzled. ”No. Why would you?”
”Why was that young woman?”
”Oh.” She seemed to have forgotten about her. ”Yes. Well... she was required to take my place. The Imperior can't very well be executing, or demanding ritual suicide of, his only daughter, now, can he?”
”Doesn't it bother you that your actions cause others to suffer?”
”Does that never happen where you come from?”
”No!” Then I paused and amended, ”Well... royal families do have whipping boys. When young princes misbehave, the whipping boys are flogged since the persons of royalty are sacrosanct. But...that's different... and they don't kill the poor b.a.s.t.a.r.d...”
The girl on my back placed her toes on the back of my neck, and started to manipulate something within between her toes. I felt a jolt of energy that seemed to originate at the bottom of my brain and ran through all the way to my feet.
”And if two kings are not able to get along? If they have disputes over borders or some such, and declare war upon each other?” asked Mitsu. ”Are not soldiers summoned to serve as proxies, to fight and die in the name of a dispute that the rulers simply couldn't be bothered to settle in a less terminal way?”
”You're distorting it, Princess...”
”Am I? Seems to me I'm putting things perfectly accurately, and you simply don't wish to acknowledge that.”
”It is pointless to continue this discussion, Mitsu. I do not wish to offend you, but fear if we keep on talking about it, then sooner or later I will.”
”As you wish,” she said diplomatically.
Truthfully, I really didn't want to risk angering her. But even more important, I didn't want any more distractions from the astounding things the incredibly light woman was doing to my back. I allowed myself to succ.u.mb to the pure pleasure of it. The next thing I knew, the bathing maiden was shaking me gently.
I had fallen asleep, and was feeling tremendously rested. I looked around. The princess was gone.
The other maidens were gone. Only this one remained. I had half turned over and the towel had fallen away. She was regarding me with interest, and then she said very politely, ”s.e.x now?”
”What's your name?”
”Timtup.”
”You know what, Timtup? Life's too short not to be polite,” I said, and accommodated her.
When I returned to my quarters some time later, I almost jumped twenty feet in the air when a soft voice said from overhead, ”I wouldn't leave my weapons alone next time.”
I spun in a circle, nearly falling over, and then looked up. Hanging in the rafters overhead, dangling by his tail, was Mordant.
”Where the h.e.l.l have you been?!” I demanded. Even as I spoke, I glanced in the direction of where I had laid down my weapons. They were exactly as I had left them. ”And what have you gotten me into?”
”Gotten you into?” retorted Mordant, dropping onto my bed. His tail whipped back and forth lazily as he curled up upon the pillow. ”May I remind you that you're the one who wanted to come to Taikyo.”
”And you're the one who knew we were traveling with a d.a.m.ned princess.” ”What, you don't like her?” He sounded faintly sarcastic.
”Oh, I like her just fine for someone who stands there and lets her servants be butchered and then walks around a.s.s-naked, prepared to climb into a bath with any stranger she happens to encounter.
She's just wonderful.”
He c.o.c.ked his head and said, ”You don't understand this culture, Apropos. Until you do, don't presume to pa.s.s judgment on it.”
”I'll pa.s.s judgment on anything I d.a.m.ned please, Mordant, thank you very much. You could have told me she was a princess, you know.”
”And if I had?”
I sat down on the far edge of the bed, studying him carefully. ”I don't want to get into 'if you had.'
What I want to know is why you didn't.”
”She was traveling incognito. I decided to respect her privacy.” He dropped his head onto his forepaws, which were crisscrossed one atop the other.
”I see. And is there anything else you're neglecting to tell me? Any other major piece of information I'd benefit from having?”
He yawned widely, his long tongue flicking in and out repeatedly as he did so. ”None that springs readily to mind. Other than that the Skang Kei family have obviously targeted you for some reason.”
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