Part 36 (1/2)
She shook her head, uncomprehending.
”I'm a side character. Again,” I told her.
”A what?”
”An incidental individual. A throwaway cast member. A sidekick. One who thinks his own life really matters, and who is experiencing his own great adventure... and it turns out that I'm experiencing yours.” She stepped carefully over some slime that had gathered on the sh.o.r.e. Not too far ahead of us, I could see moonlight filtering through. We were drawing nearer to an exit. ”I still cannot say I understand what you're talking about.”
”You, and your heroic young man in the marketplace... or, as I call him, Mordant the snide and occasionally annoying drabit,” I explained. ”You and he have this grand and great tragic romance that I've been pulled into. Your story is the truly interesting one. I'm just... just this foolish individual who's been trying to change his life, find love, making something of himself... in short, operate in a manner contrary to his nature just to have--if nothing else--something different to think about and do and contemplate. And you...”
I sighed heavily, readjusted her father around my shoulders once again, and said, ”I can see that what I'm saying remains impenetrable to you. Do not concern yourself with it.”
”No, it's not impenetrable at all. I grasp what you're saying now. You liken your life, and the lives of those around you, to great literary adventures or tales of mythic accomplishments.”
”Yes, exactly.”
”And you consider yourself to be something other than the central figure. A subordinate 'character'
who partic.i.p.ates in the lives of others who are far more interesting and unique, while constantly being frustrated that he himself amounts to nothing.”
”You do understand,” I said with satisfaction.
The exit out was so narrow that we could only emerge one at a time. In fact, it was little more than a hole, so we had to crawl through it. Mitsu eased herself through first, and then I slid her the wrapped form of her father, which she pulled out from the other side. I took a deep breath and shoved my head in, twisting and insinuating my body through. When my head poked out the other side, I sucked in fresh air and then muttered, ”So... this is what birth is like.”
”Very funny,” she said, and helped pull me out the rest of the way. We sat there for a moment, resting from the exertion. Actually, I was the one who had exerted himself. Mitsu wasn't even breathing hard.
”You're wrong, you know,” she said.
”About what?”
”About what you're saying. About your point of view,” said Mitsu. ”Our story, the tale of my lover and I, has been seen and told and retold any number of times. Look at us: Star-crossed lovers. The hero transformed. The heroine in disguise. It's all been done before, by people far more intriguing and clever than we. But you, Apropos... you're unique. I've never heard of anyone like you. You're much more interesting than we are. Much too interesting, in fact, to be a 'supporting character.'”
”Do you truly think so?” I asked.
”Oh, unquestionably. You have a personality. Supporting, incidental characters have personality traits.
But you are much more than you're crediting yourself.”
”And yet...” ”And yet?” She looked at me expectantly.
”And yet... I still have nothing. In many ways, still am nothing.”
She shook her head sadly. ”Do not underestimate the joy of nothing. The problem with having something is that someone else always wants to take it away from you. A man who has nothing has nothing to lose, and everything to gain... unless he's wise enough not to gain it.” She got to her feet, her face suddenly serious. ”Come. Time is running short.”
No one gave us a second glance as we walked quickly through the darkening streets of Taikyo. There was every likelihood that by this point, the alarm had been sounded back at the palace. But many, if not all, of the formidable Hamunri had been disposed of by the Slojinn. Matters would be in disarray. They would likely be searching every corner, looking desperately for the Imperior, not realizing that he was gone. And with any luck, by the time the search spread into the city, matters would be resolved.
Then again, I thought grimly, when did ”with any luck” and ”Apropos” ever live in comfortable harmony with one another?
We entered the shadow city. I had come to think of the darkened section of town as another place entirely, separate from Taikyo, with a life and energy--or lack of life and sucking of energy--all its own. I did not fear the shadows this time, however. I welcomed them.
And they welcomed us.
Literally.
We pa.s.sed a shadow and from within came the word, ”Welcome.”
I almost jumped as I saw one of the Anais Ninjas emerge from hiding and fall into step behind us.
And then from another shadow came a second, and then a third. The shadows in front of us, too, birthed more of the warrior sisters. They were giving us an escort of sorts. Or perhaps they just wanted to make sure there was no trickery on my part.
”Word really did get around,” I said under my breath.
”As I said it would.”
I saw their eyes glittering in the darkness. None of them were looking directly at me. Instead they were fascinated with the bundle I was carrying, obviously intrigued and delighted at the notion that the great, mighty, and divine Imperior was being treated with the dignity usually accorded to a load of laundry.
Suddenly they stopped, which naturally caused us to halt as well. ”Here,” said Mitsu, pointing, and I wouldn't have been able to tell you if it was the same place we'd gone before, or somewhere else entirely.
We entered and this time the illumination was a bit more festive. Paper lanterns hung around the room, and there was Veruh w.a.n.g Ho, seated on a thronelike chair that was in some ways similar to the dragon throne of the Imperior. Her eyes glittered coldly when she saw the tapestry I had slung over my shoulder.Mordant was perched on the back of her chair, watching impa.s.sively.
”Remove him immediately,” she said. ”This is not appropriate.”
I was stung by the criticism. ”Would you have preferred we walk through the streets of Taikyo with an unconscious ruler slung across--”
”Remove. Him.” Each word was as ice.
I lay the tapestry down upon the floor. The Anais Ninjas moved in quickly, rolling him out as smoothly as they could. Unfortunately the blood upon his back had dried against the tapestry, making a sticky mess. His skin was terribly pale, and for a moment I thought we were too late. But then his chest rose and fell ever so slightly, and I heard an ugly rasping from within.
”Can you heal him, n.o.ble Ho?” asked Mitsu.
”Do you think I should?”
”Yes.”
”Because you hope that he will be willing to undo the spell he placed upon your lover.”
”Yes,” she said again.
”Is there any other reason?”
Mitsu looked down and said softly, ”Because of who he is... to me...” and she looked up. ”And to you.”
To her, I wondered. Who is the Imperior to this woman whom I love with all my-- That was when it struck me with the force of a thunderbolt.
The bond that clearly existed between Veruh and Mitsu. The affection that I felt for Mitsu as compared to the far greater intensity of feeling I held for Veruh. And I realized at that point, even though it had not been as evident thanks to the white face makeup that Veruh wore, that there was a resemblance between the two.
Veruh w.a.n.g Ho was Mitsu's mother.
I was in love, not with the princess, but with the queen. A dethroned, displaced queen, but still a queen to be sure. Or perhaps an Imperiess. Whatever it was she was called in these parts.