Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress XXIV

by Unknown

  "We already have eyes in Lhasa," Ro Min replied. "But we have received no messages in the last year. It may mean there is nothing noteworthy to report. And then, something may be wrong. We need to know."

  "How will we contact your spy?" Lin Mei asked.

  "Find lodgings at the Yu Thog Inn. Then seek the Sage of Sakya," Kin Shin replied. "You will be contacted when it is safe. The code phrase will be, 'The sunrise is brilliant here'."

  "Wang Liu is sending a caravan to Lhasa later this month," Ro Min added. "You will go along as guards. When the caravan returns you will stay behind. Say that you seek the Sage's advice as to your destiny."

  "Your mission is merely to learn if anything is wrong, and bring back word," Kin Shin said. Both Lin Mei and Biao had nodded soberly.

  * * * *

  "Missions grow in size," Lin Mei muttered to herself now as they waited. "Like weeds."

  The main door of the temple opened and a line of monks exited to their chambers for private meditations. Jongbu Kunchen was among them, but when he saw them rise from their place by the wall he motioned them over, a soft smile on his face.

  "We seek wisdom," Lin Mei said, as they approached.

  "One older than I can give you that," the monk replied smiling. "But I can offer tea."

  The tea was hot, flavored with butter and salt. They settled on their cushions, while the cats curled up in the corner. Jongbu eyed them with amusement. Cats of any type were rare here in the mountains, Lin Mei had observed, although the forest held tigers and leopards. After some desultory small talk Lin Mei brought the talk about to more serious matters.

  "We were advised by an oracle in Kendar that we should seek the Sage of Sakya to learn our destiny," Lin Mei began. "But if he is held captive, we cannot do that."

  "Truth," Jongbu said, sipping his tea.

  "Can someone else help us?" she asked. Jongbu set down his cup, his face thoughtful.

  "Sakya is a monastery several day's march from here," he said. "It contains a large library of ancient manuscripts said to contain much lore and prophecy. The Sage studied there. Others have also, and perhaps one of them could be of assistance."

  "Are there any here in Lhasa?" Lin Mei pressed on. The monk shook his head.

  "Those who study such lore are reluctant to leave the monastery. It holds much to interest them."

  "And yet the Sage did," Biao Mei said.

  "A brave man," Jongbu said, nodding his head in respect. "He felt it was his duty to fight against evil. So he came here to speak out against Dorje Gyaltso, and his influence over the Khan."

  "And now he is captive," Biao Mei said. Jongbu nodded.

  "An evil event," he agreed.

  "The palace is barely begun," Biao Mei said, "and already it has a dungeon for captives. A sign of what the Khan's advisor thinks is important!" The monk smiled at that.

  "That is true," he said. "Always those in power seek to stay in power. But power can enslave as well as empower, and so the true sages avoid it, seeking wisdom instead."

  "And Dorje Gyaltso keeps the Sage in a dungeon," Lin Mei said. "It must be uncomfortable." The young monk shook his head.

  "The dungeon is guarded by spells and incantations," he said, "to hold the demon captive. The Sage is kept in a cell in the living quarters, near the advisor's own rooms on the top level. But even if he were in the dungeon, it would not matter. A true sage can contemplate wisdom in a cave in the mountains."

  "We heard that the demon had a servant, a lumas," Lin Mei ventured. "What is the attachment between them?"

  "Ah," the monk said. "The mountain reaches to the sky, and draws its power down as rain. The water flows down to the rivers and lakes, and the Lumas is empowered by that. So the lumas must be close to the mountain demon." Lin Mei and her brother shared glances at that.

  With a final sip they finished their tea and left, taking care to leave a copper in the collection box.

  * * * *

  It was already late afternoon and the sky was starting to fill with rain clouds. "There is no demon to harness the power of this storm," Biao Mei said, glancing up. Lin Mei nodded, deep in thought.

  "We will visit the palace again tonight," she decided. "But food first. I think it will be a long and busy night."

  Rabten was setting out food for the handful of guests, and she got three more bowls of stew as she saw them enter. By now the cats had become well known to the others there, and there were scraps of meat thrown to them to supplement the stew. Twilight earned a shout of glee as she snatched her scrap out of the air with a quick paw stroke.

  "This a good inn to stay at," Lin Mei said. "And the food is better than in most places." Rabten's wizened face split in a gap-toothed grin.

  "My grandfather built this place," she said. "It has always been a good place to stay. We get many travelers from far places." Mei Lin and Biao smiled at that and finished their stew. Cups of tea rounded out the meal, and, suitably nourished, they left the inn, the two cats scampering alongside them as they made their way through the darkening alleys and side streets of the town.

  * * * *

  It was just past the hour of the dog when they finally reached the hillside above the palace. The moon shone through gaps in the growing clouds as they made their way through the brush and boulders above the palace. They peered around a large boulder, letting their eyes grow accustomed to the darkness below. After a moment they made out two guards squatting by the door that had been unguarded the night before. Lin Mei pointed to the side wall of the palace, where a flat roof area indicated a terrace. Biao Mei nodded and led the way, Lin Mei following. The two cats ghosted through the darkness beside them, thoroughly enjoying the moment in a feline predatory way. They were going into battle.

  Soon they were near a side wall of the palace, out of sight of the guards and hidden in the shadows. But the wall was almost twice their height here.

  Silently Lin Mei called the cats. Biao Mei picked up Shadow and tossed him up on the terrace, followed by Twilight. Looking through their eyes Lin Mei ascertained the terrace was empty. She took her sword and dagger from her sash and set them down. Biao Mei cupped his hands for her foot, then vaulted her high enough for her hands and arms to hook on the wall. She pulled herself over the edge and then turned to catch the swords tossed up after her. She took her sash off and tied it around Biao Mei's sword, making a knot on the other end. She set the sword on the terrace top and dropped the other end over the side, standing on the sword as she did so. Her own sword and dagger were slimmer, lighter versions of the ones Biao Mei carried, and at the moment sturdiness was required.

  In moments Biao Mei was over the edge. Sashes were once more wrapped about their waists and swords and dagger thrust through them. Lin Mei sent the two cats forward. A hatch nearby near the center of the terrace looked promising, and a few moments of listening through cat ears told her there was no one immediately below.

  Biao Mei's boot dagger opened the hatch, and they looked down into the space below. Boxes and bundles showed in the shifting moonlight, but nothing else. Biao Mei caught the edges of the opening and swung down easily. Lin Mei followed, his strong arms catching her and easing the landing. The two cats jumped down unaided.

  Another few moments of listening through cat ears told her there was no one outside the door. Biao Mei had it open in seconds, prompting Lin Mei to speculate privately that they might have a lucrative career as thieves if the caravan guard business ever hit a slump.

  Cat senses told her there were humans beyond a turn of the hallway. Earlier the day before, while gathering gossip in the town, she had bought some tea at a stall frequented by day laborers. Seemingly casual questioning of men who worked on the palace had given her a good picture of the floor plan. That end of the hallway led to the living quarters. But she intended another direction first.

  "The dungeons first," she whispered. Biao Mei looked puzzled for a moment, then led them down the hallway and down another set of stairs.

  They me
t no one. Flickering butter lamps cast an eerie illumination that made odd shadows of them on the walls and floor. Despite herself Lin Mei shivered, the hair on her skin prickling. It needed no town gossip to tell her that powerful magic was being worked here.

  Another set of stairs led to the dungeons. Soon they were at the door covered with the odd, cursive script used in that land. Once more there was a feeling of fear and foreboding, the cats hissing in a low tone and looking about. But in an odd way that made her feel better.

  "Last night, as soon as the lumas left, so did the feeling of fear," she whispered. "The bad feelings were gone. So it was the lumas that caused those feelings, and not the spells that hold her master captive."

  "And?" her brother asked.

  "The spells are meant to hold the demon captive, and keep the lumas away. But we are mortal, and they do not affect us. And a demon on the loose will give us a good distraction when we rescue the Sage." He grinned in understanding.

  "She is nearby," Lin Mei said. He nodded, then went to the door.

  The beam barring it was massive, as thick as a man's torso, bound with iron. He stripped off his weapons and jacket, laying them on the floor near him, then stepped to the door. Squatting he shoved a shoulder under the beam and lifted, grunting as he did so. Lin Mei watched, impressed despite herself. She knew her brother was strong, but even so, it was something to watch. It was the work of a strong young man, conscious of his strength, and knowing how to use it.

  Slowly the beam lifted, then shifted outward as he slid a foot out from the door. Carefully he dropped to one knee, lowering the beam down so one end rested on the floor. He stood to catch his breath, then stepped to the other end and took that end off the bracket, laying it carefully down on the floor.

  And, slowly, the door started to open, creaking on the hinges. The cats spat and hissed in fury, and Lin Mei felt her hair stand on end.

  "Let's leave!" she said, leading the way up and out. Biao Mei already had his jacket on. Grabbing his weapons and sash he followed her up the stairs, the cats running ahead and vanishing into the shadows.

  At the top of the landing they ran into the lumas, startling them into stiffness. But she had no time for them, running past them with a sinuous grace, her long black hair streaming behind.

  "The living quarters!" Lin Mei said. "The Sage is next!" They ran up another flight of stairs and down the long hallway leading to the rooms occupied by Dorje Gyaltso, and hopefully, the captive Sage of Sakya.

  They ran into a group of men running their way; the ones in the lead were armed guards. Without stopping Lin Mei dropped to the floor, using her momentum to roll forward into the path of the foremost guard. Tripping over her, he fell sprawling to the floor right in front of Biao Mei, who drew his sword in one swift move and swung down, splitting the chostimpa's skull with a meaty thwacking sound Lin Mei had heard all too often.

  She was now busy with the next guard. Coming up on one knee she drew her dagger and thrust upward at the guard, who had continued his rush forward without seeing that the point of his spear was now past her, and therefore useless.

  There is a point on a man's inner thigh where a strong kick, or blow, will stun. Her dagger found that point through long experience, and he fell in a heap on her. The next guard as no match for her brother, who dispatched him with a swift stroke of his short, heavy sword. Lin Mei stood to face the fourth man.

  "Jongbu!" Biao Mei said in surprise. The monk, now clad in armor and helmet, grinned and stepped forward, drawing his sword as he did so. Faced with a familiar threat Biao Mei's surprise gave way to grim necessity, and he stepped forward. Jongbu's sword thrust out in a skilled move, one that bespoke countless hours of training.

  But there is a big difference between training and actual combat. Biao Mei had been fighting for his life, and his sister's, almost all his life. For all his youth, he was no neophyte. He thrust aside the monk's sword with a practiced sword stroke of his own, stepping forward, using all his strength to press forward against the monk, and drawing his dagger as he did so. A swift thrust pushed the dagger point through a gap in the armor. The monk went pale, gasping for breath. Biao Mei twisted the dagger free and thrust again, driving it deep under Jongbu's jaw. The monk in armor fell in a bloody heap to the floor.

  That left the last man, who was dressed in a black robe hung with amulets carved from what appeared to be bone, human from the look of some of them.

  "Dorje Gyaltso?" Lin Mei asked. Automatically the man nodded, stunned by the sudden loss of his companions. His surprise did not last long, as Biao Mei's sword slashed once more.

  "Let's go!" Lin Mei gasped. Biao Mei nodded, following her down the hallway.

  Just beyond were the living quarters. Behind the second door they found the Sage of Sakya. He rose from a cross-legged sitting position as they burst open the door.

  He was a tall, slender man, shaven headed, clad in the red robe of the Bonpas. A string of prayer beads hung from one hand. "We've come to rescue you!" Biao Mei said. "Please follow us!" The Sage nodded, almost as if amused. He picked up an amulet-studded bag. Slipping it over one shoulder he followed them down the hallway, carefully stepping around the bodies of the dead men. The Sage paused for a moment to gaze sorrowfully at the dead Jongbu, making a sign in the air as he did so. Then he followed Lin Mei and her brother down the hallway.

  At the landing he stopped. "You have done well," he said. "But here we must part. You have duties of your own to perform. I must stay and deal with the demon below." As if to make his point there was a dull roar far down below, almost as if a storm was howling through the mountain passes. He smiled at their looks of concern.

  "I was taken captive because Dorje Gyaltso used the power of the captive demon to aid him," he told them. "But I can deal with the demon alone, now that the Njalyorpa is dead. And I must. Do not worry, I will be safe. This is work I have done all my life." Lin Mei nodded, and she and her brother raced away down the hall. Behind them the roaring intensified as the Bonpa descended the stairs, his fingers working the prayer beads as he started a singsong chant.

  The rear door was unguarded. Apparently the two guards had decided to find another place to be as the roaring of the demon in the dungeons below had reached them.

  Here the cats rejoined them. With a firm grasp on essentials they had conducted a raid of their own, apparently on the kitchen. Shadow was carrying a meaty rib almost as long as he was, while Twilight carried what looked like a cooked fowl almost half her size. They bounded alongside, tails high in triumph. Lunatic beasts, Lin Mei thought.

  * * * *

  The temple bell had just sounded the hour of the dragon. Biao Mei was outside saddling their horses and adjusting the loads on the packhorses, with Shadow to supervise. Lin Mei was settling their bill.

  For the past two days the town had been abuzz with the tale of how the demon Akar Nawang had broken free of his enchantments and killed Dorje Gyaltso, the Khan's advisor, and how Penchen Rimpoche, the Sage of Sakya, had fought the demon, finally defeating him and gaining his submission through the use of strange and powerful sorcery. The demon now dwelled quietly in his mountain. The storm which had raged over the town had passed, and the bright morning sun shined outside.

  "I will miss your stew," Lin Mei said to Rabten, who squatted by the fire and the pots over it. The old woman grinned.

  "You have been good guests," she replied, looking up. They were alone in the room. She looked up at the window where sunlight streamed in.

  "The sunrise is brilliant here," she said. She looked up at Lin Mei, whose face was now carefully expressionless. "You do not seem surprised," the old woman went on.

  "A temple and an inn," Lin Mei said carefully. "Both places where strangers can come and go, with no one thinking it odd. And good places for people to meet and talk. And both you and Jongbu Kunchen were free with information. Perhaps to assist, perhaps to lead us into an ambush. When I saw Jongbu in the palace with Dorje Gyaltso, I knew." Rabten looked
up at her with sunken, rheumy eyes, dark and shrewd.

  "You are wise beyond your years," she said. "Good, as you walk a dangerous path." She stopped to look over at Twilight, who sat near the door, eyeing the scene with casual alertness. "And with interesting companions."

  "Who was Go Choden?"

  "A messenger. Penchen Rimpoche was helping me in this matter. He too does not wish to see war break out between our two empires. Dorje Gyaltso sent one of his men to intercept the message, but it had already been delivered."

  "Any messages?" Lin Mei asked.

  "Just report what you saw, heard, and did," the old woman said, turning back to her pots. Lin Mei turned to go, shouldering her pack as she did so.

  "Give my regards to the ladies of the long bows," Rabten said without looking up. Lin Mei grinned, and walked out the door.

  The Case of the Haunted City

  by Josepha Sherman

  Tallain and her partner were secret agents working for the Organization of Magical Sovereignties, a group dedicated to keeping the world safe from the Dark. Sometimes these jobs are less interesting than they sound. Unfortunately, there are also times when the job is much more interesting than it sounds.

  Josepha Sherman is a fantasy and SF writer/editor, storyteller and folklorist, who has written everything from Star Trek novels to a bio of Bill Gates to titles such as TRICKSTER TALES and DEEP SPACE SATELLITES, as well as short fiction and articles on science. She has told stories all over North America. Her most current titles include the STAR TREK: VULCAN'S SOUL trilogy with Susan Shwartz, the reprint of the UNICORN QUEEN books, and FOLKLORE FOR STORYTELLERS. She also edited THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF STORYTELLING. You can visit her at sff.net/people/Josepha.Sherman.com or at her business site, www.shermaneditorial.biz.

  #

  Tallain, wiry, dark-haired and youngish, reined in her horse in the still-cool desert morning. The large yellow hound that had been loping alongside stopped with her, going back on his haunches. They both sat for a moment looking up at the city walls, stark against the bright blue sky—less impressive when seen straight on. Many of the stones were cracked or crumbling.