by Clare Smith
The lights in the hallway were still on and the sudden brightness made him stutter to a halt and blink to focus his vision. For a moment he wasn’t certain what he was doing there and then remembered that he’d decided to go home. He glanced at his watch and realised it was a bit early to leave yet but he’d had enough for one day and didn’t want to stay there. He’d been a fool to turn down Joe’s offer of a lift as, from what he could see of the sky through one of the long windows, it looked as if it was going to rain.
With a sigh of resignation he went back into the office to collect his jacket and noticed the state of the desk and the scrape mark his chair had left against the wall. He liked to leave the place tidy so he could start afresh in the morning and wondered why he hadn’t put things away properly. Quickly he tidied around, not bothering to put the pens in the mug where they usually stayed, but sweeping them into the draw. He shoved the chair under the table along with the full waste bin, grabbed his jacket and almost ran out of the door, breathing heavily.
He felt better now he was away from the confines of the windowless office and guessed that was because he hadn’t been outside all day. Usually he went for a walk at lunch time, but today he couldn’t even remember eating his lunch although he must have done so as the wad of sandwiches he’d had in his pocket that morning were gone. He shrugged it off as just a memory lapse and crossed the hallway intending to leave as quickly as possible, but stopped when something out of place caught his eye.
It was one of his favourite javelins just lying on the floor between two stacks of wooden crates, instead of in its rack where it should have been. He had no idea how it had come to be there, but it was too valuable just to leave until morning. He walked over to where it lay and went to pick it up, but stopped as the image of the short spear quivering as it protruded from a dead man’s back flashed through his mind.
Hastily he scuttled back, stared down at the object and then ran; his need to get as far away from it as possible driving him on. When he reached the door he dragged on the handle expecting it to open but it was locked and he had to spend frantic seconds finding the key before he could let himself out. On the other side of the door he stopped and closed his eyes, giving his rapidly beating heart a chance to settle.
He’d been stupid to let his imagination run away with him like that, and swore that tomorrow he would get out for a walk at lunch time. He spent a few seconds locking the door and then realised he was shivering, so he pulled on his jacket, although it didn’t seem to help much. With a shrug he set off along the driveway and let himself out through the gates wondering who had gone to the trouble of fixing the squeak.
The evening was chilly after being inside the house and as the clocks had gone back the previous weekend it was already getting dark. He pulled the collar of his jacket up to keep out the wind, wishing he’d brought his woolly hat with him, and set off down the lane which led downhill to where he lived. The hedges were overgrown and nettles had spread from beneath them making it impossible to walk along the grass verge.
It wasn’t a problem as very little traffic came along the lane and, if it did, he would hear the tyres crunch on the gravel a long time before it reached him and could get out of the way. Even Jim Carter’s Porsche made a noise although it was so little it was more like someone creeping up behind him. The thought made him look over his shoulder and, for a second, he thought he saw something move along the hedge, but it was gone in an instant.
He guessed it was a rabbit or perhaps one of the farm cats out hunting, so he turned back, dug his hands into his pocket and concentrated on where he was going. The wind was getting up now, starting to tug at his jacket and making the trees creak and grown and the autumn leaves in the hedge rustle. It sounded so much like there was someone following him that he suddenly turned around and walked backwards whilst he searched along the lane.
There was no one there that he could see but with several trees breaking up the line of the hedge someone could have jumped back out of sight as he turned. They could be watching him now, waiting to pounce on him. He turned back and lengthened his stride so that he was moving faster now, still walking but only just. A splatter of rain drops hit him in the face which he wiped away on the shoulder of his coat and, in doing so, caught a glimpse of movement behind him.
Whoever was there was closer now, almost within striking distance, so he broke into a run to increase the gap between them. He’d always been a fast runner, but his pursuer was equally as fast as, behind him, he could hear the crunch of the gravel keeping pace with him. He increased his speed again as if he was in a race and sprinting for the finishing line, but his tracker increased his speed too.
Up ahead he could see the lights of the farm cottage and knew if he could make it there he would be safe. Desperately he found another few metres of speed, and when he reached the pull-in off the road didn’t bother to stop and open the gate, but leaped up onto the stone wall and bounded down the other side. The door key was in his hand before he reached the porch way, and he was through the other side with the door slammed shut behind him before his pursuer could catch him.
With his breath coming in painful gasps and his heart pounding in his chest, he stood with his back to the door half expecting someone to pound on it and demand to be let in. The door was sturdy enough to keep them out, but the same couldn’t be said about the window which let light into the dim hallway. He darted across to it and for a moment stared out into the dusk and then dragged the curtains across it making the rings clatter along the wooden pole. It was raining heavily outside so he hadn’t been able to see anyone, but he was sure they were there.
He was still standing there staring at the closed curtains where the door behind him opened with a soft whisper. Immediately he felt a flash of irritation at being spied upon by Richard who would want to know what all the noise was about. When he turned around his step-father was standing in the doorway in his shirt sleeves and slippers looking as if he had been lazing around all afternoon.
Behind him he could see his mother lying on the couch covered in a blanket looking pale and worn. She managed to get up for a few hours each day now, but he knew that the worry of trying to make ends meet with only his income to support them was impeding her recovery. It was all Richard’s fault and he hated the man.
“Hello, Tobrin, you’re early. Did you decide to get away before the rain settled in?”
It was none of his step-father’s business but the man clearly wasn’t going to move until he had an answer. “No, I was just fed up.”
Richard raised his eyebrows in surprise. “That’s not like you, I thought you liked your job.”
“I can have an off day, can’t I, and in any case what’s it got to do with you? All you care about is that I hand over my wages at the end of the month.”
Richard knew this was a sensitive issue and another argument about it would just upset his wife so he changed the subject. “Well, now you’re home early perhaps you could give me a hand with the cows before you feed the chickens. I’ve brought them into the yard but they still need milking, and it’s going to be a filthy night.”
“Fuck the cows and fuck the chickens and fuck you too. I’ve had enough of doing your dirty work, you lazy bastard. I’ve got my own life to live and that doesn’t include slaving away whilst you pretend to be a bloody farmer.”
Tobrin stripped off his wet jacket, threw it on the floor at his father’s feet and stamped up the wooden stairs, seething with anger and not caring about anything except escaping to the safety of his own room. Richard stood in the hallway staring after him, too shocked to call him back, and then winced as the bedroom door slammed shut making the banister rail rattle with its force. Carefully he picked up the wet coat, hung it up and returned to the sitting room shaking his head.
“What was all that about?” Sarah asked from the couch by the fire.
“I don’t know. I know Tobrin doesn’t like the farm but he’s never reacted like that before when I’v
e asked him for some help, and in all the years we’ve been together I’ve never heard him use language like that. I didn’t even know he knew such words.”
“I’m worried about him, Richard. It’s not like Tobrin to be disrespectful.”
“No, you’re right and I’m worried about him too. He’s always resented coming here after our trouble, but I thought he’d settled down and was enjoying working for Jim Carter. Only these last few days he’s been irritable and moody and that outburst was so out of character.”
“Do you think he’s sickening for something?”
Richard shook his head. “I don’t know, but I think we should keep an eye on him, and perhaps when the doctor comes to see you tomorrow we could have a word with him.”
Sarah nodded thoughtfully. “Do you think we should have a word with Jim about this?”
“No, let’s keep it in the family, after all there is nothing Jim can do about it, and as he’s employing the boy it’s probably best that he doesn’t know Tobrin is acting a bit odd.”
“I expect you’re right.” She was too tired now to argue, but wasn’t convinced that they had made the right decision.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
CHAPTER TEN
The Brotherhood
Chang’an
Cheum slipped out of the rear door clutching the three twisted reeds which would keep him alive in that part of the city which was the domain of the Ban Long brotherhood. Despite his speed and skill, he knew he was unlikely to live long without the protection the reeds gave him, so he held them in front of him where they could be clearly seen. The reason for his caution was simple; his brotherhood and the Ban Long had been the bitterest of enemies since the beginning of time.
No one remembered the reason for their enmity, but it was rumoured that the first masters had been brothers who had fought to own something of great value. As neither were strong enough to defeat the other, the object of their feud had been divided, and since then the two brotherhoods had fought to possess what the other had. Whether the rumour was true or not was difficult to say, but for generations there had been an invisible line that cut the city in two, and to venture into the territory of the other was to die.
The fact that he’d not only ventured into the Ban Long’s territory but had stepped inside their compound and still lived would have been remarkable, except that he’d been invited there. That wasn’t exactly true, as he’d made the first secret overtures to his counterpart without being certain that he would even receive a response. In the end the invitation to talk had come from the senior brother along with the three reeds which guaranteed his safety.
It had been a disturbing experience to step over the invisible line and face off against the two assassins who had been sent to meet him without making any attempt to either attack them or defend himself. By the look on the faces of the two who were waiting for him, they too must have felt the same. Nevertheless, they escorted him to their compound without laying a finger on him or offering any insult, although it must have taken all their self control to do so.
The meeting with his counterpart had also taken place without incident, which wasn’t that surprising considering the proposal he’d made was all to the Ban Long’s advantage. Of course he would personally benefit from the arrangements they had agreed otherwise he wouldn’t have gone to the considerable trouble of setting up the meeting. It was a pity though that his own brotherhood would be disadvantaged for a time and would lose face, but through that the position of the current Master would be weakened.
That would make the senior brothers reassess their leadership, although the loss of a renegade assassin would not be enough to bring the Master down. However, his brothers would remember that it was he who had opposed the thief’s admission to their ranks and with that his own position would be enhanced. Then, when the time came to choose a new master, his standing would be equal to that of Kingquin.
It was unfortunate that Kingquin was more popular than him, so his short sighted and fickle brothers were unlikely to choose him. However, if he could arrange it that he was at the Master’s side when he left this life, then he could claim that the spirit of the great dragon, which was the symbol of their brotherhood, had been passed to him. There was no doubt that the brothers would take that as a sign of heaven’s favour and choose him above any other.
Cheum smiled to himself in satisfaction. His plan was a good one, even if it would take several years to bear fruit, but he was a patient man and like all his people, he could wait to receive the rewards of his cleverness. That thought made him frown as he realised he wasn’t that patient, and would rather have his rewards sooner rather than later when he was an old man and unable to fully enjoy the power and privilege being master of the Brotherhood would give him.
Perhaps, before this byplay was ended, an opportunity would come to help the Master leave this life. He would have to do it carefully as he didn’t want to end up hanging naked by his ankles from a roof beam and being used for target practice, but there were ways to kill a man and leave the blame at another’s door. Planning that was for another time because now he had other, more pressing matters to see to.
Impatiently he tossed the reeds aside and hurried on through the dark streets. He was in his own territory now and knew every back street and alleyway. The last thing he needed was to be found with the reeds in his hands, although that was very unlikely as he had placed the Brotherhood’s guards so he could return from his meeting without being seen. Still, he needed to take care in case any of the senior brothers were abroad seeking the pleasures of the flesh.
It wasn’t permitted for those who had committed themselves to the craft of the assassin to lay with a woman, as it was an unnecessary distraction. However, that didn’t apply to the senior brothers, who could visit the pleasure houses whenever they wished and take any woman that pleased them. He had several favourites all of whom were young, beautiful and trained in the ways of pleasing a man. He’d known the one he was visiting tonight since her first flowering, and had given her most of the fine clothes and jewellery she wore.
She, like her sister Chian, knew just what to do to please him but more than that, she knew how to be discrete. If there were questions asked about his whereabouts she would swear he was with her all night and never change her story. It was a pity that when he became the Brotherhood’s new master, he would have to kill her to ensure her silence was permanent, and she wasn’t given the opportunity to use the knowledge she had to benefit from their past relationship.
Still, she was expendable, she was only a woman and there were plenty of others like her. Smiling to himself he stopped outside a green door with cherry blossoms painted in one corner, knocked twice and waited for the beautiful courtesan to let him in.
*
Twistirian slipped through the dark streets like a shadow. With his black, skin-tight shirt and leggings and his soft leather boots he blended into the darkness without making a sound. Even his knives, made of the finest steel and sharpened to a razor’s edge, failed to make a noise as they were strapped tightly to his body. It was inconvenient having to carry them like that as they wouldn’t be instantly to hand if he ran into trouble.
It had been necessary though. When you are creeping through the enemy’s territory with murder on your mind the slightest sound could give you away. It had been Cheum who had suggested that he wore them like that, and had even helped him to bind as many as he could carry across his chest. It meant that he’d had to leave two of his knives behind, which felt uncomfortable, but he would be reunited with them when he returned.
The senior brother of his sect had also told him which route he should take to avoid the Ban Long’s guards, where to breach the Ban Long’s walls and who the target was. He’d listened in disbelief, and then had dared to ask the question of why he’d been chosen to be part of such a dangerous assignment, when there were others who were much more experienced than him. It was an impertinence to ask such a thing, and he’d expected Cheum t
o berate him and remind him of the oath of obedience he’d taken.
Instead Cheum had said that the Master himself had made the choice based on his ability to get in and out of heavily guarded places which were said to be impenetrable. That was true, as he’d proven at his testing and during the three assignments since, but this was beyond anything which he or anyone else in the Brotherhood had tried before. He would have liked to have checked with the Master that this was truly what he wanted, but that would have been to show doubt and would have shamed them both.
Apart from that there wasn’t time, as for this night only, more than half the Ban Long brothers would be away from their compound escorting their master’s daughter across the city to the temple of Kwan Yin. That would leave their compound poorly guarded and their master vulnerable. It was an opportunity which was unlikely to arise again, and to take advantage of it, he’d been chosen to be part of the group who would end the life of their enemy’s leader.
If they could achieve the most difficult of assignments, it would bring the Brotherhood great honour, and perhaps put them in the position of taking some of the Ban Long’s territory. On the other hand if he failed to carry out his part of the plan and his brothers were caught, his own master would lose face and possibly some of his holdings. Of course he wouldn’t know anything about it, as he would be either dead at his enemy’s hand or his own.
With so much at stake, he wondered why his master would attempt something which had never been tried before. He supposed that being able to weigh up risk and gain and take decisive action was what made the man master of the Brotherhood, and not just one of the brothers like Cheum. Whatever the reason, he was grateful that the information Cheum had given him was reliable, as he was already deep within the Ban Long’s territory and hadn’t yet encountered any of its members.
