“Maybe I should try that next time you try to prevaricate.”
“I’d prefer if you didn’t. I like my bones intact.”
“I’ll remind you of that, then. A few more questions. Where did Brannon come from? Where’s his family?”
“No one knows. And I’m not prevaricating, before you kick me. He simply showed up at the monastery when he was four. If he has any family, he was either unable or unwilling to lead the monks back to where he had come from. As you well know, the monastery is deep in the wilderness, hours away from any town by horse.”
“So who decided, or how was it decided, that he’s going to be the next Emperor?”
“When he arrived at the monastery, the only explanation he could give for his arrival was ‘it called me’. The Elder in charge at the time brought him to the Sheng Yin, who proclaimed that he was going to be the next emperor. You’d have to ask him about the actual decision making process.” Jaron’s lips twitched in a smile. “But so far, no one has argued with him. You’ve met Brannon, so you know why no one’s argued.”
Tallis nodded, understanding that much. Something about the boy was simply compelling. “So he was drawn to the Regalia, has already claimed it emotionally if not magically, yet doesn’t believe in the gods. That might be a problem some day.” He caught the startled look on Jaron’s face and added, “You didn’t know Edrich had raised a little atheist?”
“Why doesn’t he believe in the gods?” Jaron asked warily. “Have you talked to him about it?”
“What have they ever done for him?” Tallis asked quietly. “He’s trapped away in a temple, is never let outside in the fresh air, and is never given anything to do but study. He has no friends, no toys, not even anything to read just for fun. They don’t feed him enough, he’s never warm enough, and they’re telling him he has no magic because they’re afraid of what he could do if he learned how to use it. He lives in a temple, but the gods have done nothing for him.”
Jaron sighed. “I’m glad you’ve found him, Tallis, but I think mayhap you’re getting a bit too attached. I understand that this is very personal for you. I’m not going to argue you taking him to the Warders. But try not to piss off the Sheng Yin, all right? And don’t tell him that Brannon’s an atheist. He’ll only become more determined to lock him away with only the gods for company.”
“I won’t tell him that,” Tallis said stiffly, annoyed at Jaron for suggesting he back off. “I plan to ask for some concessions. Then we’ll see.”
“I haven’t seen you this ruffled in many years. I worry about you, Tallis.”
At the genuine caring in Jaron’s voice, Tallis sighed and the anger slipped away. “I’m sorry. It’s just . . . I remember what it’s like to be alone. And he found me, like he knew what he was doing.”
“If I’d had to pick one person in the whole world to protect the new emperor, Tallis, it would have been you.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Tallis asked, startled.
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“I’m something of a screw-up at times.” Tallis looked at Jaron, who did not look as if he agreed. “Just pointing it out.”
“You are hardly a screw-up. And your talent is most impressive when concerning people you care about.”
Tallis managed a thin smile. “Thanks.”
“Now, my dear boy, I believe you had some business to tend to before you left here. But be sure you do come back for that longer visit later. I haven’t seen you in too long.”
“I will. When I’m done with this case.” Tallis laughed. “Believe me, I’ll need a vacation by then.”
* * *
When Calessa awoke, she had several messengers waiting patiently outside her window. She watched them for a moment, marveling at the real birdlike behavior, before opening her window to let them in.
The little flock flew inside and settled on her desk. She opened the first; it was a letter from an assistant to the Archivist at the Warder Academy, stating that no records for any student from the Hilliard or the Sainsbury family had been enrolled there in over two hundred years. An extensive search had been done of criminal records, and again, neither name had come up.
The second letter was from the local record-keeping department of the Nation-State from which both families hailed. Of the Hilliard family, there was not much information. There was no record of any Emory of Hilliard whatsoever, not even a birth certificate. Calessa recalled what Owain had said about Emory’s family erasing him from their family tree, and reflected that whatever they hadn’t erased, Emory had erased for them.
The second record was on Owain. There was not much of interest in it. He had never been involved in any crimes, had never studied outside of the private tutors his family provided. He was not entered on any magical registries. He had, as he had said, left his family several years ago and the records ended there.
She sighed in frustration and sprawled out on her bed. She felt rather determined to not leave her room if at all possible. After a few moments to consider, she sat up and wrote a quick message to Sienna and Tallis on what she had learned and what had happened in Emory’s study, and hoped that they were having better luck than her.
* * *
It was with great ceremony that Tallis was shown into the Sheng Yin’s audience room. It had been cleared for the purpose of the discussion, for which he was grateful. The room was not enormous, but it seemed bigger than it was due to the high, vaunted ceilings. The floor and walls were both white marble, and columns of the same marble, laced with tiny pieces of amethyst, lined the corridor that Tallis walked down.
The Sheng Yin was in a straight-backed chair at the head of the room, and stood as Tallis entered. He was a magnificent man, tall and aged without looking old, completely bald but with dark, piercing eyes. His robes were the deep Imperial purple, with blue and silver trim. Tallis went to his knees and pressed his forehead against the floor for a brief moment. “Thank you for seeing me, most honorable Elder.”
The Sheng Yin nodded and gestured for Tallis to make himself comfortable on one of the available cushions. Tallis waited for the Sheng Yin to be seated, then took his place on the cushion directly in front of him, kneeling down with his legs tucked underneath himself. Then Tallis waited, as etiquette dictated, for the Sheng Yin to indicate that he should begin.
After a long moment of simply studying him, the Sheng Yin cleared his throat. His voice was cold and clear, compelling but utterly different from Jaron’s friendly boom or Emory’s silky preacher’s voice. “What brings you here? I was told by Elder Jaron that your request was most urgent.”
“It is, honorable Elder. I’ve recently been assigned a case at the monastery by Hazleton, and met a boy there by the name of Luan Qiang Yu.”
“Ah, yes. Warder Tallis. You’ve been searching for the . . . chest . . . that was stolen from Elder Edrich.”
Tallis shifted uncomfortably; it was clear that the Sheng Yin thought the chest was far more important than Brannon. Tallis didn’t want to get sidetracked. “Yes, we may have found a way to trace it. My colleague is looking into it as we speak. But about Brannon.”
“Yes, my son,” the Sheng Yin said, seeing that he would not be distracted. It set Tallis’ teeth on edge; Jaron was the only person he had ever allowed to use the words ‘my son’ with him. However, he knew better than to protest. “About the boy.”
“The Elder has forbidden me to talk to or spend time with him, and said he would only relent with your permission, so I’ve come to request that.”
This did not seem to take the Sheng Yin off guard. He looked serious, even a little sad. “It may be best if Luan Qiang Yu does not get attached to you. You will be leaving the monastery shortly.”
Tallis coughed. “Yes. About that. He really should be receiving some training for his magic, most likely at the Warder Academy due to his strength, even if he doesn’t become a Warder.”
“We are taking care of Luan Qiang Yu.” The Sheng Yin’s face an
d voice were blank, emotionless. “This is none of your concern.”
Tallis kept his eyes down. “Begging your pardon, honorable Elder, but you may not be aware of the care, or lack of it, that he is receiving.”
“Oh?” The syllable seemed to be full of meaning.
“He’s not a monk, honorable Elder. He shouldn’t be expected to act like one. He needs sunshine, and friends, and more food. In addition to that, his magic is very dangerous the way it is. Both to himself and to the monks.”
“If he is to become the emperor, there is nothing wrong with raising him as a monk, one who is connected to the gods.”
“The Emperor isn’t a monk.” Despite his best efforts, Tallis’ voice began to rise with anger and become heated. “He’s supposed to be connected with the people. And right now he’s neither of those things. He’s a boy who sleeps in a place that’s too cold and doesn’t get enough to eat because growing takes energy.”
“We have had to keep him safe.” The Sheng Yin’s voice was implacable. “I trust you understand that.”
“He’d be safe at the Academy.”
“Warder Tallis, this is not your concern.”
Tallis stood and began to pace, ignoring the impropriety of this action. He was starting to feel agitated without knowing why. “Yes. Yes, it is. He’s unhappy there.”
“I can see how it may be a concern, but it is not your concern.” The Sheng Yin rose from his seat in a clear gesture of dismissal. “I will speak with the Elder about any potential problems with the way the boy is being treated.”
Tallis wasn’t ready to be dismissed. “I’d like a letter stating I’m allowed to have contact with him, please, honorable Elder.”
“That implies you think I should allow you to have contact with him, and I’m afraid I don’t necessarily agree.”
Tallis stopped pacing abruptly and looked at the magnificent priest without flinching. “I’m not sure I care.”
“I could have you removed from this case and removed from the monastery.”
“You could,” Tallis agreed. “But you want that chest found and I would be within my rights to walk right back into the monastery and take Brannon. By law he should have been presented for testing.”
The Sheng Yin’s eyes flashed with anger. “You do not understand what that boy is.”
“Yes, I do.” Tallis looked up and locked eyes with the priest. “I think you’re the one who doesn’t know. He’s not a what. He’s a who. He has a name.”
“Of course.” The Sheng Yin sounded sarcastic. “My apologies.”
Tallis drew himself up to his full height. “I suggest you be more respectful of your future Emperor. He is not a tool for you to use in your political games. He will be your ruler. You will not be his.”
“He is not Emperor yet.” The Sheng Yin’s voice got colder as his anger grew. “He is still just a boy. And we will care for him – not you.”
“You have no right to keep me from him.” Tallis’ temper frayed to the breaking point and his magic flared out, filling the room with scorching heat and crushing power. “You will not keep me from him.”
The Sheng Yin, a powerful mage in his own right, was unbowed underneath the force of Tallis’ magic. “What makes you believe that you have any right to him?”
“Because I care about him,” he said. He drew a brief sigil with one hand, and a brush, inkwell, and roll of paper appeared on the chair behind the Sheng Yin. “Now write me a letter granting me contact and allowing him to leave with me when the case is over. I’ll be taking him to the Academy.”
“I will most certainly write no such letter or allow any such thing.”
“Yes,” Tallis said, unmoving. “You will.”
“I will not give in to this.”
“It wasn’t a request. You will serve the Emperor in the best way possible. That means granting him these freedoms because that is what he needs.”
“I think I know more about what he needs than some childish upstart.”
The pressure of the air in the room had not let up any, but the Sheng Yin was still unbowed. The door swung open and Jaron walked in, moving easily despite the magic filling the air. He glanced at the Sheng Yin and made a formal bow, then turned to Tallis. “Tallis,” he said, his voice composed and at ease, “Please calm down. This isn’t going to help anything.”
“Father Jaron,” Tallis said, startled.
“Yes, my son?” Jaron was still his usual amused self.
Tallis’ eyes filled with frustration and hurt. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to calm himself, but the magic did not dissipate. “He’s telling me that I don’t have a right to be around Brannon,” he said, unable to explain why this caused him so much pain, as if an old wound had been reopened.
Jaron put a comforting hand on his shoulder and turned to the Sheng Yin. “I realized I had been somewhat remiss,” he said, bowing again. “It would be improper for me to not introduce our most honorable Elder to my best student after talking about him all this time.”
There was a silence that was somehow quite loud.
The Sheng Yin’s voice was reluctant. “This . . . this is the boy you have so often told me about?” he asked, and Jaron smiled and nodded. “I had not remembered the name,” the Sheng Yin admitted.
There was another pause. Tallis stared warily at the Sheng Yin, wondering what this change in attitude meant. Finally, the Sheng Yin cleared his throat and took his seat again with dignity. “Tell me, Warder Tallis . . . what do you think of the boy . . .” He cleared his throat again, and corrected himself. “Of Luan Qiang Yu.”
“I think he’s bright and curious and good-hearted and entirely stifled.”
“Do you agree with our assessment that he will be the next Emperor?”
Tallis abandoned propriety. “Why do you suddenly care about what I think?”
The Sheng Yin appeared to ponder for a few moments, and then ignored the question entirely. “I will allow you contact with him, Warder Tallis, and will even provide this letter that you have requested. I will, however, need to give further thought to the matter of letting Luan Qiang Yu attend the Warder Academy.”
Tallis tried to be gracious now that he had won, and he suspected that the Sheng Yin merely wanted to save face before allowing Brannon to leave the monastery. “Thank you, your grace. I realize that I may not be you favorite person right now – ” This comment drew a snort from Jaron – “but could you also tell the Elder that he needs some sunshine and more food? His magic is taking all of his energy. He doesn’t have enough left to grow.”
“I suspect that Elder Edrich is not experienced with children,” the Sheng Yin said.
“I agree, honorable Elder,” Tallis said, the rampant magic dispersing as his mood settled.
The Sheng Yin settled more comfortably in his chair, using the brush and paper that Tallis had provided to begin to write. “Elder Jaron, if you would be so kind as to get my seal from wherever it is that my acolyte ran away to . . .”
It took the Sheng Yin only a few moments to write the letter while Tallis stood there looking somewhat dazed, and by then, Jaron had returned with the acolyte, who had the official seal. The Sheng Yin sealed the letter and said, rather stiffly, “Of course, the Elder will not accept it with a broken seal.”
Tallis, reading the implication quite well, gave the Sheng Yin an annoyed look. “Of course, honorable Elder.”
The Sheng Yin looked like he might have more to say, but Jaron interrupted. “Well, Tallis, I’ll treat you to a cup of tea before you go. Shall we?”
“All right,” Tallis said. They both made their formal farewells to the Sheng Yin, and he let them go without further incident. Tallis tucked the letter into one of the pouches that hung on his belt. Jaron walked back to his office with Tallis in tow, looking faintly amused and now rather smug. “Thank you,” Tallis said, still feeling dazed.
“You all right?” Jaron replied, making him sit down.
“I’m tired. He u
pset me, and then things get sort of hazy. I was just so angry at him.” He shook himself slightly. “Why did he suddenly change his mind?”
Jaron shrugged. “Who knows how the Sheng Yin thinks?”
“Not me.” Tallis’ eyes narrowed slightly and he stared at Jaron. “That’s why I’m asking you. You got him to change his mind. He already knew who I was. He used my name.”
“Yes, but he wasn’t connecting your name with who you are. The two are often fairly different things, you know.”
“And now he has respect for my opinion?” Tallis sounded dubious.
“Yes.” Jaron smiled brightly. “Because you’re my best student.”
Tallis rubbed his hands over his face and decided to stop questioning for the time being; it was clear that Jaron wasn’t going to explain anything. “I wish I knew why I was so tired. I mean, I Gated here, but that shouldn’t have worn me out like this.”
“You didn’t notice what you did in there?” Jaron asked, and Tallis shook his head. “You let your magic out of the bag.”
“I-I’m sorry,” Tallis said, his eyes widening. Vivid memories flitted through his mind: splintered buildings, balls of flame, people screaming. The few times in his life when he had lost control of his magic, horrifying things had happened as a result.
Jaron, who was used to Tallis’ powers, just snorted. “You didn’t do anything except frighten that poor acolyte half to death and blow the Sheng Yin’s socks off.”
“Oh.” Tallis heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s why you came in?”
“I figured my presence might calm you,” Jaron said with a nod.
“Thank you. You’d think I wouldn’t still need someone to take care of me at my age.”
Jaron let out another incredulous snort. “Everyone’s entitled to a little taking care of. Was Gating here difficult for you?” he added, pouring Tallis another mug of tea, this one stronger than what he had been drinking earlier.
“No. I hooked my end to the Bai Miao city Gate.”
“Good.”
Tallis gave him a lopsided smile. “Did you think I was losing my touch?”
The Emperor's Mirror Page 14
