way down the shelves until he could see the stairs out of the archive area.
‘What makes you think I want to stop Sumiko? She is a trusted member of the Elven Council now and a favourite of the Elder Elf,’ he said loudly, in case this was a trap of Jaken’s. It was by a similar method that he had lost the leadership of clan Tadayoshi and the hand of Noriko.
The voice chuckled. ‘You are right to be suspicious. But what if I was to tell you that Sumiko has made a deal with the Forlish? She plans to use them to overthrow Jaken and take power herself.’
‘How do you know this? And why are you telling me?’ Retsu demanded angrily. ‘If that is true, then you should present your evidence to Jaken —’
‘I would be dead before I started speaking,’ the voice interrupted. ‘You are the last hope of the elven people. If you cannot stop Sumiko, then we shall all be brought to disaster.’
Retsu looked around the dusty room carefully but could not tell where the voice was coming from. That meant magic was being used and the references to Sumiko meant — more than likely — he was speaking to a Magic-weaver.
‘Perhaps I agree with you. But how can I convince Jaken his new favourite adviser is working with our great enemy?’
‘Asami can help. Tell her my message — Sumiko has made a deal with the Forlish. I do not know all the details but she plans to use them to make the people turn on Jaken. They all love him now but Sumiko plans something big to destroy their trust in him. Then she can take over.’
‘What does she plan? I need to know more!’ Retsu called.
This time there was no answer.
Retsu raced up the stairs that were the only way in or out of the archive room but nobody was around, nor could he hear any footfalls on the polished wooden floor. A careful search revealed nothing else. He sighed. He had not wanted to involve Asami in this but there was no other option.
Gaibun was sure he could find some evidence that Sumiko was controlling Jaken and night time in the Tregarth forest was the perfect opportunity, with no fear of an attack. He pretended to be checking on the guards and made sure the path of his patrol took him past Jaken’s large tent on several occasions. Each time he saw nothing. He was beginning to get tired, and hungry, so decided to get a bowl of rice and go back to his tent. It seemed strange to be camping this close to Dokuzen but they were ready for a campaign to last a moon or more and it made sense to be prepared for anything. He looped past Jaken’s tent one more time and saw two figures talking together at the back, standing close. He stopped where he was, in the darkness, and was suddenly reminded of a similar scene he had witnessed before, when he saw Jaken meeting with his spy inside the Magic-weavers. Was Sumiko the spy Jaken had been seeing all along, the one he had been with in his office the night Gaibun and Sendatsu had faced Jaken in his home to trap him?
Gaibun wondered whether he should try to confront them, talk to his father or just watch. While he was still deciding, the two figures broke apart, one going back into Jaken’s tent, the second heading away into the shadows. Gaibun went after the second figure, trying to keep it in sight as he circled through the trees. If he could follow it back to Sumiko’s tent, then he would have the proof he needed, but the figure seemed to vanish suddenly, disappearing between a pair of tents, and no matter how hard he looked, he could not see anything.
Dispirited, he ate some food, one of the last to get a bowl before the cooks put out their fires, and then he made his way back to his tent. Made of a coarse cotton, stiffened and waterproofed, they were all the same, but his was set aside from the rest of the Border Patrol, as befitted its leader. He opened up the tent and stopped in shock.
‘Good evening, Gaibun,’ Sumiko said pleasantly.
9
Don’t think too much about your honour. My father always went on and
‘What makes you think I want to stop Sumiko? She is a trusted member of the Elven Council now and a favourite of the Elder Elf,’ he said loudly, in case this was a trap of Jaken’s. It was by a similar method that he had lost the leadership of clan Tadayoshi and the hand of Noriko.
The voice chuckled. ‘You are right to be suspicious. But what if I was to tell you that Sumiko has made a deal with the Forlish? She plans to use them to overthrow Jaken and take power herself.’
‘How do you know this? And why are you telling me?’ Retsu demanded angrily. ‘If that is true, then you should present your evidence to Jaken —’
‘I would be dead before I started speaking,’ the voice interrupted. ‘You are the last hope of the elven people. If you cannot stop Sumiko, then we shall all be brought to disaster.’
Retsu looked around the dusty room carefully but could not tell where the voice was coming from. That meant magic was being used and the references to Sumiko meant — more than likely — he was speaking to a Magic-weaver.
‘Perhaps I agree with you. But how can I convince Jaken his new favourite adviser is working with our great enemy?’
‘Asami can help. Tell her my message — Sumiko has made a deal with the Forlish. I do not know all the details but she plans to use them to make the people turn on Jaken. They all love him now but Sumiko plans something big to destroy their trust in him. Then she can take over.’
‘What does she plan? I need to know more!’ Retsu called.
This time there was no answer.
Retsu raced up the stairs that were the only way in or out of the archive room but nobody was around, nor could he hear any footfalls on the polished wooden floor. A careful search revealed nothing else. He sighed. He had not wanted to involve Asami in this but there was no other option.
Gaibun was sure he could find some evidence that Sumiko was controlling Jaken and night time in the Tregarth forest was the perfect opportunity, with no fear of an attack. He pretended to be checking on the guards and made sure the path of his patrol took him past Jaken’s large tent on several occasions. Each time he saw nothing. He was beginning to get tired, and hungry, so decided to get a bowl of rice and go back to his tent. It seemed strange to be camping this close to Dokuzen but they were ready for a campaign to last a moon or more and it made sense to be prepared for anything. He looped past Jaken’s tent one more time and saw two figures talking together at the back, standing close. He stopped where he was, in the darkness, and was suddenly reminded of a similar scene he had witnessed before, when he saw Jaken meeting with his spy inside the Magic-weavers. Was Sumiko the spy Jaken had been seeing all along, the one he had been with in his office the night Gaibun and Sendatsu had faced Jaken in his home to trap him?
Gaibun wondered whether he should try to confront them, talk to his father or just watch. While he was still deciding, the two figures broke apart, one going back into Jaken’s tent, the second heading away into the shadows. Gaibun went after the second figure, trying to keep it in sight as he circled through the trees. If he could follow it back to Sumiko’s tent, then he would have the proof he needed, but the figure seemed to vanish suddenly, disappearing between a pair of tents, and no matter how hard he looked, he could not see anything.
Dispirited, he ate some food, one of the last to get a bowl before the cooks put out their fires, and then he made his way back to his tent. Made of a coarse cotton, stiffened and waterproofed, they were all the same, but his was set aside from the rest of the Border Patrol, as befitted its leader. He opened up the tent and stopped in shock.
‘Good evening, Gaibun,’ Sumiko said pleasantly.
9
Don’t think too much about your honour. My father always went on and
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