John Flanagan - The Emperor of Nihon-Ja

At the end of a long and confusing briefing session, Shigeru had dismissed his advisers and sat quietly with the two girls to give them a more balanced opinion on these strange people.

'Much is said about the Hasanu,' he had told them. 'And much of it is wild exaggeration. Here is what I know, stripped of rumour, conjecture and hysteria.

'They are said to be a tall and powerful race and reports from the past held them to be covered with long, reddish hair all over their bodies. This could be true. They live in a cold climate and their bodies may well have adapted in this way over the years. But the key point I know, and on which all legends and tales about them are agreed, is that they are fearless in battle and that they have an intense loyalty to their lord. At this time, that is Lord Nimatsu.

'These qualities would seem to indicate positive elements to their character, which give the lie to those wild stories about their bloodthirsty behaviour with regard to strangers. Loyal and fearless do not, to me, equate with bloodthirsty and savage.

'Lord Nimatsu has, on many occasions, confirmed his allegiance to me. That, I believe, will be the key to your dealings with the Hasanu. They are loyal to Nimatsu so, by extension, they are loyal to me – or at least, to the concept of an Emperor. When you reach Nimatsu's province, be patient. Wait for the Hasanu to make contact. They will do so – and they will do so at Nimatsu's bidding. When he knows that you are acting in my name, you will be safe.'

Shigeru had removed his signet ring and handed it to Evanlyn.

'Take this with you. When Nimatsu sees it, he will know you come from me. This will ensure your safety. Once you have made contact with him, I rely on your eloquence, Ev-an-in-san, to convince him to help us. I will send a letter with you, of course. But in my experience, it is the spoken word and the integrity of the messenger that holds most sway in these matters.'

Evanlyn had taken the ring, slipping it onto her first finger.

'I wish I could advise you more fully on this matter,' Shigeru said, sighing deeply. 'But the success or failure of your mission will rest on your own abilities and resources.' He had smiled at them both then and added: 'And I cannot think of two more worthy or resourceful messengers.'

'So,' Alyss said, looking round the silent trees. 'How do we find the Hasanu?'

'Don't worry about that. Remember what Shigeru said. The Hasanu will find us.'

They unpacked their gear from the kayak and set about making camp. Alyss pitched their small tent while Evanlyn gathered stones for a fireplace, then a good supply of firewood. She was using her saxe knife – a gift from Halt some years previously – to cut one long piece of deadfall into manageable lengths when she had the sensation of eyes upon her.

Somewhere in the shadows among the trees, someone, or something, was watching her. She was sure of it. She paused for a moment in her work, then resumed, resisting the almost overpowering urge to turn and look into the trees. She glanced sideways, to see if Alyss had sensed anything. Apparently not. The tall girl was tightening the guy ropes on the tent, testing the tension to make sure that the canvas was evenly positioned.

Evanlyn gathered up the wood and walked casually back to place it by the circle of stones she had arranged as a fireplace.

'We're being watched,' she said softly.

Alyss froze for a second, then tugged the guy rope one last time, dusted her hands in satisfaction and moved to help Evanlyn sort the kindling from the heavier firewood. As they knelt together, she said, 'You saw someone?'

'No. It was more a sensation than anything. But I'm sure someone's there.'

She half expected a sardonic reply from her companion. But Alyss was never one to deny the value of instinct.

'Then we just keep doing what we're doing,' Alyss said. 'Let's brew some tea. And keep acting casually.'

All the same, Evanlyn noticed, she stole a quick glance to where her sword was resting on top of her pack at the entrance to the tent.

Some minutes later, they sat facing each other across the fire, sipping the warming tea. Alyss had positioned herself so that she faced the lake, leaving Evanlyn looking towards the trees behind them. Evanlyn had sensed the presence of the watcher, she reasoned, so there was a better chance of her seeing whoever it might be. Or whatever it might be, she amended.

As she sipped her tea, Evanlyn's eyes darted from side to side above the teacup. Her head never moved. From a few metres away, there was no indication that she was scanning the dark shadows beneath the spruces.

She gave a satisfied sigh and set her cup down.

'Something moved,' she said in a conversational tone.

A fleeting, shadowy movement had caught her eye. It was all she could do not to suddenly stare in the direction from which it had come but she managed it by an enormous effort of will.

'Can you see him now?' Alyss asked, maintaining the same casual tone.

'No. He's gone to ground. Wait. There he goes again. Can't make out any detail. It's just movement in the ferns under the trees. Whatever it is, it's moving closer to the edge of the tree line.'

They waited, nerves tensed. But there was no further sign of movement.

'I think he's gone,' Evanlyn said after several minutes.

Alyss shrugged. 'Or he's not moving, just watching us. Well, we can't sit here all afternoon. Any ideas?'

Evanlyn rose to her feet, avoiding any sudden movement, and crossed to her pack. Rummaging in it, she found what she was looking for – one of the few food items that the wolves had missed when they ransacked the camp several days before. It was a small twist of greased paper, containing a handful of candied fruit pieces – apples and apricots. They were a confectionery much favoured among the Kikori and Evanlyn had developed a taste for them herself. There were about a dozen pieces left. She hoped that would be enough. She strode back to where Alyss was watching her curiously.

'I've got a thought,' she said. 'Our unseen friend might be a bit more willing to show himself if there weren't two of us.'

She saw Alyss begin to object and held up a hand to stop her. 'No! Hear me out. I'm suggesting that you take the kayak and paddle offshore about a hundred metres and wait there. I'll sit over there, closer to the trees, and see if the Hasanu are willing to make contact.' She held up the small package of candied fruit. 'I'll use this to get the conversation going.'

Alyss frowned thoughtfully. 'One thing most people agreed on,' she said, 'is that the Hasanu like sweet things.'

'And these fit the bill. Look, if you leave – although you'll be seen to stay in the general area – and I sit closer to where they are, it's a pretty unmistakable message, isn't it? We want to make contact. There's a good chance that our friend in the trees will be encouraged to come out into the open.'

'There's also a chance that he'll be encouraged to tear you limb from limb,' Alyss said and Evanlyn nodded uncomfortably.

'That's the part of my plan that I'm not totally delighted with. But I think we have to take the chance and force things along. Otherwise, we could be sitting here for days. And let's face it,' she added, 'if they want to tear us limb from limb, your presence here is hardly going to stop them.'

'Well, thank you for that vote of confidence,' Alyss replied. 'One thing,' she added. 'Just consider my position. It's going to be awfully awkward for me to return to Araluen and tell your father I watched a Nihon-Jan monster dismember you. It won't be good for my career.'

Sensing a new note of comradeship behind the banter, Evanlyn managed a faint smile.

'And after all, your career is important to all of us,' she said. 'I'll try to bear it in mind. Now get going.'