Dirk van den Boom - The Emperor's Men 8 - Stormy Heavens

Itzunami laughed bitterly. “He listens to you more than me, messenger. You are the one who should speak to him. But I agree with you. Without Mutal’s military power, vengeance will not be possible. Inugami himself has to take matters into his own hands and restore the city’s honor.”

Aritomo nodded silently.

But what if it was the same Inugami that had soiled this very honor?

A speculation, certainly nothing else. But the gnawing doubt remained. He trusted the Captain to order the death of the royal family to upset Chitam – or to blame someone who hadn’t done it. Yaxchilan. How fitting. Another, even stronger motivation to take care of this metropolis, to prove the dishonor of the enemies and the moral superiority of Inugami. A double punishment, a just revenge, there was nothing better to push all of the city’s warriors to their best – and with a grand victory, mapped out by the gods, initiated by the new shogun, to cement the Captain’s legitimacy in a way that nobody would be able to do anything about it anymore.

Aritomo chided himself as being too hasty, too suspicious, and a fool who took conclusions out of thin air because they met his fears, perhaps also because he secretly wanted Inugami to be the man he thought he was.

This could lead to dangerous misjudgments.

“I’ll write a message to Inugami myself and send a messenger,” he said, and the priest nodded, obviously pleased to have someone else do the job. “You discuss everything else here, I’ll go back to our house to get it done right away.”

“We’ll let you know as soon as we know something new.”

“I’m grateful for that.”

Aritomo felt dismissed, although no one would have told him so. He saved everyone the embarrassment of having to look for more words of horror or sympathy, but said goodbye immediately and hurried back to the Japanese residence. His bodyguard wasn’t even surprised when he came out so quickly. The news had by now reached the soldiers, and while the two Japanese accepted the matter with equanimity, the Maya showed their dismay as well as their displeasure quite openly.

They hurried back.

Once at his destination, Lengsley was waiting for him. He too must have heard the news by now, because he immediately got down to business, pulled Aritomo aside, spoke in a lowered voice.

“What do we do?”

“Call Sawada. We have to hold council of war.”

“We have to.”

It took less than five minutes for the triumvirate to gather. Aritomo didn’t know how to start, so he didn’t object when old Sawada spoke first. His head was still buzzing. It was good if the others initiated their deliberations.

“It’s a disaster,” the old man said, clearly dismayed. “Inugami is going to be outraged.”

Aritomo frowned. Inugami would be outraged? Even if he was not responsible for this act, he would not be particularly angry about it, but would only try to do everything in his favor.

“The death of Lady Tzutz is something that particularly infuriates the Maya, and Chitam might become completely unpredictable,” he said. “We have to be careful not only of the political consequences but also of becoming victims ourselves. The assassination attempt on me shows that we don’t have only friends in this city.”

Sawada and Lengsley stared at Aritomo in disbelief.

“What are you talking about?” the Brit finally managed to ask.

“If Lady Tzutz was not murdered by the men of Yaxchilan –”

“I beg your pardon? The Queen is dead?” Sawada interrupted, eyes wide.

Aritomo suddenly grew cold. He took a deep breath. “Good. I notice that we may be talking past each other. I just learned that the Queen and her daughters were subjected to a cowardly attack. The Queen is dead, her daughters have disappeared. It suggests that Yaxchilan men are responsible for this act, and maybe that’s true. If but –”

He paused when Lengsley grabbed his upper arm. “Aritomo,” said the Brit with an urgent undertone. “It’s all terrible, sure. But Sawada and I have something else to discuss with you!”

“What? What else?”

The old man raised his trembling voice. He looked so battered that Aritomo involuntarily feared that he would collapse. But the teacher kept himself with iron self-discipline.

“Isamu has disappeared,” he finally said.

“I beg your pardon?”

“With notice,” Lengsley added. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t expect the Prince to act so quickly.”

Aritomo groaned and put his head in his hands. The third blow. He felt things slip away from him in such a fast way that he seemed to loose whatever he wanted to hold on.

“Lengsley,” he said half-desperately, half-reproachfully.

“I know. He spoke to me about it two nights ago. I only took it half seriously, the reverie of a young guy who wants to feel freedom. I wanted to discuss it with you in time, really, but there is so much to do, and we barely came across each other … it sounds like a bad excuse, I know …”

Sawada raised a hand and waved it off.

“If anyone is to be blamed, it is me. I have known the Prince longest and best of all of us. I should have recognized the signs much sooner. In retrospect … yes, I see it. But before that – I should have done something earlier.”

“But what?” Aritomo murmured softly, remembering his own conversation with the Prince. “But what could we have done that would do everyone justice?”

Sawada screwed up her lips.

“The Prince has duties. What his personal wishes are is second to his duty.”

Aritomo sighed. That was exactly what had led to this catastrophe. But it wasn’t helpful to argue with the old teacher, who, in his way, had only the best in mind for the boy.

“It worked in Japan but not here. It is not clear if what we consider to be our duty is actually valid,” Lengsley said. Aritomo nodded. Sawada was not happy with this answer, but that was exactly the problem.

“When did he disappear?”

“Apparently at night. His bodyguard only noticed it now that he didn’t show up for breakfast.”

“Where? Are there any traces?”

Sawada and Lengsley shook their heads.

“Is he traveling alone?”

“No. His friend Ichik appears to be with him.”

Friend? Aritomo hadn’t even noticed Isamu had made friends. He scolded himself a fool. What stupidity. He had been careless.

And yes: Inugami would be outraged.

“We’re sending search teams,” he said hoarsely. “We ask the Maya for help. Sawada – we will return to the council meeting immediately.”

“But Captain Inugami …”

“He has to wait. We mustn’t waste time now.”

Sawada was silent, bowed his head, rose with Aritomo.

They hurried away. And both of them already suspected that all their actions would be in vain.

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