In the weeks following the affair of Phi Phong and the rumors surrounding Fun Town, life in Khanbaliq became increasingly unsettled. No single event drove Beatriss and Tetsukichi toward departure; rather, the city itself seemed to shift beneath them, old loyalties loosening and new dangers gathering in the spaces between ordinary life.
Phi Phong, for all her charm, finally pushed too far with her father-in-law, Anca Sansar. The khan had indulged Golfo and his beautiful wife out of affection and amusement, but he had no intention of simply granting his adopted son rank or responsibility he had not earned. In irritation, he threatened to cast both Golfo and his nephew Tetsukichi out of the household altogether so they might “go into the world and make names for themselves properly.”
Meanwhile, Afu remained convinced that Gwinch had become deeply involved in the slave raids along the southwestern frontier. Whether through corruption, enchantment, or divided loyalties, the priest believed Gwinch was no longer acting in the Empire’s interest.
At the same time, imperial scrutiny within Khanbaliq intensified. One morning guards arrived unexpectedly at Anca’s compound to conduct formal questioning. Beatriss accompanied her uncle out of family obligation and was herself questioned about her history in the city and her political associations. When asked about her engagement to Buyuk, she answered coolly that she did not know him well, and since he did not appear serious in his intentions, she considered the understanding between them finished.
Not all developments were ominous. During another excursion into Fun Town, Phi Phong demonstrated a subtler side of her peculiar talents. When an intoxicated street tough began making unwanted advances toward her, she gently redirected his attention toward a stray dog lounging nearby.
“Isn’t she more your type?”
The man immediately abandoned Phi Phong and spent the next several minutes affectionately praising the animal. Oddly enough, the incident reassured Beatriss. Whatever Phi Phong’s powers were, they did not seem wholly malicious.
Elsewhere in the city, rumors spread that members of the Zipangese diplomatic community—mostly clerks and minor officials—were quietly disappearing into imperial custody. Around the same time, the newly appointed abbot of the Monastery of the Two-Fold Path paid an unexpected visit seeking assistance with a growing infestation of monstrous ants beneath the monastery grounds.
Then came the imperial summons.
Tetsukichi was called to the Imperial City and escorted into a stark interrogation chamber where officials questioned him about his loyalties, his travels, and his intentions. During the interview he mentioned, almost casually, that he had considered leaving Khanbaliq to visit relatives in the southwestern borderlands.
The response was immediate.
“Oh? Then perhaps we have work for you.”
The Emperor himself, it seemed, had grown concerned about conditions along the frontier. Slavery was never mentioned directly. Instead, the officials spoke of governors and generals who had fallen from imperial favor after extended service in the southwest. First Governor Kawabi, then General Goyat, and now perhaps even Gwinch himself had become compromised in some way after arriving there.
Tetsukichi was ordered south to discover what was happening and to punish any traitors he found.
Anca Sansar had already begun making preparations to leave the capital himself. Within days the household became a frenzy of movement: wagons loaded, horses shod, tents packed, herds gathered. The caravan that finally assembled outside Khanbaliq was enormous—Anca and his family, warriors and retainers, wives and children, servants, monks from the Emperor’s court, and finally Beatriss, Tetsukichi, and all those who had attached themselves to their fortunes over the previous years.
Before their departure, Buyuk sent Beatriss a letter apologizing for his failures and asking her to reconsider leaving the city. She attempted one final meeting in the Imperial City, but was informed that he was unavailable. In response, she left only a brief farewell message.
And so, beneath a pale spring sky, the caravan departed Khanbaliq in a long cloud of dust, leaving behind the unfinished capital, its intrigues, and the haunted ruins beyond its walls.
No comments:
Post a Comment