Ken Liu
THE WALL OF STORMS
For Lisa, Esther, and Miranda, supra omnia familia
MAP OF THE ISLANDS OF DARA
MAP OF THE LANDS OF UKYU AND GONDE
A NOTE ON PRONUNCIATION
Many names in Dara are derived from Classical Ano. The transliteration for Classical Ano in this book does not use vowel digraphs; each vowel is pronounced separately. For example, “Réfiroa” has four distinct syllables: “Ré-fi-ro-a.” Similarly, “Na-aroénna” has five syllables: “Na-a-ro-én-na.”
The i is always pronounced like the i in English “mill.”
The o is always pronounced like the o in English “code.”
The ü is always pronounced like the umlauted form in German or Chinese pinyin.
Other names have different origins and contain sounds that do not appear in Classical Ano, such as the xa in “Xana” or the ha in “Haan.” In such cases, however, each vowel is still pronounced separately. Thus, “Haan” also contains two syllables.
The representation of Lyucu and Agon names and words presents a different problem. As we come to know them through the people and language of Dara, the names given in this work are doubly mediated. Just as English speakers who write down Chinese names and words they hear will achieve only a rough approximation of the original sounds, so with the Dara transliteration of Lyucu and Agon.
LIST OF MAJOR CHARACTERS
KUNI GARU: Emperor Ragin of Dara.
MATA ZYNDU: Hegemon of Dara (deceased).
JIA MATIZA: Empress of Jia; a skilled herbalist.
CONSORT RISANA: an illusionist and accomplished musician.
COGO YELU: Prime Minister of Dara.
GIN MAZOTI: Marshal of Dara; Queen of Géjira; the greatest battlefield tactician of her age. Aya Mazoti is her daughter.
RIN CODA: Imperial Farsight Secretary; childhood friend of Kuni.
MÜN ÇAKRI: First General of the Infantry.
THAN CARUCONO: First General of the Cavalry and First Admiral of the Navy.
PUMA YEMU: Marquess of Porin; practitioner of raiding tactics.
THÉCA KIMO: Duke of Arulugi.
DAFIRO MIRO: Captain of the Palace Guards.
OTHO KRIN: Chatelain to Emperor Ragin.
SOTO ZYNDU: Jia’s confidante and adviser.
PRINCE TIMU (nursing name: Toto-tika): Kuni’s firstborn; son of Empress Jia.
PRINCESS THÉRA (nursing name: Rata-tika): daughter of Empress Jia.
PRINCE PHYRO (nursing name: Hudo-tika): son of Consort Risana.
PRINCESS FARA (nursing name: Ada-tika): daughter of Consort Fina, who died in childbirth.
LUAN ZYA: Kuni’s chief strategist during his rise, who refused all titles; Gin Mazoti’s lover.
ZATO RUTHI: Imperial Tutor; leading Moralist of the age.
ZOMI KIDOSU: prized student of a mysterious teacher; daughter of a farming-fishing family in Dasu (Oga and Aki Kidosu).
KON FIJI: ancient Ano philosopher; founder of the Moralist school.
RA OJI: ancient Ano epigrammatist; founder of the Fluxist school.
NA MOJI: ancient Xana engineer who studied the flights of birds; founder of the Patternist school.
GI ANJI: modern philosopher of the Tiro states era; founder of the Incentivist school.
PÉKYU TENRYO ROATAN: leader of the Lyucu.
PRINCESS VADYU ROATAN (nicknamed “Tanvanaki”): the best garinafin pilot; daughter of Tenryo.
PRINCE CUDYU ROATAN: son of Tenryo.
KIJI: patron of Xana; Lord of the Air; god of wind, flight, and birds; his pawi is the Mingén falcon; favors a white traveling cloak.
TUTUTIKA: patron of Amu; youngest of the gods; goddess of agriculture, beauty, and fresh water; her pawi is the golden carp.
KANA AND RAPA: twin patrons of Cocru; Kana is the goddess of fire, ash, cremation, and death; Rapa is the goddess of ice, snow, glaciers, and sleep; their pawi are twin ravens: one black, one white.
RUFIZO: patron of Faça; Divine Healer; his pawi is the dove.
TAZU: patron of Gan; unpredictable, chaotic, delighting in chance; god of sea currents, tsunamis, and sunken treasures; his pawi is the shark.
LUTHO: patron of Haan; god of fisherman, divination, mathematics, and knowledge; his pawi is the sea turtle.
FITHOWÉO: patron of Rima; god of war, the hunt, and the forge; his pawi is the wolf.
WHISPERING BREEZES
CHAPTER ONE
TRUANTS
The sky was overcast, and the cold wind whipped a few scattered snowflakes through the air. Carriages and pedestrians in thick coats and fur-lined hats hurried through the wide avenues of Pan, the Harmonious City, seeking the warmth of home.
Or the comfort of a homely pub like the Three-Legged Jug.
“Kira, isn’t it your turn to buy the drinks this time? Everyone knows your husband turns every copper over to you.”
“Look who’s talking. Your husband doesn’t get to sneeze without your permission! But I think today should be Jizan’s turn, sister. I heard a wealthy merchant from Gan tipped her five silver pieces last night!”
“Whatever for?”
“She guided the merchant to his favorite mistress’s house through a maze of back alleys and managed to elude the spies the merchant’s wife sicced on him!”
“Jizan! I had no idea you had such a lucrative skill—”
“Don’t listen to Kira’s lies! Do I look like I have five silver pieces?”
“You certainly came in here with a wide enough grin. I’d wager you had been handsomely paid for facilitating a one-night marriage—”
“Oh, shush! You make me sound like I’m the greeter at an indigo house—”
“Ha-ha! Why stop at being the greeter? I rather think you have the skills to manage an indigo house, or… a scarlet house! I’ve certainly drooled over some of those boys. How about a little help for a sister in need—”
“—or a big help—”
“Can’t the two of you get your minds out of the gutter for a minute? Wait… Phiphi, I think I heard the coins jangling in your purse when you came in—did you have good luck at sparrow tiles last night?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”