The fisherman disappeared into the mist, though the sound of his singing lingered.
“Lord Kimo, let me be plain,” said Cano Tho. “You must heed the warning signs. Kuni Garu is a man who will smile at you one moment, and stab you the next. If you don’t act soon, you will join the Hegemon in the afterlife.”
Théca Kimo looked at his friend, astounded. “You speak of treason. But why?”
A succession of expressions flitted across Cano’s face before he came to a decision. “For the Jewel of Amu.”
“Kikomi? That inconstant woman?”
“Do not speak of her that way!”
Kimo set down his cup, his face darkening. “You forget yourself, Captain Tho.”
With an effort, Cano Tho lowered his voice. “I apologize for that outburst, Lord Kimo.” He sat up in formal mipa rari. “I rescued Princess Kikomi from the prison ship of Kindo Marana, and she was a woman of incomparable courage and wisdom. I will never believe the lies told about her after her death.”
“Her betrayal is known to every child—”
“How can the man whose very victories were founded on betrayal speak of honor? After the rebellion, Kuni Garu honored all the great nobles who died during the rebellion against Xana. Jizu is venerated in Na Thion and Mocri is worshipped in Wolf’s Paw; even the Hegemon himself has shrines erected in Tunoa with the emperor’s approval. Yet Kikomi is an exception. We have never been allowed to erect a temple to her memory in Arulugi, and the craven scholars, careful to please the emperor, continue to smear her reputation in the history books.”
“It’s understandable for the emperor to feel this way about her. She killed Phin Zyndu, a mentor to the Hegemon as well as the emperor—”
Cano laughed. “Kuni Garu may disguise his dark past with pious words of honor, but truth lives on in the hearts of men. He is terrified of Princess Kikomi because the lies about her speak the truth about himself. He is a lord of inconstant affections, skilled at manipulation but undeserving of loyalty. He will turn on you.”
Théca Kimo pondered Cano’s words. When Kuni was at war, he had needed men like Théca Kimo, and after his victory at Rana Kida, it would have been impossible not to reward those who had risked their lives in his ascent to the throne. But now that the world was at peace, how much longer would the emperor need him? As memories of Théca’s contributions faded, why wouldn’t Kuni Garu treat him as he had treated the Hegemon?
“Queen Gin has promised that she will never let anything happen to us,” said Kimo.
“Where is the marshal now? Why isn’t she at the Karo Peninsula pleading for you?”
Kimo said nothing. The signs were ambiguous, like the fog of war.
“Arulugi is skilled at war over the sea,” said Cano. “If you steel your heart and strike first, you may still seize the initiative from Kuni Garu. A victory will secure the independence of Arulugi and make you the master of your own fate. Do you wish your children to inherit the life you’ve fought for? Then heed the warning of the gods, Lord Kimo.”
Kimo might not understand court intrigue and subtle plots, but Cano’s words made perfect sense if he applied his experience as a criminal in the streets. The leaders of the great street gangs respected men who showed that they were willing to fight to protect their turf, and a powerful gangster survived only by demonstrating that he still had teeth.
The burning liquor brought tears to his eyes as he drained his cup. “I suppose it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”
“He’s mirroring my moves,” muttered Kuni. “What is Théca Kimo thinking? Why has he moved his army onto the shore and his navy into the strait?”
“Perhaps his ships are gathering to help secure the seas for your crossing,” suggested Jia.
“When I haven’t even indicated I was going to cross?” huffed Kuni.
“We’ve been here for weeks,” fretted Risana. “Yet he has not come to pay his respects. This bodes ill for his intentions.”
“The Ano sages tell us that trust is hard to earn, but easy to lose in a moment of doubt,” said Jia.
“What does that even mean?” snapped Kuni. “Trusting the untrustworthy is no sign of wisdom.”
“Théca had proven himself during the war,” said Jia evenly.
“That was more than a decade ago!” said an irritated Kuni. “I have to think not just about myself, but also about the children. If I pass away tomorrow, will Timu or Phyro… be able to handle him?”
The emperor walked away, agitated; Risana followed close behind, trying to soothe him. Jia stood in place and watched them leave.
“Lord Kimo, you can’t go,” said Cano Tho.
The duke’s grand audience hall should have been filled with his ministers and generals, like a miniature version of the audience hall in Pan, but now only the generals, all veterans who had served under Théca for more than a decade, and a few nobles trusted by Cano, sat along the two walls. The nobles belonged to the oldest and most illustrious lineages of Arulugi, a faction that had long wished for Amu to regain its independence and could be counted on not to be tainted by the emperor’s spies. Though they had never liked Théca Kimo much, they desired to regain their diminished power even more.
“To disobey a direct order from the emperor would be open treason,” said Théca Kimo.
“The emperor already has enough evidence to manufacture the crime of treason,” said Cano. “Consider your state, Lord Kimo. Weapons from your armory have been found in Tunoa in the hands of the rebels shouting the name of the Hegemon; you’ve amassed ships in the Amu Strait, warily watching the emperor’s fleet; your soldiers are gathered around Müning, ready to do your bidding; you’ve distanced yourself from ministers and advisers recommended by the emperor, suggesting a secret plot.”
“But I thought these were just precautionary measures—a reminder that I still have teeth! The emperor should know that I have no intent to rebel.”
“Actions do not have meaning by themselves,” said Cano. “All that matters is the perspective in which they are seen. If the mirror is distorted, a fat man will appear thin, and a loyal man will appear as a traitor.”
“All the more reason that I should answer the emperor’s summons to explain myself.”
“Lord Kimo, have you forgotten the banquet held by the Hegemon after he entered Pan? He invited Kuni Garu to the banquet because he intended to kill the man for his betrayal after separating him from his men.”
“But Kuni Garu escaped unharmed!”
“Kuni Garu had a tongue as clever and quick as that of a paid litigator. Do you? And do you imagine Kuni intends to repeat the mistake of the Hegemon? If you go, you’ll not return.”
“This must be a bad dream,” Kimo muttered. “What have I done?”
“You’ve done nothing but what is logical. The emperor has forced your hand. When the hunter comes to you with his axe sharpened, do you continue to play the loyal dog waiting for slaughter, or will you turn into a fierce wolf and fight for your survival? Lord Kimo, you may not wish to rebel, but the emperor has taken the choice away from you.”