Distant Thunder: Chapter 2

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The Sixth Day of the Month of Shinjo, 1137

It is said among the Crane that the use of a courtier's fan is an art. The subtlest of gestures can contain a wealth of meaning; a fan held at this angle means "you have done well," while a quick flip like that signals "our meeting is concluded." It is a language all its own, and like most things perfected by the Crane, it is a thing of beauty as well as practicality. Though the Doji academies rigorously school all their students in the language of the fans, the art's highest eloquence is only reached by the few, rare masters of the form. At such times, only another master can fully interpret the depth of meaning hidden in the graceful movements.

At other times, however, only a blind man can fail to read the intent.

Kakita Munemori watched Kakita Yoshi's fan tap steadily on Yoshi's desk while he waited for the older man to speak. It was a fine fan, made from exquisite silk and painted with a breathtaking image of cranes in flight, and Yoshi normally carried it with a grace and skill that would match an iaijutsu master. Now, however, it just tapped on Yoshi's desk, a steady rhythm that made Munemori think of armies marching toward their doom.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

"Let me clarify, Munemori-san," Yoshi said slowly, his voice resonant with a courtier's lifetime of training. In Yoshi's case, in fact, there were two lifetimes: the golden glow of a returned spirit surrounded him, a reminder that Yoshi had already once died for his Empire and his Clan. "I sent you with all the bounty of the Crane to use to build your alliances. I presented you as my preferred successor to the Emperor himself. I trained you, I tutored you, I stood by you from the moment you passed your gempukku. And yet, despite all this… you received no support for Advisor. None whatsoever."

Munemori grimaced, not bothering to try to hide it from Yoshi. He knew all too well his former sensei would read the expression anyway. "Hai, Kakita-sama," he said.

Yoshi's eyes fixed themselves on his fan. "Can you explain to me why this occurred, Munemori-san? I am most… curious."

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Munemori tore his gaze from the fan and looked at the floor. "I… do not know, Kakita-sama. I did what I could to build upon the relationships we had from the other Clans, but they were… not receptive. We were lied to, betrayed even, by the Phoenix, who promised us their support-"

"The Phoenix," Yoshi cut Munemori off. "Lied to you."

Munemori nodded slowly. He could feel the sweat beading on his brow.

"You allowed yourself to be lied to… by the Phoenix?"

Munemori nodded again. The fan kept tapping.

"And in exchange for lying to us, you… and please correct me if I am somehow mistaken in my understanding… offered to act as the Phoenix's voice in the courts? You promised them our ear?"

"Hai, Kakita-sama."

"And what, if I may ask, do you think we shall hear? An apology? A cry for aid, when the Dragon begin their bloody revenge? What precisely shall we do when we hear these things?"

"I… do not know, Kakita-sama."

Yoshi's eyes snapped up from the fan at last, and Munemori thought they might burn him where he sat. The golden glow around Yoshi's head suddenly seemed to radiate the heat of the sun itself. "No, Munemori, it is clear that you do not." The lack of an honorific felt like a blow, and Munemori rocked back from it just as if it had struck him physically. "In addition to giving our ear to those who cannot keep their sworn words, you also offered to… and again, I beg your correction if it turns out this is in error, as I truly feel it must be… beautify the Lion fortifications? And send the Daidoji Trading Council's representatives to Ryoko Owari?" At Munemori's nod, Yoshi continued, his words boring into Munemori's ears like a torturer's screws. "Did it occur to you that the Lion might, just might, take a beautification project as an insult? Or, perhaps, did you think that the conflict between the Unicorn and the Scorpion over Ryoko Owari is not one we wish to be involved in, particularly against our traditional Unicorn allies? Do you think that Tadaji will forget on whose side we placed ourselves?"

"I… ah, no, Kakita-sama," Munemori managed.

"So. What, precisely, did you accomplish? Can you give me any reason why I should retain your services?" Yoshi's carefully cultured voice had lost none of its power, but any traces of warmth had been completely eradicated. Munemori was painfully aware of the presence of his wakizashi, in his rooms a floor below; he could almost feel its weight, despite its absence. He looked around Yoshi's spacious and beautifully appointed office, desperately hoping for some inspiration that might save him, but the finely painted paper screens and perfectly sculpted bonsai trees held no comfort. He licked his lips and opened his mouth, trying without hope to at least shut out the sound of that damned fan.

The door to Yoshi's office opened.

Munemori snapped his mouth shut and turned to see Doji Narumi, the regent of the Doji family, enter the room, along with Daidoji Uji, the Daidoji damiyo, and another returned spirit, the renowned general Doji Meihu. Yoshi whipped his fan up in surprise, using it to cover his face to avoid revealing his shock at the intrusion, as all three bowed to him. "What is the meaning of this?" Yoshi gasped. Munemori was having similar trouble hiding his own astonishment; Yoshi and Uji had agreed to a hands-off policy with regard to each others' control over the diplomatic and military concerns of the Crane respectively, and this sort of boldness was completely out of character for Narumi. The Doji regent was tall, slim, and pretty enough (though Munemori's tastes ran somewhat younger), but she was all looks and not much else: she swayed like a willow around stronger breezes, never putting herself or her opinions forward in the slightest. Which meant that the reason for her appearance was…

Doji Meihu stepped forward, bowing again, as Narumi looked toward him with a helpless expression. "Forgive our impertinence, Yoshi-sama, if you will, but Narumi-dono, Uji-sama and I wished to offer our congratulations to Munemori-san on his fantastic work during the negotiations in Otosan Uchi. Though of course we regret that the Emperor did not see the full depth of Munemori's gifts and thus give him the appointment to Advisor that he so richly deserved, we nevertheless felt that his successes demanded immediate recognition."

Yoshi blinked. His fan was as rigid as his expression. "To which successes are you referring, Meihu-san?" Yoshi asked. Munemori found himself wondering that too, but he attempted to look humble all the same.

Meihu smiled, "Why, the negotiations of military favors from the Lion and Scorpion, of course."

"Ah yes," Yoshi sniffed dismissively. "Akodo `advisors' and Scorpion assassins. Either of which is as likely to kill us as help us, and both shame us to the rest of the Empire."

"On the contrary," Meihu replied smoothly, "They make it clear that our military conflicts are not going to involve the Underhand or the Right Hand of the Emperor, which frees us to focus on dealing with a more… lingering insult. And while the Lion won't take the field against their allies, I doubt the Scorpion assets will be as hesitant; I believe Munemori's efforts were quite successful in strengthening ties between us. Moreover, the Akodo cannot resist a challenge. If the situation is presented in a sufficiently hypothetical fashion, I think we will see them prove their use to us."

Yoshi frowned. "To what insult are you referring?" he asked, but Munemori did not think he wanted to know the answer. Or, more accurately, Munemori was sure that Yoshi already knew the answer, and was merely waiting for the unpleasant moment when it was confirmed. The fan twitched slightly, as though warding off a blow.

"The Yasuki, of course," Meihu replied firmly. Beside him, Uji's eyes flicked between Meihu's and Yoshi's faces, but his stance carried as much determination as Meihu's.

Yoshi closed his eyes for just a moment. "You would war on the Crab?" he demanded. "Over an event eight centuries gone? Why would you spend our strength on such a ridiculous pursuit? We are not Lions – we can forgive if it helps us build tighter bonds within the Empire."

"Indeed," Meihu snorted, "and clearly that worked out well for Munemori-san." Munemori could not help flinching slightly, but Meihu kept going. "Whether you want to admit it or not, the Empire has forgotten that they should respect us. You show them a fan, and they think it is all you can threaten them with. Show them Kakita steel, however, and they suddenly recall that there is more to us than just words. We are samurai, and we are warriors." Meihu's smile was wolfish. "Once we have proven that once more, you will likely find that simply showing your fan is enough to make others wonder where your blade is." His eyes flicked to Yoshi's obi; though of course Meihu was not armed in the presence of higher-ranking samurai, Uji carried his daisho and Narumi her wakizashi – the lack of a wakizashi on Yoshi's hip was suddenly very noticeable, for all that there were extremely good reasons for the Kakita daimyo to not carry one. Munemori found himself studying the tabletop for a moment as Yoshi gathered himself.

"You cannot risk this," Yoshi said flatly. "You threaten what little we have rebuilt since the War Against the Shadow."

Meihu shook his head sadly. "Forgive me, Yoshi-sama, but you cannot command me; Narumi-dono has already given me permission to begin moving her men south. I believe Uji-sama has similar plans." Uji grinned for a moment, but then sighed.

"Yoshi," Uji said in a grating tone, the only tone he ever used, as far as Munemori knew. "You told me you'd keep out of my affairs if I kept out of yours. This is a military decision, and I've made it. Meihu-san is right. The clans must remember that we are not weak in any way, or they will destroy us. I will not permit that. You just… cover us. When this is all over, we'll need you to help tie down what we knock loose."

Uji bowed, with Meihu and – after a moment's pause – Narumi following suit. All three then stepped out of Yoshi's office, closing the door behind them and leaving the two courtiers alone once more.

Yoshi's expression was as smooth as silk, and most would have not noticed the way his fan twitched either; Munemori, though, was watching for it. He studied his sensei's face, and wondered if there were as many thoughts running through Yoshi's head as there were through his own. He rather suspected there were more.

"It would seem," Yoshi said finally, "that you have managed to impress at least one of your superiors, Munemori-san. Under the circumstances, perhaps it would be best if you followed up on that impression. From what I know of Meihu, he is not unskilled in the courts, but he will no doubt appreciate the advice of a trained diplomat." Yoshi carefully folded his fan, laying it across one arm thoughtfully. "You will help him in this regard, Munemori-san. You will give him the aid he requires to smooth over the feathers he is about to ruffle."

The fan tapped once on the tabletop.

"And you will, of course, keep in close contact with me throughout." Yoshi's eyes were once again fixed on Munemori's, but this time, he at least did not feel his death in them. "You may go. Begin your preparations. I expect you to be on your way to Kyuden Doji by dawn tomorrow."

Munemori rose and bowed deeply. "Hai, Yoshi-sama," he replied, and stepped out of the office. Only once he was in the corridor did he let out the breath he'd been holding. He took a moment to settle himself, then set out toward his quarters with determination. It was an interesting way to avoid dying, he had to admit, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of postponement rather than true relief. If Meihu and Yoshi were going to be battling for control of the Clan… well, one courtier, no matter how skilled, could easily get caught up in that mess and discarded out of hand. He would have to be careful.

There was one bright spot, though. Meihu didn't carry a fan.