‘Yes, but the other boat, it still searches for you.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry for that, sir, believe me.’ If there were souls out there at peril of their lives looking for them he did indeed regret it.
‘It is not safe to be in this place, not moving. The fog, it soon goes.’ He paused. ‘They are yours, those in the boat.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘Your servants. They insist to go in the other boat to look for you, would not let our sailors to take it.’
‘You mean…’
‘I cannot wait! It is dangerous to linger. I must sail on. You understand?’
Nicander and Marius caught each other’s eyes.
Head hung, Nicander replied, ‘If by this it is the means of saving the many we must concur. Do your duty, Captain.’
The sail rose on its yard and catching the slight wind there was a growing ripple at the bow as it gathered speed.
For long minutes the two looked back with grief-stricken faces.
Nicander broke the silence. ‘Captain, you say it was only our two attendants in the boat, and they were insistent on this? I must beg of you, do allow us to check the contents of our chest. It is an unworthy thought, but not impossible, that they took advantage of our absence to seize the precious scriptures and baubles therein and make their escape. To settle our minds on the matter, might we…?’
It was brought to the privacy of the captain’s cuddy and they were left alone.
‘I – I can’t believe it!’ breathed Nicander, as they spilt out the contents of several of the leather bags to the table, the gold glittering in heart-catching splendour. ‘We have it! It’s ours!’
There was row after row of the bags and a papyrus cylinder that yielded a hoard of diamonds. ‘In case this Byzantine gold is not accepted,’ Nicander said with a huge grin, as he lifted the coins in his hands and let them cascade down.
Marius stood speechless, hypnotised by the wealth on display.
‘It worked!’ he breathed finally, fingering the treasure with a childish glee. He looked at Nicander in wonder. ‘It bloody worked!’
‘It’s ours to do with it whatever we want,’ Nicander whispered. ‘There’s enough here to capitalise, why, an entire chain of incense importers. We get to Taprobane, get on the first boat back to Arabia… and let life start again!’
CHAPTER TWENTY
By the time a tinkling bell had marked the Hour of the Snake in Yeh Ch’eng, rumours were abroad and tension and fear in the air. From behind the filmy screen of the Throne Room, a strict decree was issued. Any who showed by word or deed that they doubted imperial powers to safeguard the land, or made reference to the motions of the warlord Kao Yang, was to be severely punished.
The palace conducted its business as usual but just before midday the sharp triple-strike of the gong brought a summons to the Throne Room for urgent news.
‘Report!’ Chancellor Kuo demanded to a prostrate imperial messenger.
‘Honoured sir, I have an advice from General Wu.’
‘Well? Speak!’
The man crouched closer to the floor and looked up fearfully. ‘General Wu – he tells that the usurper Kao Yang has split his forces and it is now clear that this must be a move to surround Yeh Ch’eng.’
‘And?’
‘Sir,’ came the trembling voice clear into the silence. ‘He begs that the Son of Heaven is beseeched to leave the city this day as he cannot be certain of victory when he confronts Kao Yang tomorrow on the plains before Yeh Ch’eng.’
There was a chill of horror in the room. No one dared move. The Grand Chamberlain turned to the gauze and bowed silently, waiting.
Finally, the Emperor spoke. ‘The herald has done his duty and we are appreciative of his efforts. We award him one sycee of silver, of value not greater than ten wu chu.’
Kuo nodded to the Chamberlain for palace revenue.
First Eunuch Yuan stepped forward and kowtowed. ‘Great Majesty, this man stands in breach of the imperial decree forbidding talk of that traitor.’ He paused significantly. ‘There can be no exceptions. He must be punished.’
Smothered gasps and sighs left no doubt about the sympathy of the court.
‘Beat him,’ the Emperor said in a subdued tone.
Yuan’s face distorted with a snarl as he took a rod and crossed to the cowering figure. He thrashed the messenger in strong, aimed blows. The man whimpered and writhed, still crouched in obeisance. Blood seeped through the back of his robe.
‘Enough!’ the Grand Chamberlain snapped.
The herald scrambled to crawl away and the hall quickly began to empty as the courtiers backed out with profuse bowing and ceremony.
The Grand Chamberlain was left alone with his Emperor. ‘Great Lord, the news is painful.’ Kuo had uneasily noted that the promotion of Kao Yang from warlord to usurper had not in any way been challenged.
‘That Kao Yang has seen fit to ignore my mercy is his own failing that he will live to regret.’
‘Nonetheless, sire, General Wu counsels a prudent withdrawal of the Emperor to a place of greater safety.’
‘Do you?’
‘You will know, Heavenly Lord, that I ever hold the Celestial Dragon’s self as the most precious in this mortal world.’ He paused. ‘Yet an even higher purpose drives my words: the duty of a ruler to his subjects – the paramount requirement to preserve his sacred body to continue to stand between the divine and the worldly on behalf of his people.’
There was no response from behind the hanging.
‘Therefore I have no alternative than to join General Wu in exhorting the Emperor of Eastern Wei to temporarily quit the city for a more tranquil place, there to-’
‘Lord Kuo! You are forgetting one thing.’
‘Sire?’
‘We reign here over the people of Wei by right, and for one high reason – and one only.’
‘Your Majesty.’ Kuo bowed low.
‘The Mandate of Heaven was conferred upon us. We hold the sacred trust to rule and none may deny it. While we thus retain the mandate the gods will extend their grace and protection to us and our kingdom. We therefore have nothing to fear from the Lord Kao Yang.’
‘Then might I put forward another course. It has been overlong since the Emperor last made a progress among his peoples? Might not an appearing of the Son of Heaven among them-’
‘Grand Chamberlain – Yeh Ch’eng has been the ancestral capital of the Wei from ancient times. Do you expect us to abandon it at the slightest alarm? No, it shall not be seen that the Emperor of Wei of this day scuttles away from his inheritance like a frightened rabbit! General Wu stands before the usurper invested with full imperial power and authority. He will not let them pass. And recollect that our soldiers are soon returning victorious from the southern rising and together they will sweep the rabble aside!’
‘We pray that this be so, sire. Yet common prudence allows that-’
‘Be still! The Emperor in full puissance continues to rule, and from the palace of his ancestors in Yeh Ch’eng. Your counsel is noted, and rejected. You may leave us.’
In his apartment Kuo sat at his elegantly carved desk with a heavy heart. It first bore a scholar’s work some two centuries before, its red-stained wood now dark with the patina of ages. He gazed at the hanging frame of writing brushes, inkstone and jade seal and tried to let the tranquillity of far antiquity work on his soul.
His attendant and chief scribe Wang entered and waited patiently.
‘The Son of Heaven stays,’ Kuo said evenly.
‘As we might have expected, Master,’ said Wang carefully. ‘He’s an old man, and they have their memories.’
‘Quite. Yet I will not deny it, the omens are adverse at this time. There is no sign that we are to be noticed by the gods and the Tao abbot refuses to cast any kind of prognostication, the villain.’
‘Then…’
‘Then we must look to our own situation, First-Born Wang.’
The younger man picked up on his tone, went to the door and closed it quietly. Then he sat respectfully opposite Kuo. ‘Sir, Kao Yang is ambitious and impatient. He has shown his hand and must move soon. General Wu has little cavalry and cannot stand against Kao Yang’s Mongols. I have in my bowels-’