Pasek's surprise momentarily betrayed him. For a second or two his mouth lay open like a suckling babe's, then it closed with a loud plop. "Tell your Master he is very generous," Pasek said, looking down, angry that Soucek had caught him unprepared for such news, yet excited by the news itself. "And tell him I shall keep him closely informed as matters develop."
"He would expect no less," Soucek answered, walking behind Pasek and, unseen by him, making a lewd gesture and grinning at the boys. "But 1 will leave you now, Master Pasek. I'm sure you have much to . . . organise."
The unpleasant emphasis on the final word made Pasek meet Soucek's eyes and frown. What was the bastard implying? He watched Soucek go, heard the door slam, and turned, facing the boys again. But it was no good. The power had drained from him, leaving its mark—a stain that would have to be purged from him some other way now.
Throwing off his cloak he went across and knelt, where the supplicant had knelt a while before, exposing his back. And, knowing what must be done, the eldest of the boys crossed the room and took the whip down from its hook, testing its heavy length in the air with a resounding crack before he turned and gently, almost lovingly, drew it across his Master's back.
Africa! Pasek thought, exultant, as the first stroke cracked and burned across his flesh. Africa!
NAN HO WAS COMING from Li Yuan's office when a servant ran to him and, kneeling, bowed his head.
"Master Nan! You must come at once!"
"Come? Come where, Steward Wang?"
"It is General Rheinhardt, Master ... he has been taken ill."
The news took him aback. In his hand he had the document appointing Rheinhardt temporary commander of the T'ang's forces.
"Quick, then," he said, gesturing for Wang to get to his feet. "Has a doctor been called?"
Wang stood. "The Empress's own surgeon is seeing to him even now, Master."
"Then let us hurry there. If the General is unfit . . ." "
No. He did not want to think of the problems it would cause if Rheinhardt were unable to take up his duties. It was bad enough that Karr had quit: to have to promote another from the lower ranks right now would cause nothing but trouble.
They hurried through the corridors. At the door to the Guest Apartments a guard made to stop them, then, seeing who it was, waved them through, his face troubled.
What's going on? Nan Ho asked himself, checking his pace in the doorway to Rheinhardt's room, seeing the long-faced crowd about his bed, Pei K'ung among them.
"What is it?" he said, going across to her and bowing.
"I am afraid General Rheinhardt is dead," she answered him, stepping back slightly so that he could see the pallid corpse. "It seems he ate a heavy lunch, then came back here to rest, complaining of chest pains."
Nan Ho looked down at the paper in his hand. He had been gripping it too tightly and his hand was wet where he held it. He looked to Pei K'ung's surgeon, Yueh Li, and raised an eyebrow in query, not trusting himself to speak, lest he say what was on his mind.
"His heart," Yueh said quietly. "He died before we could get to him. His brain . . . there was no calling him back."
Nan Ho nodded. This felt wrong. Everything about it felt wrong, but without causing a stir, what could he prove, if Surgeon Yueh—Pei K'ung's surgeon—said he had died of a heart attack. . . .
Besides, while this death would cause him problems, it might well solve others. With Rheinhardt dead, perhaps Karr could be persuaded to return.
"Master Nan?"
He turned, bowing to Pei K'ung. "Yes, Mistress?"
"Surgeon Yueh has prepared the death certificate, but it needs two further witnesses. I myself have signed. If you would oblige . . . ?"
He stared at the piece of paper her foot servant held out to him, knowing, both from the look in her eyes and the indecent haste with which she had prepared the paper, that Rheinhardt's death had been no natural one but a result of those "other means" the Empress had mentioned earlier.
Poison. She has had him poisoned! The thought of it astonished him.
He took the inked brush and signed. There! It was done!
"Thank you, Master Nan," she said, smiling urbanely, giving no sign that this disturbed her in the least.
She smiled and leaned toward him, speaking softly, for his ears alone. "We are our Master's hands, neh?"
He looked at his, knowing they were not clean, then looked back at her again and, with a nod, began to back away.
"And, Master Nan?"
"Yes, Mistress?"
She took the paper from his hand and, glancing at it to make sure it was the correct one, tore it in half, and let it fall. "We'll not need that now, neh? Oh, and I'm told that Karr's to be found at a place called Kosaya Gora. It's one of the plantations close to the garrison at Moscow. If you act quickly . . ."
He nodded, understanding, then, with the feeling that he had been most thoroughly manipulated, turned and left the room, heading back to his Master to let him know the news.
F U C HIA N O sat back from the screen, smiling broadly. He had just received the latest reports from his spies in his enemies' camps and was pleased with what he'd heard. Karr had resigned and Rheinhardt was dead. Pasek was to be given a free hand and Mach was to reform the Yu. In a more general vein, Lehmann's strike against the East European plantations had resulted in a loss to Li Yuan of more than eight percent of his food production. That alone would have serious repercussions in the months to come, and not merely to Li Yuan. Lehmann himself relied quite heavily on food smuggled in from the Enclave, and if supplies were tight there, the squeeze would be put on Lehmann too. As for Odessa, that might prove a mixed blessing for Lehmann. Certainly it had tipped the West Asian Warlords into his embrace, and who knew what might come of that alliance?
He turned, looking across the room to where DeVore stood at the rail of the fighting pit, staring down into the darkness.
"Things are ripening, don't you think?" he said, standing and going across.
"Well enough," DeVore said, turning to him. "But perhaps a little too slowly, no?"
"Constant dripping wears away stone," Fu Chiang answered, quoting the ancient proverb at him. "If we are but patient . . ."
"And if I'm impatient?"
Fu Chiang frowned. This was a side of DeVore he had not seen before. Wanting to avoid a quarrel, he raised a hand and smiled. "Perhaps there are things we might do to put a little pressure on."
But DeVore shook his head. "The trouble is they know."
"Know?"
"About my copies. Both Li Yuan and my old friend Lehmann. They know now what to look for. The element of surprise is lost. Or could be, if we don't act at once."
Fu Chiang stared at him uncomprehendingly. He knew about DeVore's copies—indeed, he had gone down to Olduvai himself to see the factories there—but he hadn't known until that moment that DeVore had seeded his enemies' Cities with the things.
"How many have you got out there?"
"Not as many as I'd planned, but enough."
"Enough for what?"
DeVore met his eyes and smiled. "Just enough, that's all you need to know, Cousin Fu. It's time. Time to make the puppets dance."
CHAPTER TWENTY- ONE
At One Stride Comes the Dark
K
IM STOOD AT THE WINDOW, looking out at the night. The sea was still, a three-quarter moon floating high above it in a clear, blue-black sky. To his right, beyond the high brick wall of the garden, the pine trees bordering the cliffs were dark and still with a different kind of stillness to the sea's, a brooding mystery he had never fathomed.
It was just after four. Downstairs Jelka was tending to her father. He had stood there earlier, watching them, seeing how the old man looked to her, as a young child looks to its mother, totally dependent, and once more had felt a wave of regret that he had not acted earlier to bring Tolonen home.