The Power and the Glory

Book 3 Chapter X: Mirio and Lian

All things are defined by names. Change the name, and you change the thing. -- Terry Pratchett, Pyramids

After his conversation with the chief eunuch Mirio returned to his room and began planning how to learn more about the foreign doctor. The best way would be to talk to him and see if he behaved oddly. Over five hundred years of Abihira's near-constant companionship had given Mirio a sixth sense for when someone was hiding something. Surely it would work just as well on the doctor.

Now, how was he going to get a chance to talk to him?

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In general Mirio did not need to find excuses to talk to someone. If he wanted to speak to them all he had to do was attend court and draw them aside afterwards or send a servant to find them and bring them to see him. Neither approach would work here. Doctors did not attend court unless the ministers progressed from verbal blows to physical ones. And if Mirio sent a servant to summon the doctor it would be all over the palace within an hour. He'd have no end of people inquiring after his health. Not to mention all the official physicians who'd be mortally offended he went to a foreigner instead of to them.

He considered the situation for the rest of the day and half of the following morning. The absurd part of his mind, the part he steadfastly refused to give free rein to because all his life he'd needed to be the only sane person in the entire family, suggested he should fake being sick. The much more logical part of his mind shouted that idea down before he could seriously consider it. The foreign doctor was Zi Yao's physician and no one else's. He'd just end up being poked and prodded at by all of the royal physicians. Anyway, it was in bad taste to fake an illness right after his cousin had died of one and while another cousin was still sick.

Whatever was wrong with the Second Prince must be fairly serious. Mirio hadn't seen him once since he arrived. He stopped that train of thought very quickly. The last thing he needed was to get distracted by something else.

In the end he settled on the easiest and most logical way of meeting the foreign doctor. Lian was supposed to spend almost his entire day watching over Zi Yao. Visit Zi Yao and there was no way to avoid meeting Lian. So Mirio set off for the Ninth Prince's palace.

It was traditional for Mirio to bring gifts with him when he came to visit his cousins. Zi Yao's gift was a clockwork bird that would sing when wound up. Delivering it would give him a good enough reason to visit.

Like all young children Zi Yao had an incomprehensible fondness for dirty, muddy places. When Mirio arrived at his palace he found his youngest cousin crouching in a pond. His clothes were so mud-splattered he looked like he'd taken a flying leap into a mudhole.

Zi Yao paid no attention whatsoever when the servant announced Mirio. He didn't even look up from the rock he was poking and prodding. It fell to his mother to greet their guest.

"As you can see my son is feeling much better lately, your Highness," Lady Yuan said in answer to Mirio's polite inquiry after Zi Yao's health. She glanced over at her son, who was still absorbed in splashing around in the water. The faintest hint of an embarrassed expression crossed her face. "I believe he's looking for frogs."

Maybe I should have got a clockwork frog instead, he thought as Lady Yuan called Zi Yao.

The little boy refused to leave the pond. His mother left Mirio waiting on the path as she hurried over to drag Zi Yao out. Mirio took the clockwork bird out of the pocket in his sleeve and wound it up briefly to make sure it was still working. Its wings flapped and its beak opened in time with the tune. Satisfied, he kept it in his hand while he looked around.