Lady Earthquake

Lady Earthquake Chapter 4

Two guardsmen, in the uniform of the House of Zang, bowed before a young man in black-and-red clothing, a tracery of silver in the brace that held up his white-touched dark hair. A servant in livery came running up, panting. "Young Lord, you should not be here unaccompanied."

Sun-Sin held himself rigidly, commanding his head not to turn, his eyes not to look toward Ban-Li. Maybe the boy had not heard the fuss Majordomo Deng was making in the street. Maybe he had walked on already and would never know that he had been followed from the school. Sun-Sin felt the tips of his ears burning and knew that, if he should turn, he would see his young friend staring back at this scene.

"Stop shouting at me," he said through his teeth. He reminded himself that he was seventeen, every bit as tall as his older foster-brother, no longer at an age to be cowed by a servant. "What are you doing? Am I a dog that you should call to me in the street?"

"I...." 'When in doubt, bow' was engraved on every servant's heart. "This person apologizes to the Young Lord. My surprise at seeing him in such a low quarter must be my excuse."

"What is low about it? Seems a nice friendly spot to me. Certainly, there is no need for me to be accompanied by armed guards, Deng. Why are you here, if it comes to that?"

"I was making a delivery of gold to a jewelry shop. Your foster-mother's birthday is nearly upon us and the Lord is having craftsmen prepare a gift."

"More jewelry? I suppose there isn't anything else she really wants." His head kept wanting to turn. Sun-Sin could feel the strain of preventing it across his shoulders. "Thank you for the reminder, Deng. I shall have to find her something suitable." Dung-beetles in amber, candied snake venom, the head of her majordomo turned into a tasteful vase....

"Will the Young Lord be returning now?"

"When there is shopping to do? I will return before the evening meal. Go."

The majordomo shifted his feet and cleared his throat. "Young Lord," he said in a confidential tone, leaning nearer. "If you seek the company of the flower-maidens, there are better houses than this."

For the first time, Sun-Sin paid attention to where they were standing. A board over the doorway of the nearest building read 'Abode of Dreaming Willows'. He choked on a laugh. "Thank you, Deng. If it ever happens that I do, I will certainly consult you first. Now. Please. Go."

Alone at last, Sun-Sin looked around with an innocent air, tapping his finger-tips together several times, just a casual passer-by taking in the local scenery. Someone close to him cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, Young Lord."

"Good afternoon, Shu Ban-Li."

"That was...embarrassing."

The two looked at each other and laughed. Sun-Sin put his arm around Ban-Li's throat and pretended to throttle him with his forearm. Ban-Li jabbed an elbow into the bigger boy's ribcage and a brief tussle took place. The street-merchants and other locals pretended not to see them or shook their heads in memory of their own childhoods.

"Where are you going?" Sun-Sin asked when they had caught their breath.

"Nowhere."

"We should go there together, then."

"All right."

An-Xia had never arrived back so late before, though she would have been even later if Sun-Sin had not noticed that clouds were gathering as the sun set. Hurrying back to her room, as the first distant thunder rumbled, An-Xia heard two voices from inside. "If the mistress finds out, we will be dismissed!"