Dragons' Onyx (22 page)

“Do not take me for a fool,” warned the noble. “You broke into the palace and freed two of the emperor’s teachers. That is punishable by death. Emperor Hanchi will be pleased to learn of your capture.”

“I was used by the foreigners,” argued Bin-lu. “I believed them to be diplomats from afar. It seemed only logical that they would wish to visit with other foreigners who lived in the palace. How was I supposed to know?”

“You would have me believe that you were duped by those foreigners?” asked the noble with suspicion.

“Of course,” nodded Bin-lu. “When you arrived and started the ruckus, I did not know what to do. I wanted to run away and that is what I did. I was so ashamed afterwards. You must believe me.”

“Bah,” spat the noble. “I can believe nothing that comes from your lips. All of your dealings have been with foreigners. First you just happen to have a necklace that was given to you by some unnamed foreigner. I let you go that time only to be rewarded with your treachery the next time. You will not survive this encounter.”

“Believing in foreigners has been my weakness,” admitted Bin-lu. “It has been my nature to believe in everyone. I guess that is my failing, but it does not make me a bad person. Why do you think I have joined the army and come here?”

“To spy on the emperor,” accused the noble. “There is no other believable explanation. Is it not strange that I find you hanging around the emperor’s tent?”

“Emperor’s tent?” echoed Bin-lu. “But this is an empty tent. Nobody lives here. Certainly not the one in that freshly dug grave.”

The noble frowned and followed Bin-lu’s gaze. He saw the fresh mound of dirt and his face clouded over with unspoken questions.

“Besides,” continued Bin-lu, “I was not hanging around this tent. I was visiting the tent next door.”

“The interrogator’s tent?” questioned the noble. “What trouble have you been caught at now?”

“It is not trouble,” shrugged Bin-lu. “My patrol was ambushed. It was a normal investigation as to what happened.”

“Your patrol?” questioned the noble. “Are you saying that you really do have a patrol? What did the interrogator say?”

“He was impressed with my leadership,” grinned Bin-lu. “In fact, he has given me the honor of leading the attack against Trekum tomorrow. I will finally get my chance to show everyone my devotion to Lanoir.”

The noble shook his head in disbelief. He started to speak several times, but the words never came out. Finally, he stormed out of the tent. After a few minutes, he returned.

“I can’t believe that I have misjudged you so,” apologized the noble as he cut the bindings on Bin-lu’s hands. “Still, the emperor needs to be informed of your presence here. You must pay for your indiscretion in Ongchi. As a favor to you, I will not mention it until after you have had a chance for heroics tomorrow.”

“That is most kind of you, Sir,” smiled Bin-lu as he rubbed his hands and bowed.

“Za-chan,” the noble said. “You may call me Za-chan.”

“Thank you, Za-chan,” smiled Bin-lu. “I will be ready to take whatever punishment the emperor deems necessary. I am glad that you are willing to let me prove my honor on the battlefield before going in front of the emperor again. Perhaps it will not even be necessary for the emperor to be involved.”

“What do you mean?” Za-chan asked suspiciously.

“I am to lead the charge tomorrow,” explained Bin-lu. “While I will prove my worthiness to everyone, there is a good chance that I will not survive to face the emperor. That would be a kindness to you.”

“To me?” questioned Za-chan. “Why would it be a kindness to me?”

“To bring up such an old matter before the emperor,” explained Bin-lu, “is to remind him of the pain of that day. I would not want him to take his displeasure out on you. I have no doubt that he already did so once before.”

“He has,” Za-chan nodded and frowned as he recalled the fit of rage he had to endure before Emperor Hanchi. “He was very upset.”

“It is not pleasing for the Lanoirian people to see the emperor upset,” shrugged Bin-lu. “This is especially true when we are so far from home and facing a mighty enemy.”

Bin-lu could almost smell the gears turning in the noble’s head. He smiled inwardly as he watch Za-chan squirm while he tried to balance his duty to the emperor against his own displeasure.

“Perhaps it is best if it is forgotten,” decided Za-chan. “Emperor Hanchi has not been himself lately. I should not distress him with such trivial things.”

“Not himself?” questioned Bin-lu. “How has he changed?”

“He seems to be a different man these days,” mused the noble. “He does not take my advice anymore, or that of any of the other advisors.”

“Perhaps he is engrossed with executing this war,” suggested Bin-lu.

“No,” Za-chan shook his head. “It started before we left Ongchi. He also gets many strange foreign visitors now. People I have never seen before, yet his old visitors are no longer welcome. If I had not served him for so long, I would swear that he was a different man.”

Bin-lu pondered the strange revelation form the noble. He wondered if this knowledge would be of any help to King Arik.

“But what am I going on about?” sighed the noble. “It is not your place to be burdened with the rambling of an old man.”

“My responsibility is to the people,” declared Bin-lu. “You certainly are one of them, and you have been kind to me. Plus it is probably my last night of life. Why shouldn’t I spend it consoling a friend?”

“Do not talk that way,” scolded the noble. “The interrogator was impressed with your eagerness to bring death to the enemies of Lanoir. You will do fine tomorrow.”

“Perhaps,” shrugged Bin-lu. “This time tomorrow, we shall know. Why was the attack so short today? It finished only a couple of hours after it began. I expected it to last all day.”

“As did I,” admitted the noble. “When I questioned the emperor about it, he promptly dismissed me. He appears to be in no hurry to conquer Sordoa. I do not understand him any more.”

“The men seem to think that Tagaret is our real goal,” Bin-lu stated innocently. “Perhaps he would be happy if the Sordoans merely ran away.”

“Not Tagaret,” Za-chan shook his head. “At least not yet. Melbin is where we are headed, but I cannot understand what prize awaits us there.”

“Do you mean that we are going all the way to Melbin and not to Tagaret?” inquired Bin-lu. “I agree that that makes no sense. Tagaret is a rich city, or so I have heard.”

“Oh, it is rich,” nodded the noble. “It would be a prize for any army, except this one. We will eventually take Tagaret, but I gather that we must wait for something to occur before we do. We will occupy Melbin while we wait. I wish I understood his plans. I have always offered good advice before, but now I am shut out of the meetings.”

“The war probably occupies his mind,” suggested Bin-lu. “I am sure that he values your advice and will come to call upon again.”

“Perhaps,” sighed the noble as his foot played with the dirt covering the fresh grave. “I wonder who this was?”

“A Black Devil,” offered Bin-lu as he forgot whom he was talking to.

“A Black Devil?” echoed the noble. “How do you know this?”

“I saw him approach while I waited to speak to the interrogator,” replied Bin-lu. “He gave the secret sign, and the guards immediately tied him up and ran to get one of the emperor’s bodyguards.”

“Secret sign?” quizzed the noble. “What sign? How do you know of it?”

Bin-lu made the sign with his fingers. “In Barouk there were some who were Black Devils,” he explained. “They were not so secretive that we did not know what was going on.”

“That is the same sign that Zorn makes when he comes here,” frowned Za-chan. “Are you saying that Zorn is a Black Devil?”

“I do not know this Zorn,” shrugged Bin-lu, “but if he made that sign, then yes, he is a Black Devil. Who is he?”

“He is one of Emperor Hanchi’s closest advisors,” Za-chan chewed on his lower lip. “I must warn the emperor immediately.”

“I would not do that,” cautioned Bin-lu. “Black Devils are not people to antagonize. Plus, it appears that others in close contact with the emperor know the signal as well. Certainly the guards outside do. And at least one of Emperor Hanchi’s bodyguards knows. You would be well advised to think on this before you do anything.”

The noble became quite agitated and began pacing the ground. Finally, he stopped and faced Bin-lu.

“You will not mention this conversation to anyone,” demanded the noble. “Keep your thoughts to yourself. I will find out what is going on around here.”

“You can trust me,” promised Bin-lu. “I am in service to the emperor. Besides, you are the best friend I have in this army. I would not do anything to harm you.”

“I am glad we talked,” the noble smiled weakly. “You have made me see things in a new light.”

“Is that not what an advisor does?” grinned Bin-lu. “Maybe someday I will become the advisor’s advisor?”

“Perhaps,” smiled Za-chan as he led Bin-lu to the flap of the tent. “You should rest up today. Tomorrow is your chance at greatness.”

Bin-lu nodded and started walking away from the tent. He watched as the noble strode off in a different direction. When Za-chan was out of sight, Bin-lu turned and headed towards the winery. He opened his breast pocket as he walked and let Shrimp out.

“One would almost think that you are a Lanoirian by the way you talk to these people,” frowned the fairy.

“I am Lanoirian,” sighed Bin-lu. “I want you to scout out that building ahead. Be very, very careful. I suspect that the guards there will be watching for any uninvited visitors. I will be on the other side of the building.”

“Fairies do not get noticed easily,” scowled Shrimp. “You did not see anyone have me tied up, did you?”

Bin-lu shook his head as the fairy flew off towards the building. Bin-lu made a wide sweep around the building to avoid drawing attention to himself. Behind the building were several small shacks and a withered vineyard. He checked the building out as he walked around it and saw that there was only one door on the ground floor. The rear of the building did have a door on the second floor. The stairway that used to ascend to it had rotted away long ago.

The Lanoirian encampment surrounded the vineyard, but nobody was anywhere near it. It certainly would not be hospitable ground for anyone pitching a tent. Bin-lu crouched between two sheds and waited for Shrimp to return. He did not have long to wait.

“You are hiding in plain sight,” sighed the fairy. “Anyone who flew over would see you.”

“These people don’t fly,” sighed Bin-lu. “Tell me what is inside, Shrimp.”

“Three floors,” the little green man reported. “One is underground. It appears to hold a series of stone storage rooms. On the floor above that are rooms for living. There are cooking facilities and beds. There is also a large room with a long table. There are nine men seated at it. One looks special. He may be the emperor.”

“And the top floor?” asked Bin-lu.

“I am getting to that,” scowled Shrimp. “There is nothing on the top floor except empty rooms. They have not been cleaned in years. The spider webs are monstrous. I almost got caught in one. The things I do for you.”

“Just remember that you are responsible for me,” grinned Bin-lu. “Your Bringer will be mighty angry if you don’t watch over me.”

“At least in Tagaret there were other fairies,” sighed Shrimp.

“Girl fairies you mean,” chuckled Bin-lu as he gazed up at the Darkness and estimated his wait until he could enter the building unseen. “Be nice to me and I may take you see Button.”

“That is a rough request,” frowned Shrimp, “but Button is worth it. Have you ever seen anything so cute?”

“I think you are cute,” laughed Bin-lu.

“You are weird,” the little fairy shook his head as he climbed into Bin-lu’s pocket. “Wake me up when the action starts.”

“The action starts as soon as it gets dark,” informed Bin-lu. “I am going into that building tonight and we are leaving this camp before first lightening. I would do anything for King Arik, but I am not charging the Trekum wall for Emperor Hanchi. By morning, we will be on the way to see Button.”

Bin-lu crouched between the two shacks on the edge of the vineyard. His eyes had continually scanned the surrounding Lanoirian encampment, but now it had become too dark to see. The Knight of Alcea rose quietly from his hiding spot and crept stealthily towards the rear of the winery building. He slipped his boots off and clipped them to his belt. His gloves followed, and Bin-lu placed his sticky hands against the wall of the old building.

With an ease born by constant practice, Bin-lu climbed the wall to the doorway on the second floor of the building. The old door had disintegrated years ago, and Bin-lu stepped into the building. He opened his breast pocket and allowed his fairy companion to fly freely.

“Keep a watch outside,” Bin-lu ordered softly.

Shrimp hovered in the air for a moment before darting out of the building. Bin-lu shook his head and pulled down the large spider web in front of him. A large spider skittered across the floor and out of sight.

As Bin-lu stepped further into the building, he heard a snap under his feet. He halted with one foot in the air and looked down at the old wooden floor. Cracks riddled the old floorboards, and wind-blown debris was scattered around the room. He carefully moved his free foot far to the right where the wood appeared more stable. He slowly shifted his weight off of the cracked floorboard.

Testing each board beneath his feet before he placed his full weight on it, Bin-lu made his way to the staircase leading to the lower floors. It took him several long minutes to reach the staircase, and when he did arrive, he sighed with resignation. The old wooden staircase had collapsed. While there were portions of the structure intact, the staircase was obviously unusable. Bin-lu gazed down towards the torch on the floor below. He weighed the decision of descending without the use of the staircase, but eventually decided that he could not accomplish it silently.

Bin-lu breathed a sigh of defeat and turned his thoughts to escaping the Lanoirian encampment. While he was tasked to find out as much as could about the Lanoirians and their goals, he had not anticipated being recognized by the noble, Za-chan. He knew that he could only fool the noble for so long before his true allegiance was discovered.