Temple of the Traveler: Empress of Dreams (26 page)

He pulled out a dagger. At the sound, her eyes grew large. He softened at those beautiful, noble eyes. “But unlike you, I have too much respect for your family name.” He slashed the lock of hair that had wedged in the mechanism, and told her, “Go, before I change my mind.”

After she fled, the emperor freed the lock of hair and breathed in her smell like a poppy addict. He placed the lock under his pillow with the feather.

****

As Lady Evershade crawled back through the sliding door, she reflected that the gift and secret passages were proof that some aspects of Pagaose’s night visits were real.
How can I use that to my advantage?

Anna’s voice cut through the reverie like a sword. “What the blazes are you doing in my room?”

The surprise caused her to drop to the floor ignominiously. “The emperor asked me to care for you in your fragile state.”

Anna snorted. “Then you can leave now.” When she tried to stand, she swayed a little.

Lady Evershade steadied her. “Easy, you’ve been drugged, because of the grief.”

“All night?”

“It’s Moonday.”

“I have to get to work and check on my peach beer. Why so long?”

“The emperor’s orders.”

“Never. Pagaose is a decent and upstanding man,” insisted Anna.

“He wants you, so he puts his best face forward. He shows me his true nature.”

“What possible motive could he have?”

“Several. First, while you slept in this room, Pagaose stood right there and buried his face in the bosom of my dress. He ordered me to change into harem garb, and I’ve attended him nightly in his room.”

“No.”

“Ask him, if you dare. He threatened to beat me if I told, but as a woman I think you have a right to know who watches you at night. Please don’t tell my daughter.”

The noblewoman spoke so convincingly, Anna wavered, touching her chest. “Where’s my herald symbol?”

“He gave it to Sarajah as a gift.”

“Why?”

“The purity council has charges against you. If you’re helpless and no longer a public figure, they might not publish them.”

“What possible—”

“Mrs. Togg.”

Pale, Anna collapsed back onto the bed. “Small Voice promised.”

While she was still reeling from the second blow, Lady Evershade said, “Finally, your
honest
Pagaose wanted you sedated so you wouldn’t talk to the northerners.”

“Why?”

The noblewoman leaned forward to whisper, “So you wouldn’t know that he ordered Baran Togg to his death. Don’t you think it suspicious that everyone else pulled back and survived? Everyone who participated got titles and a party from Pagaose. You’re a practical woman; what do all these things add up to?”

Anna grabbed her cloak, left her dance ticket on the unmade bed, and ran out of the room.

Lady Evershade took the ticket and replaced it with a copy of the charges against Anna. With water from the wash basin, she decorated the document with mock tears. She changed into her orange-brown dress and went to the kitchen. She told the staff, “Lady Anna is awake and well. She’s asked me to find another room in my capacity as chaperone. Would you mind collecting the empty porridge bowl when she’s finished, dear?” She placed one of the flowers from the breakfast arrangement behind her ear as an accent. The day was starting out perfectly.

****

When Pagaose heard about Anna’s mysterious disappearance, he ordered the servants to scour the palace grounds to find her. Lady Evershade searched the palace walls adjoining the Pleasure Dome for secret passages. She found one in the farthest bedroom in the women’s wing. Then she informed the chamberlain, “As his majesty’s chaperone, I should have a room between the girls and temptation. This room here.”

“Very good, madam. The maid will freshen the linens and clean.”

“I’ll have a few more items brought from my home until the Dance concludes.”

She raced to her cousin, Lord Pangborn.

Pangborn noted, “You’re wearing your gloating dress.”

“One down, three to go,” she said with a smile. “Anna left him.”

“Where is she?”

“At the brewery. Don’t let her be harmed physically, but an indignant crowd unrelated to us should pelt her with derision and spoiled fruit.”

He bowed. “Anything else to thin the herd of dancers?”

“I could handle these girls in my nightgown, but there is a problem I need your network of reactionaries to deal with.”

“What bug would you have me drop in the council’s ear this time?”

“The truth: a foreign power is trying to seduce the emperor into giving away half our lands—Queen Sarajah has been dallying with Pagaose at night. This Tashi is a beard, a loyal former student. The witch is aiming for
our
throne.”

“What can we do about it? She never leaves the palace grounds.”

“There are secret ways in and out of her quarters. I followed one from my room to the outer wall. I marked the spot with a passion flower.”

The emperor did not want to go to the dress fitting. “Anna might come back at any time.”

“You gave your word,” said Lady Evershade. She wore a fox stole with nine tails on each side and swatted one playfully in his direction. As a concession to him, she wore tan evening gloves to avoid skin contact. “Are you going to hold back your coronation, your friends’ departure, and the invasion for her temperamental fits?”

“No.”

“If she’s not located by nightfall, I’ll locate her for you. For now, respect the fact that she is a grown woman—by all accounts a
married
one—who does not want to be found. You understand that she may be hiding in shame?”

“Yes.”

The noblewoman raised her voice so the whole entourage could hear. “Come along. We’re stopping at the coronation hall first to get you all in the mood.”

She took his arm and led the girls and guards down to the aristocrats’ marina. He enjoyed walking through the richer part of the city. The small trees along the road were hand-sculpted and the flowers radiant with color. The lady’s company was pleasant as well; she answered his every question with enthusiasm and candor.

“Who lives in that house?” he asked.

“Lord Mansard’s gardeners. He’s so old he rarely makes it off his island, but he can’t stand if the grass is one bit too tall.”

“Why are you in such a good mood?”

She smiled, lowering her eyes. “His majesty has graced my daughter with her first fox. That’s an enormous coup for one her age.”

He blinked for a moment. “The ex-zookeeper’s pet?”

“Thou knowest perfectly well. It’s a darling creature. All the other girls were green with envy. Of course, she hasn’t the time to care for it, so it’s made a bed in my room now.”

He leaned close and inquired, “Why is this so significant?”

“Sire, well-born women in the islands do not fight in the traditional manner, but we do have our spats. There are well-defined rules to what may or may not be done. You must always stop the punishment when your opponent begs mercy. To signify surrender, you send a foxtail. When sent from a man, the connotation is that you have conquered his heart as well. His majesty sent an
entire
fox, one that rolls over and shows his belly so sweetly.”

Pagaose stopped in his tracks. The train of servants and soldiers bumped into one another trying to halt in time. “In truth, this is slightly more than I wished to imply. I aimed for simple favor and to delight the young lady.”

“You have, sire.”

He stared at the foxtails on her stole. “If I might ask, your ladyship: did you earn all those foxtails in the aforementioned manner?”

“Don’t be silly, sire,” she soothed. He relaxed for a moment. “This is only the female coat—the tokens from women whom I’ve bested. I could never wear the men’s coat in public without causing a scandal.”

He turned his head to the daughter, hoping for a contradiction. The girl sighed. “There were so indecently many Father grew cross and forbade her to wear it in public. Nonetheless, she wears the
dress
to crow to all seven circles of nobility whenever she earns a new one. It’s shameless. The women’s coat is just flagrant enough that no one crosses our family anymore.”

What manner of woman have I brought into my home to help me?
he thought, as he forced out a polite laugh. “Must be heavy, carrying all that hate.”

“No, sire. The soft feel of victory keeps me quite warm.”

The front of the reception hall was enormous: three stories of cedar, and more glass than Pagaose had ever seen.

Attendants in red-and-gold livery to match the emperor opened the doors for his entourage. Inside, the first room was impossibly large with polished-marble floors, spiral staircases, and more light than any other building on the island. “This could be a cathedral,” Pagaose muttered.

“The Yacht Club is—for people who worship success and money,” Nightglow whispered.

“Amen,” said the mother as she led them onward, proudly displaying the main chamber. “This is normally used for society weddings and dances. The dining hall adjoins. The tailors, furriers, and jewelers we’ll need have shops in the alley behind.”

“Sounds expensive,” said Pagaose, wondering how much of the zoo sales this was going to cost.

“The Council will reimburse us. I’m handling the details. Relax,” she insisted, squeezing his arm.

“Couldn’t we use the amphitheater?”

“If you want wet seats and the decorations to blow away. Besides, these are the only people on Center who can give you something decent on such a short timetable. If you want the support of the nobles, you have to give them a good show, food, and a way to divide up to talk viciously about the people who aren’t in the room.”

He looked to Niftkin, who rolled his eyes and nodded.

When Sir Rensalier greeted them at the door, the emperor recognized him immediately. The portly merchant had a baby face and a perpetual smile. He was always dressed for a wedding or funeral.

Pagaose had already been measured by the man’s tailors, so all he had to do was pick fabrics and pose. Nearly every time someone brought a fabric for him or the dancers, Lady Evershade would shake her head, finding something wrong with it. After an hour, he was allowed to choose between three fabrics when she was unable to make up her mind.

Everyone held their breath for a moment until he pointed to the one in the middle. Then every salesperson and lackey in the building praised his excellent taste. “Now the dancers,” Lady Evershade decreed.

He sat in a free chair and snacked on small cakes and tea, resigned to his fate. He sighed when the plate was empty.

In the silk-padded seat beside him, Bovinia said, “Tell me about it. I’ve been done for an hour. I’m too small for the grown-up dresses and too wide for the flower girls. There’s only one decent choice in the place and it squeezes my breasts like twin calves coming out the birthing canal.”

Pagaose winced. Realizing this was his chance to get to know one of his candidates, he said, “Do you have any non-farm, non-food hobbies?”

“Reading and checkers, I guess.”

“Perhaps they have a board around; we could play.”

“Nah, I checked.”

The emperor licked his lips and whispered, “One of the advantages of being me is that I can bring things into existence at my word.”

“What?”

“Sir Rensalier, could the girls come out into that marble hall to show me their choices?”

“Of course, sire. I own both properties—the whole block, in fact. Feel free to wander into any shop, and we can follow.”

“Excellent. Niftkin, gather a few of those shop boys with the black caps. Offer them a few coppers for their time.”

“What for, sire?” the guard asked.

“The coronation hall has checkerboard floors. My date this afternoon wants to play. Your men are red and the boys are black. We’re going to play in the foyer.”

Bovinia clapped her hands and cheered, running into the foyer.

“Please, sire,” begged the guard, wishing to avoid the indignity.

“The child’s father, the Mandibosian Ambassador, will be feeding our whole island soon. All he asks in return is that we show his pride and joy a good time. If I can endure this, so can you.”

****

A storm was brewing, and Pinetto was on his way to the check on the
Mallard
.

Still in her short dress and oilskin, Komiko complained, “I’m late for my fitting.” Her ankle-high boots were not suitable for puddles.

The wizard said, “You wanted me to figure out all this class stuff before I slept, but if I want to sail out of here on Waterday, that ship needs to be ready.” His hand tingled, and he kept looking at the sky nervously.

“We could celebrate in your cabin; we had over a hundred people sign up.”

“We can’t teach that many people the techniques at once.”

“So we make really hard homework and weed out. We’ll be the most elite, most sought-after college ever.”

Pinetto shook his head. Clustered on the dock was the same gang of heckling toughs they’d lost on the beach the day before.

“There’s the emperor’s whoremonger and his assistant.”

The wizard said, “She’s a powerful witch. I’d watch your language.”

Komiko learned over to him. “Wake up, boss. He insulted you, not me. From his cloak, he’s actually a senior graduate student. Be careful.”

Rubbing his forehead, Pinetto said, “Step aside, boy. I’m running late. I doubt your dean would appreciate your picking a fight with one of his peers.”

A lord in high-wizard robes emerged from a palanquin. “Retract that insult; I’m no peer of yours.”

“Lord Burningsand,” Komiko said, bowing. “Wards and summoning theory,” she stage whispered.

“Your emperor says differently,” said Pinetto calmly.

“Another whoremonger,” spat the noble.

“I’ll give him your regards. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a ship to check on.” Pinetto kept walking.

“Do you share that whore, Anna Togg? Do all you in the palace pass her around after you’ve had enough of her brew so that she looks female?”

Pinetto stopped and closed his eyes, holding back the discharge that numbed his hands. “Sir, I misunderstand you. Please clarify.”