Page 75 of Shadow of the Fox

“Onmyoji Yumeko,” he said in clear, high tones. “Welcome to the Palace of the Sun.”

“His Highness honors me,” Yumeko replied, sitting up slowly. “I am not worthy to be here, but I will try my best to please.”

I sensed disapproval and scorn emanating from the watching crowd, from the nobles and aristocrats in particular. Yumeko’s common birth was suddenly painfully clear in the way she spoke, without nuance or the flattering, flowery phrases of the court. I had the sudden image of dropping into their midst and cutting them all into bloody ribbons, and I wasn’t quite sure if those were Hakaimono’s thoughts, or my own.

“My advisor tells me you learned onmyodo without a master,” the emperor went on, and a murmur went through the crowd. “Is that correct? You have truly mastered the ancient knowledge on your own?”

“Yes, Your Highness. That is correct.” She did not give any more explanation, though it was clear the court was waiting for it.

“Remarkable,” the emperor exclaimed, sitting back. “Truly extraordinary. Of course you must show us your talents, Yumeko-san.” He raised both arms, golden sleeves billowing like sails. “I give you permission to tell my fortune,” he announced grandly. “What do the ages hold for the greatest empire in the world? Peer into the future and tell the court what you see.”

A hush fell over the garden. Yumeko hesitated, then rose slowly, dramatically, to stand tall before the emperor. “The future,” she said, her voice echoing over the crowd, “is an ever changing stream. Every choice, every decision we make, sends it down a different path. To glimpse the fortune of another is to see hundreds of possibilities at once. It is never a task to be taken lightly or in haste.” She raised her arms, as if drawing on the power of the kami, and a sudden wind caught her hair and robes, billowing them outward. “Let us see what the future holds for you, Your Highness.”

The crowd was motionless now, hanging on her every word. The emperor himself leaned forward, hands on his knees, staring at the robed figure before him. For a moment, I forgot this was Yumeko, the peasant girl I’d rescued from the Silent Winds temple. Standing in the center of the yard, arms outstretched and the light shining over her hair and bright crimson robes, she really did look like a revered onmyoji, shimmering with power as she prepared to divine the future of Iwagoto’s emperor.

Yumeko brought her hands together, cupping them below her chin, two fingers raised in a familiar gesture. She closed her eyes, and the court seemed to hold its breath. For a moment, the girl was silent. Not a breath of air stirred the yard; all attention was focused on the robed figure standing alone before the emperor.

“Taiyo no Genjiro.” Yumeko’s voice, quiet as it was, made several nobles jump. “Lord of the Palace of the Sun.” She paused, then said, very clearly, “There is an intruder in your garden.”

The emperor straightened, as did many of the nobles and samurai. A few bushi started looking around, hands on the hilts of their swords, as murmurs began rippling through the crowd. I crouched low in the shadows, as Hakaimono stirred, whispering that I should strike her down before it was too late.

Would she really expose me?Kage Masao’s question about trust came back to me, and my blood chilled.Would you sell me out tonight, Yumeko, to save yourself?

“It is very close,” Yumeko went on, her voice quiet and somber. “Lurking in the shadows. Watching you and your guests as we speak.” A few of the women gasped and pressed closer to each other, and one samurai half drew his sword. My hand slipped to Kamigoroshi, fingers hovering over the hilt, as Yumeko continued.

“It is very cunning, this intruder,” the girl said. “Silent, unnoticed, it has already left a trail of destruction behind it, and if allowed to roam free, will continue to bring ruin to everything it touches.”

“Where?” the emperor gasped, half rising from his seat. “Where is this intruder?”

“It is close,” Yumeko repeated, half turning in place. I tensed as the girl spun toward me, but she continued to turn, away from where I crouched in the shadows. “It is...” She paused, raising a hand toward a patch of bushes near the edge of the light. “There.”

The whole court turned, staring at the spot she pointed to. For a moment, nothing moved or dared to breathe. The court was frozen in rapt fascination, unable to move or look away. At the base of a sakura tree, a section of bushes rustled loudly, drawing horrified gasps from the closest spectators.

A small brown rabbit hopped from the brush into the open.

An exhalation of breath went through the crowd, though the women closest to the “intruder” let out tiny shrieks before they realized what it was. The rabbit sat up, twitching its ears as it observed the humans, who stared back in confusion and shock.

A shout echoed over the garden. A man in simple clothes, dirt smudging his hands and grass stains on his knees, rushed forward, his eyes going wide as he stared at the creature on the lawn.

“Usagi!”

Ignoring the staring nobles, the man—most likely a groundskeeper—lunged at the rabbit, diving forward with hands outstretched. The usagi instantly spun and flashed into the bushes, and the human landed on his stomach in the grass, plunging his hands into the branches. Digging through the leaves, the gardener searched frantically around the bush, before coming to realize he was being watched.

Spinning around, the now pale groundskeeper blinked at the equally stunned court, then pressed his forehead to the grass in the lowest of bows.

“Please forgive!” he cried, but at that moment, the rabbit streaked past him in a tan blur. With a howl, the gardener leaped upright, stick in hand, and chased it to the edge of the trees, where both vanished into the darkness beyond.

Silence fell. Everyone continued to stare into the shadows, as if not knowing what to do. I spared a glance at Yumeko and saw her standing quietly in front of the dais, a small, triumphant smile on her face.

A slow clapping shattered the stillness, making several nobles jump. The emperor rose to his feet, bringing his hands together, a wide smile breaking over his beardless face.

The rest of the court erupted into applause. It swept through the air and swelled above the trees, as the crowd turned as one to face the girl in the center of the garden. Yumeko bowed, humbly accepting their recognition, as the sound of success rose above the trees and scattered to the winds.

30

The Viper in Silk

Ilet the applause wash over me, listened to it rise and swell, and allowed myself a tiny sigh of relief. Who knew that such a small thing, an illusionary rabbit at the right moment, could charm an emperor? Of course, the appearance of the gardener had not been planned, but his reaction had certainly helped convince the court that what they were seeing was real. I hoped the man would be all right, that the appearance of a single rabbit within the emperor’s pristine gardens would not get him punished, but it was too late to regret that now.

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