Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,43
it over for a split second, before the truth came to me. She’s trying to throw me off balance, let me think that she already knows everything about me, so I might as well tell her the truth. But she doesn’t. She doesn’t know me, and I can’t let her discover more than she already has.
“All right,” I said, facing the ancient daimyo again. “If you want the truth, then the Path of Shadows was grim and horrifying, we were all nearly dragged into Meido by jealous spirits and Naganori-san was a rude, unfriendly ogre that I wanted to push off a cliff. Also he smells of old mushrooms.”
Lady Hanshou laughed. On the surface, it sounded like delicate wind chimes blowing in a gentle breeze, but underneath I could hear the harsh, coughing wheezes of her real self. It went on for a goodly while, so long that Masao stepped forward and knelt by her side in concern. She waved at him dismissively and continued to chortle.
“Ah,” she finally gasped, sitting up. “It has been a long time since anyone has spoken so freely in my presence, even when I give them leave to speak their mind. They simper and continue on with pretty phrases and flowery words, and would have me believe nothing ever troubles them, that I am the most gracious of hosts and that my beauty is surpassed only by my generosity.” She sniffed. “The same poem, no matter how beautiful, grows stale the more lips you hear it from. Masao-san despairs every time I must interact with the nobles and their court.” She tittered daintily, or more accurately, the illusion tittered. The ancient crone cackled loudly. Masao winced.
“But you are not afraid to speak the truth,” Lady Hanshou went on, gazing at me. “Even to a daimyo of a minor clan. And yes, Naganori-san does smell of fungus sometimes. I think he spends so much time in his study, mold starts growing beneath his robes.” She chuckled again, and the noble beside her gave a defeated sigh. “You see?” Lady Hanshou said, gesturing to her advisor. “He tells me I will make him prematurely gray. It will only make you more distinguished, Masao-san. I was going to threaten you with imprisonment and torture if you did not tell me what I needed,” she continued, making me start as she focused on me again, “but you’ve made a tired daimyo laugh today, and that is not an easy thing. Let us speak to each other plain, woman to woman. Masao-san…” She waved a hand at the courtier, still at her side. “Leave us.”
“Of course, Hanshou-sama.” The handsome noble rose, bowed to his lady, and walked away, his robes brushing softly over the mats. He reached the door, slipped through the frame and closed it behind him with a snap, leaving me alone with the daimyo of the Shadow Clan.
Lady Hanshou regarded me with glittering black eyes. “You are not as simple as you look, are you?” she mused. “When I questioned my informants about the girl traveling with the Kage demonslayer, they all said the same. She is a mere peasant, a commoner, unremarkable and unimportant. But that is not entirely true, is it?” Her gaze sharpened, as if trying to peel back the layers of figment to see the truth beneath. My heart pounded, though I found it ironic that one illusion was trying to see past another illusion. “Kage Tatsumi does not suffer fools,” Lady Hanshou went on. “We trained him too well for that. Who are you, that the Kage demonslayer would not only consent to travel with you, but would protect you with his life along the journey?”
“I’m only a peasant,” I said. “No one special. Tatsumi only agreed to come with me because…”
I trailed off and saw Lady Hanshou’s brow arch. “Because he thought you could take him to the scroll,” she finished.
I held my breath. Lady Hanshou smiled, showing a set of perfect white teeth, and a split-second flash of a gaping, toothless mouth. “I won’t ask you to take me to the scroll, girl,” she said, to my immense surprise. “I could, of course. I could order you to bring me the piece of the Dragon’s prayer from the monks at the Steel Feather temple. Oh yes,” she added as I straightened in alarm. “I know the name of the temple that protects part of the scroll. Tatsumi told my Shadow mages everything while he was traveling with you. They