Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,47
forward, giving me a predatory look that made my tail bristle.
“How curious,” he mused, approaching with half his face hidden behind his fan. “That one so young is able to command the attention of our good daimyo, while her betters are turned away and left standing in the cold. Do let me guess what you were speaking of. It will be a fun game to pass the time, ne?”
I bit my tongue. I could think of several other games that involved fox magic, a leaf and Lord Iesada trying to avoid an illusionary rat scurrying up his hakama, but that might cause more harm than good. The noble shut his fan with a snap and tapped it against his arm in mock contemplation as he gazed down at me. “What would Hanshou-sama want with an onmyoji?” he mused. “And one not bound by the laws of the Kage? She has mages, diviners and holy men at her beck and call. Why this sudden interest in an outsider?”
“Perhaps Hanshou-sama is simply being polite,” I offered, and his lip curled.
“Perhaps,” he repeated, with a subtle glint in his eye that told me he was somehow insulted. “Or perhaps she wishes to discuss matters of a more…demonic nature.”
My insides chilled, but before I could say anything, the door opened and light footsteps shushed toward us.
“Lord Iesada,” came Masao’s cheerful voice, as the advisor swept between us. His billowy sleeves rippled as he gestured grandly toward the daimyo’s room, shielding me from the other noble. “Please forgive the delay. Hanshou-sama is ready for you.”
Lord Iesada gave him a tight smile and stalked away, though his guards remained where they were. Masao bowed as the noble swept through the doors into Hanshou’s chamber but as soon as they closed behind him, he straightened and turned to me.
“Come, Yumeko-san,” he said serenely. “Harumi-san is waiting to take you back to your room.”
“Why is Lord Iesada so interested in Tatsumi?” I asked as the courtier escorted me out of the waiting area.
Masao didn’t answer right away. Only when we had stepped into another hall and away from Lord Iesada’s two samurai did he stop and turn to me.
“Iesada-sama is a powerful person within the Shadow Clan,” the courtier replied, his voice calm but very soft. “He has the ear of many of the nobles, and lately, he has been expressing concern that our good daimyo is…somewhat distracted. He has even gone so far as to suggest that Hanshou-sama has ruled the Shadow Clan long enough, that is it time for her to step down and let another lead. For the good of the Kage, of course.”
Masao’s tone remained perfectly neutral as he said this, though his dark eyes glittered, hinting that his thoughts regarding Lord Iesada were not so neutral. “When Hakaimono broke free of Tatsumi’s control, Lord Iesada was the first to suggest that it was Lady Hanshou’s decision to continue training demonslayers that brought this shame upon the Shadow Clan,” he went on. “Hakaimono has overcome his hosts before, but always while they were still in training, where the Kage could deal with them quickly and quietly. But Lord Iesada has long insisted that Kamigoroshi is too dangerous to be in the hands of any one person, and that Hanshou-sama’s reliance upon the demonslayers would bring disaster to the Kage in the end.” Masao regarded me with a solemn look, his mouth pulled into a grim line. “For years, he has whispered to the Kage that the demonslayer should be killed and Kamigoroshi returned to sealed isolation. Should word of Hakaimono’s release become known, many of those nobles will certainly agree with Iesada-sama.”
Realization dawned on me. “That’s why Lady Hanshou needs us to save Tatsumi,” I guessed. “Because if Tatsumi is killed, she will be admitting that Lord Iesada was right. That the demonslayer was too dangerous to let live. But if we can rescue him and drive Hakaimono back…” I had to stop and think a moment, as all these political games were making my head hurt. “Then, Tatsumi won’t be a danger anymore, and Iesada-sama can just be quiet.”
Masao’s lip twitched in a faint smile. “You are clever, for a simple peasant girl,” he said, though not in a threatening or menacing way. “Use that to your advantage. Most nobles think that the commoners are beneath their notice. Be warned, however. There are many who will not take kindly to an outsider interfering in Shadow Clan affairs. If your quest becomes known to