Hero in the Shadows (20 page)

“I challenge you to man-to-man combat,” Yu Yu said in the time-honored fashion. “Do you accept?”

A low garbled grunt of incomprehension came from the giant.

“I shall take that as a yes,” said Yu Yu. Then he kicked Shi Da in the jaw. Shi Da hit the floor hard, then slowly rolled to his knees. Amazingly, the big man climbed to his feet. Panicked, Yu Yu dropped the iron bar and rushed in, smashing blows left and right into Shi Da’s face. Shi Da landed one clumsy punch before pitching sideways to the floor.

In his relief, Yu Yu felt magnanimous and kicked the unconscious
man only a few times. It was a mistake. He should have stood next to him and beaten him to death. When Shi Da recovered, he put out the word that he would cut Yu Yu Liang’s heart from his body and feed it to his dogs.

That was the day when Yu Yu decided on an outlaw’s life in the mountains.

Now, in a foreign land, he had made more enemies, and he still did not know why. With a little more time to work on the translation Yu Yu realized that the man had called
him
a slanteyed pig and that the problem was in fact not about theft but about making love to the blond woman. It seemed peculiar to Yu Yu that the shape of his Chiatze eyes or the golden color of his skin should preclude him from forming friendships with Kydor women. And why would he want to stick with his own kind? It was a mystery. Yu Yu had been a ditchdigger for nine years and had never met another ditchdigger he found remotely attractive.

Except for Pan Jian.

She was the only female ditchdigger he had ever known, a monstrous woman with huge arms and a flat round face that boasted several chins, two of which sported large, matching warts. One evening, when drunk and broke, he had propositioned her.

“Pay me a compliment,” she had told him, “and I’ll think about it.”

Yu Yu had stared at her through bleary eyes, searching for some evidence of femininity. “You have nice ears,” he had said at last.

Pan Jian had laughed. “That will do,” she had told him, and they had rutted in a ditch.

She had been dismissed two days later for arguing with the foreman. It had been a short argument. He had pointed out that he had seen cows with smaller and more attractive asses than hers, and she had broken his jaw.

As Yu Yu climbed the stairs to the upper level, he found
himself remembering her fondly. Although making love to her had been like clinging to the back of a greased hippo, the ride had been enjoyable, and he had discovered in Pan Jian an unexpected tenderness. Afterward she had talked of her life and her hopes and dreams. It had been a gentle night of balmy soft breezes and a bright hunter’s moon. Pan Jian had spoken of finding a small place near the Great River and starting a business, cutting rushes and weaving hats and baskets. Her hands were as big as shovels, and Yu Yu had great difficulty picturing her creating delicate articles from straw, but he said nothing.

“And I’d like a dog,” she said. “One of those small dogs that the magistrate has with him. A white one.”

“They are very expensive,” said Yu Yu.

“But they are so pretty.” Her voice was wistful, and in the moonlight her face suddenly did not seem ugly to him at all.

“Have you ever had a dog?” he asked.

“Yes. It was a mongrel. Very friendly. Followed me everywhere. She was a lovely dog. Big brown eyes.”

“She died?”

“Yes. You remember that awful winter four years ago? The famine?”

Yu Yu shivered. He remembered, all right. Thousands had died of starvation.

“I had to eat her,” said Pan Jian.

Yu Yu nodded sympathetically. “How did she taste?”

“Pretty good,” said Pan Jian, “but a bit stringy.” Lifting one enormous leg, she pointed down at her fur-edged boot. “This was her,” she said, stroking the fur. “I made them so I wouldn’t forget her.”

Yu Yu smiled as he recalled the moment. That was always the way with women, he thought. No matter how tough they seemed, they were cursed with sentimentality.

Emerging into the entrance hallway, Yu Yu saw the Gray
Man and Kysumu walking out into the sunshine. He hurried across to join them. “Are we going somewhere?” he asked.

“Do you ride?” asked the Gray Man.

“I am a great rider,” said Yu Yu.

Kysumu stepped in. “Have you ever ridden a horse?”

“No.”

The Gray Man laughed, but there was no mockery in the sound. “I have a gray mare famous for her gentle and patient nature. She will teach you how to ride.”

“Where are we going?” asked Yu Yu.

“We are hunting demons,” said Kysumu.

“My day is complete,” said Yu Yu Liang.

They rode for some hours. Initially Yu Yu felt comfortable in the deep saddle. It was exhilarating being so high above the ground. Until, that is, they reached small inclines or depressions where the horses picked up the pace. Yu Yu was bounced painfully around on the saddle. The Gray Man dropped back and dismounted, adjusting Yu Yu’s stirrups, which were, he said, a little high. “It is not easy to find the rhythms of the trot,” he said. “But it will come.”

It could not come soon enough for Yu Yu. After two hours of riding, his buttocks were bruised and painful.

Instead of moving directly to the ruins, the Gray Man led them along a ridge of high ground overlooking the Plain of Eiden. From there an observer could make out the original lines of Kuan Hador, depressions in the land showing where mighty walls once had stood. From that height the lines of streets also could be seen, linking the edges of ruined buildings. Farther to the east, where the city had once abutted the granite cliffs, there were the remains of two round towers, one seeming to have snapped across the middle, huge stones littering the ground for two hundred feet.

The ruins covered a vast area, vanishing into the distance.
“This was once a
huge
city,” said Kysumu. “I have never seen the like.”

“It was called Kuan Hador,” said the Gray Man. “According to some historians, more than two hundred thousand people lived here.”

“What happened to them?” asked Yu Yu, drawing alongside.

“No one knows,” the Gray Man told him. “Many of the ruins show signs of fire damage, so I would guess it fell during a war.”

Kysumu half drew his sword. The steel shone in the sunlight, but not with the glittering blue radiance it had displayed during the demonic attack.

“It looks peaceful now,” said Yu Yu Liang.

The Gray Man heeled the steeldust forward and rode out onto the slope. The horses placed their hooves warily on the scree-covered trail, moving with care. At the rear Yu Yu was growing hot and undid the brass clasp of his wolfskin cloak, intending to place it over his saddle pommel. The wolfskin fluttered up, alarming the gray mare, which reared and leapt from the trail directly onto the steep slope below. Immediately she began to slide, dropping her haunches.

“Keep her head up!” yelled the Gray Man.

Yu Yu did his best, and the descent continued at breakneck speed. The mare fought for balance on the sliding scree, righted herself, and, still panicked, began to run. Yu Yu clung on in frightened desperation as the descent continued in a cloud of dust. He was almost unseated twice as the mare lurched. Dropping the reins, Yu Yu grabbed the saddle pommel.

The gray mare slowed and stood on trembling legs, steam snorting from her nostrils. Gingerly Yu Yu patted her neck, then gathered up the reins. As the dust cleared, he saw that they had reached the plain. Turning in the saddle, he saw the Gray Man and Kysumu high above, still picking their way down the slope. Yu Yu’s heart was thudding in his chest, and he felt light-headed.

Some minutes later the Gray Man rode up. “You should step down now and let the mare rest,” he said.

Yu Yu nodded, tried to move, and let out a grunt. “I can’t,” he said. “My legs won’t work. They seem to be stuck to the saddle.”

“The muscles of your inner thigh have been overstretched,” said the Gray Man. “It is a common problem for new riders.” He dismounted and then moved alongside Yu Yu. “Just topple and I will catch you.”

With another grunt Yu Yu leaned to his left. The Gray Man took hold of his arm and eased him down. Once on flat ground, Yu Yu felt a little better, but it was difficult to walk. Rubbing his tortured muscles, he grinned up at the Gray Man. “My cloak frightened her,” he said.

“She is none the worse for it,” said the Gray Man. “But this must be a lucky day for you. If she had fallen and rolled, that pommel would have ruptured your spleen.”

Kysumu rode up carrying Yu Yu’s cloak.

“Did you see my ride?” asked Yu Yu.

The
Rajnee
nodded. “It was very impressive,” he said, stepping from the saddle. The gray-garbed
Rajnee
half drew his sword, gazing at the blade. It remained silver steel with not a hint of unearthly radiance.

“Maybe they have gone,” Yu Yu said hopefully.

“We shall see,” answered Kysumu.

Having tethered the horses, the Gray Man and Kysumu began to scout the ruins. Yu Yu, his thighs still throbbing, wandered to the remains of what had once been a large house and sat down on a ruined wall. It was hot there, and the events of the day—the lovemaking, the fight, and the wild ride down the slope—had sapped his energy. He yawned and glanced around for the others. The Gray Man was somewhere to the east, climbing over a pile of ruins. Yu Yu could not see Kysumu.

Removing his sword belt, he lay down in the shade, rolled his cloak for a pillow, and dozed.

He awoke with a start as Kysumu climbed over the low wall.

Yu Yu felt curiously disoriented. Rising to his feet, he stared around the ruins. “Where is he?” he asked.

“The Gray Man has ridden farther to the east to scout the woods.”

“No, not him. The man with the golden robe.” Yu Yu walked to the wall and peered out over the plain.

“You were dreaming,” said Kysumu.

“I suppose I must have been,” agreed Yu Yu. “He was asking me questions, and I had no answers.”

Kysumu pulled the stopper from a leather water bag and drank sparingly. Then he passed it to Yu Yu.

“No demons, then?” Yu Yu said happily.

“No, but there is something here. I can feel it.”

“Something … evil?” Yu Yu asked nervously.

“I cannot tell. It is like a whisper in my soul.”

Kysumu sat quietly, eyes closed. Yu Yu drank more water, then glanced up at the fading sun. It would be dusk soon, and he had no wish to be in those ruins once night had fallen.

“Why do you want to find these demons, anyway?” he asked the
Rajnee
.

Kysumu’s face twitched. His dark eyes opened. “Do not disturb me when I am meditating,” he said without anger. “It is painful.”

Yu Yu apologized, feeling foolish.

“You were not to know,” said Kysumu. “But to answer your question, I do not
want
to find demons. I am
Rajnee
. I swore an oath to stand against evil wherever I found it. This is the way of the
Rajnee
. What we experienced in the camp of Matze Chai was evil. Of that there is no doubt. And that is why my sword brought me here.” He looked closely at Yu Yu. “It is why you are here, too.”

“I don’t want to fight evil,” said Yu Yu. “I want to be rich and happy.”

“I thought you wanted to strut through marketplaces with people pointing at you and saying your name with pride.”

“That, too.”

“Such respect has to be earned, Yu Yu. Were you a good ditchdigger?”

“I was a great—”

“Yes, yes,” interrupted Kysumu. “Now think about the question and answer it with seriousness.”

“I was good,” said Yu Yu. “I worked hard. My foreman praised me. When times were tough, I would always be employed ahead of other men. I was not lazy.”

“You were respected as a ditchdigger?”

“I was. But I was also paid for being a ditchdigger. Who will pay me for being a hero and fighting demons?”

“The payment is greater than a mountain of gold, Yu Yu. And more beautiful than the richest gems. Yet you cannot touch it or hold it. It swells the heart and feeds the soul.”

“It doesn’t feed the body, though, does it?” said Yu Yu.

“No, it does not,” agreed Kysumu. “But think back to how you felt when we fought the demons in the camp of Matze Chai, when the sun came up and the mist departed. You recall how your heart swelled with pride because you had stood your ground and survived?”

“That was good,” agreed Yu Yu. “Almost as good as making love to Norda.”

Kysumu shook his head and sighed.

Yu Yu walked to the edge of the broken wall. “I cannot see the Gray Man. Why did he go off on his own?”

“He is a solitary man,” said Kysumu. “He works better alone.”

The sun dipped below the western ridges. “Well, I hope he gets back soon. I do not want to spend a night here.” Yu Yu picked up his cloak and shook it out, then swirled it around his shoulders. “What is a
pria-shath
?” he asked.

Kysumu’s face registered shock. “Where did you hear that word?”

“The golden man in my dream. He asked if I was a
pria-shath.
”

“And you have never heard it before?”

Yu Yu shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

“What else did he ask?”

“I don’t remember. It is all very hazy now.”

“Try to think,” said Kysumu.

Yu Yu sat down and scratched his beard. “He asked me a lot of questions, and I didn’t know the answers to any of them. There was something about the stars, but I don’t recall exactly. Oh … and he told me his name … Qin someone.”

“Qin Chong?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Later. Keep thinking of the dream.”

“I told him I was a ditchdigger and I didn’t know what he was talking about. Then he said: ‘You are the
pria-shath.’
That was when you woke me. What is a
pria-shath
?”

“A lantern bearer,” said Kysumu. “He was seeking me. That must be why the sword brought me here. I shall contact this spirit myself. It means going into a trance. You must stand guard over me.”

“Guard? What happens if the demons come? You will wake, yes?”

“It depends on how deep the trance is. Now do not speak again.” With that Kysumu dipped his head and closed his eyes.