She shook her head, uncomprehending.

"I'm a side character. Again," I told her.

"A what?"

"An incidental individual. A throwaway cast member. A sidekick. One who thinks his own life really matters, and who is experiencing his own great adventure... and it turns out that I'm experiencing yours." She stepped carefully over some slime that had gathered on the sh.o.r.e. Not too far ahead of us, I could see moonlight filtering through. We were drawing nearer to an exit. "I still cannot say I understand what you're talking about."

"You, and your heroic young man in the marketplace... or, as I call him, Mordant the snide and occasionally annoying drabit," I explained. "You and he have this grand and great tragic romance that I've been pulled into. Your story is the truly interesting one. I'm just... just this foolish individual who's been trying to change his life, find love, making something of himself... in short, operate in a manner contrary to his nature just to have--if nothing else--something different to think about and do and contemplate. And you..."

I sighed heavily, readjusted her father around my shoulders once again, and said, "I can see that what I'm saying remains impenetrable to you. Do not concern yourself with it."

"No, it's not impenetrable at all. I grasp what you're saying now. You liken your life, and the lives of those around you, to great literary adventures or tales of mythic accomplishments."

"Yes, exactly."

"And you consider yourself to be something other than the central figure. A subordinate 'character'

who partic.i.p.ates in the lives of others who are far more interesting and unique, while constantly being frustrated that he himself amounts to nothing."

"You do understand," I said with satisfaction.

The exit out was so narrow that we could only emerge one at a time. In fact, it was little more than a hole, so we had to crawl through it. Mitsu eased herself through first, and then I slid her the wrapped form of her father, which she pulled out from the other side. I took a deep breath and shoved my head in, twisting and insinuating my body through. When my head poked out the other side, I sucked in fresh air and then muttered, "So... this is what birth is like."

"Very funny," she said, and helped pull me out the rest of the way. We sat there for a moment, resting from the exertion. Actually, I was the one who had exerted himself. Mitsu wasn't even breathing hard.

"You're wrong, you know," she said.

"About what?"

"About what you're saying. About your point of view," said Mitsu. "Our story, the tale of my lover and I, has been seen and told and retold any number of times. Look at us: Star-crossed lovers. The hero transformed. The heroine in disguise. It's all been done before, by people far more intriguing and clever than we. But you, Apropos... you're unique. I've never heard of anyone like you. You're much more interesting than we are. Much too interesting, in fact, to be a 'supporting character.'"

"Do you truly think so?" I asked.

"Oh, unquestionably. You have a personality. Supporting, incidental characters have personality traits.

But you are much more than you're crediting yourself."

"And yet..." "And yet?" She looked at me expectantly.

"And yet... I still have nothing. In many ways, still am nothing."

She shook her head sadly. "Do not underestimate the joy of nothing. The problem with having something is that someone else always wants to take it away from you. A man who has nothing has nothing to lose, and everything to gain... unless he's wise enough not to gain it." She got to her feet, her face suddenly serious. "Come. Time is running short."

No one gave us a second glance as we walked quickly through the darkening streets of Taikyo. There was every likelihood that by this point, the alarm had been sounded back at the palace. But many, if not all, of the formidable Hamunri had been disposed of by the Slojinn. Matters would be in disarray. They would likely be searching every corner, looking desperately for the Imperior, not realizing that he was gone. And with any luck, by the time the search spread into the city, matters would be resolved.

Then again, I thought grimly, when did "with any luck" and "Apropos" ever live in comfortable harmony with one another?

We entered the shadow city. I had come to think of the darkened section of town as another place entirely, separate from Taikyo, with a life and energy--or lack of life and sucking of energy--all its own. I did not fear the shadows this time, however. I welcomed them.

And they welcomed us.

Literally.

We pa.s.sed a shadow and from within came the word, "Welcome."

I almost jumped as I saw one of the Anais Ninjas emerge from hiding and fall into step behind us.

And then from another shadow came a second, and then a third. The shadows in front of us, too, birthed more of the warrior sisters. They were giving us an escort of sorts. Or perhaps they just wanted to make sure there was no trickery on my part.

"Word really did get around," I said under my breath.

"As I said it would."

I saw their eyes glittering in the darkness. None of them were looking directly at me. Instead they were fascinated with the bundle I was carrying, obviously intrigued and delighted at the notion that the great, mighty, and divine Imperior was being treated with the dignity usually accorded to a load of laundry.

Suddenly they stopped, which naturally caused us to halt as well. "Here," said Mitsu, pointing, and I wouldn't have been able to tell you if it was the same place we'd gone before, or somewhere else entirely.

We entered and this time the illumination was a bit more festive. Paper lanterns hung around the room, and there was Veruh w.a.n.g Ho, seated on a thronelike chair that was in some ways similar to the dragon throne of the Imperior. Her eyes glittered coldly when she saw the tapestry I had slung over my shoulder.Mordant was perched on the back of her chair, watching impa.s.sively.

"Remove him immediately," she said. "This is not appropriate."

I was stung by the criticism. "Would you have preferred we walk through the streets of Taikyo with an unconscious ruler slung across--"

"Remove. Him." Each word was as ice.

I lay the tapestry down upon the floor. The Anais Ninjas moved in quickly, rolling him out as smoothly as they could. Unfortunately the blood upon his back had dried against the tapestry, making a sticky mess. His skin was terribly pale, and for a moment I thought we were too late. But then his chest rose and fell ever so slightly, and I heard an ugly rasping from within.

"Can you heal him, n.o.ble Ho?" asked Mitsu.

"Do you think I should?"

"Yes."

"Because you hope that he will be willing to undo the spell he placed upon your lover."

"Yes," she said again.

"Is there any other reason?"

Mitsu looked down and said softly, "Because of who he is... to me..." and she looked up. "And to you."

To her, I wondered. Who is the Imperior to this woman whom I love with all my-- That was when it struck me with the force of a thunderbolt.

The bond that clearly existed between Veruh and Mitsu. The affection that I felt for Mitsu as compared to the far greater intensity of feeling I held for Veruh. And I realized at that point, even though it had not been as evident thanks to the white face makeup that Veruh wore, that there was a resemblance between the two.

Veruh w.a.n.g Ho was Mitsu's mother.

I was in love, not with the princess, but with the queen. A dethroned, displaced queen, but still a queen to be sure. Or perhaps an Imperiess. Whatever it was she was called in these parts.

And I thought, Huh. Well done you. Moving up in the world, I daresay. No more falling in love with the daughters when you can be heels over head with the mothers.

Even as I tried to deal with this revelation, Veruh was looking down at the Imperior, her face inscrutable. "He once had potential, you know," she said. She looked up at Mitsu. "If you," and then she glanced around the room at the a.s.sembled sisters, "if any of you had known him in his younger days, when I knew him. So much potential. But his urge to retain power became a sick need within him." "Are you to eulogize him, my love, or help him?" I asked.

She turned her attention to me. "And you. I understand that you endeavored to betray Mitsu. To betray all of us. Is there any reason that I should not have the sisters kill you where you stand?"

I looked around as they glowered at me. Then I drew myself up, fixing a steady gaze upon her. "I did what I thought was best for her. I wanted better for Mitsu than this..." and I pointed around, "this shadow existence."

"And what would you know of it?"

"Because I've lived a shadow existence most of my life," I said. "I just carry mine within rather than without. And I wouldn't wish that upon anyone... much less Mitsu. You spoke of the potential the Imperior had. What of the potential of his daughter? Is this," and once more I pointed around the room, "is this a measure of her full potential?"

"Interesting," said Veruh w.a.n.g Ho. "I thought you would say that I should not kill you because you love me, and I love you, and our souls are intertwined--"

"Why would I waste your time with that which you already know. I could not..." I paused, tried to find the best way to phrase it. "Veruh... I have utilized in my life every trick, every contrivance, every deception I know for the purpose of staying alive. I could not take what I feel for you... and what I hope you feel for me... and turn it into just another tool in my tool chest."

Her gaze held mine steady for an eternity, and then she smiled. "Well said." She nodded toward the Imperior. "Take him in the back," she said to the sisters. "I will attend to him. And then... we shall see what we shall see."

The Anais Ninjas did as they were instructed, although some of them still fired annoyed glances in my direction. But I didn't care. At that moment, my soul was singing within my breast.

She had accepted what I had done. She was not angry. If anything, my actions had brought me closer to her than ever before. The notion filled me with so much joy that I thought my heart would literally explode from my chest with joy. Then I got a mental image of just what exactly that would look like, and that dampened my enthusiasm. But even so, my pa.s.sion for her was boundless, my certainty that we could be united forever growing with each pa.s.sing moment.

Except it all hinged upon what she was going to do now with the Imperior. She needed to do more than just save his life. She had to mend the broken fences between them. She had to...

s.h.i.+te.

She was going to have to get back together with him.

How could they mend fences, after all, if she was continuing to lead a crime family? How could they possibly be allies if they remained estranged as man and wife? For my true love to be able to do what had to be done, I would have to lose her to the man who had tried to have his soldiers kill me. Well, I supposed I didn't resent him all that much over the killing part. Too many people had tried to have me killed or tried to kill me themselves for me to single out one individual for the transgression.

But how could we have any sort of future together if she were to reunite with the Imperior? So... what was I to do now? Hope the Imperior died? If he did, Mordant would forever stay a transformed dragon, and very likely Veruh would remain as head of the Skang Kei family. With the death of the Imperior and no one apparently in line to inherit the throne--since Mitsu, as a "mere woman,"

would not be allowed to rule--there would probably be a struggle for power that would leave many dead. Chaos would conceivably descend upon the whole of Chinpan.

But if the Imperior lived, and matters were sorted out between them, then I would lose my love.

It will all work out for the best. No matter what, it will all work out for the best, my inner voice a.s.sured me, even as frustration washed over me.

The next hours stretched on interminably. The silence did not help. All the Anais Ninjas simply stared at me, as if waiting to be told what to do. I thought I spotted the one I'd known earlier. She was looking me up and down, and I noticed that her hand seemed to be sliding into the top of her trousers, descending downward toward her privates.

I didn't need to see that. And I certainly didn't want to imagine what she was thinking about as she did it.

Even Mitsu said nothing. She simply sat there in what appeared to be a deeply meditative state.

Mordant had curled up next to her, and she was idly running her fingers along his scales. He would look up at her every so often with a gaze of pure adoration. Here I had treated him like a pet, or a talking oddity, and he was a human trapped in this form. Unaccountably I felt guilty. It wasn't as if I could have known. Still... I felt as if I should have figured it out somehow, with the same type of intuition that had enabled me to divine Veruh w.a.n.g Ho's true ident.i.ty.

Then others began to arrive.

Men, mostly. Men who seemed cut from rough cloth. Men who appeared to be, at the very least, criminal types. They arrived one by one until they numbered roughly a dozen.

Each of them, I saw, had a tattoo on the back of his hand: a snake, its tongue las.h.i.+ng out, curled around a pair of what appeared to be grasping scissors.

The Forked Tong. They had to be.

When they were a.s.sembled en ma.s.se, one of them stepped forward and said to Mitsu, "Where is he?

Where is the Imperior? We know he is here."

"The n.o.ble Ho is attending to him. Trying to save his life."

"The n.o.ble Ho should let him die." There were nods of agreement from the men.

Slowly Mitsu rose to her feet. Mordant, perched upon her shoulder, flared out his wings and conveyed a threatening air.

"You see before you the a.s.sembled might of the Anais Ninjas," she said. "Furthermore, the might of the Skang Kei family is in the next building, being held in reserve lest you attempt any... ugliness." "What are you saying?" demanded the spokesman.

"I am saying that if you desire to maintain our alliance, then you will do nothing until--"

At that moment, there came a noise from the doorway through which Veruh w.a.n.g Ho and the Imperior had pa.s.sed. A scuffle, a soft footfall. The attention of everyone in the room was drawn to it.

Slowly the Imperior moved forward into the light of the lamps. He looked around the room, his face dark as a thundercloud, his gaze malevolent.

"So. The n.o.ble Ho healed you."

"Yes, daughter. I did not ask it, nor did I desire it. But it was done." He appeared to be glaring at everyone all at once. His life had been saved, and it did not appear to have improved his disposition one bit. "I am going to depart now. Unless one of you desires to get in the way of the anointed of the G.o.ds."

"You," said the leader of the Forked Tong, and he started forward.

The Imperior looked up at him and there was something in his eyes that froze the man where he stood. Nothing happened for a moment, and then the criminal backed away.

"Father, wait!" Mitsu said urgently, desperately. It hurt me to hear her speak in that manner, but she had tossed aside considerations of personal dignity. "Wait... please. The n.o.ble Ho cured you. Saved your life. I ask a boon, in the name of honor. Restore him," and she indicated Mordant, who was looking at the Imperior hopefully. "Only you can do it. Please. In honor's name, you owe us..."

"What do you know of honor?" the Imperior grunted. He looked around. "What do any of you know? Honor is all! Honor is above everything! It is even above petty considerations of personal gain!"

"And who determines all that?" I asked. "Who sets the standard for honor? How does anyone know ...?".

"It is determined here," said the Imperior, and he touched his chest. "That is all you need to know."

"But that's not all you need to know," I said, standing in his path.

"Mitsu is right. You owe her--"

"I owe her nothing. If not for her, I would never have been in danger. And I certainly owe that nothing."

He pointed toward the doorway. Veruh w.a.n.g Ho was standing there, hands on either side, looking tired. Whatever she'd done to minister to his needs and cure him of his wounds, it had taken a good deal out of her. My feelings were so torn. Clearly she was not going to reunite with her husband, but still... the alternative was not going to be pleasant. But at least she would be mine, and we could be together.