IGMS Issue 44 (5 page)

"Is everything all right here?" One of the guards appeared behind the girl.

"Yes, this is the prisoner I need to question." Giup-yo's voice quivered; but after a nod from me, the guard left the room. I closed the door behind him.

Giup-yo swooped Henge-sa into his arms and rocked her back and forth, whispering into her hair. What had once been a tight married woman's braid had come loose, and sections of it stuck out in all directions. My niece had been born, grown up, and married while I remained imprisoned. If I had been free, I could've had a daughter by now, maybe grandchildren. My chest ached with what might've been.

"Do you have a plan?" I asked as soon as it felt appropriate. "The guards won't leave us alone much longer."

"Why would you care, Wolf Man?" asked Henge-sa. Though my ears had long grown used to the insult, they burned at hearing it from my niece's lips.

"He's your uncle, don't talk to him that way," said Giup-yo. "Brother, can you help us escape?"

The answer to his question should be "of course." But I hesitated.

Prisoner U.J. hadn't been particularly beautiful or charming. Her crime had been the same as mine: her father had fought for the wrong side during the war. But there was a fire in her eyes, an overwhelming desire to live that held me captivated. After I became a Sneak Lord, she begged for my help. A small section of the enclosure fence could be bent back, creating a tiny hole just large enough for a slim woman to slip through. If my wolf could distract the guards, she could escape.

"My name is Uihee-jo," she whispered as One gave an ear-splitting howl near the guard post. "I'll be forever in your debt." Her lips grazed mine just before she curled her body under the fence.

The next day as the sun burned the morning mist from the valley, a guard dropped Uihee-jo's severed head in front of me. Then, as my mind whirled with the horror on the ground, he thrust his sword through One by my side. First the sharp piercing, cold metal sliding against bone, and then the agonizing separation of mind from muscle. She was my first wolf, and my first death. I held her in my arms until she grew cold and stiff, wondering what she had been like before they replaced her eyes with
supai stones
: if she had left a love behind, or pups who never knew what happened to their mother.

Two's sickness many years later hadn't been any easier.

Now I had three wolves attached to me. I shuddered to think of three more deaths. Most Sneak Lords couldn't take more than two or three in their lifetimes.

The lines in Giup-yo's forehead knit together. "You will help us, won't you, elder brother?"

Look after your brother
, my mother had said. There shouldn't be questions in Giup-yo's eyes; I should help him instinctively. But how much pain could I carry?

Henge-sa spoke up. "Could you find my husband too, Uncle?" The word "uncle" left her mouth twisted as if she had eaten a sour grape.

Giup-yo's face fell. "My daughter, I'm so sorry."

She turned towards him, hands covering her mouth. "Is he dead?"

"Not dead . . ." Giup-yo's sentence trailed off.

She leaned closer, as if trying to reel in the words from his lips.

I took pity on my brother and spoke. "He has become like one of my wolves, only without a master. You have my sympathies." I had heard of the Human Sneaks before, blindly following orders until their bodies could no longer move. They were the perfect mine workers, never complaining about the enormous loads of
supai stones
crushing their backs.

She blinked at me, hands not moving from her mouth. One tear trickled from the inside of her left eye.

"No!" She turned and pounded on the wooden wall before either of us could stop her. "Not my Sen-ha! Not my husband!"

I waited for the guards to come and drag her and my brother away. But nothing happened.

Crossing the distance between us, I slapped her hard across the face. She fell silent, lifting one hand to her reddening cheek. Tears dripped from her chin.

"Silence," I hissed. "Unless you want to follow his soul into the afterlife tonight." I paused a moment before adding, "I'll check on the guards."

I crept along the passageway, but none of the guards were at their posts. I wished I had kept Three nearby -- the wolf was swift and nimble while I was slow and clumsy -- but all my wolves were at least five minutes' run from the guardhouse. As a precaution, I directed them nearer.

I stepped into the sunlight and breathed in the air tinged with the spicy smell of the
supai stone
mines, but still there were no guards in sight.

Four caught the scent of horses and sweaty men before I saw them around the trees. Ten guards led a large group of men on foot from the main gate towards the guardhouse.

In the center was the Doyen.

Four shook until her teeth clattered together. Five made a yip-yip and raced towards me, paws clawing the dusty path. Three flew into a frenzy, leaping and foaming at the mouth.

I stood still, watching the man who had put me into this hell.

The Doyen hadn't aged a year since I last saw him. His eyes were narrowed, searching and seeing all, without any hints of lines crinkling his smooth skin. His mouth was soft, his hair cut perfectly under his military cap. His steps were brisk and fluid as he strode toward me in his impeccable dress uniform.

I had never wanted to kill someone so badly.

A guard shoved me from behind with his pistol. I bowed low, as much following orders as to hide my face. The Doyen strolled past without pausing.

". . . eager to see what you've done since my last inspection."

"We're honored by your visit. Oh, and we'll tell Hero Roo Giup-yo that you're here."

The Doyen paused a few feet away. "Roo Giup-yo?"

I stared down at the dust, wondering if I could set it aflame with my eyes.

"Yes, he came to question a prisoner. He's with her now."

"Ah, I see. I think it's time I had a chat with Hero Roo Giup-yo."

Look after your brother
. "Wait," I said. Shoes scuffed as the men turned. I raised my eyes to the Doyen, but his expression was expectant, confused. Like Giup-yo, he didn't recognize me at all. "I'll fetch him for you."

The head guard gave me a warning look. "Sneak Lord, you were supposed to be watching them now."

I swallowed. "The questioning is complete, sir."

The guard narrowed his eyes at me. I'd be paying for this small indiscretion later, one way or another. "Go then and bring us Hero Roo Giup-yo."

The Doyen nodded. "Thank you, Sneak Lord."

I bowed and led them into the guardhouse, trying to keep my steps steady even though my whole body wanted to break into a run.

While the guards and the Doyen's men collected in the main room, I slipped down the hallway and into my tiny room.

"What is it?" asked Giup-yo.

"The Doyen," I breathed. "You have to leave, quickly. Run down the hallway and out the front gate, before anyone realizes. The guards are all here, not at their stations. I'll tell them you hit me, I'll . . ."

The sound of the door opening swallowed the rest of my words.

The Doyen himself walked in, tall and confident. I blinked, trying to make sense of the scene in front of me. My brother, niece, and the Doyen were all crowded into the tiny room where I had spent years alone. The fates must be enjoying toying with me today.

The Doyen's eyes flicked to Henge-sa. "You must be Ah-ni's daughter. I warned your husband twice, in deference to your mother, but he didn't listen. Pity."

"He only told the truth," Henge-sa spat. "Our navy can't defend our shores if they're not given proper boats or cannons or . . ."

The Doyen's voice cut sharp like his sword. "I warned him, and my warning was ignored. That cannot be tolerated." He turned to Giup-yo. "And you shouldn't have come here. I was willing to look past your family's transgressions because of our history together, but now you're forcing me to take action."

He pointed to me, his finger accusing me of all the wrongs ever committed in the Kuo Peninsula. "I can command the guards to make you a Sneak Lord like this man. In exchange for your service, you'll be well treated. Otherwise, you and your daughter will work in the mines, or meet the fate of her husband. It's your choice."

Giup-yo looked from me to Henge-sa. "Doesn't she get a choice?"

"No, she'll be used as the guards see fit."

I suppressed a groan. I had seen all the ways the guards could use a pretty young woman, and I wouldn't wish those on anyone, much less my niece.

"My old friend," Giup-yo said, "will you allow us a few moments alone? I want to say goodbye to my daughter in private."

"I've been more than generous . . ."

"Please, Beaky."

Surprise and anger crossed the Doyen's face before he nodded. "You can say goodbye, but the Sneak Lord stays in the room with you. Guards will be stationed outside, don't think about running. And this is the end of our friendship. Don't let me ever hear the name 'Beaky' again."

Without a backward glance, the Doyen left and shut the door behind him.

"How will we escape?" asked Giup-yo immediately.

I stared at the wood grain of the door, pockmarked by age and claws, and felt it closing in on me like a coffin.

"Please, Uncle." Henge-sa's voice rippled with tears. "You've been here a long time, you must know a way out."

Look after your brother
. I held up my hands, helpless. "I've never known anyone to escape." A vision of Uihee-jo's bloodied head swam before me. "There's no way out."

But that wasn't true. There was a way: through claw and tooth. My wolves still circled the camp, just out of sight of the guards. They could be at the room within a minute. If I took the guards by surprise, attacked before they had time to draw their pistols, there might be enough time for Giup-yo and Henge-sa to make a run for it.

"Promise me . . ." My voice cracked. I licked my lips and started again. "Promise me you'll go to the Empire. Father might still be alive. Tell them about the Doyen. Tell them about the prison camps and the
supai stones
and the hunger. Ask for their help. The Doyen's regime must be stopped."

"You can tell them yourself," Giup-yo said. "You're coming with us."

"I can't. I have to concentrate to give you time to escape." I drew my wolves in closer and touched each of them in turn, feeling the ripple of their powerful muscles and the pad of their feet against the earth.

"No, Cha-be." Giup-yo's voice was insistent. "I've lived too many years without you."

I rubbed the top of his balding head, remembering how I used to ruffle his hair when we were kids. "I'm glad we got to see each other once more in this life." I reached over to touch Henge-sa's cheek. "And that I met my niece. I wish I could've watched you grow up."

Four crouched down to watch the master guard just outside the door to the guardhouse. If I carried through with this plan . . .

I swallowed against a fear I hadn't felt for many years. My chest felt breathless and airy with yearning. I wanted to go back to the mountains of my childhood and hunt for ginseng beneath the trees. I wanted to get to know this old man that was my brother, and the young woman that was my niece.

But I had done so many horrible things in my lifetime. Many had suffered as a result of my spying. If I was going to die in this prison, I should at least do it nobly, protecting my family.

My three wolves howled as one. Giup-yo's eyes widened and Henge-sa let out a cry.

"Run!" I shouted as Four lunged for the master guard's neck.

Giup-yo cupped my cheeks and kissed my forehead. "I wish you'd come with us, Brother. May the fates be with you." He took Henge-sa's hand and bolted out the door. I sank to the floorboards, the room fading away as I gave all my attention to the wolves.

Outside, a second guard appeared in the doorway. Three fell upon him, ripping out his throat with terrifying efficiency. Four tossed the master guard aside when his eyes went vacant. Five raced into the guardhouse to meet the next man.

Slash. Rip. Claw. One man went down, then another and another. Blood streaked my muzzles, ran hot along my fur.

Then there was a blast I heard with four sets of ears, and a blinding pain. Five tumbled to the ground, the world going dark around her. I gasped, trying to keep my focus on the other two wolves while Five fought the deep.

Find the Doyen. Slash. Rip. Claw.

Through the commotion, Four spotted Giup-yo and Henge-sa held by several of the Doyen's men. The Doyen himself had retreated back into the room, guarded on all sides.

Four thrust into the middle of the fray, snapping and snarling, scattering the Doyen's men around my family. One brave man continued to hold on to Giup-yo's arm, but Henge-sa punched and kicked until he let go. I commanded Four to follow them, all the way to the Empire if possible. They fled out the door of the guardhouse.

Three cleared a path towards the Doyen, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

Then Five's lungs refused to draw in another breath. Her whole body -- my body -- seized, aching to stay living, but the spirit world tore at her until she couldn't hold on any longer.

Sitting in my cold, tiny room, I screamed for the loss of Five. I could continue screaming for days, mourning her, but I had to continue the fight, to help Giup-yo and Henge-sa escape.

Suddenly Three's side seared with pain. A guard grinned as he shoved his sword further in. Three hadn't even seen it coming.

"I'm sorry," I sobbed. Three went quicker than Five, the pain burning him up from the inside until there was nothing but blackness.

My soul felt like it had been torn into shreds. If not for Giup-yo and Henge-sa running in front of Four, I would collapse onto the ground, never desiring to rise again.

The Doyen stood in the open doorway, ringed by guards.

"Sneak Lord! How dare you turn on us! Your entire family will be punished for your crimes."

The sight of his stern eyes and set mouth, which would have thrown me into a fit of rage just minutes ago, seemed trivial in comparison with the deaths of my wolves.