Brave Story - Miyuki Miyabe [172]
Wataru nodded and said he was probably right, not voicing the doubt that flashed briefly through his mind.
—But, Kee Keema, there’s something in my world that’s just like the creature you imagined. Except it’s not living. It’s called a machine. Not just machines, but power in general. That was what made Wataru’s world move.
—I wonder what would happen if someone invented machines here in Vision? Or brought them back from my world? The thought didn’t sit well with Wataru for some reason. He shook his head and went back to clearing rock salt off the road.
By evening, a small campground had sprung up by the teahouse. Wataru’s group pitched their tent and traded supplies with their neighbors. They all sat around a common fire, ate, and talked merrily.
The night was growing deep, and just as Wataru began thinking about lying down in his tent, he saw lights from several torches coming down the mountain road from Maquiba toward their makeshift camp.
“Look…” Meena said, stifling a yawn. Everyone turned and peered out into the night. “It’s the Knights of Stengel.”
Pretty soon everyone in the campground joined her in craning their necks, trying to get a better look at the approaching lights. Soon they saw not only the lights, but silvery reflections in breastplates and helms.
“What’re they doing all the way out here?” a merchant next to Wataru muttered. “Looks like their great captain is leading them, no less.”
“What? Captain Ronmel? Here?” said one of the gate officials coming out of the teahouse, flapping his wings. “We must greet him properly!”
“If you’re going to greet anyone properly, shouldn’t you call the master of the teahouse?” the merchant said leisurely, hands in his pockets. “Those bird eyes of yours don’t see well enough to make tea in the dark.”
“Indeed, just as you say!”
There were five Knights in all, one riding up ahead of the others. Their helms covered their faces, but the darbaba upon which they rode wore cloth banners hanging over their foreheads, with five-petal flower designs upon them. Trone had taught him that mark back in Gasara—these were indeed the Knights of Stengel.
The master of the teahouse came running out so fast it appeared he might stumble and roll out into the road. Composing himself, he went to greet the Knights while they were still some distance from the campground. They spoke briefly, and the Knight in the lead and the one sitting directly to his rear left got off their darbabas and approached the camp with the master.
“That one in front, is he Captain Ronmel?” Wataru asked the merchant.
“Aye, that’s right.”
“How can you tell if you can’t see his face?”
“The shape of his helm says enough. Take a closer look. You see how it is formed like a dragon’s head? That’s the helm worn only by the warriors of House Ronmel.”
“You know your stuff.”
The merchant snorted. “I may be a down-on-my-luck merchant now, but a long time ago, I was studying to become a starseer. I even studied in Sasaya for a while, I did. You have to learn your history to study the future, you know.”
Before they came in range of the campfire, the two Knights had taken off their helms. They were both quite tall, each standing at least two heads above the stocky teahouse master.
“We’re the first Lancer Company of the Knights of Stengel,” the one walking in front announced in a loud, clear voice. “I am Captain Ronmel, and this is my lieutenant, Vais. This evening, while we were stopped at the Grandera River crossing house, we heard of the darbaba cart accident here, and how passage along the road was stopped. We came to survey the damage. I know you must all be tired from your day’s work, but we ask a moment of your time to assist in our investigation. We will erect a tent for this purpose—but if there are any injured, tell us now.”
Wataru had expected a stern, authoritative proclamation, but the man was rather polite. Wataru wasn’t the only