Brave Story - Miyuki Miyabe [327]
In an instant, Zophie looked more troubled and haunted than he had ever seen her. The blush in her cheeks faded. “Well, that’s…”
“A form of punishment?”
She leaped from her chair, clinging to his hand. “Yes, that’s it. Most of them are, at least. Terrible criminals, or traitors to the Empire, those who cannot be reformed…”
“So you break the seal for a moment and show them the Mirror of Eternal Shadow on purpose?”
“Yes,” she said, wilting visibly. “It is…quite cruel, I know. But it can’t be helped.”
“I understand, I do.”
“The fact is that it is often more convenient for those who serve our family to be shells—convenient, and safe. Those who do the small work at the castle, they are not, well…they are not great warriors or scholars, you see. They are lower folk.” As she spoke, she closed her eyes as if to say she pitied them.
What a piece of work she is.
“But it’s not as if it happens all the time. To undo the barrier and approach the Mirror of Eternal Shadow, my father and the high priest must both be present, and there is a ceremony. It takes a great deal of effort. That, and the high priest is often away from the capital checking on his churches in other parts of the Empire. You have not met him yet, have you, Master Mitsuru? He’s a busier man than even my father.”
Mitsuru nodded, and his mind wandered. He imagined a scene where captives in shackles were led in a great line, like a string of beads, their every move watched by Imperial Guards. Down they were brought, down before the Mirror of Eternal Shadow. One by one, they were pushed toward the mirror.
This empire is even more twisted than I had imagined.
“So this means that many of the people who serve at the Crystal Palace are shells—and I have just not noticed.”
“Yes…but, I’d think your time wouldn’t be well spent looking for them, Master Mitsuru.”
“The thought hadn’t crossed my mind,” Mitsuru said with a winning smile. “As I said, I merely asked out of my curiosity as a Traveler.”
Zophie summoned her servants, and they began clearing the table. Mitsuru watched them, armed with his new knowledge. If he could learn to identify the shells among the people working at the Crystal Palace…
It would save him the trouble of leaving the capital to find the resources he needed.
After waving goodbye to Zophie, Mitsuru stood awhile in the Garden of Victory, the wind rustling his long hair and robes. His hands hung by his side, clenched into tight fists.
In those fists, he now held something beautiful: determination.
The fate of the Imperial Capital of Solebria was decided.
Chapter 47
The Isle of Dragon
When the northern shore appeared on the horizon, the temperature seemed to drop a few degrees. Already they could smell the sea.
“That’s Batista—the fishing port of Bog,” Meena told them, pointing to at a cluster of houses in the distance.
Wataru’s first impression was that this port didn’t look anything like Sono. White dunes rolled and twisted along the long, flat shoreline. Small fishing boats floated here and there, none far from shore. Women walked across the sand doing what they could to help the fishermen. Children busied themselves searching for shells.
Jozo wasn’t flying as high as he had been when they visited Dela Rubesi. Wataru could see people on the shore reacting to the sight of the dragon. Some children waved. Wataru waved back, half to assure them that this dragon suddenly appearing in the sky meant them no harm.
“You firewyrms sure are popular,” Kee Keema shouted.
“They’re creatures of legend, after all!” Meena said.
“They never talked about how cold it was up here in the legends.”
“Shall I fly lower?” Jozo asked. A giant eyeball as big as Wataru’s fist turned slowly toward them, and blinked. “Say, Wataru…”
“What is it?”
“We’ll be heading out over the sea soon…I just wanted to ask—are you sure about this? You