Naamah's Kiss - Jacqueline Carey [166]
I nodded fervently. "With all my heart!"
It was a somber ride back toward the City. The guardsmen spoke in hushed whispers of what they had witnessed. King Daniel conversed in low tones with Master Lo Feng. I concentrated on remaining upright in the saddle, grateful for Blossom's smooth gait and mindful that I was only conscious, let alone alive, by virtue of Claire Fourcay's unwilling sacrifice and the grace of the Maghuin Dhonn Herself.
Bao stuck close to my side, ready to catch me if I toppled, muttering under his breath about my stupidity. For once, I couldn't begrudge him.
"How did you know what to do?" I asked him. "How did you make sparks and thunder come from your staff?"
He shrugged. "Everyone know you use pao to drive away demons. You no have pao here?"
"No," I said. "I don't think so."
Bao showed me the charred bits of paper dangling from the end of his staff. "String of pao. Only fire-powder and paper. No magic. Mirrors good, too. Demon can't look at they own face." He raised his eyebrows at me. "You lucky we in time. That demon-spirit, he get into Lion Mane, maybe nothing make him go. Big trouble then."
I was confused. "Lion Mane?"
"The stupid man," he clarified.
"Raphael."
"Uh-huh." He nodded. "Master Lo right. You lucky the White Queen smart enough to send for him." He snorted. "Ten time smarter than you, anyway. If she don't…" He drew his thumb across his throat. "I think you and lot of people get dead."
"I know," I said quietly. "Believe me, I do."
Bao regarded me. "You did good. Strong." Unexpectedly, he grinned. "You see the face on that demon-spirit when you shout and make the ground shake? Big surprise."
It made me smile a little. "Very big surprise. For me, too."
"Uh-huh." He looked away. "Huh. Rider coming."
I glanced down the road to see a guardsman in Courcel livery approaching at a good clip. King Daniel raised his hand to call a halt. We waited. The guardsman approached and drew rein, his lathered mount prancing sideways.
"Your majesty!" he called in an urgent voice. "There's a rather large delegation coming! And begging your pardon, they were quite insistent."
The King frowned in perplexity. "I expected no such thing. What delegation? Are they hostile or friendly? Who are they and from whence do they come?"
"From Ch'in." The guard pointed at Master Lo Feng, who sat serenely upright in the saddle. "They're looking for him."
I glanced at Bao. He shook his head. "Very big surprise."
"Well," King Daniel said mildly, looking sidelong at Master Lo Feng. "That's never happened before. Let's see what they want, shall we?"
A short time later, we rounded a curve in the road and came upon the delegation. I sucked in my breath at the sight of them. There were at least fifty mounted warriors riding in a tight formation, all with the golden-brown skin and dark, tilted eyes of the Ch'in. They wore armor plated like scales and adorned with gilt and pointed helmets, curved swords at their sides. I was accustomed to Bao and Master Lo Feng, but such a large party of their countrymen looked strange and out of place here. The King's guardsmen regarded them uneasily, hands hovering over their sword-hilts.
"Lo Feng Tzu?" the leader inquired.
Master Lo inclined his head. "Shi."
In unison, every last warrior dismounted and bowed. Head still lowered, the leader poured out a torrent of Ch'in, bowing again to Master Lo and then to King Daniel.
"General Tsieh apologizes for disturbing you, your majesty," Master Lo translated. "He comes on a very urgent errand."
"Name of Elua!" The King looked dumbstruck. "How urgent can it be? How many months have they been on the road?"
There was another exchange.
"Many months at sea," Master Lo said. "They came by one of the greatships and only rode from your city of Marsilikos." Even he looked impressed. "None has ever travelled so far before. Truly, they carried wind in a bag."
"What do they want?"