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"I'm actually rather impressed that fool brother of mine was this bold. Clearly I don't give him enough credit for
underhandedness," Nankyo spoke as if Raiden and Kindan were not present, fingers tapping the table as he thought.
Takara too seemed to have forgotten their presence.
The Secretary rose to his feet and strode toward the desk, sliding his spectacles onto his nose. "Shall I write out the note,
then?"
"Write out three," Nankyo reclined in his seat, ocean-blue eyes sliding shut as he thought aloud. "One to my father,
explaining Taiseiyou's jump from mild stupidity to suicidal idiocy. Make sure to emphasize that if they want the Stone
returned, this is the wrong way to go about it." His fingers continued to tap out a rhythm as he spoke. "The second one is
for my brother. Explain that I now hold him in complete and utter contempt, and that it would be wise of him to put a stop to
whatever other acts of idiocy he's put in motion. Add whatever else you think of." He fell silent.
Takara wrote furiously for several minutes, shuffling papers as he filled one page and moved rapidly to the next. "Anything
special you want in the third, or just the usual?"
Nankyokukai suddenly opened his eyes, pinning them on a startled Kindan, "What is the name of the sailor who assisted
you last night?"
"Midori."
The prince nodded, turning toward his Secretary. "You included him?"
"I have now."
"That'll do then. See that everything is sent to the families, save for the first which can be kept until we return."
"Anything else?"
"That will suffice."
Takara nodded and continued to write for another minute or two. Finished, he rose and carried the sheaf of papers to set
before Nankyo, handing him an inked quill. Nankyokukai glanced at them, hand reaching inside his robes. He frowned in
sudden annoyance and looked up at Takara. Reaching up he pulled the spectacles from the Secretary's face and slid them
onto his own.
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He read quickly through the papers, signing the end of each letter in a neat, rapid hand. He handed the sheaf to Takara,
who carried them to the desk and stamped each one with Nankyokukai's seal before carefully rolling them up to be tied later
to messenger birds. "Anything else you require, Nankyo?"
"Nothing as of yet. Though if this is any indication of how our day is going to proceed, I want nothing more than to go back
to bed. See those letters are sent out with all due haste. The sooner that fool is off my back, the better."
Takara nodded and gathered the letters, sparing Raiden a glance before he left to send off the letters.
The merchant glanced at the prince. "Why is your brother trying to kill you?"
"Because he's a fool."
"Prince, that's no answer."
Nankyokukai leaned back in his seat. "At a crucial moment in his life, my brother chose frivolity over duty. I accepted that
duty in his place - at his request. He is perturbed that rather than hand that responsibility over to him later, I have elected to
keep it. Now that I am gone, his idiocy is no longer a secret."
"Right," Kindan said. "You're as straightforward as ever. I think I deserve a better answer than that."
The prince fell silent, staring at them both pensively. At last he seemed to reach some decision. "Have you ever heard of
the King's Stone?"
Raiden responded first, "Yes. It's part of the legacy of the royal house, passed from the King to his Heir when the Crown
Prince turns 18& "
"Indeed. Taiseiyou decided to do something else the day of his eighteenth birthday. Being the only one capable of a
glamour good enough to fool the entirety of the court, he begged me to stand in his place." He rose to his feet, "I never
bothered to give the Stone back."
Kindan hissed, "That's why Kundou is plagued with storms, isn't it? Because you've taken this King's Stone away from the
Islands."
The prince nodded, "That would be why, yes." He smiled grimly, "But in the long run my course of action will prove far more
beneficial to Kundou than anything that moronic brother of mine could accomplish."
"Why in the Dragons' names should I believe that? You're risking our entire country to play your stupid game."
"You are free to think what you want, Captain." Nankyokukai said wearily. "But if you insist on arguing with me, it will have to
wait. I believe our guests are arriving."
Kindan only nodded stiffly as shouting from outside signaled that visitors were being granted permission to board. "We're not
finished."
"Somehow, Captain, I don't think we ever will be." Nankyokukai said dryly.
Unable to reply, Kindan settled for shooting a puzzled glare at the prince. Then a sharp rapping on the door brought the
discussion to an end.
Countess Oranzhevy stepped briskly inside, beaming at the three of them. Right behind her Takara slid into the room,
glaring over his shoulder at the next figure to appear: Duke Krasny. "Good morning, Gentlemen. I hope your evening went
well?" She didn't seem to notice the brief glares shot between the prince and captain. Holding her out to Nankyokukai, she
did not let go after he'd kissed it. Instead she used it to drag him to the door, "I am sorry for your unpleasant arrival but if
you'll come with me I will get you settled at my house with all due haste."
"And Prince Culebra?"
"Will go to the palace. His comrades are most anxious for his return." Outside on deck, Culebra was indeed in the company
of one of his own countrymen - the Ambassador to Pozhar. He bowed in the direction of the four men, "Thank you for your
hospitality my friends. I hope someday I can return the favor, though I prefer it be under circumstances more pleasant than
mine."
Nankyo stepped forward, fingers resting lightly on the blind prince's shoulder to let him know where he was. Culebra smiled
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and stepped closer, kissing the blue-haired prince lightly on the cheek. Nankyo returned the gesture, "Storms favor you,
Culebra."
"Stone protect you." He repeated the gesture with the other three, laughing quietly as he bid farewell to Kindan. "It was a
pleasure meeting you, Captain. Thank you for rescuing me."
"Think nothing of it, Culebra."
"Farewell then, Gentlemen. May Stone protect you." The Stone Prince was led carefully from the ship.
Countess Oranzhevy stepped forward, brisk and eager. "Now, let's get going. No sense in wasting more time here, I'm sure
you are all tired of being on the water for so long."
She did not notice as all four shook their heads and shared looks of tolerant amusement. To suggest a native of Kundou
was tired of water? Was much like suggesting a fish was tired of swimming.
But the Duke and Countess clearly had already had their fill of the water, even though they were on ship for no more than a
few minutes. Quickly and efficiently Kindan brought his ship into port, and in record time the group was disembarking.
"Same," the captain barked to his first mate.
"Captain?"
"The men have permission to wander the harbor, but I want them back aboard ship each night. Anyone not aboard by the
final bell will not be under my employ the following morning."
"Aye, Captain. I'll see to it."
Nodding Kindan turned to join the others. He stifled a groan as they were led to a set of carriages, vowing revenge when he
heard Raiden beside him choke off a laugh.
He missed his ship already. Resentfully he climbed into the second of the two carriages, behind Raiden and the Duke. They
traveled in a stiff silence, and Kindan hid a smirk of his own knowing full well that his friend was just waiting for any excuse
to harm Duke Krasny. He looked away when Raiden sent him a suspicious glare.
Outside it was still cool and quiet, the morning sun still low in the sky. Personally he thought Pozhar a dark, miserable,
dreary country. It was a miracle to him there wasn't snow everywhere. And it was cold. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]