Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave once again stared upon a figure he’d hoped to forget. It was Sophia’s creation, Castro—the dim echo of the man that he’d taken the name from. Even today, he repeated things.

“I have a robust succession plan, Argrave,” her creation said.

Argrave looked upon his form with some unease. Anneliese was here as well, standing off to the side. But today, this thing’s creator joined them—Sophia. She stood just beneath him, hiding behind his legs in utter fear of what she’d made alive. Argrave kneeled down to look at Sophia in the eyes.

“Does he frighten you?” he asked her.

Sophia nodded.

“I’ll admit… he scares me, too, a little. Do you know why that is?” Argrave looked at Sophia, but she only tilted her head without an answer. “Let me put it this way. Do you know why he makes you uneasy? Say what you will, but he looks like a walking, talking person.”

“But he’s… he’s not,” Sophia said quietly. “He’s just… what I remembered of him. He can’t… he doesn’t have a voice inside his head. And he can’t hear us, understand us.”

As Argrave nodded, ‘Castro’ continued to repeat some of his final words he’d given before his death. Sophia managed to look at him. “I don’t know… I don’t know how to fix him, Argrave.”

Argrave nodded. “Honestly? I don’t, either.” He picked her up. “But that’s why we came here, today. To think about what needs to be done. To think about how we can do it. And then, to make everything right again. One day, each of us can look upon the life you made and think it belongs. We have to change this so it can be a point of pride, rather than something to forget.”

Sophia gazed at ‘Castro’ thoughtfully, then buried her head in Argrave’s shoulder. “What if I can’t think of anything? What if he stays like that? What if I can’t fix him?”

Argrave comforted her. “Anneliese and I are here. You don’t need to do all the thinking. But I can guarantee you this—you can fix him.”

Sophia looked up at Argrave, then flicked her gaze to Castro again. She looked at Anneliese, too, who gave her an encouraging nod. Sophia tightened her grip around Argrave’s neck and declared, “Okay. I’ll try.”

#####

Stain was milling around in a room, staring at a machine as he tapped the side of his leg idly while disguised. He kept casting small glances at the bird in the corner of the room that was watching him. Suddenly, he heard a noise, and when he looked the machine that’d been empty was now full. He pulled back the lid, and a bamboo tube awaited.

He collected the bamboo tube with a self-satisfied smile, then walked through Governor Zen’s mansion. He popped the lid off the tube, reading it as he walked, and his smile only widened. Arriving at his destination, he looked around the courtyard where the governor often read. The man was absent. Stain asked some people nearby where the governor was, and they were only too happy to oblige him, as he was disguised as one of them.

Soon enough Stain came to the man in his study, kneeled obsequiously, and offered up the message.

Governor Zen was very distracted reading half a thousand reports, but did eventually pry the message from Stain’s hands. He opened the letter and read it. As he did, Stain shut the door, and Zen looked up as he started to recognize incongruities. Stain undid his disguise, staring there plainly, and Zen rose to his feet in alarm.

“What you see in that letter…” Stain pointed, Elenore using him as a mouthpiece. He had become practiced at reciting exactly what she said. “It’s our doing, I hope you know.”

“You infiltrated my staff?” the governor asked firmly.

“Just for today,” Stain shrugged, walking closer. “We knew this message would reach you today. And wouldn’t you know? It’s been a week.”

Governor Zen didn’t look like his grievance wasn’t fully settled, but he held up the letter. “Care to explain how this is your doing, this army strike?”

Elenore launched into a long speech, and Stain relayed it sentence-by-sentence, taking small pauses between each. “Commander Yuan—the commander who was direly injured after fighting off assassins—is one of our men. The imperial court dismissed him from service. Now, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to make several commanders protest against the imperial court’s extended regency. The army answers only to the emperor, after all, not his court. Meaning they either need to pick a new emperor, which we both know is untenable, or relinquish control of the army. And the invaders haven’t moved an inch after taking their foothold—why can’t the armies afford to remain still?”

Zen nodded, then set the letter down. “I see. I thought we’d speak after I investigated the Palace of Heaven.”

Elenore said gloatingly, “That’s what you’re reading, isn’t it?” Stain’s conveyance was less gloating, but still somewhat so.

“Is this some attempt at intimidating me, cajoling me into taking your offer?” Zen sat back down in his desk. “Telling me that you could get at me anywhere?”

“Of course not. Ji Meng says you’re not as harmless as you present yourself. We’re inclined to agree with his caution.” Stain relayed Elenore’s words, crossing his arms. “So—what’ve you learned?”

Governor Zen stared up at Stain. “Seeing as you know everything, why don’t you tell me?”

“I think what’s most telling is that you haven’t learned anything at all.” Stain leaned up against the wall, listening to Elenore carefully. “Someone like you—you’ve strings laid out across the whole of this empire. But you can’t even get so much as a rumor about who commands the Palace of Heaven.”

“True enough. I could get direct answers, I’m sure. But I’d have to exercise some authority—moving in the open, which would draw the eye of the imperial court.” Zen tapped the desk, lost in thought.

“It’s supposedly a major fortification—the last line of defense for an emperor,” Elenore kept pressing, and Stain kept delivering. “Such a thing wouldn’t exactly change command quietly. What else have you found?”

“Nothing. Our enemy is good. But I’ve found other proof the imperial court is compromised.” Zen pulled open a drawer, grabbed some papers and set them down. “This was an independent investigation of mine, but it bore fruit. Grand Eunuch Hao, the de facto regent in control of the court, is working with an ancient god by the name of Erlebnis. He isn’t in the Qircassian Coalition, but—”

Elenore yelled at Stain to interrupt, and eventually he called out, “Hold.” Governor Zen stared in confusion as Stain waited for Elenore to convey her message. Once she was far enough along, he began repeating, “Erlebnis has allied with Kirel Qircassia. That’s the main reason gods were able to succeed where they’ve failed countless times before. His vast knowledge, information networks, in tandem with the Qircassian Coalition’s vast resources spelled doom for the court.”

Governor Zen stroked his sharp goatee. “That… that does make sense. But it’s also concerning. It means that the Heavenly Arrays beneath the palace have been compromised. Do you know what those are?”

Stain shook his head.

“Well, that’s not information for you,” Governor Zen shook his head. “Your betters may trust you with much, but I believe I’ve had enough of speaking through a proxy. I’m ready to head south. I’m ready to speak with your leader in person. It’s the only way that we’ll come to any arrangement.”

“Stall,” Elenore commanded simply. “I need time to think.”

“Uhh…” Stain bumbled, drained of any articulacy he might’ve been displaying. “Won’t you be missed here?”

“I am capable of disguise. It may not be to your standards, but I’ve my ways of travelling covertly. Oh—I should mention two things.” Zen rubbed his tired eyes as he explained, “My grandchildren will be coming with me. I hope that King Argrave will bring his family, too.”

“You’re not done pushing that, are you?” Stain shook his head. “I’ll give you a secret, no charge. King’s rather madly in love with his wife. They’re young and dumb. Maybe in a couple years a second partner will be on the table, but not now. It’s called the honeymoon phase. The emperor is the only choice we—"

“The emperor is a brute!” Governor Zen shouted gutturally in a rage, but his next words were eerily calm. “He cannot be trusted to sit upon the throne again. If he assumes his position, there will be no court, no governor that can check him. And that man, with absolute power over the Great Chu and all its armies… I can’t stomach it. I won’t stomach it. Use him, I will. But welcome him back as emperor? Never again. There needs to be change, and you people give me the opportunity to enact it,” Zen insisted, tapping his finger against his desk loudly. “I’m willing to work something out. But like I said, I need to meet with King Argrave and all his family. I’m talking about his father-in-law Patriarch Dras, his brother Orion, his sister Elenore and her husband, the King of the Burnt Sands… all of them, everyone. Except his niece—Sophia, I think her name was. I have no need of her presence.”

Even Stain was shocked as Governor Zen rattled off names there was no good reason he had to know.

“You look shocked. Do you think you’re the only ones with skills?” Governor Zen leaned back. “If you’ll notice, I never asked for the emperor to be here—matter of fact, I’d prefer he wasn’t. Why? I’ll put it simply—there’s a lot that the emperor doesn’t know about what I’m capable of. There’s a lot the court doesn’t know. These things run deeper than you possibly know. Even if the emperor hadn’t gone off like a fool attacking your lands, I had some rather… different, shall we say, plans for the future of this nation. I’m not opposed to playing a supporting role, so long as what I want can get done. You say you can speak for your leaders, so I ask again—will they agree to a meeting?”

Silence stretched as Stain waited for word from Elenore. It came in the form of one word—a simple command for Stain.

“Agree.”