Traveler of the Blue Road
Part 4 - Confrontation
Chapter 4 - The Palace of the Poisonous Spider
After Chagum’s cart entered the palace complex from the front gates, it turned sharply to the southeast where the palace for Talsh guests of state was located.
The guest palace, Rai Kol, was decorated in pale green and yellow on the inside. The ceiling was so high that it made Chagum dizzy to look up at it; part of it was domed in clear glass that caught and refracted the sunlight into rainbow colors. The rug on the floor was yellow; it was woven in a complex non-repeating pattern.
A wide hallway extended straight ahead from the entrance hall. Both the entrance hall and the hallway were lit by many extravagant-looking lamps.
Chagum stared at the walls as if he’d been hypnotized. He didn’t understand how anything he was seeing was made; it was all too unfamiliar. The yellow rug extended from the entrance hall into the hallway in one long line, making the space seem even bigger than it was.
There was a man standing in the hall. He was definitely Talsh; his skin was reddish gold in the sunlight and his bright hair hung to his shoulders. He was an older man, but his gaze and his posture were both alert. His clothes were so dark that they appeared black, but his raised collar was decorated with gold.
The man took a single step forward and bowed. “Welcome to the Talsh empire, Crown Prince Chagum. My name is Akura Kurz. I am the High Commander of the northern army of Talsh. I have been selected to protect the northern palace of Kal Gol until Prince Raul’s return.
“You must be tired from your long journey. Please feel free to make use of this guest palace as you see fit. Would you like a hot bath? A meal? Please rest for a time, and then we can discuss the reasons for your visit.”
Kurz said all of this in the Talsh language. When he glanced at Hugo, Hugo started translating his words into Yogoese. Chagum stared straight at Kurz for the duration of his greeting, then nodded shallowly and walked away from him.
Kurz was clearly bewildered at such a casual disregard, but he quickly composed himself and walked after Chagum. Kurz pointed out features of the guest palace as Chagum passed them by.
At the end of the hallway, there were five women kneeling down on the ornate yellow rug.
“These servants shall see to your comfort,” Kurz said; Hugo translated. “Simply give them a command, and they will do it.” Kurz bowed and walked toward the entrance of the guest palace.
“Well then,” Hugo said, “I guess my work here is done.” He smiled at Chagum, then bowed his head solemnly. “Try to be comfortable here. The servants can show you where the baths are.”
Chagum looked straight at Hugo’s deeply tanned face. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he remained silent.
The servants came closer to Chagum with their eyes cast down. One asked if they could help him remove his traveling clothes. When he nodded, she started removing his cloak.
Hugo bowed to Chagum. “Kurz didn’t tell you this, but he’s fluent in Yogoese. It was the northern army that attacked and burned Yogo under his command.” Hugo turned on his heel and withdrew.
I wonder what reason Kurz has for speaking the Talsh language instead of Yogoese. Does he want to try to learn my secrets? Or was the point to force Hugo to translate?
If Kurz had commanded Hugo to translate, then that was cruel. Chagum didn’t like to think about what he might be capable of. The woman who was removing his cloak started trembling slightly after Hugo left.
Kurz had probably ordered these women to spy on Chagum. They would report Chagum and Hugo’s conversation, too; they had no choice. Hugo was from Yogo; if Kurz suspected that he was a traitor, he could probably order Hugo killed. Hugo had every reason to want revenge against Kurz.
These walls have ears. I should think of everyone here as a spy.
When Kurz heard Hugo walking behind him in the guest palace’s hallway, he stopped and turned around. “Splendid work, Hugo Arayutan.”
Hugo bowed his head. “Thank you, sir. I was lucky.”
Kurz nodded. “But you couldn’t have achieved this with luck alone. I’m sure Prince Raul will give you a generous reward. You may even be granted your own castle and set upon the noble path of light, A Tal.”
Hugo made no attempt to conceal his surprise. A Tal, the path of light, was usually reserved for Talsh nobility; if Hugo was set on that path, he would be able to request an audience with the Talsh Emperor or Princes at any time.
Other rights and privileges would be granted to him by the Talsh Emperor as well. If he continued to serve the empire well, he might be promoted to the same class as Kurz and become a High Commander in the Talsh army. This was the first step to being able to influence Talsh’s government and policies directly.
It feels like a door has opened somewhere. Hugo was deeply moved.
Kurz was smiling at him with cold and forbidding eyes. “I’d advise you to be especially mindful of your conduct from here on out. If your excuse for bringing Crown Prince Chagum to Yogo is found lacking, the path of your entire life may change.”
Hugo lifted his head and said, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The gleam in Kurz’s eyes was hard like steel. “Neither you nor Sodok are permitted to approach Crown Prince Chagum until after Prince Raul returns.”
Hugo stared at Kurz and didn’t say a word.
“Prince Raul desires Crown Prince Chagum to feel helpless. Do you understand?” Kurz asked.
“Yes.”
Kurz dismissed Hugo with a wave of his hand. “Be on your way, then. You may be summoned soon, so don’t go far.”
Hugo bowed and walked past Kurz in the hallway.
Kurz expects to weaken Crown Prince Chagum’s resolve.
Waiting for Prince Raul to return would certainly be an exercise in patience: Chagum would be isolated and alone in an enemy’s palace for all that time. Hugo wasn’t even allowed to go near him.
Hugo smiled slightly. Kurz really expected something like that to work. All Crown Prince Chagum needed to do was sit still and not move. Maybe Kurz should have challenged him to a staring contest before resorting to such cheap tactics.
There was no avoiding what would happen next. War was coming: sparks were being kindled into flames; soon, the Talsh would conquer another kingdom. But all this politicking and unrest on the southern continent was definitely slowing Talsh down. It would be better for the entire army to cooperate in the invasion of the north rather than indulging in petty squabbles and mind games, but that probably wasn’t possible. Talsh suffered from internal dissension just like any other nation--and treating Crown Prince Chagum badly would do little to influence his decisions.
Kurz was a keenly perceptive man, but this quality made him disdainful of other people; he usually underestimated them. Hugo considered that Kurz’s only real weakness.
I doubt Kurz will be able to intimidate Crown Prince Chagum.
If Chagum managed to survive this test, he might yet grow up to be a force to be reckoned with. Hugo doubted that Prince Raul would permit such an outcome, though.
I’ll probably never get to speak to you again, Crown Prince Chagum. But I’ll always be watching.
Hugo quickened his pace as he walked down the hall.
Wait, is "A Tal" supposed to be one phrase? I was confused. And what is this noble path of light? I'd be curious to have a look at the Talsh ethical code. Is it Eastern-influenced, like Confucian or Buddhist or is it more Abrahamic or is it something different?
ReplyDeleteThese are all the worldbuilding details I wish Nahoko would have included :(
Also, how do those Talsh keep their massive rugs clean? Even my indoor shoes get the carpet dirty after awhile.
"A Tal" is how it's rendered. ア⋆タル. Particularly confusing since we've already got a Tal people. I don't thing she keeps track of vocabulary in languages she's already made, since a lot of the words she makes up sound very similar.
DeleteThe noble path of light is what it says on the tin: if you're on the path, you become a Talsh noble.
I think knowing the ins and outs of Talsh society and what the people believe wouldn't serve the story very well, since Uehashi is planning to kill a lot of them in a giant flood. Caring too much about the bad guys can backfire.