Read Online The Initiate Brother Duology by Sean Russell - Free Book Online
Authors: Sean Russell
Ads: Link
followed the lines of her life-force radiating out from the afflicted area, the stone amplifying his chi sense like a water-finder’s rod.
The monk did not flinch when the door banged open, revealing the half-lit form of the Tomsoian priest. The women gasped and the girl flinched in fear, causing a new spasm of agony to course through her.
“You damn your daughter to eternal darkness!”
the priest accused thickly, ignoring the monk who had risen fluidly from his knees and half-turned toward the door.
Shuyun spoke quietly to the two women so the girl would not hear. “I must have the ebony chest from my room
immediately.
There is little time.”
“He will desecrate the sacred body. There is no forgiveness for this,” the priest said, his voice rising.
No one moved. Shuyun glanced down at the girl who was bathed in sweat and shaking uncontrollably. It was almost too late for her. But there were edicts within his own Order forbidding any monk to do violence to a member of another church except in self-defense.
A sailor’s face appeared in the dim passage behind the priest and Shuyun addressed him, ignoring all formality, “I must have the ebony chest from my quarters, immediately.”
The man gave a quick bow and was gone. The priest and the monk stood facing each other across a space of two arm’s lengths. One man’s eyes burned with the fires of fanaticism and fear—the other’s watched and measured. There was no fear.
The sailor appeared, carrying the dark wooden box, but the priest stood his ground and would not let him pass.
“I must have my trunk. Stand aside,” Shuyun said, his voice still quiet, emotionless.
“You do not order
me!
”
From the hallway the captain’s voice was added to the confrontation. “Ashigaru-sum, please, do as the Brother asks. I do not wish to have you removed.”
The priest glanced over his shoulder, “To threaten me is to threaten mychurch. We bask in the light of the Son of Heaven. Already you have earned his disfavor, as has this
heretic,
this defiler of the spirit’s vessel.”
The captain did not respond. At sea his word was law, but he was no fool and knew that it was never wise to earn the Emperor’s disfavor—not
this
Emperor.
The situation was in danger of losing all motion, and Shuyun knew he couldn’t allow that, couldn’t wait for the captain to weigh the situation. He took a step forward, his eyes never leaving the large man blocking the door. The priest’s eyes flared and his hand moved imperceptibly toward his left wrist, a subtle motion, almost impossible to see in the dim light.
Yes, Shuyun thought, that is where the knife is. He changed the position of his hands to counter this threat and sank lower on his leading leg. They were an arm’s length apart now and Shuyun altered his time sense, slowing the world around him.
But the priest suddenly froze in his place, like a man who has seen a sand-cobra rise before him, and the monk stopped in mid-stride.
“Stand aside. I must have my chest.”
“You dare not,” the priest hissed, the air rasping out of constricted lungs. There was sweat on the man’s brow, though the night was turning cool.
“Now,” Shuyun said, his voice calm in the room charged with tension.
The older man felt his pulse begin to race out of control.
“I have the Emperor’s protection!” he almost pleaded.
In the dim light, the monk’s movements were barely seen. There was a sound of cloth tearing and then he stood with the priest’s knife in his own hand. Through the scent of sanja flower, he could smell the poison on the blade’s tip. The priest had lost his balance as he stepped back, now totally overcome by fear. Hands caught him, taking his arms. He gasped but could not find air. He did not notice when a second knife disappeared from his sash. He was half-carried, half-dragged onto the deck. For an instant his eyes met Kogami Norimasa’s. The trader did not look away to spare the priest from
The monk did not flinch when the door banged open, revealing the half-lit form of the Tomsoian priest. The women gasped and the girl flinched in fear, causing a new spasm of agony to course through her.
“You damn your daughter to eternal darkness!”
the priest accused thickly, ignoring the monk who had risen fluidly from his knees and half-turned toward the door.
Shuyun spoke quietly to the two women so the girl would not hear. “I must have the ebony chest from my room
immediately.
There is little time.”
“He will desecrate the sacred body. There is no forgiveness for this,” the priest said, his voice rising.
No one moved. Shuyun glanced down at the girl who was bathed in sweat and shaking uncontrollably. It was almost too late for her. But there were edicts within his own Order forbidding any monk to do violence to a member of another church except in self-defense.
A sailor’s face appeared in the dim passage behind the priest and Shuyun addressed him, ignoring all formality, “I must have the ebony chest from my quarters, immediately.”
The man gave a quick bow and was gone. The priest and the monk stood facing each other across a space of two arm’s lengths. One man’s eyes burned with the fires of fanaticism and fear—the other’s watched and measured. There was no fear.
The sailor appeared, carrying the dark wooden box, but the priest stood his ground and would not let him pass.
“I must have my trunk. Stand aside,” Shuyun said, his voice still quiet, emotionless.
“You do not order
me!
”
From the hallway the captain’s voice was added to the confrontation. “Ashigaru-sum, please, do as the Brother asks. I do not wish to have you removed.”
The priest glanced over his shoulder, “To threaten me is to threaten mychurch. We bask in the light of the Son of Heaven. Already you have earned his disfavor, as has this
heretic,
this defiler of the spirit’s vessel.”
The captain did not respond. At sea his word was law, but he was no fool and knew that it was never wise to earn the Emperor’s disfavor—not
this
Emperor.
The situation was in danger of losing all motion, and Shuyun knew he couldn’t allow that, couldn’t wait for the captain to weigh the situation. He took a step forward, his eyes never leaving the large man blocking the door. The priest’s eyes flared and his hand moved imperceptibly toward his left wrist, a subtle motion, almost impossible to see in the dim light.
Yes, Shuyun thought, that is where the knife is. He changed the position of his hands to counter this threat and sank lower on his leading leg. They were an arm’s length apart now and Shuyun altered his time sense, slowing the world around him.
But the priest suddenly froze in his place, like a man who has seen a sand-cobra rise before him, and the monk stopped in mid-stride.
“Stand aside. I must have my chest.”
“You dare not,” the priest hissed, the air rasping out of constricted lungs. There was sweat on the man’s brow, though the night was turning cool.
“Now,” Shuyun said, his voice calm in the room charged with tension.
The older man felt his pulse begin to race out of control.
“I have the Emperor’s protection!” he almost pleaded.
In the dim light, the monk’s movements were barely seen. There was a sound of cloth tearing and then he stood with the priest’s knife in his own hand. Through the scent of sanja flower, he could smell the poison on the blade’s tip. The priest had lost his balance as he stepped back, now totally overcome by fear. Hands caught him, taking his arms. He gasped but could not find air. He did not notice when a second knife disappeared from his sash. He was half-carried, half-dragged onto the deck. For an instant his eyes met Kogami Norimasa’s. The trader did not look away to spare the priest from
Similar Books
