Kati did not get a horse for either her eighth or ninth birthday, but for her tenth the gift from Weimeng was a person.
Her name was Sheyue, which means musk, and she was twelve years old.
Weimeng gave a party in her suite, and all of Kati's teachers were there, including Huomeng. It was the first time she'd ever seen him in the black formal robe of the Moshuguang. He filled it out nicely and looked quite distinguished, she thought. But she missed the presence of Lui Pang, who was not from a noble family, and had not been invited. She thought about him a great deal these days.
The atmosphere was festive and there were many gifts to open. Most of them were clothing, including a new set of riding leathers, for her legs were suddenly growing longer and sometimes she felt as if she were walking on the stilts worn by the comic who provided their entertainment at the party.
He was a small man, dressed in a lady's red robe, and he wore a black wig with the double buns of a noblewoman's coiffure. His face was painted and rouged, with huge, black eyelashes which he batted and fluttered throughout his act. In one hand he carried a delicate fan, behind which he flirted with the men as he minced around the room on those long stilts. At first the men were embarrassed, but soon they joined the women in laughter at the man's antics.
Juimoshu gave Kati a pendant: a disk of gold on a long chain, and in the center of the disk was a single emerald, dark green. Kati put it on to join the other two pendants she'd worn continuously since coming to the Emperor's city.
Huomeng, always the teacher, gave her two disks for her learning machine. There was a pair of riding boots from Mengyao, and then Mengmoshu presented her with a long, curved sword of flexible polymer and informed her that private lessons with Master Yung would begin the following day.
Kati was thrilled. It was the most wonderful birthday ever. She hugged everyone, but when she got to Huomeng his eyes got very large and so she shook his hand in thanks.
"There is one more gift," said Weimeng, just as Kati thought it was all finished.
Tanchun came in, leading a tall, lovely girl by the hand. The girl had a long, graceful neck and skin like white porcelain. The buns of her hair were decorated with sparkling combs, and she seemed to float across the carpet, her body held proudly erect. As she came up to Weimeng, she bowed, lowering her eyes first, tiny, painted lips curving into a serene smile. The blue robe she wore seemed to enhance her calm presence.
Everyone seemed startled by the appearance of this girl. Huomeng's mouth hung open, and he was gawking stupidly at her.
Weimeng gestured to Kati, and said, "This is Mengnu."
The girl turned to Kati and bowed again. Her voice was clear, but soft, almost a whisper. "My name is Sheyue," she said, "and I am honored to be of service to you."
"Sheyue comes to us from one of our finest families," said Weimeng. "She will be your companion when you wish it, and will instruct you in the ways of fashion and etiquette as practiced in palace society. Her rooms will be near this suite, and you can be together as often as you like."
Kati was surprised, momentarily at a loss for words, but she felt a terrible fear coming from behind that serene face, and it was the fear of rejection. There were no thoughts in Kati's mind, no advice coming from anyone, but Sheyue's fear was like waves crashing against a cliff-face. Her family was highly honored by Weimeng's choice. To return this girl to her family would be an unbearable disgrace for her.
Kati smiled, and held out her hands. "Welcome, Sheyue. My rooms are also yours, and I hope we will be like sisters. I've always wished for a girl I could talk to and share secrets with."
She clasped Sheyue's hands, then embraced her. Her hair smelled like sweet grass, her relief so strong it nearly brought tears to Kati's eyes.
Kati looked at Weimeng, and said, "Thank you for the gift of a friend. It is more than I could wish for."
Weimeng looked pleased, and everyone was smiling, even Huomeng, who had lost that stupid look on his face. There had been tension in the room, but now it was gone. Everyone began talking again and the comic came back to resume his flirtations. Sheyue laughed at him, but hid her laugh in a secretive way behind one hand.
Kati took Sheyue's hand in hers, and led her around the room, introducing her teachers to the girl. She saved Huomeng for last, because he hadn't thought to mask the terror building in him and she was relishing every moment of it. When they reached him, his eyes were wide again, and he stood stiffly, making a curt bow when Kati introduced him.
"Welcome," he croaked, then seemed to recover his senses. "I come here to tutor Mengnu, so perhaps I will see you again."
His mind was suddenly a blank, and Kati knew he had sensed her peering at him. But he was clearly awed by Sheyue, a girl he thought his age, or even older. When meeting him, she'd looked straight into his eyes, then lowered her long eyelashes as she began her bow. "Honored teacher," was all she'd said.
This girl would not just be a companion, thought Kati. There was much to be learned from her.
The adults were now talking to each other, and Kati went to Weimeng. "May I show Sheyue my rooms?"
"Yes, dear, but come back within an hour. We will have a meal to end your party."
Kati fetched her new leathers, boots and sword, and led Sheyue to the rooms adjacent to Weimeng's suite. She showed her the rooms, the view from her sitting room window, the canopied bed. Sheyue nodded pleasantly at each sight, but did not seem impressed at all, so perhaps she was used to such luxury. But she asked about Kati's leathers, intrigued by them.
"They are for riding," said Kati. "The leather breaks the wind, and keeps me from being scraped or chaffed."
"You ride a horse?"
"Twice each week. One of the troopers' sons is my escort, to make sure I don't bump my head, or something."
"Is he handsome?" asked Sheyue, with a sly smile.
"Very. He is four years older than I, but treats me like an equal, not a child."
"You are not so much a child, Mengnu. I'm only two years older than you."
Kati was astounded. "I thought you were much older, perhaps eighteen, or twenty. I think Huomeng believes you are much older. His heart was pounding when he met you just now."
Sheyue's laugh was like softly tinkling bells, hidden behind her hand. "Really? He seems like a nice, intelligent man."
Man? Kati still thought of Huomeng as a somewhat arrogant boy.
"He's very intelligent, but self-centered and difficult to please. It's said he has much talent that hasn't been explored yet."
Sheyue smiled serenely, and said, "Even grown men are little boys. It is very easy for a knowledgeable woman to please them."
Oh, yes, thought Kati, but first there must be knowledge.
She changed her robe from yellow to red, and wore Juimoshu's pendant on the outside of it. Sheyue gave her an appraising look, and said, "Mengnu, please allow me to give you a gift for your birthday."
Sheyue took a black comb from her hair. It was crusted with tiny gems in green, red and blue. She put it in Kati's short, straight hair to the left of her forehead and looked at her again.
"There. It gives color to your hair."
Kati thanked her, and when they arrived back in Weimeng's suite, they were walking hand-in-hand.
Throughout the meal, Kati watched Sheyue from her place of honor at the head of the table. She watched the slow, smooth motions of sticks and silver utensils, the dainty bites chewed slowly, mouth closed, the frequent use of finger-bowl and moist towel, the smile and lowering of the eyelashes when accepting a new dish. All the adults were oblivious to it, but Huomeng also watched Sheyue constantly, and when the girl caught him looking at her, she would blink slowly, with a hint of a smile, and then avert his gaze. By the end of the meal, Huomeng had eaten little, and was sitting there in a kind of hypnotic state, looking confused.
For some reason, the sight of him that way made Kati a little angry.
* * *
Her life seemed defined for her, and today there was another new thing, but again it was something she'd asked for.
Kati sat uncomfortably on the hard bench, the sword across her lap, and nervously awaited the call from Master Yung. Mengmoshu had suggested she wear her leathers, without the tunic, but still she was warm inside her light, woolen shirt. There was sweat on her forehead, though she'd pulled her hair away from it, and tied it in a little tail behind her head.
She drummed her boot-heels on the floor, fingered the sword, and sighed. Finally, the door beside her opened with a click. A little man in a plain, white robe stepped outside, and made a short bow to her. He was quite old: wrinkled face, white, wispy hair, a few long hairs on his chin. He looked at her with small, twinkling eyes, and said, "You may come in, now."
The room was small, perhaps ten meters on a side, with floor to ceiling mirrors covering two sides. The floor was ebonite, polished to a gleam, the ceiling yellow, with four light panels brightly lighting the room. The third wall was built-in storage, with drawers and cabinets floor-to-ceiling, but it was the fourth wall that first caught her eye. There was an altar, with a little shrine of lit candles, and a brass urn from which smoke rose in a helical path, and around the urn were offerings of various vegetables and fruits.
Above it, on a wall painted red, were two long, curving swords, blades crossed and gleaming.
The old man shuffled to the shrine, and came back with a bunch of grapes in his hand. The air moved with him, bringing the odor of sweet incense to Kati. He offered the grapes to her.
"No thank you, sir. I'm not hungry. I've come for a lesson with Master Yung. Will he be here soon?"
The old man popped a grape into his mouth. "Just as soon as he's finished his lunch," he said, smiling.
Kati's face flushed with shame. "I'm very sorry, Master; I've never seen you before now."
"It's nothing. I'm a deceptive man. That's how I've come to be so old." He put several grapes in his mouth at once, chewed vigorously, then beckoned to her to follow him to the center of the room. She did so, holding her sword in the crook of an arm.
When he turned to face her, close, their eyes were at the same level. "So, you come to learn the art of the sword. Now, tell me why you wish to learn it. What is your motive?"
Kati hadn't really thought about it. "I wish to learn everything," she said.
Yung shook his head. "No. You must be specific. You could learn to cook, or sew, or how to be charming. Why do you seek the ancient arts of war?"
Kati flushed again, but an answer was coming to her. "Do you know who I am, Master?"
"Of course. Mengmoshu has told me everything about you, and how you came to be here, but I know that even Tumatsin women use weapons only in ceremony. They do not practice with them."
"Mandughai did. Our Emerald Empress led her soldiers against the Emperor in ancient times. When I was little, there was a tapestry above my bed which showed the scene of her attack. And she carried a sword like those above the shrine in this room. When I was little, I dreamed of being like Mandughai—and I still do!"
Yung chewed the last of his grapes reflectively, and then there was a long moment of silence as he studied her. He moved a step to her left.
"Hold out your sword. Aim its blade at the point of intersection of the swords on the wall, and keep it there."
Kati obeyed. Yung put his hands on her arm, stretching it out until she felt pressure in her elbow. He fiddled with her fingers, pushing and pulling. "Squeeze firmly with these two, thumb on top, gently with these two. Hold it there."
He stepped back. "The use of the sword requires concentration, quickness and balance, but a minimum of strength is also necessary. Do not move the sword. Keep it exactly as it is. I will know if you move it. I will return."
Yung shuffled over to the door—and left the room.
It seemed an hour passed before he returned. Kati was in agony, the sword shaking wildly in her numb hand. He took one look at her, and said, "Now turn, and use the other hand."
She could not speak, but did as he asked. Her right arm hung uselessly at her side. Again, he adjusted her arm, her fingers. "Remember the position of your hand and fingers. Burn it into your mind."
Again, he left the room.
Again, she endured.
When he returned, sweat had poured into her eyes, and tears were running down both cheeks, but she didn't make a sound.
"Good," he said, taking the sword from her, "the lesson is over. Each day, you will do this exercise with each hand. Start with ten minutes each, and do not go beyond fifteen. I will test you next week, and when you're ready, there will be something new."
He handed the sword back to her. She moved slowly, clutching it with two hands across her stomach, both shoulders screaming in agony. At the door, she bowed to Master Yung and he returned it, and then she left the room to find a young boy waiting on the bench outside. He had a plastic sword in his lap, and two troopers sat with him on the bench. She could hardly see them through the tears, but when the boy saw her he looked stricken with terror.
She didn't care, and turned away. She made the short, but painful walk back to her own quarters where she discovered she'd been with Master Yung for less than half an hour. She plopped the sword carelessly on the floor, and collapsed on her bed.
Half an hour later, Huomeng was pounding on her door to check her progress with the learning machine.
Weimeng looked at her with concern. "Mengnu! Your eyes are closed again, and you've hardly touched your food. What is the matter?"
Kati jerked awake and saw noodles still dangling from the sticks she had just begun raising to her mouth. "I was thinking about something," she said quickly. She blinked hard, then imitated Sheyue's slow movement with the sticks when eating.
Weimeng didn't believe her, and neither did Sheyue, who sat right across from her. "I think Mengnu has had a very strenuous day," said the girl.
"They're working you too hard. I will speak to Mengmoshu about this. I want you and Sheyue to have time together for womanly things, and men are never concerned about this. We will make a schedule to be sure such time is available in the future; otherwise, they will fill up your entire waking day."
Kati did not protest, and managed to finish the meal without dozing off again while Weimeng talked about art and showed them some of her drawings. The woman was a fine artist, but it was a thing Kati had no desire to do, and she already had learned that where there is a desire to do something there is also a talent for it, however small. Her talents lay in other areas, and they were still growing.
Most importantly, Mandughai was now involved with her training. They talked often now, and always in that place of deep shimmering purple. The conversations were brief and always initiated by Kati. They always occurred just as she was ready to drift off into sleep. And there were times when they did not occur, even when Kati wanted them to, times when Kati could not see the purple light and go to it. Mandughai no longer met her in the place of twinkling stars where she talked to the Moshuguang. She waited for her in the gong-shi-jie, the place of light, and it was there Kati had to go, the place where the Moshuguang were left behind.
Kati understood that her powers had gone beyond those of the Moshuguang and it was only hard work that was necessary to use them fully. She could move flame at will, heat or cool a room with a thought, and see the deepest secrets in an unshielded human mind. Her own shield was now absolute, when she remembered to use it. Her teachers were never satisfied
—there was always something else to explore—and she wondered why. For what purpose?
Sheyue broke her reverie. "Madam, there has been little private time for Mengnu and me. May we spend the night together?"
"Oh, I would like that!" Kati said quickly.
Weimeng considered it for an instant. "Of course. You need time alone, and I'd forgotten it. Will you host Sheyue?"
"Yes!" said Kati, now excited again.
And so, after the meal was finished, Sheyue came to Kati's rooms, carrying a change of clothes and a bag filled with her toiletries.
They talked and talked, and it became late, but Weimeng did not come in, leaving them to themselves. They talked about Huomeng and Lui-Pang, and Kati told stories about her tutor's moods. Sheyue seemed interested in him. But she lowered her eyelashes and smiled when Kati talked about Lui-Pang: his face, square shoulders, the way he sat a horse, the musky scent of him.
"You like him," said Sheyue. "You think about him a lot."
"Yes," said Kati, a little embarrassed. "We ride tomorrow, and already I'm thinking about it."
"This is natural, I think," said Sheyue sagely. "Girls develop so much faster than boys. In another year or so, my body will be ready to produce children, and you are not far behind me in age."
Kati was startled. It seemed that little time had passed since she'd come to the city. But now she was ten, and in three, perhaps four years, she would be a woman. And for a Tumatsin woman, that was a time of great changes.
The fact that Sheyue was approaching womanhood was only enforced when they took a bath together that night. They bathed in the great, sunken tub, and as usual the water was too hot for Kati's taste. She had gone to the bath in her robe while Sheyue was undressing in the bedroom. She turned on the exhaust fan, and dabbled her foot in the water, calling up the feeling she wanted there, then willing it to be there, drawing energy from water to air. Clouds of steam erupted from the bath, the fan sucking them from the room, and the feeling on her foot was soon satisfactory.
She took off her robe, and eased herself into the water, relaxing in the warmth of it. And then Sheyue came in, dressed in a white robe, her hair pulled up into a single bun that made her look inches taller than usual. She slid off the robe in a slow, sensual way, and Kati saw the coloring around her nipples, the buds of young breasts there. Everywhere her skin was like milk. She stepped into the tub and sank languidly into steam. She sighed, and smiled with pleasure, while Kati kept her own body hidden by the water.
They remained that way for a while, and then Sheyue stood, waded two steps and sat down beside Kati, their shoulders touching. "You seem tired, Mengnu, and Lady Weimeng says I am also here to instruct you. Here, turn your back to me, and I will show you a woman's art I've learned from my mother."
Kati turned her back to Sheyue, and leaned against the side of the tub. Sheyue's hands were first on her neck, rubbing softly, then harder. Long fingers kneaded knots of tissue there, then moved to the shoulders, down the arms, across the back and up again in long, sensual strokes. Small knots of tension received further attention, small, firm, circular strokes with two fingers. The process was repeated, over and over, until Kati thought she might sink beneath the water. At the same time, she was tingling all over, and her breathing was quicker than normal.
"Now it is your turn to practice," said Sheyue. She turned her back to Kati, and waited.
Kati hesitated. She had never put her hands on a girl in this manner, and was suddenly shy. Still another thing to learn. She willed her hands to move, and followed Sheyue's example, beginning with the neck. Sheyue corrected her when she rubbed too hard, for Kati's hands were stronger than hers, but it seemed to go well. Sheyue's muscles were long, and quite soft compared to Kati's, but her skin was incredibly smooth, without flaws. She decided it was not such a difficult thing to learn, and Sheyue seemed to enjoy it. When Kati was finished, the girl turned and smiled.
"When a woman does that to a man, he becomes her slave. My mother has told me this, and my father has verified it."
Her laugh was a tinkle as she stood up and stepped from the tub. Her skin was a pink glow after she toweled herself, Kati watching silently.
Kati waited until Sheyue put on her robe and left the room before she dared to get out of the water.
That night, they slept together in Kati's bed, wearing robes of light polymer that breathed to cool them. In a moment, Sheyue was asleep, her breathing deep and regular, but Kati found herself wide awake. Her muscles were telling her she was tired, but her mind felt otherwise.
She closed her eyes and the twinkling stars were there, beyond them the shimmering curtain in purple, and immediately she was rushing towards it, the stars flashing past her. The matrix of purple lights was upon her in an instant, and she dove into it without selecting a point of entrance to blindly enter the gong-shi-jie, the world of light, the world of Mandughai.
Mandughai was waiting for her.
This time, her emerald eyes filled the field of view as if Kati had entered the mind of the Empress.
You've traveled boldly, child. I see an improvement in your self-confidence since I showed you the way back.
I couldn't sleep, Mandughai. There was too much excitement for me today. Have you seen it?
I see everything that happens to you, dear. You know that. But there is a question that is new in your mind, and you must ask it.
Around her swirled purple clouds without organization, yet Mandughai had told her they represented only a tiny portion of the light energy there, the rest of it hot beyond belief and beyond even her visibility.
All that has happened to me, then being brought here, the death of my mother, then Weimeng and all my teachers, now Sheyue, it is all a whirl. I see no purpose in it. I've always thought it was because of my abilities to do what the Moshuguang can do, but now I've gone beyond that and they seem to expect more. I wonder about what they expect of me, and I've asked, but even Mengmoshu won't tell me anything. He just says they need to make further tests. My days are filled with tests of one kind or another, and I'm given no reason for them.
The emerald eyes blazed forth, never blinking.
The limits of their tests have been reached, Kati. What they do now is only to satisfy their curiosity. Your real testing is here with me, in this place. The Moshuguang cannot come here with their eyes, minds, or instruments. In the entire history of Shanji, only one person has come to me in this place. And that person is you.
It was something Kati had suspected, since the time Mengmoshu told her she'd gone beyond where he could go.
But why am I so special? Why me?
It is a matter of breeding, dear. You have read a little about genetics, and know what it is. You are descended from two of my sons, through your mother and father. Not one son, but two. The Moshuguang come from one son. That has been the difference. You are something unique, Kati. A person like you has never existed before.
But there is you, Mandughai! Your powers are infinite!
No, child. I am a person, not a god. I am real and physical, just like you.
But I've never seen you! When we meet, I only see the eyes of a giant!
The eyes blazed steadily, but there was a long, silent pause. It seemed to go on forever, and Kati was suddenly frightened.
Mandughai! Did I say something wrong?
No, dear, I was just thinking. I will give you an image, but it is a false one. It is an image for you to see during my teaching, and perhaps it will help your confidence during the difficult tasks ahead of us.
The great eyes slowly closed, and Kati was engulfed in clouds of deep purple. There was a moment of panic, and she was tempted to turn and run back to the swirling vortex that would lead her to the stars. But then an image formed, small at first, then larger, the figure of a woman, floating towards her through the clouds of creation. She was tall and slender, hands folded beneath her breasts, and her robe was royal gold.
It was the most beautiful face Kati had ever seen.
It was the face of a Tumatsin woman.
A Changeling. The face was long, nose arched and prominent, and her eyes were blazing green. Her domed forehead tapered gently at the temples, and when she opened her mouth to speak in unison with words heard only in the mind, large canine teeth gave her appearance a touch of danger and warning.
Mandughai, you are so beautiful.
The apparition smiled, with full lips. I also like it. Now follow me, and I will show you something new.
Mandughai turned away and pointed with a long hand, and it seemed the swirling clouds were rushing past them, though there was no other sense of motion. And then she stopped, still pointing at something before her.
Do you see it? Do you see the point of entrance?
Kati looked hard. I only see boiling, purple mist, Mandughai.
The Empress nodded. It is as I thought. For now, I will guide you, but soon the chemistry of your body will change; you will make this journey and many others by yourself. Now follow me.
Kati followed her into thick mist, a fog of purple, and then it was as if a door had opened and the light of a yellow star beat down on them from a black sky. Mandughai turned again and Kati followed her outstretched arm.
A great blue planet filled half their view, and above it, floating like a moon, was a spherical ball of gleaming metal encrusted with fine projections like crystals. On one side, four mammoth conical protrusions grew from the surface, showing black maws like tunnels to a cave.
The planet below is where you now rest in your bed. The great metal ball you see is the ship that brought your ancestors to this planet. It is the mother ship, Kati, long neglected by those who have ruled Shanji. The day is coming when the ship must be used again, for the people of Shanji must take their place among my other worlds. I will have it no other way. And they must take their place as one people, not several. In the years to come, you will see all of Shanji, and then you'll understand what I'm saying. The Moshuguang will see to this.
Kati felt a kind of euphoria, for it was possible that an important question had just been answered. Am I to take part in this? You told me once that there was a thing you would have me do. Is this the thing?
That, and many more. Kati, you are being prepared for many tasks. Some may be too much for you, but it's too early for us to know. All who will teach you are now present in your life, and all you must know will be made available to you. But in the end, you will make choices, and your destiny will depend on those choices. I will be here to guide you, and test your preparation. The rest is up to you.
Kati was suddenly content. Thank you, Mandughai, for showing me a purpose in my life. I think it will be easier for me to work now. Some days have been difficult for me.
Mandughai smiled. Some future days will be even more so, but now you must truly rest. This is enough for tonight.
Mist swirled around them, the great metal ball was gone, and they were once again in the gong-shi-jie, the world of light. Mandughai pointed behind Kati, and said, you know the way. Come to me when you are ready, and I will show you many other things you must see. I will be waiting.
Mandughai faded before her eyes, and was gone. The vortex was near, as if it had followed her. She dropped into it with a purple flash, the stars still there, growing smaller, then the matrix, then darkness.
There was the odor of scented soap, and warmth at her back, coming from the girl asleep beside her.
Kati slept.