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She bustled off to yell at the servants in charge of the tea selection. Jianzhu dusted his hands off carefully and gave a weary sigh.
Jianzhu entered the grand reception hall to a trying sight. The sages had seated themselves across three sides of the room, behind the rows of long tables, and Hui was in the middle where the master of the house would normally be. He was sitting in Jianzhu’s chair.
Hei-Ran was off to his left. She traded a wide-eyed glance with him. What are you going to do?
What Jianzhu was going to do was sit down, alone, behind the remaining table, and wait. He felt stares burning into him from all directions.
“Master Jianzhu,” Hui said. “Could you ask Master Kelsang and the Avatar to join us?”
The servants opened the door and entered with steaming trays of tea. Jianzhu milked the moment for all it was worth, waiting to answer until each sage had a cup placed before them. He made motions of thanks to the maid who gave him his, and took a sip, praising Auntie Mui’s choice of the blended oolong.
Only once the staff had left did he speak. “You know as well as I do I cannot. Master Kelsang and the Avatar are still on their spiritual journey.”
Hui smiled tightly, a motion that pulled his blocky face to the side. “Yes, their journey. The abbots of the Air Temples haven’t seen them once since you made that claim. Is it not strange that Master Kelsang hasn’t taken the boy to any of the temples, whether to visit the sacred sites or simply to resupply?”
“I don’t wish to speak ill of my friend, but he does have a rocky relationship with some of the more orthodox Air Temple leaders. And places holy to the Air Nomads exist around the world. They’re nomads.”
“And what holy places are in Taihua?” Hui snapped. “Perhaps the previously unknown settlement of daofei there?”
Jianzhu stayed calm. “Chamberlain, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that the Avatar’s last known whereabouts happened to be in a nest of criminals, traitors, and outlaws, and that he hasn’t been seen since! I’m saying that we have to assume the worst! That he and his companion are in mortal danger, if not dead already!”
There was the clank of a single dropped cup. Hei-Ran knew he’d tracked the Avatar to Taihua but not that the mountains had been crawling with danger. Nor had any of the letters he’d read last night mentioned a firebending girl. The fate of her daughter was unknown.
Hei-Ran looked at him like he’d stabbed her in the heart. That was the one gaze he couldn’t meet. He concentrated on Hui instead, on this usurping little badgerfrog who’d fancied himself a player of games. Strictly speaking, Hui didn’t have evidence in hand. But he could get it at his leisure. There was no hiding an entire town, nor the secret tunnels that supplied it.
“You have demonstrated unforgivable negligence at best and cost the Earth Kingdom its portion of the Avatar cycle at worst!” Hui said. And the people I’ve bribed to appear today will attest to that. “You are no longer fit to serve as the Avatar’s master!”
He’d chosen to use those words. Jianzhu snapped.
“And you are?” he shouted at Hui, leaping to his feet. “You who want that power and status for no reason other than it’s there!?”
Hui took the time to smell and sip his tea, knowing he’d won. “This gathering has not yet decided whom the Avatar, if still alive, should learn from,” he said smugly.
Jianzhu felt queasy. His forehead grew damp. “This gathering,” he sneered, swaying on his feet. “This isn’t a proper conclave of sages. You’ve identified my enemies among the leadership of the Earth Kingdom and brought them to my doorstep like a bandit gang!
“What has he promised you, huh?” he yelled at the assembled faces, nearly spinning in place. “Money? Power? For centuries men like Hui have carved up this nation and offered slices to anyone who’ll pay! I’m the one trying to make it stronger!”
They blinked slowly, coughed hard, didn’t respond.
Hui sniffed, his nose starting to run. “We meet the minimum number required to strip you of your duties. If you’re . . . if you’re done grandstanding, we’ll take the vote.”
Jianzhu retched. His insides heaved in and out and his vision went blurry. “What is going on?” he shouted at Hui. “What did you do to me?”
“What do you mean?” Hui tried to stand but collapsed back in his chair. He put his hand to his nose in astonishment. It was covered in blood.
“What’s happening?” someone shouted. Sounds of vomiting filled the hall. A servant opened the door behind Jianzhu to see what the commotion was and screamed.
Jianzhu collapsed forward, his upper body slamming against the table. He couldn’t see Hei-Ran. But like the needle of a compass, his hand reached toward her as he blacked out.
FAREWELLS
Kyoshi gave a start when Lao Ge walked into the room, alone. She immediately took a defensive posture in her bed on the chance he’d belatedly come to exact a toll for denying him his victim. He didn’t help matters by brandishing a small blade as he entered.
“Time to get the bandages off,” he said.
“Why are you the one doing it?”
