Lady Earthquake

Lady Earthquake Chapter 35

"I did not say it was my childhood." Sun-Sin bowed. "If we may leave first, General? There is much to do."

They had hardly left the tent before General Hsia called his own adjutant in. "A letter in the private cipher. Write only: 'Answers evasive. Inquiries proceeding.' Send it by pigeon at once."

"Yes, sir." The man wrote quickly in tiny calligraphy.

"Order our man in the Wild Hawks to attend on me as soon as it is safe to do so. Rumors may be our best weapon against those two cunning men."

"Rumors?"

"There are always rumors about friends like that. These may be truthful, indeed. You did not see the look in the prince's eyes when he gazed on his 'brother'."

The adjutant rumpled his brows in confusion. "Surely not, sir. Fourth Prince is spoken of everywhere as a morally upright young man."

"I have seen such a thing before. Disgusting."

There was, however, very little affection and a great deal of exasperation as Sun-Sin looked at his 'brother' back in their own tent. "You had to provoke T'ien Luo-Bi with hints, eh? "

"I told you I was just trying to keep him from killing me and the others." The bright brown eyes, the color of an autumn-dried leaf, looked straight into his for a moment. Then they shifted away as he scratched his burning ears. "I hate to leave Huidan when we are getting so comfortable here."

"That is life in the Army. Maybe it is just as well, though. This field is too muddy for my taste."

"I know. Tienma walks like a woman holding up a long skirt these days." He laughed at his own joke. "Shall I call in the officers?"

"Yes, and the sergeants. Ban-Li?"

"Sir?"

Sun-Sin crossed to face him. Foregoing his resolution once again, he put both hands on Ban-Li's narrow shoulders, feeling the muscles there bunch up at his touch. "If there is anything you should tell me, please do so now. You either trust me...or you do not."

"I want to tell you everything I can but not yet." He bit his lip and closed his eyes. "I am afraid to."

"Then you...do not trust me." Sun-Sin released him, feeling sick at heart.

"I do!" Ban-Li took a step closer. "I do. But let me wait until we are safely away from here. Safely at our new camp, I mean. I do not trust this sudden order to move our men. I think it is a trap."

"I think you are right. Very well. You will tell me whatever it is when we make camp again. Although I think it is very much in character for you to think that being camped on the enemy's doorstep is our best chance for safety."

"Well...it is. Right?"

"Right again. Ban-Li?" He hesitated. How little he really knew about his best friend in the world. What had he done before coming to the capital? "Is it a crime? I have some power. I can shelter you."

"I do not think it is a crime. Though it all began because of one."

"Ah, you!" He feigned cuffing Ban-Li who ducked with a grin. "Go call in the officers. We have much to do. You have no reason to expect to sleep tonight."

"Yes, sir. I mean...no, sir." There was more than boyish energy in Ban-Li's step as he left; there was relief at an unpleasant task put off.

Sun-Sin sat down behind his desk. Pushing all other work aside, he began to write out his orders for the boy to copy later. Every detail had to be accounted for, from how much rice per man to the wear-and-tear on horseshoes over the course of the march. He wished he could push his thoughts aside as easily as a pile of scrolls.