The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

school itself was closed from spring until fall. Anybody wishing to attend otherwise had to get a recommendation from the superintendent (who was also the principal).
    Youko lingered behind in the now vacant orphanage and fretted about the girl named Suzu. What should she do? Go to Takuhou to look for her? She'd sent Hankyo off to Gyouten and he still hadn't returned. That was another reason for her hesitation. As she prepared lunch, she turned the whole thing over in her mind, wondering what to do.
    "Hey, Youshi!" said Keikei.
    Enho always left with Keikei and Rangyoku and returned together. Keikei ran ahead and got home first.
    "Welcome back."
    "You got a guest!"
    "I do?"
    "Yeah," Keikei nodded.
    Youko glanced over her shoulder as Rangyoku walked in with Enho. Without a word, Rangyoku looked at Youko and grinned. "At the Eika Inn next to the dragon gate."
    "An inn?"
    Rangyoku giggled and went into the kitchen. She pulled Youko over to a secluded area by the wall. "It's a guy."
    Youko raised her eyebrows. The first image that popped into her head was the man she'd met at that shady tavern in Takuhou. "Was it perhaps a rather grim-looking man? A big man?"
    "More of a slender physique."
    "About fourteen or fifteen?" If it wasn't the big man, then maybe the boy who had intervened on her behalf.
    Rangyoku gave Youko a teasing scowl. "Oh, stop it! I can't believe you'd forget a good-looking guy like that! He said to tell you that your servant had arrived. You'd know who it was."
    Youko's eyes flew wide open.
    "Wow, I mean, your servant! That's so incredible!"
    Youko hastily waved her hands, batting away the implications. "Don't be ridiculous! It's nothing like that!"
    "Ah, you're blushing. Must be a really neat guy. He was dressed so fine!"
    "No, no, no. Oh, all right, what exactly did he have to say?"
    "So you do know him. You two must be really close." Rangyoku laughed out loud. She rolled up her sleeves and went to the water barrel. "Well, you better go right away and find out. And if you're not going to be back tonight, be sure to let us know!"

    "I figured it was you," Youko said when she walked into the guest suite at the inn and recognized the prim face.
    He opened his eyes suspiciously and leaned forward. Then quickly and politely bowed. The cloak fell from his shoulders.
    "Forgive me for beckoning you here."
    He certainly did present himself well. Compared to his usual attire, he had about himself an air of frugality, but that was because he couldn't very well show up here in full ministerial dress.
    "That was some way of getting my attention."
    "Eh?"
    The bellhop who had showed her to the room gave her a meaningful look. He left the room and wordlessly closed the doors behind him.
    Youko let out a deep sigh. "Forget it," she said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. From next to her ankles she heard what sounded like snickering laughter. "Oh, Hankyo. You know, you could have sent Hankyo for me."
    "I wished to see what kind of place this orphanage was. Should I not have?"
    "Hey, fine with me. So, Keiki, why come all the way here?"
    Keiki took a scroll from the stationery box resting on his knees and rolled it out on the table. "Do you have your Imperial Seal?"
    "Do I have my what?" Youko shook her head and grinned. "Sorry, didn't bring it with me."
    "Some paperwork that needs to be taken care of. Tomorrow, I'll have Hankyo go fetch it."
    "Okay."
    She took each of the documents from a stationery box. Although she had left everything in Keiki's care, the decrees of high government officials still required the Imperial Seal. She unwound the scrolls and scanned the text. She could hardly read a word, so she couldn't do much more than skim over it. She'd have to get Keiki to read it aloud for her in order to understand it.
    "And how is the rike?"
    "What? Oh, it's great. Enho's a good man, and I love the kids."
    "Is that so? That is good to know."
    "Which isn't to mean I don't have any concerns," Youko muttered.
    "Ah," said Keiki, lowering his voice. "As for your inquiries about Shoukou, I examined the civil service records and asked around the ministries. He is the governor of Shisui Prefecture, Wa Province. A high-ranking official of no good repute."
    "Seems to be a lot of that in Wa Province: Marquis Gahou, Governor Shoukou."
    "He has crossed the line many times. The ministers are desperate to discipline him, but no matter what happens, Gahou watches his back and covers everything up."
    "Enho calls Gahou a jackal