The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

way. They often took detours to see cities in the opposite direction of Shisou. With the suugu, it was a trouble-free trip, but Shoukei couldn't help wondering what he was up to and what the whole purpose of the trip was.
    "More kingdoms don't allow itinerants or refugees to become public servants or go to school. It's even tougher for sankyaku and kaikyaku. They're normally treated the same as itinerants, but in Kou they're treated even worse than that. At the other extreme, there are kingdoms that treat them very well, Sou and En and Ren. Sankyaku and kaikyaku can tell you fascinating things about paper making, ceramics, printing techniques, medicine."
    "Sankyaku and kaikyaku actually exist?" Shoukei had never seen one.
    "The first one to build a temple was in Hou."
    "Really?"
    "A sankyaku arrived during the reign of Hitsu-ou. He carved away the side of a mountain and built a temple. That was the first time the teachings of Buddhism were promulgated. That's why cremation is still practiced in Hou. Only Hou, En, Sou and Ren cremate the dead. In Hou, Rishi don't follow the same layout as the imperial court, but are built like temples. The arrangement of the buildings is different."
    "Hitsu-ou?"
    The twelfth or thirteenth dynasty of Hou, I believe."
    Shoukei looked at the hanjuu in amazement. He knew more about Hou than the princess royal herself, a citizen of Hou. It was both mortifying and irritating.
    "By the way, Shoukei, starting tomorrow, things are going to get a bit tougher."
    They had left Shisou and traveled two more days on the suugu. They were about to enter the gates to a city. The road before the gate was quiet. It was still some time till sundown. Rakushun tied a small bamboo tube to the neck of the suugu. That morning, Shoukei had seen him place a letter into the tube.
    "What's that for?"
    "Starting tomorrow, we'll proceed on foot to En." She was about to protest, when Rakushun sent the suugu on its way. "Go on ahead of us and see that this letter gets to its destination."
    With a cry, the suugu climbed into the air. It soared skyward like a kite, waved its long tail, swept over them like the wind, and disappeared.
    "Well, what are we going to do now, with the suugu gone? It's still some ways to En!"
    "About five days. Sorry. We won't be doing any more sightseeing."
    "That's not the problem! Where are we going to stay tonight?"
    Hanjuu weren't welcome in any city. Whenever he entered a high-class establishment, Rakushun was met with sour looks. But when they saw the suugu, their attitudes would change just like that. Without the suugu, they wouldn't hesitate to show him the door.
    "It's okay. We won't stay in those kinds of inns. The kitsuryou's not around to fuss about the stables, so any old dive will suit us fine."
    Until now, they had stayed at the best hotels, because it was necessary for the inn to have stables that could care for a suugu. Although she understood this, Shoukei frantically ran after Rakushun, who had already started for the gate.
    "You can't be serious! Any old dive? You're kidding, right?"
    Rakushun blinked. "About what?"
    "What do you mean, about what?"
    "What does it matter where you sleep? I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect of sharing a room with you, though."
    "Not even a canopy bed? Some dirty closet of a room?"
    Rakushun paused at the gate and sighed. "You really did have a pampered upbringing. No worries. The beds may be hard, but not so narrow that you're going to fall out of bed. Or there will be a wooden floor. You should be able to get to sleep."
    "I know that," Shoukei spat back. "That's why I can't stand it. I don't want to sleep in a place like that ever again."
    The mere thought made her miserable, to be reminded of that mean and shabby life. Having stayed only in the finest hotels after fleeing Kyou, the thought was all the more unbearable.
    Rakushun scratched at the fluffy fur beneath his ear. The main street of the small town was as quiet as the highway. "Well, yes, people usually sleep in beds. But there are people who sleep on the floor. There are people who sleep on the ground."
    "That's hardly news to me."
    "In your case, that's all it is. News."
    Shoukei drew her eyebrows together. "What's that supposed to mean?"
    "To you, it's simply something you know. Unfortunately, I suspect you have no idea what it is really like."
    "Well, I wasn't kidding. I slept in a bed in a cold, drafty room, under a threadbare quilt. You may not realize it, but I hate even