The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

of wheels racing along the ground, the pounding of horses' hooves.
    Youko ran down the alleyway and sprinted into the main thoroughfare. She saw a carriage fleeing down the street. People standing around in shock. The body of a child crumpled on the ground.

    The slanting rays of sunlight bathed the avenue in a whiter shade of pale.

Chapter 37
    A t last, Suzu could get down from the wagon and stretch her aching back. They had arrived at Takuhou, the westernmost city in Wa Province. Ei Province was not far past this city. And after that, it was a journey of no more than five days.
    Helping Seishuu down from the wagon, Suzu had to smile. "Tomorrow we'll be in Ei Province."
    "Yeah," Seishuu smiled in turn, and then slumped to the ground. This happened a lot more, lately. Just as he was getting up, his knees would give out.
    "You okay?"
    "You carry me, and I'll be okay."
    "When you're better, I'm going to work you like a horse."
    Seishuu laughed. Of course, she couldn't carry him around while she searched for an inn, so she went to ask the driver if he'd look after him for a while. "Just until I find a room, if you don't mind"
    "Okay. But be back before the gates close."
    The gates of the city closed at sunset. After that, there was no coming or going. Suzu searched the sky. The sun was still not so low in the sky.
    "I'll be back as soon as possible."

    Seishuu sat beside the gate and watched the people walking to and fro. A few yards off, the driver twiddled his thumbs.
    "Hey, Mister, you can go if you want."
    When the man turned to him, Seishuu smiled and pointed beyond the gates. For some reason or another, the words rarely came out of his mouth right. People frequently misunderstood him. But he wasn't self-conscious. Suzu could understand him, but other people couldn't, no matter how often he repeated himself.
    "You go. Okay." Seishuu again got to his feet. He tottered a bit, but could stand.
    When the man saw this, he smiled in turn. "Thanks!" he called out, and jogged back to his wagon. He had people waiting at home for him. He waved as he drove through the gate.
    Seishuu waved after him. He looked around. He didn't see Suzu. It was boring, but if he didn't stay here, they'd probably end up missing each other. In the meantime, he wandered around the gate. The outer loop road ran around the city just inside the walls. Stalls lined the avenue on both sides, narrowing the road somewhat, but it was still plenty wide.
    Seishuu tottered along, apologizing to the people he bumped into. He went over to look at the gate. Peddlers' voices sang out over the crowds. From somewhere close came the sound of buskers. The spirited music flowing around him. Trying to see where it was coming from, he stepped into the street.
    He didn't hear the sound of the horse-drawn carriage, drowned out by the music. As it came rushing at him from the right, he didn't see it. He was blind on that side.
    The look on a man's face directly across the way at last told him of the two teams of horses bearing down on him. He hurriedly tried to jump out of the way, but for Seishuu, who lately couldn't walk a straight line without calmly putting one foot carefully in front of the other, this was a near impossibility. He staggered, and far from getting out of the way, tumbled to the ground in front of the carriage.
    The carriage came to a hasty halt. The horses reared and neighed. This is awkward, Seishuu thought. The carriage was opulently detailed, the property of an aristocrat. He'd catch a thrashing for blocking the road.
    "What are you doing? Get out of the way!" The censorious voice rang out from inside the carriage.
    "Sorry," Seishuu muttered. He hastened to stand, but tripped over his own feet.
    "What is this brat blocking my way for?"
    "I'm sorry, sir. You see, I'm not doing too well."
    A man dressed in ministerial robes glared at him. He couldn't understand Seishuu. Seishuu knelt and bowed his head.
    "Couldn't care less. Go." The voice of the man inside the carriage was laced with laughter.
    Seishuu frantically tried to get up and flopped back down again. Once more. Now, like this, crushed in such an inconceivable manner. He again tried to rise, heard the sound of carriage begin to roll, the shrill snap of the whip. The horses neighed and galloped straight toward him.
    He attempted to back out of the way, but his legs wouldn't cooperate. He had to try and crawl, but all of a sudden the energy had gone out of his body. He futilely clawed at the