The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

investigated the matter closely, or whether a search is underway. It is possible that nothing has been done at all. When I was informed that His Highness had disappeared, the Imperial Court was in an uproar. Nothing could get organized in a systematic way. Nothing could get accomplished."
    "Why?"
    "Because of the shoku."

    The shoku occurred a fortnight after Gyousou departed for Bun Province. The day before, word had arrived at the capital from Sougen, also headed to Bun Province. Gyousou and company had safely crossed the mountains. If that indeed was the case, then Tetsui would be several days away. In fact, several days later another messenger pigeon arrived. They had arrived at Rin'u, the prefectural palace this side of Tetsui, and had set up camp.
    "It would seem he arrived safely," said Senkaku, the Minister of Earth, with a relieved smile.
    She'd run into him in the Romon, the soaring gate to the south of the Imperial living quarters and the Imperial Court. It was a huge building with three towers at least ten times the height of a normal person. In the center of the white hall, sandwiched between the open north and south doors, a large, white staircase descended toward the Sea of Clouds.
    "I wish all the best to His Highness," said Senkaku. "Though I fear expressing such concerns to a man who was once a general could be thought offensive."
    "Indeed," Risai agreed with a smile, and continued down the staircase.
    That was when it happened. The low, faint, subterranean rumble. Risai stopped in her tracks, wondering where the sound could be coming from. Apparently deaf to it, Senkaku glanced curiously over his shoulder at her.
    "What was that sound just now?" Risai said.
    She remembered later that at that moment the mountain shook. The sound arose from the earth beneath her feet--from the whole of Ryou'un Mountain supporting the Imperial Palace--shaking her body. Or so it seemed to her. The world wavered back and forth, the enormous Romon creaked back and forth like a bundle of sticks.
    A shadow fell across her startled, wide-open eyes. She tilted her head back just in time to see the tiles peel away from roof of the Romon and cascade down like an avalanche.
    At that moment, a quake had indeed shaken the mountain. Observing the Imperial Palace from the air, the observer would have seen an island floating in the Sea of Clouds. And in the center of the island, huge, round wave rising high against the cliffs that formed the bay and then spreading out concentric circles.
    The surface of the Sea of Clouds rose up and crashed down on a wing of one of the palace buildings adjacent the cliffs. Simultaneously the building rocked and shook and collapsed with a deafening scream. As if someone had taken a giant hammer to a section of the palace.
    The whirlwind kicked up by the blow turned into a squall racing out into all directions. The sun dimmed, turning into a copper shadow. A moment later, the rusty red-tinged sky began to gather into a swirling whirlpool, like some poisonous volcanic miasma.
    What is this?
    Risai sat down suddenly in amazement in the place she was standing. What was this strange sky expanding beyond the veil of dust? Spasms repeatedly coursed through the ground. The shaking had already ceased, but as if some being were stirring in the bowels of the Earth, the tremors shot up through the palms of her hands, planted on the floor.
    " A shoku-- " screamed a nearby voice on the verge of hysteria.
    When Risai glanced back over her shoulder, Senkaku looked up at her. He was sprawled on the cobblestones of the Romon, covered with dirt.
    The thought, " This is a shoku," mingled with thought, " Why? " She had never encountered a shoku before. But she had also heard that a shoku never occurred above the Sea of Clouds.
    Senkaku picked himself up. The tile shards had rained down even to where he'd been standing. Another two or three steps and the both of them would be buried beneath them.
    "Risai, the Taiho--"
    Hearing the urgency in his voice, Risai sprang to her feet. The earth continued to groan. No small number of people lay on the ground around them, moaning and screaming. But she couldn't spare them any attention now.
    Where was Taiki? It was a little too early for him to be attending the afternoon's session on government affairs. He should have already left the Gai-den, but he couldn't have already made it all the way back to his room in the Seishin. He must be in Jinjuu Manor.
    "It's okay," Risai said.