The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

things. What has been going on--beyond the mere reality of the purge--cannot be repressed. And when he does find out, will it not cut him to the core? Wouldn't it be better to inform him before that happens?"
    "The kirin," Gyousou noted with a thin smile, "is called the embodiment of the will of the people. That which must be hidden from the people should also be hidden from the kirin."
    "You really think so? Or rather, is this the sort of thing you'd rather not have the Taiho see or hear about? And how can this be hidden from the eyes of the people? If the reality of the purge came to light, they would certainly be alarmed. But those who conspired to cause so much pain during the reign of King Kyou must be brought to justice. They want to know if their oppressors are being punished and what the Ministry of Fall is doing about it. If these cries of dissatisfaction cannot be answered, they will not be satisfied that the past has been dealt with."
    A dynasty must come to an end in the moment that the king died. But that didn't bring an end to the suffering of the people. For them, there was no bright line that marked the end of one dynasty and the beginning of the next. A failing dynasty increased their suffering, and then the new Imperial Court that followed overlooked the sins of the old bureaucrats.
    Even with the enthronement of the new king, the early days were bound to be filled with chaos. The suffering of the people didn't end with the coronation. There needed to be some sign that marked the end of the evil era, something to shift the focus from the old regime. Something that brought both sides together as one and said that the suffering of the people was over and a new era was dawning in which all things would be made anew.
    "That may well be the case."
    "But--"
    "But I do not wish Kouri to see any of this. He is still small and cannot abide the sight of blood. He is a kirin, after all."
    "If you were really concerned about the feelings of the Taiho, shouldn't you be considering his feelings when he finds out what has been going on in his absence? When he finds out after the fact--when he cannot change anything--that he was sent out of the kingdom to ensure that he could not change anything, how will he feel then?"
    It occurred to Risai that she was forgetting her place and saying more than she should, but Gyousou nodded. "It is regrettable. However, those are things I cannot do."
    Risai inclined her head.
    "At times, Kouri shows me a frightened countenance. To me, I am seeing in that countenance the anxieties of the people."
    Startled, Risai looked at Gyousou.
    "The Kirin is the embodiment of the people's will--I sometimes wonder if this is not what I am seeing. A fear of warfare and the shedding of blood--isn't that in the nature of the people as well? The late king arose from the civil service. As a consequence, his last days did not end in atrocities. Instead, the realm died a death of long decay. Raising up a king from the ranks of the military is the most effect way of rekindling the faith of the people, but at the same time it hardly calm their fears. While a military king is resolute, his fall from the Way is all the more calamitous. That is the fear I believe I see reflected in Kouri's eyes."
    This person, Risai thought, and then forgot the rest of what she wanted to say. She didn't know how to express what she felt right then. Something extraordinary. Something far from the commonplace. She had to wonder if he looked at that endearing child with those same eyes.
    "This time around, it's not something I think I want Kouri to see. And that being the case, it must be kept from the eyes of the people as well. Kouri exists to take the measure of such things. The trust of the people has not yet reached that stage--"
    Yes, Risai nodded. At the same time she couldn't help feeling, Yes, Gyousou is not one of us. Taiki appeared to her as little more than a young child. And once he'd exercised the enormous responsibility of selecting the king--a helpless, powerless child. But that was not how Gyousou saw him. Taiki continued to have a grave and important role to play, and not as his adorable lap dog. But of course that was the way things were. For Taiki was not a child but a kirin. No matter how many times this had been explained to her, this was the first time she understood it in her bones.
    "As far as these events are concerned, Kouri shall be kept in the dark. And so shall the people. Acting with all due