Shike by Robert J. Shea (the reading list txt) 📕
" 'A Zinja who kills a brother of the Order will die a thousand deaths.' "Jebu quoted The Zinja Manual, the Order's book of wisdom.
Fudo snorted. "That book is a collection of old women's tales. You are wrong, Jebu. The Father Abbot foolishly appointed us to guard you. We have only to say we killed you because you were trying to escape from the crypt."
"I don't know any Saying."
"Kill the dog and be done with it, Weicho."
The instant Jebu felt the point of the naginata press harder against his skin, he swung his hand over and struck the weapon aside. With a quick chop of his other hand he broke the long staff into which the blade was set. The curved steel blade splashed into the water, and Jebu felt around for it. He grabbed the broken wooden end and held the naginata blade like a sword. But he still dared not climb out of the crypt.
"Come and get me," he said.
"Come and get us," said Weicho.
"He won't," s
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Arghun’s words made Jebu think of Nyosan. In those days she had been known as the loveliest young woman in that part of Kyushu. Now she was dead, burned to death by the Takashi. A stab of anguish went through him and a sob almost escaped his lips. He rubbed his eyes with his right hand. His left arm was nearly paralysed. He was so tired. If only this would end.
“Jamuga had put the son in a monastery of Zinja monks. I went there and that old man, the one standing beside the monk Jebu, had taken the infant under his protection. I was alone, and the warrior monks drove me off. I took Jamuga’s head back to Genghis Khan.
“In the reign of the Great Khan Kuyuk, son of Ogodai, I went back to the eastern islands and tracked Jamuga’s son, the monk called Jebu, to that same Zinja temple on the island of Kyushu, where he was staying with his foster father. We fought, but he escaped.
“The Great Khan Kuyuk died and I returned to the homeland. In his war with the Sung empire your brother, the Great Khan Mangu, made me tarkhan over the army in the south. I found the city of Kweilin defended by a contingent of the dwarf warriors, among them the monk Jebu. I believed that sooner or later the city must fall, and I would have my opportunity to kill him. Again Eternal Heaven decreed otherwise. Upon the death of the Great Khan Mangu the siege had to be ended.”
“Yes,” said Kublai Khan dryly. “You were in great haste to march your army back to Karakorum to persuade my brother to declare himself Great Khan and deprive me of the title. This is an amazing story, Arghun. Eor over thirty years you have been trying to carry out this command of my grandfather’s with no success. Lucky for you my Ancestor has gone to the next world. Imagine what he would do to an officer who took thirty years to carry out an order and still failed.”
All the officers laughed, including Uriangkatai, Yukio and Taitaro. Even Jebu painfully managed a smile. Arghun stood still, bearing the ridicule with set face.
Kublai turned to Uriangkatai. “Now that you know of my Ancestor’s command to Arghun, do you feel he was justified in attacking your foreign troops?”
Uriangkatai held his hands out, palms up in appeal. “My Khan, my father, Subotai, was said to be Genghis Khan’s greatest general. I rode at his side for many years. One rule he drilled into me was never to waste the lives of your men. If Genghis Khan thought a general was throwing men away needlessly, he would break him down to the ranks. Arghun claims he had the right to attack and kill hundreds of your warriors. Many of his own men died in that attack as well. He wasted Mongol lives as well as foreign ones.”
“Do you say that a yarligh of Genghis Khan may be neglected, Uriangkatai?” Arghun roared.
Uriangkatai hesitated, frowning. “All commandments of the Conqueror must be honoured. But the price we have paid today-” He shook his head. “It is high. Too high.”
In a calmer tone Arghun said, “The price is almost paid.” He turned to Kublai and held up a finger. “One more life. Let me kill the monk Jebu, and your Ancestor’s spirit will be appeased.”
Jebu felt Yukio and Taitaro, standing above him, tense themselves. He himself had barely been able to follow the argument, but it seemed to him that Arghun had won his point. To the Mongols, what was one foreign life, more or less? Doubtless, to settle this dispute, Kublai would decree his death.
All eyes in the huge yurt were turned upon Kublai now. The big, dark man sat on his golden throne with his hands clasped across his belly, and smiled faintly. Except for his beard, he reminded Jebu of statues of the Buddha. After a long silence, he looked about him, raising his eyebrows.
“Has anyone anything further to say?” His voice was deep, pleasant. It rolled smoothly through the room like a great river.
Jebu wondered, did Taniko love this man? She had loved Kiyosi, and Kublai Khan had as many admirable qualities. I killed one man she loved, and now a man she may love is going to kill me. That is a kind of justice.
“Then hear my judgment.” Kublai went on. “Arghun, there were many ways you could have carried out my Ancestor’s commandment, You could simply have waited until this all-important battle was over. then come to me. Instead you chose a way that cost many lives. You ordered warriors of mine to attack other warriors of mine. This was an intolerable breach of the Yassa. It is obvious to me that you chose this surprise attack because you were not sure I would let you kill the monk Jebu. You did not trust me.”
Arghun opened his mouth, and Kublai held up a hand. “Be silent. You are going to say that you acted in good faith to fulfil the commandment of Genghis Khan. Let me remind you that Genghis Khar has been dead for thirty-seven years.” A surprised murmur arose it the room, and Kublai allowed it to die down before he continued.
“I ask you, Arghun-I ask all of you-are we to obey the last word Genghis Khan spoke on every subject? Might he not say another word if he were alive? He was my grandfather. I sat on his knee. I rode before him on his horse. I knew the very smell of Genghis Khan. One thing I remember about him, even if no one else does. It was impossible to guess what he was going to do next. He was loyal to friends and he never broke treaties. But he was never bound by his past ideas He was able to learn and change. Now that he is dead, are we to stop learning? Is every man who says he has a word straight from the lips of my grandfather to make himself my master? My grandfather woulc have been the first to laugh at such foolishness. If Genghis Khan were alive today I would bow down before him and obey him. But he is not alive, and I will not bow down before any man who tells me he knows what Genghis Khan would have commanded. If I did that I would be a fool and not worthy to be Great Khan. If he were alive, would my grandfather think it good that hundreds of men were killed today so that Arghun could take one life-or try to? We do not know, so I must ask myself what I think about it.
“My brother, Arik Buka, raised his standard against me because he knew that if I were made Great Khan, many things would change. Arghun, you were one of those who encouraged Arik Buka to rebel against me, because you, too, were against change. You brought your Banner over to me, but you do not truly submit to me as Great Khan. You still want me to do what you think my grandfather would have done. I tell you, Arghun, that the Great Khan can take orders from no one except the Great Khan.
“This is my judgment. It would be right for me to order your death, Arghun, for causing warfare among my troops. If you stood before any of the Great Khans who preceded me, I am certain they would have had you taken out and strangled. But I will not order your death because you are valuable to me. You brought me a host, and you turned the tide of battle today. I told you I know how to remember a friend.”
Kublai turned to Uriangkatai. “You could, like Arghun, have mistrusted my justice and sought redress for your grievances on the battlefield. If you had done that, we would have lost everything we gained in today’s victory. I uphold all your accusations against Arghun. I give you the power of life and death over him. The men he killed were under your command. You have the right of vengeance if you want it. You know that I do not wish to have Arghun killed. But I give you final say in the matter, Uriangkatai. Shall Arghun live or die?”
Uriangkatai was silent for a long moment before he replied. “I owe it to my men who were killed and to their families to have justice. I, too, believe Arghun deserves death. But the Great Khan’s wisdom surpasses mine. If you wish Arghun to live, my Khan, so be it.”
“You have acted wisely and well again and again today, Uriangkatai,” said Kublai delightedly. “You are a worthy son of your illustrious father.” He paused, and cheers rang through the yurt. Uriangkatai’s broad face reddened, and Arghun stood stolid, expressionless.
“Now we come to this monk,” Kublai said. “He is the son of Jamuga, and Arghun says Genghis Khan decreed death for all Jamuga’s seed. This monk is the son of Jamuga by blood, but he never knew Jamuga. His true father is the old monk who stands there with him, one who has lent his wisdom to my religious debates. Eor over four years this Jebu has served me faithfully and well along with the little band of his countrymen under the tumanbashi Yukio. Eor that I owe him the same loyalty and protection any of my warriors deserves from me. Eurthermore, he is a man of religion, and the Yassa forbids us to injure holy men of any faith.
“I decree that my grandfather’s order condemning the family of Jamuga is rescinded. The monk Jebu is to live. Arghun, you are forbidden to harm him. I issue this command to show the world that I am Great Khan and take orders from no one, not even my most illustrious Ancestor, and certainly not from Arghun Baghadur.”
Kublai Khan’s assembled officers greeted his judgment with a mixture of murmurs of approval and mutterings of disagreement. Arghun stood silent, his head, adorned with greying red braids, held high, his shoulders back. Kublai fixed his penetrating black eyes on Arghun,
waiting for the tarkhan to speak.
At last Arghun said, “I have done no wrong, my Khan. Eor more than thirty years I have kept faith with the Conqueror.”
Yukio whispered to Taitaro, “He should cut his belly open. He has no other choice.”
Taitaro shook his head. “They don’t do that here.”
Kublai said, “Let it be understood that your long and relentless pursuit of Jamuga’s sole surviving offspring is altogether to your honour, Arghun.”
Arghun said, “The spirit of Genghis Khan resides in the banner of the nine yak tails. Who will appease his spirit? He once said, ‘My sons and their sons with clothe themselves in embroidered gold stuffs. They will eat sweet foods and meats, and will ride splendid chargers. They will press in their arms young and beautiful women, and they will forget that they owe all these desirable things to us.’ He spoke truly.”
Kublai Khan shook his head. “You have understood nothing I said, Arghun Baghadur. The spirit of Genghis Khan that lives in the standard of our nation will be appeased because the Mongols have a living leader who does not submit to dead words. I
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