A group of monks, ten in all, led Keiko and Juno from the massive throne room, down several ornate corridors, and into the fortress’s austere living quarters. The monk in front motioned the two women forward, while another opened a door to her right and stepped back. Juno held her ground, arms crossing. “Where’s Brother Isshi?” she demanded.
Keiko coughed discreetly. We’re not in much of a position to bully anyone, she said blithely. And while I’m all for being forthright, we can’t afford to antagonize these people.
They’re monks, Keiko, Juno thought back.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Patient, kind, and all that. She shrugged, the movement odd-looking if you couldn’t hear her. But watching what you say will go a long way. Just saying.
Juno forced a smile. “I’m sorry,” she said to the apparent leader, a young man with a happy face, kind light brown eyes, and full lips. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It’s just that he said he’d look after us personally.”
“I’m sure he did,” the man smiled. “But the bishop is an important man. He has other duties that need his attention.”
“Too important to babysit us, you mean,” Keiko said archly. Okay, I know what you’re thinking, but you were making demands, I’m being sarcastic.
I don’t see much of a difference, Juno said primly. Though I appreciate the support. She hadn’t realized how nice it was to have someone with authority nearby. Isshi could make decisions where these men couldn’t.
“So what are we supposed to do?” Juno’s hands moved to her hips, but her tone was lighter, less antagonistic. “You all say we’re not prisoners, but since we arrived we haven’t had any freedom or privacy.”
“Your rooms are very private.” The monk’s smiled widened.
Keiko grinned back at him. “You’re funny. Do you have a name?”
“Brother Taisho.” Though the monk’s bow was formal and correct, Juno thought the gesture held a touch of irony. “My apologies, ladies. I should have introduced myself sooner.”
“Oh, I don’t know, the priestess summoned you. Introductions were her responsibility.”
A furtive look crossed Taisho’s face, and he lowered his voice. “The high priestess has even more responsibility than Bishop Isshi. It was an oversight. Nothing more.”
“Right,” Keiko said skeptically. “And I forget to put my pants on in the morning. I understand how easy it is to do stuff like that.” Her face grew serious. “Thank you for your honesty, Taisho. And the warning.”
Warning? Juno hadn’t heard a warning? She was a politician’s daughter; she wouldn’t have missed one. But the conspiratorial look passing between her companions said otherwise. Damn it. She needed to pay more attention. Keiko’s words said a lot without saying anything, Taisho’s too. Her father did this all the time, she should be able to as well. Except she’d never been that good at watching her tongue.
“So,” she said, nodding at the still-open threshold. Might as well start with something innocent. “You say the rooms are private, right? I guess that means we’re free to lock them.” Keiko gave Juno an approving look.
The monk’s eyes twinkled. He understood the game they were playing. “Why would you need to? We are the most honest people on Higo. Our very souls are open to God.”
“But we’re not part of your religious order. And aside from the high priestess, all I’ve seen are a bunch of men. Forgive a girl her modesty, but I’d feel a whole lot more comfortable if I at least had the ability to lock my door. Or have the ability to reopen it if – say – someone, I don’t know, locked it accidentally from the outside.”
Brother Taisho slipped a hand into his robes and produced two brass key rings; matching sets dangled from a small, metal circle on his belt. The handle end was machined to resemble the hammers that all the monks wore off the chains around their waists; the other end was comfortingly serrated.
Juno took one of the rings as offered. Keiko took the other. “I don’t suppose this is the only set.”
Brother Taisho’s smile turned ironic. “Will it make you feel better if I said they were?”
Juno had to think about that for a minute. “Who has the others?” She crossed her arms again and leaned against the wall, determined to know how safe she was.
“You, certainly,” Taisho said with a shrug. “Other than that…” He drummed his fingers thoughtfully against his cheek. “The caretakers, security of course, then maybe two others.”
Juno and Keiko each lifted an eyebrow, Juno the left, Keiko the right. “It would be helpful, if you were a little more precise.”
“It’s hard to be precise, my lady,” Taisho said earnestly. “Sometimes, Kaidan keeps the keys here in the fortress.”
“And those other times,” Juno asked. She already knew the answer.
“The high priestess.” Taisho seemed genuinely apologetic.
Juno sighed and tried to tell herself that it wasn’t that much different than a hotel. Over time she might actually believe it. She cast a suspicious eye at Taisho. “When I go in there and lock the door behind me, will I be able to reopen it once I’m inside?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t you?” Another non-answer. “I’d advise against it, though. You aren’t familiar with Tsurmak. If you wandered off and got lost, you might be late for tonight’s dinner. I trust you wouldn’t want that.”
Juno grimaced, both at the thought and the dinner reminder. While relieved to know where her next meal would come from, the idea of a formal dinner was slightly intimidating. “I hope my appearance will be acceptable,” she said. “I didn’t exactly pack for a state dinner.” She swept her arms down the length of her body, over her dirty shirt, past her hips, highlighting the mud caked on her shorts, and finally flicked her fingers at her travel-worn boots. Keiko’s garb was even less appropriate: running shorts and loose T-shirt. Not exactly what they should wear to dinner, especially not one that involved world leaders. At least, not on her world.
“It’s not a diplomatic affair,” the brother said. “Lord Kaidan thought you’d be more comfortable if he kept the meal casual. I understand he and the high priestess exchanged words over the planning.” An amused twinkle lit his eyes. “She wanted something befitting a traveler from another world, but as I said, Lord Kaidan disagreed.” Taisho studied both women, not in a suggestive way but in a measuring one. “You do look as if you’ve been through a great deal, though, and not just because you’ve been uprooted from everything you’ve known.”
Keiko rolled her eyes. “That’s an understatement.”
Juno nodded her agreement. Dinner or no dinner, cleaning up would be nice.
“You’ll find some clothes already in your rooms,” he said. “Bishop Isshi described you fairly accurately, under the circumstances.” The monk again tapped his cheek. “You may have to roll up the sleeves of the robes and possibly the pants as well. But then again maybe not. I’m heading back into the city from here, and I can have a tailor come by.” He grinned again. “I’ll have her bring some dresses.”
“Dresses?” Juno certainly didn’t have anything against formal wear – she knew how good she looked in a cocktail dress – but she was far more comfortable in clothes that gave her free range of motion. Like what she now wore: shirts, shorts, or pants, anything made for the outdoors.
“She’ll come with a wide assortment.” Taisho grinned again. “However, no one says it has to be a dress. The women here aren’t beholden to them.” He cocked his head thoughtfully. “They’re really not that different from you.”
Juno’s eyes found Keiko. “So I’ve heard,” she said.