The Complete Tales of the Floating World Box Set by J C Kang

Author:J C Kang [Kang, J C]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-17T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Today was the day Tian truly became a thief. First he’d stolen a time piece, and then, just minutes later, a key. Now he was making off with a horse. Well, the horse belonged to his family, but Father would still say it was stealing.

He looked over his shoulder toward the imperial barge. Father and Mother were both on board, enjoying the moons-viewing party with other great lords.

He’d been so close. How nice it would’ve been, to hug Mother and reassure her that he was all right. That new people cared for him.

And, of course, there was Princess Kaiya. She’d almost seen him near the city walls, but with him being prone and having lost weight, combined with the imperial guards urging her back into the palanquin, he’d escaped undetected. Part of him wished she’d seen him, even if it meant death.

Now, though, he had a mission. Yangyang had hurried off the barge, looking so distraught he’d wondered if something had gone wrong. Yet she flashed him a grin as she walked past, slipping the key into his hand.

Ignoring the hails of the guards at the city gates, he rode hard down the street. It was slower going than in an open field, especially with all the commoners flocking to parks and open spaces for the moons viewing.

They might have a one-hour window to succeed, and he might have a way to make that longer—as long as they had both keys in and the combination deciphered before midnight. He looked up at the moon, to see it waxing to its second gibbous.

Three phases to go.

Three phases to get this key to Jie, and then help her get the second key from the steward.

He reached the road leading to the warren where Lord Shi’s home was located in seven hundred and sixty-three seconds—three hundred and sixty-six seconds slower than Father’s charger could run in perfect conditions. He guided the horse in, and through some twists and turns. People heading out to the main street made way—he was on a large horse, after all, bearing the livery of Dongmen Province.

About a block from Lord Shi’s courtyard home, a light flashed twice from the roof of the main building. Squint as he may, even in the light of the full White Moon and fully open Blue Moon, all he saw was a dark shape.

It was Jie, no doubt, so he flashed a hand signal. Have key. Meet at central well.

He led the horse to a small square, occupied by a circular pool fed by a hand pump. He dismounted and loosened the horse’s cinch. She was a docile mare, so he removed the tack and let her drink more easily. He splashed water on her, then checked her hooves. Passersby muttered, some about how a horse was getting the water dirty, others about how thankful they were to have their own well. Still, none dared to challenge what looked to be a lord’s courier.

Lord’s courier! That would be a way into Lord Shi’s courtyard home.

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