The Warlord and the Nightingale: A steampunk fairy tale (Gunpowder Chronicles) by Jeannie Lin

Author:Jeannie Lin [Lin, Jeannie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gunpowder Chronicles short story
Publisher: Jeannie Lin
Published: 2015-07-04T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Chancellor Sakai had the training yard cleared for a morning demonstration. The official attended alone, situated in a covered chair as Hanzo positioned his archer. The target lay directly ahead at the far end of the yard.

Hanzo had fashioned a suit of armor out of lacquer and paper mâché to cover the frame. From afar, the karakuri was a samurai warrior from its very stance to the ornate helmet and mask it wore. The trigger mechanism was hidden beneath the shoulder plate of the suit of armor. Hanzo reached inside to pull the lever down before standing back.

In one fluid movement, the automaton lifted the bow and fixed its stance in a classical archer’s pose. The mechanical arm pulled back to its farthest point before the jointed fingers released the arrow, sending it home to the center of the target.

The chancellor watched from his seat, unmoved.

The karakuri pulled another arrow from its quiver and repeated the first shot without error. Then a third arrow joined the first two inside the target.

Chancellor Sakai rose to his feet. “Very good, Hanzo-dono.”

He moved closer to inspect the target before nodding. Despite all the outward signs of approval, a knot formed in Hanzo’s stomach. He’d come to know the chancellor’s carefully measured expressions.

“An exceptional recreation,” Sakai remarked, approaching the automaton now. He circled the armored figure. “At the start, what was Hanzo-dono adjusting behind the machine?”

“A dial used to set the distance from the target, Chancellor.”

“Hmm.” Sakai ran a hand over his beard. “Then your archer is only able to hit a target directly in from of him?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, but what if the target was set off to one side? Wouldn’t it be beneficial to allow one to direct the arrow?”

This was what Hanzo had come to expect from Sakai. Always another suggestion, another improvement. But now Hanzo knew why. The chancellor had always been designing a weapon.

“Chancellor Sakai is very wise,” Hanzo admitted. “Such a feature would vastly improve the design.”

Already his mind was working. A change to the structure to allow the archer to pivot. The replacement of several joints with a ball and socket fixture — he had the human body as a model.

“This is why I value your skill, Hanzo-dono. Every challenge is an opportunity to you.”

Hanzo bowed in a proper show of humility.

“There is a feast planned for the next full moon. The daimyo’s most loyal vassals have been invited. It would be a great service to show off the archer at the banquet.”

“Of course, Chancellor.” Once again he bowed, keeping his expression veiled.

Only a few months at Koriya Castle and Hanzo was no longer blind. Chancellor Sakai had an intended target in mind. Someone who would be attending that banquet.

Weapons-making was an honorable trade, but there was no honor in assassination. His creation would be used to cheat someone out of his life. An unforeseeable accident. The misfiring of a mindless machine.

In that same moment, Hanzo would relinquish his life as well. His name, his honor, his profession…all gone to ash.

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