The Heir (Fall of the Swords Book 3) by Scott Michael Decker Page B

him against everything, even the subterfuge of others. I also hear that it ingratiates him into others' confidences, but that's just a silly rumor.”
    “No one else's talent can thwart yours—it's too strong.” Purring Tiger smiled at her young friend.
    “No one has more power than the Infinite. Besides, if the morning of Bubbling Water's death were the only time it happened, I'd say your right,” Thinking Quick said. “Guarding Bear fades from the temporal scape several times. Once, about ten months before your birth, Purring Tiger. Once, a few days before Bubbling Water divined the conception of the twins.”
    “Perhaps we shouldn't have counted on the mate-empathy link.” Melding Mind looked weary, having just returned from Emparia City. “Not many people know that a pair of Wizards treated Guarding Bear for mental illness after his brother died. They were very close, possibly as close as mates, eh? Such treatment might have interfered with the mate-empathy link between him and Bubbling Water.”
    “We
didn't
rely solely on the mate-empathy link, though,” Purring Tiger said. “We also depended upon his paternal shame. His own son, killing his mate, how ignominious! The shame and grief combined didn't work either.” Sighing, Purring Tiger looked at the others. “What now, conspirators?”
    The four members of the coalition looked amongst themselves. The glance was a collective shrug. With Bubbling Water dead, the retired General Guarding Bear had no more weaknesses.
    “Infinite blast it, why didn't the Usurper die?”

Chapter 7
    O nly a father can set the requirements of a boy's manhood ritual. To prevent unnecessarily difficult or degrading requirements, the son chooses a mediator. His duties limited to stating objections only, a mediator cannot make suggestions to either father or son. If the father is unable to set the requirements, the patriarch decides. A father consults no one but a patriarch. Even then custom obligates the patriarch to ask questions only. In setting requirements, only the father decides and in this the father is alone.—
Rituals Before the Fall
, by Keeping Track.
    * * *
    Flying Arrow, Conqueror of the Northern Empire, seventh Emperor of the Arrow Dynasty, frowned at the speaker and fidgeted in his seat.
    The Sorcerer Exploding Illusion was recounting what he had heard of the conversation between the Heir and the Matriarch Water, moments ago. Also present was the Sorcerer Apprentice Spying Eagle. The two Wizards sat on cushions twenty paces from the dais in the audience hall. As usual, the pimpled, pock-faced Exploding Illusion was slouching, and Spying Eagle was sitting correctly.
    Very bad manners not to sit at attention, Flying Arrow thought. Worse manners to have halitosis so bad I smell it at twenty paces. The Sorcerer's rotten-toothed smile particularly disgusted the Emperor. Soothing Spirit, the Imperial Medacor, prognosticated an early death for Exploding Illusion, if Flying Arrow didn't tire of him first.
    “What?” Flying Arrow asked, having heard the word “assassin.”
    “The Lord Heir said, 'Why hasn't an assassin ever worked?' ”
    “On whom?”
    Exploding Illusion slid a glance at the apprentice beside him, then frowned. “They were discussing Scowling Tiger, Lord Emperor.”
    “Assassinate Scowling Tiger?” Flying Arrow said, scoffing.
    “Yes, Lord, that's the plan.” Exploding Illusion picked something out of his beard, chewing a crusty lip with a black-rimmed tooth.
    “Who? Whose plan to have who assassinate him?”
    With the same hand, the Sorcerer put something in his mouth—probably what he had picked out of his beard. “Flaming Arrow's plan, but no mention of who would do it, Lord Emperor.”
    Flying Arrow frowned. At least the Heir wasn't planning to assassinate
him
! “What else did they say?”
    “Not much of importance, Lord Emperor—the usual lovers' prattle.”
    Flying Arrow nodded, looking toward the two men. “I've a request to make