(D4, MM) The Timing of the Strike

[Soshi Eiji]

It had taken some doing, but Eiji was glad to have gotten his first deal of Winter Court inked. Granted, it still needed to be approved by both delegation heads AND officially presented to the court, but at least he'd gotten something done.

Now the only question was WHEN to present it.

The Lion in him wanted to knock on Kaguya-sama's door the very instant Lady Sun even hinted she was present. But a lot of Scorpion did not seem to appreciate early morning wake-up calls for some inexpecible reason.

Precendent dictated that right before court was a good time to strike....but that had also meant that assistant snake was there. He'd not said anything in their last encounter other than functioning as a puffed up private court announcer, but Eiji was concerned he'd inject his poison when something of actual use was presented.

So he aimed for the middle of the morning. Hopefully late enough the champion wasn't still reading her papers on how to get ready for the day, and if he was truly lucky, too early for the snake have slid in.

He presented himself at the champion's quarters and requested admission.

[Bayushi Kaguya]

It takes a moment, but a servant opens the door to reveal Kaguya sitting at her table, her morning meal laid out in front of her.

"Soshi-san. Come here. Eat."

[Soshi Eiji]

It takes a moment, but a servant opens the door to reveal Kaguya sitting at her table, her morning meal laid out in front of her.

"Soshi-san. Come here. Eat."

A more dishonorable soul might have wondered if Kaguya was using the Soshi as a makeshit poison taster, but Leadership was deeply imprinted in his soul. If your lord gave you a command, whether it was kill or eat, you hastened to obey, and so he did.

He bowed deeply, and hastened to join his champion at the table.

Sitting properly he first set down the scrolls detailing the arrange with the Phoenix down, then his mask as he was not Scorpion enough to have figured out the trick of eating through it, then lacking a better description of the food, took a pair of chopsticks, and helped himself to some of the fish.

[Bayushi Kaguya]

"I am going to have to kill someone in the delegation. I can feel it."

The voice behind the mask is cold. The eyes are dull.

[Soshi Eiji]

It was quite the different vibe from the first meeting. Gone was the uncertainy, the struggle in a sea of paper. The hand was on the handle, and the blade was out, shining in early morning light. While Eiji wasn't privy to the details of the Crane break-in, given the number of people disloyal to the champion, anyone one of them could have done any number of things to earn this judgement. Because the greatest folly you could commit was undestimating someone dangerous, and Lady Bayushi was danger personisfied.

"Hai, Bayush-ue." he agreed.

There was a lot packed into those few words.

Yes, you are going to need to.
Yes, you are right to.
Yes, do you need some sort of assistance with that?

At least the fish was good.

[Bayushi Kaguya]

She stares down at her food. "I was so concerned about which ones actually planted that note that I forgot that it is immaterial. As long as two people die, they and the others will get the point. It offends my sense of order, but only to a degree."

She turns her head to look at Eiji. "So I will kill two servants and give their heads to this magistrate and a heart to Lady Doji, as promised. But what I need to know, Soshi Eiji, is who is going to make love to a tree for eternity? Hmm? Who is it?"

[Soshi Eiji]

She stares down at her food. "I was so concerned about which ones actually planted that note that I forgot that it is immaterial. As long as two people die, they and the others will get the point. It offends my sense of order, but only to a degree."

She turns her head to look at Eiji. "So I will kill two servants and give their heads to this magistrate and a heart to Lady Doji, as promised. But what I need to know, Soshi Eiji, is who is going to make love to a tree for eternity? Hmm? Who is it?"

When your lord asks you a question, you answer it without hestitation. Thus wrote Akodo. It wasn't Eiji's job to protest the champion's decision, or demand more information, or do anything else really then answer the question. The only real question was which piece was to be sacrificed.

"The tallest tree makes the most noise when it is toppled, Bayushi-ue. Assuming that is Bayushi-ue's will, then Shosuro-ke no kashin Unabara Asakaze would be the correct choice." he offered without futher commentary.

[Bayushi Kaguya]

Bayushi Kaguya nodded slowly. "Unabara Asakaze is an influential man, Soshi Eiji." Her fingers danced on the table. "I cannot simply make him disappear while here in Kyuden Ikoma. Everyone would understand immediately the reasons why. But it will be a clever trick to get him to come to Kyuden Bayushi rather than to flee to his master when court is over."

She frowned. "I shall have to be patient, I think. I shall have to wait. But strange things can happen on the river."

She stabbed her fish.

"But you came here for other matters."

[Soshi Eiji]

"Hai, Bayushi-ue." he said, the single word encompassing agreement with each piece of the champion's wisdom.

He unfurled the scroll written the previous day.

"We have come to an initial proposed agreement with the Phoenix. Naturally, it will require approval by both delegation heads and then further presentation for court. And so I have brought it to you to approve, reject, or request modification of."

The Phoenix will provide (6 units) of paper to the Scorpion. In exchange, the Scorpion will provide (2 units) of weapons and armor to the Phoenix, and agree to discuss via correspondance a research project between the Phoenix and the Yogo. This treaty is bound by the marriage of Shiba Ryusei's younger brother into the Scorpion clan, with Shosuro Bibari-san as their spouse."

"While the initial suggestion of a sealed proposal to Bayushi-ue was a good one, it was complicated by the fact that the Master of Air is not at this court this season. And so we've laid the groundwork for communication, which is detailed below. As Bayushi-ue is the leader of the Scorpion clan, with the Yogo daimyo as her vassal, and the Master of Air, as a member of the elemental council is a ruler of the Phoenix clan wishing to work with her vassal, the agreement is that the propsoal will be negotiated via correspondance, with all correspondance related to such passing through Bayushi-ue. And so proposals of the details of the project will pass from the Master of Air to Bayushi-ue and from Bayushi-ue to the Yogo daimyo and then from the Yogo daimyo to Bayushi-ue to the Master of Air. This limits the number of people involved in the discussion to those who need to know all of the details."

He offers a small shrug.

"Of course, Bayushi-ue, sitting between the two shugenja, as it were, retains the right to terminate the discussion, should she feel that it is not in the interests of the Scorpion clan to pursue, just as easily as any of the other two parties might. We are only agreeing to the correspondance, which could easily end with a 'No' from Bayushi-ue should she so choose. The trade of weapons for paper and marriage are only contingent on the discussion of said project, not the project itself." he concludes.

[Bayushi Kaguya]

"And the Phoenix understand that to be the case? That I could well say no if His Air-ness needs to be protected from himself? We would still get the paper?"

[Soshi Eiji]

"And the Phoenix understand that to be the case? That I could well say no if His Air-ness needs to be protected from himself? We would still get the paper?"

Eiji nodded vigrously.

"I made that quite plain. Even if you respond to their very first letter with naught but the kanji for no writ on a piece of waste paper, we still get the paper, they still get the weapons, and the marriage still goes through."

He shrugged a bit.

"They have little choice, there is only one Yogo library. While we believe the research could lead to significant benefits for both clans, that's not a decision for me, or the Yogo daimyo or the Master of Air. What is best for the Scorpion clan is to be decided by Bayushi-ue, and Bayushi-ue alone. The trade of goods is contingent on the agreement to establish correspondance on the research project, not the realization of the research project itself." he said, believing in every word of that.