The Power and the Glory

Book 3 Chapter IX: From the Ashes

Warning: contains references to cannibalism of the zombie kind.

The four lesser apocalyptical horsemen of Panic, Bewilderment, Ignorance, and Shouting took control of the room. -- Terry Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment

In almost every way Gengxin was exactly the same as Mirio remembered. His cousins were trying to murder each other, his cousins' wives were trying to murder their husbands' secondary consorts and their husbands' other children, the eunuchs were stealing from the treasury, and there was at least one attempted murder in the palace every other day. Business as usual, in other words. From time to time he was tempted to look back on Seroyawa with more fondness than it really deserved. Then he remembered that it was every bit as much of a mess as Gengxin and the only reason it seemed better in comparison was that the royal family was smaller.

But there was one way in which Gengxin was very different to how he remembered. He'd met Zi Yao a few times before and never paid much attention to him. His youngest cousin had been born sickly and so far the years had not improved his health. Mirio knew his uncle had sought the help of many doctors from all over the world to find a cure. No one had ever succeeded.

Until now, apparently. When Mirio first heard of the foreign doctor who could stop Zi Yao's seizures he'd almost laughed in the chief eunuch's face.

"For over two hundred years every doctor who's examined Zi Yao has said he can't be cured," Mirio said. "This new doctor has to be a fraud."

The chief eunuch shook his head. "We've set traps for him. We've tested him again and again. We just can't find any proof he's lying. You see, he doesn't claim to be able to cure the Ninth Prince. He just says he can control the seizures."

"And he can?" Mirio asked disbelievingly. "How? Who is he and where did he study to gain knowledge no one else has?"

Ever since the chief eunuch had cornered him on his walk around the gardens Mirio had expected to be asked for some favour. He wasn't at all surprised when the eunuch's voice took on the wheedling tone of someone who wanted something and was determined to get it no matter what resistance they faced.

"That's what all of us want to know, your Highness. We suspect dark magic."

It took a great deal of self-restraint not to scoff. "I've never heard of dark magic being used to heal anyone."

"Neither have we!" the eunuch hastened to say. "Yet there is something very odd about that man even if it isn't dark magic. We want to make sure he isn't a threat to the kingdom. He won't talk to any of us -- I think he knows we're suspicious -- so we thought... since Your Highness is a foreigner... and since Your Highness is familiar with the Saoridhians..."

"You keep saying 'we'. Who are 'we'?" Mirio asked dubiously.

"Myself and the other eunuchs, and the maidservants, and the cooks, and the court physicians, and the astrologers, and the ministers, and the soothsayers, and some of the princes, and the Noble Royal Consort, and the Chief of the Peacekeeping Corps."

The Noble Royal Consort was one of his uncle's concubines and the mother of the Second and Fifth Princes. Zi Yao was the son of a consort with a much lower rank. Light dawned. Suddenly the mystery of how a foreign doctor had gained so many enemies was solved.

I see, Mirio thought. If Zi Yao lives he'll become another threat to the Noble Royal Consort's sons. Apparently this doctor can partly cure Zi Yao. If he leaves Zi Yao's health will deteriorate again. So she opposes the doctor and her supporters follow her lead.

As for all the other people who the chief eunuch claimed were suspicious of the doctor, that was easily explained. No one liked a foreigner barging in and being able to do what everyone else had failed at.