“Yes,” Lian said to herself. “There would be rumors.”
“So what’s our plan?” I asked. “We walk into the audience chamber. Then what?”
“There are six Royal Audience Chambers, but only one for Intimate Friends and Enemies,” Lian said. “My father advised me, as his grandfather advised him, to keep his friends close, but his enemies closer. Therefore, he chose a chamber situated on the floor below his personal suite.” Her expression turned grim. “I pity those enemies we encounter tonight.”
The next hour raced by. Danzu and Jing-mei went off to prepare a wagon. Quan cooked dinner. Lian and Gan discussed tactics for reaching the king’s bedchamber without encountering any guards or other obstacles. Yún and I didn’t have much to do, other than keeping our griffin occupied. I felt pretty useless.
I did my part already, I told myself. I found Lian and helped her escape. Sort of.
Except it was Yún who brought the maps and money and passports. And Quan who found out the plot and organized his smuggler friends. And Danzu who brought us into Lóng City. Now Gan and Jing-mei would do the rest.
Yún touched my arm and leaned close. “You fought the bandits,” she whispered. “You saved my life. You found the secret passage. We would not be here without you.”
“How did you—”
She smiled. “I know you, Kai. No matter what you think, you are smart and clever, just in different ways. And . . .” Her voice caught. “If I were a better friend, I’d tell you that more often.”
Her fingers closed over my hand. I almost forgot about all the people around us. Maybe this time it would be okay if I kissed her.
“Dinner is ready,” Quan announced.
Peh. I squashed a string of curses. Yún’s mouth tucked into a brief smile.
We ate, then trooped down through the warehouse and into the courtyard. The moon was floating low in the skies, half obscured by Lóng City’s mountain peak. Our wagon stood in the middle, stacked high with crates and smaller boxes. Someone had lit a torch, which cast a ruddy glare over everything.
Jing-mei pointed to one larger crate with its lid off, which stood near the back of the wagon. “For you and Yún, Princess. Kai, you can pretend you’re one of our grunts.”
“Not so hard,” Danzu said with a grin.
My lips curled back in a snarl. Later, Goat Boy.
“What must I do?” Quan said.
“Grunt,” Jing-mei said without hesitation. “Danzu and I are the drivers.”
“And me?” Gan said.
“You stay here,” Jing-mei said. “You can’t risk anyone—”
“I can’t risk not going—”
Lian silenced them with a sharp gesture. “Gan, Jing-mei is almost right. You must not be seen with people known to give bribes. I want you to meet us in the hall of Royal Audience Chambers for Intimate Friends and Enemies. Wait one hour. If we do not appear, go at once to my father’s bedchamber and tell him—tell everyone—that I have arrived. Understood?”
“What about the watch-demons?” I said.
“Don’t worry,” Jing-mei said.
Easy for her to say. Seeing her face pale and tense in the torchlight, I reconsidered. Well, maybe not. Either we all died tonight, or she went to prison for bribery, or . . .
I didn’t want to think about it. Wishing for good luck made the gods jealous, the old tales said. Better to be a grunt and just follow orders.
We each took our places in the wagon. Lian and Yún climbed inside the crate. Danzu tapped the lid into place, covered the entire lot with blankets. Quan and I squeezed between the crates and the back of the wagon. Gan tilted his head back, studying us all, but Jing-mei in particular. “Good fortune,” he said softly.
Her face flushed and she smiled tentatively. “And to you.” Outside the gates we came into a covered street. At the next intersection, Gan peeled off into a smaller passageway used by the royal guards. We continued to a pair of thick iron gates that sang with magic flux. Danzu dismounted briefly and pressed a metal disc into a slot in the wall. The flux scaled upward to a high-pitched tone, then the gates opened.
“What are these?” I said.
“Old King An K’ao built them,” Jing-mei said. “After the Horse Guard Rebellion he decided that kings ought have proper tunnels, not those sewers. He ran out of money before he got very far. Then someone poisoned him. Most likely one of the Guild Council. They took over building the tunnels so merchants can transport goods through the city after dark.”