He stepped back. "The use of the sword requires concentration, quickness and balance, but a minimum of strength is also necessary. Do not move the sword. Keep it exactly as it is. I will know if you move it. I will return."

Yung shuffled over to the door-and left the room.

It seemed an hour pa.s.sed before he returned. Kati was in agony, the sword shaking wildly in her numb hand. He took one look at her, and said, "Now turn, and use the other hand."

She could not speak, but did as he asked. Her right arm hung uselessly at her side. Again, he adjusted her arm, her fingers. "Remember the position of your hand and fingers. Burn it into your mind."

Again, he left the room.

Again, she endured.

When he returned, sweat had poured into her eyes, and tears were running down both cheeks, but she didn't make a sound.

"Good," he said, taking the sword from her, "the lesson is over. Each day, you will do this exercise with each hand. Start with ten minutes each, and do not go beyond fifteen. I will test you next week, and when you're ready, there will be something new."

He handed the sword back to her. She moved slowly, clutching it with two hands across her stomach, both shoulders screaming in agony. At the door, she bowed to Master Yung and he returned it, and then she left the room to find a young boy waiting on the bench outside. He had a plastic sword in his lap, and two troopers sat with him on the bench. She could hardly see them through the tears, but when the boy saw her he looked stricken with terror.

She didn't care, and turned away. She made the short, but painful walk back to her own quarters where she discovered she'd been with Master Yung for less than half an hour. She plopped the sword carelessly on the floor, and collapsed on her bed.

Half an hour later, Huomeng was pounding on her door to check her progress with the learning machine.

Weimeng looked at her with concern. "Mengnu! Your eyes are closed again, and you've hardly touched your food. What is the matter?"

Kati jerked awake and saw noodles still dangling from the sticks she had just begun raising to her mouth. "I was thinking about something," she said quickly. She blinked hard, then imitated Sheyue's slow movement with the sticks when eating.

Weimeng didn't believe her, and neither did Sheyue, who sat right across from her. "I think Mengnu has had a very strenuous day," said the girl.

"They're working you too hard. I will speak to Mengmoshu about this. I want you and Sheyue to have time together for womanly things, and men are never concerned about this. We will make a schedule to be sure such time is available in the future; otherwise, they will fill up your entire waking day."

Kati did not protest, and managed to finish the meal without dozing off again while Weimeng talked about art and showed them some of her drawings. The woman was a fine artist, but it was a thing Kati had no desire to do, and she already had learned that where there is a desire to do something there is also a talent for it, however small. Her talents lay in other areas, and they were still growing.

Most importantly, Mandughai was now involved with her training. They talked often now, and always in that place of deep shimmering purple. The conversations were brief and always initiated by Kati. They always occurred just as she was ready to drift off into sleep. And there were times when they did not occur, even when Kati wanted them to, times when Kati could not see the purple light and go to it. Mandughai no longer met her in the place of twinkling stars where she talked to the Moshuguang. She waited for her in the gong-shi-jie, the place of light, and it was there Kati had to go, the place where the Moshuguang were left behind.

Kati understood that her powers had gone beyond those of the Moshuguang and it was only hard work that was necessary to use them fully. She could move flame at will, heat or cool a room with a thought, and see the deepest secrets in an unshielded human mind. Her own shield was now absolute, when she remembered to use it. Her teachers were never satisfied -there was always something else to explore-and she wondered why. For what purpose?

Sheyue broke her reverie. "Madam, there has been little private time for Mengnu and me. May we spend the night together?"

"Oh, I would like that!" Kati said quickly.

Weimeng considered it for an instant. "Of course. You need time alone, and I'd forgotten it. Will you host Sheyue?"

"Yes!" said Kati, now excited again.

And so, after the meal was finished, Sheyue came to Kati's rooms, carrying a change of clothes and a bag filled with her toiletries.

They talked and talked, and it became late, but Weimeng did not come in, leaving them to themselves. They talked about Huomeng and Lui-Pang, and Kati told stories about her tutor's moods. Sheyue seemed interested in him. But she lowered her eyelashes and smiled when Kati talked about Lui-Pang: his face, square shoulders, the way he sat a horse, the musky scent of him.

"You like him," said Sheyue. "You think about him a lot."

"Yes," said Kati, a little embarra.s.sed. "We ride tomorrow, and already I'm thinking about it."

"This is natural, I think," said Sheyue sagely. "Girls develop so much faster than boys. In another year or so, my body will be ready to produce children, and you are not far behind me in age."

Kati was startled. It seemed that little time had pa.s.sed since she'd come to the city. But now she was ten, and in three, perhaps four years, she would be a woman. And for a Tumatsin woman, that was a time of great changes.

The fact that Sheyue was approaching womanhood was only enforced when they took a bath together that night. They bathed in the great, sunken tub, and as usual the water was too hot for Kati's taste. She had gone to the bath in her robe while Sheyue was undressing in the bedroom. She turned on the exhaust fan, and dabbled her foot in the water, calling up the feeling she wanted there, then willing it to be there, drawing energy from water to air. Clouds of steam erupted from the bath, the fan sucking them from the room, and the feeling on her foot was soon satisfactory.

She took off her robe, and eased herself into the water, relaxing in the warmth of it. And then Sheyue came in, dressed in a white robe, her hair pulled up into a single bun that made her look inches taller than usual. She slid off the robe in a slow, sensual way, and Kati saw the coloring around her nipples, the buds of young b.r.e.a.s.t.s there. Everywhere her skin was like milk. She stepped into the tub and sank languidly into steam. She sighed, and smiled with pleasure, while Kati kept her own body hidden by the water.

They remained that way for a while, and then Sheyue stood, waded two steps and sat down beside Kati, their shoulders touching. "You seem tired, Mengnu, and Lady Weimeng says I am also here to instruct you. Here, turn your back to me, and I will show you a woman's art I've learned from my mother."

Kati turned her back to Sheyue, and leaned against the side of the tub. Sheyue's hands were first on her neck, rubbing softly, then harder. Long fingers kneaded knots of tissue there, then moved to the shoulders, down the arms, across the back and up again in long, sensual strokes. Small knots of tension received further attention, small, firm, circular strokes with two fingers. The process was repeated, over and over, until Kati thought she might sink beneath the water. At the same time, she was tingling all over, and her breathing was quicker than normal.

"Now it is your turn to practice," said Sheyue. She turned her back to Kati, and waited.

Kati hesitated. She had never put her hands on a girl in this manner, and was suddenly shy. Still another thing to learn. She willed her hands to move, and followed Sheyue's example, beginning with the neck. Sheyue corrected her when she rubbed too hard, for Kati's hands were stronger than hers, but it seemed to go well. Sheyue's muscles were long, and quite soft compared to Kati's, but her skin was incredibly smooth, without flaws. She decided it was not such a difficult thing to learn, and Sheyue seemed to enjoy it. When Kati was finished, the girl turned and smiled.

"When a woman does that to a man, he becomes her slave. My mother has told me this, and my father has verified it."

Her laugh was a tinkle as she stood up and stepped from the tub. Her skin was a pink glow after she toweled herself, Kati watching silently.

Kati waited until Sheyue put on her robe and left the room before she dared to get out of the water.

That night, they slept together in Kati's bed, wearing robes of light polymer that breathed to cool them. In a moment, Sheyue was asleep, her breathing deep and regular, but Kati found herself wide awake. Her muscles were telling her she was tired, but her mind felt otherwise.

She closed her eyes and the twinkling stars were there, beyond them the shimmering curtain in purple, and immediately she was rushing towards it, the stars flashing past her. The matrix of purple lights was upon her in an instant, and she dove into it without selecting a point of entrance to blindly enter the gongshi-jie, the world of light, the world of Mandughai.

Mandughai was waiting for her.

This time, her emerald eyes filled the field of view as if Kati had entered the mind of the Empress.

You've traveled boldly, child. I see an improvement in your self-confidence since I showed you the way back.

I couldn't sleep, Mandughai. There was too much excitement for me today. Have you seen it?

I see everything that happens to you, dear. You know that. But there is a question that is new in your mind, and you must ask it.

Around her swirled purple clouds without organization, yet Mandughai had told her they represented only a tiny portion of the light energy there, the rest of it hot beyond belief and beyond even her visibility.

All that has happened to me, then being brought here, the death of my mother, then Weimeng and all my teachers, now Sheyue, it is all a whirl. I see no purpose in it. I've always thought it was because of my abilities to do what the Moshuguang can do, but now I've gone beyond that and they seem to expect more. I wonder about what they expect of me, and I've asked, but even Mengmoshu won't tell me anything. He just says they need to make further tests. My days are filled with tests of one kind or another, and I'm given no reason for them.

The emerald eyes blazed forth, never blinking.

The limits of their tests have been reached, Kati. What they do now is only to satisfy their curiosity. Your real testing is here with me, in this place. The Moshuguang cannot come here with their eyes, minds, or instruments. In the entire history of Shanji, only one person has come to me in this place. And that person is you.

It was something Kati had suspected, since the time Mengmoshu told her she'd gone beyond where he could go.

But why am I so special? Why me?

It is a matter of breeding, dear. You have read a little about genetics, and know what it is. You are descended from two of my sons, through your mother and father. Not one son, but two. The Moshuguang come from one son. That has been the difference. You are something unique, Kati. A person like you has never existed before.

But there is you, Mandughai! Your powers are infinite!

No, child. I am a person, not a G.o.d. I am real and physical, just like you.

But I've never seen you! When we meet, I only see the eyes of a giant!

The eyes blazed steadily, but there was a long, silent pause. It seemed to go on forever, and Kati was suddenly frightened.

Mandughai! Did I say something wrong?

No, dear, I was just thinking. I will give you an image, but it is a false one. It is an image for you to see during my teaching, and perhaps it will help your confidence during the difficult tasks ahead of us.

The great eyes slowly closed, and Kati was engulfed in clouds of deep purple. There was a moment of panic, and she was tempted to turn and run back to the swirling vortex that would lead her to the stars. But then an image formed, small at first, then larger, the figure of a woman, floating towards her through the clouds of creation. She was tall and slender, hands folded beneath her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and her robe was royal gold.

It was the most beautiful face Kati had ever seen.

It was the face of a Tumatsin woman.

A Changeling. The face was long, nose arched and prominent, and her eyes were blazing green. Her domed forehead tapered gently at the temples, and when she opened her mouth to speak in unison with words heard only in the mind, large canine teeth gave her appearance a touch of danger and warning.

Mandughai, you are so beautiful.

The apparition smiled, with full lips. I also like it. Now follow me, and I will show you something new.

Mandughai turned away and pointed with a long hand, and it seemed the swirling clouds were rushing past them, though there was no other sense of motion. And then she stopped, still pointing at something before her.

Do you see it? Do you see the point of entrance?Kati looked hard. I only see boiling, purple mist, Mandughai.The Empress nodded. It is as I thought. For now, I will guide you, but soon the chemistry of your body will change; you will make this journey and many others by yourself. Now follow me.

Kati followed her into thick mist, a fog of purple, and then it was as if a door had opened and the light of a yellow star beat down on them from a black sky. Mandughai turned again and Kati followed her outstretched arm.

A great blue planet filled half their view, and above it, floating like a moon, was a spherical ball of gleaming metal encrusted with fine projections like crystals. On one side, four mammoth conical protrusions grew from the surface, showing black maws like tunnels to a cave.

The planet below is where you now rest in your bed. The great metal ball you see is the ship that brought your ancestors to this planet. It is the mother ship, Kati, long neglected by those who have ruled Shanji. The day is coming when the ship must be used again, for the people of Shanji must take their place among my other worlds. I will have it no other way. And they must take their place as one people, not several. In the years to come, you will see all of Shanji, and then you'll understand what I'm saying. The Moshuguang will see to this.

Kati felt a kind of euphoria, for it was possible that an important question had just been answered. Am I to take part in this? You told me once that there was a thing you would have me do. Is this the thing?

That, and many more. Kati, you are being prepared for many tasks. Some may be too much for you, but it's too early for us to know. All who will teach you are now present in your life, and all you must know will be made available to you. But in the end, you will make choices, and your destiny will depend on those choices. I will be here to guide you, and test your preparation. The rest is up to you.

Kati was suddenly content. Thank you, Mandughai, for showing me a purpose in my life. I think it will be easier for me to work now. Some days have been difficult for me.

Mandughai smiled. Some future days will be even more so, but now you must truly rest. This is enough for tonight.

Mist swirled around them, the great metal ball was gone, and they were once again in the gong-shi-jie, the world of light. Mandughai pointed behind Kati, and said, you know the way. Come to me when you are ready, and I will show you many other things you must see. I will be waiting.

Mandughai faded before her eyes, and was gone. The vortex was near, as if it had followed her. She dropped into it with a purple flash, the stars still there, growing smaller, then the matrix, then darkness.

There was the odor of scented soap, and warmth at her back, coming from the girl asleep beside her.

Kati slept.

CHAPTER NINE.

HUOMENG.

Huomeng showed Kati the world of Shanji, but Sheyue and Lui-Pang showed her how to love.

It was a difficult and confusing time, for shortly after her thirteenth birthday a new chemistry awoke in her body, and she was suddenly a woman.

Her body was lithe and strong from the years of riding and the many hours with Master Yung. Her legs had shot forth like those of a colt, and were firmly muscled. She was now taller than Sheyue by nearly a head, growing like a wild plant, her legs aching at night as if being stretched while she slept.

Most important to her was the budding of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and the way her hips were suddenly well defined. When Sheyue wasn't with her, Kati would remove her clothes and check the progress of her body in a mirror, admiring the new changes.

The changes in her face concerned her. It had suddenly grown thinner and long, and the little nub of a nose had disappeared, replaced by one prominent and arched, with a little break in it that made it seem to her like the beak of a bird. At first she didn't like the nose, but then she decided that it made her look older, and that was good.

She had allowed her hair to grow, but argued with Weimeng about how to wear it, refusing the tight buns of the n.o.bles' coiffure and allowing it to fall as a horse's tail down her back, tied near the scalp with a band of gold given to her by Juimoshu, who always gave her jewelry. It made her feel free and wild, unlike the other women around her. Most importantly, Lui-Pang liked it that way, and often said so.

The day finally came when he kissed her.

They were riding in the morning, for Huomeng had a full day planned for her. Over the years, their rides had taken them further and further from the city, and Mengmoshu had finally allowed them to use the mountain trail so that Lui-Pang would become familiar with the territory to the west. The time of his induction as a trooper was rapidly approaching.

They rode on the plateau by the three peaks, and in getting there had pa.s.sed the site of Kati's ordu. It was a painful experience, for nothing was left, no sign of life ever having existed there. The gerts, the fences, corrals, everything was gone, the site now overgrown with gra.s.s and brush. Kati had been silent as they pa.s.sed it, and had felt Lui-Pang's eyes on her. But now they trotted on the plateau in a gentle breeze, and Kati was feeling better. She looked up at the three peaks, and said, "As a child, I had a secret place up there. Would you like to see it?"

"It's very steep," said Lui-Pang. "Can we take the horses up there?"

"There's a trail. I'll show you," she said, smiling. "We can see the city from there."

Lui-Pang nodded, and followed behind her. She quickly found the trail, for it hadn't changed over the years; they followed it up an arroyo, then out onto the slopes, criss-crossing them in an ascent to the rock ma.s.sifs of the peaks and up the edge of a short scree-fall to the little meadow nestled there within the summit crags.

Lui-Pang was already thinking like a military man. His first reaction was to say, "What a tremendous observing post! You can see for miles in every direction here!"

The gra.s.s was long and aromatic. They left their horses to graze and stepped up to the edge of the meadow facing east, a terrifying drop-off of five hundred paces near where they stood. The city glowed in the distance, a single, golden point there that was the palace dome. Lui-Pang was standing behind her, so close she could feel his warmth.

"When I was a child, I came here to look at the city. I never dreamed that someday I would be living there," she said wistfully.

She felt his hands on her shoulders, lightly, then moving down her arms and back up again, resting there.

"Mengnu," he murmured, very close to her ear, and then he nuzzled her, and his lips found her neck. She leaned back against him, letting it happen. "Oh, Kati," he whispered, and then he turned her around, took her face in his hands, and kissed her.