"Hold out your swords!" she shouted with a hoa.r.s.e voice.

They did so, blades gleaming. Kati withdrew her own, battered sword, and shrieked at them, "This is not play! It is real! The next time you do this, a h.o.a.rd of invaders will be coming at you to murder your families and burn your ordus! You're all that stand in their way! You are the only defense of your people!"

The men looked at her, astonished. Kati kicked her horse, and rode back and forth along the two lines of men, slapping each blade hard with her own, and screaming, "You defend your families! You defend your ordus! You defend Shanji! Now let the enemy hear you coming!"

The men were screaming before she made the last turn back towards Goldani. The woman saw her coming, and kicked her horse, but then Kati was past her, blood boiling, her blade outstretched as she screamed.

"SHANJIIII!".

They covered the length of the field in seconds, the crowd trilling and screaming with them. They formed up again, horses snorting, banging hard against each other in their excitement.

"Again!" shouted Goldani.

"SHANJIII!" a chorus of ba.s.s screams as they crossed the field a second time to the cheers of the crowd.

Now everyone was laughing, dismounting, the swords again in their scabbards. "It was a good charge,"

said Goldani. "They have the spirit."

"Yes," said Kati, frowning at her, "but they do not understand."

There was nothing more she could do. Kati felt frustration, and some despair. Even the trained troops of

the Moshuguang had never known true battle with a skilled army. And battle would come, forced on her by a woman she loved, and another who craved only power. How many would die before Mandughai was satisfied with their opposition? Or would it be all of them? All her loud threats to Yesugen were suddenly silly. Destroy all her ships indeed. She didn't even know if she could bring herself to use the light of the gong-shi-jie against a human life. If she could not, then Shanji was doomed, for Yesugen would bring a superior force for conquest, and only Kati's powers could stop her.

The joy of Festival was suddenly gone from her. She went back to a ger to sit grimly before it while the people ate and visited with friends. The little children came out again to ride their first horses. Some were already leaving the field to pack their belongings for treks back to the more southerly ordus.

Goldani brought her a plate of food, and sat beside her to eat, "You're not happy," she said.

"I'm afraid," said Kati. "I'm afraid about what will happen to them when Mandughai's army comes. They don't even believe it."

"I believe, and there are others. Many are not here."

"It won't be enough. I'll do what I can, Goldani. I'll bring as many troopers as I can, but I'm still afraid

for them all. It's coming so soon!"Goldani put a hand on her shoulder, then went back to her eating, chewing slowly."How can you be so calm?" asked Kati.Goldani smiled serenely. "I take you at your word. You've said Mandughai hopes to break off Her attack at the first sign of unified opposition from us. That is my hope."

"Those were Her words," said Kati. She'd said nothing about Yesugen, and would not do it now.

"You don't believe Her?"

"I want to."

"But you have doubts."

"Yes." Kati thought again of the real leader of the invasion: Yesugen, the cold, imperious one from the gong-shi-jie, the one who had drugged her own mother to enable a private meeting with her adversary. She might have killed her mother in such a way. What else was she capable of?

"Don't underestimate your own people, Kati. We live simple lives in isolation, but we've not survived all these years by being foolish. We're practical people, capable of making decisions we'd rather not make. I think we'll demonstrate that when the time comes. Things will be decided by Mandughai's mercy, not by how well we do in battle. We must trust Her."

"Your belief is strong, Goldani, though you've never seen Her, or talked to Her as I have. I admire your faith."

"I also have faith in the Tumatsin woman who will be Empress of Shanji," said Goldani, "and I have faith in the people."

Kati leaned against her, and Goldani put an arm around her shoulders.

"So soon," said Kati. "So soon."

She worked with the men a final time in the afternoon, and then Festival was over, and everyone was leaving. She found Edi again, and they talked while the horses were packed, and then they were gone. The people were gone, and the sand was empty by the pool, the only sound that of the breath from The Eye of Tengri-Nayon, and she was standing alone with Goldani as the waterfall began to splash again. Everything was completed, and the people were still not together.

There would be war soon.

She rode through the canyon with Goldani, and they parted at the intersection of trails heading west, east, and south. Goldani leaned over, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Have faith in Mandughai," she said, "and in yourself."

Goldani turned her horse, and rode away towards the glimmering sea. Kati watched her until she was a speck, then turned her horse east. The animal seemed rested. She walked it for several hours, breaking into an occasional trot as the sky darkened, and Tengri-Nayon was glaring down at her. The following afternoon, when she saw the silhouette of Three Peaks, not far ahead, she went to a slow gallop, holding it much of the way back to the Emperor's city-and Huomeng.

She wondered how much time they were destined to have together.

PART IV.

MEI-LAI-GONG.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

MEI-LAI-GONG.

The warning was quite late, and arrived from three different sources.

Kati was sleeping, and suddenly the emerald eyes were there as they'd been years before, the times before her travel in the gong-shi-jie.

Kati!

She awoke with a start, and kept her eyes closed.

Mandughai! Is it you?

Yes, dear. I would have come sooner, but hesitated because I knew you'd been warned of our transit.

I've talked to your daughter, Mandughai. It wasn't a pleasant meeting. Her agenda is clearly the conquest of Shanji, and I will not allow it. This war will be fought with more than sword and bow.

I know. I wasn't so soundly asleep as she thought. I've said nothing to her; you know something about her, now, and I did warn you that she's different from you. She fears your powers, Kati, but will never admit it. I fear them also, but only because I want minimal loss of life in our engagement. My purpose is change, not killing. You were angry when you spoke to Yesugen, and your threats were clear. Do you still feel the same way?

You're like my mother, Mandughai, but you've forced me into a war I don't want. My people aren't prepared to meet trained soldiers in battle, and I'll do anything I have to in defending them. Yesugen and I have discussed the terms of battle.

There was a long pause. Kati sat up in bed, eyes tightly close, fists clenched in her lap.

I understand, Kati. I can only ask you to control your anger, and remember my intent to break off the attack when I see a unified force against us. I still have some control over that, and if you show willingness to use your powers my hope is that Yesugen and her supporters will see the futility of attempting a conquest of Shanji. The details of strategy are up to Yesugen, but I'll tell you she plans a two-p.r.o.nged attack: one division coming up your northern valley, and another moving south along the sea before heading east towards the city.

When?

We're coming into orbit within a day. My guess is two to three days until we land. I can tell you nothing more.

And there's nothing more I can do to prepare for war, Mandughai. I'll fight alongside my soldiers to meet your attack.

I've always expected it, dear. It's a risk I'm willing to make in light of your abilities, but my heart's desire is to see you alive and well when this is over. Remember that.

I will.

The emerald eyes were gone with a blink. Kati jumped from her bed, and began to dress in her leathers.

Mengmoshu! Are you there?

No answer.

FATHER! Answer me!

Nothing.

She dressed without care for her appearance, and rushed from her rooms, taking the elevator to her father's floor and hurrying past an astonished guard to pound on his door.

The door opened, and he was there in a robe, hair disheveled. "Stop shouting, and come in! I had to talk

to First Mother, and now you and Huomeng are screaming at me! One at a time, please!"

Kati followed him into the small office he kept in his suite and saw Huomeng's face on a console screen there. "Kati, are you there? I heard a voice-"

"I'm here!" she said as Mengmoshu sat down at his desk again.

Instrument panels glowed behind Huomeng. "We saw them over an hour ago, but our resolution's so

terrible I thought it might be an asteroid. In an hour they're nearly on top of us, and braking hard. I can

see the glows of ionic drag on every ship, and they're huge! The ships must be several times the size of our mother ship, and there's over a dozen of them. I can't be sure yet, with this lousy resolution we've-" "Keep watch; get the exact number, and size of each ship if you can," said Mengmoshu. "I have to inform the Emperor right away. First Mother has talked to Kati, and me. We have a good idea about what to expect, but an estimate of force strength would be useful."

"As soon as I can," said Huomeng. "Kati, are you all right?"

"I'm ready," she said.

"Good, because I'm not. I'm stuck in this mountain, and I want to see you again."

"There will be time," she said softly.

"But not now!" growled Mengmoshu. "Keep an eye on those ships! I'm going to the Emperor!"

It was her father who broke the connection with Huomeng, and she scowled at him.

"Later!" he said, and went into his bedroom to dress while Kati waited by his desk.

"I have to warn Goldani!" she called out. "One p.r.o.ng of the attack will be coming their way!"

"I'll take care of it! Stay here until I get back. I have to convince the Son of Heaven an attack is coming,

and he's barely aware of his surroundings. I might be dealing with Shan-lan tonight."

"What can I do?"

"Nothing for now, except wait for me and relax, even sleep. It might be the last sleep you get for days.

You're the center for all of this."

Mengmoshu came out of his room unb.u.t.toned and rumpled. Kati fussed over him until he pulled her hands away, giving her a dark look.

"It begins, child," he said, then kissed her on the forehead and hurried out of the room.

There was no sleep that night, and little the next. Kati spent the entire time in her father's office after his return. The Emperor had been more than coherent, but Shan-lan had also been there. Officers were awakened from sleep, and troops were spilling out of their barracks well before dawn to stand on alert.