Golden Age and Other Stories Page 8

  Now, however—there were two eggs. And while the existence of a single Celestial would have impartedagentlebutsuredegreeofstabilitytothesuccession,asecondonewouldundermineitinstead.

  YoungPrinceMiankaiwastheonlypossiblecompanionforthesecondCelestialatpresent.Hewouldbe elevatedtoattentionfarbeyondhisyears,andmadeadesirabletargetforeveryfactionandofficialwho hoped to wield influence over the next Emperor. The Emperor would be faced with the very choice he had wished to avoid: either to formally name Mianning his heir, raising him to a strength which would disappointandinflamehispoliticalenemies,ortotacitlypermitsuchmaneuvering,eventhoughitwould weakenMianning’spositionandmakeMiankaivulnerable.

  TheEmpresscameafewdayslater,andsatwithQianforsometime.ShewasMiankai’smother,but shehadoverseenMianning’seducationaswell,andshedidnotsufferfromthelusttoseeherownson crowned.Theylistenedtogethertosomeencouragingmusicsungforthebenefitoftheeggs,andsipped tea. “Many cares beset the throne,” the Empress said, and after a pause added, “The honorable Prince Yongxinghasbeenmostattentivetohisyoungnephewoflate.”

  Qianunderstoodwhatshewassaying.PrinceYongxingcouldnotbeeasilykeptfromhisnephew.He haddisqualifiedhimselfforthethronewherehisbrothernowsat,bytakingLien’scompanionshipupon himselfwhenshehadfirsthatchedratherthanseeinghersentaway.Butinsodoing,hehadincreasedhis standing at the court to nearly the level of the throne. The Emperor tolerated no slights or even the suggestionofdisrespecttowardshim.Hewasdeeplysensiblethathiselderbrotherhadremovedhimself fromhispath,andsubsequentlyhadsupportedhissuccession.

  Qian paced the pavilion round her eggs in distraction the rest of the afternoon. She understood perfectlythehintsandwarningsshehadbeengiven.YongxingmeanttoexerteveryefforttomakeMiankai arivalforthethrone,andMianningwouldnotsitquietlywhileitwasdone.Theywouldcarryouttheir silentstruggleoverhereggs;theywouldnotscrupletomakeeveryattempttounhealthilyattachoneofthe hatchlingstooearly,andtoinducetheothertorejecttheothercandidatefortheiraffections,feedingthem onliesandwhispers.Theconflictmighteventakeamorehorribleformstill:whatifonesideoranother, frenziedbythecircumstances,attemptedharmtooneorevenbothoftheeggs?Shecouldnotthinksoill ofeitherMianningorofYongxingthemselves,buttheyhadmanysupporterslesshonorablethaneager.

  Thatfearkepthersleeplessseveralnightsinarow,evenaftershehaddemandedadoublingofthe guardsandattendantsaroundhereggs.Shecouldnotstoppacing.Chufinallycameandofferedtokeep watchduringthenight,toletherrest,andshewenttothegardenandsankintoslumberatonce,aching withdeepexhaustion.Inthemorning,sherousedandcameatoncetoinspectthem.Nothinguntowardhad occurred, but she curled round them at once and nosed them over with great anxiety. Chu said quietly, sitting beside her, “This cannot be healthy for either you or the eggs. The situation must be resolved swiftly.”

  “In what way can it possibly be resolved?” Qian said wearily. “Save the one which drives my fears.”

  Chuwassilentawhilebesideher,andthenhesaidfinally,“Itwasonceproposedbytheillustrious QianlongEmperorthatLienshouldbesentaway.”

  Everyinstinctivefeelingrejectedtheansweratonce.ButQiandidnotneedtosearchlongtofindan answerwhichcamefrombettersources.“Lienwasadifferentcase.Thereisnoalliedruleruponwhom theEmperorcanbestowatrueCelestialwithoutgivingrisetounhealthyanddangerousambition.”

  “No allied ruler,” Chu agreed, and paused before continuing. “The Emperor has lately received word from the barbarian nation known as France. They have chosen to raise their ruler to the rank of Emperor.Hewillbecrownedinthewinter.”

  Henosedathergentlybeforeheleftheragain,meantforcomfort.Qiancurledshiveringaroundher eggs.Noonewouldtrytotakeoneofthemfromherbyforce,naturally.TheEmperorhadnotevenmadea suggestion,whichmighthaveplacedherinthepositionofhavingtodefyhiswill.Chuhadhimselfonly saidafewwordsinpassing.Shemightaseasilycloseherearstothehint,andkeepthembothsafebyher.

  Whentheeggshadhatched,theEmperormightcommandoneofthemtodepart,himself.

  ButshewasaCelestial,andnotalessercreature,whomightpermitherownfeelingstocomebefore theneedsofthestate.ShehadbeentheCompanionofHeaven.Honglihadtrustedherjudgement,andhe hadgonetohisrestgladtoknowshewouldremainatcourt,andlendherwisdomandprotectiontohis successors. She would not now betray him with selfishness. Nor would she be so cruel to the growing hatchling. What agony would it be to find yourself exiled to a distant and barbaric land, when you had beenhatchedamidthegloriesoftheImperialcourt?Betternevertohaveknownwhatyouhadlost.Ifthe eggwentnow,itwouldmaturewithaforeigntonguebathingitsshell,andhatchtofinditselfthehonored companion to the highest lord of its adopted land. It would not suffer the anguish of separation, nor the stingofenvy.

  Theycamefortheeggthreedayslater.ShehadquietlysentwordtotheEmperorthatshewouldbe interestedinmeetingtheambassadorsofthisEmperor-to-be,whohadbeensogreatlyfavoredbyHeaven astorisetosohighaseat.Hebroughtthembeforeherinhisownperson,sogreatamarkofconsideration andkindnessthatshecouldnothelpbutfeelsoothedalittle.Theambassadorsspokehaltinglyandwere awkward in their courtesies, but though their manner was rough, they seemed to her sincere; and their astonishment,whentheEmperorinformedthemthathehadchosentosendaCelestialeggtotheirlordas acoronationgift,wassatisfyinglyenormous:theyunderstoodatleastalittlethemagnitudeofthehonor thatwasbeingdonethem.

  The Emperor permitted them their ecstasies of gratitude, and then abruptly summoned the party of attendantswhowouldgowiththeegg:theyhadbroughtacratelinedwithsilkandwool,allmadeready.

  Theygavehernotimetoworryorthink.Qianmanagedtoopenhercoilslongenoughtoletthemcometo the eggs, and one of the attendants asked her quietly, “Honored one, may I inquire which egg is the younger?”

  Qian hesitated, struggling, and then abruptly she lowered her nose and gestured instead to the first egg, the one that had come forth a few scant minutes earlier; the elder brother, the lucky one. No one would ever know, she told herself, around the thrumming sensation deep in the lower chambers of her throat,astheycarefullyliftedtheeggfromitscartandintothesafeplacewaitingtoreceiveit.Thattiny measureofgoodfortunewasalltheadvantageeithereggpossessed.Shecouldgiveitnothingmore.

  Theyclosedtheliduponthecrateandcarrieditoutofhersight.Otherstookawaytheegg’sempty cart at the same time. In moments, there was no trace that a second egg had ever been present. All had been accomplished with enormous speed and deftness. The ambassadors were escorted away, and only the Emperor remained; even her attendants and his own left, sent away, and when they were gone, he bowed to her as he had in the days when she had been his father’s companion. “I honor your wisdom, LadyQian,”hesaidformally.

  “Iamhonoredbyyourkindness,SonofHeaven,”shewhispered.Butshewasgratefulwhenheleft her alone with her remaining egg. She coiled around the lonely cart and spread her wings sheltering arounditandoverherhead.

  DragonsandDecorum

  (artbyLaurieDammeGonneville)

  Author’s Note: As soon as I saw Laurie Damme Gonneville’s illustration, this

  storyleaptintomyheadalmostentirelycomplete.

 
“WELL,MR.BENNET,suchdreadfulnews,”hisladysaidtohimoneday.“TheSeventhWingiscometo Meryton.Whateveristobedone?”

  “Idonotseethatanythingcanbedone,”Mr.Bennetsaid.“TheAdmiraltyaremostunreasonable,to besure,butIbelievetheyinsistonsafeguardingthenation.Wewillhavetoendurenotbeingbombarded bytheFrenchinthenight.”

  “Oh!Praydonotjokeaboutsuchathing,andyoumustknowIamspeakingofElizabeth:whatisto bedone?”

  MissElizabethBennetdidnotordinarilyoccasionanygreatmaternalanxiety.Indeed,Mrs.Bennet contrived tolerably well not to think of her second daughter at all, save to pronounce her “comfortably settled,withheruncle,”andveryoccasionallytowritethegirlalong,badly-speltletterdetailingthemost recent of her woes and nervous maladies. The object of these missives responded with brief and encouraging notes which a more careful reader than her mother might suspect were written without any referencetotheoriginal.

  Mrs.Bennetwasofafamilylessrespectablethanherhusband’s.Herelderbrotherwasindeedan officer in the notorious Aerial Corps, though himself gentlemanlike in his manners and respectably married. Having achieved the rank of first lieutenant, the elder Gardiner did not look further, and as officer to one of the Chequered Nettles stationed in London, enjoyed there a settled family life. They naturallydidnotmoveamongthebettercirclesofsociety,anddisplayedadistressinglackofconcernfor it.

  Meanwhile, with her husband’s estate entailed upon a distant cousin, and having produced five daughters dowered with little more than an inclination to be handsome, Mrs. Bennet early began to considerherselfjustifiedinindulgingananxietyfortheirfuture.Herfretfulconcernsoccasionallyfound inherbrotheranaudience,anddrewhimatlasttobringforwardahesitantoffercouchedinvagueterms, ofaformofsupportwhichhemightperhapsbeabletoofferoneofhisnieces.

  Heransweringrapturesmadehimcautious.“Praydonotbesoenthusiastic,mydearsister,”hesaid withhighalarm.“Imustspeakwithmybrother,first,”andinsistedonclosetinghimselfatlengthwithMr.

  Bennetwithoutanyfurtherintelligence.

  “Iamsureyouhavethebestuncleintheworld,”Mrs.Bennetinformedhereldestdaughters,Jane and Elizabeth then being thirteen and ten years of age respectively, and considered old enough to bear theirmothercompanyinthesittingroomofamorningwhennomoreentertainingvisitorshadpresented themselves.Hergoodopinionwasalittleshaken,shortlythereafter,whenMr.Bennetdisclosedtoherthe full nature of her brother’s proposal. But she was possessed of that happy sort of character which was very soon able to discard such considerations as danger and hard use and loss of respectability, when thesewereweighedagainstthecertainandimmediatesatisfactionofhavingoneofherbelovedchildren takenoffherhands.Afteronlyabriefhesitationsherenewedherapprobation,andpressedherhusbandto accept.

  ThiswasnolessthantosacrificeoneofherdaughterstotheAerialCorps,tobetrainedasacaptain forsomepeculiarandrecalcitrantbreedofdragonwhichrefusedmalehandlers.“Iwouldnotsuggestit foramoment,mydearsister,”LieutenantGardinersaidthateveningtohissisterandbrother-in-law,as they sat together in the drawing-room after dinner, “save that there are two Longwing breeding pairs currentlyatworkandathirdtocomeshortly.Weconfidentlyexpecttohaveanewbeasttoharnessevery otheryearforthenextdecade,andthereisasadlackofcomingcandidates.Mynieceisquitecertainto makecaptain,ifshehaveanyaptitudeforthework.”

  “Oh!AcaptainintheCorps!”Mrs.Bennetsaid.“Iamsureitwouldbeasplendidthingforanyof thegirls.”

  “Andwhichofthegirlswouldyoupropose?”Mr.Bennetsaid,inhisdryway,havingbeensilentfor mostoftheevening.Mrs.Bennetwasnotsounnaturalamotherastobeequaltothequestion.

  Thenextafternoon,thetwoelderMissBennetshadthequestionablepleasureofaccompanyingtheir father and uncle to the covert at Meryton, where a courier-dragon had brought him on his visit, and of seeingthebeastthemselves.JaneshrankawayinalarmfromtheinquisitiveWinchester,whichhadthrust its head forward to inspect the ribbons on her gown, but Elizabeth, already independent-minded and biddingfair,inhermother’sopinion,tobeadifficultgirl,afteronlyafewshrinkingmomentsaskedifshe mightsafelypetthecreature.

  “Idonotmindatall,”thedragonansweredher,“—youmightscratchmycheekrighttherebeneath theharness;thereisanitchIcannotgetatconveniently.”

  Tooyoungtobemuchsurprisedatbeingaddressedbyadragon,sheindustriouslysquirmedasmall hand beneath the leather harness and scratched away heedless of the inch-long fangs near-by, to the dragon’s loud appreciation. Her uncle directed a significant glance at her father over her head. Three weekslatershewillinglydepartedunderhisaegisforthetraininggroundsinScotland,andsowaslostto herparentsandtorespectablesociety.

  Butshehaddonewellinhernewprofession,andheruncle’spromisehadlatelybeenfulfilled:since thespring,shehadbeen CaptainE.Bennet,ofthesomewhatscandalouslynamedWollstonecraft,andher last letter to her parents had announced her assignment, with her newly trained dragon, to the Seventh Wing.

  “I am surprised, my dear,” Mr. Bennet now answered Mrs. Bennet. “I have heard you lament the distancebetweenyouandyourdaughteranytimethesepastnineyears.Surelythismustbeanoccasion forrejoicing.”

  “OfcourseIamexcessivelygladtoseedearElizabethagain,”Mrs.Bennetsaid.“Butifsheistobe inMeryton,shecannotfailtomeettherestofthevillageinthestreetfromtimetotime.Whateverwill theythink?Itcannotdotheothergirlsanygood.”

  “Youarequiteright.Wemustmakeoursentimentsonthematterperfectlyplain.Wewillgiveaball forherintwoweeks,andinvitetheneighborhood.”

  Mrs.Bennetobjectedinhorrorandatlength.Mr.Bennetwasunmoved.Hewasofacapriciousand sardonicnature,whichdelightedinhumanfolly.Elizabethhadbeenhisfavoriteforherquickwit,evenas an unformed child, and he had really regretted her loss. His consent to her departure for the Corps had onlybeenobtained,thoughhehadneveravowedit,fromapeculiarfearofthesorrowwhichmightbeher lotifshe didmarrytosecureherfuture,unlikehiswife’sconcernforthereverse.

  Thatsamepeculiarityinhischaracternowinducedhimtoinsistuponanoccasionwhichpromisedto give pleasure to no-one directly concerned, as Captain Bennet’s reaction on receiving the brief note whichinformedherofthehonortobedonehermorenearlyresembledhermother’sthananythingelse.

  “WhateveramItodo?”shedemandedofherinteresteddragon,whowaspeeringoverhershoulder attheletter.

  Wollstonecraftofferednoassistance,merelyadvisingherwithgreatenthusiasmtopurchaseadress andjewels.“Youaresuretomeetatallandhandsomestranger,”sheadded,“whowillfallmadlyinlove withyou.”Thedragonhadinherfirstyearalreadydevelopedagreattasteforgothicliterature,whichled hertoviewaneligibleloverasadesirablesortofprize;andhadgivenherahighlyinaccuratenotionof theusualcourseofaball.

  “What a strange creature you are,” Captain Bennet said, although with a caress of the long and deadlysnoutbesideherwhichbeliedherwords.“Nothingcouldbemoreinconvenient,ifitwereinthe leastlikelytohappen.”

  “Idonotseewhynot.Youareverypretty,alltheaviatorssayso.”

  Wollstonecraft spoke with immense satisfaction, much to Captain Bennet’s mingled mirth and dismay. “They are not thrown much in the way of pretty girls, you know,” she answered her dragon, laugh
ing.“Iamafraidwecannotconsiderthemreliableauthorities.”

  She could not easily excuse herself from the pleasure of the occasion, not even on the grounds of duty,forthestationatMerytonwas,sheknewverywell,amereway-stationwherelittleactionwastobe expected.She was young,and her dragoneven younger, and onlynecessity had madeher a captain and formation-commanderwithsolittleexperiencetohercredit.Inherrear-officer,CaptainWinslowofthe Parnassian Vindicatus, she had a twenty-year veteran who was entirely competent to answer any small French incursion without her. The prospects for any larger action were so insignificant as to bar consideration.Shecouldnotsayitwasimpossibleforhertoleaveherpostforasinglenight.

  Havingresignedherselftosufferingaballinherhonor,CaptainBennetwasnotsowithoutvanity thatshedidnotwishtoappeartoadvantage.Shewasalittlebetterequippedforthistaskthanmostyoung womenoftheCorps,havingbeenreceivedhomeatChristmastime,andhavingbesidesspentagooddeal oftimeinthesocietyofheruncle’sfamily:oneofhisowndaughtershadalsogonetotheCorps,butthe other had preferred to remain in the domestic sphere, and had just lately married a promising young officer.And to providea more immediateadvantage, her sister Janebraved the terrorsof the covert to escorthertothetownseamstress.