judged differently.

ENOUGH

After King Xau reached the fort,

after he’d spoken to Subetei Khan

and to the fort’s commander

and to the stablemaster,

then, in the fort’s inmost courtyard,

one hour alone with King Donal.

Or almost alone:

two of Xau’s guards stood watch

and a vulture circled high overhead,

likely a spy for the beast.

Donal, blunt, asked,

“Is that limp permanent?”

“Too soon to say.”

Xau continued his slow progress

around the courtyard,

leaning on a stick.

“Can you ride normally?”

Xau nodded;

it hurt, but he could ride.

“Good,” said Donal.

“I heard you thwarted Tahj

even when you were lying

half-dead in your tent,

but it’s easier to fight

from horseback.”

“I heard,” said Xau,

“that you impressed Subetei.”

“He impressed me.

He’s ferocious in battle,

almost unstoppable.”

Working his way round the yard,

Xau said, “Thank you,

for taking the northern command,

for defeating Tahj’s forces.”

Donal said nothing,

only touched his hand to his heart,

offered it palm-up to Xau

in the old sign of allegiance.

Across the courtyard,

the guards were changing shift.

Xau limped over,

thanked them,

limped back to Donal,

who started in on a tall tale

of how he’d tried to outdrink Subetei,

woken up with a hangover

and his hair braided

like a horse warrior’s.

Xau caught himself laughing,

and, doing so, realized

he hadn’t laughed properly

in—how long?—

before Atun died.

“You all right?” asked Donal.

Xau took a breath. “Near enough.”

Donal here, Hana close by,

Tahj still two days away.

Near enough.

PEACE TERMS

No sunlight penetrated

the stark, cold, windowless room

deep inside the mountain border fort.

Two small tables,

scribes seated at each table.

Lamps high on the stone walls.

Lining the walls, armored, armed,

half the fort’s soldiers.

The Imperial delegation

at one end of the room,

Emperor Tahj in embroidered golden silks;

on Tahj’s head: a golden winged crown

set with diamonds and rubies;

on Tahj’s face: fury—

the captain of King Xau’s guards

had taken Tahj’s sword, his jeweled dagger,

searched every inch of him

before allowing him entrance.

King Xau and his allies

at the other end of the room,

Subetei Khan and King Donal

standing in full battle gear,

Donal’s hand on the hilt

of his longsword;

King Xau and King Memnor seated,

Memnor robed in blue, sapphires on his crown,

Xau in black, his crown silver.

An elderly eunuch proclaimed Tahj’s titles,

a prolonged procedure protracted

by its triple-translation

into Meqingese, Ritan, Innish.

Honorifics dealt with, the eunuch went on,

“His Imperial Majesty is willing,

in his most merciful munificence,

to withdraw his request for tribute

just as he has magnanimously

withdrawn his armies—”

Donal swore in Innish,

a remark that went untranslated.

“—Furthermore, His Imperial Majesty

will grant independent jurisdiction

to Meqing, Innis, and Ritany

subject to the following conditions:

firstly, your acknowledgement

of His Imperial Majesty’s supremacy;

secondly, that you reduce

the size of your combined armies

to three thousand soldiers;

thirdly, that you accept