“Of course. And we were about to go, weren’t we? Lord, I can hide you on the Pracchia’s island in the east. Pan ku. Hsu Shen hasn’t been in contact, has he? He won’t have heard from the plotters?”

“I think not, Lord.”

Shih-ka’i had been downplaying Hsu Shen’s presence on the island, hoping the Deliverer would miss it. “All right. We’ll go now. Pan ku, find My Lord a mask. I saw several in the old Seventeenth museum.”

Lord Kuo said, “I should shift to enlisted garb.”

“Good idea. Pan ku, assemble a decurion’s kit and uniform. Northern Army badges.”

Later, in his quarters, Shih-ka’i studied the result. “Pan ku?”

“We need less arrogance, Lord. A soldier doesn’t bear himself as if he expects Candidates to throw roses in his path.”

“I see what you mean,” Wen-chin said. “Drill me.”

Shih-ka’i watched the time closely. The night was proceeding. Dawn would reach the island before it arrived here. He wanted to get there before sunrise. He explained, “Hsu Shen and his men should get used to you before daylight begins accenting your little lapses.” He examined Lord Kuo’s kit with a drillmaster’s eyes. “Mask and robes on the bottom? Good. Pan ku, yours is ready?” They would all take kits to make Wen-chin’s less conspicuous. His and Pan ku’s would remain with Lord Kuo.

Shih-ka’i was a worried man. How long could he shelter Lord Kuo? He owed the man, but how much? Wen-chin’s enemies would not see this as a private matter.

Too, Lord Kuo needed a secondary cover if he were to be long exposed to Hsu Shen. That he was Tervola could not be hidden indefinitely. Special investigator? That might do it.

“I think we’re as close as we can get on short practice, Lord,” Pan ku said.

“Then let’s make the transfer. Lord, don’t say anything unless you have to. Best they don’t notice you. Pan ku, you go through first. Get their attention.”

“I’ll be invisible,” Kuo promised, apparently amused.

Shih-ka’i supposed he was overly worried. Who would be watching for Lord Kuo? The man was believed killed during Mist’s attacks on his headquarters.

The Lioantung end of the transfer went perfectly. No one seemed surprised that Shih-ka’i had gotten his man a helper. Other senior Tervola maintained retinues.

Shih-ka’i went through last. He arrived, found Hsu Shen galloping toward him, trying to put his apparel in order. “Lord,” he gasped, “you should have warned us. We would’ve provided a more fitting reception.”

“Receptions are of no moment, Hsu Shen. You needn’t have interrupted your sleep.”

“But…”

“Never mind. It’s time to try our luck with the stone thing. They’ve reached Lioantung. We don’t want them doing what they did at the Tusghus.”

Hsu Shen nodded. “We’ve watched as closely as we dared. There’s a great rage in the thing. Its servants betrayed it.”

“Uhm. Could we enlist it? No. We don’t need that kind of ally. Did you find any weaknesses?”