Missy gasped and snapped the book shut.
"What? What is it?" Geoffrey asked.
"Eliza's.... had an accident. Don't worry, Tamahome and Hotohori are there." She'd been reading the book out loud as her servant drove them to Chinatown.
"What do you mean, an accident?!?"
Missy tried to brush off his anxiety. "Now, Geoffrey, she has Lord Tamahome and the Emperor there. She'll be fine."
Geoff made a disgruntled sound. "Yeah, well I don't like that Tamahome looking at her like it says. I mean, what's gotten into her? She.... she kissed a bandit!!"
Missy couldn't restrain a giggle.
"What?" Geoff scowled.
"Now Geoff, you know your sister. She probably enjoyed it!" Missy laughed even harder at Geoff's shocked expression. For her part, she thought it all sounded like a wonderful adventure, and was sorry to be only reading it, not living it like Eliza. She also rather privately thought that Eliza would be just fine. Her friend was both smarter and tougher than everyone gave her credit for, just because Eliza played the shy misfit around society.
Konan, Eiyo, the palace grounds
When Eliza dared to open her eyes, she gasped in shock. She lay on her back with Lord Tamahome over her, on his hands and knees, supporting the wreckage of the pagoda on his back.
"Tamahome?" She whispered, afraid to break his obvious concentration.
"Eliza." His voice conveyed the strain and agony he felt. "Are you...... alright?"
"Oh, don't talk! What are you doing, we're going to be crushed!"
"NO!" Gasping he shook his head fractionally. "Can't you hear? They're digging us out. I just have to.... hold on...." The sweat on his brow trickled down his nose to drip on her forehead.
Eliza's eyes began to water. He would die, and all for her. A crackling sound came from the rubble around them, and Tamahome winced as the weight on his back shifted. Eliza could hear Hotohori calling them, but she didn't dare call out, lest she disturb Tamahome.
Outside the pile of destroyed pagoda, Hotohori was frantically pulling pieces of ruin away, shrugging off his advisors who begged him to stand back and yelling for assistance. Courtiers fluttered on the fringes of the scene.
"Oh, this is terrible!"
"Please Your Highness! There's nothing to be done!"
"One wrong move could crush them, if they're not dead already."
"Silence!" Hotohori roared, glaring at the gathered throng, trying to find the pessimist. "They live, I tell you! We must get them out of there!"
From the crowd of nervously muttering people suddenly came a strong, confident voice. "Allow me, Your Highness."
The throng parted to reveal a beautiful woman, dressed in the finest silks. Without hesitation, she strode forward and with a single hand grasped a large chunk of pagoda roofing and flung it aside as if it were merely a scarf. Within moments, she had cleared enough of the rubble that Eliza and Tamahome could be seen.
With the sudden removal of the weight on him, Tamahome collapsed onto Eliza. She let out a surprised squeak. "Tamahome!"
Willing hands helped pull them finally free. Tamahome had not fallen unconscious, nor was he badly injured, much to Eliza's amazement.
"What did you think you were doing?" She nearly shrieked, so horrified and frightened by the events.
Tamahome only stared at her from under his heavy black bangs. "I am a Suzaku Warrior. I live to protect you." Eliza could only cover her mouth in confusion. His eyes seemed to be telling her something that her mind did not want to understand.
Hotohori immediately accosted the remarkable woman who'd saved them. "You. You are a member of the Imperial Harem?" A slight flush stained his face; it was rather well known in the palace that the Emperor never availed himself of his Imperial privileges.
The woman nodded. "I am called Kourin." Something red seemed to flash from her skin below the neck of her gown.
Stricken, Hotohori reached for her. The woman shrunk from his hand. "I am sorry,� Hotohori said, "but I thought I saw ��
Smiling suddenly, as if in understanding, the woman pulled aside the neckline of her gown enough to reveal a shining character on her neck. �I am called Kourin, but my name is also Nuriko.�
Eliza spun to her immediately. �Nuriko of the Suzaku Seven! Oh, I�m so glad we�ve found you. Thank you for saving us!�
The woman named Nuriko stared at her a moment, expressionless, then said, �Well, that�s very nice, but I was really interested in saving this handsome fellow.� And with that, she stepped forward and leaned down to Tamahome, planting a rather emphatic kiss on him, much to his surprise.
California, San Francisco, Chinatown
�Please, sir, we only need a moment of your time!� Missy pleaded with the shopkeeper. �We�ve found this book, you see, called, um..�
�The Universe of the Four Gods.� Geoffrey supplied.
�Yes, that�s it, but we don�t �� The shopkeeper cut Missy off by wordlessly closing the door in her face.
�I say, that wasn�t very helpful!� Geoff scowled.
Missy spun and stomped down the sidewalk. That was the fifth Chinaman to refuse them. Three apothecaries and two bookkeepers had shoved them out into the street or slammed doors in their faces. Geoff scrambled to keep up.
�Now what? Missy?�
Stopping suddenly, Missy sighed. �Obviously, whatever this book is, the locals don�t want to have anything to do with it.�
�Maybe they just don�t know.�
Missy frowned. �Of course they know. They know me well enough, and this is the rudest I�ve ever been treated in Chinatown!�
Geoff looked at her a moment. �OK, Missy. You and Eliza have been prowling around here for years. You must know SOMEONE who can give us some information.�
Missy did know of one person who might help them. She was loath to utilize the assistance, for a number of reasons, not the least that she didn�t want Geoffrey Morgan to know that Missy knew such a person. On the other hand, this contact might be able to tell them everything. Deciding suddenly, she turned and made a beeline for the nearest alleyway.
�Missy?� Geoff jogged after her, startled at the sudden shift in mood and direction, and not at all pleased with the idea of wandering down alleys.
�I know one person who might at least NOT kick us out. I�d appreciated it, Geoffrey, if you kept this under your hat.�
�Agreed. Anything to help Eliza.�
�Indeed.�
Minutes later the two stood in an alley that appeared unremarkable, except for the large amount of laundry hanging over their heads. Missy unerringly led them to one particular doorway, sunk partway into the ground by a few stairs. The green door had darker stains of reddish brown on it. Missy didn�t hesitate to knock.
�Er, Missy. Tell me that isn�t�.blood?�
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