...

The front doors of the school opened with a slow and dramatic sweep but the man who entered was not the expected priest. His dark red robes rose to stiff flaring shoulders of folded cloth in a style that proclaimed him a foreigner, the two assistants behind him indicated that he was important, and his angular calculating face showed he was someone set on seizing control of the night's events. Ayika suddenly recognized him. She remembered that pointed little beard and the black top-knot of hair. She'd seen him marching in the Ambassador's funeral procession. He'd been smirking then too.

The city guard standing watch outside the interrogation room stepped forward to block the foreigner's path and said, "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to halt and wait for-"

"Tailang," the newcomer said smoothly, with barely a hint of an Islander accent.

"What?"

The man smiled and spoke again, "I am Trade Representative Amantza Tailang of the Fire Lord's mission to the Earth King in Ba Sing Se, and I believe there are people inside that room who would be very interested to hear that name. I advise you inform them."

The guard tried to counter Tailang's piercing smile with his own glare but he soon shrank back in his green uniform. This confrontation was above his pay-grade. He quickly turned and slid open the parlor door.

"Inspector Yang? There's a man here who-"

"Thank you very much," Tailang said as he reached past the guard and seized hold of the door before swiftly entering. "I am an old acquaintance of Public Safety Inspector Yang and would be dishonored if I could not present myself personally." Ayika wiggled free of Headmaster Gang's hold and darted forward to get back to Xinfei's side. This Tailang guy appeared set on seizing control of every room he entered and in this disruption Ayika saw the chance to possibly sneak her friend away.

Inside the chamber, Mister Miohuito sat on the opposite side of the room looking frustrated and harassed but he leaped to his feet when he saw the Representative. "Tailang! Wen Lizhen has been killed, and I am being-!"

"Oh dearest spirits, has the good professor been killed?" Tailang said, interrupting. "That is terrible news for all! Inspector, have you discovered yet who could have done such a thing?" This man was smooth but Ayika would not use the word 'sincere' to describe him. 'Politician' was a better word. Whether he was truly distraught or not, every word he said schemed for advantage.

Whatever Tailang might claim, Inspector Yang didn't look like a friend. In fact the usually expressionless Yang now appeared to want to to wrench open up the earth and have it swallow Tailang whole. But this was a rare circumstance for a Public Safety agent when he was not permitted to do so. Instead, he respectfully bowed his head.

"Our investigation is newly begun and there are many avenues open at this juncture."

Tailang shook his head in expressive distress. "Tragic, just tragic. Poor Wen. I'd spoken to the man many times and I cannot imagine anyone wishing to harm him. Next to the late Ambassador, there was no more eloquent proponent of trade and cultural exchange in this city. However," and here Tailang appeared to pause in thought. "Ever since his dismissal from the University he'd been receiving, entirely unwarranted, criticism for his views. The conservatives have said some very nasty things. I even heard that today your guards had to clear a body of agitators protesting outside this very school?"

Inspector Yang's eyes narrowed but his voice remained smooth and calm, "We are of course looking into all possible scenarios, Trade Representative."

Mister Miohuito drew close to his countryman and said, "Tailang, this matter…" He stopped and looked out the open door to where Mizumi and Ayika had taken up position side by side in the hall outside. "Mizumi, I need you to just wait out there for a moment. We can...When I am done in here I will take you home."

Mrs Jiangsu, seizing the initiative from a headmaster paralyzed by too many conflicting powers to appease, firmly guided the two girls off to a side corridor despite Ayika's protests. There they almost ran into a procession of acolytes following the city priest who'd finally arrived. The priest's robe was sewn with metal disks and across his shoulders he bore a sash of bear fur. Behind him, the neophytes were dressed in simple brown robes patched with yellow and green insignia. Ayika saw this holy procession being directed up the stairs to the site of their task by one of the school porters.

She looked up at Jiangsu. If she couldn't get to Xinfei then she at least could bear witness for Wen. She cast through her mind to form an articulation for the wordless need inside her; the desperate need to do something. The steel in the housekeeper's face softened as she saw Ayika's pleading expression so she said, "Well, all right. Just keep out of the way."

Ayika made her way up the stairs, following the scent of holy incense. She was almost to the upper floor when she noticed the sound of a second set of feet on the steps behind her. She glanced back to see that Mizumi had followed. Why, Ayika didn't know. She barely knew herself why she was climbing back up to that place. Together and without a word they made their way to that dreadful room to the sound of priestly chanting.

Inside partially scorched office, the holy assistants drew forth materials; incense, chalk for symbols, and oil for purification of the door threshold. Ayika and Mizumi stood back in the hallway, where they could see into the room without being in the way. Ayika watched the priest, his robe dimly glinting with the shifting of its metal disks, perform the rights to pacify a ghost of untimely death.

The gist of these rituals was familiar, Grandma Aka had done many like them down in the Bed. Murders were a part of city life but such a ghost, shorn of body and soul by another's hand, needed the proper ministrations or it could turn violent and powerful. The few days before a proper funeral could seal that energy were dangerous. Only once the soul was safely set on the way to reincarnation could mourners leave proper offerings without empowering a ghost. From the doorway, Ayika watched blue smoke of the incense began to swirl around the room as the priest bowed to the eight cardinal directions. The room began to waver as the misty forms of the holy smog swayed through the air with their own vaporous motions.

Ayika shook herself slightly as Mizumi spoke softly at her shoulder. "Did you know him for a long time?"

Ayika looked away as the priest began to minister to Wen's... as he began to lift the edge of the blanket. "Only for a year. Since he started working here."

Then blanket was back in place and she could look again. This priest must have been exceptionally experienced. Ayika had seen death purification rites performed before, but there was something different here. The back of her neck prickled as the priest painted his prayer onto a thin clay tablet. Then there was a sharp crack as he snapped the icon in half and Ayika shivered. Before tonight she had never felt so clearly the power these rituals supposedly invoked. Of course, she'd never actually been in the room when someone died before.

Somewhere behind her heart she felt something receding. But there was a catch that confused the comforting rhythm, something wrong. No, what was she thinking? She was just getting dizzy, imagining things. There were only the thin blue threads of smoke and the gentle chanting of the priest. She shook her head.

Mizumi was looking at her with concern, so Ayika whispered, "Thanks for sticking up for Xinfei."

"Who...? Oh, I mean, it is ok. No one deserves to be beat in that manner just because the officials are angry. He is your friend."

To Mizumi that sounded to be a simple calculation. One that Ayika would not have thought anyone of Mizumi's status, foreign or domestic, might have made. Together they continued to watch the cleansing ritual. Ayika tried to ignore the intrusive thought that it wouldn't work.

After much chanting of prayers, the burning sticks were snuffed and the acolytes gently gathered to bear their sad burden away. Ayika stepped to the side and turned away as they lifted the special stretcher. After a moment Mizumi turned with her.

Then the procession passed down the hall and Ayika stepped forward through the consecrated portal. The priest was gone. There was only one acolyte left, quietly sweeping up after the ceremony. Ayka wandered aimlessly, looking around at the blackened corner where the lamp had smashed, and the desk swept free of its papers, and the table with its circle of candles around the package left…

There was nothing there; the package was gone. Ayika shut her eyes and cast her memory back, to before the sun had set. Remembering the strange circle of candles, around a paper wrapped package on the table, delivered by… Ayika opened her eyes. "The gardener!"

"What?" Mizumi said in surprise and confusion at this sudden exclamation. Behind her the acolyte froze in the middle of his sweeping, equally startled.

Ayika continued, "Ma'er!"

"I do not know what that is!"

"The man from before. Called himself a garden designer. He was here making threats about the professor. He said that Lizhen would face trouble if he continued to publish and there was the assistant, that Tian kid, who left the package!"

Ayika felt like her mind was suddenly a runaway cart rolling downhill. Her thoughts were spinning off faster than she could form words. The guards had said some little nicknack had been the only thing stolen from the office, but no one else had known about the existence of Ma'er's gift. The attacker with the white face had been holding something in his other hand. Wait, a little round mirror, Lizhen had set that next to the package when Ayika last saw it. That had to be the nicknack. They were both gone and she was the only one who knew.

"Quick, Mizumi, did you, when we were in that room where they were storing the paper's from this office, did you see a package wrapped in crumpled brown thick paper? About yay big?" She held her hands apart to form a shape a bit larger than a serving plate.

"I-"

Ayika grasped her by the shoulders and looked into the other girl's eyes. "Please, I need you to think."

Mizumi blinked at Ayika's face suddenly being so close to her own. "Um, no. No, I do not think there was anything like that in there. But-"

Ayika spun around as despair gave way to a sick species of furious exhilaration. "I knew it! Those guards said they put everything they found in that room. The white mask must have tried to steal whatever was in that package. You!" Ayika pointed at the formerly sweeping acolyte, who was blinking in astonishment at the sudden burst of intensity. "Yes, you in the priesty get-up. Did you see anyone take anything out of the room, anything bigger than a teapot?"

The acolyte was frozen, having just listened to this entire frenzied conversation held as if he was not in the room. Now he looked around as if she could be addressing anyone else. "Er, no? Well, I mean the body but-"

"Thank you very much. Now get out."

"Wha-"

"I said get!"

Oblivious to the scurrying young man, Ayika began to pace, exulting in the frantic energy that swelled up within her.

Mizumi looked concerned, "Um...Ay'yeka?"

Ayika waved her hand without looking. Mispronouncing her name couldn't bother her now. She felt feverish. "Close enough. But that Public Safety earth bender is too busy trying to pin everything on your father or some other Islander that he won't listen to anyone like me and certainly not you. In fact the gardener might even be another government agent! They plant something to draw in the assassin and their best critic is silenced."

Mizumi brought her eyebrows together in skepticism. "I am not sure that makes..." She stopped as she realized something "Wait, you believe my father is innocent?"

"Of course he is. Like you said, they were just trying to pin it on a foreigner."

"But you were screaming at me that I was part of a plot to-!"

Ayika brushed through the indignation. "No, Ma'er must have something to do with tonight. I have to do something."

Mizumi sighed in frustration. "Such as perhaps tell any of the responsible authorities about what you know?"

"What? I've got no proof. Can you imagine a wharf-rat accusing a working citizen of a conspiracy like this?" That was the root of it. There was nothing someone like her could do. Ayika's manic energy began to fade.

"I know, I am trying to help. I am simply attempting to determine what level of lunacy you are currently operating on. Also, what did you say about a rat?"

Ayika now felt despair rising back up. She nodded vaguely at Mizumi's question. As quickly as it had come she'd burnt through the surge of adrenaline leaving only exhaustion. It was all too much. She was just one servant girl, not someone who could actually fix anything. She felt sick to her stomach and her limbs ached where a moment ago she'd been trembling with energy.

She quietly said, "I...I should go down. I need to check on Xinfei. He needs my help." She was hit by a new wave of guilt and sorrow that she had allowed herself to forget him even for a second. With that she slowly walked off towards the staircase. A moment later she heard Mizumi follow her.

Downstairs, things seemed to have been wrapped up. Inspector Yang glowered in the corner as the Representative smoothly lead Mister Miohuito towards the front door.

"I am so glad that I could help with your investigation," Representative Tailang said. "It's a shame that the nationalists have gone so far. If only they had stuck to painting those awful slogans, especially when an innocent servant boy pays for ill-directed suspicions. I trust he will be released as Miss Miohuito and the kind headmaster suggested."

Not waiting for any confirmation, Tailang continued. "I will meet with your Security Minister tomorrow to lend him all our resources so that the investigation might proceed as smoothly as possible. I will also make a direct appeal to the King on your behalf, when I go to accept his inevitable reconsideration of allowing the Nation to deploy our own benders on city soil. It is a shame things have gotten so bad." Ayika didn't understand what all of that would mean but it didn't sound like this Tailang was doing anything he did not look forward to doing.

"We appreciate your cooperation." Inspector Yang bowed. The tone of his voice never varied yet all the same Ayika could hear the anger behind his words.

Headmaster Gang bowed repeatedly to any and all, babbling an ignored stream of abasements. At the sight of the two girls descending the stairs he gasped in relief and quickly half herded and half shoved Mizumi towards her father with a flurry of apologies. When Miohuito merely raised a confused eyebrow at Gang, the headmaster looked down at Ayika who he'd mistakenly grabbed and performed a quick swap.

Mizumi took her father's hand but looked back at at Ayika and said, "Father! You have to listen, the Inspector should know-" The rest was muffled by a hand across her mouth.

"Not now!" her father hissed, glaring at Inspector Yang who watched impassively. "We will be home soon enough." He then muttered something quick and sharp in the Islander language as they swept off.

Caught in the exiting procession of priests and officials, Mizumi quickly turned back towards Ayika. As their eyes met the Islander girl mouthed something, but Ayika could not tell what it was. Then Mizumi was gone. Ayika saw her own chance to escape in the confusion. When no guards were watching she slowly made her way over to Xinfei. She touched his hand and motioned for silence even as she winced at his bruises. Seeing that no one was guarding him per se, she decided to take the Representative's word as a release order. Xinfei agreed with a nod.

With all the suspicion focused on the foreigners, Ayika and Xinfei managed to get out the front door without incident. The space outside the school gate was a flurry of activity as two foreign-built carriages tried to depart past the priest's palanquin bearers. Adding to the confusion, residents of the surrounding blocks had come out into the dark to witness this commotion. The city guards were hard pressed to maintain their illusion of control while separating crowds of residents, who could be struck with impunity, from the priests and foreigners who could not.

Xinfei's legs were still shaking from his mistreatment so Ayika put his arm around her shoulders to help them hurry away. She made their way out, hoping with all her strength that the Inspector wouldn't materialize.

A few of the gawking locals started muttering as they saw a tribal girl carrying a bruised and battered young man, but fortunately the guards were much more focused on glaring at the Islander folks. Ayika let out a brief prayer thanking xenophobia for working in her favor for once and hurried Xinfei on through the crowd. At the edge of the lamplight spilling from the gates the spectators thinned and Ayika finally breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped out onto empty pavement. They were free with only a long dark walk out to Kuang Harbor before them.

A sharp voice hissed in the shadows. "And so the story goes. A resplendent way to occasion your entrance to the true world, I must say."

Ayika jerked up, causing Xinfei to groan as he leaned heavily on her. The gibberish was coming from her right. A tall figure stood apart from the watching crowd, dressed in black out in the dark beyond the pool of yellow lamplight. Something he wore made the soft sound of metal on metal as he shifted, but he seemed to be facing the commotion at the front gate instead talking to Ayika. She could barely make out the man's silhouette but he wasn't paying attention to them so she just kept a eye on him and encouraged Xinfei to speed up. Whoever that was, they weren't Public Safety and that was all Ayika cared about right now.

Once she turned the next street-corner Ayika finally relaxed, thanking the sliver of moonlight that lit their way. Then a tickle of air pressed against her ear with the sound of a faint metallic click.

"Now you can see. Don't be afraid, river child, we welcome you."

The voice whispered at her shoulder but when Ayika spun around there was nothing around but a dark and empty street. She and Xinfei were alone in the dark. Whoever he was, the speaker had managed to disappear. If she hadn't imagined it in the first place.

"Argh, Ayika! Why?" Xinfei groaned from the ground where she'd accidentally dropped him. With an apology, she shouldered him up again and together they made their way down the long streets that led out of the city guiding by the distant gas lamps on the Fifth Hill. On those empty roads Ayika was plagued by the feeling of multitudes of watching eyes but every time she turned she saw nothing. Nothing but more shadows, dark and leering.

It was many kilometers back to the Bed, through two wall gates, past guards who looked at them with suspicion but allowed them by since they were heading out. The City didn't care much about who left it. Even when Ayika managed to hitch them a ride on night-soil cart on its way out to the farms, by the time they entered Kuang Harbor they were both was exhausted and shaken. Down in the Bed, she could barely communicate to Xiaobao what had happened to his brother, and left both of them hurriedly with the promise of talking tomorrow.

Her own family was a greater obstacle. Ayika's mother alternately hugged her close in relief and threw fierce diatribes for staying out so late. Her father just sat in the corner looking more worried than Ayika could bear to see. When she tried to explain her story it seemed they refused to listen, only hearing that she'd effectively been fired from her job. It was all Ayika could do to convince them to eventually snuff out the lights and end the interrogation for the night.

As she collapsed on her futon, Ayika was so tired her flesh ached. But the instant she closed her eyes she found sleep was far away. Lying in the bed she had once shared with her grandmother and now shared with a younger brother who seemingly grew extra writhing limbs while unconscious, Ayika stared at the ceiling. Her bones were heavy but she still felt the press of imagined eyes; murderers, Public Safety agents, and even the household totems sitting in their crude little shrine in the corner of the apartment.

Her grandmother had carved those little spirit idols; the fox who watches over hunters, the whale who watches over sailors, the seal who holds sway over ice-flows, and the green spirit under the waves who held the secret of healing. Aka had never prayed to them. At least not that Ayika had seen. Rather, Grandma Aka had mostly given the totems frequent sharp looks such as one might give a toddler prone to getting in trouble.

Ayika had rarely been interested when Grandma Aka started to grumble about spirits. Now she wished she had listened to those stories. Was there a spirit who watched over dancing lantern flames and funny little professors? What power protected the monsters of Public Safety, or strange men with white faces? Who watched over school maids?

Well, she did not need someone watching over her. She would be the one who took action. She wouldn't let Professor Wen's death be another thing that just 'happened' in the city's unpredictable vastness. She wouldn't just stand by and be useless again. She would...

Ayika closed her eyes and tried to sleep but once again she saw Wen's gentle look when she last spoke to him. She saw Xinfei groaning, battered and bruised in his apartment; his brother's confused concern. And Mizumi's eyes, turned gold in the light of the priest's candle flame.

...