Chapter Twenty: Due Diligence — Part 4

I’ll say you’re lying, and my word with Master Toen is superior to your own. You might as well pretend that nobody can see the board but us, as their eyes will be blind to every breach of rules — until you break them. I can guarantee that you will lose, if you play by the rules. You might win if you counter my actions by creating your own rules, however, but only if you can do so without being caught.

Susan frowned, and for a moment Master Judas looked repentant. You put your back to Master Toen so he couldn’t see us play. Such cunning. Is winning this game so important to you that you would use every advantage, including cheating, to claim victory?

Master Judas moved his small triangle piece into an illegal opening position, according to the rules she’d read. Susan countered, ignoring it. If a piece was in jeopardy, he cheated to get it out of danger. Susan, only mildly frustrated, lost after a half-hour of play.

When she had his corner stone trapped, he declared her move illegal, and Master Toen, unable to see the board, allowed him his declaration.

Susan was beaten unjustly. Master Judas rose, his eyes glowing with his victory. “I have tested her, Master Toen, and she has lost the game. Can we please stop wasting our time?”

Susan stood up, her voice and face calm.

“Your priest cheated to win. How can my integrity be tested by a man who has shown none?”

“You never cheated.” Master Toen said.

“Was finishing the game a requirement?” Susan wondered aloud.

Master Judas answered indignantly. “Not really. As a matter of fact, most people in our culture would have lost self control and declared me a cheater immediately during the first hand and refused to play me at all. Of course, playing an end game even when you know you are going to lose — that is definitely more in alignment with the Storm Clan. I’m sorry I had to show you such disrespect. Perhaps we can play later, adhering to the rules.”

Master Judas bowed to her, and she kissed him on the cheek before he could get back up. Susan smiled innocently, returning to the center of the square. Before Master Toen could call him, a young priest jumped up, doing an aerobic act and landing right in front of the chair.

“Master Toen, I wish to test her, but alas, she has no formal training in our style, it would be as if she were from a Temple in another nation. I ask you, how should I test her physical discipline?”

“First you should show some yourself.” Master Toen scolded. “Susan, Leader of your people, are you trained formally in some style of dance, or fighting?”

“What’s the difference between dancing and fighting, I wonder?” Susan asked, causing a few chuckles from about half the council. “Our people have had three hundred years to develop and master a specific style, we haven’t given it a formal name. It has nine dances, deadly when used in combat. Is the demonstration of such knowledge to be a test of my discipline?”

“Your physical discipline will betray much of your inner discipline. In theory, anyway.” Master Toen smiled. “Choose your most advanced katta then, and demonstrate it twice.”

“It would take the greater part of the day to perform it twice. The final demonstration of our art contains every katta we have, tied together into a single dance, a dance of 1,296 steps. It takes a little under two hours to perform it once.”

Master Toen looked at the sun, already high toward noon, a bit of impatience moving like discomfort across his face. The Council would demand to see it, and the path must be tested. “Is there another in your group who is a master of the final katta?”

“My sister Laura is the first Master, we designed and mastered them together.” Susan said.

Master Toen calmly motioned to Susan’s family. “Laura please step into the square and join your — ” Laura’s pale skin was such a contrast to Susan’s that Master Toen found himself pausing ” — sister. All Priests may enter the square.”