Yoritomo Sachina read the announcement carefully, pondering what implications it had for herself and her clan. In the course of their “safekeeping” of the Imperial City, representatives of the Phoenix Clan had discovered the gaijin artifact known as the Crown of the Amethyst Champion and recognized the curse that was upon it. They had promptly destroyed the Crown and now, with the approval of the Imperial Families, they were going to commemorate this act by bestowing the title of Amethyst Champion upon some worthy individual who had worked for the benefit of the Empire.

The Mantis courtier rolled up the scroll and slid it back into its case. As with so many other things in the Imperial City, this would go to the person whose acts were recognized rather than one who deserved it. The Phoenix undoubtedly had engineered this with the intent of giving the title to their long-time allies, the Crane, she thought, but there were many players in this game. Sachina smiled. Many players, and more than one kind of victory.

A slight stir towards the front of the teahouse caught his attention and he looked up to see Yoritomo Sachina walking towards his table. She stopped a polite distance away and bowed to him. “Excuse me, Shosuro-san” she said, “but the tea house is very crowded. Would it be possible for me to sit at your table?”

Jimen could see at least five empty tables in the room. “Of course, Yoritomo-san,” he said, rising slightly and waving her toward the seat opposite him. Sachina made him slightly nervous. She was intensely beautiful, she had many more years of experience in the courts than him, and he had yet to find anything in her background that could be used against her. She did possess an inexhaustible ambition to rise above her station in life, but unfortunately the Yoritomo family didn’t consider that a defect.

The Mantis woman accepted a cup of tea from one of the servers and looked across the street. “Ah,” she said, “that is the new Daidoji school.”

“Indeed,” Jimen said.

“It looks somewhat plain for a Crane building,” Sachina said thoughtfully.

“I believe that early on the Daidoji managed to wrest control of the project from their Doji cousins.”

“Such a pity,” Sachina said. “I have always admired the Doji ability to be ostentatious without edging over into gaudiness. But I suppose they are too busy securing the Amethyst Championship to worry about such things.”

Jimen flicked his gaze over the nearby tables and assured himself that everyone was studiously minding their own business, then returned his attention to Sachina. “The Crane possession of Amethyst is not for certain,” he said quietly.

“It is true, a number of clans boast individuals that have labored ceaselessly for the good of the Empire,” Sachina said. “Bayushi Kaukatsu, were he alive, would surely be a candidate for this honor.”

“Surely,” Jimen said with a smile he didn’t feel. Kaukatsu’s unexpected death had left a gaping hole in the Scorpion’s influence on Imperial politics, a hole that it was Jimen’s responsibility to fill. He had gone far in rebuilding what had been lost, but he was not yet at the point where he could wield the kind of power Kaukatsu had. His professional rivals in the Crane had not been slow in noticing this.

“Of course, Kaukatsu was a modest man,” she continued. “He might have chosen to remove himself from the running and instead worked to give the Championship to some other deserving courtier.” Sachina picked up her tea and sipped it.

Jimen looked at her blandly. “Such as someone in the Mantis Clan?” he asked.

“Perhaps,” she replied. “It is true that we have a number of highly skilled courtiers here in Toshi Ranbo. Our delegation head, Yoritomo Yoyonagi, her student, Yoritomo Yashinko, and of course, myself.”

“Of course,” Jimen said. “Though one is hard-pressed to imagine why he would support the Mantis after they managed to buy control of Teardrop Island away from the Scorpion.” The entertainment district of Ryoko Owari, Teardrop Island was famed for the quality of the services it offered and the vast sums of money that changed hands there every day. The Mantis Clan’s covert take-over was yet another problem that had to be set to rights--later.

Sachina smiled slightly. “I suppose under those circumstances it would be unreasonable to think that Kaukatsu would actually support a Mantis candidate. But if he, for instance, chose simply not to work against the Mantis, well then he would have further resources for dealing with the Crane. For instance.”

“It is not an impossible thought,” Jimen said after a moment. “Hypothetically speaking.”

“Hypothetically,” Sachina agreed. She finished her tea and rose. “I thank you very much for sharing your table with me, Shosuro-san. Perhaps sometime in the future I can repay your hospitality.” She bowed politely.

Jimen rose and bowed to her. “Your companionship is delightful,” he said smoothly. “I would look forward to another opportunity for idle chit-chat.” Sachina smiled and departed. Jimen returned to his seat and signaled for more tea. The Mantis courtier was bold, calculating, and unafraid to take a risk, he thought. He could deal with someone like that as Amethyst Champion.

“Oh, no thanks are needed,” Kakita Munemori said. The aging Crane courtier gave her a smile, his deep blue eyes sparkling with warmth. “My relationship with Yoritomo Yoyonagi has been very gratifying, professionally speaking, and I am only too happy to be of service to another member of her delegation. More sake, my dear?”

Sachina accepted a refill but let the cup sit untouched before her. “Kakita-san, I having been considering the bonds between our two clans and ways that they might be strengthened, to the benefit of both parties.”

“Indeed?” In Munemori’s experience the Mantis had a peculiar notion of what constituted a “benefit” for the non-Mantis of a deal, but it never hurt to listen.

“Indeed,” Sachina said. “And my thoughts have led me to the Amethyst Championship.”

“I see,” Munemori said. “So you think that the Mantis should support the Crane candidate for the Amethyst Championship?” He picked up his cup of sake.

“Not quite. I think that the Crane should support the Mantis candidate.”

Munemori gave her an inquiring look. “I would be fascinated to hear how this would benefit the Crane Clan.” He drank his sake.

“Well,” Sachina said, “there is no doubt that the Crane is richly supplied with skilled courtiers, any number of which would be qualified to be appointed as Amethyst Champion. Sadly, we live in debased times when small-minded individuals who envy the Crane’s success might lobby against a Crane candidate merely out of spite. Then too there are your rivals, the Scorpion, who also have skilled courtiers and who can be counted to be lobbying on their behalf.” She stopped and fanned herself briefly before continuing. “But a Mantis courtier would not arouse the attention of the envious, and Crane support would easily cancel out the Scorpion efforts. It is true that this would make the Amethyst Champion a Mantis, and not a Crane, but anyone who has dealt with the Crane knows that having a friend in a position of power is almost as good as having it yourself.”

“Everything that you say is true,” Munemori said, “and yet my clan is not without small minds. Some of my kinsmen might doubt that the Mantis are truly our friends.”

“I share your grief over this lamentable fact,” Sachina said. “But I think I can silence the doubters. Lord Naizen’s agents recently engineered a take-over of Teardrop Island--we shall transfer part of the district to Crane control, as a gift. And we shall support the Crane candidate for the commander of the Legion of the Sapphire Chrysanthemum, so that all will recognize that we do this as an expression of our great respect for the Crane Clan, and not an attempt at crass bribery.”

Munemori covered his shock at the offer by making a study of Sachina’s physical charms. Fortunately, the styling of her kimono gave him much to look at. “That is an extremely persuasive gift,” he said finally. “I myself am too minor a courtier to accept on the Crane’s behalf, but I will promptly bring it to Nagori-sama’s attention.”

Sachina smiled. She had learned from Yoyonagi that Munemori was a good deal more influential than he liked to let on and that the Crane leadership was unlikely to reject a deal that he supported. “I am grateful for your aid, Kakita-san.” She picked up the bottle between them. “More sake?”

“Please,” Munemori said. “But if we are to be friends, then you must call me Munemori.”

“I am pleased to be counted one of your friends, Munemori-san.” Sachina refilled his cup, then picked up her own. “To future success,” she said.

Sachina ignored the words and studied the faces of those present. Yoyonagi’s expression was a mask of bland civility; her student Yashinko looked studiously polite. Moshi Minami, Sachina’s student, was also present and she looked slightly worried by the friction between her teacher and Yoyonagi.

All that was normal enough so she turned her attention to the last person in the room, the Mantis Champion Yoritomo Naizen. He was sitting in one of the chairs the Mantis had imported as a curiosity from the Ivory Kingdoms and regarding the members of his diplomatic delegation with an absolutely unreadable expression. Sachina took this as the warning it was.

“Naizen-sama, I came as soon as I received your message,” she said, bowing low. “How may I serve?”

Naizen looked at her for a moment. “Sachina, when you came here I was under the impression that you were a skilled courtier.”

“That is so, my lord. I served the late Shogun in that capacity for many years.”

“And yet you have seen fit to waste valuable resources in a chase for an impossible goal,” he said.

“I am sorry, my lord,” Sachina said, “but I do not know to what you refer.”

Yoyonagi jumped in. “He is referring to your attempts to get yourself appointed as the Amethyst Champion,” she said.

Sachina looked surprised, then horrified. “Naizen-sama, Yoyonagi-san, I am so terribly sorry,” she said. She bowed low to the two of them. “By failing to make a timely report of my actions I have caused you both needless worry. I have no words for the shame I feel at this lapse, and can only beg your forgiveness.”

Yoyonagi made to speak but Naizen silenced her by raising a hand. “Explain yourself,” he said to Sachina.

“Naizen-sama, it is true I have been pursuing the Amethyst Championship, but not for myself. Though I am certainly qualified for it, I am a new vassal to the Mantis and it would be inappropriate for me to serve the clan in such a fashion. I have instead been working to have Yoyonagi-san appointed to that position.”

“Me?” Yoyonagi said.

“Absolutely,” Sachina said. “You have been the voice of the Mantis in the Imperial Court for a number of years, and have many allies in other clans. Those allies would support your bid, since that would give them access to a courtier with Imperial privileges.”

Yoyonagi looked thoughtful at this, but Yashinko spoke up. “But what of the Crane? And the Scorpion? They will oppose us in favor of their own courtiers.”

“The Scorpion have agreed not to oppose us,” Naizen said quietly. “The Crane have agreed to support us, no doubt influenced by Sachina’s gift of part of Teardrop Island.”

“Teardrop Island?” Yashinko said. “But that cost our clan a fortune to obtain!”

“A much larger fortune moves through the Crane seaports each week,” Sachina said. “Our clans are useful to each other, but it is inevitable that at times we will clash. Teardrop Island buys us a supply of Crane patience. And when the Scorpion finally attempt to take back control of the district they will have to contend with two clans, not one.”

Yoyonagi gave her rival a look of mingled irritation and respect, but remained silent. Minami bit her lip for a moment and began to speak. “If the Scorpion do not oppose us, and the Crane support us, then Yoyonagi-sama becomes the obvious choice of anyone who wants to avoid offending those two clans.” She sounded like a student trying to work out a difficult problem out loud, and Sachina almost smiled at the young woman’s cleverness.

“Also true,” Sachina said. She looked at her lord. “Naizen-sama, Amethyst is within our grasp. We have but to make the final effort and it is ours.”

Naizen looked at her, then Yoyonagi. “Make it happen,” he said.

“Your will, my lord,” Yoyonagi said. She looked at Sachina. “We will meet in an hour, “ she said, waving a hand to include Yashinko and Minami, “and you will brief us on what has been done so far, and what still needs to be done.”

“Gladly,” Sachina said with a small bow. As she withdrew from the room she smiled to herself in satisfaction. As Amethyst Champion Yoyonagi would find all the clan’s courts open to her--and all the clans would want a share of her attention. And if the increased work meant that she could no longer function as head of the Mantis delegation then Naizen would have to appoint someone else to bear that burden. Someone like Yoritomo Sachina.

Victory, she thought.