Chapter 2 – Unfinished Business

"Vivi, I'm not chasing you!"

"Good!" she cried back, "Don't!"

Kohza pushed himself a little more, ignoring the sharp stabs of invisible protest. The cloak of her dress trailed behind her and he clutched at it, pulling her back sharply.

Vivi undid the clasp and tried to slip away, but he was quicker and grabbed her wrist. He spun her around, bringing them face to face. "Why are you running?"

"Let go," Vivi ordered.

The coldness in her voice was worse than any slap. Kohza did as she said and her arm dropped to her side.

He pushed his hair back off his forehead and began again. "I wanted to say - "

"I don't think I care what you want to say." A glacier couldn't have been more frigid. "I have work to do, Kohza. Please make an appointment through the Secretary of the Palace if you wish to speak with me."

"The secretary?" The last time he'd seen Vivi, she'd been at the side of his stretcher and close to tears, worrying if he would be okay. What had happened in the past three months?

Vivi's icy voice cracked. "Yes. The secretary – that's for people who don't bother to warn me that they plan on visiting – especially for people whom I haven't heard from for months! I had to learn about your progress from Uncle Toto!"

She clamped her mouth shut, but it was too late; she had given herself away. Kohza's voice rose another decibel. "You were checking up on me through my father?"

"What was I supposed to do?" she snapped angrily.

"Ask me. My mouth is working just fine!"

"I know. What a pity." She turned on her heels and stalked off. Kohza had too much pride to follow.

Carue looked from Vivi to Kohza and back to Vivi again.

"Go on," Kohza grumbled. "And take this with you." He passed Vivi's cloak to the Spot-bill. Carue took it in his bill and followed his mistress further into the palace.

Whatever her problem was, it didn't concern him. His business was in the marketplaces, tents, and backrooms of Aluburna, not in the Great Hall.

Then why'd you run after Vivi? a voice asked.

He went back the way he came, down the stairs, and to the Great Hall. It was empty now.

He'd leave and find a seat at the first café he came across. He would drink coffee and listen to the old men arguing about philosophy and watch the women barter over the price of melons, just to reaffirm that real life wasn't conducted in palaces and estates.

He could hear the merchants hawking their wares from here and see the street through the arch –

Which was flanked by Pell and Chaka.

"That is not wise." Chaka had him firmly by the arm. Kohza glared up at the taller man. He didn't struggle, knowing he'd end up looking the fool if he did.

"What isn't?" Kohza asked impatiently.

"You shouldn't go outside without an escort." Chaka kept his voice low so that their conversation would not echo around the Great Hall. He had never considered spies before, leaving that up to Igaram, but finding the royal army tainted with agents had changed his attitude.

"I can take care of myself. If you think I – "

Pell swept in from the side, his white and black robes floating around him. "That is not it, my friend," he said softly. "The country is rebuilding and the recovery goes on at a swift pace. But still it has only been three months, and we cannot be sure that all the faces in the crowds are friendly ones."

Kohza's eyes narrowed with anger but he nodded reluctantly. There was no point in denying the truth. He wondered what else they already knew.

Igaram got in on the muscle act. He stood close and Kohza found himself boxed in on three sides. "The Marines assure us that all of the Baroque Works agents were captured, but we can't be sure."

Kohza was caught off guard. "Baroque Works?"

Igaram continued. "There's been confirmation that there are remnants in the country and rumors that they are going to stage another attack. We believe that they want revenge against important players in their downfall."

"You are in danger," Pell murmured. Concern from a man raised from the dead; that had to be respected, but it was all Kohza could do not to laugh in his face. They had no idea.

"You were safe in Yuba, but as soon as you entered the city, you became a target," Chaka said.

"You might have told me," said Kohza with restrained outrage.

"What good would it have done? There was no reason to bother you while you recovered in your town." And had we warned you, you would have raced here as fast as you could, which is exactly what we didn't want, Chaka thought,.

Igaram shook his head. "It's too late to worry about it now. We have a room made up for you."

"I'm staying with friends," Kohza said.

The friends who had called him Leader; Igaram saw them in the streets sometimes. Their faces had thinned and their bodies were lean and long from years of working in the arid sun, but he recognized them still from the thousands of hours they had played together with Vivi.

They had not yet gone home and that worried Igaram.

"Give us their details and we'll get them a message." Kohza looked like he would protest, but Igaram cut him off. "If they are friends, they will understand. The king mentioned that he would like to speak to you later. He'll be expecting you at dinner."

There wasn't much choice. Kohza looked up at the three men, gritted his teeth, and said, "It sounds wonderful."

Igaram slapped him on the back and Kohza's eyes teared from the pain. Thankfully, the others did not notice. "Let's find Terracotta and get you to your room then!"

Kohza glanced over his shoulder. Chaka and Pell were again standing at the archway that led outside. He gave up on his plans to bolt and followed Igaram into the palace.

"How did your talk with Vivi go?" Igaram asked with feigned nonchalance.

A smile tugged at Kohza's lips. "You thought I was leaving because it went well?"

Igaram shrugged, as if to say it was normal to him. "You'll have to excuse her. She's been away for such a long time. She's not used to it all."

"What do you mean?"

Igaram ticked off his fingers, one by one. "Staying in one place, having her own room, not having to worry about the next time she'll eat or have a bath." Or whether she's been found out or if her friends are dead or if she'll ever see tomorrow…

"'Tranquility is a stone in the shoe of a man of action,'" Kohza said.

"Gilran," Igaram said. "I didn't think young people read his work anymore."

"I don't wear glasses for fashion, Igaram."

Yes, you always were a serious boy, the captain of the guard thought. "How's Toto?"

"The old man's fine. He's supervising the rebuilding – which is what I should be doing."

"But first you were going to visit your friends, correct?"

"Of course."

"Feel free to go whenever you want. Chaka will escort you personally."

Kohza couldn't have members of the royal army following him around. "It's been a long day. Maybe I'll take a short rest before dinner."

They found Igaram's wife and she quickly organized the maids to prepare him a room. When the women left, Kohza lay on the bed. It had been a hard day's ride and he didn't want to admit how much it was hurting now.

He gazed at his gorgeously appointed prison cell. The rugs were finely woven and the view out the window was of the gardens below. Even the ceiling was a work of art. Thousands upon thousands of pieces of brightly colored tiles were put together to make a tapestry of vivid colors.

And if a few were missing in the grand scheme of things, who would know? The picture was still the same.

The frown line in his forehead creased the scar that cut across his face. He'd found Pell at his side as soon as he'd entered the main square. He'd been swept towards the palace, his horse taken from him, and ushered into the Great Hall before he'd had a chance to refuse.

He rubbed his face and covered his eyes. He hadn't wanted it to be like this. He'd wanted to have his apologies all lined up in his head.

But they'd forgiven him without him asking and he couldn't accept that.

He chuckled bitterly. It was all too little, too late.