Blade took advantage of his opponents' brief paralysis to unknot his sash. His two swords dropped to the mats. He kicked them aside and dropped back into karate stance. Now that he had disarmed himself, none of the other dabuni could come at him with a sword without disgracing themselves. Of course, if some of them were maddened beyond the point of worrying about honor, and did draw-well, Blade had no illusions that he could survive bare-handed against a swordsman of Gaikon who knew what to do and what to expect.

Once again silence and tension in the room grew thick enough to slice like bread. The only noise was the faint whisper of quick, shallow breathing, the only movement the blinking of eyes. Blade felt that all those eyes were focused on him, trying to guess what he might do next. He found that he wasn't quite sure himself. As long as none of the dabuni were ready to be singled out, Blade suspected he could hold. But if they came in a rush, four or five of them ….

Then the tension dissolved as Yezjaro and Doifuzan burst through the door behind Blade. They dashed into the center of the room and the other dabuni hastily made a clear space for them.

Both men were pale and held themselves unnaturally straight as they stood in the middle of the room, hands behind their backs. But their eyes moved steadily around the room, taking in everything. Their expressions hardened. Doifuzan managed to keep his face almost under control. But Yezjaro's face set in a savage glare that made the dabuni unable to meet his eyes. It seemed that anyone he looked at directly would go up in a cloud of greasy smoke and leave nothing behind but a charred spot on the mats.

Yezjaro was also the first to speak. «What is this-this stupid running around like a bunch of chickens? Have you all gone mad? We've enough trouble already without you fools adding to it!» He glared around the room, daring anyone to move or speak.

There were men twice Yezjaro's age among the dabuni in the room, men Blade had heard mutter about «loudmouthed young swordsmen who didn't know enough to properly respect their elders.» For a moment Blade wasn't sure that Yezjaro's outburst hadn't made things worse instead of better: He crouched, ready to move forward to pull down anyone who might draw against Yezjaro.

Fortunately Doifuzan agreed with this hot-headed younger comrade. «The Honorable Instructor has asked a very good question, brothers. What folly has driven you to this rage? It cannot serve your lord, it cannot serve yourselves or your honor. What purpose does it serve, then? I ask. Shall I be answered?» Doifuzan's voice was low, but every word dropped clearly and precisely into the silence. The first dabuno was normally a quiet man, whose words were few and formal. But he was respected as much for his personal qualities as for his position. When he did speak, the dabuni of Lord Tsekuin listened.

One of the dabuni took on himself the unwelcome task of answering, «Honorable Instructor, Honorable First Dabuno, it was thus. The news of our lord's shame-«

He told the whole story in a few sentences. When he had finished, he fell on his knees on the mat before Doifuzan. After a moment, the other dabuni did the same. Only Blade was left in his combat stance by the door.

Doifuzan pulled at his chin. «You tell a story that is not to the credit of your wits. You tell it plainly, which is honorable. For that I praise you. But by the splendor of Kunkoi, I will not praise the folly that so nearly led you into monstrous action, that would have doomed us all! Only the courage and swiftness of your brother Blade stood between all of you and the price of your own folly. The brother Blade, a man I have heard many of you speak of with scorn. Speak of him thus no more, however long you may yet have tongues to speak with. Instead, bow to him, for this day he has done much for the honor of the clan-and may yet do more.»

The last words snapped out with an angry edge to them. For a moment the dabuni once more seemed paralyzed. Then slowly, one by one, they turned and bowed deeply to Blade.

As he returned the bows, Blade found it hard to keep his face straight. Suddenly he was a man to be honored among Lord Tsekuin's warriors. But just as suddenly, Lord Tsekuin's own folly had made him a lord who would soon have no need for warriors at all.

The Hongshu's axe did not fall on Lord Tsekuin at once.

Yezjaro told Blade what the normal course of events was in such a breach of etiquette.

«Lord Tsekuin will of course have to commit ritual suicide. Of course he will also have the right to make a final request of the Hongshu, who must grant it. That is ancient custom. But after that Lord Tsekuin must die by his own hand. His household will be abolished, the clan stricken from the records and laws of Gaikon, and all the people scattered. The castle and all its lands will be confiscated by the Hongshu.»

«Including the diamond mines?»

«Especially the diamond mines,» said Yezjaro bitterly. «The Hongshu's dream has been realized.»

«What happens to the dabuni after they are scattered?»

«They become uroi-dabuni without masters. Their fates are as their own skill and wisdom and the will of Kunkoi would have it. No act that even the Hongshu can call rebellion has taken place, thanks largely to your quick wits. Therefore I suppose in time most of those who once served Lord Tsekuin will find other masters elsewhere in Gaikon, and come to whatever destiny may be theirs in as much peace as ever falls to the lot of a dabuno.»

Those were the instructor's words. But Blade's trained ears heard other meanings lurking beneath those words. Here in the palace the walls had ears. It would be foolish to even ask what Yezjaro had in mind. There would be no answer in any case. But Blade was certain of one thing. The Hongshu and his servant Lord Geron had not heard the last of Lord Tsekuin's dabuni.

To change the subject, Blade asked, «Has Lord Tsekuin decided what his last request shall be?»

«Not yet,» said Yezjaro. «I think he wishes to give it some thought, to make it as memorable as possible. In his position, would you not do likewise?»

It was several more days before Lord Tsekuin reached his decision. It was several days after that before he announced it. Meanwhile the dabuni stayed silently in their cubicles, except for those allowed to leave the palace to take the bad news back to the castle. Those who remained ate little and said less. The knowledge that their lord was disgraced and they themselves doomed to be cast adrift seemed to be sinking in.

Blade detected a certain resentment against him growing again during those days. Perhaps he had indeed saved them from making fatal mistakes in their anger. But he was still a stranger, a man with no roots in Gaikon, a man who could easily pick up his spear and vanish over the horizon if necessary. Blade was particularly careful during those days to keep his mouth shut and hide his comparative detachment from Lord Tsekuin's fate.

Nearly two weeks after the fatal incident, Lord Tsekuin finally announced his decision. Yezjaro, Doifuzan, and Blade were the only ones present when he announced it.

«I shall play a master game of Hu against the Hongshu,» he said, twining his fingers together. He had lost enough weight so that his hands seemed as thin and pale as those of a skeleton.

Blade's first thought was, «Is that all?» Then he looked at Yezjaro and Doifuzan. They were waiting expectantly for more.

«Yes,» said Lord Tsekuin. «I shall play a master game with the Hongshu. And you»-he shot a finger out at Blade- «shall take your spear and be the first warrior of my hand.»

That made no sense to Blade. But obviously it meant a good deal to the other two warriors. Both had grim smiles on their faces-the first smiles Blade had seen there for weeks.