Read The Stone Road for Free Online Page B

spoke.
    “Yes?” Zhou turned back to answer.
    “You are not allowed to leave the meeting area without a guard, Sir.”
    “Well,” and Zhou resumed his walk, “come on then.” From behind, he could hear the creak of leather and metallic clinking of armour as the guard ran to catch up. “I need some air, where can we go?”
    “There is the courtyard, Sir, or the ornamental gardens,” said the guard.
    “Let’s go to the gardens,” Zhou ordered and followed the guard as he indicated the right direction. The corridors twisted, turned and then they were out in the bright sunshine.
    “Round here, Sir,” said the guard.
    The gardens were stunning. Even Zhou, who left his wife to tend their garden, was left with few words to say. The air was perfumed by herbs, spices and sweet flowers. Every breath was a decadent luxury. The flowers were in full bloom with every colour conceivable on display, each flowing into the next as if it was always meant to be that way. A rainbow looked plain in comparison.
    The guard followed Zhou as he walked slowly amongst the flowers, stopping to inhale their fragrance and picking the herbs to rub between his fingers and taste. The garden his wife spent so long attending had some of the same herbs but none of the flowers. They would just not grow in the thin mountain air and the growing season was too short. As they approached one of the hedges that bordered the garden, the guard spoke.
    “We are not allowed through there, my Lord.” The guard pointed to an arch in the tall hedgerow.
    “Why not?” Zhou asked.
    “I have my orders, Sir.”
    “Then we’ll have to break them and see.” Zhou began to walk towards the arch when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Looking over his shoulder, he could see it was the guard that held him, “If you want a diplomatic incident that derails the negotiations your Duke wanted, you just keep pulling me back. If you don’t, let go. Now.”
    “But, Sir, we…” the guard began.
    “You can guard me as I go in, or you can run off and tell someone who’ll probably want to know why you aren’t guarding me.” Zhou said, “Orders are orders. Which one are you going to follow?” He shrugged the now limp hand away and continued through the hedge arch.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER 6
     
     
    “Yes, Commander, I am sure that he saw them. Acting as the worried guard, I was careful to guide him around the outside of the area but there was enough room to see,” the grey and black dressed Jiin-Wei said.
    “Good, good.” Commander Weyl turned to Haung, “It all goes well. If the younger negotiator has seen enough then we can surely bet he is on his way to tell the old man now. Haung, I want you to take over tomorrow, be ready to act when the situation is right. This is the critical step. Get this right and the plan is sure to succeed.”
    Haung bowed in response and, with the other Jiin-Wei , left the Commander’s office.
    “Did he get a good enough look? I’m not sure how observant these Wubei are and he seems to be the worst of the lot,” Haung asked.
    “Oh yes, he saw it all right.” The Jiin-Wei smiled, “He thinks he is so clever but with only a lowly guard like me there he doesn’t even bother to hide his reactions. As soon as he saw the ground around them his hands began twitching and his pace quickened. He didn’t even eat any more flowers on the way out of the garden.”
    Haung laughed, “Where did he go?”
    “Back to the chair outside the meeting room.” Haung watched the grin widen on his comrade’s face. “I carried on patrolling for the rest of the shift. Every time I went past, I could see his feet tapping away. He kept looking at the door too. I’ve no idea why he didn’t just go straight in, he looked ready to leap off that chair at any second.”
    Haung returned the smile, “He had a falling out with the old one. The negotiators said it was enjoyable to watch the arrogant one get put in his place. Tomorrow is the test,