After the commotion had gone on for a while, Zhumu raised his voice. “Silence, all of you!”
Their faces twisted with anger. Most likely, they were not accustomed to being spoken to in such a manner.
Zhumu frowned at them. “You babble like children. We are all kings here. We are each of us used to being obeyed. There must be one leader. One voice to issue commands.”
“And that will be you?” demanded another in outrage.
“No, it will not,” Zhumu said, shaking his head. “My army has mostly been destroyed. My brave warriors are still recovering from their wounds. And it would be unwise, as I’m sure you will all agree, for us to choose a permanent leader now. It might be that none of us survives what lies ahead.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Budai demanded.
Zhumu fixed him with a glare and then bowed his head. “It is my counsel that we entrust the affairs of this war to one man. None of us trusts one another. With just cause, considering the happenings of the past. But each of us must admit that General Tzu is a commendable general. He survived the fall of Sajinau. Without his cunning, Sihui would have fallen victim to Echion’s traps long ago. What I propose is that we each surrender to him what resources we do have, be they men, ships, or meiwood weapons, and let him assemble us into an army united by one purpose: our desire to defeat and destroy the Dragon of Night. Then”—he paused, looking up at those assembled, and held up his finger—“if he succeeds, then he will choose one man to rule a combined kingdom. One man whom he believes will act in the interests of all and not selfishly. We will not kill a dragon only to plant another in its stead.”
He paused again, studying each of the leaders in turn. “This is wisdom. For too long we have warred among ourselves. That is why I called this meeting. That is why you are here.”
Silence prevailed in the room. Bingmei thought the strategy was a good one. But she knew it was doomed to fail if they acted too soon. They didn’t know that she had accepted her fate as the phoenix-chosen. Nor did they know that Echion’s mastery of the Woliu had brought other dragons back into the world.
The thrush grew more uneasy, its little heart pounding in its chest as it considered fleeing.
Please. Stay longer. Please!
“And you would be the first to renounce your authority?” asked King Mingzhi.
“Yes, I shall do so now,” Zhumu answered. “Barring a miracle, my daughter is lost. I had hoped to unite her to Prince Juexin in marriage and unify the kingdoms earlier, but my plans became dust. So I do relinquish my authority to General Tzu. And I speak it in front of all of you so you may bear witness.”
She saw the looks on their faces. The selfishness and greed tearing at them. They looked at one another, seeing who would bend first. Again Bingmei wished she had a voice. But she could not even whisper to them. She tried to speak from the bird, but it just came out in little chirps. When she attempted to land next to the general, he swatted at her host, and the bird soared away, out of Bingmei’s control.
Although Bingmei and Quion had come to trust the little siskin controlled by her phoenix-sister, it had taken time. And a lot of convincing. These men would be even more resistant.
“I will do the same,” said King Mingzhi at last. “I did not think I would live to see the day when King Zhumu the Proud learned humility. Mine is not the strongest kingdom, but I have the most ships of all of you since we are an island kingdom. General Tzu—I give you the power to command my ships and soldiers.” He leaned back in his chair, slapping his palm on the armrest and giving the others a look that provoked them to act in kind.
One by one they did so. Bingmei felt the momentum in the room shift as these men, these leaders, declared their allegiance to a cause greater than themselves. It was a moment to be remembered, although it would not end well. Bingmei saw a look pass between Zhumu and Tzu. They were hoping the plan would work. But Echion was waiting for them, and if they did what they planned, he was likely to eat them alive.
At last, they had all given their consent, all except Budai, who sat with a stubborn look on his face. The other kings had given voluntarily what he was being forced to surrender. And yet still, even now, she saw the defiance on his brow, his unwillingness to put others before himself.
“Well, Budai?” Zhumu asked, his gaze piercing.
“What if I refuse?” Budai said with challenge in his tone. “You stole a meiwood charm from me when the blackness of the dragon fell over Sihui. I’ve not forgotten that slight. It was mine. And so are the meiwood weapons and artifacts that I’ve collected these many years. I’ve spent a fortune on them.”
“You’ve also earned a fortune because of them,” growled another king.
Budai shot him a venomous look. “You cannot take my belongings from me because you do not know where they are. I’ve hidden them. Even if you kill me, you cannot have them. But what happens if I give them up? I get nothing? Will they be returned to me, the rightful possessor, when this is over? I think not. I don’t trust any of you, to be honest.”
What he couldn’t see, Bingmei realized, was that he would lose them anyway. If Echion caught him, he would be devoured. His body-soul would tell the dragon everything he needed to know about where the weapons were being kept.
“What do you want, Budai?” Zhumu asked.
Budai squirmed in his seat. “I wanted your daughter, but you wouldn’t give her
