Chapter 14

Wong was afraid of his new knife, not of its sharpness, but of the idea that he was armed. It meant that someone might challenge him to battle, not realizing that he was the property of John, and unable to accept a challenge on his own behalf. He compromised by wearing it behind his back, so he didn't seem armed to any who faced him. There it felt like a guard dog protecting his back, and not like a troublesome friend urging him to mischief.

John practiced with Zithrusa sword technique, and she had a very different style than he. She tended to want to use the point to keep an attacker away from her, so he went with it. She didn't have the upper body strength to hack or bludgeon anyway, and John put a very sharp point on the narrow blade which was rather anemic and light to begin with. He used a dense wood singlestick, and tried to bash, hack, and bludgeon her with it, and let her find her style of deflecting his swings and then stabbing the point at him. It didn't work if he used his own slicing style, but against a basher of average strength she was quite effective. Against Conan, she would be brushed aside like a leaf due to his power, if you have the strength bashing works fine.

For Wong, he used his unobtrusive valet style. Wong often was able to sneak up on John and straighten his collar, or flick lint or dandruff from his shoulders and then fade back unobtrusively before John was even aware he was there. His approach was so subtle and obsequious that he just slipped in under the radar, so to speak. John had him practice coming up to brush away lint with a stick in his hand, and to try to touch John on the neck with the stick as he did so, at any time he thought he could do so without John noticing. It turned out that he could pick the exact moment when John was distracted, and for a few days John became quite jumpy at how often he felt the cool kiss of polished wood against his throat.

So Wong added the notation 'credible assassin' to his resume. John asked Wong if he could do it for real, using his knife, and Wong said he could never even consider it without specific orders. John ordered Wong to use whatever means he needed to protect Zithrusa, John, and himself from deadly or injurious harm. It was interesting seeing the manly gleam come into Wong's eyes at that, and to note how he stood straighter and with more confidence. He had just been promoted from 'slave, drover' to 'slave, bodyguard'. Of course he knew that if John was already aware of and facing the harm, it was to Wong to watch his back, not try to usurp his fight.

Wong started training John, as well, in the deportment of a man of means, eastern style. He accepted the material that Zithrusa had painstakingly spun and woven so fine, but the cut of the garments wouldn't do at all. He re-tailored them, and while he was at it, made silk robes of the clothing silk Zithrusa had woven using plain, rose, and purple thread in pleasing patterns. The robes were for Zithrusa, who needed to be even more of an adornment than she was already. He had John make a fan of silk and wood, in the same patterned design, and taught Zithrusa and John the language of the fan. He also taught them their own private code of signals, so Zithrusa could more easily direct John. Of course, Zithrusa wouldn't know much more of what was going on than John did, being a nomadic goat herd, but Wong would be in attendance on her, to tell her what to signal John to do.

So, Zithrusa would be Wong's face, and John would face for Zithrusa. It was all fascinating, the way a fan's flickers and pops could be so expressive with exact meaning. In fact, Zithrusa could communicate with only the fan, without even learning the language! At least as far as society went. Women weren't meant to say much anyway, and Wong would deal with communicating with servants staff and slaves. It was interesting for Zithrusa to have the boot on the other foot, and have to learn John and Wong's subtle signals of desired behavior. She learned to simper, to tap with her fan lightly instead of slugging John's arm hard when he made an embarrassing joke, to keep her eyes down except for flirtatious glances.

John had Zithrusa play for Wong her erghil, and they both sat entranced with her etheric transports. Wong told her that her playing gave her amazing status among women, and would make John famous for no other reason than her musical talent. Zithrusa blushed, and was very pleased. Thereafter she worked even harder to become the epitome of the eastern high class wife.

Wong started teaching John and Zithrusa the main aristocratic language, it was the equivalent of french among the royalty of 17th century Europe- all the important people spoke it, no matter their country of origin. There wasn't much hope of learning to speak it very well, Wong thought, but the advantages of understanding it were worth the effort to learn it. John, Wong, and Zithrusa were quite entertaining to the caravaners as they dressed up to the nines, and simpered, flapped fans, and spoke the lisping language of the upper crust. They stopped making boorish comments however when Wong started sneaking up on them and brushing imaginary lint from their shoulders solicitously.

John made matching slippers for Zithrusa, and at her instigation continued to produce many fine carvings of the kind that entranced women. She said that they alone might gain her acceptance into the social ranks of high society wives. Wong was uncomfortable wearing silk as he thought himself beneath such finery, but had to admit as the defacto factotum, it was what he should be wearing. John pointed out he was sleeping in a silk tent, so why not wear silk clothing? Logically it made sense, but it still felt to Wong like he was dressing up beyond his station.

They soon got a chance to practice their upper crusty skills, when they reached one of the outlaying provinces of the eastern Empire. There was a governor in his mansion, and Wong took a request for interview on behalf of John and Zithrusa, and returned with a luncheon invitation. Wong was careful to not let them overdress for the occasion, lest they embarrass the Governor and his wife, It was embarrassing to Zithrusa. The Governor's wife was very provincial, and didn't know the fan language. She was very taken with Zithrusa, and fawned and made much of her. One thing she did know, was cosmetics, so they went off and left the men to themselves, and Zithrusa learned the art of beauty enhancement.