Cologne was feeling every one of her 300+ years as she made her way back to the Nekohanten from her most recent buying trip. She and her last remaining family were in a trap without any visible escape, her position as Matriarch was endangered, and the life of her great-granddaughter was at stake. Perhaps worse.
And, damnably, this was all tied into someone to whom she had to feel grateful!
The story that Xian Pu and Mu Tsu had passed on to her had more than a few holes, but she had figured on filling those in over time. Although one thing on which they had agreed was that the release of Shampoo from the Surikomi egg was the direct result of the actions of Son-in-Law.
But now, it seemed, time had run out. She had been running late, and had taken the mail with her on her trip to the market, and had only discovered the missive from the Matrons after she was in the market itself.
She would be the first to admit, even if only to herself, that she had made mistakes here. When she'd first arrived, she'd made a classic blunder of arrogance and overconfidence; she'd underestimated the her opponents.
Actually, they shouldn't have been opponents in the first place.
'I was so STUPID! Listening to our own hyperbole, I thought I could just breeze in and cow everyone here into submission, then be on my way back to China in a matter of a month or two at most. As it is, I've only increased the consequences for Xian Pu if she fails, but I have no idea at this point how she can possibly win!'
Reaching the closed Nekohanten and moving directly to the kitchen, she eyed Mousse in his cage, making certain that he had adequate supplies as well as checking the fastenings. He wasn't going to get out of this one until she was good and ready to let him out!
Perching herself on the barstool residing in front of the range, she gazed at the slightly bedraggled duck. The duck looked back at her with thinly veiled triumph in its posture.
<"Did you actually have a plan when you returned from Jusenkyo that first time? Were you planning something along these lines, or was it all just fortuitous circumstance?>
<"Do you really understand what you've helped accomplish? What we've all helped accomplish here? Forget Ranma for the moment - I'll learn everything that happened with the Phoenix in good time, but what matters is what has come from this.">
She shook the message at the cage. <"Ranma has been declared 'persona non grata' in the tribe. He will never be allowed within the gates, nor shall he be allowed succor by any tribe member. He is not to be hunted, merely shunned.">
<"Whatever happened at Jusendo has created such fear in the other Matrons that Ranma is to be killed on sight should he approach the village! But even worse is that they have not seen fit to release Xian Pu from her duty under the law! She must still marry the outsider who defeated her or face permanent exile or worse. Yet if she does marry him she faces exile anyway!">
Now talking more to herself, Cologne rambled on, <"I need to know what happened, but ... how can I overcome this? My line has ended - Xian Pu may have children some time in the future, but they will not, no, they CANNOT be Nyuchiezu, no matter what happens with the Son-in-Law. Unless, if the other Matrons are scared of him just enough ...">
<"Enough of this! I've let Xian Pu escape this for far too long! It's time and past time that I got to the bottom of this! Xian PU! GET DOWN HERE!">
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(Posted Sun, 15 Feb 2004 08:42)
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