This one is short, but, the next one will be long. Thanks for reading.
-Pops
Altercation and Abduction at the Red Lantern
It had
gotten quite late into the evening, but Red Beard continued his watch. It was a
quiet night and he would later apologize to the owner for dampening the inn’s
trade—having a senior police officer sitting in the corner of a gambling den
could not have been good for business. The general and his men were in a
predictable action loop. They would gamble for a time, then they would break to
eat and drink, and then a resting period, and then the next shift of bar maids
would rouse them and solicit their stories, and then they would break off in
pairs or fours to go play with the maids in private quarters, and then the cycle
would repeat.
Eventually
a young nobleman entered the inn accompanied by a large manservant. He was
notable to Red Beard because he came dressed not to relax and carouse, but as
if for a business transaction—this must be the man, he thought. The nobleman
looked about, recognized his mark, and headed straight to the general’s party.
There were no niceties. The man straightaway produced a purse and laid out coin
to be counted. The general appeared to be satisfied, removed the pendant, and
handed it to the noble who then put it on, concealing it under his robes
against his body. The noble looked quite pleased to have gained the piece. He
and his servant, a stout and broad fellow who had the decisive gait of an
ex-soldier, apparently a bodyguard, turned to leave.
The general
called to the nobleman and motioned to him to sit and join him for a time. The
nobleman summoned a barmaid, who brought additional chairs and another round of
drinks. A roving croupier came to them to entice the noble into a game of dice,
but he waved him off. Red Beard thought to move to a closer table so that he
could hear the conversation, but decided it unnecessary and placed himself on
the porch such that he kept him in eyeshot and so that they would have to pass
by him in order to exit. And so the wait continued, but eventually the noble
and bodyguard made for the exit and out onto the porch. Red Beard rose and
stood in their path.
“Pardon me
sir,” said Three, “I would like to pass.”
“You gained
that pendant at quite a bargain. What was that? 2 gold? 250 silver?” said Red
Beard.
“I beg your
pardon,” said Three, “is it your business to monitor private transactions in
this house?”
“It is
actually my business to monitor YOUR transaction, yes.”
Backie
stepped alongside his boss, ready to put himself in-between as necessary.
“Backie,” said Three, “as good as you are, there is nothing for you to do here.
This fellow is as big as the Great Wall and he’s better armed than you.” Three
confronted Red Beard directly, “You intend then, to acquire my pendant at an
even greater bargain than I did, sir?”
“How dare
you imply I am a thief.”
“It’s
night. It’s the port area. I’ve just been told I’ve been closely watched.”
“I only
asked a question.”
“How dare
you insinuate yourself into my affairs. If you mean not to cause me harm or
loss, then kindly step aside and let me and my man pass. It’s quite late.”
Red Beard
stood still. “I will give you 10 times the value of what you just paid for that
item. I believe that would be its fair resale value.”
“Not for
sale.”
“Problem?
Prince?” A voice came from behind the eunuch. It was Anto.
“Why do you
call him ‘Prince?’” asked Red Beard. He adjusted his stance so that he could
keep all of them in view and control.
“You are
addressing the Great Prince of Southern China, that is why. But what is it to
you that I call anybody anything.”
“Anto. This
is neither the place or time for that nonsense,” said Three.
“Boss,”
said Backie, “if it’s Anto and me, we can take this guy.”
“Backie,
stand down. Anto, your advice. This guy just offered me 10 times what I paid
for my pendant.”
“Take it,”
said the pirate.
“Why do you
want it?” asked Three.
“Why is it
precious to you?” asked Red Beard in return. “I thought that man back there was
the owner, but I see it was only a security.”
“Until you
tell me who you are and why you care, I have nothing else to say to you sir.
Step aside.”
“I will say
this. Two offers. I will give you 10 times the value of what you just paid. Or,
I will give you even twice again that amount, including your explanation of how
you came by that piece, and that will be the end of it.”
The inn
steward stepped up to the group, “Gentlemen, I couldn’t help but hear that
there is some sort of disagreement here?” He talked directly to Three, “You
need to know that this tall man, is the very honorable …” He was unable to
finish the sentence as Red Beard put hand over the man’s mouth, practically
covering his entire face with his massive palm, and pushed him to the ground.
“Silence!”
said Red Beard. The steward cowered on the ground.
“Raja,”
whispered Anto, “I would take the second offer if I were you. You are in a
strange town and unaccustomed to its manners.”
“How do I
even know this guy will do what he says? Why are you here anyway? Your part in
this is done.”
“I am here
to ensure that your agreement is carried out fairly and that you are not
cheated on my account.”
“Sergeant
Glint got paid. You’re done.”
“Who’s to
say he’s not working for the ‘Sarge’?”
“Something
else is at stake here and the ante is rising fast. I can’t tell what’s what.”
“It’s
obvious. I’ve been in these situations before,” said Anto. “The woman, My
Prince. Give her up. She’s nothing but trouble for you.”
“Shut up.
Do NOT betray me here,” said Three. He turned to Red Beard, “Counteroffer. If
you have nothing to say for yourself and you intend to raise your hand in force
against me, I will not cooperate in your unjust aggression. If you want my
jewelry so much, remove it from my person like the evil tyrant you are, but harm
none of my party. But know this, when I have the power to address the injustice
you perpetrate, I will deal equivalence without mercy to you at my earliest
chance.”
“You accuse
me of being an agent of injustice? What insolence! You throw equivalence at me
like a threat?” The great man began to open his cloak to reveal himself and his
uniform. “I … am …”
“Wha’s
goin’ on here?” Like everybody in the Red Lantern main hall, Glint watched with
curiosity and interest as this confrontation began to grow as Three had become
detained.
“Glint,
it’s not your business,” said Three.
Glint’s
speech was starting to slur. Apparently his body got the signal to relax after
their business was done. “We shar’d a drink and a deal. We … are not frien’s,
but w’re gettin’ there. Is he pushing you aroun’? He’s three times bigger an’
you.”
“Thanks but
I’m perfectly capable of handling my own affairs. Please return to your table.”
“Yer
relievin’ me from duty? I’ll have you know I’m a damned hero.”
“You’ve had
too much to drink,” said Three. “I’m fine. I appreciate it though.”
“Are you
sayin’ I can’ hold my liquor? I propose we all go back and have a … contest …”
“I have,”
Red Beard said slowly and with a building anger, “the full authority to
confiscate any property that I deem to be the rightful belongings of …”
And then on
cue, came the incongruous, comical sound of a series of loud farts, and a
pale-skinned, naked teenage girl came running up screaming and wailing and threw
herself around Three’s shins, throwing a tantrum, and then proceeded to make a
puddle on the floor. Twelve young men dressed in white rushed in after her with
cries of “Stop her! Get her! Don’t worry, we’ve got her!” They were the
students of Cohorts 3 and 4. And then
came the porters and then the casual laborers of the Academy. They swooped in, engulfed
the scene with humanity, picked up Fart Toad and Three whisked them down the
street before anyone could think to react.
Just as Red
Beard snapped himself into chase mode, he was clapped on the back by the
Headmaster. “Red Beard you old sot! Are you harassing my houseguests?” said the
old professor as if he had casually run into an old friend on the street. “This boy
missed his dinner appointment. The girl was absolutely inconsolable, demanded a
search, and ran out of the house in her … peculiar way … you know. Boys!” he
yelled down the street, “Get them all back to the manse else they’ll not have a
good night’s sleep to enjoy the very fine breakfast we have planned come the
morrow! Tea cakes. Dumplings. All shapes and sizes, but mostly small.”
Red Beard
had been defused. All he could stammer out was “Those boys, it’s past curfew.”
“We’re
heading right back. Don’t tell me you never broke the night watch as a lad? Ah
youth. I’m always trying to restrain them. Should have opened up a school for
young ladies. Please take up your business with my guest tomorrow? It can wait
until noon can’t it? I take full responsibility for him. Have you forgotten we
live in the most civilized nation on earth? No violence in front of the
children. Ah, children. She’s become quite fond of this young man. We need to
be off. Oh and please come for breakfast. Bring your friends. There will be
plenty. Come Backie.” The Headmaster intentionally kept his mouth moving and did not wait for Red Beard’s reply. “By
the way, Backie, is it? My men recovered your strong box. Seems I signed it in
to my safe room and forgot all about it. Toad found it. And so that was the
fabled ‘Red Lantern’ was it? I must say, it is not much…”
“What the
hell was that?” Adrenaline had pushed a bit of Glint’s sobriety back to the
forefront.
Red Beard
removed his cloak and revealed his uniform. “I am trying to retrieve that
pendant that you gave to that man.”
“And why
would the Eunuch Guard be interested?”
“It may be
stolen palace property. I am conducting an investigation.”
“So it WAS
a royal treasury item. I thought maybe it was. The Emperor’s?”
“It belongs
to your fiancĂ©e, General Zuo.”
* * *
The sedan
for four was a large vehicle and it took eight porters to move it uphill to the
Academy, but it gave the Headmaster and Three some time to chat alone. Toad sat
hunched at Three’s side of course.
“My
daughter is not known for having good intuition, but I am glad I heeded her
wishes in bringing the boys and the men out with us. However, Red Beard is NOT
a good man to have as an enemy,” the Headmaster said. “What is your business
with him?”
Three
opened his mouth but then stopped himself. “It’s better I don’t tell you. I’m
terribly sorry for bringing this trouble to your house.”
“What kind
of a host would I be if I did not render any assistance as I can?” said the
Headmaster.
“Who is Red
Beard?”
“He is one
of the higher ranking officers of the palace eunuchs. If he is dealing with you
directly, you must have done something extremely … noteworthy.”
“He
redeemed some jewelry from a military officer,” whispered Toad.
“Really?”
said the Headmaster. “May I see?” Three took it off.
“Are you
sure?” Three asked. “With knowledge comes complicity.”
“I suppose
you’re right. It’s much too dark to see anything anyway.”
Toad took
it into her hands and turned it over and over in the light of the waxing moon
that came in the window. “It has a tiny inscription on the ‘wrong’ or obverse
side. I think it may have come the trousseau of the Princess Seven.”
“How can
you even see that?” asked Three.
“It’s those
damned purple eyes of hers. She sees in the dark,” muttered her father. Three
thought of how her face was always pinched in the full sun. The night was her
time. She looked perfectly poised sitting in the dark. The moonlight made her
white skin look blue.
“Her
Highness Seven is the only court person who is not a worm. I like her. Everyone
says she is odd, like me. She is kind to me. Why do you have this?” asked Toad.
“That is an
excellent question. Why indeed?” asked Three.
The answer
to Three was quite obvious, and it made him feel guilty. He had given Qi, the
daughter of carpenter and a seamstress, something whose value he thought was
only sentimental, but was in fact a very expensive piece of gold with a
precious gem. It was obviously something an apprentice kitchen worker could
never reciprocate—unless she had access to a princess’ personal effects. She
said she was in the Princess Seven’s service and obviously had access, stole
this similar pendant, and gave it to me, he thought. By initiating that cycle
with my pendant, I pushed her into a death sentence. The eunuch has not traced
it to her yet, but is investigating me, who has possession. Which is likely why
he offered to pay me for my testimony. Double the value of the piece. This is
all conjecture, he thought. I must contact her before noon so she can advise me
how to proceed.
“Three is
sad again,” said Toad. “I thought after we got the pendant back, you would
smile.”
“You’re
right. I attract the misfortune gods. And it appears I spread it too. You
should probably ask me to leave your house. Bad things are going to happen at
noon.”
Toad
started to cry. “I’m sorry Three. I broke all the rules you gave me to be your
friend!” She was ashamed.
[Russian] “Speak Russian?”
“Of course.”
“A Russian sailor told me there is a story
in his land about the bird after which you are named, the phoenix—except they
call it the Firebird. It has golden feathers that glow in the night and can
illuminate a room. It has a 500-year lifespan, and at the end, she builds nest
and burns up in a glorious blaze, but from the ashes she is born again in a new
self.
“And so that,” said Three, “is what I will call you from this night
on—Firebird. Because tonight you blazed and lit the night for me.”
Toad looked at the pendant and
smiled to herself, for it occurred to her that whenever Three wore this, not
only would he think of Necklace Girl, he would have to think of Firebird too.
© 2012 by
Vincent Way, all rights reserved.