Part 8 (1/2)

Ba stroked her hair as she wept, occasionally closing his eyes as he fought his own gloom. Finally, as Ma's crying slowed and calmed, Ba said, ”Do you remember the story I told you about the paper of happiness? And the secret which was one word written over and over again?”

The back of Ma's head nodded and Ba allowed himself a small smile.

”I have thought a long time about what that word could have been,” Ba said, ”Was it wisdom or honor? Love or truth? For a long time I liked to think that the word was kindness.”

Ma's face remained hidden in Minli's bed, but her sobs had stopped and Ba knew she was listening.

”But now,” Ba said, ”I think, perhaps, the word was faith.”

A faint, gray light seeped into the room, as if the moon was escaping from the clouds. Ma lifted her head and looked at Ba again. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and gave him a small, sad smile.

”Perhaps,” she said, ”perhaps, you are right.”

And she placed her hand, wet with tears, in his.

CHAPTER 26.

The next morning, Minli woke up alone under a heavy, rich blanket. Even though she was on the floor of the garden paG.o.da, she had slept comfortably, and as she sat up she realized that was probably due to the silk pillows she had been lying on. The soft sunlight cast leaf shadows across her face and the wind made gentle ripples in the moss colored lake in front of her. The Imperial Garden was just as beautiful in the day as it was by night.

On one side of her lay a small table with a small pot of tea, a bowl of rice porridge and tea stained eggs. ”Breakfast,” Minli thought to herself, but before she reached for it she saw that a yellow brocade traveling bag lay on the other side of her. Inside the bag, Minli found her humble blanket, rabbit rice bowl (with needle and bamboo piece), chopsticks, a generous supply of cakes, and her hollow gourd full of fresh water. On the very top lay the gold threaded pouch that held the ripped page of fortune. Minli took the pouch and held it with two hands.

Well, I have the borrowed line, Minli thought. Minli thought. At least I hope it is. At least I hope it is.

So after a quick breakfast, Minli quietly left the pavilion. Part of her was tempted to explore the mosaic walkways through the jewel colored leaves, but she knew being discovered by one of the king's councilors would be disastrous. Also, she knew Dragon was patiently waiting outside the city. So, using the king's secret door, Minli carefully left the garden and walls of the Inner City.

And when she was out of the garden, Minli realized it was very early morning. The Outer City was still sleeping; the stands were bare and the umbrellas were closed. Quickly, Minli scurried to the gate. With great effort she was able to get through - she had to use a metal pole she found on the ground to lift the lock and lever one of the doors open. Even then, she was only able to get it open a crack and had to squeeze.

As she fell through the gate, gasping for air, she was shocked to see Dragon lying in front of the stone lions, sleeping.

It took a couple of prods before Dragon woke, and his loud morning yawns almost put Minli in a panic, but they were able to get back to the hiding shelter of the forest before anyone saw them.

”What were you doing by the city?” Minli asked. ”You were supposed to stay hidden!”

”I was getting the borrowed line,” Dragon said.

”What do you mean?” Minli said, ”I have the borrowed line.”

And in a rush, the two of them told each other about their night adventures. Dragon stared at the ripped page from the book and Minli looked at the red cord in Dragon's hand.

”So which is the real borrowed line?” Dragon asked Minli.

”I guess that is another question we'll have to ask the Old Man of the Moon,” Minli said.

CHAPTER 27.

With both borrowed lines, Minli and the dragon continued their journey. Minli remade her compa.s.s with her rabbit rice bowl and followed the needle's pointed direction. As they traveled the land became more barren, rocky, and steep. Without trees to tame it, the wind blew wildly, burning Minli's cheeks red with cold. The icy air shoved and pushed them, as if trying to keep them back.

Late in the afternoon, after traveling up stony ground, Dragon made a noise. ”Look up ahead,” he said.

Far ahead of them seemed to be a spot of bright yellow. Against the gray landscape it seemed like a fallen piece of gold.

”Is it a forest? Trees with yellow leaves?” Minli asked, then she looked at the grey stone surrounding them. ”But what trees could grow here?”

”I think there is a village,” Dragon said, squinting his eyes, ”If there is, we can get you some warmer clothes.” Even though the cold hadn't bothered the dragon, he had noticed her s.h.i.+vering.

”We won't reach it before night,” Minli said, ”but I think there's a cave up ahead. Let's stay there for the night and tomorrow we'll try to reach the village or whatever it is.”

The dragon agreed and they made camp in the cave. The king's supply of traveling cakes saved her and Dragon from hunger, but Minli wished for the thick silk blanket. Even in the shelter of the cave, away from the wind, the earth was stark and cold. Minli built a fire as quickly as she could and sighed as its warmth slowly heated the air.

But that night, Minli could not fall asleep. Even with the dragon snoring behind her, the fire crackling and her blanket around her shoulders, her eyes did not close. Like the stone dust that the wind blew, thoughts kept circling in her head. She kept thinking about Ma and Ba and the orphan buffalo boy. With pangs of guilt, she thought about how Ma and Ba pushed her to go home early from the field, how her rice bowl was always the first filled, how every night when she went to sleep in her warm bed she knew they were there and how worried they must be that now she was not. The buffalo boy didn't have that. Instead he had a dirt floor, a pile of gra.s.s for his bed, a muddy buffalo, and a secretive friend. Yet he turned away her copper coin and laughed in the sun. Minli couldn't quite understand it and, somehow, felt ashamed.

But just as Minli shook her head with confusion, there was a sudden sound outside the cave. What was that? She c.o.c.ked her head. There it was again, like a low grumble of thunder. Was it going to rain? Minli quietly got up and slipped out of the cave to see.

But when she got outside, she screamed! The noise had not been the grumble of thunder, it had been a growl of a TIGER! The giant tiger snarled and then jumped right at Minli!

CHAPTER 28.

The wind screamed as Ma and Ba ate their dinner. The shutters of their house waved and slammed, shaking the house and the light from their lantern wavered. They looked at each other and wordlessly went to the window.

”There is fear in the wind,” the fish said, ”great worry.”

”Is it a storm?” Ma asked.

Ba looked at the fish. It stared at him with big eyes.

”I'm not sure,” Ba said.

The tree branches bent in the wind violently, as if being shaken by the sky. The wind shrieked again, and the cold air gusted into the house. The water in the fishbowl rippled and the fish swayed in the bowl. Both Ma and Ba s.h.i.+vered.

”Do you think Minli is outside in this...” Ma faltered.

”I hope not,” Ba said. The wind continued slap the house and trees, the whole earth seemed to shudder at the screeching wind. Only the moon above was still.

Ba looked at Ma and saw her soundless lips move as she gazed at the moon. He knew what she was doing and did the same.