Naamah's Kiss - Jacqueline Carey [232]
Be strong, the dragon whispered in my thoughts. I will not let anything harm you.
Once, my foot slipped. Pebbles bounced and scrabbled down the face of the cliff. Unbalanced, I teetered. The princess' hand shot out to close around my wrist, hard enough to leave a bracelet of bruises, anchoring me.
I will not let anything harm you, the dragon repeated.
I swallowed hard and breathed the Breath of Earth's Pulse, finding my center of balance. "Thank you."
She nodded.
Bit by bit, we labored up the cliff face. At the top, I would have been content to fling myself to the earth and rest forever; and I daresay some of the others would, too, especially Tortoise.
But no.
Master Lo Feng pointed. "There is the path to the monastery."
I stared, too awestruck for words. The steep path led to a gorge lined with the most colossal carvings I'd ever seen, enormous effigies of Sakyamuni and his followers and myriad other deities carved into the living rock of the mountain. Even at a distance, I could tell they were at least ten times life size.
"How…" Words failed me. "How… Who did this, Master?"
"It is the work of many, many hands over the span of centuries," he said calmly. "Followers of the Way, followers of the Path of Dharma. Come, let us see if my old friend Abbot Hong remains with us."
As we made our way down, I couldn't stop staring. The scale of the carvings was just so immense, the labor required so unimaginably vast. Serene faces taller than I was gazed tranquilly into the gorge. It was a relief to me to see that Bao and the others seemed no less impressed than I was, goggling at the looming figures and exclaiming at the imposing sight in hushed tones.
"I should like to see it," the princess said wistfully. The dragon echoed the thought.
"You shall," I promised. "Only I do not think now is a good time."
"No."
Luck favored us. Master Lo's old friend the abbot was alive and well. Fetched by a pair of very startled acolytes, he hobbled out to meet us, leaning on a gnarled cane. The abbot took the measure of our company in a single keen glance. Although he was bent and wizened with age, beneath his wrinkled lids his eyes sparkled with inner joy and a lively wit. Even if I had not known, I would have guessed in a heartbeat that he and Master Lo were friends of long standing and considerable mutual respect.
"Lo Feng Tzu," Abbot Hong said in a thin, reedy voice. "You have been gone a very long time. Where is your braid and your beard? I scarce know you!"
Master Lo smiled and bowed. "I have borrowed your guise, old friend, and brought you a dilemma."
"So you have, so you have." The abbot inclined his bent back in the direction of the veiled princess. "Even here, I have heard rumors of your disappearance. Be welcome, Noble Princess."
She bowed in return. "Thank you, Revered Brother."
In the plain, rustic chambers of a building with tip-tilted roofs perched atop the gorge, we shared our food, dined, and took counsel with Abbot Hong. For being the head of a monastery in such a remote place, he was surprisingly well-informed about the doings of both Lord Jiang's forces and the Imperial army, warning us that while the Imperial army was gathering in mass, Lord Jiang had left scattered companies of men behind to hunt for us.
Tired as I was, I let the conversation wash over me. Knowing nothing of the terrain, I let them make their plans. Acolytes on the Path of Dharma came and went in simple brown robes, bringing full dishes, carrying away empty ones. Some of them looked askance at us; some didn't.
"Forgive me, old friend." The abbot's voice was apologetic. "But I must ask before I pledge myself to speak untruths on your behalf. Rumor held the princess was demon-plagued. This business of a dragon… Are you very, very sure?"
Snow Tiger's shoulders tightened.
I roused.
"Yes." Master Lo's voice was firm. "I am. I violated the sanctity of White Jade Mountain and stole the dragon's pearl. I cannot undo the folly of my youth, but I recognize its handiwork."
"But you have not seen it… ?" the abbot persisted.
Now, please,