Tiger - Jeff Stone [42]
“There you go,” the man said to Fu.
“You want me to go there?” Fu asked, surprised. “In plain sight?”
“Yes. I'm not going to let you head off into those trees alone.”
Fu rubbed his bald head. He needed to think of something—fast. He closed his eyes and concentrated. A moment later, the man closest to him grabbed his nose and took several steps backward. Then the other men did the same thing, one right after another.
“Jeez, kid—that's disgusting!” one of the men said.
Fu shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry. So, who's going to follow me into the trees?”
“Nice try, monk,” one of the men said. “You're NOT going into the trees. You'll go right over there where we told you to go.”
Fu had no choice but to walk to the leaf pile. He walked slowly, pausing once, concentrating.
“Come on, kid!” someone blurted out. “Enough, already!”
The men backed up even more. So much more, in fact, that they were soon out of sight in the inky darkness. Fu took a deep, cleansing breath and exhaled. He wanted so badly to get down to business. However, what he wanted even more was to be free. Fu took another deep breath and ran off into the trees.
“Villagers, I have returned!” Captain Yue announced the next morning. He sat atop his stallion at the edge of the village square, which was full of people. “I had to spend the night on the trail, so I'm in a terrible mood. Don't even think about trying my patience. Bring me the boy from Cangzhen Temple. NOW!”
Captain Yue was greeted with several hundred blank stares. The entire village was gathered in the square, packed tightly together around the bamboo cage. The cage door was high in the air, which meant that it was empty. Captain Yue scowled. Infuriated, he waved his hand and fifty soldiers marched up behind him, armed to the teeth. Two of the soldiers held qiangs. Captain Yue looked down at the two villagers who had traveled to Cangzhen to inform them of the young monk's capture.
“How dare you mock me?” Captain Yue shouted, spit flying from his flapping jaws. “You bring me here, and now your people stare at me ignorantly while standing around an empty cage? Somebody has some explaining to do. Immediately!”
Both men stared back with blank expressions. Neither of them knew what was going on, and none of the villagers wanted to tell Captain Yue that Fu had escaped.
Suddenly there was a stir among the crowd. The Governor approached Captain Yue briskly. In his hands were the dragon scrolls.
“Most honorable Captain Yue,” the Governor said, bowing low. “I have what you've come for. It is with great respect I deliver these scrolls to you with my humble hands.”
Captain Yue reached down from his horse and snatched all four scrolls. He opened one roughly and found it to be genuine. Then he threw it and the other three at one of his men. The soldier put the scrolls away for safekeeping.
Captain Yue stared down at the Governor. “Where is the boy?”
“I have given you the scrolls,” the Governor replied simply. “Of what use is the boy?”
“You do not appear to be a fool, Governor. Do you not recall the penalty for harboring a Cangzhen monk? Bring the boy to me now, or perish.”
The Governor frowned. “I'm sorry, sir. The boy has escaped.”
“What?” Captain Yue shouted. “This is outrageous! How could you be so incompetent?”
“Again, I apologize,” the Governor replied. “But—”
“But nothing!” Captain Yue said. “Men, string this sorry excuse for a Governor from the tallest tree. Destroy the village to teach these people a lesson!”
The soldiers rushed forward and there was a tremendous BANG! Everyone stopped and looked toward the source of the sound—the bamboo cage. The door had slammed shut and the lock engaged. A deep, gravelly voice spoke loudly from inside it.
“I am the one who brought trouble into this village, and I will be the one to take it out. Soldiers, take me away.”
“Who is it that speaks?” Captain Yue shouted, plunging into the crowd with his horse. Several villagers cried out in pain as