by Art Collins
The moment the Monkey Clone loosened its stranglehold on Jockabeb, Archibald’s right hand moved quickly. Reaching back, he flung the foul smelling, yellow liquid in the flask all over the Monkey Clone’s head. At the same time, he yelled at the top of his lungs, “Nito, Vito!”
Instantly, Willow yelled, “Samu!”
The moment the Monkey Clone turned its head toward the girls, a pair of deadly projectiles were launched.
Willow’s arrow struck its mark a second before May’s flying dart zeroed in on the Monkey Clone’s right eye. Unfortunately, that mere second was enough time for the Monkey Clone to raise its right hand and deflect the flying dart so that it hit the wall and tumbled harmlessly to the ground.
Suddenly released from the Monkey Clone’s vice-like grip, Jockabeb slumped forward and fell helplessly on top of Robert. At the same time, Archibald heard May’s flying dart hit the wall. Even though he knew his plan had gone terribly wrong, he was still hopeful that somehow Willow and May would be able to quickly launch their second shots.
Keeping the flashlight trained on the Monkey Clone’s face with his right hand, Archibald instinctively began to pull Jockabeb to safety with his left. However, if he’d seen what was happening to the Monkey Clone’s right arm, any hope of escaping with his brother would have been immediately dashed.
It didn’t take Willow long to rearm her crossbow. May moved quickly and had her second flying dart ready to throw when the enraged Monkey Clone’s elongated arm grabbed Archibald. As the Monkey Clone pulled its new hostage back to its breast, the flashlight fell to the ground.
With Jockabeb and Robert collapsed on the ground, and with Archibald secure in its grip, the enraged, centuries-old creature snarled its final demand.
Dropping her flying dart, May translated the ultimatum with which she’d just complied. “The Monkey Clone said it would kill all three of them if we don’t put down our weapons!”
“And we’ll all be dead if I lower my crossbow,” Willow responded defiantly, looking at the mustard-colored liquid streaming from the beast’s left eye where her first arrow was lodged. Taking dead aim on the right eye that was clearly visible to her even in the dim, indirect light coming from the flashlight lying on the ground, she prayed for a miracle.
May’s target
Two Unseen Visitors from the Past
Unbeknownst to the infuriated Monkey Clone or any of the terrified humans who were present, two spirits had entered the dungeon and were floating overhead in the darkness. One was Chinese. The other was from a long departed American Indian tribe. The two spirits had never met until moments before. Even so, they had complementary objectives.
The spirit of the Jade Emperor was there to make sure the evil clone of the Monkey King would not escape the mountain that was intended to be its prison for eternity. If the Monkey Clone did somehow get free, it would wreak havoc, the likes of which the spirit of the Jade Emperor was not prepared to accept.
The spirit of Simtu was there to fulfill the pledge it had made to its twin brother, Haktu. That sacred pledge was to keep the two brothers safe, and it had been honored in a dark grotto in the Sonoran Desert, in a small café on the coast of Haiti, under the streets of New York City, and most recently below the Arctic’s frozen tundra.
Both spirits had been watching the scene below unfold. When May dropped her weapon, they both knew it was time to act. The spirit of the Jade Emperor glanced over at the spirit of Simtu and received a nod back. It then floated forward and pointed a finger at the Monkey Clone.
Two spirits to the rescue
Just as the Monkey Clone was about to sink its teeth into Archibald’s neck, it felt its right arm weaken and then go slack. A bewildered look crossed its simian face as the newest hostage pulled free.
Not wasting a moment, Archibald grabbed Jockabeb’s arms and dragged him back to where the girls were standing, but not before retrieving the flashlight.
Willow hadn’t taken her eyes off her target that was once again clearly illuminated by the flashlight Archibald had trained on its bewildered face. She was ready to let the second arrow fly when she paused and asked May, “Do you want the honors, or should I finish the job?”
“I like to finish what I start,” May answered, retrieving the flying dart that was lying at her feet.
“Go for it,” Willow said, still not lowering her crossbow.
Seconds later, they all followed the fluttering red tail of the flying dart as it streaked toward the Monkey Clone’s right eye.
When the sharp tip of Ming’s ancient throwing weapon pierced the gleaming yellow cornea, the alchemist’s magic metal began to work. Slowly at first, and then more quickly, the Monkey Clone’s flesh turned to stone.
With the first part of their mission completed, the two spirits lowered their heads respectfully toward one another. Then they each drifted away. While the spirit of the Jade Emperor would return to Heaven after performing one more task, the spirit of Simtu’s pledge could not be completed until both brothers were safely on a plane headed home.
Monkey Clone turned to stone
Return to Jade Place
Even though Jockabeb had a badly bruised face, disfigured ear, and was suffering from a moderate case of dehydration, he could still walk with some assistance from Willow. Robert Liu, who had been unconscious for most of the ordeal, was not so fortunate. While the three-inch gash on his forehead had stopped bleeding, the oozing gaping wound would require many stitches to close it. Like Jockabeb, he was dehydrated, had dried blood on his face, and was filthy from head to toe.
With Archibald’s help, May was finally able to revive Robert and get him unsteadily to his feet. After each member of the group took one last look at the stone statue that had once been the invincible Monkey Clone, they slowly began to make their way out of the dark dungeon. They had a great deal of difficulty getting Robert through the hole in the wall, and later through the crevice that led out of the mountain. Eventually, however, they all made it to daylight.
Once outside, while Jockabeb and Robert rested, May retrieved her backpack from the bushes. A look of relief crossed Jockabeb’s and Robert’s faces as they were each handed a water bottle. Even though the water was still hot, neither of them complained as they took their first drink in well over twenty-four hours.
As they all prepared to make the long and difficult descent down to the ferry, they looked back once more at the crevice in the mountainside. When they did, another miraculous event took place. In fact, three miraculous events occurred in quick succession!
First, the crevice through which they’d just walked suddenly closed seamlessly right before their eyes!
When Archibald turned to his brother and said, “Wow,” he again couldn’t believe what he saw. The dark red bruises that had covered the left side of Jockabeb’s face had somehow disappeared, his brother’s mutilated ear was whole and normal looking, and Jockabeb looked as fresh and clean as if he’d just come back from a leisurely morning stroll in the park!
Seconds later, May gasped, “Oh my Lord.” To her and to everyone else’s amazement, the deep gash on Robert Liu’s forehead had somehow disappeared, as well as all other traces of his terrible ordeal. Even his thick horn-rimmed glasses had been restored. Touching his smooth forehead, and then looking at his clean clothes, Robert beamed the first smile in more than a day, almost blinding the rest of the group as the bright sunlight reflected off his gold teeth.
His work done, the spirit of the Jade Emperor bowed his head to the other spirit that hovered nearby, smiled, and then disappeared.
The hike down the stone steps was uneventful, and the group was able to catch the three o’clock ferry back to Hong Kong. While they all stood on the fantail and watched Lantau Peak fade into the distance, Archibald suggested what should and should not be said to Mrs. Chen.
“Jockabeb and I have been through this kind of thing before,” he began. Then he corrected himself saying, “Well, maybe not exactly this kind of thing, but
close. Anyway, I think we should just stick with our previous story and say we met Jockabeb and Robert when they were waiting to board the ferry. We all decided to have lunch on Lantau Island before heading back to Central. And, as far as we’re all concerned, that ends that. What do you say?”
Robert Liu initially had a problem with not telling Mrs. Chen the truth. However, as he thought through how difficult it would be to explain how he’d let the situation get so out of hand, and after Archibald pointed out that no one would believe what had happened anyway, he agreed to go along with the story. That was when Archibald gave Robert back his car keys and said, “I expect you’ll need these.”
At about the halfway point between Lantau Island and Hong Kong Island, Willow did something she hated to do, but knew was necessary all the same. As she tossed her crossbow and last arrow overboard, she turned to Archibald and said, “Has anyone ever told you that hanging around with you can be hazardous to one’s health?”
“You’ll get used to it,” he replied, putting his arm around her shoulders.
“I hope so,” she answered, leaning her head against his chest.
After watching his brother and Willow, Jockabeb walked over to May and said, “Hey, I haven’t thanked you for what you did back there. If it wasn’t for you and Willow, I’d be a goner.”
“It was nothing,” May replied quietly.
“Anyway, I’d like to do something to pay you back,” Jockabeb said. “How about we go out to dinner one night? That is, if it’s okay with your mother. Maybe we could go on a double-date with Archibald and Willow.”
“I’d like that,” May answered with a smile. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”
When the taxi pulled through the gates at Jade Place, Mrs. Chen was standing at the front window waiting patiently for her daughter and guests to return home. As she said hello, Mrs. Chen was more than a little bit surprised as she watched the four hungry teenagers walk through the front hallway on their way to the kitchen to get something to eat. Following them into the kitchen, she looked at Jockabeb and remarked in a questioning tone of voice, “You’re not even limping.”
Jockabeb, not looking at anyone else, stared Mrs. Chen straight in the eye and answered truthfully, “You know, I’m a really quick healer.”
“By the way,” she added, patting him on the shoulder, “William called to find out how you and Willow enjoyed your hike up Lantau Peak and whether it had helped your jet lag. He was very sorry to hear of your mishap and hoped that such a bad start wouldn’t ruin the rest of your holiday.”
Jockabeb did his best to suppress a laugh when he said, “The next time he calls, please thank him for the Lantau Peak suggestion, and tell him that Willow and I can’t wait for his next recommendation.”
The Final Days in Hong Kong
The next five days flew by quickly. In addition to visiting the top tourist attractions, May planned several out of the way stops so that Willow and Jockabeb could experience the real Hong Kong. Robert Liu drove them each day except for one afternoon. That was when Wu Feng took May, Willow, and the boys back to Ming Wei’s home.
After Ming listened to May’s account of what had taken place on Sunday in the Monkey Clone’s dungeon, he stroked his beard and then gave his opinion as to what had really happened.
“Some powerful spirit help you,” Ming began. “Not sure which one, but very powerful. So happy that flying dart and arrow work well. Also happy that elixir trick fool Monkey Clone.”
Before they departed Ming’s home, he handed a pen and piece of paper to May. Then he said something to her in Cantonese. She wrote while he spoke. When he’d finished speaking, she repeated the English translation she’d just written down.
“Ming said he wants us to remember something Confucius said around 520 BC. He didn’t want to be rude to you when he spoke to me in Cantonese. He just wanted to make sure I translated the exact words Confucius used almost twenty-five hundred years ago. Anyway, here’s what Confucius said: ‘He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.’
“We studied Confucius in one of my classes at St. Paul’s, and I’ve read that quote before. Even so, it takes on a whole new meaning after what we went through last weekend.”
Jockabeb couldn’t have agreed more when he said, “You can say that again.” Then he asked, “If you wrote that saying down in English, can I keep the piece of paper?”
“I did, and you can,” May answered, handing over the piece of old rice paper.
The highlight of the week in Jockabeb’s mind was Friday evening. It was their last night in Hong Kong, and Mrs. Chen had agreed to let the four teenagers go out to dinner by themselves. However, when May told her mother that Jockabeb wanted to pay for her meal, Mrs. Chen wouldn’t hear of it, saying, “He is our guest. Tell him that if you ever visit the States, he can buy you dinner then.”
While Jockabeb felt badly about not being able to pay for May’s dinner, he knew it was an argument he would never win with Mrs. Chen, so he reluctantly agreed. It did, however, give him an opening to say, “Okay, May, you’ll just have to visit me so I can buy you the biggest steak you’ve ever seen.”
“You may be sorry if you get what you ask for,” she answered with a big smile on her face.
“No way!” he said emphatically, smiling back.
Both May and Archibald suggested that they return to Fook Lam Moon for their final dinner together. It didn’t take Willow and Jockabeb very long to agree after Archibald described the meal he’d previously eaten there.
From the moment that Robert Liu dropped them off in front of Fook Lam Moon’s front door at half past seven that evening, Willow and Jockabeb knew they were in for a special treat. Mrs. Chen must have been very specific when she made the reservation because the hostess led them to the same table Archibald and May had sat at before.
As soon as they were seated, Willow leaned over to Archibald and whispered, “You know who would have loved this?”
“No, who?” he asked.
“Meatloaf,” she answered.
“I never knew he liked Chinese food,” he said.
Thinking just how much she missed the one-armed man who helped save her life, she replied, “Next to meatloaf and gravy, Chow Mein was one of his favorites, and it didn’t matter which kind.”
She went on to explain that Jimmy Lee, one of the Moonlight Clan’s oldest members, had been a cook in a Chinese restaurant before he was fired for pilfering supplies to support his own catering business. Jimmy’s specialty was Chow Mein, and he made it every Wednesday evening.
When May asked if she should order the same dishes her father had when they’d eaten there last, Archibald said, “That would be perfect.” He then looked over at Willow and winked, adding, “I know they don’t serve meatloaf here, but can you add some steamed minced meatballs in honor of a friend of ours?”
“Sure,” May answered. “Who is the friend we are honoring tonight?”
Archibald’s answer led to a recap of not only what had happened the night they killed the Ratweil, but of all the other fantastic adventures that had taken place over the past four years. The more the two brothers talked, the more May was amazed that both brothers were still alive.
After the last spoonful of fresh mango pudding was eaten, May paid the bill. Robert Liu was standing by the Mercedes when the four laughing teens walked out of the restaurant. Ten minutes later, they were back at Jade Place.
Mrs. Chen was reading when they walked into the living room to thank her for such a wonderful dinner. “The pleasure was all mine,” she said. Then she got up from her chair, saying, “I’m going upstairs now, and I suggest you do the same. Tomorrow is going to be a long day for the three of you heading back to the States. Good night.”
A First for Jockabeb
Everyone took Mrs. Chen’s advice and retired early. Jockabeb had been in his room for about ten minutes thinking about his first dim sum dinner, together with everything else he’d experienced for the fi
rst time while in Hong Kong. Summoning up all his courage, he decided it was time for another first.
After taking off his shoes, he quietly opened his door and checked the long hallway. Seeing that the coast was clear, he slowly tiptoed all the way to May’s bedroom door. After taking a deep breath, he gently knocked.
Moments later, May opened the door. Her initial look of surprise quickly changed as she smiled and whispered, “Hi, Jockabeb. Is there anything wrong?”
“Wrong?” he whispered back, “No, no, no. Tomorrow we’ll be rushed and we won’t have any time alone and, well . . .”
“Jockabeb, is there anything you want to say or do?” May asked in a hushed voice, well aware that the nervous young man in front of her was really struggling.
Jockabeb knew it was now or never, so he whispered back, “Yes.” Then he awkwardly leaned forward, puckered his own lips, and slightly brushed May’s.
Jerking backward as if he’d just received a hundred volt shock, Jockabeb gasped, “Good night.” Then, without waiting for any reply, he abruptly turned and tiptoed as fast as he could back to his room.
Closing the door quietly behind him, he leaned up against it, put his head back, and said out loud, “Jockabeb, you are the biggest dork ever! Your first big kiss and what do you do? You blow it!”
At the same time, May was back in her room, sitting at her writing desk. When she reached for the pen, she knew exactly what she wanted to say.
Saying Good-bye
When Jockabeb woke up the next morning and got out of bed, he noticed a pink envelope on the floor next to the door. When he walked over and picked it up, he saw his name neatly written in meticulously precise cursive handwriting.
There was no doubt in his mind about who had slipped the envelope under his door. Even so, it took him several minutes to work up the courage to open it. During that time, he thought of all the things May might have written—from, “Why would you ever think I wanted to kiss you?” to, “I told my mother, and she is really, really upset with you.” However, the most mortifying potential message he thought of was, “You’re a terrible kisser, and I don’t ever want to ever see you again.”