by Shea Meadows
“I’m pulling over for a minute,” Ho said. “I want to look at the drawing and make a phone call. Susan, could you drive?”
“Sure, I don’t have my Chinese driver’s license, so I shouldn’t drive long,” Susan answered.
Ho waved away her concern. “You know the traffic pattern in this part of the country. They’d only notice you if you crashed into at least three other vehicles.”
George moved into the seat where Susan had been, and Ho sat next to the new driver, reviewing the information in the drawing. As they went on, Ho went through his contact notebook, looking for a particular name. “Here she is. Wu Liu used to work full-time so, maybe she’s there.” He pulled out his cell phone and tested for a signal then smiled in satisfaction as he punched in the number.
He spoke in Mandarin to the person answering, then waited as the call transferred. “We are in luck. Wu Liu is working today,” Ho said in English to the group. Wu Liu must have answered his call then because he again spoke in Mandarin. After a few minutes the conversation ended.
“I was speaking to Wu Liu who is an administrator of restorations at the Terracotta Warrior Museum. She is an old friend and is in charge of the workshop near Pit Two. She has promised to let us observe the restorations. That fits right in with Bonta’s drawing.”
“Wow, and to think we were going to try to do this without you,” David said as he reached over and patted Ho on the shoulder.
Ho smiled. “Anyone who could send the aunties on to the Celestial Kingdom deserves all the help I can give. Now, let’s hope I still have a job when I get back.”
“Would you mind driving again? This is making me nervous,” Susan said as she swerved to miss a slow-moving oxen cart that was traveling on the edge of the two-lane highway.
She pulled to the side and Ho took over. The group discussed what they should look for in the museum.
“I wish we were going as tourists so we could enjoy the experience,” Bonta said wistfully.
“I hear you,” Ricky replied. “The good news is that if we want, we could do an out-of-body trip when this is all over and visit the site as it was when it was being created.”
Susan laughed. “I was there when the Han Dynasty built Emperor Jingdi’s mausoleum. There were lots of slaves and peasants working far into the night as they slowly starved, and the royals looked the other way. The replicas were beautiful, but even the witches felt horrible when we realized souls would be planted in the statues so they could serve the royals for countless centuries.”
Ho smirked. “Apparently, that didn’t stop Lee Gee from working her way up to Empress and sucking her boss into the Bi Mo Chu.”
“So, big man, are all your incarnations blameless on every level?” Susan asked.
Ho shrugged. “I can’t say for sure.”
Susan laughed. “There are people here who can read your Akashic Record.” She turned around and smiled at Ricky and David. “Either of you want to delve into Ho’s past lives?”
Ricky smiled back but shook her head. “We have to stay focused. Ho would have to request it anyway. He would have to give permission before we could tell anyone else what we found, even a former empress.”
Ho let out the breath he’d been holding. “That sounds good to me. Maybe we can after we send Norton Reston on to spirit world. But right now, we are down the road from The Warrior Museum. Wu Liu said she would leave free passes for us at the employee gate and give us preferential parking. The turn should be coming up…There it is.”
Ho entered the parking lot marked in many languages, including English: “Employee and Special Guest Parking Only.” They were stopped at the gate by a young security guard situated in a booth. He pulled up their names on his computer and printed passes. He directed them to a space near the side door of the building where all behind-the-scenes museum business entered.
By the time they were parked, a middle-aged Chinese woman with large, red-framed glasses and ample girth had appeared by the door. Ho quickly exited the van, and they shook hands and talked rapidly in Mandarin for a moment or so then beckoned the rest of the group. He introduced them to Wu Liu, and she took a few moments to chat and play with the baby.
“It is not all that busy in the restoration area today and less tourists than usual in Pit One. Winter is our slowest time, but it’s more comfortable for research visits. I supervise the workroom near pit two which is not open to the public. There are several restoration rooms near each of the excavations, including those near the Emperor’s tomb. Which would you like to see?” Wu Liu asked.
“Is it possible to look at Pit Two and its workshop?” Ricky asked.
“Surely, follow me. I will tell you something of the restoration process as we walk; Pit Two is a considerable way.”
Wu Liu led them down a narrow hallway. “This building was erected in the mid-nineteen-seventies. The government began research on the replicas found buried in a farmer’s field in seventy-four. By seventy-nine, the museum was opened to the public. The restoration of the ghost army, as it is called by some, continues to this day, over thirty years since the discovery. We built our buildings around the excavations to protect the artifacts.”
The group turned a corner and went up a long flight of stairs, through a dusty area near Pit Two where workers were unearthing new finds. There was an abundance of dirt piled around the replicas and a team of excavators clearing the ground around the statues. A considerable area was already clear and some archeological assistants were working on minimally damaged statues.
“Do you do much of the work in the pit?” George asked.
“We do, especially in Pit Two which is the newer of the excavation sites. We have made considerably more progress in Pit One, and have built a tourist viewing area there. We have yet to start work on Pit Three.
“If the replica is in many pieces, missing a head, arms, hands, legs or a split over the entire surface, we take the component parts to the restoration work area. One of our biggest challenges is the change in color that takes place when a statue is dug from the surrounding dirt.
“There is considerable evidence that the statues, when first made, were painted in bright colors. We have unearthed some with patches of vibrant stains, but as soon as they are exposed to the air, the colors deteriorate within a day. We are exploring how we can prevent this from happening,” Wu Liu continued.
“Are there plans to repaint the statues?” Bonta asked.
“In an ideal world, that would be wonderful,” Wu Liu said with a smile. “There is a project starting at present in a museum in Germany to discern the type of chemicals used in the paints. To help them with this, we risked some replica parts so the researchers can experiment with their surfaces. There is talk of formulating a type of shellac. We have found samples that match the chemicals in that coating. The shellac would be put on first then the paints after it.”
“That would be a gigantic project,” George said.
“Yes that is true. And besides the project of the paints, we are unearthing larger statues with horses and carts. There is a suspicion that some figures in Pit Three are larger still, but we have not yet gone there,” Wu Liu said with a sigh. “Then there is the Emperor’s tomb. There is evidence that it contains a mercury lake. I imagine it will take many years to figure out what to do about that,” Wu Liu concluded.
Wu Liu led them into a room with special lighting designed to prevent further damage to the statues. There were four women reattaching the hands and feet on two replicas. The group was introduced to the workers, and Wu Liu acted as translator. After a few minutes’ conversation, Wu Liu bowed to the visitors, asking Ho to translate as needed, and left them to be supervised by the restorers. Ho was to call her when they needed escort back.
“In the drawing, I am looking out at the pit to see the energy trails. I know that’s possible for George, David, Bonta and Nory, as well. Anyone else see energy trails?” Ricky asked.
“I am able to see the spirit web,” Chi co
ntributed. “Can I join you?”
“Of course. Anyone else?” Ricky asked.
“I will be looking for the presence of ghosts in the statues in the restoration room. If I find one, I will allow Lee Gee to take over,” Susan said. “Ho can help me. He has had lots of experience with ghost signs.”
Ricky nodded.
“Maybe I can get one of the kind ladies to take me to the work on the pit floor. Mrs. Wu told them to extend every courtesy,” Chew reported.
“That sounds like a good idea,” David answered.
With that, the Clarks, George, Chi and Bonta went to a safety railing that looked down into the pit. Ho had said there was less light in Pit two than in Pit one, but for the work that Ricky planned, darkness worked best. The six observers increased their visual frequency and observed the pit with the intention to see spirit trails and webs, with Norton Reston’s residual lines being seen in bright red.
Slowly, spirit trails and webs became obvious around the statues. Various colors manifested, with red lines showing up around several statues. They looked over to the part of the pit where restoration workers were showing Chew their current project. The replica being worked on showed an aura that indicated it encased a ghost.
“It will be interesting to hear what Chew has to say,” Ricky said. “Why don’t we follow the red spirit trail back into the workshop first and see if Reston is a frequent visitor?”
“Not only is he frequent, but active. He does not simply observe the ghosts. There is evidence of shamanic extraction around many replicas,” Chi commented. “But that is no surprise.”
The observers followed the red trail into the workshop area. The floor might as well have been painted red. As they came in, they could see that Lee Gee had taken over Susan’s body and was talking to the ghost of a repaired replica in the corner. Ho was walking about and feeling the energy, while the remaining three workers watched them, looking confused and whispering to each other.
“There’s no beginning or end to the red trail in this space,” Bonta commented. “It looks like Norton has spent countless hours here.”
Chi nodded. “Yes, and the signs of shamanic workings are too numerous to count. We will have no trouble following his trail in the area near his cave.”
Ho came up beside them and looked at his watch. “It’s two-twenty; should we ask Wu Liu if we can play tourist for a couple of hours? That would get us back around seven, or maybe eight, if we stop for dinner. Perhaps we can get a few hours of sleep before we start planning strategy.”
“That sounds good,” Ricky answered, “but I want to walk among the replicas in Pit Two before we do. I’d like to talk to some of the remaining ghosts. We have to consider freeing all of these left here if that’s what they want.”
Susan was again herself and had left the ghost in the corner. “Lee Gee found out something interesting from that ghost, and I eavesdropped. You probably want to hear it, but first we should collect Chew. He’s been on his own too long.”
Ricky nodded. “I agree. Let’s see what he’s up to.”
The group made their way down to where Chew was, and found him deep in conversation with the ghost in the replica the workers were restoring. He walked over to them as they approached.
“Are you ready for my information?” Chew asked, trying not to show his excitement.
Ricky nodded.
“The ghosts have been spreading the word that a rogue ghost is releasing many from the replicas. They may be stuck in statues, but since they are near each other, they’ve formed a community. Some are too status conscious to talk to those below their rank. Others are desperate enough to ignore protocol.
“They are at odds over if this ghost that they call ‘The White Emperor’ is friend or foe. Some overheard Reston with the ghosts as he released them. He told those he released that they’d enjoy the kingdom of the Bi Mo Chu. The story spread ghost by ghost, and those just dug out of the dirt were told by those who had seen Reston before. Some would go anywhere but here. Others would rather watch the tourists for the next thousand years then to imagine being a ghost forever,” Chew concluded.
Susan chimed in. “That confirms what Lee Gee learned from the ghost of the general. They are upset about the part sorcerers and witches played in this. Luan Du would get a zero on the popularity scale for his part in putting them in the statues. I can’t really blame them. I am sure Lee Gee doesn’t have any fans among the Han ghosts. Lee Gee says we can free everyone here at once, when we no longer have Norton Reston blocking our actions.”
“We know the spells will work for the Han Dynasty ghosts. Is Lee Gee sure that the Qin Dynasty ghosts would respond as well?” Chi asked.
Susan shrugged. “All the spells in the incantations for the Bi Mo Chu were created in the dialect of the Xia Dynasty sorcerers. If they worked for the Han, why not the Qin?”
Chi nodded. “It makes sense. We used spells during World War Two on the Japanese to make them think Hari Kari was a good idea.”
Ricky nodded. “Let’s be tourists. It will be interesting to see if we get the same story from the ghosts in Pit One.”
Ho called Wu Liu on his cell, and she deputized one of the restoration workers to lead them to Pit One. Many tourists were looking at the replicas from an observation deck. Ricky and the group were allowed to walk among the statues under the eagle eye of the restoration worker.
“Does she think I’m strong enough to tip over one of the warriors?” Nory asked telepathically.
“She’s watching Chew pretty carefully, too. A ten-year-old boy would be more likely to dump a statue than a six-month-old baby,” Ricky answered. “Let Bonta carry you for a time. I can feel someone close by that I want to talk to. I want you to stay as far from her as possible.”
A voice murmured to Ricky from inside the tall replica of a grimacing warrior whose words she understood through the help of Sima Qian.
“You have great courage to wander among us. I give you credit for that. I almost had the baby once, but you blocked my efforts, you and that stupid monkey.”
“I take it you’re a witch not a warrior. You tried to kidnap my child and husband,” Ricky commented to the ghost.
“Brilliant deduction; I was working for the White Emperor. He promised me a place in his newly formed dynasty, but you mixed into the game at the wrong time. He wants you, Ra Key. It is not long before you’ll be in a statue as well,” the witch whispered to her.
“I have heard differently. He wants me in the Bi Mo Cho Dynasty, but what he wants isn’t what he’ll get. He will become a puddle of energy and be tried for his crimes. Be glad that you didn’t succeed. The cube is not a friendly place to live. It will soon lose its power and become an ornament in a museum, just as you’ve become.
“Perhaps you hate the White Emperor enough to help us find his weak spots so we can dispatch him? Does that sound a likely revenge?” Ricky asked.
The ghost laughed, a dry, choking sound. “I will consider it. What do you promise in return?”
“After we vanquish the White Emperor, we have the means to release all ghosts in the Qin replicas and send them to the Celestial Kingdom. We will do so, but we can leave some behind to wallow until another sorcerer takes pity on them. Your decision is this: help us with information, or be one of those who must stare back at tourists for who knows how long,” Ricky told her.
The witch’s ghost snorted, making the statue tremble the smallest bit. “How can I trust you? The White Emperor promised four of us a place of honor, but because you interfered, we were not rewarded. And anyway, if I go to the Celestial Kingdom they will destroy me. They will see me as a hostile being and throw me into the endless fire. I would rather stare back at the people who see me as a curiosity.”
Ricky shrugged. “Your choice. I will take note of where you are, and there you will remain.”
Ricky turned her back on the replica to rejoin the rest of the group. She’d walked about twenty feet when another voice called out. “
Talk to me. I am not as stubborn as that other one. This statue is musty and cold. Rats run around the feet. I am too short to see out of its eyes. I can only hear the senseless argument that goes on and on about the White Emperor. I worked for him. I can tell you things about him only known to four witches.”
Ricky retraced her steps to the source of the whispers. “Tell me one helpful thing.”
“The White Emperor is tired. He does not have the strength he had at the beginning of his quest. He was drained after the attempt to kidnap the baby. He hasn’t fed another ghost to the Bi Mo Chu since he sent us back to the replicas,” the ghost contributed.
“What part did you play in the drama he constructed to trap my child?” Ricky asked.
“I once had the name Nuwa, which was passed down from my grandmother. She taught me the story of the goddess, and I learned to act out the legend. The White Emperor saw my performance during our lives in the Xia Dynasty,” the ghost answered with a hint of hauteur in her voice.
“One more thing, then we will consider releasing you when all are released,” Ricky promised. “Did Zhuanxu have a favorite concubine who sat at his feet during royal functions?”
The ghost laughed. “Those were the times before palaces and concubines. The strong men slept with whoever could not resist them. There was no court or royal functions. Zhuanxu was the grandfather of Emperor Yun created all the royal protocol. But in his life as Zhuanxu, the White Emperor was little more than a tribal chieftain trying to play Emperor. The title was given to him by story-tellers.”
Ricky looked at the husky replica that held the witch with surprise. “You are telling the truth?”
“Ask the Great Historian if you wish. The White Emperor told us you have Sima Qian as your advisor. He will tell you that much of this is legend; the Yellow Emperor, the Goddess Nuwa, Emperor Zhuanxu were all people inflated to the status of deity. They were real but not the stories about them. They made very interesting tales around campfires.”
Ricky nodded. “This feels like truth. I will ask Sima Qian, and you will have your freedom. This information has earned it for you.”