by Gene Curtis
“She has been Naomi’s servant for years. She came here as a vagabond, a refugee from China she said. She looked half-starved. She was willing to work for food and shelter. Naomi’s father took pity and agreed to house her if she would look after the baby. Naomi is fifteen, so Pei-Pei has been here fourteen years.”
“When did the sorcerer get here?”
“There were rumors long before Pei-Pei arrived, mostly stealing of food and animals missing. There were some reports of strange lights in the mountains but investigations found nothing. Not long after that, we heard reports of a person in bright silk that could fly. That is when the talk of a sorcerer started. Pei-Pei was wearing tattered rags when we found her. As far as I know she has never worn silk.”
Mark said to LeOmi, “You chased the thief. Where to?”
“There are some ancient stone churches south of here. The thief went into the largest one and was out of breath.”
He held his hand out to her and said, “Show me.”
She took his hand and they both entered Spirit Sight. Once at the church she led him inside.
“The thief was prostrate in front of the altar and breathing hard.” She pointed.
“Wait here,” he said.
His spirit went to the altar. He moved around it examining the base. A moment later, he passed through the floor and was in a large cavern. He found a metal release mechanism beneath the altar and followed the linkage to where it passed up through the floor. He moved up through the floor and saw a large stone cross on the wall behind the altar. He fiddled with the cross until it moved sideways an inch or so. He went back to the altar and pushed it from different directions. When he pushed from the back, it tilted forward. He pushed it back in place and the cross on the wall slid back into position.
LeOmi said, “Wait, aren’t we going to check it out?”
“The cavern below is empty. It will take some time to explore it now and it would be a little suspicious for us to be seen as if we are just sitting all through breakfast. We should get back and act normal.”
“You suspect Pei-Pei, don’t you?”
“Maybe, I don’t have anything concrete yet except that she uses Tactical Sight. It may be that she has had some martial arts training and that could explain it. I want to talk to Samantha. She studied Kung Fu.”
They opened their eyes and Shimishon asked, “What did you see?”
Mark smiled, “We saw the stone church where the thief fled. There was no sign of the thing that stung LeOmi’s neck.”
He leaned forward and asked Samantha, “How hard was it for you to learn Tactical Sight?”
Ray asked, “You can do that?”
“If you mean at The Seventh Mountain, I could already do it a little when I was recruited. It came naturally after years of meditation when I was studying Kung Fu. I didn’t know what it was at the time, or that it was even special; I just thought it was a quickening of my reflexes. It wasn’t until I was at the mountain that I learned the spirit moves before the body does. That allows you to see where an intended strike is aimed and gives an edge in blocking.”
He looked at Shimishon. “Does Pei-Pei practice any martial arts?”
“Not that I know about, but I do not know her well.”
He nodded and closed his eyes. His spirit went to Naomi’s home and poked around. Pei-Pei was working in the kitchen. Naomi was speaking with a few people about her upcoming wedding. A few other people were working throughout the house. He went through the floor and found himself in what looked like a martial arts gymnasium. Various weapons were in racks against the wall: swords, spears, staffs, long and short handled axes and others he didn’t recognize. The replica of his sword wasn’t there. He returned to his body and opened his eyes.
Shimishon grinned, “You discovered something, yes?”
“Someone at Naomi’s house is practicing martial arts. There’s a training gym underneath.”
LeOmi asked, “Do you think Pei-Pei could be a Chinese equivalent of a Ninja?”
Samantha said, “China’s history would indicate that philosophy wouldn’t be used. That’s typically Japanese. China’s martial arts are almost exclusively confined to monks, armies, gangs and groups of various sorts. The exception is individuals that practice the arts of deception.”
LeOmi said, “In other words, sorcerers.”
“And spies and diplomats and body guards and the like. Female sorcerers are somewhat rare in Chinese culture.”
Mark said, “All speculation. We need to find out who is practicing martial arts at Naomi’s home. It may not be Pei-Pei at all. LeOmi, I think you have the best chance of befriending Naomi and seeing what you can find out.”
“She’s kind of snobbish. I may not be able to.”
“Find out her heart’s desire, get it and let her find out you have it.”
He turned to Shimishon, “Do you have any ideas on how to find out who the martial arts person is?”
“Two: riddles and challenges. They are things Nazarites cannot resist.”
He looked at Samantha, “Are you up to challenging the best of their best?”
She shrugged, “Sure, shouldn’t there be a prize?”
He looked at Shimishon, “What do you suggest?”
“Well, for the contest, feats of strength are always good, and so are feats of wit. For the prize, I suggest fame.”
“How about a statue of the victor?”
“Bigger than life-sized?”
“Sure, why not. I know just the guy to do it.”
Samantha said, “Would knocking me down qualify as a feat of strength?”
Shimishon grinned, “No, but it would qualify as a feat of ego. You are sure to get many contestants.”
“Sounds like it could be fun.”
Mark said, “Pass the word that I’m sponsoring a contest. Anyone that can knock Samantha down will have a bigger than life statue of them erected, what, at the center of the village?”
Shimishon said, “At the entrance to the dining hall would be better.”
“At the entrance to the dining hall it is. Make sure everyone knows anyone can try, regardless of station.”
Shimishon grabbed his plates and stood, “When should I say the contest is?”
“How about sunset, today?”
“Ending at sunrise?”
“How about midnight? I’d like my guard to at least get some sleep.”
“Midnight it is.”
Mark stood with his plates. “Okay, get operation Robin Hood Contest underway. I need to find someplace quiet to meditate.”
* * *
Outside Mark looked around at the mountains for a place he could appear to be meditating while he used Spirit Sight to explore. He thought about going back to his room at Naomi’s house but as many as possible seeing him was important. Pei-Pei could very well be the sorcerer and if she was, he didn’t want to make it easy for her to attack him. Most likely, it was someone else. He wanted whomever it was to get nervous. Knowing someone that could actually find the sorcerer was actually hunting for him would accomplish that. Being where everyone could see him would lessen the chance of an attack by a nervous sorcerer.
He looked behind him and saw a small rock outcrop jutting out about fifty feet above and a little to the side of the entrance to the dining hall. It looked to be just big enough for him to sit on.
He pointed and said, “I’ll be up there for a while. Don’t let anyone disturb me unless it’s urgent.”
Rudy, one of his guards, said, “Hold your calls, got it.”
LeOmi said, “See you in a while,” and started heading toward Naomi’s house.
Shimishon started walking off and said, “See you this afternoon my friend.”
The major had been looking around too. “Rudy, you and Samantha take up stations there and there.” He pointed at the buildings closest to the dining hall. “Ray, I want you up there.” He pointed to a ledge about two hundred feet up.
Rudy said, “Where are yo
u going to be?”
The major produced a fifty-caliber sniper rifle with a very large scope. “I’ll be where I can reach out and touch someone.”
Mark remanifested to the stone above the door. He sat with his legs crossed, hands on his knees, palms up, thumbs and forefingers forming a circle and closed his eyes.
He went straight to the stone church, through the floor and into the cavern beneath. The place looked like it had also been carved out of solid stone. The walls and ceiling were smooth and very dry. It didn’t look like anything he’d ever seen in a natural cave. The floor was too level to be natural and was covered with a thick layer of rock dust. There were footprints all about, small and not as deep as he thought they should be. He didn’t see any other exit and the footprints didn’t seem to lead anywhere.
If this place had been built in the Middle Ages, it made sense for a church to have a hiding place, a vault of sorts. Marauders often raided churches. It would have made more sense to provide another way out since churches often provided sanctuary for people. He kept looking around and didn’t spot the exit until he was right up against the back wall. The ceiling was low and rounded down at this point concealing the small opening from any other position in the room. The color of the walls and the ceiling were the same. The opening blended in very well. It was even hard to see when he moved a foot to either side of where he was.
He moved up into the low, narrow passage and followed it for several hundred feet only to find himself in another cavern much like the first. There was a linkage connecting two spots in the ceiling. He went up and found the cross on the wall behind the altar, just the same as the first church.
Five more caverns were essentially the same. The final manmade passage ended at a natural tunnel going down to the right and up toward the left. He followed the one that went down. It twisted generally down for miles and he found nothing of interest. He went back up and a couple of miles past the manmade passage the cave opened on the upper part on the northern side of the southern mountains. He couldn’t see the Nazarite village from where he was, but knew it had to be close.
Remembering a story about Chinese wisdom on how the master of a house trapped a thief among his servants, he laid out several stones at the mouth of the cave in the form of a large ‘X’.
The master of the house had told his servants to each choose a straw and that because of magic, the thief would be the one to receive a straw two centimeters longer than the others’ straws. The thief, thinking he was smarter than the master was, broke two centimeters off his straw. When the servants presented their straws before the master, the thief’s straw was two centimeters shorter.
He returned to his body and using Tactical Sight, waited for a Nazarite to pass within earshot. He didn’t have to wait long.
With his eyes still closed, he pointed toward the southern mountains and called, “Behold the mountains! The cave is marked!”
He opened his eyes, stretched and stood.
The Nazarite below ran directly below him, pointed at him and said, “You have found the thief!”
“I did what?”
“Yes, yes. You said, ‘Behold the mountains. The cave is marked.’”
“I said that? I don’t remember finding the thief.”
“What else could it mean?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you could gather some people to go check.”
“At once!” He scampered off.
He remanifested down. A moment later, his guards were beside him.
“I’ve baited a trap. I’ll need to go watch it shortly, but in the meantime, you think they’ve got enough left over for a second breakfast?”
Rudy produced a bag of chips. “If they don’t, I think we can make do.”
Mark produced a box of chocolate covered granola bars. “Me too.”
* * *
After second breakfast, Mark resumed his perch, entered Spirit Sight and returned to the cave’s entrance. The stones were undisturbed and he could see a number of riders all around. Most were in the valley, some were following trails up the mountains to the west.
About an hour later, a figure dressed the way LeOmi had described the thief came trotting up in the cave, turned off a flashlight, stopped at the stones, looked around at the approaching riders then scattered the stones before returning to the cave and fleeing.
He restored the stones to the original positions and followed the thief down into the cave. The thief jogged a mile or so past the passage leading to the churches, stopped and slid behind a formation in the wall to the left.
This opening was narrow and went down at an angle. The thief placed the flashlight in his belt and maneuvered down by pressing his back against one wall and his arms and legs on the facing wall. It was only about thirty feet to the lower floor of another passage.
It took another twenty minutes before the thief emerged into a large cavern where he stripped off his outer clothing and stashed them in a hollowed out spot beneath a large stone. When the thief turned back around, he saw that it wasn’t a male as everyone had assumed. It was a young female. He thought it had to be Naomi, but didn’t know for sure since he hadn’t seen her yet.
The young woman trotted off. He stayed to see if he could find the sword. After looking around for a while and not finding it, he followed in the direction she had gone. This passage led to a small opening behind an outcrop at the base of the southern mountains. The young woman was nowhere in sight.
* * *
LeOmi walked into the kitchen in Naomi’s house. It wasn’t a modern kitchen in any sense; it had no electric appliances or even electricity, no sink and no pluming. There was a wok sitting on a waist-high mound of clay with a stovepipe running from it through the wall. Various jars filled with what looked like dried herbs and spices sat on shelves along the back wall. She recognized dried peppers in one of the jars. Waist-high urns stood along the back wall under the shelves and the place smelled like Chinese takeout. Pei-Pei was puttering back and forth collecting things with her back to the door.
LeOmi cleared her throat and said, “Pei-Pei, I’m looking for Naomi.”
She looked over her shoulder and said, “Honorable guest, the lady is not here.” She continued with what she was doing.
“Do you know where I might find her?”
“Honorable guest, she is engaged in morning activity.”
“Please call me LeOmi. When will she be back?”
Pei-Pei picked up a jar, opened it and sniffed. “Honorable LeOmi, she will be back when her morning activity is complete.”
“I figured that. Do you have any idea when that might be? I’d like to talk to her.”
“Honorable LeOmi, that is not possible. She will eat and then afternoon activity. She is a very busy lady. She will marry soon.”
“I know. I want to get her a gift and would like to know what she would like.”
“Honorable LeOmi, a lady can never have too much silk. Mirrors are nice.”
“What is her heart’s desire?”
Pei-Pei went to the wok, poured in some oil and dumped a handful of items in. “Honorable LeOmi, she is young and does not know her heart.”
“Thank you Pei-Pei, you have been most helpful.” LeOmi turned and left.
Outside, she couldn’t decide whether to go look for Naomi or stay there and wait for her. She sat by the door and entered Spirit Sight. Her spirit went all around the village and couldn’t find her. She did see Mark sitting above the door to the dining hall, looking like a skinny Buddha. She saw Shimishon having an animated discussion with a group of men. She saw Major Saur lying prone on the edge of a rooftop looking through the scope on his rifle. She saw quite a few other things, but she didn’t see Naomi anywhere.
She went back to her body and decided she’d wait for Naomi to return, but she didn’t want to just sit around. She took out her riotous and began doing some sword fighting practice routines.
She’d been at it for about fifteen minutes and had worked up a good
sweat when she spun around and saw Pei-Pei standing ten feet away with a bamboo practice sword leaning against her hip. She placed her right fist into her left palm and bowed slightly. LeOmi returned the bow accepting the challenge.
Pei-Pei grabbed her sword, held it upside-down across her midsection and spread her feet incredibly wide diagonally.
LeOmi recognized the defensive posture from her second year in Ms. Vanmie’s class. It was supposed to be difficult to defeat, but it was also difficult to attack from that position. She began with the Knight’s Ruse attack, just to check her response.
Pei-Pei was fast, almost as fast as she was. When she’d finished her attack, she assumed the same defensive posture Pei-Pei had.
Pei-Pei twirled her sword in a flourish, paused and began a series of spinning strikes. They were easy to block.
Pei-Pei finished and LeOmi decided to see how practiced she really was. She did a back-flip striking at Pei-Pei while she was upside-down, on touching down did a leg-sweep with a jab that caught Pei-Pei in the stomach, followed by a handstand transitioning to a series of back-flips while Pei-Pei chased her swinging her sword whenever she got close enough, but never quite close enough to land a blow. LeOmi ended it with a sudden stop letting Pei-Pei’s forward momentum bring her neck onto LeOmi’s outstretched sword.
Clapping began from a few positions around them. She hadn’t noticed the people that had stopped to watch because she was focused on her opponent. She lowered her sword and bowed slightly.
Pei-Pei took a step back, bowed low, turned and left.
LeOmi looked at the people still standing around watching her. She hadn’t intended to put on a show and didn’t want to continue practicing before an admiring crowd. She also thought it odd that Pei-Pei had challenged her in the first place, especially since her speed indicated she was a much better sword fighter than she was pretending to be.
She put her riotous back into Aaron’s Grasp and called, “Does anyone know where Naomi is?”
Everyone looked puzzled, some shrugged, but no one answered. She shrugged back at them and decided to go back to The Seventh Mountain and read up a little on Chinese sorcery.