by Katie Tsang
‘So you’d rather stay in here and starve?’
Dylan moaned and rolled over. ‘Fine, fine. If those are my only options, I guess I’ll take a little rain.’
* * *
In the canteen the other campers huddled round the breakfast tables, with wet hair and muddy shoes. Nobody looked happy. Billy wondered if it was an ominous start to the summer. Any hope he’d had about exploring the camp grounds had been washed away by the rain; he had a feeling they were going to be stuck inside all day, damp and smelly and bored.
‘Why does everyone look so glum?’ asked Charlotte, dipping a piece of fried dough into her bowl of congee. Dylan kept calling the congee ‘rice porridge’, which it kind of was. ‘It’s just a little rain,’ she added.
‘I like this weather,’ said Ling-Fei, looking out at the rain pounding on the windows of the canteen. ‘I wish we could go and run and dance in the rain, but Old Gold will want us to stay indoors.’
‘I’m with Old Gold on this one,’ said Dylan, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. ‘I personally do not want to catch a cold. But you are welcome to go gallivanting in the rain if that sounds like your idea of fun.’
‘I don’t mind the rain either,’ said Billy. ‘At home, I surf every morning, even in the rain. But it’s one thing to be in the ocean in the rain when you’re already wet – it’s a swamp out there. No thank you.’
‘If you all love the rain so much, you really should come to visit me in Ireland one day,’ said Dylan, slurping up more hot chocolate.
Old Gold hurried into the canteen, wearing a giant rain hat and raincoat that went all the way to the floor. Only his beard stuck out.
‘Good morning, campers!’ Old Gold said. ‘Due to the inclement weather, we’re going to have to postpone our scheduled activity. Instead, today you’ll have your first Mandarin lesson, followed by a cooking class with Wu laoshi in the kitchens, and then a kung-fu demonstration with Lee laoshi.’ He clapped his hands. ‘Now, off you go!’
* * *
In their Mandarin lesson Billy was surprised at how well Dylan spoke the language.
‘Dude,’ he said in admiration, ‘you’re really good. How long have you been studying Mandarin?’
Dylan shrugged. ‘I’ve always liked languages,’ he said. ‘So I started teaching myself Mandarin a few years ago.’ He flushed. ‘I know, I know, I’m a nerd. But that’s why I was so excited when the librarian at my school told me she’d put me forward for this summer camp. You probably think that’s really lame, right?’ The tips of his ears turned red.
Billy shook his head and grinned at Dylan. ‘No, it’s actually kind of cool.’
Dylan beamed.
Later, Wu laoshi, a short, round man with a big head, showed them how to make mapo tofu, a spicy stew of tofu and minced pork. Billy loved mapo tofu. It was one of his favourite dishes that his dad made and the mouth-numbing spice from the dish reminded him of home. Dylan took one bite and his eyes started streaming. ‘This is… spicy,’ he said.
‘I can handle it,’ said Charlotte. ‘I’d like it even spicier! I put hot sauce on everything at home. I’ve got a very high tolerance for spice. And an excellent palate overall.’
‘Of course you have,’ said Billy under his breath.
During Lee laoshi’s kung-fu demonstration, Billy expected to feel silly as they practised the basic moves, but he found he was a bit of a natural. Meanwhile, Charlotte was getting confused with her ju-jitsu moves and Dylan’s glasses kept falling off. ‘It’s only the first day,’ said Lee laoshi. ‘Just wait till the end of camp. You’ll all be kung-fu pros.’
* * *
At the end of the day, it was still raining, and even walking from the cabin to the bathroom to get ready for bed felt like a trek. Billy was exhausted, but in a satisfying way, like when he came home after a long day of surfing. Even though they had been indoors the whole time, he’d had fun. Especially in the cooking and kung-fu classes. Still, he hoped that it would stop raining by tomorrow so he could explore more of the camp grounds.
‘I do not want to go back out in that,’ said Dylan, when he and Billy were back in their cabin. He sat on his bed and wrapped his blanket tightly round him.
‘I’m sure the weather will be better in the morning,’ said Billy with a yawn as he climbed into his bed. He found the sound of the rain on the roof soothing, and soon he drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Billy didn’t know how long he’d been asleep when a crash of thunder woke him. He jolted up and looked over at Dylan, who was sound asleep and snoring loud enough to be heard over the rain.
Billy settled back into bed and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he opened them, squirming with a very uncomfortable realization.
He had to pee.
He waited for as long as he could, and then got up and put on his jacket.
As soon as he stepped outside the door, he was pelted with raindrops from all directions. He put his head down and hurried towards the bathroom.
On his way back to his cabin, lightning flashed above him, setting the sky alight. Thunder followed, so loud and so close that Billy could have sworn he felt the ground shake. Blinking, he stepped under the awning of the nearest cabin for shelter as his eyes adjusted.
He blinked again, trying to clear his vision. Had he just seen a flash of lightning inside the cabin? There! Again! A flash of blue light, zigzagging across the cabin, illuminating it from the inside. And in the centre of the room, emitting its own light, sat a glowing silver orb. The blue lightning seemed to be coming from it, or going towards it, Billy wasn’t sure. But he was sure he was seeing something very strange.
A crash of thunder snapped Billy back to his senses, and he was suddenly very aware of his soggy feet and wet hair. With a final glance back at the strange blue light, he ran to his own cabin, wondering what he’d just seen.
The Great Race
The next morning dawned bright and clear. Water droplets glistened from the cabin eaves and tree branches. Billy rubbed his eyes, remembering what he’d seen last night. Or at least what he thought he’d seen. A mysterious glowing blue orb. Now, in the bright morning sun, it seemed ridiculous. It had been late, he’d been tired, and it had probably been the reflection of the lightning on the window. He put it out of his mind, and hurried to the canteen for breakfast.
Everyone was in much better spirits today. There was a giddy buzz of excitement in the air. After breakfast, Old Gold called the campers to the tree stump in the clearing.
‘Now that the weather has decided to co-operate, we can have our first official camp challenge!’ He unfurled a scroll showing twelve animals, with a rat at the top and a pig at the bottom. ‘Does anyone know what these animals are?’
This Billy knew. He put his hand up quickly, even faster than Charlotte. ‘The animals in the Chinese zodiac,’ he said.
Old Gold beamed. ‘Correct! What you might not know is that a very, very, very long time ago there was a Great Race to determine which twelve animals would make it into the zodiac and what their order would be.’ He paused and chuckled. ‘As you can see, the rat won the race and came in first. But what you won’t see is a cat in the zodiac. That’s because the cat and rat worked together to get to the front, but then the rat pushed the cat into a river, which is why to this day cats hate water and will always try to catch rats.’ He rolled up the scroll. ‘Now, I thought it would be fun to have our own Great Race to determine which group can work the best together.’
Old Gold hopped off the tree stump and handed each group a single red envelope. ‘In each of these envelopes is a riddle that describes an object found in this region of China. Your challenge is to solve the riddle and bring me that object. Remember, it isn’t just about speed. The rat won the race through cunning. I’m not saying to follow the rat’s example and push the other team into a river –’ he chuckled again – ‘but you will need to use your brains too! The order you finish in will determine the order in which you get to choose t
hings for the rest of your team here at camp, from meals to special excursions.’
He looked over at Billy and his team. ‘Now, I realize Ling-Fei’s team is at a bit of an advantage as she is more familiar with the area, so you have been given a more difficult riddle with something harder to find.’
‘That doesn’t seem fair,’ Charlotte muttered. Billy agreed, but didn’t say anything. He liked Ling-Fei, but right at this moment it felt like having her on their team was more of a disadvantage if it meant they were being given a harder challenge. Even if he wasn’t as outwardly competitive as Charlotte, he wanted to win too.
‘The first team back in this very spot wins. Let the race begin!’ shouted Old Gold. He threw a small ball high into the air and it exploded into a cloud of red and gold confetti. ‘GO!’
Charlotte snatched the envelope from Dylan and ripped it open. ‘We’ve got to win this,’ she said.
‘Someone is a bit competitive, aren’t they?’ said Dylan.
‘Stay focused and pay attention,’ said Charlotte as she pulled a small gold card from the envelope and read it aloud: ‘I bear the name of an almighty beast, but beneath my spikes and scales I am a treat to eat.’
‘Any ideas?’ Dylan asked after a short pause.
Billy sighed. He was terrible at solving riddles. The last time he’d got the right answer to a riddle was only because he’d seen the answer sheet beforehand. ‘Maybe it’s some sort of animal?’
‘It’s obviously an animal,’ huffed Charlotte. ‘Spikes? Scales? What else could it be?’
Billy crossed his arms. ‘You know, for someone who wants to win so badly, you aren’t making it very easy for us.’
‘If we’re going to finish first, we need to work together,’ Ling-Fei said, stepping in between them. She took Billy’s and Charlotte’s hands in each of hers as she closed her eyes. ‘Close your eyes and take a deep breath with me.’
Billy and Charlotte watched as Ling-Fei closed her eyes and took a long breath. Billy knew what she was trying to do, but, instead of helping him become less annoyed at Charlotte, now he was annoyed at Ling-Fei too.
‘Don’t you feel so much more relaxed?’ Ling-Fei opened her eyes to find Billy and Charlotte still staring at her.
‘We’re wasting time!’ said Charlotte. ‘The other teams are already going off to find their item!’
‘You were both supposed to be taking a deep breath with me!’ said Ling-Fei, her voice faltering a bit.
‘And you’re supposed to be the local expert!’ snapped Charlotte.
‘Whoa, whoa, whoa,’ said Dylan. ‘We’re all on the same team, with the same goal. So here is what we know, based on the clues.’ He held out an open hand and started counting his fingers. ‘We know that it is something with spikes and scales, something that we can eat and something that is named after a beast.’ Dylan paused and pushed his glasses back up on his face.
‘Thank you for just rephrasing the riddle,’ said Charlotte, rolling her eyes.
‘Only trying to help,’ said Dylan, forcing a smile.
An awkward tension filled the air.
Charlotte closed her eyes and took in a long breath. She paused a moment before opening her eyes. ‘You’re right. You’re all right. I’m sorry.’ She looked at Ling-Fei and offered a tentative smile. ‘The deep breath helped.’
Ling-Fei gave her a small smile back.
‘Scales, scales… maybe it’s a fish?’ Charlotte went on.
‘Good thinking!’ said Dylan. ‘But what kind of fish has spikes and is also named after a beast?’
A thought dawned on Billy. Last summer he’d discovered the strangest fish he’d ever seen. He remembered it because it was called a lionfish, although in his opinion it didn’t look anything like a lion – because it was covered in spikes! ‘I’ve got it!’ he said. ‘It’s a lionfish! It’s named after a beast, it has spikes and scales, and I’m pretty sure you can eat it.’
‘Good thinking, Billy!’ said Charlotte. ‘That must be it!’ She turned to Ling-Fei. ‘Where around here can we find a lionfish?’
‘Aren’t lionfish extremely dangerous? I’m pretty sure they can kill you,’ said Dylan.
‘What else could it be?’ said Billy.
Ling-Fei’s face lit up. ‘I know what it is! It’s a dragon!’ She started to laugh. ‘Old Gold must think he’s so clever.’
‘You can’t eat mythical creatures,’ said Billy, who still wanted his answer to be right.
‘It’s dragon fruit!’ Ling-Fei replied with a smile. ‘It fits the description perfectly – they have spikes and scales, or at least what look like scales, and they’re delicious! And, best of all, I know just where we can find one.’
Ling-Fei led the group into the forest. As he followed her, Billy noticed she was chewing her lower lip anxiously.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.
Ling-Fei looked around nervously. ‘You know how Old Gold said he gave us a more difficult item to find?’
Billy nodded.
‘He wasn’t kidding. The place I know where dragon fruit grow is far. But…’ She trailed off.
‘But what?’ prompted Billy.
‘There’s a short cut. I’m not supposed to know about it – it’s through the bamboo grove, which is technically off limits…’
‘You know a short cut?’ asked Charlotte, who had snuck up next to them. ‘Well, we absolutely must use that. You heard Old Gold – the rat won by cunning.’
‘I don’t know,’ said Ling-Fei. ‘I don’t want us to get in trouble.’
‘How will Old Gold even know we took a short cut?’ Charlotte said. She looked at Billy and Dylan. ‘You two agree with me, right?’
‘She’s got a point,’ said Dylan.
‘I do kind of want to win,’ Billy admitted.
‘Okay,’ said Ling-Fei hesitantly. ‘It’s this way.’
* * *
They walked deeper into the forest until they reached a lake edged with weeping willows and then, beyond that, a bamboo grove. It felt like stepping into a painting.
Billy stopped. There was something moving in the bamboo up ahead.
‘Did you guys see that?’ he asked, pointing. ‘There’s something there.’
‘It’s probably a monkey,’ said Ling-Fei. ‘I’m sure we’ll see a few. They’re mostly harmless. They’ve taken over that pavilion up ahead. That’s why it’s called Monkey Pavilion. The dragon-fruit plants are just on the other side.’
‘Did you say the monkeys are mostly harmless?’ Dylan squawked, but the rest of the group was already heading towards the bamboo.
As they passed the weeping willows and stepped into the bamboo, the air and light around them changed. Sunlight filtered down in strips and, when Billy tilted his head back, he could only see pockets of sky. He hadn’t realized how tall the bamboo grew.
‘Shouldn’t we hear the monkeys?’ asked Charlotte. ‘It’s awfully quiet.’
‘Maybe they know we’re coming and are waiting to ambush us,’ said Dylan.
Billy laughed and swatted Dylan on the back. ‘Relax,’ he said. ‘We’re bigger than them.’
‘And some of us are smarter than them too,’ quipped Charlotte.
Soon, the bamboo opened into a small glade. In the centre stood a red pavilion with a sloping green roof supported by four pillars. The edges of the roof were upturned and the top was pointed.
And there was something on the pavilion, staring straight at them.
‘Guys,’ Dylan breathed, ‘that’s not a monkey.’
Don’t Run
Billy stopped breathing. Staring straight at them was a tiger. Its long orange fur was striped with black and its eyes were a vivid yellow. Even from a distance, Billy could see its claws glinting in the light.
‘This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening,’ Dylan whispered, his eyes tightly shut.
‘What do we do?’ Billy asked. He felt frozen to the spot, as if he was in a dream where he couldn’t move. He tried to remember if h
e knew anything about tigers. But all he could focus on was the one directly in front of them.
‘I don’t know,’ Ling-Fei whispered back, her eyes huge.
‘We shouldn’t run,’ Charlotte said. ‘I know that much from watching animal documentaries.’
‘Do you think it’s seen us?’ Dylan said, his eyes still closed. ‘Maybe it doesn’t know we’re here.’
As if in response, the tiger licked its lips, its pink tongue flicking out again and again.
‘It has definitely seen us,’ whimpered Ling-Fei.
The tiger stood up and stretched. Its muscles rippled under its fur and Billy knew without a doubt that it could tear him apart.
He could only think of one other time he’d been this frightened. He’d been surfing, alone, and a wave had knocked him off and under his board. He hadn’t been able to tell which way was up and he’d been certain he was going to die.
He had the same feeling now. A cold, dark feeling that spread throughout his entire body. Then, he’d kicked and struggled and swum till the ocean spat him out. Now, his heart hammering in his chest so loudly he was sure the tiger could hear it, he tried to stay as still as he could. Everything around him seemed to come more into focus – the colours were brighter, he could smell the earth of the forest floor and he thought he could even see the tiger’s whiskers quivering.
‘Don’t move,’ Ling-Fei whispered without opening her mouth.
‘What’s it doing?’ asked Dylan, less quietly than Ling-Fei.
‘Dylan, shut up and stay still,’ Charlotte hissed.
Dylan opened one eye and inhaled so loudly, Billy had to stop himself from throwing his hand over Dylan’s mouth.
‘We are so dead!’ Dylan said, starting to tremble.
‘Dylan, stay calm,’ whispered Billy, taking the smallest of steps closer to him. ‘Just breathe.’ Billy said this as much to himself as to Dylan. He knew if he focused on keeping Dylan calm, he wouldn’t be able to think about how terrified he was.