Kai Lung's Golden Hours

by Ernest Bramah

  CHAPTER I

  The Encountering of Six within a Wood

  Only at one point along the straight earth-road leading from Loo-chowto Yu-ping was there any shade, a wood of stunted growth, and here KaiLung cast himself down in refuge from the noontide sun and slept.

  When he woke it was with the sound of discreet laughter tricklingthrough his dreams. He sat up and looked around. Across the glade twomaidens stood in poised expectancy within the shadow of a wildfig-tree, both their gaze and their manner denoting a fixed intentionto be prepared for any emergency. Not being desirous that this shouldtend towards their abrupt departure, Kai Lung rose guardedly to hisfeet, with many gestures of polite reassurance, and having bowedseveral times to indicate his pacific nature, he stood in an attitudeof deferential admiration. At this display the elder and lessattractive of the maidens fled, uttering loud and continuous cries ofapprehension in order to conceal the direction of her flight. Theother remained, however, and even moved a few steps nearer to KaiLung, as though encouraged by his appearance, so that he was able toregard her varying details more appreciably. As she advanced sheplucked a red blossom from a thorny bush, and from time to time sheshortened the broken stalk between her jade teeth.

  "Courteous loiterer," she said, in a very pearl-like voice, when theyhad thus regarded one another for a few beats of time, "what is yourhonourable name, and who are you who tarry here, journeying neither tothe east nor to the west?"

  "The answer is necessarily commonplace and unworthy of your politeinterest," was the diffident reply. "My unbecoming name is Kai, towhich has been added that of Lung. By profession I am an incapablerelater of imagined tales, and to this end I spread my mat wherever myuplifted voice can entice together a company to listen. Should myfeeble efforts be deemed worthy of reward, those who stand around mayperchance contribute to my scanty store, but sometimes this is judgedsuperfluous. For this cause I now turn my expectant feet from Loo-chowtowards the untried city of Yu-ping, but the undiminished listretching relentlessly before me, I sought beneath these trees arefuge from the noontide sun."

  "The occupation is a dignified one, being to no great degree removedfrom that of the Sages who compiled The Books," remarked the maiden,with an encouraging smile. "Are there many stories known to yourretentive mind?"

  "In one form or another, all that exist are within my mental grasp,"admitted Kai Lung modestly. "Thus equipped, there is no arisingemergency for which I am unprepared."

  "There are other things that I would learn of your craft. What kind ofstory is the most favourably received, and the one whereby yourcollecting bowl is the least ignored?"

  "That depends on the nature and condition of those who stand around,and therein lies much that is essential to the art," replied Kai Lung,not without an element of pride. "Should the company be chiefly formedof the illiterate and the immature of both sexes, stories depictingthe embarrassment of unnaturally round-bodied mandarins, theunpremeditated flight of eccentrically-garbed passers-by into vats ofpowdered rice, the despair of guardians of the street when assailed byshowers of eggs and overripe lo-quats, or any other variety ofhumiliating pain inflicted upon the innocent and unwary, never fail towin approval. The prosperous and substantial find contentment inhearing of the unassuming virtues and frugal lives of the poor andunsuccessful. Those of humble origin, especially tea-house maidens andthe like, are only really at home among stories of the exalted andquick-moving, the profusion of their robes, the magnificence of theirpalaces, and the general high-minded depravity of their lives.Ordinary persons require stories dealing lavishly with all theemotions, so that they may thereby have a feeling of sufficiency whencontributing to the collecting bowl."

  "These things being so," remarked the maiden, "what story would youconsider most appropriate to a company composed of such as she who isnow conversing with you?"

  "Such a company could never be obtained," replied Kai Lung, withconviction in his tone. "It is not credible that throughout the Empirecould be found even another possessing all the engaging attributes ofthe one before me. But should it be my miraculous fortune to be giventhe opportunity, my presumptuous choice for her discriminating earsalone would be the story of the peerless Princess Taik and of thenoble minstrel Ch'eng, who to regain her presence chained his wrist toa passing star and was carried into the assembly of the gods."

  "Is it," inquired the maiden, with an agreeable glance towards theopportune recumbence of a fallen tree, "is it a narration that wouldlie within the passage of the sun from one branch of this willow toanother?"

  "Adequately set forth, the history of the Princess Taik and of thevirtuous youth occupies all the energies of an agile story-teller forseven weeks," replied Kai Lung, not entirely gladdened that she shoulddeem him capable of offering so meagre an entertainment as that sheindicated. "There is a much-flattened version which may be compressedwithin the narrow limits of a single day and night, but even thatrequires for certain of the more moving passages the accompaniment ofa powerful drum or a hollow wooden fish."

  "Alas!" exclaimed the maiden, "though the time should pass like aflash of lightning beneath the allurement of your art, it isquestionable if those who await this one's returning footsteps wouldexperience a like illusion. Even now--" With a magnanimous wave of herwell-formed hand she indicated the other maiden, who, finding that thedanger of pursuit was not sustained, had returned to claim her part.

  "One advances along the westward road," reported the second maiden."Let us fly elsewhere, O allurer of mankind! It may be--"

  "Doubtless in Yu-ping the sound of your uplifted voice--" But at thispoint a noise upon the earth-road, near at hand, impelled them both tosudden flight into the deeper recesses of the wood.

  Thus deprived, Kai Lung moved from the shadow of the trees and soughtthe track, to see if by chance he from whom they fled might turn tohis advantage. On the road he found one who staggered behind alaborious wheel-barrow in the direction of Loo-chow. At that moment hehad stopped to take down the sail, as the breeze was bereft of poweramong the obstruction of the trees, and also because he was weary.

  "Greeting," called down Kai Lung, saluting him. "There is hereprotection from the fierceness of the sun and a stream wherein to washyour feet."

  "Haply," replied the other; "and a greatly over-burdened one wouldgladly leave this ill-nurtured earth-road even for the fields of hell,were it not that all his goods are here contained upon an utterlyintractable wheel-barrow."

  Nevertheless he drew himself up from the road to the level of the woodand there reclined, yet not permitting the wheel-barrow to pass beyondhis sight, though he must thereby lie half in the shade and half inthe heat beyond. "Greeting, wayfarer."

  "Although you are evidently a man of some wealth, we are for the timebrought to a common level by the forces that control us," remarked KaiLung. "I have here two onions, a gourd and a sufficiency of milletpaste. Partake equally with me, therefore, before you resume your way.In the meanwhile I will procure water from the stream near by, and tothis end my collecting bowl will serve."

  When Kai Lung returned he found that the other had added to theirstore a double handful of dates, some snuff and a little jar of oil.As they ate together the stranger thus disclosed his mind:

  "The times are doubtful and it behoves each to guard himself. In thenorth the banners of the 'Spreading Lotus' and the 'Avenging Knife'are already raised and pressing nearer every day, while the signs andpasswords are so widely flung that every man speaks slowly and with adouble tongue. Lately there have been slicings and other forms ofvigorous justice no farther distant than Loo-chow, and now theMandarin Shan Tien comes to Yu-ping to flatten any signs ofdiscontent. The occupation of this person is that of a maker ofsandals and coverings for the head, but very soon there will be morewooden feet required than leather sandals in Yu-ping, and artificialears will be greater in demand than hats. For this reason he has gottogether all his goods, sold the more burdensome, and now ventures ona
n untried way."

  "Prosperity attend your goings. Yet, as one who has set his facetowards Yu-ping, is it not possible for an ordinary person of simplelife and unassuming aims to escape persecution under this same ShanTien?"

  "Of the Mandarin himself those who know speak with vague lips. What isdone is done by the pressing hand of one Ming-shu, who takes down hisspoken word; of whom it is truly said that he has little resemblanceto a man and still less to an angel."

  "Yet," protested the story-teller hopefully, "it is wisely written:'He who never opens his mouth in strife can always close his eyes inpeace.'"

  "Doubtless," assented the other. "He can close his eyes assuredly.Whether he will ever again open them is another matter."

  With this timely warning the sandal-maker rose and prepared to resumehis journey. Nor did he again take up the burden of his task until hehad satisfied himself that the westward road was destitute of traffic.

  "A tranquil life and a painless death," was his farewell parting."Jung, of the line of Hai, wishes you well." Then, with manyimprecations on the relentless sun above, the inexorable road beneath,and on every detail of the evilly-balanced load before him, he passedout on his way.

  It would have been well for Kai Lung had he also forced his reluctantfeet to raise the dust, but his body clung to the moist umbrage of hiscouch, and his mind made reassurance that perchance the maiden wouldreturn. Thus it fell that when two others, who looked from side toside as they hastened on the road, turned as at a venture to the woodthey found him still there.

  "Restrain your greetings," said the leader of the two harshly, in themidst of Kai Lung's courteous obeisance; "and do not presume todisparage yourself as if in equality with the one who stands beforeyou. Have two of the inner chamber, attired thus and thus, passed thisway? Speak, and that to a narrow edge."

  "The road lies beyond the perception of my incapable vision,chiefest," replied Kai lung submissively. "Furthermore, I have slept."

  "Unless you would sleep more deeply, shape your stubborn tongue to aspecific point," commanded the other, touching a meaning sword. "Whoare you who loiter here, and for what purpose do you lurk? Speakfully, and be assured that your word will be put to a corroding test."

  Thus encouraged, Kai Lung freely disclosed his name and ancestry, themeans whereby he earned a frugal sustenance and the nature of hisjourney. In addition, he professed a willingness to relate his mostrecently-acquired story, that entitled "Wu-yong: or The PolitelyInquiring Stranger", but the offer was thrust ungracefully aside.

  "Everything you say deepens the suspicion which your criminal-lookingface naturally provokes," said the questioner, putting away histablets on which he had recorded the replies. "At Yu-ping the matterwill be probed with a very definite result. You, Li-loe, remain aboutthis spot in case she whom we seek should pass. I return to speak ofour unceasing effort."

  "I obey," replied the dog-like Li-loe. "What men can do we have done.We are no demons to see through solid matter."

  When they were alone, Li-loe drew nearer to Kai Lung and, allowing hisface to assume a more pacific bend, he cast himself down by thestory-teller's side.

  "The account which you gave of yourself was ill contrived," he said."Being put to the test, its falsity cannot fail to be discovered."

  "Yet," protested Kai Lung earnestly, "in no single detail did itdeviate from the iron line of truth."

  "Then your case is even more desperate than before," exclaimed Li-loe."Know now that the repulsive-featured despot who has just left us isMing-shu, he who takes down the Mandarin Shan Tien's spoken word. Byadmitting that you are from Loo-chow, where disaffection reigns, youhave noosed a rope about your neck, and by proclaiming yourself as onewhose habit it is to call together a company to listen to your word,you have drawn it tight."

  "Every rope has two ends," remarked Kai Lung philosophically, "andto-morrow is yet to come. Tell me rather, since that is our presenterrand, who is she whom you pursue and to what intent?"

  "That is not so simple as to be contained within the hollow of anacorn sheath. Let it suffice that she has the left ear of Shan Tien,even as Ming-shu has the right, but on which side his hearing isbetter it might be hazardous to guess."

  "And her meritorious name?"

  "She is of the house of K'ang, her name being Hwa-mei, though from thenature of her charm she is ofttime called the Golden Mouse. Buttouching this affair of your own immediate danger: we being both butcommon men of the idler sort, it is only fitting that when high onesthreaten I should stand by you."

  "Speak definitely," assented Kai Lung, "yet with the understandingthat the full extent of my store does not exceed four or five stringsof cash."

  "The soil is somewhat shallow for the growth of deep friendship, butwhat we have we will share equally between us." With these auspiciouswords Li-loe possessed himself of three of the strings of cash anddisplayed an empty sleeve. "I, alas, have nothing. The benefits I havein mind are of a subtler and more priceless kind. At Yu-ping my officewill be that of the keeper of the doors of the yamen, including thatof the prison-house. Thus I shall doubtless be able to render youfrequent service of an inconspicuous kind. Do not forget the name ofLi-loe."

  By this time the approaching sound of heavy traffic, heralded by thebeating of drums, the blowing of horns and the discharge of anoccasional firework, indicated the passage of some dignified official.This, declared Li-loe, could be none other than the Mandarin ShanTien, resuming his march towards Yu-ping, and the doorkeeper preparedto join the procession at his appointed place. Kai Lung, however,remained unseen among the trees, not being desirous of obtrudinghimself upon Ming-shu unnecessarily. When the noise had almost diedaway in the distance he came forth, believing that all would by thistime have passed, and approached the road. As he reached it a singlechair was hurried by, its carriers striving by increased exertion toregain their fellows. It was too late for Kai Lung to retreat, whoevermight be within. As it passed a curtain moved somewhat, a symmetricalhand came discreetly forth, and that which it held fell at his feet.Without varying his attitude he watched the chair until it was out ofsight, then stooped and picked something up--a red blossom on a thornystalk, the flower already parched but the stem moist and softened tohis touch.