by Guy Salvidge
Level 52. The windy eyrie. Birds screeching. Ji Tao. Sixteen sleepers that slept no longer.
“How do we get up to the roof?” he asked Ji Tao.
“I found the stairs.” They went up onto the roof.
“Don't look up,” Liang advised the sleepers. “You don't want to see the ruined shield. Don't look down either, or you'll see what's left of Shulao itself. You might find it depressing.” They did not understand him, of course, but Liang found this bitterly humorous. “In fact, you'd probably be best closing your eyes altogether.” But he trailed off into a whisper as he said this. The sleepers were looking up at the rift in the dome, pointing and jabbering excitedly.
There was Cheng's helicopter. It did not look much like a bird to Liang, although it was certainly made of metal. It was a squat, grey thing with a rotor on top. The pilot got down from the cockpit.
“Where's Cheng?” he said. He did not appear to be armed.
“Cheng's dead,” Liang said. “But don't worry, this is his sister Ji Tao, and I'm his cousin.” Liang tried his best to smile.
The pilot clearly didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. Maybe he had factored in the fact that Liang was still holding a rifle when he considered his response. The pilot opened a sliding door on the side of the helicopter, revealing an equally squat interior. It would be a tight squeeze for the sleepers.
“Get in,” Liang said to the sleepers. “It doesn't look like there's any windows in there. That's good.” They got in and he shut the door. They were used to being enclosed; a little more enclosure wouldn't hurt them.
“We'll sit in the front with you,” Liang informed the pilot.
The pilot climbed back into the helicopter.
“Come on, Ji Tao,” Liang said. “Get in there.” He virtually had to shove her in.
“That's it,” he said to himself as he shut the door behind him.
“Where are we going?” Ji Tao asked.
“Back to Baitang, of course,” Liang said. “Let's go, pilot.”
The pilot fiddled with the instruments and the rotor blade began to rotate. Liang looked ahead of him—there was the decaying city in all its glory. It was late in the day.
“But we can't go back there,” Ji Tao protested.
“What? We've retrieved the loot and now we're going to deliver it. Do you think Silex cares who brings the sleepers back for him? He may even reward us.”
The helicopter took off and began to make its way out of the ruined capital.
Chapter Fifteen
Now Liang saw what birds could see when they cavorted high above him. This was the 'Kingdom of Four Rivers.' He saw a line of dusty, barren hills: the Jianyang Range. Further south lay the jungle, impenetrable and unknowable (and yet they had penetrated it and lived to remember).
It was almost sunset. The sun was low in the western sky, just above the line of trees, but now the helicopter turned to the east. Liang was surrounded by yellow light, which gave reality a more sympathetic tone. Somewhere down there was the Wu, snaking its way through the jungle. Though he could not see it, Liang knew that Zhenghe lay far to the north. His thoughts lingered there, in a city he had never seen, for that was where Sovann had been taken. Would he see her again? Only now, with her out of reach, did he yearn for her.
Liang wondered if he was making a mistake. It wasn't too late to demand that the pilot change course, but where would they go? Liang knew of three shielded cities and three only: Zhenghe, Luihang and his own Baitang. Of course there was the jungle, but the jungle would not sustain them for long. Ji Tao's dream had been to retreat into the underground crypt, to sleep the centuries away until such a time as conflict had faded forever. But her sanctuary had been snatched away from her. Was that why she had killed Cheng, because her dreams had been shattered?
Night fell over the jungle, making it seem even more alien to him than before. There had not always been a jungle here, as Father often said. Millions had lived down there, once upon a time. From nothing they came, to nothing they returned...but where was the comfort in that?
Liang must have nodded off, for now Ji Tao was shaking him awake. “There's Luihang,” she said.
The evening shield shimmered, as though rapidly phasing in and out of existence. They continued on, past the common grave the three of them had found, past the place where they had left the river to brave the jungle path. Past the native village (did Tilma look up at the canopy upon hearing the droning of the helicopter?), and past the ruin of Zizhong, where a man called Xi Ching had once lived....
The helicopter followed the course of Wu toward Baitang. They would soon be home. That was their entire landscape down there, along that river path. Liang saw then how small his world really was. From Baitang to Luihang to Shulao, and back again. That was as far as he had ever travelled. This had been the limit of his adventures. And yet somehow they had prevailed.
Liang had been driven by a force less brutal than that which drove Ji Tao, but driven he had been. He had been compelled by an inner voice, some hidden power. Something had told him to walk straight past the guardhouse in Luihang. It had told him to flee Baitang before the trouble began, and it had had him run half mad through the jungle, his eyes filled with visions. It had guided him through a field of death and left him relatively unscathed. And it whispered to him now, soothing his anxieties, telling him that he would soon be safe. Could he trust this voice, this mental apparition?
“Where will we land, pilot?” Liang suddenly asked, breaking the long silence.
“At the depot near the east gate. A transport will be waiting there.”
“What will happen to us?”
“All I do is fly the helicopter. That's all I know.”
“Will you denounce us?”
“No,” the pilot said. “I don't want to get involved.”
“I see. You're just doing your job.”
“That's right. Look, there's Baitang.”
There it was, lit up by the helicopter's lights: their home. Liang's family and almost everyone he knew was down there. Liang prayed that Mother and Father had not been harmed. Kai Sen was down there too, tucked away in the Inner Shield. Now Liang could see the depot the pilot had referred to. The helicopter made its descent.
“I'd advise you not to run,” the pilot said. “They will shoot you, I think.”
“They know we're here?” Had the pilot denounced them after all?
“Chen Cheng was supposed to radio more than an hour ago. They will be suspicious. That's all I'm saying. I've already said too much.”
“Thank you,” Liang said, opening the door and stepping down onto the tarmac. The sound of the helicopter's blades was deafening. And yes—there were the agents of the Inner Shield Authority in their green uniforms, waiting patiently.
“Don't shoot,” Liang said, raising his hands.
Ji Tao got down and huddled against him. Liang put his arm around her as the agents approached, guns drawn. They were in custody at last. The handcuffs went on their wrists, as though they were common criminals. Perhaps that was all they were. Now they were at the mercy of the man who had pitted Cheng against Bao Min, failing to acknowledge a third possible victor. If this could be called victory.
Liang and Ji Tao were escorted to the waiting transport, where they spent a cruel hour under an unwavering light. Then they were transferred to a second transport—Liang struggled to catch a glimpse of where he was, but his head was pushed down into the dark interior—and they waited again. Later there was the definite sensation of moving downward, as one feels while descending in a lift, before a bewildering sequence of left and right turns. They had no way of knowing where they were.
Ji Tao's head was slumped against the side of the seat, but Liang could see that her eyes were open.
“I won't mention what happened to Cheng,” Liang said quietly. When Ji Tao failed to reply, he added: “We can make up any story we like.”
“They probably have listening devices in here,” Ji Tao eve
ntually said.
She had a point. Liang shut up.
“How's your leg?” she asked, much to his surprise. So she had a pulse yet.
“It's definitely infected,” he said.
But Ji Tao offered nothing further in response to this.
Then, quite abruptly, the side of the transport slid back to reveal a set of steps. They were helped out of the transport by waiting officials and led down through a maze of corridors and empty hallways. It was though this area had been specifically designed to be unremarkable. Liang found it hard to keep up with Ji Tao and the guards. They prodded him forward relentlessly. At long last they came to a room that looked strangely out of place here. The room was carpeted, something that Liang had not seen except in Shulao. There was a large wooden desk in the middle of the room. The metal walls were hung with pictures of famous people.
There was a man sitting at the desk. He invited them to sit down. The man was certainly older than Liang, but probably much younger than his parents. He had black, shoulder-length hair and green eyes, like stones of gleaming jade. They sat down.
“You must be Chen Liang and Chen Ji Tao,” the man said. “Can I offer you a drink?”
“Thank you,” Liang said, accepting a glass of an unfamiliar blue liquid. Did they intend to poison him? Apparently not, for the man was drinking it, and he had poured the liquid from a decanter sitting on the table. The drink was cool and refreshing.
“I am Silex,” the man said. Liang's surprise must have been palpable, for he added: “What did you expect me to look like? Wrinkled with age, hair turned white? No, an old man does not rule Baitang.”
“It's...it's an honour,” Liang said, struggling for the appropriate words. “It's an honour to meet you, administrator Silex.”
Silex smiled. “Don't try to flatter me. I have been waiting to meet the two of you for some time. Your friend Kai Sen has already explained the details of many of your exploits.”
“Is he here?” Ji Tao asked. It was the first time she had spoken.
“Ah, no,” Silex said. “I must regretfully inform you that Kai Sen passed away this morning. You weren't to know it, but he was suffering from an incurable illness. This was why had been put into cryogenesis in the first place. Try as they might, Baitang's best doctors were not able to cure his condition.”
“Kai Sen's dead?” Ji Tao said.
“I'm afraid so. The timing of his demise was most unfortunate; he had wanted quite desperately to speak with you again. But his strength had been failing fast, and he couldn't hold on any longer.”
Liang took her hand in his own.
“I see,” Ji Tao said. Liang didn't know what to say to her.
“It appears that Chen Cheng has passed away?” Silex said. “I had been expecting to hear from him. Is he dead?”
“Yes,” Liang said. “There was a mix-up between Bao Min and Cheng. They ended up killing each other. Only Ji Tao and I were left alive.”
“You must grieve for his loss,” Silex said. “I understand that Cheng was Ji Tao's sister? Perhaps that is why you seem so forlorn, Chen Ji Tao.”
Ji Tao said nothing.
“We're very tired,” Liang said. “We would appreciate an opportunity to rest.”
“Of course you would,” Silex said. “But first we must tie up a couple of loose ends. It won't hurt for me to tell you that I have been amazed at your progress over the past few days. Quite how you managed to evade the might of the ISA is frankly beyond me. And you had the good sense not to try to run away, but instead to deliver the sleepers. This is impressive indeed.”
“Thank you,” Liang said. “We had some good fortune.”
“Certainly, but luck cannot have been the only factor at work here. I was impressed by the resolve of Chen Cheng to pursue you, but your own resolve must have been still greater. And that is why I have brought the two of you here.”
“I don't quite follow, administrator,” Liang said.
“I have brought you here to make a proposal. A contract, if you will. You see, a man does not attain my station in life without the assistance of a great many helpers. Some of these helpers work inside the city, some outside; some work openly and others in secret. You may not be surprised to discover that both Bao Min and Chen Cheng worked for the ISA, the latter having been recruited quite recently. Now that they have passed on, I require new agents to replenish the ranks.”
“You want us to work for you?” Liang asked.
“Precisely. Are we agreed, in principle? The details can be worked out by my staff.”
“What kind of work would this be?”
Silex took a sip from his glass, then placed it down again. “The nature of the work is ever changing. It requires a person or persons of great stature, people with flexibility and foresight. I see these traits in both of you.”
Liang didn't know what to say. This was quite unexpected. “What do you think, Ji Tao?”
“No,” she said.
“No?” Silex enquired.
“No, I won't work for you,” she said.
“My cousin is very tired,” Liang said. “She does not intend to be so blunt. Perhaps we could consider your proposal overnight.”
Silex leaned forward slightly in his chair, his green eyes boring into Liang. “The administrator of Baitang does not wait long for those of peasant stock to make up their mind. However, I am not without a small measure of patience. Because I see that you are simply not aware of the magnitude of that which I am offering you, I will present you with a brief demonstration.”
Silex pressed a button on the underside of the desk. An image flashed up above the desk.
“This is Baitang,” Silex said. Flashing up before them was a series of images, changing rapidly.
Liang saw vertical towers made of steel and glass; multi-coloured windows which shone brightly under an artificial light; lush gardens, a profusion of greenery; people laughing, walking, shouting and bustling along; a network of roads, lights and cars criss-crossing the city; strange palisades; bizarre statues; grotesque sculptures; and a great many things he could not begin to describe.
“Do not imagine that Kai Sen lied when he spoke at the Autumn Symposium,” Silex said. “He spoke the truth. This is what I offer you.”
“We would live here?” Liang asked. It was wondrous, breathtaking, unbelievable.
“You would spend much of your time on assignment, of course, but I will offer you a chance to live here in Baitang. This is a privilege rarely extended to those of the Outer Shield. Do not make me ask again, for we are rapidly reaching the limit of my good humour.”
Liang's eyes were filled with visions; he could not turn away. “What about our family?” Liang asked.
“The Chen family has suffered the loss of its eldest son, so perhaps some reimbursement is in order.”
Liang couldn't contain his enthusiasm any longer. “Come on, Ji Tao. This is a fabulous opportunity!”
“Indeed it is,” Silex said. “Such an opportunity only comes once in a lifetime, and usually not even as often as that.”
“No,” Ji Tao said.
“No? No!” Silex said, suddenly enraged. He turned the sequence of images off. Liang was trapped in an empty room again. “You think to spurn my offer? What madness is this? Explain yourself, Chen Ji Tao, before I think to send you to the deepest, darkest dungeon in Baitang!”
“Let us go home,” she said. “You can keep your Inner Shield for yourself.”
Liang felt deflated. How could she act so brazenly?
“I have offered a gesture of goodwill to you, and you have rejected it. I have chosen to forgive your piteous deeds, your transgressions, and you laugh in my face. Do not think I don't know what happened in the cryonics facility. I hold the power of life and death over you, and you shall submit!”
“Ji Tao doesn't know what she says,” Liang said. “Please forgive us.”
“You speak rationally,” Silex said, “but Chen Ji Tao does not. Perhaps a spell in my inter
rogation chamber will alter her attitude.”
“I don't fear you,” Ji Tao said. “I'm already dead.”
“Oh?” Silex said. “You imagine that your suffering is complete? You don't know how miserable I can make your existence. If you seek death, then I will deny it you, but your life will be one of unending torment.”
“Let us go home,” Ji Tao said. “We got you what you wanted.”
“And still you refuse to plead,” Silex murmured, as though to himself. “I am not accustomed to such behaviour. No, I certainly do not want such people working for me. My offer to you is hereby revoked. The Chens will not live beneath the Inner Shield so long as I remain administrator.”
“Will you let us return home?” Liang asked. “We mean no harm.”
Silex's face twisted into a mocking sneer. “You mean me no harm? What would it matter if you did mean me harm, Chen Liang? Nothing. You cannot harm me. No, I do not fear you, not in the slightest. But I am most surprised at the conduct of your impetuous cousin. It is not correct for the lowly to trample the high-born. It is not the way of things.” Then he seemed to lose interest, dismissing them with a nonchalant flick of the wrist. “Go, then. I will seek to erase the name of Chen from my memory, and especially the name of Chen Ji Tao. This meeting is concluded.”
Liang and Ji Tao were conveyed from Silex's chamber back to the transport (Was it the same one? Liang couldn't tell), and from there to the Outer Shield. It was pitch black outside. Here they were transferred to a tear-drop car, similar to the one that had taken Kai Sen away. It was almost as though Silex intended for them to be left with a final reminder of what it was they had rejected. It was not apparent to Liang how the car was powered. They were escorted by an ISA man who did not look at them once during the journey.
But there was one final surprise in store. When they were nearly home, a screen flashed up before them, depicting an image of a middle-aged woman in a green uniform.
