by Shea Meadows
Ricky stood up from the couch. “Guess I’d better go over and have a conversation with the ghost of the day. David, would you stay with Susan? This could be a diversion and Ta Yi plans to send someone else in while I’m occupied with this spirit.”
David held Ricky in his arms and smoothed back her rumpled hair. “I will be in this unit, but part of me will be tracking you there. Moon is focused on this as well.”
“I have no fear. It’s just another ghost that needs a talking to.”
Ricky walked through the garage and opened the side door of Nick’s unit and came face to face with a tall, sullen ghost. He was dressed in the style of a Han warrior, leather armor with spikes, shaved head with only a braid left on top, massively muscled arms. The door opened into the kitchen that was a mess of bowls, pots and utensils flung every which way.
Sima had already provided translation from the Han dialect. “Finally, someone to act as a negotiator,” the ghost growled. “I could feel you through the wall. If you have come to parley, why delay? We have demands you are able to fulfill, and without your cooperation, people will start dying. You, in fact, are on the list drawn up by my master of possible sacrifices. You are the witch Ra Key, is that not so?”
“You might call me that, but you would be wrong. I am of this time and place, not that which you represent. You have already destroyed the energy of our home, making it unusable, and those in my army are strategizing to undo your damage,” Ricky answered.
“You have now invaded another dwelling that is not your territory. You have two choices: go back to the world of the Bi Mo Chu or on to the Celestial Gates of the Han. Your presence would be welcome there,” Ricky replied. “To abide by the rules of negotiation, I must know your name before I speak to you again.”
“I am Wang Mang, once a general in the army of the Emperor Jingdi. I am now the regent to the Emperor Ta Yi, may he reign forever.”
Ricky nodded. “I have heard of this sorcerer who has taken the throne of the territory of the ghost trap called Bi Mo Chu. Did you know that he was the one that duplicated this stealer of souls for the Emperor Jingdi who needed a ghost army to fight his battles? Were you one of the honorable generals that needed such assistance to maintain the security of the dynasty of the Han?”
This put Wang Mang off balance; he had a faraway look in his eyes and his feet shuffled around breaking his stoic stance. “I remember hearing of that. But that was in a dead history that left with Jingdi.”
“From what I know, Jingdi was still alive when the witch Lee Gee murdered Ta Yi at his request. How could he be still alive? Maybe your ruler is an imposter.” Ricky replied.
“Lee Gee. I know of that cursed woman. Her essence seeps through the walls of this structure. That is the purpose for my arrival and one of my demands: Lee Gee must confess to her identity and come back to the court of Ta Yi. She must bring the Bing Ta Cri which will strengthen the army of our territory. She has misused it, and now it is time she returns this key to its rightful owner.”
Ricky shook her head. “That is not how I heard the story. Ta Yi’s memory must be failing after living in a cube for two thousand years. Lee Gee created the Bing Ta Cri on her own. Ta Yi did not know of it until he became a ghost. He is changing history for his own advantage.”
“Ra Key, how can I trust the words of a witch? You have given me only speculation. You weren’t there when this happened,” Wang Mang’s face solidified and turned a bright red. “You must undo the spell that keeps me from Lee Gee, or I will take you captive instead. Do you understand?”
“We are getting there, honorable regent. I need information to undo the spell. First of all, where do you think you are at the present moment? I need this to triangulate your release from this trap,” Ricky asked.
“It is the era of the Han Dynasty and… and… and… I have found you in the province of Xian,” Wang Mang stuttered.
“So sorry, incorrect. You are in the United States of America; look at the house around you. Is anything familiar? Have you ever seen a box that keeps things cold? Or a box that cooks food within a minute? You were trapped in a small space before my friend so graciously freed you. Within that room were devices you could never imagine. They were produced by a magic so advanced even Ta Yi could not have dreamed them. You are in a different era altogether. You have lived in a ghost trap for two thousand years.”
“I am the Regent of Emperor Ta Yi who rules the dynasty of Bi Mo Chu,” Wang Mang held his ghostly body in a pose of authority but then looked around in confusion. “But I admit time seems to have come to a standstill. We are eternally replaying the same adventures, intrigues, battles, decisions, over and over again. That is why I was pleased I was assigned this mission; at least it is something new. Ta Yi has not spoken of Lee Gee as anyone but a traitor in his past for a very long time. Now, suddenly he has located her essence. Of all the possible functionaries he could have sent, I was selected.”
He sat down on the air and floated around the kitchen. “And I am in the wrong dwelling. I can feel her nearby, but being a witch, she has blocked me. If I do not bring her back with me and find the Bing Ta Cri, I will most certainly lose my life.”
Ricky shook her head, wearing a concerned expression on her face. “Are people executed in the dynasty of Bi Mo Chu?”
Wang Mang looked like a tired old man. “Quite frequently; they are shot with arrows or their heads are cut off or they are dismembered piece by piece or starved. Anything to make the suffering last. Some are turned into rock or trees or burned alive. Ta Yi has a famous temper.”
“If they are executed, do you ever see them again?” Ricky asked.
Wang Mang nodded. “They come back eventually, and Ta Yi seems to forget what he did to them. I know of several who have been executed numerous times. He seems pleased to see them when they return, so he can think of new and inventive ways to dispose of them again.”
“I am sorry to hear you will go through that. It sounds more like eternal torture than execution. You have nothing to say about it? It is all up to the overlord?” Ricky questioned.
Wang Mang nodded. “Sometimes I long for the Celestial Gates. Why did my ancestors go there when they became ghosts, but I am stuck in this never-ending cycle of servitude?”
Ricky smiled. “Would you like to go there? I have friends in places of authority and have visited there. Just think what sort of upheaval that would cause in Bi Mo Chu. Can you imagine the confusion? Ta Yi would sense you accomplished something he has been unable to achieve for two thousand years. How many times has he executed you?”
Wang Mang shuddered and started to lose his customary form. “Too many times to count, but he always puts me in positions of responsibility and glories in my failures.” He looked at Ricky with an expression of longing. “Can you really send me to the Celestial Gates? Is it any better there than where I’ve been? I must have been there after former lives, but I don’t remember.”
Ricky nodded. “But there are some things you should remember. The most dangerous thing you can do there is to hold on to your status. If you play the same roles you played as Wang Mang in the physical and in the Bi Mo Chu, you will have the same result. Have you any other talent besides being a general or a regent?”
Wang Mang looked a little embarrassed. “I used to enjoy mixing herbs into poultices and remedies. When I was a young soldier, I acted as a battlefield apothecary. As I advanced in rank, I had to set that aside. Ta Yi is a sorcerer and has witches to do his bidding, so he never let me do what I enjoyed.”
“When you go over to the Celestial Gates, my friends and I will do a burial service and sacrifice a fowl for you. Its energy will follow you to the kingdom. Invite anyone who greets you to join you in a feast to celebrate your arrival. Explain where you’ve been and what you’d now like to do. Doing that will manifest a place for you to work with plants, make remedies and send energy to physical beings that might need help. After a while, you will want to advance further. You will move t
o the next stage of the spirit world. Can you do these things?”
He looked at her with a startled expression. “You would do that for me? Even after I said I would kill you or abduct you and steal Lee Gee’s creation and give it to that tyrant? What is the trap in this?”
“No trap. My mission and that of my sister, Moon, is to free everyone from the Bi Mo Chu and stop the work of a very persistent ghost named Norton Reston from his obsession with sending new ghosts to the trap. He is now sending spirits of Qin courtiers to the Bi Mo Chu.”
“I know of this. I was there when the sorcerer Luan Du was evicted. It startled me that Ta Yi had the power to expel a new arrival. I longed to be able to talk to the Qin man, but it happened quickly,” Wang Mang answered. “So someone is sending those who arrive now? All of them are Qin, where before they were Hans.”
“This is true. He seems to be sending the ghosts from the Qin replicas,” Ricky explained.
“You could be helpful for us as a consultant. Having lived with Ta Yi for all those centuries, you have insights into how he thinks. Not only do we have to stop Norton Reston from sending more ghosts, but we need to work around Ta Yi’s iron hand. He will not take kindly to us releasing all of those in his dynasty.”
“How can I help? Is my freedom only possible if I become your ally?” the ghost asked.
“No, we will free you and send a burial feast to you no matter what. But I have a feeling you’d rather work with us than be executed over and over again,” Ricky said with a smile.
“That is true. This is what I was told would happen in this mission: I would arrive in the dwelling of the current incarnation of Lee Gee. I would intimidate her until she gave me the parts of the Bing Ta Cri, and then I would grab her spirit. When she and I were united in the same energy, Ta Yi would know and bring us back into the Bi Mo Chu along with the artifacts.”
“So instead, we will roast a fowl and do the burial ceremony in this very place. Luan Du and Sima Qian, who are my friends, will show you the way to the Celestial Gates. Does that sound good to you?”
“How can I trust you will do this?” Wang Mang’s face took on the aspect of an angry lion.
“The one who once was Lee Gee will come to this place along with my husband. I will call in Luan Du and Sima Qian to join us. They now live in spirit world. You will watch as we prepare the fowl. I will have to trust you in return that you will not abduct us and bring us back to the Bi Mo Chu. Trust will be needed by all,” Ricky replied “I will go to the house behind the wall and return quickly with the others.”
The lion face disappeared, and Wang Mang now looked like an excited little boy, fresh in from playing in the streets of his village.
Ricky moved quickly through the garage and met Susan Fry whose body was shaking. David was with her and carried a plate of raw chicken legs Susan had planned to cook the next night. “I’m really uncomfortable getting anywhere near that ghost,” Susan said in a tight breathy voice. “How can you trust him?”
“Not a concern. When I went out, Luan Du came in with Sima Qian. He will be so wrapped up in explaining his plight to them, he might not notice we’re there,” Ricky answered.
“We’re microwaving the chicken,” David said. “Probably the first time in history that a burial meal for a Chinese notable will be zapped until it’s cooked.”
As they came back into Nick’s kitchen, all three of the ancient Chinese spirits were floating over the cooking area conversing in the Han dialect. Susan put the chicken on a Pyrex plate and turned on the microwave.
“Hello, Ray Key,” Wang Mang said when he noticed what they were doing. “I am hearing all about the Kingdom of the Celestial Gates from these honorable gentlemen. They concur with your opinion on the best course of action.” He stopped and looked at Susan Fry. “You must be Lee Gee, although you do not look at all like the drawing Ta Yi made for me.”
Susan took a deep breath and looked into Wang Mang’s eyes. “I am Susan Fry, a citizen of the USA. Lee Gee was a past incarnation, and I am no longer her.”
Wang Mang bowed his head in respect. “You need not worry. I have no desire to do the biding of Ta Yi, who calls himself emperor. I simply want to thank you for poisoning the tyrant. It is too bad he rules others even after his death. You were brave to side with Emperor Jingdi against Ta Yi.”
Susan released the breath she had been holding. “I am honored you see me as a worthwhile being,” she said with a bow in return. “Pardon me. I must be attentive to your burial feast.” She turned to the microwave and flipped over the chicken. “This fowl will be done in a short time.”
“Yes, I can smell it. It has been very long since I ate anything that wasn’t spirit dust. This will taste better than most,” Wang Mang answered.
Moon popped in to join them, and Ricky introduced her sister. Then Siam explained the Han burial chants. By the time this was done, the chicken was cooked to temperature and had been placed on the table in Nick’s kitchen.
Luan Du and Sima Qian began the burial chants of an honored personage of the Han.
You were most honorable in life and blessed the lives of many who loved you.
Generations honor you and sit at your memorial stone singing your exploits.
Young boys act out scenes from your life and tell the stories of your battles.
Your wives wear ashes on their faces, mourning your passing. Your daughters miss your stern hand on their foreheads.
The warriors in your army pine for your leadership.
But you go to the next world, the place of rest and abundance, where a new family awaits you. We eat and drink in your name. We sing to your essence. We release you from the rocks of the earth.
As the last lines were chanted, the people with bodies ate the chicken and the odor of the cooked fowl made a pathway toward the Celestial Gates Kingdom of the Han. They watched as the ghost of Wang Mang traveled upward to the Han heaven.
Susan, Ricky and David breathed a collective sigh of relief as they finished the chicken. Susan looked at the mess in the kitchen. “Look at this place. Nick is going to have a hemorrhage. He does not like people in his unit. It took us years to build up enough trust for him to let me in. For a public figure, he’s a hermit when he’s not being a tough guy.”
David rinsed the chicken off his fingers. “Let’s go around and see what other messes Wang Mang made.”
The kitchen and storage rooms contained the worst damage. None of the appliances were hurt in the kitchen, and it took about a half-hour for the three of them to clean the kitchen utensils and put them away. Susan wrote down the model numbers for the printer and computer and planned to have new ones sent to her house. David offered to come over when they arrived to reinstall them.
“I’ll send a tech over tomorrow if you’d like to get everything off the hard drive so it can be loaded on the new computer,” David said.
Susan shook her head. “What am I going to tell Nick?” She stopped for a minute, her eyes round in terror. “Do you think Ta Yi will send someone else when he realizes Wang Mang isn’t coming back?”
“That’s a possibility. He really wants to get his hands on you. I would suggest you not stay here on your own. You’re welcome to stay with us if you want,” Ricky said. “We were going to talk about this tomorrow but since we’re here, we might as well bring it up. We are organizing a trip to China. We’ll be looking into the safest ways to travel and its sounding more and more like a good idea to bring you along. Are you willing to join us?”
“It’s getting super late and I’m exhausted. Why don’t I throw some clothes in a suitcase and take you up on your offer? You folks can fill me in on the plan on the way over. I am definitely going on that trip. I haven’t taken a vacation in five years.”
“We should throw your artifacts in a suitcase, too. They could easily disappear,” David said.
A hysterical laugh was Susan’s answer. “No argument there. Maybe we can lock them up in the sealed room in the house on York Street
right next to the Bi Mo Chu.”
All three were laughing as they closed Nick’s unit and followed Susan over to her place.
* * *
Chapter 15
December, 2004
First there was a flight to Chicago and then a transfer in New York for the flight to Shanghai. The Clark family, with the support of Bonta, Susan, and George, endured the fourteen-hour flight with a restless Nory. The six-month-old kept comparing the ease of out-of-body travel with their present experience.
“Mom, we could have been there in the wink of an eye. We’re going after a ghost without a body. Why do we need to bring ours along?”
Ricky sighed, having gone over this dialogue at least hourly during the flight. “That’s true, but the scrolls with the instructions for the Bi Mo Chu are in Shanghai and we have to see them. We have to know how to open it and how to use the Bing Ta Cri. It will take some searching in some very physical places to find out how it all fits together.”
Nory was silent for a few minutes, chewing on her binky and playing with her fingers like any other baby. “It still seems like more can be done without bodies, but I get it. Let me think on that for a while.”
A couple of hours went by, with Nory deep in contemplation during which her diaper was changed and she breastfed, then chewed on a soft baby cracker to sooth teething pains. Then, in the middle of a conversation between Ricky and David, Nory jumped in.
“Okay, we looked in the Shanghai museum, but they have been relocated somewhere else. Most likely to the house that Sung Ho, Susan’s friend, inherited from his grandfather. Moon and I will need some directions from Susan to find it. Moon couldn’t isolate the energy pattern of the scrolls.”
Ricky picked up the baby and grinned at her. “I’m glad you had Moon along on your exploration of the cellars of the Shanghai museum and your trip around the city looking for Sung Ho’s home.”
