by P J Tierney
He hunched over to protect himself from more, but he couldn’t blame Cheng for kicking him. He deserved it.
Mr Fan sent Cheng on his way and drew Jamie from his cowering position. ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘We need to stay together.’
Master Wu met them and said to Mr Fan, ‘I followed the disruption through the Way. There is no sign of Zheng.’
‘Has the disruption dispersed?’ Mr Fan asked. ‘Is there anything left for him to follow?’
‘Nothing. It seems we are in the clear.’
Mr Fan frowned and looked out beyond the walls of Chia Wu. ‘Why didn’t he come?’ he mused.
‘It wasn’t a particularly powerful Summons,’ Master Wu said. ‘It didn’t reach as far into the Way as I first feared.’
‘But still …’ Mr Fan said.
Jamie wasn’t as perplexed as the others; he thought he knew why Zheng hadn’t come. Zheng already had the Spirit Warrior, the last Spirit Warrior.
Master Wu called the students together and thanked Mrs Choo for her part. He sent them to the Eastern Pavilions to drink tea and calm down. But he held his hand firmly on Jamie’s shoulder. Jamie knew he wasn’t going anywhere.
Jamie felt his jaw swelling from Cheng’s kick. When the others had gone, Master Wu inspected his face for damage. ‘I’m sorry,’ Jamie said as Master Wu tilted his head to see the bruise better.
Master Wu stood back. ‘Lucky it was a roundhouse kick,’ he said. ‘Cheng’s not very good at that one.’
Jamie and his throbbing jaw begged to differ, but he didn’t dare say so.
‘Follow me,’ Master Wu said. He led Jamie around the lake and past the Western Pavilions. They took a path through the banana grove and up a steep incline. There was a lookout at the top. Master Wu went to the rail, but Jamie hung back, keeping his distance from the steep edge and hopefully from the jagged rocks at the bottom too.
‘I’m not going to throw you over,’ Master Wu assured him. ‘You are your mother’s son; that alone entitles you to protection.’ Then he turned and looked out at the ocean. ‘What do you see?’
Jamie stood on tiptoe and looked out towards the horizon. His gaze stopped short, though, at a vessel underway. ‘A boat,’ he said.
‘Really?’
One thing Jamie did know was boats. He nodded and squinted to make out more. ‘Probably a fishing trawler,’ he said, ‘thirty feet or so.’
Master Wu raised his eyebrows. ‘You see a boat, do you?’
Jamie thought it was obvious, too obvious. He said, ‘Yes,’ with some hesitation.
‘You must have very good eyes. I can’t see a boat; I can see a long wake in the water. It is the wake that tells me there is a boat.’ Master Wu paused, then said slowly, ‘It is the trail that is left behind that tells me what is at the source. I don’t need to see the source to know what is there. You are like that boat, Jamie. You leave a wake in the Way.’ Master Wu gripped Jamie’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes. ‘And that wake leads to danger for you and for us. You must learn to control the Way. Your safety and our very existence depend on it.’
‘I didn’t mean to,’ Jamie said and great sobs lodged in his throat. ‘It wasn’t on purpose. I know you think Zheng’s my guide,’ he spluttered, ‘but he’s not. I know it.’
‘Ahh,’ Master Wu said, taking a step back, ‘I thought there was someone in the banana grove last night.’
‘I’ll leave Chia Wu,’ Jamie said. ‘It’ll be better for everyone if I do. If Zheng wants me, he can have me, but at least I won’t be a danger to you.’
Master Wu smiled and said gently, ‘That would be the worst thing for all of us. If we are to have any chance against Zheng, then we need you.’
Jamie scoffed. ‘Dictum thirteen?’
Master Wu nodded. ‘Mr Fan told me he gave you a scroll. Dictum thirteen applies, but so does the rest of The Art of War. It’s not your fault if Zheng is your guide. If you don’t want him to operate through you when he returns to the spiritual realm, then you must help us overcome him.’
‘How?’
‘Train hard. Perfect your talents, and when we are ready, you lure him to us.’
‘What if I make a mistake again and he comes before we’re ready?’
Master Wu said, ‘Learn The Art of War, Jamie. If you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.’
‘Know your enemy,’ Jamie echoed.
‘And know yourself,’ Master Wu repeated. ‘Read The Art of War. Learn it by heart. You will need it.’
Jamie bowed and left Master Wu to his thoughts and his view of the sea. He bit his bottom lip. He couldn’t read The Art of War. He couldn’t read anything.
Chapter 26
In his free time before dinner, Jamie got his monkey and sneaked out of Chia Wu and back to The Swift.
The stench below deck was unbearable. A crusty white stream of dried vomit arced across the galley table and onto the floor, was sprayed along the cushions of Hector’s bed, splattered up the cupboards on the other side of the galley and had congealed in the sink. Jamie shuddered and held his breath. He opened all the portholes and was dry-retching by the time he got to the engine bay.
He unfurled his mattress and dug his hand into the split in the side stitching. He pulled out the piece of tapestry and tucked it into his waistband under his shirt. He put Hector’s dive knife in there as well. He dug around for the scroll and the two books he’d borrowed from Mrs Leung. He vowed that he was going to learn to read them.
Jamie went back up on deck, pulled a stool to the workbench and rolled the scroll open next to the books. The type in the books was large and the pictures colourful. He matched letters from the scroll to the big pictures alongside the same letter in the books. It was a difficult process and the scroll was very long. He couldn’t even make sense of the first word. The harder he tried, the more confused he became.
He tried writing the words down, hoping that their mystery might magically unfold. It didn’t. In frustration, he slammed his head against the scroll on the table, in case the words might transfer, fully formed, into his head. That didn’t work either.
When tears of frustration blurred the words, he sent the books flying with a savage sweep of his arm. They landed face-up on the deck, directly at Wing’s feet.
Jamie was shocked. ‘What are you doing here?’ His cheeks burned with humiliation.
The big type and bright pictures made it impossible to pretend the books were anything but learn-to-read books. Jamie tore his eyes from them and realised the situation was worse than he’d thought. Lucy was there too. He tried to come up with a story that could hide the fact that he was stupid and didn’t know how to read. He didn’t know where to begin.
Wing saw the open pages and a horrified expression crossed his face. Jamie suspected he was remembering meeting Jamie in the marketplace and teasing him about not being able to read.
Wing looked at Jamie and forced a look of nonchalance onto his face. He said, ‘What? Didn’t like the ending?’ and he stepped over the books.
Jamie knew Wing was just being kind, but he was grateful. ‘Why are you here?’ he asked again.
Wing indicated the mop and steaming bucket of soapy water he was carrying. ‘What do you think we’re doing here?’
Lucy was wearing plastic gloves that went all the way to her elbows, a surgical mask around her neck and a plastic apron. She looked as if she was preparing for germ warfare.
Jamie gestured towards the outfit. ‘Is all that to protect you from your own vomit?’
Lucy pointed her nose in the air. ‘The fact that it may or may not be mine doesn’t make it any less disgusting.’
Wing plonked the bucket down and pulled another stool over to the workbench. ‘This should be funny,’ he said to Jamie. ‘I don’t think she’s cleaned anything more than her fingernails since the day she was born.’
Lucy huffed.
‘She offered my mum a thousand dollars to do it for h
er,’ Wing added.
Jamie smiled. ‘What did your mum say?’
‘Luce, tell Jamie what my mum said.’
Lucy flicked her braids behind her to show she was ignoring him.
Wing grinned. ‘Let’s just say the words “entitlement” and “young lady” featured heavily.’
Jamie chuckled and Lucy had the good grace to go a little bit red. She mumbled something that sounded like, ‘I should have offered her double,’ then she spotted the books on the deck.
Jamie’s stomach churned as she bent to pick them up. She looked at the fronts, turned them to look at the backs, then she looked at Jamie.
‘Luce, don’t,’ Wing said quietly.
Lucy’s bottom lip trembled and she made a face so full of compassion that Jamie wanted to scream. It was like the villagers all over again. He didn’t need anyone’s pity.
Lucy sat at the bench opposite him. Jamie tried to turn away, but she reached for his hand and held it. Jamie felt trapped. She made big eyes at him, tilted her head, smiled sadly and said, ‘Come here.’
Jamie sighed and resigned himself. He leaned towards her.
‘Closer,’ she said, and he was drawn in by her soft voice and her doe-like eyes. He breathed in her shampoo and her lip-gloss, then Lucy slapped him square on the forehead.
‘Oww. What was that for?’
Wing burst out laughing.
‘You have friends now, idiot,’ Lucy said. ‘We may not be much good in a signal eight typhoon, and we can’t produce an orb, and we all know Wing is rubbish at kung fu, but we are not totally useless.’ She tilted her head to reconsider. ‘Well, I’m not, at least.’
‘Gee, thanks, Luce,’ Wing said.
‘Yeah, thanks, Lucy,’ Jamie said, rubbing his forehead.
‘But she’s right, Jamie,’ Wing said. ‘You saved my life. Don’t you think I’d want to help you?’
Jamie picked at a metal burr on the workbench. He felt proud, but also ashamed at the same time for having exposed them all to Zheng.
Lucy seized the moment. ‘So, Wing, if you start in the cabin, I’ll run through the basics with Jamie.’
‘Nice try,’ Wing said, placing the mop firmly in front of her, ‘but I’m pretty sure that’s your vomit down there.’
Lucy huffed and snatched the mop. ‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’ she snapped.
Wing nodded, big silent nods, and Jamie joined in too.
When Lucy had gone down the cabin stairs, Wing said, ‘I wasn’t entirely honest with her. The puke in the sink — that bit’s mine.’
Wing and Jamie hunched over the books until Lucy’s huffing and dry-retching became too much to bear. They pitched in to help, and the three of them scrubbed away all traces of the vomit. When they were done, Jamie refuelled The Swift from the island’s holding tank.
As dusk fell, Jamie packed the books and scroll into his satchel.
‘So,’ Lucy said to Jamie as they headed back to Chia Wu, ‘any other secrets you’re keeping from us?’
Jamie felt the folded tapestry against his skin. ‘No,’ he said with a grin. ‘Any you guys are keeping from me?’
Lucy smiled in the exact same way he had. ‘Touché,’ she said.
While the others returned the cleaning supplies, Jamie went to Wing’s room. He transferred the tapestry and knife into the bottom of the sandalwood chest. Some things were too personal to share even with friends.
After a dinner of watercress soup, steamed fish and vegetables, Lucy, Wing and Jamie sat around the long table in Wing’s room. They recited the alphabet, blended sounds and matched them to letters. It was tedious and frustrating.
‘I’ll never get this,’ Jamie said, bringing his forehead down onto the table. Jet swung down from the rafters and foraged through Jamie’s hair like he was searching for bugs.
‘Go away,’ Jamie said.
Jet was offended. He leaped onto Wing’s bed, huffed and pulled the blankets up over his head.
Lucy looked revolted. ‘You know he’s putting fleas in your bed.’
‘Rubbish,’ Wing said, scratching at his scalp and under his arm.
Lucy cringed and eased away from him.
Jamie looked out to the courtyard. Jade was there, keeping to herself again. ‘Is she always like that?’ he asked.
Lucy stood at the door and watched. ‘Something’s really bothering her. She’s been like this since we got back.’
They all watched Jade. She kept looking up to the sky, her head tilted like she was trying to figure something out, and subconsciously flicking at her fingernails.
‘I think she got a scare on The Swift,’ Jamie said. ‘She almost rolled the boat when she ran from that wave.’
‘Jade scared?’ Wing said. ‘I don’t think that girl knows how to be scared. She always knows exactly what’s coming. That’s why she’s such a good fighter.’
Jamie sat bolt upright. Master Wu’s words about his mother rang in his ears. ‘You mean she knows things before they happen?’
Wing shrugged. ‘It’s got something to do with knowing your life plan.’
Jamie swallowed. ‘Can anyone do this?’
‘It’s very rare,’ Lucy said. ‘People like Jade are called Recollectors. Apparently something happens —’
‘Or doesn’t happen,’ Wing interrupted.
Lucy nodded. ‘Or doesn’t happen when a Recollector is born. They can somehow remember what’s been laid out for them in their life plan. Whereas for the rest of us that memory is wiped.’
‘So Jade knows what’s going to happen before it does?’ Jamie asked.
‘Sort of,’ Lucy said. ‘She knows parts of it, at least. It’s unusual for a Recollector to know everything.’
Jamie’s heart raced. ‘Do you know if anyone else is a Recollector?’
‘Master Wu says he’s never seen it before,’ Lucy said.
Jamie’s stomach churned. Maybe he has seen it; maybe he just didn’t recognise it.
‘It doesn’t explain why she’s always so distracted around you though,’ Wing said and nudged Jamie with his elbow. ‘I think she likes you.’
Lucy rolled her eyes.
Jamie grinned and felt his cheeks going red. ‘I don’t think that’s it,’ he said. He thought for a minute about what Lucy had said about not sharing his secrets. ‘I think she’s supposed to be spying on me.’
Wing frowned. ‘Why would she spy on you?’
‘In case my spirit guide makes contact.’
‘I thought that would be a good thing,’ Wing said.
Jamie watched Jade lean up against the wooden dummy and rest her head on it.
‘It would be,’ he said, then took a deep breath and barrelled right in, ‘if Master Wu didn’t think my spirit guide was Zheng.’
The colour drained from Wing’s face. ‘Is he your guide?’ Before Jamie could answer, he added, ‘Were you trying to call him this afternoon?’
Jamie gasped. ‘No.’
‘Is Zheng your guide?’ Wing shouted, jumping to his feet and sending the stool flying.
Lucy leaped to Wing’s side and grabbed his arm as if she was trying to hold him back. Jamie saw hatred burning behind Wing’s eyes and realised how little he knew about the world he was in.
‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘I really don’t. But Master Wu thinks that maybe he could be, because for a guide to be missing, it would first have to be a spirit, and then not a spirit, and he thinks that maybe …’ Jamie stopped. He knew he was babbling, but he needed to make this right. ‘Zheng’s not my guide though, Wing. I know deep down he’s not.’
‘Master Wu thinks he is,’ Wing said suspiciously.
‘But Master Wu has been wrong before — you said it yourself.’ Jamie’s tone was pleading.
Lucy’s voice was quiet but firm as she spoke to Wing. ‘Jamie put your life ahead of his own. In fact, he put your life ahead of all of ours. He did it without hesitation the moment he knew you were missing. That is not the action of someone
connected with Zheng. Nor is it the action of someone you’ve just met.’
Jamie bit his bottom lip while Wing weighed Lucy’s words.
‘I think you two go back a long way,’ Lucy said, ‘and that could not be possible if Zheng was guiding either of you.’
Wing glared at Jamie. Then, although his eyes remained narrowed, he nodded cautiously.
Jamie breathed out in relief. Wing sat back down, but was careful to maintain his distance. Jamie sent Lucy an imploring look.
‘Zheng’s been looking for the Spirit Warrior since the day you two were born,’ she said. ‘And that means we’ve lost some friends along the way.’
Wing bristled, but didn’t say anything.
Jet sidled into Jamie’s lap and snuggled in. After a while, Jamie said, ‘What did you mean that Wing and I go a long way back?’
‘I meant before this life,’ Lucy said. ‘When you two lived before. You seem connected.’
‘Oh,’ Jamie said. ‘And what about us? Do you think we’ve been friends before?’
She nodded.
‘Do you remember?’
‘No.’
Jamie shivered. ‘I don’t know if I’d want to remember living and dying before,’ he said.
Lucy looked out at the courtyard. ‘Imagine what it must be like for Jade.’
Chapter 27
The next morning the Warriors of the Way met on the training ground. They gathered around the lowest of a series of freestanding timber walls. There was not a bright eye among them. Jamie suspected he wasn’t the only one who’d stayed awake last night, wondering if every noise was Zheng coming to finish them off.
Mr Fan called them to attention. ‘The objective of this exercise is to reach the flag on the other side of the obstruction before your rival does. I encourage you to plan your approach. As you can see, the walls start quite low, but get very high.’
Jamie looked at the biggest wall; it had to be at least five metres high. Something else I won’t be able to do, he thought bitterly. He discreetly pushed on the wall to check it was solid. He wasn’t going to fall for Jade’s trick again, not in front of Cheng.
