‘Feng, we need to go to the temple,’ Sienna insisted, for the third time. ‘We’ve come all this way!’
‘I’m NOT going,’ he snapped, sitting on the floor with his head in his hands.
‘What do you mean “not going”?’ asked Sienna. ‘That’s why we’re here! We need to find my mother and your brother. It’s simple!’ She missed Rufus hugely. With Feng in this mood, she felt very alone. ‘Or don’t you care about your brother?’ she threw at him in frustration.
But this time, Feng didn’t argue. He breathed out heavily and fell silent.
‘Feng, what is it?’ said Sienna, softening her voice. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.’
‘The temple … it’s the place where Gege disappeared,’ he said. He spoke very quietly now, his eyes filling with tears as he glanced up at Sienna and back at floor, as if ashamed. ‘I know we should go but … bad things must be happening there. I’m afraid.’ Feng swallowed. ‘I can’t go. I’m too scared of what might happen. Please don’t tell Zou.’
Suddenly Sienna understood and her anger evaporated. She sat down beside Feng on the floor and took his hand. At that moment, Zou came down the stairs.
‘Why are you both looking so sad?’ he said. ‘Shouldn’t you be on your way to the temple?’
Feng opened his mouth to reply, but Sienna spoke instead. ‘I’ve decided to go on my own,’ she said. ‘Only … I don’t know the way.’ She blushed, feeling a little foolish, but Feng glanced across at her gratefully.
Zou’s eyes passed from Sienna to Feng and back again. ‘Very well,’ he said slowly. Somehow, he appeared to understand. ‘Why not take Bai tuzi? He knows how to get there. He knows a surprising amount of things! And he can help you if you need to ask questions.’
Zou took the white hare on to his arm and stroked him affectionately. Sienna saw sparkly dust rise from the hare’s fur into the air, and she glanced at Feng’s glum expression. He was probably feeling guilty. She would be sorry to go without him, but she had to go to the temple.
‘Thank you,’ she said to Zou, standing up. Bai tuzi hopped towards her, and she reached a hand out to stroke the animal’s soft ears. Then she quickly got changed into her travelling clothes, hiding her blonde hair carefully under the headscarf.
The white hare and Zou nodded to each other, then Bai tuzi jumped on to Sienna’s shoulder.
‘That tickles,’ she laughed, as the hare gently rubbed his nose against her ear. She waved goodbye to Feng, who was slumped in his seat, and went downstairs with Zou.
Sienna was glad when they finally reached the temple. The man she’d sat next to on the rickety bus had stared at her for the entire journey. Finally he started to bombard her with all sorts of questions, but luckily, with Bai tuzi by her side, she was able to answer. Eventually the bus driver called out the name of her stop and she jumped off, relieved.
The air was hot and dry, yet when she spotted the temple on a hill in the distance, a shiver ran down Sienna’s spine. So this was where Mum had spent so much time. And this was where she might find out what happened to her. With a determined sigh, she began to climb the rocky hill.
She first spotted the pagoda of the temple. Several groups of people were gathered around with their tour guides, who held umbrellas up in the air. Making her way past the pagoda and the tourists, Sienna came to an inner courtyard. At its centre, an old well was sunk into the ground, surrounded by a crooked stone wall. A miniature pagoda protected it from the elements. Behind her was a hall with steps leading up to its entrance. The hall doors and windows were latticed with wooden carvings, and up on the roof Sienna could make out two red dragon statues. She stood still, studying the statues.
‘Can I help you?’ a voice behind her suddenly asked. Startled, Sienna whipped round. In front of her stood a young man wearing a yellow-brown robe. He was Chinese, but he had addressed Sienna in English. He eyed Sienna searchingly through his silver-coloured glasses.
‘No … um …’ she stammered. ‘I’m just looking around.’
The monk smiled at her. ‘Well, I have a little time, so I can show you the temple if you like? My name is Hong Yi.’
Sienna nodded her agreement and they walked on through the crowds together. ‘Why are there so many people here?’ she asked Hong Yi.
‘It’s the holidays,’ replied Hong Yi. ‘But this is not “many”. Especially when one considers the significance of this temple. Many more will flock here for the Moon Festival, in two days’ time.’
They were now standing at the entrance to the main hall and Sienna, like the monk, took her shoes off before going in. Several golden Buddha statues stood before them.
‘The temple is almost two thousand years old,’ Hong Yi began. ‘Although it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over, the ground on which it stands is of great historical significance. Especially the well at the centre of the courtyard where I met you; that well has remained untouched for centuries.’
Hong Yi turned to a statue of a woman standing on the back of a dragon. Sienna looked thoughtfully at the golden figure. The statue seemed familiar to her.
‘Do you know who that is?’ asked Hong Yi. Sienna couldn’t make out his features in the dim light of the hall. Only his glasses glinted on his face.
‘I’m not sure, she looks like a princess,’ replied Sienna.
‘This is Guanyin,’ explained Hong Yi. ‘All Buddhists in China worship her, for she is the goddess of mercy. She helps people in need. Here, in this sacred place, Guanyin first revealed herself as a goddess in human form. But you are right. She was born as a princess and sacrificed everything for her faith.’
All at once Sienna saw the resemblance. The picture that Feng had given to her in the restaurant, back in Shanghai, was a picture of a statue of Guanyin!
Hong Yi gave her a thoughtful look. ‘I assumed you would know more about the temple. Didn’t your mother ever tell you anything about it?’
Sienna was taken aback. ‘You know my mother? And how did you know I was her daughter?’
Hong Yi gave a sad smile. ‘You look just like her. And I knew your mother well. Her work was very important for the temple. It is a tragedy for us all that she is no longer here. I’m very sorry.’
Sienna swallowed.
Just then, she felt a tickling feeling in her ear. The white hare wanted to tell her something – she glanced at him, perching on her shoulder, and saw his pink nose twitching towards the left. Sienna turned and saw a very old man in a monk’s habit shuffling across the inner courtyard.
‘Come. I’ll show you the rest of the temple,’ the monk said softly.
Sienna followed Hong Yi back out into the courtyard, skirting round the well, her eyes meeting the old man’s as he passed. He hesitated for a moment and then slowly approached. Hong Yi stopped and bowed before the older monk.
The old monk was bald, but his eyebrows were snow-white and his smile was kind. Sienna could see great sorrow and compassion in his face. He reached out and clasped her hand between his, his skin dry and warm. Sienna noticed a sprinkling of pure white dust on his fingers, which felt oddly rough and calloused for the hands of a monk.
He began to speak in a deep and soulful voice. At first Sienna couldn’t understand much, but gradually the tickling feeling in her ear grew stronger as Bai tuzi translated.
‘My name is Sun. It is such a pleasure to see you here,’ said the old monk. ‘It fills me with joy, and great pain too. Your mother was a very special lady. I wish I could ease your anguish.’
‘Thank you,’ said Sienna quietly.
Sun glanced over his shoulder, as if wary of the time. ‘I must leave – I have important work to do and I should not leave my duties. It was my pleasure to make your acquaintance. I haven’t given up hope that we will see your mother again, and I beg you not to give up either.’
I haven’t, thought Sienna, and smiled. The old man bowed slightly and continued his walk, his broad shoulders stooped. Sienna felt overwhelmed by
the old monk’s words. It was hard to hold back the tears.
Hong Yi patted her shoulder gently. ‘Your mother left some papers with us, the day she disappeared. Perhaps you would like them. If you wait here, I’ll bring them to you. Will you be all right?’
‘Yes,’ she said, sitting down on the shaded steps. ‘I’m fine.’
He nodded, and hurried off across the courtyard.
But Sienna wasn’t fine. She felt sad and excited all at once – it was so confusing. She hoped Mum was OK, wherever she was – but Minka had said she was in danger. How would Sienna find her before it was too late? Bai tuzi pressed his nose against her cheek comfortingly. What papers could her mother have left here, and could they hide an important clue?
A moment later a loud gong pulled her from her thoughts. The door of another hall opened on the opposite side of the courtyard. A group of about fifteen monks streamed out. Sienna looked at the faces of the young men in their ochre-coloured robes.
Then she saw him.
It was the piercing blue eyes that gave him away, though he was also much plumper than the other monks. Pearls of sweat glistened on his brow. In his hands he held a golden vessel, which flashed in the sunlight. Sienna realized that the last time she had seen this man, in the apartment in Shanghai, something else had been flashing in his hand: a knife.
This was Ling’s accomplice!
Desperate to get away before the monk recognized her, Sienna raced across the inner courtyard.
She was approaching the exit when someone gripped her arm. She jumped violently.
‘What’s the matter? Here, I found them.’ Hong Yi handed Sienna a folder full of papers and pushed his glasses up his nose. ‘These belonged to your mother. You should have them. But also I wanted to invite you here for our Moon Festival celebrations. It will be a very special occasion this year. And we are planning to say a special prayer for your mother.’
Sienna’s heart was pounding. ‘Um, thank you. I’ll think about the Moon Festival. Thank you for showing me around. I have to go now.’
Waving a hasty goodbye at Hong Yi – who seemed a little hurt – Sienna raced down the mountain. The white hare whispered directions in her ear: next right, next left, cross this road, that’s the bus stop over there. Finally she was sitting on the bus, feeling relieved, sweat tricking down her neck.
By the time she made it back to Zou’s place, it was dusk. As she pushed open the door, she heard a familiar voice, and her heart began to thump violently.
10 Huozhede – Alive!
‘My delicate nose simply cannot bear this smell. Thanks for your trouble, Doc, but I’m afraid I must stop this treatment.’ There, right in front of Sienna, lying on a white cloth, was Rufus! Zou was standing over him, pouring a steaming drink into the dog’s mouth. ‘Waah!’ wailed Rufus. ‘Help! He’s trying to poison me!’
‘It’s all over now,’ the doctor soothed him. ‘That was just some medicine to help soothe your energy and repair your good temper.’
Zou’s words made Sienna smile even more – she certainly wouldn’t describe Rufus as ever having had a ‘good temper’! But she had never been more pleased to see her friend. She lifted Rufus from the couch and hugged him tightly. ‘Rufus, you’re alive! You’re alive!’
‘Of course I’m alive, silly girl,’ Rufus said crossly, but he looked pleased to see Sienna and he gave her a tender lick on her nose. ‘That monster had no chance against me.’
Sienna carefully carried her friend up the stairs, kissing and hugging him tightly, while Zou watched them go with a small smile upon his face.
Upstairs, the kitchen was empty and neither Feng nor Xiaolong were anywhere to be seen. Sienna had no time to wonder about that – she just wanted to know what had happened to Rufus.
‘Where have you been? And where’s Minka? Is she all right?’
‘One thing at a time,’ grumbled Rufus. ‘The cat is fine. I’m glad she’s not here. She never stops talking about herself.’
Sienna sat Rufus on her lap and stroked his fur gently. ‘But where is she now?’
‘She suddenly said she could feel your mother more strongly. Then she went off to look for her. Don’t worry. She’s tough, that one.’
Sienna rested her head against the little spaniel’s head and tried to stop tears of relief from falling on his soft fur. ‘But where have you been, Rufus? I saw you … it looked like you were dead!’
‘Dead? Dead?! Me? Don’t make me laugh!’ scoffed the little dog, giving Sienna a gentle nip as a rebuke. ‘We invisible friends cannot be killed that easily! And certainly not by one of our own kind. It is true that we can be injured … but we will heal, given time and the continued belief of our human counterpart.’ Rufus saw Sienna’s confused look and sighed. ‘You didn’t really think I was gone for ever, did you?’
Sienna paused and then shook her head. She realized that he was right: even after witnessing the terrible scene at the station, a part of her had felt that Rufus would be with her again.
‘Well then,’ continued Rufus firmly, ‘it was the strength of your belief and your love that kept me alive. It’s the same for Minka. Even though your mum claimed to have stopped believing in her, she never truly did. As long as you’re here for us, we will always be here for you.’
Sienna smiled. She didn’t think she would ever understand the mysteries of the invisible friends! Then her smile faded. ‘But the monster, Rufus. Will the monster be able to find us again?’
‘That’s quite possible, Sienna. I take it you know who it belongs to?’
Sienna gulped and nodded. ‘I think it’s Ling’s. Can Ling see you, Rufus?’
‘Yes. And now we’ve met her best friend. A charming fellow, that monster. Now, come to think of it … where’s your new bestie? Did the two of you have a falling-out? I know you’re not always easy to get along with …’
‘Rufus, stop it. I don’t know where Feng is right now either. He couldn’t come with me to the temple today.’ Then Sienna told Rufus Feng’s story about his brother, the Moon Festival, and her visit to the temple.
Rufus rubbed his nose thoughtfully. ‘I am sure you are right. Something must have happened at the temple. Perhaps your mother discovered something that Ling wasn’t happy about. But I don’t know what part your new friend and Gege play in all this. Perhaps Feng knows more than he has told you? But I don’t want you to get your hopes up too high; I’ve experienced first-hand what Ling and her crocodile companion are capable of.’
‘Was it that bad?’ asked Sienna.
‘Pretty much. They asked constant questions about you and your family and whether Kate had been in touch and what she had told you. It was most dull. And that crocodile monster has the most evil bad breath. Not to mention the constant caterwauling from Minka …’ Rufus shook himself. ‘It’s a wonder I survived, frankly!’
‘Ah, I see you are feeling better.’ Zou had come upstairs. ‘Thanks, in no small part, to my potion, I expect!’
‘You must be a very good doctor,’ said Sienna, frowning at Rufus as he stuck his tongue out at Zou.
Zou put his head on one side and smiled. ‘I don’t know if I’m a good doctor, but I see things that other people don’t. That helps a lot. Now, tell us what happened at the temple today.’
Sienna described everything that had happened, including the invitation from the monk to join them for the Moon Festival celebrations. Zou’s eyes shone with pride when Sienna told him how the hare had helped her to find her way to and from the temple.
‘A childish dragon and now a sparkling hare, this just keeps on getting better,’ grumbled Rufus.
‘Let’s get some sleep,’ said Zou, ruffling Rufus’s fur. ‘Tomorrow is another day.’ He glanced at the sky through the tiny kitchen window. ‘It’s almost a full moon. And the day after tomorrow is the Moon Festival.’
As Zou laid mattresses out on the floor, Sienna thought again about where Feng and Xiaolong might be.
‘Do you think he’s all right?’
asked Sienna.
‘Don’t worry,’ Zou replied. ‘This is his home city, so he won’t get lost.’
Sienna snuggled up to Rufus and felt herself drifting quickly into sleep. With the familiar warmth of her spaniel friend back by her side, she knew she could now find Mum – she was sure of it.
11 Gege – Big Brother
Sienna was back in England. She was in her classroom at school, with Rufus. Everyone was staring at her. Mrs Kay, her maths teacher, seemed to be waiting for her to answer a question.
Rufus whispered the solution to her.
‘Sorry, Mrs Kay. I think x equals five,’ Sienna answered.
Mrs Kay frowned. ‘Correct. But please stop talking to yourself now.’
Sienna realized she had been whispering with Rufus. The girls behind her giggled. She felt furious with them!
Suddenly Mum came through the door. Her face was dirty and her clothes were ragged. Her arms and legs were covered with scratches and mosquito bites. She reached out to Sienna. ‘I miss you so much, my little one, please forgive me …’
Sienna wanted to jump up and to run to her mother, but a wall appeared out of the ground.
‘Mum!’ she cried. ‘I can’t reach you!’
Before the wall blocked her view, Sienna saw something white had appeared on her mother’s shoulder.
It was Minka.
A delicious smell awoke her. On the kitchen table steamed a pot of hot tea, with mantou bread lying beside it. Rufus was snoring in her arms. Sienna placed the dog carefully on to the pillow and got up.
Zou greeted her cheerfully. ‘Delicious dragon’s head tea and warm mantou. Unless you’d prefer rice soup with dried meat.’
Sienna looked at Zou doubtfully. Dragon’s head tea?
‘That’s just what they call it,’ explained Zou, seeming to read her thoughts. The doctor sat down beside Sienna at the table and bit into his bread. ‘Now, whilst we were sleeping, Bai has been busy. There’s still no sign of Feng, but Bai tuzi tells me he knows where he is. I think it’s time we paid Feng a visit.’
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