by Petra James
Arkie glared at her and kept walking.
They followed Lu Sheng through the Grand Hall until they came to two thick wooden doors painted with the flowers of a Chinese garden.
As the doors opened onto the royal court, the sounds of music and chatter filled their ears. A splendid scene lay before them.
Nobles of the Chinese court, dressed in fine robes, crowded the room. Acrobats soared to dazzling heights and musicians plucked the strings of their zhengs, threads of melody looping through the air. A group of dancers with spears and other weapons were performing at the front of the hall. And sitting on a throne on a raised platform, surveying the swirl of noise and movement, was the First Emperor of China.
He was dressed in a golden robe that glimmered in the light. An enormous dragon stretched across the robe, its back speckled with jewels. Its dark, cruel eyes seemed to leap from the silk and fix upon the newcomers with predatory glee.
Arkie touched her THinc ring nervously. Wish you were here, Mum and Dad, she thought.
A boy with a gentle face stood on the right-hand side of the throne. He tried several times to engage the Emperor in conversation but the Emperor ignored him.
As the thunder raged outside, the Emperor began to frown – his black eyebrows forming an angry line across his forehead.
He clapped his hands and the dancers, musicians and acrobats froze mid movement.
‘How can I be entertained,’ he spate, ‘when the gods send storms to remind me of their power?’ He got up from his throne and paced the platform. ‘Oh, how they mock my mortal state. Reminding me – the First Emperor – that I am to die like the flood-ravaged lotus.’ Fury filled his body and words. ‘How can my greatness swell like the rising waters if I am to succumb to Death’s call like the common man? Should not my greatness bloom forever?’ He sat back on his throne with a frustrated groan.
Lu Sheng navigated Arkie and TJ past the people crowding the court and their curious stares.
‘Speak only when spoken to,’ he whispered. ‘The Emperor is in a very bad mood.’
‘We can see that,’ said Arkie. ‘Maybe we should come back when he’s more cheery.’
‘I am afraid it is too late,’ said Lu Sheng as a tall man with a crooked nose approached them. ‘Like the string of life, our fates will now unravel before us. We have been seen by Li Si, the Chief Advisor.’
Lu Sheng bowed before Li Si. Arkie and TJ bowed too.
‘Esteemed Chief Advisor,’ said Lu Sheng.
‘Ah, Lu Sheng,’ said the Chief Advisor in a sharp voice. ‘Our Heavenly Son has been calling for you. He awaits your news. I hope, for your sake,’ he said with narrowed eyes, ‘it is good news.’
‘I don’t like the look of the CA,’ whispered TJ. ‘He’s got the death stare.’
The Chief Advisor approached the Emperor and spoke quietly to him. The Emperor remained slumped in his throne.
Then the Chief Advisor gestured towards Lu Sheng.
Lu Sheng walked to the front of the hall and bowed low before the Emperor.
The Emperor curled his lips as he looked at him.
‘So you good-for-nothing excuse for a scholar,’ he snarled. ‘Finally, you have decided to return to court. I should have you banished from our great city, with all those other treacherous scholars who have disobeyed my decrees. NO BOOKS I command and still they secrete them away. Like furtive rats stealing delicacies from my banquet table. I shall find every devious miscreant. Everyone who dares to speak against me. I shall burn every book in the kingdom. BURN THEM ALL. Do you hear?’
The Emperor wiped a spittle of anger from the corner of his mouth. An official tried to dab his forehead with a silk cloth but the Emperor brushed him away.
He fixed Lu Sheng with a steely stare.
‘Well, Lu Sheng,’ he said, his words now low, menacing. ‘You left this court with my blessing in the spring when the cherry blossom made our senses sing. Now the rains of winter flood our hearts with despair. You have been absent for a season of toil. How do you justify your disregard for our wellbeing?’
‘Your Majesty,’ said Lu Sheng. ‘I have travelled the length and breadth of your beauteous kingdom. I have crossed mountains and rivers, slept in forests with wild creatures —’
‘Yes, yes, yes,’ interrupted the Emperor. ‘Give me the short version,’ he snapped. ‘How I tire of scholars and their weaving words of deceit. Be wary, Lu Sheng, of tiring me further. My patience tried is as sharp as this sword.’
With a slicing flourish, the Emperor drew his sword. It was made of iron and gold and inlaid with turquoise. Serpents chased each other around the hilt of it, their fiery tongues whipping at the edges.
The Emperor towered over Lu Sheng. ‘I grant you ten words to convince me that I should spare your insignificant life,’ said the Emperor. ‘
Choose your words well, scholar.’
The court was hushed, fearful.
TJ and Arkie looked at each other.
Lu Sheng cleared his throat. Arkie could see that he was sweating.
Please say the right thing, she thought to herself. And please, please don’t use more than ten words.
‘Your Majesty,’ said Lu Sheng slowly. ‘I have found an Immortal.’
Believe it or Not
Shocked whispers ricocheted through the court. Gasps of disbelief. Had the scholar really spoken these words? An Immortal? Could it be true?
The Emperor held up his hand for silence.
‘Do you dare to trifle with me, scholar?’ he shouted, swinging the sword above his head in a warrior pose. ‘Do you desire death so avidly?’
‘No, Your Majesty,’ said Lu Sheng. His face was white and his voice was shaking. ‘I speak with a noble heart. A heart that wishes only to serve your Great Majesty.’
The crowd held its breath, waiting, as each passing second swelled with danger.
Finally, the Emperor spoke. ‘Well, where is it?’ he demanded. ‘Where is your Immortal?’
Lu Sheng turned to Arkie, and beckoned.
‘Who, me?’ said Arkie. ‘You want me? Right now?’
Lu Sheng nodded and took her arm, pulling her to the front of the crowd. TJ and Cleo shuffled behind.
‘Great Emperor,’ said Lu Sheng. ‘This is Immortal Arkie. I entreated to the heavens and they answered my call.’
‘Can it really be?’ said the Emperor, falling back onto his throne and staring at Arkie. ‘An Immortal?’ His face softened with joy.
‘Hello, First Emperor,’ said Arkie, with a small curtsy and half bow. ‘Pleased to meet you.’
The Emperor got up and moved towards her, frowning as he came closer.
‘You are not what I expected,’ he said, walking around her. ‘I expected an Immortal to be taller, stronger, older.’
‘We Immortals come in all shapes and ages,’ said Arkie, straightening her clothes and standing as tall as she could. ‘Some of us aren’t very tall but it’s easier to slip unnoticed through the centuries if you’re short. Trust me. I’m the most likely Immortal you’re going to meet.’
The Emperor’s frown deepened. ‘But you are a child,’ he said. ‘And,’ he scowled further, ‘a female.’
‘Don’t be fooled by what you see on the outside,’ said Arkie. ‘My mum says it’s what’s on the inside that matters. And inside, I’m as wise as the oceans and as tall as . . .’ She faltered. She wasn’t very good at Chinese geography.
‘Mount Huashan,’ whispered TJ.
‘Mount Huashan,’ repeated Arkie.
She tried to sound confident, like an Immortal should, but the Emperor was standing so close his nose was nearly touching hers.
She could feel a sneeze coming. She always sneezed when she was nervous and she didn’t think it would be a good idea to sneeze upon the Heavenly Son.
‘Hmmm,’ said the Emperor as he continued to stare at her. Then he fixed his gaze on TJ. ‘And what,’ he said, ‘is this?’
‘Why is he saying “what”?’ whispered TJ. ‘I�
��m a “who”, not a “what”.’
‘Shhh, TJ,’ said Arkie. ‘Well, Your Royal Emperor Majesty, I’m glad you asked me that because this . . .’ she pointed at TJ, ‘this ungrateful and often argumentative creature you see before you is my . . . my BFF. Yes, that’s what it is. Every Immortal needs a BFF.’
‘A BFF?’ said the Emperor. ‘I have not heard of this strange being. What is a BFF?’
‘It’s a Best Friend Forever,’ said Arkie. ‘You see, being immortal is a long, lonely life. You’re around for thousands of years without anyone to keep you company because everyone you know just goes and dies – honestly, being an Immortal is not all it’s cracked up to be – so a Best Friend Forever helps make it less lonely.’
‘So your BFF is an Immortal too?’ said the Emperor, looking interested.
‘Oh no,’ said Arkie. ‘A BFF is as mortal as mortal can be. It wouldn’t be wise or safe to have TWO Immortals in the picture,’ said Arkie staring hard at TJ. ‘The first Immortal wouldn’t be as special and needing to be really well looked after and treasured if there were two of them. I just get a new BFF as I need it. This is my . . . 22nd BFF.’
‘Ah, your BFF is like a pet,’ said the Emperor. ‘When one dies you replace it with another.’
‘Exactly, just like a pet,’ said Arkie, standing on TJ’s toe to stop her speaking.
‘Can your BFF do anything special?’ said the Emperor. ‘My pet eagles can soar through the sky and pluck a rabbit running across the plains. My demoiselle cranes can dance to the music of the zheng.’
‘No, my BFF isn’t very clever,’ said Arkie. ‘I’m still trying to teach it some tricks.’
‘Perhaps you have not chosen your BFF well this time, Immortal Arkie,’ said the Emperor, glaring at TJ. ‘But your wisdom is eternal. Perhaps your BFF will entertain you yet. And now you must come to my chamber. My servants will show you the way. We have much to talk about. You need to tell me everything you know.’
‘Well, that won’t take long,’ muttered TJ as the Emperor walked away, accompanied by the Chief Advisor, Li Si. ‘Why couldn’t I have been the Immortal? My head’s bulging with knowledge.’
‘Because we’ll need your Big Brain for the next part of the plan,’ said Arkie.
‘And what is the next part of the plan?’ said TJ.
‘I don’t know,’ said Arkie. ‘Being immortal was the plan. We’ll have to make it up from now on. But we’re in the palace so we just need to search for the Book of Songs. And I’m pretty pleased with how my plan is going so far. I expect we’ll get a hot bath and some food. Do you fancy Chinese spring rolls, or dumplings?’
‘Dumplings for me,’ said TJ. ‘And maybe some crispy fried chicken wings.’
They both turned at the sound of something rattling behind them.
The Chief Advisor had returned with some guards and a large wooden contraption on wheels.
‘What’s that?’ said Arkie. ‘It looks like a cage.’
‘It is a cage,’ said Li Si, bowing. ‘A cage fit for an Immortal. The bars are made of gold.’
‘I’m not getting in a cage,’ said Arkie. ‘I’m an Immortal. Not an animal. And the Emperor wants to speak to me.’
‘An Immortal needs to be well protected,’ said Li Si. ‘And the Emperor is tired from all the excitement. He will see you in the morning.’
Li Si signalled to the guards and they closed in around Arkie.
‘I think maybe it is a good idea to get into the cage,’ said TJ. ‘Don’t worry, Immortal Arkie. I’ll be right beside you. On this side of the bars.’
Midnight Meeting
Arkie was so cold.
She was in a small room filled with instruments for the Emperor’s royal musicians. The room was dark and she was hungry. Maybe they think Immortals don’t need food, she thought as her stomach growled again. They’ll be sorry when they find a hungry, frozen, dead Immortal in the morning. And where’s TJ?
She had tried to contact TJ via Lexi but all she could hear were loud honking noises.
Arkie thought about her parents. Are you in a cage too? Waiting for me to rescue you? She hit the bars in frustration. I’m not solving anything stuck in here. She slumped down into a corner of the cage.
Her mum often said that thinking could be just as important as acting and that you had to use time wisely.
Okay, thought Arkie. I’m obviously not going anywhere. Time for a mental moment.
She replayed everything in her head that had happened on this hunt so far:
• Why did the thieves steal the scroll on the Great Wall of China? Who are they working for?
• The Book of Songs is connected to the Emperor somehow so it must be in the palace. But where?
She repeated Clue No. 2 to herself:
A wall of everlasting words
Where the voices of the past do cry.
Sing a song of eternal longing.
That is where the truth does lie.
‘Eternal longing,’ she said aloud. ‘I guess that could mean the Emperor. He longs to live forever.’
She could hear a scratching in the corner. She stood up and looked fearfully around the room.
A shadow was looming over the cage. A shadow with two big floppy ears, short feet and TJ’s voice.
‘Psst, Arkie,’ said TJ. ‘It’s me. And Cleo.’
‘TJ,’ said Arkie, standing up. ‘Where have you guys been? I’ve been stuck in this cage for hours and hours.’
‘They put us in an outbuilding with all the palace pets,’ said TJ. ‘It was terrible, and so were the geese. They just honk and peck, and peck and honk. And the Emperor’s demoiselle cranes are really snooty. They think they’re so much better than the average pet. Lu Sheng came to get me eventually. He told the guards he was researching rare and exotic creatures. At least someone recognises me for what I am. He’s been telling me all about the philosopher Confucius. But here, I’ve brought you a blanket and some rice.’
‘What have you found out?’ said Arkie, wrapping herself in the blanket and stuffing a handful of rice into her mouth.
‘Quite a lot and none of it’s good,’ said TJ. ‘The Chief Advisor Li Si has persuaded the Emperor to keep you locked up. Apparently, there are good Immortals and bad Immortals and they want to find out which one you are. The Chief Advisor is heading up the bad Immortal team and Lu Sheng is leading the good side.’
‘I don’t think the Chief Advisor likes me very much,’ said Arkie.
‘He doesn’t like anyone,’ said TJ. ‘He even dobbed in his own brother for saying something mean about the Emperor’s nose. And anyone can see it’s humungous. And the Emperor’s got some weird ideas too. He thinks assassins lurk in every shadow, and he never sleeps in the same place twice. His servants carry him to a different palace to sleep each night. And there are mazes of secret passageways, walkways and walled roads connecting all the buildings and palaces around Xianyang so that evil spirits can’t find him. And there’s more.’ TJ paused. ‘The Emperor drinks mercury because he’s convinced that’s what the gods drink.’
‘Mercury,’ spluttered Arkie with a mouthful of rice. ‘Isn’t that poisonous?’
‘It is in large doses,’ said TJ.
‘What if the Emperor wants me to drink it with him?’ said Arkie. ‘He might invite me to a mercury tea party. What am I going to do then?’
‘We’ll think of something,’ said TJ. ‘We’re having an emergency meeting at midnight with Lu Sheng in the Imperial Library. Cleo managed to extract the key to your cage from the guard sleeping outside your door.’
‘Clever Cleo,’ said Arkie as TJ unlocked the door. Cleo licked her hand.
‘Come on,’ said TJ. ‘Lu Sheng gave me a sleeping draught to put in the guard’s drink so he’s not going to wake up for a long time but we still have to get you back before he does.’
They crept from the room, tiptoed past the snoring guard and hurried along a narrow passageway. The palace was still.
‘The library’
s this way,’ said TJ, checking behind them.
They slipped through a door into a candle-lit room where shadows danced on the edges of the flickering lights. A boy was reading with Lu Sheng, their heads bowed over a scroll, their voices softer than a breath.
They both looked startled at the sound of footsteps.
‘Who is it?’ said Lu Sheng.
‘It’s me and Arkie and Cleo,’ said TJ.
Lu Sheng stood up to meet them and led them over to the table.
‘This is Fu Su, the Emperor’s eldest son,’ said Lu Sheng. ‘We are studying together.’
Arkie noticed that Lu Sheng was pushing a scroll under the table as he spoke.
Fu Su smiled at them and bowed. He was the boy with the gentle face from the Emperor’s court. ‘I am pleased to meet Immortal Arkie,’ he said. ‘And the BFF,’ he added.
‘You can call me TJ,’ said TJ, smiling at him.
‘TJ,’ said Fu Su. ‘It is an unusual name?’
‘It stands for Theodora Junior,’ said TJ. ‘But only my granny is allowed to call me that.’
‘Welcome to the famous Imperial Library,’ said Lu Sheng. ‘It houses rare and precious documents. Many even more precious now that the Emperor has decreed that all books are to be burned.’
‘But why?’ said Arkie. ‘What’s he got against books?’
‘The Emperor does not want his people to read of the past, or of ideas that do not mirror his own,’ said Lu Sheng. ‘Knowledge is power, and the Emperor wishes to control knowledge.’
‘My father is frightened of many things,’ said Fu Su. ‘Fear infuses his vision of the world.’ He sighed. ‘But he is still my father.’
‘Fu Su is a scholar like us, TJ,’ said Lu Sheng, smiling at Fu Su. ‘He reveres the teachings of the ancients. And this is the only place where he can now read them – in the Emperor’s own library, where a single copy of every classic text has been preserved – from poetry, which sings of the hearts and minds of our ancestors, to philosophy and war. But we do not know for how long they are safe. The Emperor’s distrust of scholars grows each day. Even our most revered Book of Songs is in danger. But we have sworn to protect it with our lives. It is too important to our past. And our future.’
