***
The waiter at the cafe was equally affected by her ensemble. He nearly shoved another customer out of the way to seat Ana at a table next to the outer wall. She made sure she sat with a clear view of the apartment building.
“May I get you something to drink?” Ana caught his hazel eyes drifting down. He blushed and cleared his throat when he realized he’d been caught.
“How about a glass of wine?”
“Of course, Miss. What would you like?”
She ran her fingers along the back of his hand. “Surprise me.” She almost burst out laughing when he nodded, turned quickly and ran headlong into another patron.
The street seemed to be returning to normal. The crowd around the crime scene was thinning, which gave Ana a better view. There were at least two policemen stationed at the front, and several other men in plain clothes moved in and out of the building. Detectives, she imagined. The body had probably already been removed, which might account for the thinning of the crowd.
The waiter returned with a glass of red wine. She didn’t hear the name or the vintage. A man walking down the street toward the cafe caught her attention.
“Would you like to hear the specials, Miss?” The waiter intruded on her thoughts.
“What?” She turned to face him. “Oh, yes. No. I mean, bring me your favorite. I’m sure I’ll like it.”
This seemed to please the waiter. He gave her a broad smile, and rushed away to fill her order. Ana turned her attention back to the sidewalk, but she couldn’t see the man any longer. There had been something about him. What was it? The sapphire eyes, the black hair drawn back in a ponytail? She knew she hadn’t met him before, but there was something about him. It reminded her of her first meeting with Lee. She scanned the crowd again. Nothing. Could he be another one of the protectors? Surely not. She had met all of the others back at the Estate. Hadn’t she?
The waiter brought back a plate of beef tips over pasta with a side of asparagus. She dove into it, waving away the waiter. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a wonderful meal.
A little later her waiter returned. His eyes went wide for a split second, apparently amazed at how fast she had put away such a large plate of food. “Can I get you anything else, Miss?”
“A little more wine.” He started to leave, but she caught his arm. “Do you know anything about the commotion down the street.”
He looked at her, then down the street. “Oh, that. Terrible business. Apparently some lady was murdered in her apartment today.”
“Do you know which apartment?” She let go of his arm.
“No, Miss, but my manager has been here all day.” He pointed back inside the restaurant. “Perhaps you could ask him.”
The waiter left her and hurried to his next table. Ana turned back to see if she could spot the manager. Perhaps he would be able to offer some information, which might prove useful. She scanned the interior of the restaurant, but turned back quickly when she caught sight of the man she had seen earlier. His sapphire eyes seemed to look right through her. He was sitting just inside at a small table. He had a clear view of her from the open doorway as well as one of the windows. Was it only a coincidence? Had he been watching her?
She turned her head back slowly. He was definitely watching her. She looked back down the street. It was still too early to attempt entry into the apartment. The man behind her could very well be an agent of the Horsemen. Surely they would know where she was headed. I need to lose him, she thought.
There was a clear path for her to jump up and get a head start. She placed a few bills on the table to cover her meal, and then got up without looking back. Maybe she could draw this man down a dark alley. There were still too many people around to use the gun, so she’d have to be careful.
Wrought iron grated on concrete behind her. She quickened her pace, not chancing a backward glance until she was in a throng of people. It was him. He was definitely following her. Those eyes looking through her. So familiar. She pulled the gun from her waist and shoved it in a jacket pocket for easier access.
Evening approached. Streetlights came on and splashed their light across the shop windows, casting funhouse mirror reflections of the passersby. She pushed herself deeper into the crowd. Every time she looked back, he was there. Still watching her. Still following. What if there were more like him? What if the Horsemen had anticipated her next move? They could have agents everywhere.
Every face in the crowd became suspect. Ana pushed her way back out of the people, angling toward a dark alley adjacent from the crime scene. Her footfalls struck the pavement in time to her heartbeat. She wrapped her fingers around the gun and darted into the alley. Several people walking by glanced toward her, but didn’t stop. She pressed herself to the wall and sidled deeper into the darkness, bringing the gun up in front of her.
Without thinking, she grabbed the man that came around the corner by the shoulder, shoved him into the wall, and then pressed the gun into his back.
“Who in the hell are you?” She pressed the gun deeper with each word.
“I’m a friend, Ana.” The man spoke through a half open mouth.
“How do you know my name? Did the Horsemen send you? Answer me.”
“I swear I’m a friend, Ana. No one sent me. I’ve been looking for you my entire life.”
“What do you mean by that you sick bastard?” She stepped back, aiming the gun directly at him. “Turn around.”
“My name is Frederick, but you know me by another.” He turned slowly, keeping his arms up, palms facing her. “Look into my eyes and you will know the truth my dear, Ana Eloise.”
Impossible, she thought. This swarthy man with the piercing eyes was too young. He couldn’t be any older than twenty-five. She studied those eyes, a reflection of hers. It couldn’t be. He had died…twenty-four years ago. She dropped her arm to her side, the tears already flowing.
“Ana, my little girl. I’ve found you.”
“Daddy?”
The Sea Dragon
The moment of silence passed and several unsavory characters edged forward. The man at Xi Shi’s feet was still too drunk and tangled up in her cloak to realize what everyone was looking at. It was evident to her most of these men had never seen a woman quite like her, and something in their eyes suggested they all wanted her for themselves.
Wang Xu put up his hands as if willing the enclosing crowd to keep their distance. “We do not seek trouble.”
“Well you’ve found it,” said a stout man with a scar that ran from his jaw down the length of his neck. Some of the other men around him smiled their agreement, revealing yellow and chipped teeth.
Xi Shi put her back to Wang Xu and addressed the group of men that now surrounded them. “We seek a ship that can give us passage to the west.”
The man closest to her replied reaching out with a bony hand toward her robes. “I’ll give you passage, lady.” His remark caused a wave of laughter that rippled through the crowd.
The book pulsed beneath her clothes. It didn’t glow, it just reminded her of its presence. She felt reassured by it, but only a little. She counted at least forty men in the tavern, and while she was confident in her abilities as well as Wang Xu’s, she knew how easily one could be over powered in a crowd. Especially in such close quarters.
“There’s no need for violence.” Wang Xu spoke to no one in particular, keeping his hands out toward the crowd.
“If you give us the girl, we’ll let you walk out of here.” The stout man elbowed one of his compatriots who then grunted and let out more of a rasping cough than a laugh.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to kill me first.” Xi Shi felt Wang Xu’s body tense. She realized he was reaching beneath his robes to find his dagger. She did the same, but decided not to pull it out until necessary.
“I think we can oblige you.” The stout man stepped forward, pulling a large blade from his belt.
&nb
sp; “That’s enough!” came a voice from behind the crowd. It was powerful enough to silence most of the raucous group. The stout man stopped his advance, but didn’t sheath his blade.
When the crowd parted to reveal the man behind the voice, Xi Shi couldn’t believe it. She had expected an ox of a man. Instead, a slender old man with an unkempt graying beard and wild eyes, resting his slight weight on a staff stood before them. His hair was equally disheveled, but it hid respectably under a rather odd looking black cap. It had an insignia on it that she couldn’t make out in the dim light. His tunic was vermilion and matched his peculiar slippers.
“You’ve all had your fun. Now leave these weary travelers alone.” His wild eyes roved over the group as if shaming them individually. “Their business here is with me.” He waved his staff at them idly.
The stout man stood his ground. “I don’t think I like your tone, old man.” He pointed toward him with his blade. “I’m going to take this woman with or without your blessing.” He pitched his head back and spewed out a bellowing and maniacal laugh.
The old man cut it short with a deft thrust of his staff. The end plunged deep into the stout man’s groin bringing him to the floor and consequently at eye level to the wily old man. Another blur of movement and the staff thumped the side of the man’s neck. His breathing became labored. He grasped at his throat and fell on his side. His weight shook the nearby tables.
The old man stretched out his hand to Xi Shi. “Come, my lady, we have business to discuss.”
Wang Xu nodded and stepped over the fallen man. She took the old man’s hand and followed him to a table at the back of the room. They had barely taken their seats when the tavern fell back into its normal state. The patrons resumed drinking and laughing while a few of the unsavory characters dragged the stout man outside, presumably to sleep it off.
“So you need a ship and captain to take you west?” The old man looked at them expectantly.
Wang Xu studied him before speaking. “And you purport to be such a ship captain?”
“Indeed I do. Have you never heard of Sheng-Li, master of the seas?” He puffed out his chest a little and adjusted his cap. She could see now the insignia was some sort of sea creature. Perhaps a mighty serpent.
“No.” Wang Xu offered no other reply.
Sheng-Li looked to Xi Shi, but when she shook her head he returned his attention to Wang Xu. He seemed a little deflated, but continued on. “No matter. I assure you I’m the man for the job.”
“You haven’t even heard the job yet.” Wang Xu sat back in his chair.
“I’ve heard all I need to.” He leaned in closer. “It occurs to me that you do not have many other takers.”
Wang Xu pulled the bag of coins from his robes and set it on the table. He also pulled the dagger out and laid it down, keeping his palm over the hilt. “Our journey will be long and arduous. Half now for your trouble and to supply your ship, the other half when we reach our destination.”
“And what is your destination?” One of Sheng-Li’s eyes darted to the side momentarily.
Wang Xu looked to Xi Shi and nodded. She answered Sheng-Li. “West.”
“There are quite a few lands west of here. Can you be more specific?”
“It will become apparent in time.”
He looked as though he was going to protest, but Wang Xu shook the bag of coins. “For now the destination is unimportant. We need to make haste and head west. That is all you need to know.”
Sheng-Li snorted, leaned back in his chair, and then lurched forward and slapped the table. “Very well. We can leave tomorrow by midday.”
“I was hoping to leave sooner than that.” Wang Xu separated some of the coins from the bag and pushed them across the table.
Sheng-Li quickly pocketed them. “I am sure you were, but there is much to do before a long journey. As it is I will be up all night making preparations and gathering my crew.”
The room was beginning to thin out a little. Xi Shi touched Sheng-Li’s hand. “We have nowhere to stay, and I don’t think it would be wise for us to room here.”
“No problem, my lady. You can sleep on the Sea Dragon tonight. You might as well get a good look at the vessel that will carry you across the sea.”
***
The only thing impressive about the Sea Dragon was her name. At first glance under the light of the moon, she appeared to be listing a bit to port and her hull was weathered and pitted. Even the dragon’s head that crested her bow was chipped and in dire need of fresh paint. In fact the entire ship was in need of paint. The only part of the vessel that even looked remotely sea-worthy to Xi Shi was the sails. The sails looked crisp and the battens straight as though they had recently been replaced.
Xi Shi nudged Wang Xu as they made their way down the pier toward the Sea Dragon. She whispered to him, “Do you think this vessel is capable of a sea voyage?”
Wang Xu started to answer, but an annoyed snort from Sheng-Li stopped him.
“I assure you she’s more than capable.” He took off his cap and gestured from her bow to her stern in a grandiose manner. “She’s the fastest ship to sail these seas.”
Xi Shi blushed. “I meant no disrespect, sir. It’s just that she looks quite…weathered.”
He sat his cap back on his head at a rakish angle and rubbed his chin. “If you’d been through the storms the Sea Dragon has, you’d be a bit weathered yourself.”
Before she could offer another apology, Sheng-Li turned and called out to the boat. “Kang! It’s your captain, boy. Get your lazy ass up, you good for nothing dung beetle, and lower the plank.”
For a moment, Xi Shi thought that perhaps Sheng-Li was crazy and that there was no one aboard the ship. Then she saw the boy at the ship’s mid-deck. It appeared to take him great effort to raise the hefty board over the side and then lower it to the pier below. Although he didn’t so much lower it as he did drop it. The wooden boardwalk under their feet trembled and creaked in protest.
“After you.” Sheng-Li bowed, then ushered them up the ramp.
Wang Xu motioned her forward and when she was several steps up, she felt his hand at the small of her back. His presence reassured her, but her balance was very well developed. Her years of rigorous training under Master Jing had seen to that.
When she reached the top, the boy, who looked scarcely old enough to be away from his parents, held out his hand. “Welcome aboard.”
Despite his small frame and his young age, there was a quiet strength about him. Not that there was much muscle to be seen under the dingy yellow tunic that was tied at the waist with rope over a pair of tattered pants. She took his hand and stepped over the railing onto the planked decking of the ship. His brown eyes caught a bit of the moonlight as he chanced a quick glimpse up at her. She could tell he hadn’t seen a woman like her before, but he kept his glances to a minimum and avoided eye contact.
“Thank you, Kang.” She smiled before turning to help Wang Xu.
Before she could offer him a hand, Wang Xu was already on deck and looking back down to the pier. He called down to Sheng-Li, “Are you coming aboard, Captain?”
Xi Shi looked over the railing down to Sheng-Li. “Yes, aren’t you coming aboard to show us to our quarters?”
He waved his cap at them absently. “There is much for me to do tonight. Kang will show you to your room.” He directed his gaze at the boy, who was now standing right next to her. “See to it, boy!”
Kang gave a quick salute and seemed to straighten a little. “Yes, Captain.”
Wang Xu looked as though he wanted to say more to Sheng-Li, but the Captain turned and shuffled back down the pier and vanished in the darkness.
“Don’t worry. I can show you to your room. I know the Sea Dragon almost as well as the Captain.”
Xi Shi nodded. “After you.”
This seemed to make Kang happy. He smiled broadly and led them toward the ship’s stern and through a small do
or that sat directly in the center of a low slung structure, which occupied the aft of the Sea Dragon. Its roof was adorned with terra-cotta tiles, but many of them were missing and had been replaced by thatching.
The interior was lit with oil lamps strung along the ceiling. Their angle confirmed her earlier observation that the ship was listing a bit to port. Not enough to lose her balance, just enough to be disconcerting.
“Kang?”
“Yes, Miss?” The boy didn’t stop or even turn around. He just kept leading them through the halls.
“Is the Sea Dragon taking on water?”
“Not much.”
Wang Xu interrupted. “What do you mean, not much?”
“Nothing to worry about, Master.” He opened a door, revealing another narrow, dimly lit hallway. “She has six water tight compartments and only the aft port compartment has been breached.”
Sixth Seal Page 22
