Tsung cried out and raised his hands to protect his bloody face, and Hok threw the bag upward and away with all her might. She ignored the few flaming herbs that singed her own bare arms and head and lowered her bony shoulder, driving it as hard as she could into Tsung's chest.
Tsung stumbled backward, and Hok stayed with him. She swept his flailing legs out from under him and grabbed at the jade crane around his neck, catching it in her hand. She snapped it free and leaped backward.
Tsung hit the brick floor with a blood-curdling scream. Hok shrieked in surprise as Tsung's entire silk uniform went up in flames. Tsung writhed and twisted, then fell still.
Hok listened for the crowd's reaction, expecting a chorus of boos. Instead, she heard someone shout, “FIRE! THE CLUB IS ON FIRE!”
Hok looked up to see smoke rising on one side of the pit. Brilliant yellow flames first licked two tables, then three, then four in rapid succession.
“THE BAG IGNITED MY TABLECLOTH!” a man cried as he raced for the exit.
People throughout the fight club began to scream and scramble, and Hok swallowed hard as she quickly tied the jade crane's silk thread around her neck. She saw that the Ring of Fire flames circling her were still roaring strong. She would have to wait before she tried to save herself.
Hok glanced at Seh, and her thin eyebrows raised up. He was climbing down the rope!
“GET THE EMPEROR OUT OF HERE!” a soldier yelled from above, and Hok looked over to see the group at the Emperor's table scrambling up the tiered floor toward the side exit. Xie's towering shoulders led the way, and HaMo brought up the rear. On either side of the Emperor were Tonglong and AnGangseh. Hok saw Tonglong look back at Seh and scowl.
“You did this!” LaoShu screamed. “It's all your fault!”
Hok looked up to see LaoShu standing at the railing, pointing at her. His head turned and stopped at the sight of Seh climbing down the rope. LaoShu headed for Seh.
“Seh!” Hok shouted. “Hurry! LaoShu is coming after you!”
“How much farther to the end of the rope?” Seh asked.
“One more body-length,” Hok shouted back. “The end of the rope is another two body-lengths from the floor.”
“Right,” Seh said. He slithered to the rope's end and dropped with a loud “Ooof!”
Hok looked up and saw LaoShu reach the rope. He began to shimmy down it.
“LaoShu is coming down the rope!” Hok shouted to Seh. “Get away! I'll be right there!”
Seh began to back up, and Hok looked at the fire around her. It was still too high to risk jumping over. She glanced quickly toward the exits and saw that the last of the crowd members were shoving their way outside. The fire up there had already reached the club walls, and the ornate tapestries were ablaze. Flames licked the long bolts of cloth all the way up to the wooden roof rafters, igniting them, too. The whole building would soon collapse.
“You've destroyed my beloved fight club!” LaoShu squealed in his high-pitched voice. “You've ruined me! You will not get out of here alive!”
LaoShu reached the end of the rope, and Hok saw him dig the toes of his shoes into irregularities in the pit wall. He shifted his weight to his legs and flung the rope skyward, then dropped to the pit floor.
Hok watched the rope sail up over the railing, landing across their table. The only way out for them now was the pit door, and it was more than likely locked. Hok looked at LaoShu and saw a large ring of keys looped through his sash. One of them was sure to open the door.
Hok took two small steps backward and decided she needed to act. She raced forward, leaping high over the remaining Ring of Fire. She felt heat on her feet and legs, but nothing ignited.
Hok hit the ground running and headed for Seh.
LaoShu began to rant and rave like a lunatic as he reached into the folds of his robe. “How dare you come into my club and do such a thing! I will teach you a lesson, girl! I will teach both of you!”
Hok reached Seh's side and gripped his arm, ignoring the snake that slithered wildly beneath his sleeve. “Brace yourself!” she said.
“Brace yourself, indeed!” LaoShu replied. He pulled a short qiang out of his robe and began to walk toward them.
Hok glanced around quickly. She saw the pit door directly behind her and Malao's Monkey Stick on the floor within easy reach. She grabbed the stick and tried the door, but as she had feared, it was locked.
LaoShu laughed and raised his qiang. “You're mine!”
Hok gripped the Monkey Stick. She knew it would be no match against a qiang, but she would have to try. If she attacked LaoShu first, he would shoot her and perhaps Seh would at least have a chance of getting out of there alive. She needed to tell Seh about the keys.