“What!” Malao squeaked. “You never said anything about that! No way! Hung will kill me. And then he'll eat me!”
Malao slid one hand inside the folds of his robe. Seh saw that Malao was carrying his carved monkey stick.
“No one will harm you as long as you're with me, little brother,” Seh said.
“No,” Malao said. “No, no, NO!”
Fu looked at Malao. “Are these the same bandits you told me about?”
Malao nodded.
“I don't know, Seh,” Fu said. “I know some people who might be able to help. The governor of this region—”
Seh raised a hand. “This isn't up for discussion. We're going to the stronghold.”
Fu locked eyes with Seh. “Since when did you become the leader?”
“Do you know how to find the Governor?” Seh asked.
Fu didn't reply.
“There you go,” Seh said. He looked at Malao. “What about you? Do you know how to get anywhere from here?”
Malao looked at the ground.
Seh straightened up. “Mong, the bandit leader, gave me detailed directions to his stronghold. Like it or not, we need their help. So that's where I'm going. You two can follow me, or you can wander around together until Ying catches up with you. It's your choice. I'm done talking.”
“Fine,” Malao said. He looked at Fu. “Maybe we're done talking to you, too. And maybe we'll follow you, but we won't talk to you. Not a single word. Right, Fu?”
Fu nodded.
“Oh, grow up,” Seh said.
Malao clamped his hands over his mouth.
Seh laughed. “I could only be so lucky.” He shook his head and began the long walk toward the bandit stronghold.
More than a week later, Seh's luck was still holding out. Like before, he traveled at night and slept during the day. Malao and Fu did the same, following in Seh's tracks, sometimes as much as a It behind. Seh occasionally heard a distant complaint from Fu or a giggle from Malao, but he only joined them when he saw the thin tendrils of smoke from the cooking fires Malao made at daybreak with his fire stone. Soon after eating the mushrooms and other items Malao had picked along the way Seh would head off alone with the snake. The snake would uncurl itself from his arm and disappear to hunt or poke around on its own, and Seh would meditate, then sleep.
Malao and Fu had remained true to their word and hadn't talked to him the entire time. They talked to each other, though, and Seh sensed that something had changed in both of them. Maybe they were growing up.
Seh decided it was time to say something to Malao and Fu. He wouldn't admit it to them, but he was beginning to feel left out and a little lonely. He decided mealtime would be the best time to do it.
But as luck would have it, the pit of Seh's stomach began to tingle well before there was any sign of a campfire.
Halt! Who goes there?”
Seh stepped out from behind a large elm tree onto a wide, well-worn trail. In the early-morning half light, he saw a man with a spear. Seh stood still and the snake slithered up his arm, out of sight.
Seh stared hard at the man. He knew he was close to the stronghold. The man was probably a guard. Mong had told him to be firm with the perimeter guards and not show weakness. Mong had also said if he needed to provoke the guards for any reason, all he had to do was call them peasants. They hated being called peasants.
Seh's fine silk robe was no longer in perfect condition, but it still looked much nicer than the simple cotton robe this man was wearing. Seh reached into his robe and pushed the scrolls around his body, then tightened the sash so that the scrolls were secured in the small of his back. If he had to fight, the scrolls wouldn't get in the way.
Seh cleared his throat like he had seen some of Grandmaster's wealthier guests do. “My name is Seh,” he said. “I've come to see Mong.”
The spearman shook his balding head. “Your name is ‘snake’ and you're looking for someone named ‘python’? What do I look like, a zookeeper? Be on your way.”
Seh didn't move.
“I said, be on your way” the man repeated.
Seh folded his arms. “I know your game, and I'm prepared to fight for information. One new thing you'll know for every solid blow, right?”
“What are you talking about?” the man said. “The only fighting I do is to the death. Everything else is child's play. You do not want to cross hands with me, boy.”
Seh smirked. This man was too arrogant. It had been Seh's experience that people who boast of their skill have little. Seh took a step closer. “Tell me how to find Mong.”
The man raised his spear. “I don't know anyone named Mong.”
Seh stared deep into the spearman's eyes. The man's pupils narrowed and his eyes darted to one side. The man was lying.