Snake (Five Ancestors #3)(20)
Author: Jeff Stone

Seh nodded. “Where did they go?”

“Who knows? I suspect they see that everything is fine, so they’re keeping their distance.”

“What are their names?”

“No one knows,” the boatman said. “They don’t talk. At least, not to us. They seem to communicate with each other, though. We just call them Sum and Cheen.”

“Shallow and Deep?” Seh said.

“Yes,” the boatman said, frowning. “Just a moment.” He turned to Fu and Malao. “Stop playing and save your energy to help us flip this boat.”

The boatman looked back at Seh. “Silly children. Now, where was I? Oh, yes—the twins. I think AnGangseh started calling them that, which would explain why the names are Cantonese. She is from Canton, you know.”

“She?” Seh said. “AnGangseh means ‘cobra.’ What kind of woman has that for a name?”

“AnGangseh is Mong’s wife.”

Seh blinked. “Mong is married?”

“Yes,” the boatman replied. “Many of the bandits here are married. You’ll meet all their wives inside the stronghold.”

“Oh …,” Seh said. He couldn’t help but wonder if AnGangseh was his mother.

“You may be surprised by other things, too,” the boatman said. “For instance, there are no children inside the stronghold. As far as I know, you are the first to be allowed inside. Sum and Cheen haven’t even been allowed in.”

“Really?” Seh asked. “Why not?”

“Mong thinks children are too much trouble to have in the stronghold. He’s quite strict about it. If any of the bandits and their wives have a baby, they have to either leave the stronghold or give up their child. I’ve heard that Mong even gave up his own son.”

“I see,” Seh said. He turned away from the boatman.

“Excuse me again,” the boatman said. He yelled out to Malao and Fu, “That’s enough monkey business, you two! Get over here and help us flip this tub upright. We have a lot of bailing to do before she’ll float with us in it.”

Two hours later, Seh stood alone atop Mong’s jagged stone island. He gazed down the longest, narrowest, steepest set of stone stairs he had ever climbed. The stairs had been cut directly into the face of the island mountain. The morning sun had dried the lake water from his blue silk robe, but now it and the scrolls against his back were heavy with sweat from the climb. Fu and Malao were still climbing.

Seh made sure the scrolls and the snake were secure beneath his robe, then he turned and examined the massive gate. It stood taller than three men and was made from entire tree trunks connected side by side. The trees were still covered with bark. From across the lake, the gate blended in with overhanging foliage from trees behind it, giving the illusion of a narrow forest rather than a wide entry. On either side of the gate were sheer stone cliffs that stretched up as high as the gate.

Mong’s house, Seh thought. My father’s house. And inside is his wife—possibly my mother. It figures that Mong would have kept her a secret.

Seh frowned. He wondered what Malao and Fu would think when they learned that he had family behind those gates. He also wondered what his new family members would think of his brothers.

Seh turned to face them.

Malao was looking down at his toes as he climbed. “One thousand fifty-one. One thousand fifty-two. One thousand fifty-three. One thousand—”

Seh looked at Fu’s weary face. “Every step?” Seh asked.

Fu growled as he sucked wind. “Every… single … step. He counted … them all. I’m going to … kill him.”

Fu made it to the narrow ledge in front of the gate and plopped down next to Seh.

“One thousand fifty-five!” Malao said. “Or is it one thousand fifty-six?”

“Please make him stop!” Fu said.

Seh sighed and turned back to the gate. He pounded on it several times. There was hardly a sound. The tree trunks were too thick.

“Let me try,” Malao said. He stepped onto the ledge and took a deep breath. “HELLLLLOOOOO!”

The gate began to swing inward.

Malao cleared his throat and looked at Seh. “No need to thank me, big brother.” He grinned and stepped up to the opening.

The pit of Seh’s stomach began to tingle, and the snake tightened its grip on Seh’s arm. “Malao, wait—”

But it was too late. A huge hairy hand yanked Malao into the stronghold, and the gate slammed shut.

Tonglong sat high in a large willow tree, staring westward across the circular lake with the rocky mountain island in the middle. Three tiny black dots had been moving about near the top of the mountain, but their number had just been reduced to two. Soon the remaining two would also disappear, and his job here would be complete.