Snake (Five Ancestors #3)(31)
Author: Jeff Stone

Seh looked down and saw the beauty snake’s head poking out of his sleeve. He covered it. He wasn’t sure if the monkey was having trouble with him or the snake. Either way, Seh didn’t want to take any chances.

“Hey, Fu,” Seh said. “Wake up.”

Fu didn’t flinch.

Seh glanced around and saw a fist-sized rock behind him. He grabbed it and lobbed it at Fu. It bounced off Fu’s sizable stomach.

Fu groaned and scratched his belly.

“Wake up, Pussycat,” Seh said.

Fu sniffed the air, and his eyes snapped open. He sat up and turned toward the white monkey. The white monkey stared at Fu but showed no signs of aggression.

Fu waved one hand in front of his nose. “That monkey needs a bath more than Malao does. When did it show up?”

“Just now,” Seh said. He pointed to the mushrooms. “It brought those, then tried to wake up Malao. It looked like it was trying to massage the base of Malao’s skull.”

“Good idea,” Fu said. “Did it work?”

“It’s a monkey, Fu,” Seh replied. “Of course it didn’t work. I want to try, but I don’t think the monkey will let me get near Malao. You’re going to have to do it.”

Fu looked at the large, one-eyed monkey and hesitated, then grunted and leaned over Malao. The white monkey watched intently but didn’t interfere as Fu cradled Malao’s head in his hands and began to massage the pressure point.

“Mmmpf,” Malao mumbled.

“Hey!” Fu said. “It’s working!” He continued rubbing Malao’s head, but nothing more happened.

“That’s enough,” Seh said finally. “We need to find someone who can help keep him awake.”

Fu laid Malao’s head down. “I wish Hok was here. He … I mean, she would know what to do.”

Seh nodded. “She does know a lot more about these things than we do.” He rubbed his long chin. “Too bad we can’t go back to the stronghold. I have a feeling AnGangseh might be able to help.”

“You mean your mother?” Fu said.

Seh blinked. That sounded strange for some reason. “Yes,” he said.

“Why do you think she could help?” Fu asked.

“When the soldiers attacked, she fought off a couple of them with poison hidden under her fingernails. Usually people who handle poisons know antidotes and potions for many things.”

“You mean those two dead soldiers in the bandits’ shed—” Fu said. “She killed them?”

Seh nodded.

“Whoa. What did she want with you?”

“She just wanted to talk.”

“Why would she have poison under her nails if she just wanted to talk?” Fu asked.

Seh paused. That was a good question. “I guess because she lives with bandits. She has to be ready for anything.”

Fu seemed satisfied with this answer. He nodded and looked at Seh’s lower back. “Is that lump under your robe the dragon scrolls?”

“One of them,” Seh said. “I gave two to AnGangseh—I mean, my mother—for safekeeping.”

“You did what?” Fu said. “I risked my life to get those scrolls! When are we going to get them back?”

“The next time we see her, I suppose,” Seh said.

Fu growled and slammed a fist into his open palm.

The monkey looked at Fu and bared its teeth.

“Take it easy, Fu,” Seh said. “You’re upsetting the monkey.”

Fu snorted and turned away.

“I’m sorry you’re angry,” Seh said. “But there’s nothing we can do about it now. Our number one priority is to get Malao some help. That’s what we need to focus on. We need to figure out where to take him.”

Fu glared at Seh. “We? How am I supposed to help with that? You led us here. I don’t have any idea where we are. What we need is a—” Fu stopped and looked at the white monkey. He slapped his forehead. “A tour guide! Of course!”

“What are you talking about?” Seh asked.

“The white monkey was like a tour guide for me and Malao,” Fu said. “It led us to Shaolin Temple. It also led us to the village where the Governor lives.”

“How far was the village from Cangzhen?” Seh asked.

“About half a day’s travel.”

“Was it east of Cangzhen or west?”

“Sort of southwest,” Fu said. “Why?”

Seh pointed east toward a small mountain. “The more I look at that, the more I think it’s ShiShan Mountain. If I’m right, Cangzhen is on the other side. That means if the village was half a day southwest of Cangzhen, it’s probably half a day southeast of where we are now. Do you think the monkey could lead us there?”