Snake (8 page)

The boatman ran a callused hand over his short black hair and frowned. “This isn't the most stable craft, young man. I suggest you not make any big movements like that once we're off the beach.”

“Sorry,” Malao said. “Come on, Fu!”

Fu grumbled and climbed aboard. He sat down and looked at Seh. “Well?”

“Something doesn't feel right,” Seh said. “I'm not sure this is such a good idea.”

“Oh, don't be like this,” Malao said. “You're a snake. All snakes know how to swim. You and your little snake friend will be all right.”

“That's not what I'm worried about,” Seh said. “I sense something. Something in the water.”

Fu looked hard at the boatman. “Is there anything in the water my brothers and I should be worried about?”

“Not at all,” the boatman replied. He stepped out of the boat onto the beach.

“See?” Malao said to Seh. “Let's get going. Stop being so paranoid.”

Seh sighed.
Perhaps I'm just tired right now,
Seh thought.
Or maybe the water is somehow reflecting the boatman's
chi.

“Come on!” Malao whined.

Seh climbed aboard, and the boatman banged his fist three times against the side of the boat. Seh shot him a suspicious glance.

“For good luck,” the boatman said. “We boatmen are a superstitious lot.” A large fish rolled farther out in the lake, and the boatman pointed to it. “See?” he said. “A good sign. We'll go now.”

The boatman climbed aboard and shoved off, taking his position at the rear of the boat. As the boat began to skim across the muddy water, Seh felt his heart rise up into his throat. His stomach began to turn.

“Wheee!” Malao said. “I've never been on a boat before!”

Seh looked over the side and saw that the boat seemed to be riding dangerously low. He glanced at the boatman.

“We're fine,” the boatman said.

“We're better than fine!” Malao said. “Faster! Faster!”

Seh groaned. He sat back and closed his eyes. Between his queasy stomach and Malao's silliness, he didn't think things could get much worse. Halfway across the lake, Seh discovered he was wrong.

“I have to pee,” Malao announced.

Seh opened his eyes and looked at Fu.

Fu shook his head. “Put a cork in it until we get to the island, Monkey Boy.”

Malao pouted. “I can't.”

The boatman cleared his throat. “If you have to go, little one, I suggest you go now. Over the side. We do it all the time. If you wait for the island stronghold, you'll have to use an actual toilet. Mong likes to keep his island clean, so you can't just go anywhere. The closest toilet is way up at the top of the mountain. It's a long walk up there. Believe me.”

Malao grinned. “I've never peed in a lake before—”

“Just get it over with,” Fu growled.

Malao giggled and stood. He stepped up to the side of the boat, untying his sash. It was a small series of movements, but the boat rocked nonetheless.

“Be careful!” Seh snapped.

Malao giggled again. “This doesn't bother you, does it, big brother?” He began to rock the boat by leaning from side to side. “I guess you're not a water snake—”

“Stop it, Malao,” Seh said. He felt sick.

“Hey, look!” Malao replied. “You're turning green! You must be a tree snake. They're almost always green!” He rocked the boat harder.

“STOP IT!” Seh shouted.

Malao stopped. “So sorry,” he said, still giggling. Malao tugged at the drawstring on his orange pants and leaned over the side of the boat.

Fu snickered. “You do look pretty funny, Seh. Kind of pale and green and—”

The boat suddenly tilted heavily to one side.
Malao was leaning too far. Without thinking, Seh shifted his weight to the other side to compensate for Malao's mistake. Unfortunately, so did Fu.

The last thing Seh saw as the boat flipped over was Malao somersaulting through the air, laughing hysterically.

S
eh hit the water face-first. The force of the flipping boat drove him deep into the murky lake. Long strands of drifting seaweed tangled around his arms, legs, and neck. The snake beneath his robe wriggled up his back but came to a dead end when it reached Seh's collar. It slithered over to Seh's shoulder and clamped nervously around his upper arm, squeezing a major pressure point. Seh felt his arm begin to grow numb.

Seh opened his eyes. They filled with burning, muddy water. He slammed his eyes shut and felt bits of sand and grit grind against his eyeballs.

Seh had no idea which way was up. Blind beneath the water, he picked a direction and started swimming toward it with his one good arm.

Something—someone—grabbed Seh's waist and began to pull him in a different direction.

Seh twisted and turned and thrashed, but it was no use. He felt himself being dragged powerfully through the water. In a last act of defiance, Seh formed a snake-fang fist and raked it across the hands of his attacker.

Seh's attacker released him and shrieked. Seh heard it loud and clear as his head and shoulders exploded out of the water. He opened his eyes and sucked down huge gulps of cool morning air. The snake loosened its grip and managed to poke its head out of the front of Seh's collar.

Seh spun himself around as he began to tread water and saw a girl's head bobbing directly in front of him.

Seh blinked several times. Though she had very short hair, Seh was certain it was a girl. A teenager. It had been her hands on his waist.

Seh realized the girl might very well have just saved his life. She had turned him around and dragged him to the surface. Seh stared at her tiny black eyes, flat face, and smooth, dark skin. She looked just like an eel.

The water exploded behind Seh and he turned to see Fu surface with someone attached to his back.

“Get off me!” Fu roared.

The person on Fu's back released him and kicked away. Seh did a double take. It was a teenage boy with short black hair and a smooth, flat face with dark skin. Like an eel.

The boy dove out of sight.

Seh looked back at the girl and his eyes widened. The boy and girl looked almost identical!

The boy surfaced next to the girl. They smiled at Seh in unison, then disappeared beneath the murky water together.

“Over here!” the boatman called out. He was clinging to the overturned boat. Malao was off to one side, floating happily on his back. Fu was plowing through the water, heading straight for Malao with a scowl on his face.

Seh swam to the boat.

“Who were those two?” Seh asked the boatman as he gripped the side of the upside-down boat.

“Escorts,” the boatman replied.

“Were they following us the whole time?” Seh asked. “Underwater?”

The boatman nodded.

“How?”

“They can hold their breath an unnaturally long time,” the boatman said. “And when they do need to breathe, they use a small, hollow reed. They can stay underwater for hours.”

“They can actually
see
in this water?” Seh asked.

“I'm not sure,” the boatman replied. “But I know they can hear really well. Sound travels far underwater.”

“That's
why you banged three times on the side of the boat,” Seh said.

The boatman nodded.

“Did one of them signal back by pretending to roll like a fish?”

The boatman grinned. “You are very observant.”

Malao squealed, and Seh looked up. Fu had ahold of Malao by the collar and was dunking him repeatedly. Malao erupted with laughter, which seemed to make Fu all the more frustrated.

Seh looked at the boatman. “That girl is a very strong swimmer,” Seh said.

“You should see her fight,” the boatman said. “Especially in the water. She and her brother are unbeatable together. They fight as one. They might be twins.”

Seh glanced over at Fu dunking Malao. “I'm glad they're on our side. I thought she was trying to drown me.”

“She could easily have done it,” the boatman said. “Lucky for you, things aren't always as they appear at first glance. Especially around here.”

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—”