The Tapestries (36 page)

Lady Chin, too, had seen the mesmerizing eyes before. They belonged to the killer in the wanted posters that hung over her bed. For seven long years she had studied the face, the eyes, memorizing the features until they were etched in her mind. For seven wretched years she had searched. And now in this alien territory, when she least expected it, Lady Chin had finally come face to face with her foe.

S
taring at Ven, Dan was overcome with shame and horror. Ever since the night of the harvest moon, he had believed that she had given her life to save his. Never did he expect to see her here among the townspeople, disfigured and babbling. He raised her chin with his forefinger, tilting her face toward the sun. She opened her mouth, and he saw the little remaining stump of her tongue.

“Ven,” he moaned. “I would give anything to hear you speak again. I curse the cruel wretches who have done this to you. Now your silence will forever guard their vile names.”

From behind Dan came a guttural voice. “With your permission, I will talk for her.”

Dan turned and saw the time-teller standing at the side of the road, hands folded in front of his chest. There was no slurring in his speech, no stagger in his gait, and no broken bottle in his clenched hand. Even his leathery face was now clean. So much had changed in this village; Dan found himself at a loss for words.

He looked at his wife, then back to Big Con. They could have been twins, with their shaven heads, scars, dark clothing, and air of acquiescence. Dan could not help but wonder if Ven had tried to be the time-teller's mirror image. He wanted to sit and talk with her for hours, hear her melodious voice, absorb her knowledge. With sadness in his heart, he realized he was no longer in the same plane as she. To hear her, he needed an intermediary. Reluctantly, he nodded, and the time-teller stepped forward.

“Ask me anything you want to ask her, Sir Dan,” he said.

“Who has harmed you, Ven?” Dan asked.

Ven took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and looked straight at Dan. Her neck tightened, and her mouth opened, making a loud and continuous “ah” sound.

The time-teller turned to her. Their eyes locked. Then he spoke in a voice that was barely audible. “She says that her tongue was cut out by the hands of that devil Toan.”

She whimpered and pounded her chest. Her eyes wore the look of a wounded deer.

“Ven wants to know why you are here,” Big Con continued. “She has waited for you, as much for your family's honor as for hers. She adores you and has respected your memory, but many times she was compelled to believe that you were not coming back. What has taken you so long to return? Let her know, at last, that her affliction, which was forced upon her by that monster, is about to be avenged. Tell her that Death has spared your enemy for all these years, only because it is awaiting your judgment.”

“If you knew all the prayers I have made to the gods,” Dan said, turning to Ven. “If you knew how much I have grieved. In all the years we were together during my childhood, I followed your footsteps, watched you, loved you, and feared you. I did everything that you asked of me. I have contemplated a thousand revenge tactics against him. But when it was time to execute these schemes, I just could not will my hands to strike a blow on the enemy. The reason was neither cowardice nor ignorance. My poor heart's hatred toward him was thwarted by love, a confused, forbidden, hopeless kind of love. However, all of that is about to change. I am now a heartless brigand, ready to renew the vow of vengeance that I made as a young child. For all the lives he has broken, he must pay.”

“Why did you not come back sooner?” the time-teller asked, still watching Ven intensely.

Dan extended his hands toward Ven. “I believed you were dead. When I fled the mansion, you had been arrested and were his prisoner. I never thought a madman like Toan would spare your life.”

“He did not spare her,” Big Con said. “Quite the opposite. She was hung on a post in the middle of a field and left there, bleeding and dying. I rescued her from the claws of Death. And I brought her back.” The time-teller related the gruesome details of her torture while his face remained as still as a mask.

“Was it also you,” Dan interrupted, “who scarred her face and shaved her head? Was it your plan to permanently damage Ven, so that you can hold on to her forever?”

She shook her head and screeched. Her hands flew up and covered her face. Dan had never seen her act this way—fragile, deeply vulnerable, and undeniably feminine. She seemed ashamed of her damaged face.

The time-teller pulled her into his arms. She pressed against the hollow of his chest, hiding from view. Gently he rocked her, at the same time whispering inaudible phrases that calmed her. The sky was pink from the wicked sun, and the trees surrounding them looked like the shadows of judges, standing over Dan, ready to condemn him. He felt utterly out of place, like an outsider sneaking a peek at an affectionate display through a window, waiting to be caught.

“What are you accusing me of?” said Big Con, speaking over Ven's head. “I have lived to this age, never laying a hand on any woman, let alone one I hold so dear. She destroyed her own face, but that should not surprise you. You, sir, of all people should understand her character. How else could she remain in this village, under the eyes of the watchful guards, among the enemies, without being recognized?” He drew his hand across Ven's scarred cheekbone. “I know this face well, and never for one instant have I ceased to find the beauty in its imperfection, nor could I survive without looking at it first thing every morning.” He seemed to stand taller. “I love Ven more than life itself because she, to me, is life. She is everything I have asked the gods for and everything that I, as an educated tutor, deserve. The obstacle to my happiness that I face each day is you. You are married to her, and your ghost has been at our bedside since the day she entered my home.”

Dan turned to Ven. She was looking at him through her fingers like a child waiting to be reprimanded. “I understand,” he said. “Are you happy, Ven?”

Yes,
her eyes seemed to say as she smiled and took her hands away.

“Then, you have my blessing,” Dan said. “Enjoy this unity between you and Tutor Con. In the deepest grief and most miserable circumstances, you have managed to find happiness in each other. As a couple, you have vanquished Death. May the gods in Heaven continue to bless your life together as they have done in the past! Live and be content in each other's presence.”

Swept by joy, Ven ran to him and seized his hands. “It is time for us to face the enemy,” he said to her. “Tell me when you are ready, and we will leave together.”

Ven turned around. The time-teller, as if he understood her gesture, cast himself at Dan's feet. His shiny head reflected the golden sunlight. “I thank you with all of my heart. You have liberated us with your generosity. Now I understand why Ven has reserved such a special place in her heart for you, young Master.”

Dan bent forward to help the time-teller back on his feet and said, “Tutor Con, you do not need to thank me. I trust your sincerity and character. You have proven to me how much you care for dear Ven. Marry her today if you will, let her become your lawfully wedded wife, protect her, so that she will no longer be alone in the world.” His voice was thick with emotion as he continued. “As for me, I have procrastinated long enough. In the name of my ancestors, I must prepare for an appointment with my destiny. But first, there is someone I would like to introduce to you.”

Ven's slanted eyes searched his face, waiting.

Dan put his arm around her waist and walked her toward Lady Chin. She examined Ven, paying careful attention to the peasant's shaven head. Not even her most skillful willpower could keep her labored breathing under control. Dan ran to her side and felt her bony hand seize his shoulder.

“You did not warn me,” she whispered, looking at Ven in fright. “Even with her scars, I recognized this woman from the wanted poster. But as I listen to her story, I am shocked that she has endured so much pain. Tell me, is she the murderer that we have traveled so far to meet, or is she just a victim of yet another heinous crime?”

“She is my guardian, madam,” Dan said with a smile. “She is not the killer of your husband and son, contrary to what you have been told in the past. Like you and I, she has lived for the day she would see revenge and justice, and she is now waiting for judgment to prevail.”

Lady Chin leaned forward until her face was inches from his. “Sir Dan, you are indeed a very charming man. I have trusted you this far, and I am willing to trust you until my last breath. Perhaps I am foolish to find you humble and courageous, when in fact your true nature might be greedy and cruel. I urge you, sir, do not deceive this dying woman! She might not be as fragile and helpless as she appears to be. I have been watching you, and I know about the note you left with your friend before we left Hue. I, too, left a note. And the person who is holding your letter also holds mine. That man is my dearest friend, and when the time comes he will not hesitate to carry out my final wish. In this game I do not have much to lose except my life. And as you can see, I have lived long enough. The moment I find out that you are attempting to break your code of honor, which has been the armor that protects you thus far, I promise I will turn you over to the hands of the most vengeful gods. Look above you! There is a Heaven, and it is watching you.”

Dan bowed to her. “My life is in your hands, madam. With the witness of Heaven above, I will not deceive you.”

“Then,” she said, “let us meet the true killer. My time is running out, but I have asked Death to hold back for a little while.”

Dan turned to the time-teller and said, “I implore you to tell me what you know about Magistrate Toan, where he is and the size of his team of guards. To enter his territory, I must know his strength.”

“He is alone in his mansion,” Tutor Con replied. “A short time after the events of the harvest moon, Master Long resigned his position as the town mayor. While his father was at Hue City, reporting the deaths of the minister and his son, Master Long decided to leave with his family. That was the last time the people of Cam Le ever saw or heard of them. The old man returned to an empty house, where he has been waiting for Death ever since.”

“Can you, then, be kind enough to lead us there?”

chapter twenty-two

Flames of the Dragon

T
hey came to a stop in front of a great house. Although the wall that encircled the property blocked most of the inside from view, Lady Chin could see the idle destruction of time by looking through the entrance. Before her stood two wooden posts, perhaps once sturdy and grand, but now bent and split open from the dry heat, as though sagging under the weight of the black doors that hung from them.

In the long courtyard, wild grass taller than a man's head veiled a two-story house. Fleeing rodents rustled the overgrown tassels as the humans approached. Lady Chin took in the dusty smell of the house and its gloomy vastness. Who could await Death in this emptiness? Even her apartment of peace, stark and coffinlike though it was, was a haven compared to this place.

Behind them the heavy sound of the mayor's leather shoes thumped closer. Turning, she saw that his car was parked in the shade of an oak tree. His thin lips gashed a crooked smile as he reached inside his crumpled tunic for a handkerchief and used it to wipe his face. “Aye,” he said, “no one has walked through this gate since Master Long left his mansion. We all use the back door to visit the old man.”

The embroiderer squatted on the step to examine the gates, his back to the mayor. Lady Chin could see the crown of the young man's head on a level with the tips of her toes. “We are going to walk into his house from this front entrance,” he said, pushing at the heavy doors to make the opening wider.

He stepped into a grassy yard that nearly swallowed him whole. Lady Chin's bearers followed him. From her elevation she could see the house. Its numerous layers of paint had peeled away; cracks and fissures formed eccentric veins on the walls; trails of dark sap seamed the front surface. The once-red roof had been blanched bone white under the sun; at the same time, the edges of the tiles were encrusted with a residue of brown moss, making them look like teeth that were stained with tobacco.

On the front porch, dead trees in a row of broken vases strained their torturous branches at the guests. Many window shutters and door panels had been stripped from their original positions, leaving behind naked, hollow cavities that gaped like the eyes of a blind man. Shadows hid the interior; even the brightest sun could not dismiss the ancient gloom within. Then, from within this bleak landscape, she heard the faint sound of footsteps.

A woman swept along the hallway, arms extended outward so that her nails scratched the walls, creating an eerie resonance. She thrust her face out from the dark and squinted at the intruders. Lady Chin recognized the woman's housekeeping uniform, a large, loose-fitting blue garment. Her protruding forehead and open mouth gave her the look of a dull child. She stood at the entrance, making no move to come forward.

After a minute, the mayor marched out of rank. The maid shrank back against the wall. “Master Sai—” was all that she could manage.

“How is the old rascal?” Sai asked.

The maid stiffened. Her arm lifted, fingers pointing at the inner room. “Inside,” she muttered, “resting.”

The mayor strode to the front porch, flanked by two of his men. He adjusted his robe and reached out to pat the maid on her head. She ran back inside, her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

Sai turned and raised his hand to Dan. “It is all right now,” he called. “There are no guards in this place. You may enter when you are ready. I'll send some of my men to the market and get you a fresh drink, though I am afraid you may not approve of my gesture. Have you ever had a glass of coconut juice on a hot day such as this one? I have served the same drink to many before you, Sir Dan.” He threw his head back and laughed at his own comment.