Soundless (12 page)

With sweat pouring down his forehead, the young man passes the scorpion between his hands, back and forth. The scorpion docilely obliges. His gaze focuses unblinkingly on the creature, and it's clear he's working hard to keep his arms steady. I imagine the noise from the throng isn't helping. Eight times he passes the scorpion. On the ninth time, the noise from the others rises sharply, and their excitement intensifies. The young man grows more nervous, his hands trembling. Just as he is about to make the tenth pass, the calm scorpion suddenly lashes out, its tail striking the man's arm. He jerks sharply, and the scorpion falls to the table. My own cry of surprise is lost in the uproar of the others. The old bearded man scoops up the scorpion into its box while his assistant pays out those whose slips read
against
.

When all the bets are settled, another man volunteers to hold the scorpion. The process repeats, with the crowd again creating a storm of noise in what I realize now is an attempt to distract the holder. This time, the competitor successfully completes ten passes and returns the scorpion to its box. There is more excitement, and the
for
bets are paid out. The victorious man is also paid, given both gold coins and some of the surrendered loot.

We watch a couple more rounds, and all those who volunteer end up getting stung. All the while, the bearded man's treasure accumulates. The stacks of coins grow and are joined by other items: a small corked bottle, a newly crafted knife, and a swathe of the reddest silk I've ever seen. I can't help but admire it, particularly after the damage done to my own shirt. Those men who've been defeated cradle hands that are swollen and purple, but otherwise they have suffered no ill effects—except maybe to their pride.

Li Wei and I retreat to our table, his eyes bright.
I've seen that type of scorpion in our village before. They're harmless unless disturbed. All you have to do is keep your hands steady—it shouldn't be that hard.

The others are making noise
, I explain.
Lots of it. It's distracting to me, and it would be even more distracting if I were holding a creature like that.
Another outburst occurs from the table, but I force my attention from the spectacle to focus on our current dilemma.
What should we do?
I ask Li Wei.
About our situation, I mean. Xiu Mei seems to genuinely want to help us, but I'm not sure that she can. She doesn't know anything about our village, and her father apparently doesn't have much influence.

They have more than us
, Li Wei notes dryly.
No one's even supposed to talk to us—or people like us.

I think it's those other people we need to find
, I say.
The others who can't hear. Perhaps they know something about our history or that of the other village. We need to get to them.
That's where we'll find answers about what we should do to help our people.

I suppose so
, says Li Wei. His eyes drift from me, and this time, rather than focusing on the scorpion game or Lu Zhu, he takes in the room as a whole. The diversity of people is overwhelming, and I think back to what Xiu Mei said, about how people are always coming and going through their doors. There is a sense of wonder on Li Wei's face, as though perhaps he imagines himself walking out the door with one of those traveling parties—not back to our village but to some exotic location far away.

A great cry from the table tells me another competitor has been stung. I shake my head in disgust.
It can't be worth it for that sort of injury!

It isn't deadly
, Li Wei says, face intrigued as he watches the spectacle again.
I've seen it happen to others. The swelling will go down in another day or so.

It still doesn't seem like it's worth the risk, no matter the riches, and judging from Xiu Mei's exasperated expression as she supervises the matches, she agrees. After the last defeat, no other volunteers offer themselves up. The bearded man calmly nods to his assistant, who dumps more coins on the table. I see temptation in the eyes of those gathered, but no one steps forward.

It is more difficult now
, Li Wei tells me.
The scorpion is agitated, more likely to strike.

The old man's assistant pours out still more coins.
It's not enough to entice anyone
, I remark.
No one is that foolish.

Or so I think.

To my complete astonishment, Li Wei gets up and strides forward. Before I can even think to stop him, he has pushed through the crowd and holds out the pixiu statue to the assistant. The young man looks it over with a critical eye, particularly the gold trim, and then gives a sharp nod of acceptance. The crowd goes crazy, and I spur myself forward. I need to stop him, tell him he's being an idiot, but a warning look from Xiu Mei stills me. I can't sign to Li Wei—not in front of all these people.

Helpless, I watch as the bets are taken. Most of them are
against
. I don't need to understand what the others are saying to know their thoughts. From their expressions and nudges, it's clear they think Li Wei is some bumbling, naive boy who will almost certainly falter and fail. Untroubled by their comments, Li Wei's hard gaze is fixed squarely on the scorpion in its box. He never takes his eyes from it as the bets are collected, and his jaw is tightly clenched.

I'm nearly as tense and again have to fight the urge to drag him away from this madness. But there's no time. With the bets in, the bearded man has the scorpion out and on Li Wei's hand. I stop breathing. The crowd starts in with its cacophony, but that at least is one distraction Li Wei doesn't have to worry about. He is oblivious to the sounds, able to focus solely on keeping his hands and arms straight—which, even I have to admit, he does remarkably well. Back and forth he passes the scorpion, remaining calm and collected the entire time, while I grow increasingly anxious. What is he thinking? He can't risk that kind of injury to
his hand, especially if we have to climb back soon! And what if he's wrong about how harmless the sting really is?

Six, seven, eight. On the ninth pass, the crowd goes wild, trying desperately to unnerve him as he nears his final pass. He doesn't twitch at all, but I am shaking so much that I wrap my arms around myself to stay steady. The tenth pass finishes, and triumphant, he returns the scorpion to its box. Pandemonium breaks out. Most of the spectators lost, but a few who bet on Li Wei will be paid handsomely. The assistant pushes an enormous stack of coins toward Li Wei, who shakes his head and points to the vivid red silk. After a quick conference with his master, the assistant collects a few of the coins and then hands the rest to Li Wei, along with the silk and pixiu statue.

Grinning, Li Wei gathers up his winnings and starts to step away when another man suddenly crosses his path. The man speaks, but Li Wei can't understand. He stares in confusion, which seems to agitate the man. Whatever he says next causes a few others to regard Li Wei speculatively, and I tense, wondering what is going wrong. Xiu Mei suddenly moves to his side and says something with an easy smile. This pacifies the others, though the original speaker looks suspicious. She steers Li Wei back to the seclusion of our table, and I quickly join them.

Are you out of your mind?
I demand.
What would drive you to do something so dangerous? You were nearly stung!

Nearly?
Li Wei asks indignantly after setting down his goods.
I wasn't even close to that!

I'll agree to that
, Xiu Mei says wryly.
You were in more
danger of being discovered as deaf, which many would see as an unfair advantage. That man thought you were too calm around the noise, and then you didn't answer him. I told him you come from far away and don't speak our language.

Thank you
, I tell her, needing to get us back on track from this madness.
Now, if you could help us find the others who—

I stop as a new commotion draws my attention. Two men at the table have gotten into a physical confrontation over something. One man dives at another, knocking his chair backward. Xiu Mei sprints away, trying to intercede. Li Wei gets to his feet, ready to help her, but her father is already on the move. He darts across the room, clearly intent on breaking up the fight, but he isn't fast enough to stop what happens next.

The men keep grappling with each other, and one is slammed into the wall with an impact so great, I can feel the vibrations across the room. A small shelf high on the wall displaying an ornate bowl wavers and then sends the bowl crashing to the floor. Lu Zhu puts her hand to her mouth and lets out a small scream.

By the time the men stop their fighting, Xiu Mei's father has them both by the necks of their shirts and is hauling them out of the inn. Xiu Mei and Lu Zhu both kneel around the broken bowl, their faces stricken with worry and fear. Li Wei watches them with concern but finally settles back down beside me when he observes no immediate danger.

I wonder what has happened
, I say. Even though it has nothing to do with us, I can't help but feel bad for Xiu Mei, who is clearly distraught. Once her father has thrown the other men
out, he comes to speak with her and Lu Zhu. The rest of the inn's patrons go on with their normal business, but those three remain upset. At last, Xiu Mei's father shakes his head sadly as he says something. Xiu Mei gives a great sigh and stares bleakly ahead, doing a double take as she catches sight of our curtained table. I think she had forgotten about us. Quickly, she hurries over and joins us within the curtained seclusion.

I'm sorry
, she says.
You're going to have to leave. We all are. Our lives are in danger.

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
asks Li Wei, getting to his feet again. He looks around, ready for danger to leap out of the walls.
Did the soldiers find us?

No, no
, Xiu Mei says.
It has nothing to do with you. It's the bowl.
She opens her hand, revealing a broken shard. It is white porcelain, with a brightly colored design painted on it.
Our master—the man who owns this inn—is very proud of his collection. The last time one of his employees let something get broken, our master had him hunted down and beaten. Later, the servant died of his injuries.
She sighs again.
Fortunately, the master isn't due back for a while. My father and I have time to flee. Lu Zhu will probably go with us so that she's not blamed in our absence.

We were hoping you could take us to the others who are like us
, says Li Wei.

She shakes her head.
I'm sorry. We must use every bit of time we have to leave.

I pick up the shard she's set on the table and hold it to the light. The porcelain looks nearly identical to what I saw in the kitchen, with nothing particularly special about it. It's the design that makes it unique, I suppose. I can't be sure, but it looks like part of a phoenix.

Does your master inspect his art each day?
I ask.

No, but he will instantly be able to tell something is missing from the wall
, Xiu Mei says.

I look up to where the shelf is on the opposite side of the room. It is prominent enough to be noticed but too high for whatever's on it to be viewed too closely. Glancing down, I study the design again.
Do you have paints?
I ask.
If you got me a bowl from the kitchen, I could re-create this. Your master would never know.

Xiu Mei looks at me like I'm a crazy person.
That's impossible.

Not for her
, says Li Wei proudly, catching on to my plan.
If you replace the bowl, you and your father won't have to run away.

That would be great
, she says grudgingly,
but even if you could do such a thing, we only have a few hours at most.

Just get me the supplies I need
, I say.

Disbelievingly, Xiu Mei gets up to speak to her father and Lu Zhu. Minutes later, they have gathered at our table, bringing me a clean bowl from the kitchen, the fragments of the broken one, and as many paints as they could muster. Some look like household paints, the kinds used for repairs. Others are of a more delicate quality, and Xiu Mei explains that those are used for
paperwork and documents. The colors aren't an exact match, but I have enough of a variety to feel confident in what I can do. I arrange all the broken pieces together to get a sense of the original and then dive into my work.

All is silent for a while, and then Lu Zhu says something that makes Xiu Mei nod. She turns to Li Wei, and I see her sign in my periphery:
You weren't kidding. Where did she learn that?

In our village
, Li Wei says.
She is the most talented artist of all our people.

I set down my brush long enough to say,
Hush. That's not true.

Lu Zhu returns to serving tables. Xiu Mei and her father have a conversation, and then she tells us,
I'll go talk to my contact among the silent ones and see if she will meet with you.

Silent ones?
Li Wei asks.

It's what we call your kind
, she explains.
As long as you stay concealed here, you should be fine. My father and Lu Zhu will keep watch. Get one of them if you have any issues. I will return shortly.

She leaves the inn, and her father resumes his watch of the common room. I continue my work with mixed feelings. Part of me is anxious for Xiu Mei. Will my work be good enough? Will I only get them into more trouble? At the same time, I feel a secret thrill at being able to paint something that is simply beautiful. Until now, I've only ever dreamed of that, and it is a delight to imitate the intricate pattern of phoenixes and plum blossoms on the bowl.

I lose track of my surroundings and am startled by a soft
sound that I recognize as Li Wei laughing. I glance up and see him watching me intently.
What
? I ask, pausing to set down my brush.

I think you're tenser working on this than I was with the scorpion
, he tells me.

I can't help it
, I say.
There's a lot at stake.

He nods, his smile fading.
But you're also into it—I can see it. There's a light in your face as you work.

I can't help that either
, I tell him.
I always see things—imagine them, I mean. Beautiful scenes. They burn in me, and I have to get them out.

Keeping you from this life and forcing you to work in the mines would have been a tragedy
, he says solemnly.

I'm unprepared for that. With the recent flurry of activity since coming to the township, I've had little time to ruminate on all the unresolved issues between us. Now, looking at him, I'm surprised to see a mix of admiration . . . and an almost reluctant acceptance.

There's more to it than that
, I say.
It wasn't easy, that decision. Never think it was easy. I still—

You still what?
he prompts when I don't finish.

I shake my head and look away, unable to convey what's truly in my heart. How can I explain that I have thought about him every day since we parted? That in that first year of officially being an apprentice, I constantly questioned whether I'd made the right choice in walking away from him? My desire to make art and for Zhang Jing's security got me through many low moments.

My eyes come to rest on the bowl, and I suddenly stiffen.
Now that I'm looking at the larger picture and not the individual shards, I notice that although the main design depicts a phoenix, the border appears to be a mix of all sorts of animals, both real and imagined. I see tigers, qilins, cranes, elephants, dragons, and more. I pick up each piece one by one and feel that strange tugging in my chest.

What's wrong?
Li Wei asks.

I set down a shard with a pixiu and a deer on it. This one in particular seems to resonate with me.
Nothing. Just something from a dream.

The same dream that keeps disturbing your sleep?
he asks sagely.

It's not important
, I say. I start to avoid his gaze again, and he reaches out, tipping my chin up so that I must meet his eyes.

Fei, you know you can trust me. I'm here for you. I always have been and always will be. Tell me what's wrong.

You can't keep rescuing me
, I say.

Of course not
, he agrees.
You can rescue yourself—but perhaps I can give you a hand now and then.

I smile faintly, but there is an ache in my chest as I think back to that long-ago day, trapped in the rubble when a beautiful, glittering boy held out his hand to pull me out. A moment later I find myself telling him everything about the night my hearing came to me and the dream I had of everyone in our village opening their mouths in a single cry.

You think this pull you've been feeling is tied to your hearing? To why it returned?
he asks.

I don't know
, I admit.
I don't understand why any of this happened to me.

I want to say more, but over his shoulder, I see Lu Zhu going about her work. Her pretty face is drawn with worry, and I remind myself I must help these people first. I can give in to my own worries later. I paint with a renewed vigor, conscious that time is pressing upon us. When I finally finish and compare my copy to the broken one, I am more than pleased at what I've wrought.

You did it
, Li Wei says.
It's a perfect match.

Not a perfect match
, I say.
My blue is darker than the original.

Well, I'm no painter, but it looks amazing to me.
His eyes lift to something behind me.
And not a moment too soon.

I turn and see Xiu Mei hurrying through the door toward us.
Our master is returning!
she tells us once she reaches our table.
I saw him on the way back and was just able to get ahead of him and—
She stops when she sees my bowl, looking back and forth between it and the broken pieces I copied.
That's it? You did this?

I nod, suddenly feeling flustered. I can't interpret her expression, and I fear the worst, that she'll tell me it's a ridiculous imitation and that I've just given her and her father a death sentence.

I don't know what's more incredible
, she says,
that you did it at all or that you did it in so short a time. There are renowned masters in the capital who would fight to take you on as an apprentice.

I already have a great master
, I say proudly, thinking of Master Chen.

Xiu Mei gets rid of the broken pieces and then hands the copied bowl to her father. Careful of the wet paint, he cautiously places it on the shelf just minutes before the inn's master returns. When he walks in the door, I can immediately see how he might order someone beaten for an accident. His face is narrow and drawn, and he has the expression of someone who is perpetually displeased with everything he sees. He scrutinizes the room as he enters, taking in the number of guests and how his employees work. His pinched eyes scan the wall of art but find nothing amiss, and I exhale a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding. Continuing on his way, he snaps something loud and hostile-sounding at the kitchen boy, who scurries away in fear. The master then approaches Xiu Mei at the podium, and she greets him with a bow. A conversation ensues between them, and after another wary survey, the man stalks away.

When he has disappeared into a back room, Xiu Mei returns to us, grinning.
He suspects nothing. Thank you.

It was my pleasure to help
, I say honestly.

And now I can help you. Nuan is willing to speak with you later, closer to sunset. I have some duties to attend to and will take you to her in a couple of hours. Come.
She beckons for us to stand up.
I'll get you some dinner.

Li Wei starts to hand her some of his coins, but Xiu Mei shakes her head.
After what Fei did today, believe me, your dinner is paid for.

Li Wei's eyes sparkle.
Fei is the hero now. My daring feat with the scorpion isn't so impressive anymore.

We all laugh at that, relieved that the earlier tension has lightened. I see other patrons eating in the common room and am puzzled as to why we wouldn't just eat at our curtained table. We followed her out to another small staircase and go up one floor. The room she leads us into leaves me gaping.

I thought I had seen many beautiful and wondrous things since coming to the township, but this room puts them all to shame. Screens and tapestries fill it with color and whimsy, each scene lovelier than the last. I see goldfish swimming on a pattern of blue and white flowers, silver pheasants on a backdrop of black and blue. The scenes go on and on, and I feel like I could spend hours staring at each one. Jade vases of flowers sit in the corners, and the middle of the room holds a small low table of gleaming black wood. The far side of the room isn't screened but is a made of a fine wooden mesh. When I get closer, I see that it looks down on the common room below. Ornate lanterns bathe everything around me in a gentle glow.

What is this place?
I ask.

We call it the Egret Pavilion—even though it's not really a pavilion.
Xiu Mei rolls her eyes.
The master is trying to emulate some of the really high-class inns in the capital.

This isn't high class?
I ask in disbelief.

Not compared to some of the ones I've seen
, she says.
But it's fine for some wealthy guests who come through to host parties or eat a private dinner. No one's renting it out today, and
our master is busy. You won't be disturbed. Relax, and Lu Zhu will be up with some food. As soon as I finish some accounting, I'll take you to Nuan.

I'm so overwhelmed by the beauty of this room that I can't help but bow to Xiu Mei.
Thank you. I think you've done far more for us than we have for you.

Nonsense
, she says.
Meeting you has given me a lot to think about.

She leaves us alone in the exquisite room, and we pause to clean our hands and faces in bowls of crystal-clear water. Then we explore the space more closely, finding new and dazzling things to point out to each other. Before long, Lu Zhu slides back the door and enters with a kitchen boy. They set the black table with steaming bowls of noodles and vegetables, as well as cups and a small bottle of rice wine. The food is overwhelming in and of itself, but I find I am just as enthralled by the dishes it's served in. The bowls are beautifully painted, and the cups are exquisite, made of amber and agate.

Such a table is almost too gorgeous to eat at, and I glance down at my muddied robe in dismay.
I don't feel worthy of this
, I tell Li Wei.

How do you think I feel?
he asks, gesturing to his semi-green shirt.
There's nothing a barbarian like me can do. But you . . .
He walks over to where he set his pack down and astonishes me when he lifts out the vermillion silk he won in the scorpion match. I'd completely forgotten about it after everything else that happened. It moves like water between his fingers, and as he
straightens it out, I see that it isn't actually a bolt of cloth like I'd thought. It is a dress, high-waisted with a long, flowing skirt. He hands it to me.
Here; it is for you.

Never have I been able to imagine such a texture. It is smooth and cool between my fingers and extraordinarily light. Up close, I see a pattern of golden plum blossoms worked into it. Putting it over one arm, I sign,
For me?