Tonglong stared at HaMo, and HaMo stopped laughing. “You're serious, aren't you?” HaMo asked.
“Deadly ssserious,” AnGangseh said.
“We have reason to believe the story is valid,” Tonglong said.
“The story claims there is a secret treasure horde,” HaMo said. “That's a little too far-fetched for me. Besides, there was no such scroll when I lived at Cangzhen. I used to be in charge of the library. If such a scroll exists, it had to arrive at Cangzhen with the last Grandmaster, and we all know how shifty he was. You're wasting your time. Even worse, you're wasting my time. You promised me riches beyond belief. Well, I don't believe it. I think it's best if you just pay me for what I've done thus far, and I'll be on my way.”
Tonglong straightened. “Your payment will come from the treasure. That was our agreement.”
“Well, you were obviously withholding some key information,” HaMo said. “I want out. What do you have that's worth something?”
AnGangseh looked at Tonglong. “If he wants out, let him out.” She pointed to Malao, lying on the dirt floor. “You can have the boy, as well as the bottle of Dream Dust to keep him manageable. Take him to Jinan and sssell him to LaoShu.”
HaMo scratched one of his enormous chins. “Sell him to Rat? That sounds appealing, but I was expecting more compensation than that. After all, I did get you access to the bandit stronghold.”
“What if I were to throw in something else to sweeten the deal?” Tonglong asked. “How much do you think LaoShu would pay for a twelve-year-old girl from Cangzhen? One who can fight.”
HaMo's eyes widened. “Now that's more like it! You wouldn't be thinking of the girl dressed all in white from the acrobat camp, would you? I noticed her being protected by the bandits.”
“The very same,” Tonglong replied. He tugged at the silk thread around his neck and the tiny jade crane popped out of the folds of his robe.
HaMo's flabby cheeks rose up in a corpulent grin. “My friend, I think we have a deal.”
Hok spent the night in flight, successfully steering clear of both the prison guards and Tonglong's soldiers by weaving in and out of Kaifeng's narrow streets. She stayed on the move, not daring to stop. More than anything she wished she could return to the Jade Phoenix, but the last thing she wanted to do was endanger anyone there by showing up. Besides, she wasn't sure she could find it in the dark.
Shortly before sunrise, it began to rain. Chilled to the bone and soaking wet, Hok decided to try to find shelter. She was near the river, and she began to think about the acrobat camp. The acrobats had probably fled the city, and soldiers might be occupying the camp. Still, it was worth taking a look. Even if she couldn't take shelter there, at least she might be able to find some food or dry clothes to change into once the rain stopped.
Hok was upstream from the main bridge, and she cautiously worked her way downstream along the riverbank until she neared the camp. It appeared abandoned, but in the darkness she couldn't be sure. She approached cautiously.
The first tent she came to was the one that Charles and the acrobats had used to put on their costumes before their lion dance performance. Hok remembered Charles complaining about not having his qiangs. Perhaps they were still inside.
Hok eased up to the back of the four-sided structure. The door flap was directly opposite her, facing the center of the camp. She would have to sneak around to the front.
As Hok silently rounded the first corner, she sensed someone nearby. She began to retreat, but she was too slow.
A boy poked his head of thick, short black hair out from under the bottom edge of the tent. He stared up at Hok in the rainy darkness.
“Seh!” Hok whispered.
Seh nodded and slithered from under the tent edge, over the muddy ground. He stood and pointed back upstream. He wanted to leave.
“Wait a moment,” Hok whispered. “Is anyone in there?”
Seh shook his head.
“I'll be right back,” Hok said. She dropped to the muddy ground and slipped into the tent. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness, but she soon saw what she was looking for—a pile of dirty clothes. Charles didn't seem like the type of person to leave his qiangs out in the open, and a pile of dirty clothes is exactly where Hok would hide something important.
Hok pushed the clothes aside and found a matching set of short qiangs. The metal barrels were scratched and discolored, and the wooden handles were well worn. These weapons had seen a lot of use. Hok wrapped them in a robe that was lying there and slipped back out of the tent.
Without a word, Seh began to run. Hok followed on his heels.
Seh led Hok much farther upstream, following the riverbank. Dawn was breaking, overcast and gray, when they finally stopped before the crooked door of a battered boathouse. Seh knocked once, paused, then knocked four times in rapid succession. The door swung open, and Hok followed Seh inside.