Hok paused, glancing at Seh. “We don't know,” she said. “I'd like to try and find our brothers Fu and Malao before we go treasure hunting.”
“Do you know where they've gone?” PawPaw asked.
“No,” Hok replied. “They were abducted.”
“Abducted?” PawPaw said, straightening up. “How come you never told me this?”
“I … I guess I didn't think there was anything you could do about it,” Hok stammered. “I suppose I should have known better.”
PawPaw took a deep breath and sighed. “No, you're probably right. There is no point in fretting about it now. There isn't much I could have done except tell NgGung to spread the word through his network to keep an eye out for them. I haven't seen NgGung since you've been here, though, so it doesn't matter. I'll be sure to tell him when I see him. Do you happen to know who took your brothers?”
“Fu was captured by a man called HaMo,” Hok said.
“I've heard the name,” PawPaw said. “He is not a nice man.”
Hok's mind flashed back to the rainy day in the river. “I heard him say something to Fu,” she said to PawPaw. “HaMo said, ‘I like your spirit, boy. Forget your sister, I'm taking you to LaoShu instead.’ “ Hok sighed. “I don't know what he meant by that, though.”
“I might,” PawPaw said. “Try not to think about what I said earlier concerning river pirates. I suggest you head to Jinan City—the City of Springs. It's the next big city downriver, only a day's travel from here. Seek out a place called the Jinan Fight Club.”
“What is that?” Hok asked.
“It's exactly what it sounds like,” PawPaw said. “It's a place where people fight and spectators gamble on the outcome. Many lives are foolishly lost for blood sport. It's an evil place in the very heart of the city's most elite section.”
“Is it difficult to find?” Hok asked.
“No,” PawPaw said. “But it's difficult to get into. The crowd consists mostly of powerful officials. Jinan is the capital of the next province—Shandong. I wish there was something I could do to help you.”
Hok shook her head. “You've helped us so very much already.”
“That's right,” Seh said. “We'll never be able to thank you.”
PawPaw sighed. “Just take care of each other like you have been. That's thanks enough for me. Now you two should be on your way.” She looked up at the sky again. “You should be able to travel as long as you'd like by moonlight. If you can do without sleep, you can probably reach Jinan by sunrise. That might be best. The longer you're on the water during the day the greater the chance that someone will see you and perhaps recognize you.”
“I understand,” Hok said.
“I do, too,” Seh said.
“Then that is all,” PawPaw said. She stepped between Hok and Seh and threw an arm around each of them, hugging them simultaneously. “I hope to see you both again someday.”
“You will,” Hok said, wiping her eyes. “I'll make sure of it.”
“Me too,” Seh added with a hint of a sniffle.
PawPaw wiped her own eyes, then helped Hok get Seh into the skiff. Hok and PawPaw pushed the skiff into the river, and Hok jumped aboard. She turned back to PawPaw and nodded once. PawPaw bowed back, then turned and headed up the hill toward her house.
Hok wiped her eyes again. She was going to miss PawPaw tremendously.
Hok grabbed the long push pole and quickly set a course down the center of the river. She missed her little brothers, too.
“Malao!” Fu said. “Can you hear me?”
Malao groaned and opened his eyes. “Huh … ?” he mumbled. “Where … where are we?”
“I don't know exactly,” Fu replied.
“Is it … morning?” Malao asked. He glanced sleepily around the pitch-black room.
“I don't know,” Fu said. “It's hard to tell without any windows.”
“Ohhh,” Malao said. “My whole body hurts. How long have I been asleep on this hard floor?”
“About a month,” Fu replied.
“A month!” Malao said, sitting up. He bumped his head on a length of bamboo. “Ouch!” he yelled. “Hey—what … what's going on? Is this your idea of a joke?”
“I wish,” Fu said. “We're in a cage. Don't you remember?”
“No,” Malao said, rubbing his head. “All I remember is a bunch of crazy dreams. You wouldn't believe some of them. I dreamt about a cobra, a mantis, a toad, and a—” Malao stopped and stared in Fu's direction. “A tiger, too. I was locked in a cage with it.”