Mouse (9 page)

ShaoShu leaped involuntarily at the deafening roar. Flames burst forth from the cannon's barrel, and the carriage recoiled sharply backward on its heavy wheels. Acrid smoke poured out of the cannon, filling half the deck. Across the water, the farthest barrel exploded into a thousand splinters, and the men on deck cheered with delight.

Inside its pouch, ShaoShu's mouse shivered uncontrollably.

Lei barked commands to the other gun crews.

“Men, prepare your guns!”

“Aim your guns!”

“Fire!”

The remaining five barrels were blown out of the
water with alarming accuracy. The entire deck was awash in cannon smoke, and ShaoShu was left half blind and mostly deaf, wondering what Tonglong had in mind for him. He didn't want any part of this.

Hours later, his ears still ringing and his eyes still burning, ShaoShu sat hidden in an empty crate on deck, feeding his mouse. Shouts from high overhead and the sound of men scrambling about on deck drew his attention over the side, where he saw six large Chinese junks approaching. He was worried at first, wondering if the ships were going to attack, but then he realized that the activity on their deck was the sound of men furiously cleaning and straightening after the earlier cannon exercises. They were stowing their great guns, not arming them. No one was going to fire on anyone. ShaoShu breathed a sigh of relief. That is, until Lei called out his name.

“ShaoShu! Where are you hiding now? Meet me in the main cabin at once!”

ShaoShu tucked his mouse into its pouch and hurried to Tonglong's cabin, where he found Lei alone, seated behind Tonglong's desk. ShaoShu considered saying something about Lei being in Tonglong's chair, but then he thought better of it.

“Your time has come,” Lei said. “Are you ready?”

ShaoShu frowned. “I think so, sir. It depends on what you want me to do.”

“Remember we talked about HaiZhe—Jellyfish?”

ShaoShu nodded. “You want me to spy on him, right?”

“That's right. General Tonglong wants you to collect as much armament information from him as possible, and you're only going to have one night to do it. This isn't going to be easy for you. To be honest, I don't think you'll come out of it alive.”

ShaoShu swallowed hard.

“I've been giving this a lot of thought, and it seems to me the most difficult part for you will be sneaking inside the facility itself. Your best chance probably lies with a man called LoBak.”

ShaoShu looked at the floor in an effort to try and hide his surprise. He knew exactly who LoBak was. LoBak's shop was the last place he had seen Hok.

“LoBak is an apothecary,” Lei continued. “He is a medicine man, and he attends to HaiZhe every evening—he delivers a special drink to help him with his condition.”

ShaoShu looked up. “What's wrong with HaiZhe?”

“His legs no longer work. Many years ago, he was a promising young vendor in the local black market. He borrowed money from a group of questionable investors that included, some say, Tonglong's father. When HaiZhe didn't make several loan payments, the investors decided to make an example of him. They severed every tendon in his body from the waist down.”

ShaoShu cringed.

“Most people would have died from loss of blood or shock or any number of things,” Lei said. “But not HaiZhe. He somehow managed to drag himself down
the street to an apothecary, which was how he met LoBak. LoBak has been helping him ever since.”

“Does Tonglong know?”

“Of course. HaiZhe's injuries motivated him to crush nearly everyone around him, and he eventually became the Southern Warlord. As I mentioned earlier, Tonglong's father didn't like what he was seeing, and he tried to do something about HaiZhe's ways. Because of this and his presumed role in disabling HaiZhe, some people believe that HaiZhe killed Tong long's father with the help of a traitor.”

“Oh,” ShaoShu said, a lump forming in his throat. He couldn't help but think of Tonglong's father's ashes, and he changed the subject. “What about LoBak? Is he HaiZhe's friend?”

“No,” Lei said. “LoBak is more like a slave. HaiZhe would kill him if he stopped supplying the medicines that keep him healthy. Wait until you see HaiZhe. He is in amazing shape for someone with his disability.”

“How is LoBak going to help me?”

“Indirectly. LoBak always enters through a little-used rear entry that only has one guard. When the guard opens the door for LoBak, you must find a way to sneak in behind him.”

ShaoShu closed his eyes. He'd done this sort of thing before, but never with a guard standing there.

“Can you do it?” Lei asked.

ShaoShu opened his eyes and shrugged. “I guess I have no choice.”

“Smart boy,” Lei said with a grin.

“How will I get to the warehouse?”

Lei pointed out of a porthole to the fortress transport boat tied off at the ship's stern. Workmen swarmed over it, affixing a mast and a sail.

“A group of my best sailors will take you up the river and drop you off at HaiZhe's warehouse,” Lei said. “They will use the wind as well as row, as speed is of the essence. Did you notice those six Chinese junks approaching?”

“Yes.”

“They are merchant vessels that General Tonglong will use as transports. You may recall that he was gone for a few days last week. That's what he was doing— hiring these captains. He's been planning to mobilize our troops once these ships arrive. The merchant men have no idea what he is up to. Likewise, the men transporting you do not know your true mission. I hope you can keep a secret.”

“Sure,” ShaoShu said.

“Very good,” Lei replied. “The men transporting you will not be wearing uniforms so as to not raise any suspicion. They will drop you off and wait for you. You will only have one night—tonight. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” ShaoShu said. “Except, I'm not sure exactly what kind of gun information you want.”

“Inventory details. Equipment and supply lists. That is why you have been spending so much time with me. HaiZhe is the largest firearms dealer in China. Nearly all the guns and cannons in our country come
from the Round Eyes, and they only work with him. We want to know what he has in his warehouse, including gunpowder and shot.”

“Why?”

“So that we can take it, of course. You've seen how pitifully armed we are.”

“But once I'm inside, how am I supposed to find it?”

“HaiZhe stores the weapons in a special wing at the eastern end of the building. There is only one door way in or out, and it's located inside his office. Find the office, and you'll find the door. This will be a challenge, because the doorway into his office is secret. It's hidden within a huge mural down a very long corridor.”

Great,
ShaoShu thought.
This is going to be impossible.
He said, “If I find a way into the office, how will I know which door is the right one?”

“You can't miss it; it's huge. Be very careful, though, because there is a nearly invisible web of silk trip wires positioned in front of the door. If you so much as breathe too hard on the trip wires, four rows of muskets will simultaneously fire down on you from the ceiling. When I worked for HaiZhe, I saw three different guards accidentally brush against the web. Not even their closest family members could have identified their remains.”

“I'm going to die, aren't I?” ShaoShu asked.

“Maybe. I told General Tonglong that I thought this was a bad idea. He said he has faith in you.”

ShaoShu stared at Lei. “Tonglong is going to kill HaiZhe, isn't he?”

“With the right kind of information, we might be able to avoid conflict. The last thing General Tonglong wants is a bloody battle in the middle of the city. Perhaps we can pressure HaiZhe into surrendering his position with the information you retrieve, or maybe we can devise a plan to capture the weapons wing with only minimal casualties. If we take control of that wing, HaiZhe will have no choice but to surrender. I have to tell you, though, HaiZhe did not get to be where he is by giving in to pressure. He is as cunning as they come.”

Lei turned to the porthole again, and ShaoShu saw the workmen leaving the transport. A mast and sail had been raised, and rugged seamen armed with muskets and pistols were climbing aboard.

“Time for you to go, Little Mouse,” Lei said. “Good luck. HaiZhe's life might just be in your hands—as well as your own,” he added with a smirk.

S
haoShu's transport vessel sailed hard for hours, the sailors often dropping oars into the water to urge the boat on faster than the sail alone would allow. They were obviously in a hurry, which was fine with ShaoShu. He needed to get there before LoBak's evening visit.

They arrived in front of HaiZhe's warehouse soon after sunset. Most of the merchant ships and smaller transport boats were tied up for the night, bobbing gently in the river's steady current. The sky was overcast, but it didn't look like it was going to rain. ShaoShu couldn't have asked for better conditions. He just hoped they hadn't arrived too late.

He jumped out of the boat and headed for the
enormous warehouse without bothering to say goodbye to Tonglong's men. ShaoShu knew that they would be watching his every move. Or at least as many moves as he would make along the waterfront, which probably wouldn't be many. He was headed around to the back.

As he circled HaiZhe's facility, keeping to the shadows, ShaoShu began to grow anxious. The perimeter was brightly lit with oil lanterns every few paces, and armed guards patrolled the area in random patterns. There was no rhyme or reason to their movements, which meant no weakness for ShaoShu to exploit. He considered trying the roof, but after climbing a tree and looking around, he found that the roof, too, was swarming with guards. Men were stationed within the various roof peaks, armed with muskets. There was no way he or anyone could get inside there without being noticed. These guards were very different from the soldiers at the fortress.

As ShaoShu shimmied down the tree, he heard someone approaching. He dove beneath a small evergreen and watched a well-worn path that led to one of the building's back doors.

An older man came strolling up the path toward the warehouse, carrying a drinking bowl filled with a steaming liquid. ShaoShu smiled. It was LoBak. As LoBak neared his hiding place, ShaoShu whispered,
“Psst!
LoBak! Mr. Medicine Man! Down here! It's me, ShaoShu—Hok's friend!”

LoBak slowed but did not stop. He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead and whispered out of the corner of his mouth, “Lower your head and cover your face.”

ShaoShu was about to ask why when LoBak appeared to stumble. ShaoShu ducked as instructed, and the last thing he saw was LoBak twist around and fling the drinking bowl in his direction. ShaoShu bit his lip as the scalding liquid splashed over the evergreen branches onto him. He didn't cry out, though. Not even when the drinking bowl bounced off the side of his head.

“Oh, dear,” LoBak said loudly to no one in particular. “I shall have to make another batch. Now, where did my drinking bowl go?” He bent down and stuck his face into the tree.

“What are you doing here?” LoBak asked in a low whisper. “I heard that you were with Tonglong. Come with me. Hok and Ying are hiding at my shop.”

ShaoShu frowned. “I can't leave. I have to sneak into HaiZhe's warehouse, or Tonglong will kill me.”

LoBak sighed. “You poor thing. You will never get in there without help. Wait here, I'll be back soon.” He grabbed the drinking bowl and left, calling out to the guards, “I will return shortly. Pass the word to War lord HaiZhe about my spill.”

Half an hour later, LoBak returned with a rigid basket strapped to his back and a canteen slung around his neck. He set the basket down next to ShaoShu's evergreen tree and removed the lid, whispering, “Hok
and Ying send their greetings. I nearly had to threaten their lives to keep them from coming with me. Hok tells me that you can squeeze into tight spaces. Is this true?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent. When you hear me cough, climb into the very bottom of this basket.”

“Okay.”

LoBak reached into the basket and pulled out a small saw and a large blanket. He carried the items well away from ShaoShu and began to saw a branch from a cypress tree.

“You there, Medicine Man!” a guard shouted from the rooftop. “What do you think you are doing?”

LoBak coughed, and ShaoShu scrambled into the basket headfirst. He heard LoBak say, “I am preparing a special treatment for Warlord HaiZhe using his very own trees. Would you like to come down and help?”

“I cannot, sir,” the guard replied. “I need to remain at my post. Carry on.”

LoBak did carry on. He cut three branches from the tree and carried them back to the basket. ShaoShu was settled in by then, having twisted and squirmed his body into a tight knot, barely taking up any space at the bottom of the basket.

“Amazing,” LoBak whispered.

ShaoShu mumbled, “Thanks,” into his right ankle, which was pressed against his mouth.

LoBak draped the blanket over ShaoShu, set
the saw and cypress branches gently on top, and closed the lid. Then he hoisted the basket onto his back, adjusted the canteen around his neck, and walked through the back door, into HaiZhe's secret world.