The Ruined City

The Ruined City — page 5 — The boy bowed even more deeply and fled He’s a good boy Kun said to the tall elegant woman seated cross-legged on the other side of the low table But his mind is always on either that kitchen girl Ting and her pet dog or on his crazy dream of becoming a wushu master He smiled at his guest One day he will do great things the woman predicted Her snow-white hair hung straight over her shoulders framing a gentle high-cheekboned face She returned Kun’s smile with gray eyes that hinted she could read his most intimate thoughts I would like that day to be while he still makes and serves my tea The emperor’s smile faded and his brow furrowed He pulled at his beard thoughtfully But we have more important things to talk of than tea Are the auguries true Jingshen nodded slowly The signs are all there The time of danger threatens to unleash the power of the Golden Mask Sanxingdui is facing doom But how can that be How can the City of Masks be in danger It is the center of the world It has endured for a thousand thousand years And are we not protected by the Golden Mask A thousand years is but a blink of the eye and the Golden Mask does not simply protect us It is not good or evil it is naked power and power can destroy as easily as create We are safe from the mask’s power only so long as it resides within the Chamber of the Deep I know The ancient prophecy clearly states the emperor closed his eyes to aid remembrance The horrors of darkness may not endure the light while the Golden Mask resides in the Chamber of the Deep 4 john wilson

The Ruined City — page 6 — This is true Jingshen agreed And you know as well as I Kun went on that the Chamber of the Deep may be entered and the Golden Mask approached only by one of the three you me or Shenxian Jingshen sat silent for a long time but she had a look of such worry on her face that Kun was scared to ask what troubled troubled her When she finally spoke her voice was so quiet that the emperor had to lean forward to catch her words Last night I dreamed that the Min Mountains fell and that from their ruins arose a terrible demon of unimaginable power she said The land vanished in great floods and fires and the world was reduced to dust ashes and rocks The time of danger is coming Yes and it is very close Does Shenxian know this Kun forced himself to whisper If I dreamed it then so did Shenxian The emperor rubbed his temples as if to erase the terri fying thoughts running through his brain But still he said at last Shenxian cannot act alone Two of the three of us must recite the sacred incantation at the same instant to release the Golden Mask from its jade pillar True but you don’t know all of the ancient prophecy Jingshen clutched her hands together to prevent them from trembling The horrors of darkness may not endure the light while the Golden Mask resides in the Chamber of the Deep Yet at the time of danger when the mountains fall in the reign of Skyfire the courage of life-in-death may unlock the Arch until the return of the Ivory Ark 5 the ruined city

The Ruined City — page 7 — How can mountains fall The earth shakes when the gods are angry she said simply Why not enough that mountains fall Kun shrugged unconvinced Even if that is possible the sky cannot be on fire and the dead cannot live to be courageous What happened the year you were born For a moment the emperor was confused and then he realized what Jingshen was asking A great star fell to earth he replied Its fall was so bright that it could be seen at noon Do the chronicles not say that it was as if the sky was ablaze Kun’s voiced dropped They do So the reign of Skyfire is when I am emperor Yes and is Shenxian not the high priest who can speak with the dead as if they were standing beside him alive And has he not proven his courage in battle many times Kun took a deep breath So when the mountains fall during my reign as emperor Shenxian will be able to put on the Golden Mask without our aid Jingshen nodded But what is the Ivory Ark That I do not understand But whatever it is it is important The pair sat in worried silence as the sun rose and the shadows fled down the walls of the imperial tearoom It seemed to Kun that they mirrored the darkness that was falling across his reign and the entire future of Sanxingdui He had almost plucked up enough courage to ask Jingshen 6 john wilson

The Ruined City — page 8 — what could be done when the silence was shattered by a highpitched highpitched yapping Kun leapt to his feet in surprise as a small brown dog shot into the room and tore around in circles The dog had long hair a shaggy tail droopy ears and a squashed face that made it look as if it had run at full speed into a wall Its pink tongue hung out flapping wetly from side to side as it ran Kun spun around to the doorway where a young girl dressed in the same uniform as Chen stood with her eyes and mouth open wide in horror Ting he shouted How many times have I told you to keep that foul smelly beast under control Dogs are for work to catch rats to stand guard and to hunt not to be pampered overbred pets for kitchen girls who do not know their place Remove it from the sacred tearoom immediately We shall talk about what is to be done with it later Jingshen watched serenely as Ting chased the animal around the room shouting Come here Fu Bad dog At last she grabbed a leg drew the protesting creature into her arms and retreated bowing As she disappeared out the door she was replaced by Chen who was carrying a tray with an ornate teapot and two cups on it He shuffled across the room bent forward his eyes staring only at the mat in front of his feet Chen Have I not warned you enough about keeping that dog under control Kun demanded as he sat back down It cannot live in the palace if it disrupts everything Chen looked about to burst into tears as he bowed even lower 7 the ruined city

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