Snake by Jeff Stone Page A

your eyes on the trail while I'm gone, just in case someone comes along. We don't want any surprises.”
    Fu growled, low and deep. “A visit from Ying tonight would be one of the best surprises of my life.”

T onglong raced through the moonlight atop his pitch-black stallion. His wet silk robe and pants clung to his body, his long, heavy ponytail braid slapping his back in rhythm with the horse's powerful strides. He had to hurry.
    Tonglong needed to get to the Emperor's summer palace and back to the bandit stronghold in a reasonable amount of time. He didn't want Ying to get suspicious, especially since he'd already accomplished his objective as far as Ying was concerned—find out where the young monks were headed. They were headed to Kaifeng, and that was all Ying needed to know. For now, at least.
    Tonglong gripped the sack in front of him, and acrooked smile rose to his thin lips. He wondered who would be more surprised in the coming days, the Emperor when he was handed his nephew's head or Ying when he found out who had delivered it— and why.

S eh awoke with a jerk, the pit of his stomach tingling. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. In the bright morning sunshine, he saw the white monkey sitting in a nearby tree, staring at Malao. Fu lay next to Malao, snoring.
    Seh decided he must have fallen asleep soon after building a small fire to warm Malao. That was several hours ago. A pile of coals in front of Fu and Malao was all that was left. Seh scanned the area, trying to pick up signs of Ying or his troops. He sensed nothing.
    The monkey climbed down, and Seh saw that it carried four long sticks with numerous round objects skewered along each. They were mushroom caps. Themonkey dropped the mushroom skewers next to the campfire remains, then sat down beside Malao.
    Seh watched, ready to intervene, as the white monkey gently shook Malao like it was trying to wake him. Malao didn't respond.
    Seh glanced at the ground around Malao's injured leg. It was dry. At least Malao was no longer bleeding.
    The white monkey reached out and began to rub the back of Malao's head. It appeared as though the monkey was mimicking a pressure point massage used to revive an unconscious person. It was the same technique Gao had used to revive the bandit swordsman outside the stronghold.
    I wonder where it learned that,
Seh thought.
I should have thought to try it.
He sat up, and the white monkey lifted its paw off Malao's short black hair. The monkey bared its teeth. Seh noticed it was staring at his left wrist.
    Seh looked down and saw the beauty snake's head poking out of his sleeve. He covered it. He wasn't sure if the monkey was having trouble with him or the snake. Either way, Seh didn't want to take any chances.
    “Hey, Fu,” Seh said. “Wake up.”
    Fu didn't flinch.
    Seh glanced around and saw a fist-sized rock behind him. He grabbed it and lobbed it at Fu. It bounced off Fu's sizable stomach.
    Fu groaned and scratched his belly.
    “Wake up, Pussycat,” Seh said.
    Fu sniffed the air, and his eyes snapped open. He sat up and turned toward the white monkey. Thewhite monkey stared at Fu but showed no signs of aggression.
    Fu waved one hand in front of his nose. “That monkey needs a bath more than Malao does. When did it show up?”
    “Just now,” Seh said. He pointed to the mushrooms. “It brought those, then tried to wake up Malao. It looked like it was trying to massage the base of Malao's skull.”
    “Good idea,” Fu said. “Did it work?”
    “It's a monkey, Fu,” Seh replied. “Of course it didn't work. I want to try, but I don't think the monkey will let me get near Malao. You're going to have to do it.”
    Fu looked at the large, one-eyed monkey and hesitated, then grunted and leaned over Malao. The white monkey watched intently but didn't interfere as Fu cradled Malao's head in his hands and began to massage the pressure point.
    “Mmmpf,” Malao mumbled.
    “Hey!” Fu said. “It's working!” He