The Silver Lotus by Thomas Steinbeck Page B

be left alone with his wife. When Li-Lee had gone, Hammond drew a stool close to the berth and sat quietly watching over his sleeping love. He reached out to touch her hand and was pleased to find it warm and alive. But then a dark cloud settled on his heart as it occurred to him how sparse and sad his life would be without her. Perhaps it was because he was still too tired and couldn’t resist the emotion, but suddenly Captain Hammond found himself openly weeping in gratitude for her safety. He silently promised himself that he would never place her well-being in jeopardy again. Sitting there, Captain Hammond suddenly felt very old and raw-boned. Every muscle in his body begged for relief, and his eyes felt as though they were lubricated with sand. Because he was past fatigue and vulnerable to self-doubt, he blamed himself for everything that had gone wrong. He fell asleep on his arm while holding his wife’s hand. The last thing that floated through his thoughts was a proverb he’d learned in school. He drifted off reciting it to himself. “For the want of a nail the shoe was lost. For the want of a shoe the horse was lost. For the want of a horse the rider was lost. For the want of the rider the battle was lost. For the want of the battle the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”
    Lady Yee awoke to find her husband asleep, head on arm, and holding her hand. He looked like an exhausted little boy who had spent
the afternoon getting as dirty as nature allowed. She smiled and then winced in pain. The left side of her face was badly bruised, and the clotted blood on the lacerations didn’t allow much room for facial movement without discomfort. Then she became aware that her chest hurt badly every time she took a deep breath, and that the pain in her left wrist was caused as much by the swelling of blue flesh against tight bandages as it was by the injury itself. But the one thing that most concerned her was the one subject she refused to even contemplate. The will of heaven would prevail, and she sailed under a lucky star. Even the famous Buddhist astrologer that her father had called in before she departed Canton predicted that Master Yee’s daughter would enjoy a long span of years, be blessed with robust health, and be successful in all things of true importance. Then he said something odd. He looked at his charts and tables again, then foretold that her presence would be as food to the hungry, clothes to the naked, and shelter to the lost. She would foster a thousand souls and nourish the ignorant with wisdom.
    Afterward, as the old astrologer monk was departing the house, he turned to Lady Yee and bowed. He said the reason heaven had granted her long life was that she had such a great deal to accomplish before she died. His expression turned serious when he said the charts were not in error. They indicated that she was born to be a tool of heaven’s will, and thus she would remain all her days. She need not understand, just be who she was with confidence. The rest would take care of itself in time. However, the way she was feeling at the moment precluded all other desires except the “robust health” part of the prediction. She was slowly becoming aware of how much of her body had been traumatized by the fall. She felt like she’d been placed in a barrel and rolled down a mountain, a punishment usually meted out to petty criminals by angry village bailiffs.
    The captain woke with a start, and for a moment believed he was still in the wheelhouse. He called out for course and heading, then
realized where he was, looked about, and found his wife smiling at him despite her discomfort. She could see where his tears had washed channels down his dirty face, and her heart went out to him.
    When asked, she smiled and told him she was feeling much better, which wasn’t true, but she asked for Li-Lee to come and adjust her bandages. Then she shook her head and