The Pearl Ch. 16

A few days into Dakota's time off she, Sebastian, and Mingzhu were watching the television in the rented hotel room. Mingzhu had continued to stay in the hotel room with Dakota. She never said anything, but there seemed to be a certain sadness to her. When pressed, she would only say that to help Dakota was the prime reason she was there, but not the only one.

Dakota ran through the options on the television. As it was well into October most of the offerings were of a spooky nature. Dakota normally enjoyed Halloween, but this year no one found much of a taste for the darker aspects. Several shows with a horror theme were passed over, and the Animal Planet documentary on spiders was immediately rejected. At last, she found a channel running Nightmare Before Christmas, and this was judged to be acceptable.

Sebastian sat back on the couch with Dakota curled up against him. The river was an almost constant presence now, but he could convince it to back off. Even when the river wasn't actively engaged with him, he could feel its lingering energy. Now he felt an intense spike of energy along the river. He recognized it immediately, but he'd never felt this level of vehemence before. He gasped as his body tensed.

Dakota looked over to him, concerned. "What is it?"

"Chang," he whispered. "He's...."

Sebastian didn't get the opportunity to finish his statement as Chang appeared in the room. He was in human form, his back straight, his arms at his sides, and his expression as dark as any of them had ever seen it.

"Is everything here all right?" His tone was mild, in complete contradiction to his mien.

Sebastian nodded. "Yes, it's all..." Sebastian was going to say "all good," but couldn't quite bring himself to commit to that. Instead, he just said, "Right."

"I see." Chang appeared to calm himself, at least some what. His face softened as he regarded the three people in the room. "Is there anything here that requires my immediate attention?"

Sebastian shook his head.

"Very good. I will be back momentarily."

"It's not his fault," Sebastian spoke up. "What happened. The river told me to wait for him, and I didn't and I got screwed. He couldn't have known."

Chang looked thoughtful. "Thank you for telling me. I will take it under advisement." With that, he was gone.

Sebastian thought he now understood why Mingzhu was told to stay with Dakota. He looked over to her and saw the distant look in her eyes.

"Qiang thinks he's on the hook for this, doesn't he? And he's trying to make sure you're out of it when the shit hits the fan?"

Mingzhu looked over. She didn't even try smiling. "He is on the hook for what happened. And Chang will be the one to decide his fate. He was quite angry, wasn't he?"

Part of Sebastian wanted to lie to her, but he couldn't, not about this. "I'm sorry, Ming. He was way past pissed and into territory I've never seen."

Mingzhu nodded and softly started to cry. Dakota went over and comforted her as best she could.

In the Dragon's Garden Qiang stood in the kitchen, chopping vegetables when he felt his lair rent open. He blanched before he caught himself. He set down the knife and walked over to his office.

"Is it time?" Enlai asked as Qiang walked past.

"Yes it is. Please see to the things I asked you about."

Enlai looked down. "Of course."

Qiang entered his office, closed and locked the door, then entered into his lair. He wasn't surprised to find Chang waiting for him as a dragon. Chang glared at Qiang, the fury of a thunderstorm in his eyes, his glittering scales black and foreboding. Qiang looked down, shifted into dragon and summoned his pearl.

"I only ask that you arrange for someone to look after the boy who had been a goldfinch. He is human again, and will require some form of guidance." Qiang then laid his pearl at Chang's claws and rolled over onto his back, exposing his neck and underside to Chang.

Chang regarded the prone dragon for a silent moment, then said, with the slightest humor, "Falling on your sword? That's rather Japanese of you, don't you think?"

When no response was forthcoming, Chang added, "You know, I think I would like some tea and dumplings."

Qiang raised his head. "Tea and dumplings?" he repeated.

Chang gathered up the pearl and returned to human form, cradling it in his arms.

"Yes. I would like a pot of tea and some dumplings. If it is not an inconvenience."

Qiang rolled upright while resuming human form himself. "Of course not. One moment, please."

As he started to leave, Chang asked, "Can I have cream and sugar with that, please?"

Qiang looked back, bewildered. "With tea?"

"Yes," Chang said, taking a seat at the table Qiang had set up. "It's really very good that way. You should try it some time."

"Of course," Qiang muttered as he left his lair and went into the kitchen.

As he was preparing the tea and dumplings, Enlai came back over.

"What's going to happen?" he asked.

Qiang gave him a look of equal parts resignation and bafflement. "I'm not even going to pretend that I have the faintest idea."

Qiang returned to his lair, carrying a tray with the requested items. He poured Chang a cup and himself a cup. He then sat down in the chair opposite and looked down. Chang set the pearl on the table, close to him, and prepared his tea. Then he had some dumplings.

"You know, these really are some of the best dumplings I believe I've ever had. Is the recipe yours?"

"Yes, though I don't prepare them anymore. My head chef, Enlai, prepares them." Qiang looked distant for a moment, though he still faced away. "He's a very fine chef in his own right."

"Is he a friend of yours?"

"Yes, he is," Qiang answered without hesitation. "I suppose the formal arrangement would be referred to as a vassal, but in all honesty, he is my friend. He is Mingzhu's father. His family has worked for me the entire time I've been in America."

Chang nodded and was silent for a time. "What happened?"

"It was a Jorogumo."

Chang looked surprised. "I wasn't aware they were over here."

"They are rare. In my entire time over here, I've only encountered two and there was forty years between the encounters."

"That is good, at least. And the Jorogumo?"

"Is dead, though it was Chad who killed her."

"Not as a goldfinch, I assume?"

"Not for the killing, but it was during this situation he found his way out of the spell."

"Do they know?"

"Sebastian does. I do not know if he has told Dakota."

Chang nodded. "I had hoped he would someday regain human form. I just hadn't expected it so quickly."

Qiang shrugged. "The Jorogumo had the effect of scaring him straight. The future is still uncertain, though."

"You seem to have had dealings with him?" Chang's tone was curious.

"I have. Odd boy, I'll tell you that."

"Yes, he is. Do you think he'll remain upright?"

"Hard to say. It all comes down to his choices. I do think with proper guidance he can be taught. I do not think he'd been properly taught to begin with. Obviously, his choices and actions come down to him. But, from what I've seen of him, he was raised to be what he was. His sudden awakening destabilized him. He seems to be getting his footing, however." He looked over to Chang. "I know I'm in no position to make requests, but please have someone watch over the boy. He is gweilo, yes, and has some of the worse instincts of his race. Nevertheless, he is capable of so much more."

"They all are," Chang responded, looking Qiang in the eye. "The whole human race. Or have the horrors of Tienanmen Square escaped you?"

Qiang looked back down. "Of course not, how could they?"

Chang reached across the table and rested his hand on top of Qiang's. Qiang looked up, startled.

"I want you to understand that. They are all of the same race, regardless of their country. And they are all capable of the same highs and the same lows. Let them draw their petty lines and call each other their petty names and hope they learn wisdom sometime soon. But you are a dragon. You should be above that and already posses that wisdom."

Qiang nodded, humbled. "Yes elder, I will remember that."

Chang smiled. "Good," he said as he rolled Qiang's pearl back to him. "For I have to ask another favor of you. Please watch the boy. He is my responsibility, but given the delicate history I don't feel I can do so."

Qiang caught the pearl. "Are you sure?"

"What, that he's my responsibility? It was my fledgling that awakened him. Of course, he didn't understand what he was doing. However, all his mistakes fall on me."

Qiang shook his head. "No, not that. I mean letting me go."

Chang looked thoughtful. The storm had not entirely left his eyes, but it was mixed with something else. "Truthfully, if you had been the same dragon I encountered on the river tangling with my fledgling, your future would be by no means certain. But you are not. You are remorseful and have tried to correct for what happened. Sebastian lives, as does Dakota, albeit a little worse for wear. And you looked after Chad, something I never even asked you to do. So, yes, I am certain. I neither seek nor impose any punishment. I just ask that you watch over Chad. And try to remember, he is human not gweilo."

Qiang gathered up the pearl into his hands and it vanished. "Thank you, elder."

"My name is Chang, not elder." Chang finished his tea and dumplings. As he rose from his seat, he looked over the Qiang. "Remember this also, Qiang," he said. "Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future." Then he was gone.

By the end of the week, Chad had returned and advised Qiang of the bench warrant. Qiang felt he was as ready as he could be for him.