Golden Age and Other Stories Page 7

  The remnants of the kraken’s body sank at once beneath the wave. The tentacles collapsed limply wheretheylay,orfelloverboard.The RelianttippedsoquicklybackuprightthatCélestewasflungdown intothewater,andstilltrappedbeganthrashing,threatenedwithdrowning,andbegantoscrabbleatthe shipinhisalarm.“Holdstill!”Laurencebellowed,himselfsnatchingupafallenswordashestruggled free.“Céleste,youmustholdstill,oryouwillhaveusalldown!”

  “Iwilltry,onlythisisveryunpleasant!”Célestesaid,butdespitehispanicmanagedtoholdfastto the Reliant’s side without thrashing. She tipped heavily under his grip, but he was buoyant enough that when Laurence had directed him to stretch his body out into the water—surrounded already by a truly frenzied crowd of sharks, who made him yelp unhappily when they mistook his talons for parts of the kraken—theywereabletorightthemselves.RoundLaurenceadozeneagerhandsjoinedintheworkof cutting the ropes loose from the ship, and he climbed out onto Céleste’s neck and there managed to cut awaytheworstofthesailclothtrap.

  Thesurfacebeneathhisfeetlurchedassoonasthefabrichadslidfree,andLaurencehadtograbat thefewremainingropesasCélestelaunchedhimselfofftheshipintotheairwithafuriousbeatingofhis wings.TheworldspunviolentlyroundasLaurenceclungtohismeagerhandhold,hisbodystretchedupon thescaledbackandhisbootsskiddingoverthesurfaceastheyliftedawayfromthepoor Reliant,mauled andraggedamidstthewreckageofthekrakenwithsomanyfishfeedingonitsmassthatthewatersround her were gone silver with their bodies. Wind tore at his hair as the dragon wheeled round, and, breath stolen, Laurence saw beneath him the ocean spread out impossibly vast curved over the surface of the earth,andunsightedislandsgreeninthedistance.

  “Oh,isityou?”Célestesaid,peeringroundathimwithonecockedeye.“Whateverareyoudoing there?”

  “My best not to fall,” Laurence shouted back; but the dragon was leveling out, and he managed to lashhimselfonalittlebetter,withsomeofthecordshehadnotcut.Itwasnothinglikeasecureperch,but anirrepressibleexaltationroseinhimasthoughitwishedtolifthisbreastboneoutofhischest.

  HehadtoshouttoRiley,climbeduptothetops,tosendaboatforhimtothenearestatoll:therewas noveryreliablewayforCélestetosethimdownonthedeck,norcouldhesimplydiveoffandswimto theshipwiththeinfestationofsharksallround.Célestesethimdownonabeachnotfaraway,however, and when they had bathed thoroughly—they had both been thoroughly besmirched by the innards of the kraken—theysettledtogetheruponthesandtowaitfortheboat.

  Laurence put his hand on Céleste’s foreleg; the dragonscale was warm and living to the touch, resilient but not hard. Gratitude warmed him through, at unexpected grace: the Reliant would certainly havebeenpulleddown,ifnotforthedragon’shelp,andLaurencewouldunhesitatinglyhavesacrificed lifeandreputationtosavehisshipandcrew.Hecouldnothelpbutfeelthathehadbeenofferedatest, unknowing, and having chosen to spare the dragon at that cost, had found himself rewarded for it. He knewitirrational,buthecouldnotrepressthesensation.

  “IcannotsaythatIamfondofkraken,evenifthey arebiggerthanwhales,”Célesteremarked.“They donottastenearlyasnice,andaremuchmorequarrelsome.Butthatwasveryexciting,”thisonafaintly wistfulnote.“OfcourseIdonotwanttoruinanymoreships,andyouneedn’tthinkIwouldeverbreakmy promise,butitisquiteboringonlysittingroundanislandallday.”Hesighedandputhisheaddown.

  Laurencepausedandlookedoveratthedragon.“Céleste,”hesaidslowly,“wouldyoueverthinkof joiningtheCorps?TheAerialCorps,Imean,”headded,asthedragonlookedoverathim.“Asafighting-dragon.”

  “Oh!” Céleste said, with dawning excitement. “Like that story you told me, of Vigo Bay!” He had beenveryenthusiasticaboutanystoriesLaurencecouldtellhimofdragonsinbattle.“Imightgotothe Corps?”

  “Ihaveneverheardthatdragonsarerecruitedtotheservice,beingratherhatchedintoit,butIcannot supposethattheywouldrefuseyou,wereyouwilling.ItwillbeapuzzletogetyoutoEurope,”Laurence said.“ButIsupposeitmightbemanagedwithapontoon-raft,ifalittleawkwardly.”

  “I should not like to leave Galant and Mikli and all my friends,” Céleste said, after a moment’s consideration,“butIdaresaysomeofthemmightcaretojointheCorpstoo.Andyouwouldbethere,of course.”

  Laurenceopenedhismouthtosayhewasanavalofficer,andnotanaviator;buthefoundhedidnot wishtomakehisexcuses.“Iwillcertainlyseeyouthere,”hesaidslowly.“IamafraidIdonotknowhow captaincyismanaged,intheCorps;theremaybeaquestionofseniority.Iaminadifferentservice.”

  “Well,Idonotcarehowtheyhavemanagedit,”Célestesaidfirmly.“Iftheydonotwanttoletme haveyou,Isupposewemayalwaysgoonsomewhereelse,mayn’twe?ButImustthinkwhattodowith my treasure. Of course I will not take all of it away from the others; I do not mean to be greedy, and everyoneelsedidhelp,butIdonotsupposeanyonecanarguethat halfofitismine,atleast.”

  Laurencelaughedsuddenly;hesupposedthatwithafortuneonthescaleofCroesusevenadragon mightbewelcomewhereverhelikedtogo.“Onlyyouwillfinditdifficulttotransport,”hesaid,amused.

  “Oh,no,”Célestesaid,serenely.“Wehavegotfiveoftheshipsafloatagain.Ihavenotthoughtof anythingtodowiththem,before,butIamsuretheywillbeveryusefulnow.”

  Succession

  (artbyStephanieMendoza)

  THEREWASNOshortageofwarning.Qianbegantofeelvaguelyunsettledevenbeforethedecorations hadentirelybeenclearedfromthecelebrationoftheegg’sformation.Shehadchosentobeginearlyinthe spring,withtheapprovalofthecourtphysiciansandastrologers,andbythetimetheflowershadfinished droppingfromtheplumtreesinthepalacegardens,shewascertain.Shewatchedthepetalsfloatingpast herpaviliononthedriftingcurrentofthewater,ephemeral,andsaidnothingtoanyone.Therewasnothing tosay,shetoldherself.Perhapsshewasmistaken.Somuchcouldyetgowrong.

  Butthedaysmarchedonwardandnomischanceoccurred.Andshecouldnotregretit.Butsheknew thatotherswould.Soshesaidnothing.Hercompanionwasgone,herEmperor,herbelovedHongliwith hiscoolwisdomandsternmajesty;hewasgone.Hissonwaskindandallthatwasrespectful,andshe honoredhim;butshecouldnotopenherhearttohim,andhehadhisowncompanion.Shekeptthesecret likeapearlheldinthemouth.

  The first storm of rejoicing had passed. Now a mood of suppressed anxiety surrounded her. Her attendants sang peaceful, calming songs each morning and proffered the very best the palace kitchens couldproduce,carefullysupervisedbythephysicians:coolingsherbets,heapsoffruitandgrain,andlight repastsoffishandfowlwithallthebonesremoved.

  The Emperor had not wished to ask it of her, but there was no other choice. Her grandfather Lung Tien Fai had been too old to try even during her own Emperor’s illustrious reign. Her uncle Ming had neversiredanegg,andafterthedisgraceofPrinceYunreng,Zhihadnotevenbeenwillingtotry.Hehad bought his prince some freedom by agreeing to stand as the Yongzheng Emperor’s companion at his coronation,butithadonlyeverbeenapolitefiction,andeversinceYunreng’sdeath,hehadrefusedflatly to emerge from seclusion, or to have anything more to do with the world. It had required some twelve years of matings on her brother Chu’s part, with twenty-three separate Imperial concubines, only to producepoor,ill-fatedLien.Noonecouldaskhimtotryagainaftersuchadisaster.
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  AndChu’segghadcausedherownmother’suntimelydeath,hardeninginthesac.Xianhadclawed herself open to save it being crushed during the laying, after the physicians refused to act. The egg had survived, but infection and fever had taken her not two weeks later. No one had forgotten the dreadful event.NoonespokeofXianinherhearingthesedaysatall,fullofworryandsuperstition.

  ButQianthoughtofheragreatdeal.Astheweekscreptonward,shespentmostofherdaysinthe PavilionofTenThousandSprings,whichhadbeenhermother’sfavoriteretreat,althoughsheknewher attendants were dismayed. She watched the reflections of the willow trees shivering in the water, and rememberedhermothergazingjustso,afterChu’segghadfirstformed.

  Qianhadlongrespectedhermother’scourage,butwithafaintsensationofdoubt.Shehadofcourse sharedallthenaturalfeelingforafragile,helplesseggwhichanypersonofproprietyandhonoroughtto have,butXian’schoicehadnotseemedthecourseoftruewisdom.Surelythebetterchoicewouldhave been to release the egg at once, when it had shown the first signs of untimely hardening, even if its developmentwasnotsofarforwardasitoughttohavebeen.Theshellmighthavebeenreinforcedwith clay,andanattentivewatchwouldhavebeenkeptuponitdayandnight.AndXianherselfwouldhave been preserved for both the sake of the nation and for the chance of another attempt. The most eminent scholarsandphysicianshadsoconcluded,inthestudythatheremperorhadorderedduringtheaftermath ofmourning.Qianhadseennoreasontoquestiontheirfindings.

  Butnowsheunderstood,andunderstoodalsohermother’ssilence.

  When the weather turned towards summer, the Emperor sent the court physician to address any concernsshemighthaveoverthedevelopmentoftheegg,withhiscompliments.Shewasinthegarden again when the attendants came to inform her that the physician was at the gates with his retinue. She should have sent for him before, she knew. Entirely aside from the anxiety over her health, there were manypoliticalconsiderations.Shemightputthoseasidenow,withherEmperorinhistomb,butothers would not. Even in her general retreat, she had heard the whispers moving through the court, with increasingforce:noegghadformed,ithadallbeenasham;thelineofCelestialswasfailing;therewould benocompanionforPrinceMianning.Manywhispereditwithmaliciousglee.

  Inresignation,shetoldherservantsshewouldreceivehim.Shereturnedtoherpavilionandallowed thephysiciantoexamineher.Heputhishandsuponherhideandpalpatedwithexquisitecaution,putting hisearhorndelicatelyagainsthersideandclosinghiseyestobetterhear.Herattendantswereallwaiting anxiously, and his own servants and apprentices also, and relief passed over them like a visible wave whenheannouncedbeamingly,“Theeggisexceedinglywell-formed,andofacharmingsize,”meaning thatitwassmall,butnotdangerouslyso.

  But he was not the imperial physician for nothing: he continued along her side, feeling for the extremity of the sac, and his smiles abruptly faded. Qian lowered her head and did not look round. He continuedtofeeloverhersidecarefully,andinamomenthesaidslowly,“Celestialone,maythishumble physician inquire if it is possible that a second egg has formed?” He knew, of course, that she would know.

  “Yes,”Qiansaid.“PerhapsyouwouldbesokindastoinformtheEmperor.”

  Hebowedanddepartedimmediately,ofcourse,withallhisretinue.Qiansaid,“Howhotitseemsto mesuddenly.Iwouldbegratefulofsomecoolrefreshment,”andherattendantsallhurriedawayatonce toprepareandtogossip,whereshecouldnothearthem,andlefthertoherprivacy,atleast,evenifthey hadtakenthesecretfromheratlast.

  The days afterwards seemed to roll away with enormous speed. The diet prepared for her shifted fromdaytodaywiththeunseenargumentsofthephysicians;oncesheevencametoherpavilionalittle earlyandfoundtheservantshastilyclearingawayonebreakfastuneaten,andlayingoutanotherofentirely different dishes. For a week, they pressed enormous meals of stewed marrowbones and crushed bone uponher;thenfearofearlyhardeningreasserteditself,andallmeatdisappearedforanotherweek.

  Qian nodded when the scholars came to offer her their advice, ate what seemed appetizing, and ignoredtherest.Shehadlongsincelearnedthevirtueofrefusingtoargue.Ifshefeltparticularlyhungry forsomething,shewhisperedaquietwordtodearPrincessHexiao,whohadcometobearhercompany; she had been one of Hongli’s favorite daughters. The dish would appear without ceremony, beside the delicatesprayofthewillowtrees.Theeggscontinuedtodeveloptogether,inharmony.Shecouldfeelthe heartbeats like small urgent messenger drums accompanying the thunder of her own, fading gradually awayastheshellsthickened.Increasingly,shedidnotfear.

  Thelayingbecamenearlyananticlimax.Shewokeintheearlyhours.Sheroseandwentoutsideinto thedeep,coolwaterofherbathingpool,letitcradleher,andtheeggsslippedeasilyandquicklyforth, floatingtothesurface.Starsyetlingeredinreflectionsaroundthem.Theyhadremainedalittlesmaller, butshenosedthemoverwithsatisfaction,rollingthemoverinthewater:theywerebothperfect.Thenshe raisedhervoiceandcalledtotheattendants,whocameoutrubbingtheireyesandstumblinginthedark, andonlybelatedlyfelltotheirkneesandbegansingingawelcometotheeggs,whilethecushionedcarts werehastilyrolledoutsoshemightlaytheeggsoneafteranotherontotheirwaitingbeds.

  Shespentthenextweekinamindlessjoy,coiledaroundthepreciouseggs.Manycametopaytheir respects,butshecouldnothavesaidwhocameandwhodidnot.Ofcourseshenotedtheoccasionwhen PrinceMianningcame.Hehadexpressedhisgratitudetoherbefore,whenshehadfirstchosentomake theattempt.Nowhecameandprostratedhimself,formally,andaskedherpermissiontoseetheeggs.He gazed upon them both and said, “They are equally splendid, Celestial One. Indeed, they appear quite identical.”

  “Yes,”Qiansaid,stilltoohappytothink,andunabletorestrainherselffromboasting,“Idonotthink anyonecouldfindanythingtocriticizeineither.”

  He prostrated himself once more before departing, and said nothing else, but by that afternoon, disquietreturned.Shelookeduponhertwoeggs,hertwomagnificenteggs.Noonehadfoundanythingto criticize.Theyhadbeenexaminedthoroughly,withstronglightsshinedbrieflythroughtheshell:twomale dragonets,bothwelldeveloped,mirrorimagesofoneanother;andtheirhideswerequiteplainlydark.No onebutherselfcouldevendistinguishbetweenthetwo.Thatonehadbeenlaidsomethreeminutesbefore theother,andtherewasafaintlydifferentshadetothespecklingdevelopinguponthesecondegg’slarger curvewhereithadoccasionallyrestedagainsttheboneofherhip.Nooneelseseemedabletoperceive thedifference,however.

  Shedidnotchoosetohaveanopiniononthefiercestquestionspresentlydividingthecourt.Prince Yongxing had on several occasions probed her thoughts, and she had admitted him to her company and allowed the attempt, but she kept those thoughts deliberately unformed. She had met some few of the EuropeanswhohadcometopaytheirrespectstotheEmperor,ofcourse;shehadmanyhandsomegifts fromthemdisplayedinherprivatecollection,inparticularonecharmingtoyofaminiatureclockwhich oneveryhouropeneditsfacetoallowadragontoemergeandsingapeculiarandincomprehensiblesong, to nearly inexhaustible hilarity. But that did not shape her feelings towards them. She understood quite welltheconcernswhichhadmadeherEmperordenythemthecloserintercoursewithChinawhichthey desired,andthoseconcernshadnotbeendiminishedbythepassageoftheyears.

  ButHonglihadoncesaidtoher,reviewinganotherlavishtribute,“Howmanygiftstheyhavesent thisyea
r!ItseemstomethattheshipsthatcomemustbelargerthanwhenIwasyoung.”Hehadbeenan oldmanthen,greyinthegardenbesideher;hehadalreadyformallyretiredfromthethrone,althoughof coursehecontinuedtorule.Hehadnevermaderemarksbyaccident.Shehadaskedidlyforapainterto make her a landscape of Macau harbor, afterwards, and studied the alteration in the ships thoughtfully.

  Theywereindeedlargerthaninformerdays,andtheyseemedtocarrymanycannon.

  Mianning, she knew, felt strongly that they must reach out and lay a heavy calming hand upon the waterswhichthoseshipswerestirring.Hewasayoungman,ofcourse,withayoungman’senergyand courage,butitdidnotfollowthathewaswrong.NorwasshepreparedtodismissYongxing’sobjections to the outrageous behavior of the barbarian merchants smuggling in opium and ignoring the laws of the monarchtheycourtedsoassiduously.Theseweremattersforotherstoresolve,however,nother.

  Or had been. She gazed at her eggs again. When the Jiaqing Emperor had asked her to make the attempt, she knew it was not an act without weight. It had not been precisely a decision, yet. After all, someone must come to the throne, and that heir would require a Celestial companion. Prince Mianning was the only plausible companion at present, but many years might go forward without a formal commitment,yearsduringwhichpoliticalopponentsmightcontinuetohopeforayoungerprincetorisein competition.

  But it had been very near a decision. The Emperor’s health was growing uncertain, and his only othersonwasveryyoung.HehadwishedtogiveamarkofsupporttoMianning,andtosmooththecourse ofalikelysuccessionwhichmightotherwiseeruptintothehorroroffamilialstrifeandevencivilwar.He didnotwishtofirmlycomedownupononesideoranotherinthecentralargument,buttosendamessage that the stability of the state outweighed in importance all other considerations. And she had agreed, sharingthatopinionwholeheartedly.