The Deaths of Tao (27 page)

“I could have used that advice five minutes ago!”

Lin turned away and disappeared from the ledge. Swearing, Roen picked himself up and went up onto the rooftop. He found Lin sitting on the ground with his back to him. Roen knew his master wasn’t meditating. The old guy thought meditating – like yoga and baseball and white wine – was for pansies. He sat down on the ground across from Lin.

“You move quieter than you used to,” Lin remarked as he approached. “Not like a three legged bull in a china shop anymore.”

“I think there’s a direct correlation between moving quietly and long life. For some reason, when I move too loud, people try to kill me,” Roen said.

“Is Master Tao well? Has he been pleased with your progress?”

“You’ll have to ask him, Master, but he tells me I’m the greatest thing since the invention of the toilet.”

“Like the toilet, you both are full of shit.”

You stepped into that one.
 

Lin became solemn, looking very serene and masterly. “I have one more thing to teach you. The last piece of your training.”

“Like the dim mak?”

“Stupid boy. Every move I have is a dim mak. That’s why I’m the master.” Lin swung at him with his stick. Roen blocked it and grinned. He wiped that smirk off his face when Lin scowled. Subdued, Roen moved closer and allowed Lin to give him a light thump on the back of the head. “Come, let’s see how much you’ve forgotten.”

They stood up and moved to the center of the roof. Lin began the Chen 42 form. Roen joined in, running through the movements he’d worked through thousands of times, from Six Sealing to Buddha Pounds Mortar through to White Crane Spreads Wings. It had been years since he practiced, but it came rushing back like an old memory.

Goodness, you are rusty. San Feng is rolling in his grave.
 

“Why do you always talk like every host before me is continually rotating in the dirt?”

By the time Roen hit the second segment of the form, Lin had stopped and was watching him flow through the movements. Roen could feel his master’s judging eyes make note of every little mistake.

“Sloppy,” was all he said. “You are a bigger oaf than when we met. How is that even possible? Are your parents alive? If they are, they would be ashamed.”

Roen continued working through the form. He knew what game Lin was playing. He moved into cloud hands, feeling the energy course from the base of his feet up to his fingers, and began Parting the White Horse’s Mane.

“Could you move any less smoothly? I feel like I’m watching a video on YouTube on a dial-up.”

So Lin discovered the Internet finally?
 

“Appears so.”

Roen, being used to Lin’s snide comments, kept his face neutral.

“Has Master Tao forgiven Edward yet for leaving him with you? We know the Keeper sure hasn’t. What is your son’s name? What is five plus seven?”

“Cameron and twelve. And I don’t remember Edward ever asking for forgiveness.”

“What is your mission here in Taiwan?”

“We are searching for a large Genjix trade operation. We’re also hoping to find Dylan as well, Master,” Roen responded. “He escaped from
Atlantis
before it was captured.”

Fair Maiden Works Shuttles to Lazily Tying Coat back to Six Sealing.

“You haven’t been practicing.”

“I’ve been a little busy. You know, getting married, having a kid, fighting a war to prevent alien world domination.”

“From what I heard, you’ve been doing a pretty lousy job at all three.”

Roen stumbled out of Sparrow Dashes Earth Dragon and temporarily lost his train of thought. Biting his lip, he emptied his mind and continued.

That one cut a little deep.
 

“You don’t say. One more snarky remark about my family and I’ll...”

...do nothing. Remember what happened the last time you two scuffled?
 

“I wasn’t ready last time.”

I actually believe Lin has improved, scary as that thought might be.
 

“He’s still a miserable old man.”

Better miserable old than miserable young.
 

“Did your brain just have a fart?” Lin chortled, obviously enjoying himself. He saw the kink in Roen’s armor and had zeroed in on it. “Your wife tracked me down once when you were on one of your fool’s errands. Asking me if I knew where you were. Said you disappeared.”

“I was on a mission for Tao, Master. I had no choice.”

“Is that so? I venerate Master Tao as much as any, considering he is the father of Tai Chi, but if anyone told me to abandon my wife and young child, I would tell them to feed themselves to drunk pandas.”

“Pandas are vegetarians, Master Lin.”

“Shut up!”

Roen felt his hands involuntarily clench, disrupting the flow of his chi. And as much as he tried to stay relaxed, his reservoir of calm had become precariously low. He counted down from fourteen. And then he did it again to no avail.

Hold it together. This is only a test. You know that.
 

“Maybe I should offer to adopt your son. He deserves a father after all. Though with your genes, I have little hope of him ever accomplishing anything.”

Roen’s lip bled as his teeth gnashed down on them. It was all he could do to force himself to go through Wave Double Lotus.

“You failed me years ago. So now you will fail Jill, your son, and Tao. Your fatherless boy will probably grow up to be a hateful punk who will be a useless blight on society and probably try to rob me when I’m too old to teach him a lesson.”

“Don’t talk about my son like that,” Roen roared. Skipping the last few moves, he lashed out at Lin’s stupid ugly beard. He whiffed as Lin pulled back and counterattacked. Roen ate a smack to the face. A common saying for an old fighter was that power was the last thing to go, and in Lin’s case, it was true. The guy still hit like a Mack truck. A few years ago, a blow like that would have buckled Roen’s knees and crumpled him to the ground, but now he was made of tougher stuff. With a healthy dose of rage added in, he was practically impervious to pain.

He walked through the blow and smashed a Buddha Pounds Mortar down on Lin’s shoulder. Lin spun away and followed up with three quick blows to Roen’s solar plexus. Then he grabbed both of Roen’s elbows, pulled, and bounced him three meters back. Roen landed with a hard thud and skidded another five from the force.

He actually is better than he was. Impressive.
 

“Stop commentating and help me!”

When two of my students fight, I stay out of it.
 

With a growl, Roen charged again, throwing rapid combinations of kicks and punches, possibly landing two hits out of the five. Their exchange was blinding as the two stood close together, throwing bombs with their hands and feet. Combat is like kissing, Lin often said. In this case with two high level practitioners, the melee was more like a game of high-speed chess. They covered the entire rooftop, constantly retreating and feinting to get the upper hand.

Roen had a few new tricks up his sleeve and he unloaded all of them at once. Some of them even worked. A particularly sneaky spinning back elbow popped Lin right on the mouth. Unfortunately for him, Lin spat out the blood and smirked.

“Cute,” was all he said before they engaged again. The rest of Roen’s tricks were decidedly less successful. His Superman punch left him exposed and rewarded him with a bloody lip. His Fanzi fist combination got him popped in the ear, and his flying scissor takedown attempt actually left Lin standing over him roaring with laughter.

You should break. This is a losing situation.
 

Tao was right. Their fighting styles were too similar and Lin was smarter, stronger, and faster. He was able to predict what Roen was going to do before he even thought of it. Slowly, Roen was forced to retreat. He was landing one for every ten against Lin. Every time he tried to break away, the old fox was right in his face. Finally, he made the mistake of overreaching on a left hook. Lin trapped both of his arms, gave him one measured grin, and then slapped him hard across the face.

“That’s enough,” Lin said calmly. Roen’s face contorted into a snarl before another slap hit him so hard he ended up facing backwards. “I said that’s enough.” Then his master locked him in a choke hold and dragged him to the ground. Feeling himself losing consciousness, Roen tapped Lin’s leg.

“I don’t know what that means,” Lin’s chuckled. “It’s terrible foreplay though.”

Just as Roen’s vision darkened, Lin released his grip. Roen collapsed onto his back and heaved huge gulps of air. Lin stood over him and waited for him to recover.

“Don’t you know that tapping is the universal sign of surrendering during a submission?” Roen gasped in between breaths.

“Maybe in your professional wrestling, but in combat, we wait until our opponent is dead. I just saved your life by not killing you.”

And then for the first time, Roen saw something new in Lin’s eyes: sadness. He was actually pitying him! Lin was not one to get emotional, but to show pity was the worst thing he could do to Roen.

“I have failed you as a teacher,” Lin looked resigned.

Roen sat up, legs still sprawled on the floor. He gingerly touched the right side of his jaw. “I don’t know. I thought I was doing pretty well, at least for a while.”

Lin snorted. “I’m not talking about your fighting. You’ve been good at that for years. Never good enough to best a true master, but adequate enough for me to acknowledge you as my student.”

“Thanks, I think.”

That is the nicest thing he has ever said to you.
 

“Really? That’s it?”

What do you want, a colorful belt?
 

Lin put a hand on Roen’s shoulder. “I have given you the skills to be great, but not the mind. Your focus is weak. Too easily angered and you are fighting for the wrong causes.”

“I’m fighting for the Prophus!” Roen protested. “That’s what you trained me for.”

“I did not train you to be Master Tao’s puppet.”

I resent that.
 

“Yeah, so do I!”

“I am no one’s...” Roen snapped.

“Come,” Lin interrupted him. He turned and walked away, leaving Roen to hurry after him.

“Where are we going?” Roen asked.

“I am hungry. I was waiting for you to have dinner but it took you too long to find me.”

They left the house and walked down the mountain to a line of street vendors in a small market. There, Lin ordered two hot bowls of congee and they feasted on the mushy rice filled with strange-looking herbs and spices. It took Roen a while to get used to using chopsticks with the porridge. Lin enjoyed watching him drop half of his meal onto his lap.

“Two left hands and ten thumbs,” he smirked.

“Eating congee with chopsticks is unnatural,” Roen grumbled.

“Do you have a picture of your son?” Lin asked, mouth full as he slurped the soupy meal.

Roen pulled out his family picture and showed it to Lin, his chest swelling with pride.

“Strong legs,” Lin observed. “A good base. Perfect for Hsing Yi.”

“I’m not letting him anywhere close to the Quasing,” Roen said sharply.

You do not want to pass me down like an heirloom?
 

“I’ll get him a Rolex instead.”

I come far cheaper. Will only cost your life.
 

Lin finished his breakfast and picked his teeth with his fingers in a way only an old person could get away with. “Why not? You do not approve of yourself?”

“What kind of a father wouldn’t want their kid to fight an alien war. And not only that, they get zero benefits, crappy health care, and a paycheck a paperboy would laugh at.”

“I see,” Lin replied thoughtfully. “You fight for your wife and son?”

“Of course.”

“Then why did you leave them?”

Roen felt his anger boiling up inside again. “First of all, she left me. And second of all, because I had to. Tao told me–”

“Why is Tao dictating your life? Isn’t that what the Genjix do?”

Hey, I resent that even more. Tell Lin he is dead to me.
 

Roen opened his mouth to tell Lin exactly what Tao thought of his words but his master had already finished his meal and stepped away from the counter. Roen looked down at his three-quarters eaten bowl and then back at Lin already walking back up the hill. Finally, he scooped one last mouthful of congee, paid for both meals, and hurried after Lin.

“That’s the final lesson you must learn,” Lin said without turning when Roen caught up. “A true master must know when to do the right thing. You are lazy and just listen to Tao.”

“Shouldn’t you be on his side?” Roen asked.

“I’m on humanity’s side,” Lin replied. “Always have been. It’s just that the Prophus usually fight with us. Now go away. I am tired.”

“What about that final lesson?”

Lin grinned. “That was it.”

“What does that have anything to do with Tai Chi?”

Lin shrugged. “It doesn’t. Your Tai Chi is good enough. The lesson is about being a good person.”

They stopped at the intersection and Lin held out a hand. Surprised, Roen shook it. “After this mission, boy, go home. Your family needs you more than the Prophus do. No matter what, they should come first.” And with that, Lin turned to go.

“Hey, Master,” Roen called out. “You know, we’re a little short-handed. Think you’re up for helping your old pals out one more time? You know, for old time’s sake?”

Lin turned around and for the first time that Roen could recall, his smile was genuine and warm. And then he shook his head. “My fight is over. I do not expect to ever see you again, Roen Tan. Good journey, my son. Honor your ancestors and Master Tao. Now, you have a war to fight and I have a retirement to enjoy.”