Tiger (19 page)

Fu growled again. Malao giggled.

Hok closed his eyes. “We'll be finished in a few moments, Malao. I only have a few more things to say.” He opened his eyes and looked at Fu. “I agree that we still need more information before we pass judgment. At the same time, I think you should give Ying's story some thought. Ying is many things to many people, but I've never known him to be a liar.”

“He
is
a liar!” Fu roared. “A liar, a thief, and a
murderer! How can you defend Ying like this? He is responsible for the deaths of our brothers and the destruction of our home!”

“I'm not defending Ying's actions,” Hok said. “I'm only sharing information with you. There is something else you should know. Something important. We know that Ying destroyed our temple and killed our brothers because of his hatred toward Grandmaster. I assumed his hatred stemmed from the death of his best friend and our dear brother Luk last year, but it seems that was only part of it. Ying also believes that his own father was killed by Grandmaster.”

“What?” Fu said. “That's nonsense.”

“Fu, listen carefully,” Hok said. “According to Ying, Grandmaster killed his father in order to steal the secret dragon scrolls. All we really know about Grandmaster is that he came to Cangzhen with amazing, never-before-seen dragon kung fu techniques. Those techniques came from those scrolls, and those scrolls are ancient. Grandmaster did not write them himself. They had to come from somewhere. And if Ying's father was a dragon-style master, it would explain why Ying has always yearned to be a dragon himself.”

“This is crazy,” Fu said.

“I know it sounds crazy,” Hok said. “But it could very well be true.”

“I still don't believe it. Not if it came from Ying's forked tongue.”

“Would you believe someone else?” Hok asked.

“Perhaps,” Fu said. “But who is left alive that could tell us more about Cangzhen's history?”

“I've been thinking a lot about that question,” Hok replied, “because I want to believe that Ying's claims are false. I think perhaps the monks at Shaolin could help. After all, Cangzhen was founded by Shaolin monks.”

“That's a great idea!” Malao said. “I've always wanted to go to Shaolin!”

“It seems like a good idea to me, too,” Fu said. “I just met someone who may have trained at Shaolin, and I'd like to find out more about him. But first I need to get the scrolls back. I'm not going anywhere without them. I'm serious.”

“Is it really worth it, Fu?” Hok asked. “Ying is more powerful than you know. You should let it go.”

“We could do it if we worked together,” Fu said, slamming his fist into his open palm. “I know we could.”

“Trust me, Fu,” Hok said. “We can't succeed. If we had Seh and Long with us, we might stand a chance, but Malao has discovered that Seh is off recruiting additional helpers, and Long has disappeared without a trace. I don't think you realize what we're up against. Ying has grown stronger since he left Cangzhen, and Tonglong is unbelievable. Tonglong's hearing and eyesight are amazing, and his kung fu is very powerful—different from anything I've ever seen before. He's the one who caught me.”

“I defeated him once,” Fu said. “I can do it again.”

“I mean you no disrespect, Fu,” said Hok, “but I think perhaps you got lucky.”

“Oh, yeah? Well, I think—”

“Stop it!” Malao shouted. “Stop it right now! You are the two most stubborn people I've ever met in my life! We need to get going!”

“I'm not going anywhere,” Fu said. “Not without the scrolls.”

Malao rolled his eyes. He looked at Hok. “What are you going to do?”

Hok took a deep breath. “I've decided that I'm going to Shaolin. Alone, if I have to.”

Fu looked at Malao. “I guess it's up to you.”

Malao blinked. “Me? Why
me
? You know I can't make decisions.”

“Just pick one,” Fu said. “I'm staying. He's going. It's that simple.”

Malao shuffled his feet.

“Pick one, Malao,” Fu urged. “Him? Or me?”

“Or you can go off alone,” Hok added.

Malao twitched. “Alone? I don't want to be alone….”

Fu froze. He locked eyes with Malao and something powerful passed between them. Fu realized he and Malao had something in common after all. Just like true brothers.

Malao smiled at Fu. “I think I'll—”

KAA-BOOM!

The three young warrior monks jumped. Fu
looked over at the soldier who had been attacked by the cub and saw the man still lying on his stomach. The soldier's smoking
qiang
lay just within his reach, his limp hand on the trigger. Fu saw a splintered hole at the base of a tree next to the soldier. The soldier had successfully fired a warning shot.

Fu turned back to Malao.

Malao smiled again. “Let's have some fun, Pussycat!”

And for the first time since Ying returned to Cangzhen, Fu smiled.

Lying at the foot of a large bush, his face pressed deep in the dirt, Tonglong also smiled.

F
irst and foremost, I must thank my amazing agent, Laura Rennert, for both her editorial guidance and business acumen, and my remarkable editors, Jim Thomas and Schuyler Hooke—two great guys who changed my writing forever.

It's also important for me to thank Andrea Brown and Magnus Toren for putting together the annual Big Sur Children's Writing Workshop. Without Big Sur, this series wouldn't exist. And without Big Sur, I would never have met Susan Hart Lindquist and Amanda Conran, who've both had a major impact on my writing (though I think only one of them knows it). Nancy Lamb has also made a big difference
through our friendship formed at Big Sur and her fantastic book on crafting stories for children.

Another author-friend, Kelly James-Enger, deserves a big thank-you for her huge amounts of maniac support and tarot card readings, and someone at the Carmel Clay Public Library deserves a big thank-you for designing a spectacular building with numerous nooks and study rooms where an aspiring author can write.

I can't forget to thank my kung fu instructor, John Vaughn of Shaolin-Do, for being a phenomenal teacher and all-around nice guy.

Family is important to me, and I have to thank my parents, Roger and Arlene, as well as my brothers, Joe and Jaysen, for giving me their all when I was young and for always being there whenever I stop to make time for them now that I've more or less grown up.

Finally, my wife Jeanie, daughter Tristen, and son Owen get the biggest thank-you of all for their love and support as I continue to chase the Five Ancestors, along with my dreams. You guys are the best!