Soundless (18 page)

How did all of you even get up here?
I ask Li Wei.
There's no way you could have climbed in so short a time. There's no way the horses could.

We took the mountain passes
, he explains.
If you go to the other side of the mountain, they lead straight up here.

I know about the passes, of course. Everyone does.
But they are blocked
, I point out.
The giant boulders that fell in that ancient avalanche can't be moved by human hands. Those who tried in the past were crushed by rockfall.

Human hands didn't move them today
, says Li Wei.
They used some kind of black powder. I've never seen it before, but when enough of it was ignited, it exploded and blew apart the rocks so that we could pass.

I stare at him in wonder, thinking back to that terrible sound
I heard just before the soldiers arrived. The township and the king's men are already terrifying enough. The thought that they possess such weapons makes our chances seem bleaker than ever. Sensing my fear, Li Wei gives me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Come on, general. I will explain more later. We need to keep moving.

Our circuitous journey also takes us near the zip line, where I see more soldiers loading and sending down the abandoned metals from last night. Li Wei and I give them a wide berth, finally reaching the school. We observe it from a distance, noting the soldiers in the area. Some are gathering up villagers who have fled, putting them in chains and leading them away. Other soldiers remain and have started setting fire to some of the smaller houses. They seem to be leaving the Peacock Court alone for now, perhaps because they recognize it as a center of leadership and source of information. I take Li Wei's arm and lead him into the trees, to a patch of forest far behind the school and the soldiers' insidious work. I then begin stomping on the ground in various spots, pausing and searching the leafy undergrowth with a critical eye.

What are you doing?
he asks.

Trying to remember
, I reply. My foot hits a piece of wood cleverly concealed in the underbrush, and triumph flares within me. I kneel down, feeling around for the trapdoor's handle. I pull it open and glance up at an awestruck Li Wei.
Come on
, I say.
We will be safe here.

We have no light to take with us, but from the sun that shines down, we make out a ladder built into the earthen wall,
leading down into a tunnel. I go first, and then Li Wei follows, making sure that the door closes securely behind us. For a moment, we are plunged into darkness, and then a torch flares to life in front of us. Beside it is the blade of a knife, and I recoil until I recognize the faces of two of my fellow apprentices: Jin Luan and Sheng. They look relieved that we're not soldiers, but they still regard us with understandable wariness, given our reputations.

Are the elders down here?
I ask.
We must speak to them.

Sheng sheathes the blade and glares.
You are in no position to make demands, not after what you've done.

We've done nothing
, says Li Wei.
This is the township's doing—and the king's. Now let us pass!

Sheng moves into a position that clearly blocks our path.
I don't know what you've done to corrupt Fei and twist her thinking, but there's no way you're getting past me.

Li Wei's face hardens.
There are plenty of ways I can get past you. Haven't we been through this already? You didn't fare so well before.

We have no time for this!
I snap, infuriated with both of them. I turn to Jin Luan, hoping she at least will be sensible.
Please, you must help. We have valuable information for the elders. Are they here?

She props the torch so that she can sign. From her troubled expression, I can tell she's trying to decide which story about me to believe.
Some of them. They brought a bunch of us here—as many as they could—and then sealed the door leading here from the school.

I can't hold back any longer.
Was my sister with them?

No.
Jin Luan's face falls a little.
Not everyone made it in.

I feel a pang in my chest, and Li Wei gives my arm a quick, comforting squeeze that Sheng's sharp eyes don't fail to notice.
We must talk to the elders
, I reiterate.
Can you take us to them?

Jin Luan glances at Sheng.
One of us will have to stay here and stand guard.

He stares at her in disbelief.
Are you serious? After what they've done?

Jin Luan meets his gaze unblinkingly.
I'm serious about helping our people. And no one really knows what they've done—least of all you. It is for the elders to judge them.

Sheng scowls, and for a few seconds, the two of them are locked in a battle of wills. I confess, I have never had more respect for her than I do right now. She's always been my artistic rival; I never realized her true strength.

Fine
, Sheng says at last. He hands her the blade.
I will take them.

I nod at her in thanks as we pass by and follow Sheng down the tunnel. With the torch behind us, we are soon swallowed by darkness. Without even realizing I'm doing it, I find Li Wei's hand as we walk. Our fingers intertwine, keeping us connected as our free hands feel along the tunnel's sides. When we reach the turn, faint illumination from more torches ahead begins to guide us, and we soon find ourselves walking into a wide, open room underground supported by stone posts and wooden beams. I tense, not sure what we'll encounter—I know about this area only by
reputation. The bare walls have been plastered, and the floor is made of hard-packed earth. And we are not alone.

Masters
, Sheng declares.
Look who I've found.

I clasp Li Wei's hand tighter as I face the elders for the first time since I left the village.

Most of them are here, including Elder Chen and Elder Lian. Several apprentices and a few school servants are gathered around them. My heart sinks when I don't see Zhang Jing. I'd hoped Jin Luan was wrong about her. They all stop what they're doing when we enter, turning to stare at us. Beneath their scrutiny, I feel almost more vulnerable than I did when I stood on the dais and faced the whole village. These are my peers and my mentors, the people I've worked with every day. They thought the best of me, but then, because of my actions, that viewpoint changed. The impact of that weighs heavily on me.

When no one acts right away, I release Li Wei's hand and approach Elder Chen deferentially. I bow three times, low, before speaking.
Greetings, master. I beg your pardon for leaving without permission. I have come now to tell you all the things I've observed in my time away.

Elder Chen studies me for a long time, and I tense, fearful of what he will do. He might very well have Li Wei and me thrown back outside into the chaos, and it would be completely within his rights. Perhaps I didn't cause our village's initial difficulties, but my actions are certainly what have caused our current ones.

Is it true?
Elder Chen asks at last.
What you told us in your painting?

Every word, master
, I reply.

He studies me a bit longer, and then, to the complete astonishment of everyone in the room, Elder Chen bows to me.
It appears we may owe you a great debt
, he says once he straightens up. His eyes fall on Li Wei.
Both of you. Now. Let us talk about what you know.

I'M HONORED AND FLUSTERED
but also self-conscious, because by this point I've already told the village all I know. The current actions of the township and the army are as much a mystery to me as to everyone else.

Li Wei steps forward, bowing to the elders before speaking.
If you'll allow me, I can add to what Fei has told you. I spent the night as one of their prisoners, marching up the mountain pass. I couldn't understand the guards, but a few of them can sign. I also met a prisoner—one of the plateau villagers—who has learned to read lips. Between them, I know some of what is happening.

By all means
, Elder Chen says.
Continue.

Once they realized Fei had made it back up here, they decided to do a forced march up the passes with the soldiers and some of the other village's prisoners. They've apparently had this explosive powder for a while and could have cleared the passes long ago.

This leaves all of us dumbfounded for a moment. By now, I shouldn't be surprised by the township's cruelty . . . but it still comes as a shock. We've been beholden to the zip line system for so long, given no future except to mine for our survival. If the passes had been clear, we would have had access to trade and travel, not to mention the fertile valleys our ancestors allegedly grew crops in. But then, if we'd had those freedoms, the king and the township would have lost their source of metals.

Why open it now?
I ask.
It costs them their hold on us: If we can leave the mountain, we no longer have to mine for our food. They no longer get their metals.

That's why they brought the soldiers and the other prisoners
, Li Wei explains.
They plan on doing one big push in the mines, using our people and the other displaced miners to get as much metal as possible while the soldiers stand guard and enforce their rule. They want to deplete the mine as quickly as possible, even if it kills the rest of us in the process.

All this because we found out the truth?
I say in disbelief.
Because I came back and told everyone what was going on?

Now Li Wei turns unexpectedly hesitant, glancing between our audience and me.
It's more than that.

What more can there be?
I ask incredulously.

The soldiers interrogated Nuan
, he says.
They know your secret.

He is speaking carefully, I realize, to protect me. At this point, however, the secret he's referring to is the least of our worries.
I can hear
, I tell the others, bracing myself for the disbelief
to come. Most of them look as though they think they misunderstood, so I elaborate:
It's true. I have my hearing, just as our ancestors did.

What kind of lies are you spreading now?
Sheng asks.

I'm not lying
, I reply.
I don't understand how it happened, and I know it sounds crazy. But I can do any test you like to prove it.

It's true
, Li Wei confirms.
I've seen her prove it.
He gives my hand a brief, encouraging squeeze.

The others' faces are a mix of reactions, both wonder and outright skepticism. Elder Chen looks thoughtful.
Did it happen the day you stayed back sick at the school?

Yes, master.
It had come to me the previous night in a dream. I was adjusting to it and had a headache.
I pause to reconsider my words.
Actually, I'm still adjusting. It's a very . . . disconcerting experience.

Many in the room still look skeptical, but Elder Chen appears to take me at my word, and that faith in me means more than I can say.
I would imagine so
, he replies.
And you think this has something to do with the township's reaction?

Li Wei nods.
When Nuan told them Fei could hear, panic arose among some of their leaders. Apparently the king has been afraid of this happening, that one of us would regain hearing. It's supposed to be an omen of something, but I'm not sure what. I couldn't follow all the other prisoners' signs—they're different from ours. But the king fears what Fei's hearing could mean, and that's why he wanted the mine emptied as quickly
as possible. Fei's hearing is a sign of some change, of something returning that could be a threat to him.

I remember Nuan's reaction to my hearing and the sign she made. I mimic it and ask Li Wei,
Was this part of what they thought was coming? What they feared?

He nods.
Yes, something with wings. But I don't know the sign.

I hear a sharp intake of breath and turn toward Elder Lian. She has gone very pale and looks at Elder Chen, who seems equally shocked.
Do you think it could be true?
he asks her.

It could be, if what has happened to Fei is real
, Elder Lian says.

An apprentice leans on a rack of scrolls in the back of the room, causing them to fall with a clatter. It is out of everyone else's eyesight, and I jump, startled by the noise.

Elder Chen smiles when he sees what made me flinch.
I'd say what's happened to her is real. And if the rest is as well . . . this could change much.

My patience is rapidly disappearing, and I'm itching to know what he means. I'm grateful that he believes us, that the others here have accepted us for the time being, but now that we're out of immediate danger, I am growing restless. Zhang Jing is not here. Based on what Li Wei has said, the odds seem good she may have been rounded up with the others being forced to work in the mines. The thought of my sister captured and terrified nauseates me. I worry also about what will happen if they learn her sight is diminished. If they want to empty the mines as quickly as possible,
they're only going to want to keep the healthiest workers. I can't abandon her and keep myself in this safety.

But the old habits of respecting my master are hard to shake off. And although I shift restlessly from foot to foot, wanting to go out and fight the soldiers, I force myself to wait patiently as Elder Chen gets up and walks to the other side of the room. Along with the scrolls, there are stacks and stacks of what look like old records. The amount of information stored in here rivals the library up in the school.

What is this place?
Li Wei asks.

It is our emergency storage facility, to preserve our history
, Elder Lian says, her eyes flicking to Elder Chen as he continues searching for something in the documents.
In case something happens to the school, we keep copies of important documents as well as one record from each week down here. Admittedly, I don't think any of its builders envisioned some catastrophe like this.

Elder Chen makes his way over to us, one of the scrolls in hand. He gives it to another apprentice, who kneels on the floor and spreads it open flat so we can read it. The illustrations practically jump from the page. Whoever made them was a fine artist. It is a scroll about mythical animals, a copy of the one he showed me that day in the library. There are dragons, phoenixes, and more, but it is the creature on the top of the page that he points to.

The pixiu
, he says.

And as he makes the sign, I suddenly see how it derived from the one Nuan used.

I study the illustration. At a glance, the creature looks like
some variant of a lion—another animal I've never seen in real life—complete with a mane. But closer examination reveals the head to have some similarities to that of a dragon, and there is a broad, sturdy nature to the creature's back that reminds me of a horse's. Then, of course, there are the feathered wings, which make it completely unlike a lion.

Beside me, Li Wei has grown excited.
It's like the story my mother used to tell, isn't it? That the pixius made all hearing disappear when they went to sleep, so that they would have peace and quiet.

We know that's not true
, I say, thinking it would be a cruel thing for one creature to do to another.
It's the metals that deprive us of our senses.

Yes, I believe that part, about why we lost our hearing, is simply myth. But the rest of this scroll . . .
Elder Chen gestures to it.
There are certain details in it that make more sense now. It claims the pixius used to roam here, eating metal and protecting humans from “dangerous consequences.” It doesn't specify what those are, but I think somehow the pixius' presence must have protected us from the metals' toxicity. It's only when the pixius left that hearing began to disappear.
He meets my gaze squarely.
Fei, tell me exactly what happened the night you regained your hearing.

I do, recounting the dream and how I saw the village in despair. When all the villagers opened their mouths to cry out, sound returned to me—as well as that sense of connection that I haven't been able to fully comprehend. Elder Chen nods as I
explain, and then he seeks out another scroll. When he returns, I see it is even older than the other one, the paper fragile and flaking. He will not allow anyone else to touch it, and he kneels down on his old, weary knees to open it himself.

Most of the documents here are copies
, Elder Lian comments as we watch Elder Chen skim for the information he seeks.
Some are kept down here simply because they are so precious and rare.

The scroll is all text, no illustrations, and after a few agonizing minutes, Elder Chen finally looks up.
It's just as I remember. This document is from someone who claims to have lived among pixius, long ago. It says the pixius can form connections of the mind with people who are open to it, those special individuals who are able to fully visualize the world and its possibilities. I think you are one such person, Fei. And I think a pixiu was trying to tell you something. Here it says that the pixius bring protection and fortune to the righteous—that they respond to the cries of those in need.

Everyone stares at me again when he finishes, and I take a step back, overwhelmed.
Master, I can't be one of those people. There's nothing special about me.

Isn't there, Fei?
he asks with amusement.
You're the only one of us who can hear. Somehow a pixiu has reached out to you. Your hearing is a sign of its mark. The fact that it showed your people crying out, just as this text says the pixius respond to such cries, is a sign.

It is the sign that the king fears
, says Li Wei eagerly.
Perhaps
we can make a stand against the king's soldiers if we can summon the pixius back.

What does that mean?
asks another elder, speaking up at last. His name is Elder Ho, and it has been obvious to me since I arrived that he does not share Elder Chen's faith in my story.
We don't even know why the pixius disappeared or if they're even real. These scrolls could just be myth.

They're real
, I say, thinking back to that tug I keep feeling within me. I think back also to the moment I heard all the people crying out in my dream. At the time I was so overwhelmed by the strangeness of my first experience with sound that I couldn't comprehend much else. But simultaneously, in the back of my mind, I felt that stirring—that
otherness
activated by the people's cries, even in just a dream. And when the army attacked today and my people cried out erratically, I felt the stirring again.

What are you thinking, general?
Li Wei asks, seeing me lost in memories.

I give him a faint smile at the old nickname before turning to the others.
I can't explain it . . . only that I can
feel
it, but I think Elder Chen is right. I think the pixius will respond to the cries of our people.
I think back to the dream, trying to recapture it exactly.
It must be all of them raised at once. And it must be loud. Intense
, I clarify when it's clear no one in the room understands what I mean by
loud
.
That's how it was in the dream. That's what the pixius need.

Elder Ho still looks skeptical, but everyone else is warming to the idea. I wonder if it's because they believe me or because
they are so desperate after the terrible turn of events in our village that they'll sign on to any plan that offers hope, no matter how farfetched.

We must tell them
, says Li Wei.
If the soldiers are going through with their plan, they will have rounded up most of the villagers to force them to mine. I will go back outside and let them capture me. Then I can tell the others.

I'll go with you
, I say promptly.

No
, says Elder Lian.
It's too dangerous. If you're known to them as the specific threat that might bring back the pixius, then you shouldn't be out there.

And yet that is exactly why she must be in the midst of it
, counters Elder Chen serenely.
She is the connection. She cannot hide away if it is her very presence that will affect the transformation of what is to come.

It will still be chaotic out there
, I say. Although I am speaking to everyone gathered, I purposely make eye contact with Li Wei. Something tells me he is the one who will need the most convincing that I should be in the line of danger.
And although the soldiers may have my description, most haven't actually seen me. They won't think I'm different from any other villager.

Elder Lian nods thoughtfully.
Perhaps we can help. Perhaps there is a way to make you harder to detect.

After a bit of consultation, a boy among the servants is forced to exchange his outfit for mine. Although I am still wearing pilfered boy clothes, these new ones are dull in color and more likely to blend in with the other villagers rather than mark
me in the telltale blue of the apprentices. Elder Ho, to my surprise, gives me his hat, a small, nondescript cloth one that nonetheless hides much of my hair and is something generally only seen on men. A healthy dose of dirt smudged on my face goes a long way to complete the illusion.