Fragment 9 - Posted 16th January 2015 (Final Fragment)

We set out in the morning, all three of us with packs on our packs. We avoided the Main square, but made our way by roundabout routes to O Mei's hut, and up Ghost Mountain. Shrr Li was having difficulties with our plan of action. "It's not exactly hiding," she pointed out. "We're in plain view up here. As soon as the police look up they'll spot us." "That's not the point," I repeated, "We're heading for the circle of stones that we made." "I know that," she answered. "but I still don't understand why." I decided to take it slowly. "This is where he arrived," I said. "Yes," said Shrr Li. "People sometimes leave by the same door they use to come in." "But there isn't a door up here... " she started, but stopped as she began to understand. "Do you think it will work?" she asked. "It happened in the first place," I shrugged. It took some time to set up the tent. We had to move the stones so that all of them were outside. The tent was green, but not a green that matched the grass of the hill. As Shrr Li had said, we were in plain view. It was little more than a bivouac, but it gave shade from the sun. By the afternoon we had finished our water. "Shouldn't we keep White Ghost in the tent as much as possible?" Shrr Li wanted to know. "Perhaps we should, but I don't see how we can," I replied. "As long as he sleeps in it, that's as much as we can ask. And this is something that happens at night, I think." We were considering what to do about water, when O Mei appeared climbing up the slope with a great bundle on her back, and two bottles of water. "What is all this?" we asked. "Your Mistress sent two girls with a pair of quilts," she explained. "Those girls weren't fit for getting up a hill, and I'm used to carrying things. I thought you could use some water. There isn't any up here." We thanked her gratefully. "Don't imagine I'm going to do this every day," she said. "If you want more water, there are jars at the back of the shed. Ma Chao sent this." She handed over a packet, which turned out to contain dried fried lentils and chickpeas. "It wouldn't be enough to keep me going, but you girls look as though you could lose a bit of weight," she grinned. Shrr Li opened her mouth to protest, but saw that O Mei was pulling her leg. "Your Mistress will have her girls leave food for you at the back of the shed. I'll be out looking after the animals, so you will have to collect it yourselves. How long do you think you'll be up here?" "We have three days from the end of the licence," Shrr Li told her. "Or is it two?" "It's three," I reassured her. "Are the Police particular about White Ghosts?" I asked O Mei. She frowned. "I don't know," she answered. "They do seem slack about some things. I wouldn't take the chance." She stood up, looked me in the eye, and winked. "Clever girl," she nodded. "You don't know what you can do till you try. Good luck to you." She waved as she stumped back down the hill. The quilts made a big difference. We spend part of the time going over the ground beneath the tent, lifting up every lumpy weed and stone. That made some difference too. We made ourselves a latrine, up the hill to avoid any smell. I was utterly distracted at the sight of White Ghost making water standing up. I had never seen it before. Poor White Ghost had no privacy. Every time he set off up the hill I followed him to watch. I never tired of it. He seemed to find it reassuring that we all ate the same provisions, but the portions were small. We sat looking at the view as night fell. The sunset was beautiful, but lasted a very short time. You can see the stars much more clearly when you are away from the lights of the village. White Ghost slept between us, just as he did at home. In the morning, White Ghost was still there. Of course he was still there. "Good morning," murmured Shrr Li. "You don't look very happy." "He's still here," I explained. I watched her. You could see the wheels turning. At last they got there. "That's not good," she admitted. "What do we do now?" "We stay here!" I said. "It might not happen every night! Of course it doesn't happen every night! But if it happens at all, it happens up here! We are staying!" "Okay, okay, we're staying," she grumbled. "But I'm going down the shed to have a wash." The day dragged. In the afternoon Shrr Li suggested lighting a fire, "just to cheer us up, and maybe we could heat up something to eat." "Good idea, " I agreed. "I'll help you look for wood." I stayed sitting as Shrr Li stood up. Ghost Mountain has no trees. She sat down again in disgust. By evening we had sung every song we knew, twice. White Ghost was beginning to learn the words to some of the simpler choruses. As night fell, I wondered if the policewoman would use her sword up on the mountain. Probably not. That would mean the bodies would have to be carried down. The police paid attention to details like that. My skin crawled and I thought I would never get to sleep. As soon as I closed my eyes, I was gone. Morning was just the same. White Ghost was still there. Shrr Li knew better than to say anything. We were reduced to seeing pictures in the clouds. Whatever I saw they turned into policewomen with swords. Shrr Li remarked that she was sorry she hadn't thought to bring the kite. It would have been a good idea. The wind was steady on the hillside. "Will they come today, do you think?" she asked. "Tomorrow. They'll leave it to others as long as they can." I replied. "Well, someone is coming," she pointed out. It was O Mei. She wasn't carrying anything large. When she sat down she tossed a small package towards me. It was a packet of incense. "Thank you very much, O Mei! What shall we do with this?" "When you have done all you can, then it is time to ask for help," she remarked. "Pray to the Goddess, you mean?" I asked. "It can't hurt," she answered. "Keep you busy, anyway." "We'll do that this afternoon," I said. "That's a good thought. Thank you." She kept us company for a while, but left before the day grew hot. After midday heat, we set about lighting the incense. It took us some time. Once the sticks were lit, we stuck them in the earth and sat down to pray. The smoke spiralled about us in the steady drift of wind. We prayed silently for a while, and then agreed to chant the "pleading" sutra. We chanted it three times. White Ghost sat and listened. I looked up. I felt we had done all we could. Shrr Li was chanting again. She must have shared my despair, for she was chanting the "ending" sutra. I joined her. When we finished we sat in silence. It was comforting in its way. "At least the incense has stopped blowing in our faces," Shrr Li said. She was right. The wind had changed. This encouraged me. I don't place any faith in omens, but this felt like an omen to me. It felt like our prayers had been answered. I wondered if it were the "pleading" sutra or the "ending" sutra. Either one would do. I didn't mention it to Shrr Li. The sunset was brilliantly coloured, like the feathers of a parrot. Night fell like a hammer-blow. As we settled down in the tent, I thought about the stack of pictures. What if he didn't go back to the picture he came from, but went on to a different one? If he landed up a mountainside, might he fetch up high up in empty air, or over the sea? What if it was some dreadful place of ice and snow, like in stories? I was with my head full of wild imaginings like this, that I fell asleep.