Gunpowder Alchemy (19 page)

The next day we started working from the moment we awoke. We set out to build a model first, using my measurements as a guide since I was close in size to Lady Su. Chang-wei drew out the pattern for the outer structure and began cutting out the shapes from thin sheets of balsa wood. To create the skeleton, he measured out lengths of bamboo. I worked on creating the delicate network of wires that would transmit the flow of qi energy from the acupuncture needles to control the mechanical limb.

It felt good to be working on my own creation rather than as an assistant. I became thoroughly absorbed in the endeavor, and when I next glanced up, it was late in the afternoon. Our lunch had been left forgotten at one end of the worktable. Neither of us had touched it.

We were separated from each other by a bamboo screen, given that I needed to be in a state of partial undress for my task.

I had changed into the blue cheongsam dress I'd been given in Shanghai. It was the only clothing I had that would expose my knee, around which I wove a net of wires. Locating the key acupuncture points, I inserted needles just beneath my skin to activate the meridians. There was no pain at the insertion points, just a tingling sensation that gradually spread along my leg as the qi began to flow.

“I need you to try on the model,” Chang-wei called from the other side of the screen.

I glanced up my from my task to see a silhouette of Chang-wei lifting a large, unwieldy contraption. Poking my head around the screen, I confirmed that the boot was equally hideous in plain view. Metal scraps twisted around a bamboo cage that looked like it should be used to trap large rodents.

“It's as big as an elephant's foot,” I complained.

“What does it matter what it looks like? As long as the joints move properly.”

With a sigh, I removed the needles and lowered my skirt, smoothing my hands over the silk. As I came out from behind the screen, Chang-wei was kneeling to place the model boot onto the floor beside a stool. He glanced up briefly at me before returning his attention to the bolt he was tightening.

Then his head swung up to look again. This time his gaze lingered, sending a flush to my cheeks. The dress was cut to fit snugly around my figure. I'd twisted myself nearly into a knot behind the screen to work all the fasteners.

I nearly missed the stool as I sat down. “What do you need me to do?”

“Umm . . . here.” He reached for my foot, his thumb brushing against my bare ankle before he thought better of it. “Just slip your . . . ah . . . foot in here.”

I needed his help to manage it. Chang-wei held the contraption still while I tried to wriggle my leg inside. Once I was in, he adjusted the leather straps to secure the fit.

“The edges haven't been sanded down,” he said, head lowered. “And without a forge for any serious metalwork, I had to fit together what scraps I could find.”

He was making a concentrated effort not to look me in the eye, and I couldn't help smiling. I quite liked it, as wicked as that sounded.

Chang-wei took me through a range of motions; flexing and pointing my foot. Rotating it. At each point, he paused to take notes. Finally, I stood so he could test my full weight against the springs beneath the bottom sole.

“What are your thoughts?” he asked.

“It's still a bit heavy—” I began.

“That can be fixed later. This is just a prototype.”

“—and it's hideous, Chang-wei,” I blurted out. “Lady Su's golden lotus feet are a source of great pride for her. We have to create something at least . . . pleasing to the eye.”

“Golden lotus?” Chang-wei made a face. “This is meant to allow her to walk again. What does it matter how pleasing it looks?”

“It matters to a woman.”

“She's a murderous traitor leading a rebel faction.”

I hushed him lest the guards overhear us. “It matters.”

With a sigh, he undid the straps. “I'll try to work on it.”

Muttering something beneath his breath about form versus function, he placed a hand onto my calf to ease my leg out of the mechanical boot. It took special effort freeing my foot without breaking the model. By the end of the process, Chang-wei had my foot in one hand and the boot in the other.

His thumb rested against the bare arch of my foot. I gasped as he pressed lightly, sending a pulse that radiated through me. Abruptly, he let go, and I thought I saw some color in his cheekbones before he turned away.

“This is just a prototype,” he said, setting his creation to the worktable. “There are things that need to be done, of course. It's just a prototype.”

“You already said that.”

“Oh?” He fumbled in his pocket for his spectacles and put them on.

“Chang-wei?”

“Hmm?” he replied, suddenly very interested in some joint in the external structure. As interested as any engineer could ever be in any connector.

I noticed that the tips of his ears were pink. It was endearing.

“Nothing,” I replied, standing up to slip back behind my screen.

I really had nothing to ask. I just wanted to say his name.

***

When I was brought to Lady Su's tent that evening, I carried a much simpler, much lighter design. Rather than encasing the entire foot, the construction now served as a support skeleton.

“The sole has a spring layer to support the weight of your foot,” I explained.

As we only had time to build one, I had to demonstrate with only my right leg, which made it impossible to perform with any grace. I tried very hard to focus on the enhanced mobility to distract from my uneven hopping. Fortunately we were alone, so there was no one to witness my staggering.

“I cannot look like an invalid,” Lady Su insisted. “Or a spectacle to be laughed at.”

I mentally shot Chen Chang-wei a knowing look, even though he was at the other side of the camp. I was right that appearances were important and not merely for vanity.

“This is just a crude model,” I assured. “But our construction is limited by the scrap metal provided. If we could have access to a forge to shape the steel as we see fit?”

“A forge?” she scoffed. “You are beginning to sound like one of those Taoist sorcerers whispering promises into an Emperor's ear, Miss Jin.”

“The furnace on our ship might burn hot enough.”

She arched an eyebrow at me. “So you and your beloved can attempt to sail away?”

My stomach fluttered at the mention of Chang-wei as my beloved. “He's not—”

“I'll consider it,” Lady Su said with a wave. “Your ship is surrounded by our fleet now and manned by our crew. The threat of escape would be minimal.”

I ducked my head to unstrap the boot. The lady had inadvertently revealed to me that there were more ships gathered farther down river. Chang-wei was right—they were stationed here as a barricade.

“If Lady Su will allow me to take measurements now. The final design will need to be fitted specifically to her.”

Her mouth tightened and her spine grew rigid, but she gave a stiff nod. I knelt and took hold of a delicately embroidered shoe, feeling very much like a supplicant.

The shoe was only half the length of one of mine. Despite her wealthy background, she wore no jewelry or adornment. Those luxuries would have been out of place in the rebel camp, but her shoes remained extravagant.

Carefully, I eased her foot from it. I had never seen a woman's bound foot before, but I knew it was a very private, very personal thing. It would be offensive to show shock or revulsion. With a physician's detachment, I pulled the shoe away.

The foot underneath had been wrapped with linen, and I was startled by how tiny it was. Her foot had been bundled up to the size of a fist.

Lady Su kept her face turned away as I unwrapped the linen. “No one has seen me since my husband.”

The last words came out choked, and I forced myself to stay focused on my task. I understood from the depth of my soul that I was seeing this powerful woman at her most vulnerable.

I pulled away the last layer of gauze, and my stomach did a little lurch. Her foot hadn't simply been bound. It had been folded upon itself with the toes tucked underneath. The bones had healed into the compact shape, but with every step she would be walking upon broken toes, putting weight on bones that were never meant to be used in that way.

“I married well enough that I would never have to walk far,” she said, her voice strained and proud. “I was to live a life of privilege, sheltered from hardship.”

Silently, I began to take measurements. We would have to take a slipper and construct the boot around it. The contact points would need to be exposed through the material of the slipper.

That posed another problem I hadn't thought of. Not knowing what to expect, I didn't anticipate that many of the acupuncture points on her foot would be unreachable. The nerves might be damaged and inactive.

“I need to use my needles to test the flow of qi to the meridians,” I said.

Lady Su nodded her consent and I retrieved my case.

“Do you know the leadership of the rebellion detests this practice?” she went on, her tone sharp and fierce. “Many of them are not of Han descent. Like your Manchurian Emperor, they consider foot binding barbaric. They would conquer a village and set the men and women to work equally. When they saw the Han women and their tiny golden lotuses, the rebels tore away the bindings and shouted for them to walk. They were free now, walk! Ignorant bastards thought our feet would simply regain their shape.”

“You don't agree with everything the Heavenly Kingdom rebels stand for.”

“I believe that I do not deserve to hang for avenging my husband's death. Nor should my men for challenging the injustices brought upon them,” she replied sharply. “This is the path I've chosen. The men who serve me have chosen a similar path and trust me to lead them. The Heavenly Kingdom rebels and I fight a common enemy. That is enough.”

I completed my diagnosis and began removing the acupuncture needles. “But when does it stop? When the Emperor is dead?”

“When we have built our own kingdom,” she replied matter-of-factly. “We have seen it throughout time, dynasty to dynasty. This empire has always been a broken map of lands sewn together. It is time for this current dynasty to fall.”

Something was coming.

Even from the confines of our workshop, we could sense it. The conversations we overheard were brief and clipped. I heard them speak of the walled city. Of a signal. Talk of the local Banner garrison rounding up a volunteer militia. There was a heightened level of awareness in the camp and a drawn out sense of waiting, waiting.

Lady Su's second-in-command came to the work tent in midmorning accompanied with four armed guards, two of them archers. For one sharp second, I feared the rebel leader had decided to execute us swiftly before the coming conflict.

“We're here to escort you to your ship. Prepare what supplies you need.”

Chang-wei and I had discussed this contingency and already had our tools and materials planned. We loaded everything into a wheelbarrow, which Chang-wei had to man himself. He met my eyes pointedly as we started on our short trip, and I knew what he was thinking. Escape was ever on his mind.

“Keep your eyes open,” he had urged last night, his voice gentle in my ear. “If you find a chance to flee, take it. Don't worry about me.”

“Would you run and leave me if the situation were reversed?”

He didn't answer. I already knew his answer.

As the men led us to the river with crossbows aimed at our backs, I doubted there would be any such opportunity. Lady Su had mentioned that they had a fleet assembled on the river and scouts positioned throughout the surrounding forest.

We passed by one lookout on the way to the ship. The boy was perched high up in the trees. He waved a signal to his commander, presumably that all was clear.

Before long, we passed a barge cruising in the river. Several smaller sampans floated nearby on either shore. Upon a passing glance, the vessels might appear unrelated other than fellow travelers sharing the waterway.

Chang-wei's gaze scanned over the water, taking every detail into account. “The lookout,” he said to me beneath his breath.

“Quiet,” the commander threw over his shoulder.

I wondered whether he had been assigned to this duty or if he had volunteered. Escorting prisoners seemed a menial task for a captain of the rebellion. But Lady Su was convinced that Chang-wei was dangerous. Maybe she knew better than I.

Chang-wei took one final survey of the river before returning his attention ahead.

Our transport ship was docked by the shore, though I could no longer consider it ours. As Lady Su had pointed out, her people now manned the helm. We were led aboard, where I looked into the scarred face of the new captain, the same man who had led the battle that had killed the former one.

The ship must have been his reward.

Down in the engine room, the furnace lay cold. After a sweep for any potential weapons, the guards carried our supplies down the stairs.

The commander cast the pile of scrap metal and odds and ends a dismissive look before addressing us. “Get to work. You have until sundown.”

The two bowmen remained by the entrance while we began our preparations.

I laid out our diagrams while Chang-wei worked on building the fire. An iron beam taken from a broken wagon served as our anvil. I made several trips above deck with a bucket to draw water to pour into our cooling basin. Within the hour, the coals inside the engine furnace were glowing red and I was wiping sweat from my brow.

We had cobbled together a set of blacksmith's tools: a hammer and iron tongs. The moment Chang-wei reached for the hammer, the guards lifted their crossbows, aiming them menacingly at him.

“How am I supposed to shape the metal without a hammer?” Chang-wei asked incredulously.

“Stay away from the stairs. If you come toward us, we'll fire.”

Chang-wei made a point of staying as far away as he could.

We had already selected pieces that were as close as possible to the design requirements. Chang-wei now used the forge to refine and perfect the shape. With the tongs, he laid the first flat strip of steel into the forge. Once the metal glowed as red as the coals inside, he extracted it and placed it onto the beam.

I watched in fascination as he brought the hammer down over the steel. Each strike resonated through the engine room, and soon the clanging sound rang in my ears.

As the pieces cooled, I compared them against our measurements and tested them for fit. Once again, we became caught up in the work and forgot that we were prisoners. In the thick of it, we hardly even spoke to each other. We didn't need to. Quickly, we'd established a rhythm.

Around midday, food was brought to us. Nothing more than a few rice balls and weak tea, but we devoured them hungrily.

Chang-wei stood to return to work, wiping his sleeve over his forehead. He had removed his outer robe long ago. Without thinking, he started to remove his undertunic before stopping.

“I apologize—”

“I apprentice with the village physician,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “I won't be scandalized by the sight of you.”

Despite my bold words, I made a point of always having something else to focus on once his tunic was removed. The two, perhaps three times that I glanced over, I was fascinated by the muscles in his arms and shoulders as he wielded the hammer. Chang-wei's strength had always remained hidden beneath loose-fitting robes. I don't know what I thought he would look like unclothed, but it wasn't this.

I was fortunate the heat from the furnace hid any maidenly blush that might have touched my cheeks.

The engine room was sweltering by late afternoon. By then, the metalwork was nearly complete. The guards insisted we go above deck for fresh air before finishing up our work.

“I should bank the fire,” Chang-wei said just as the guards were leaving. They were already halfway up the stairs, eager to feel a cool breeze. Chang-wei rushed back to far end of the chamber to seal the furnace door.

His movements were so quick that I almost missed it when he jammed a nail into one of the engine's gauges before moving on to join us at the stairs.

***

The sky was dark when we started our return to camp, and the commander was in a foul mood.

“I said sundown,” he scowled.

Around us, the trees had faded into dark, looming shadows and the buzz of night insects filled the air. I wondered why they didn't light a lantern. We certainly had them with us.

Instead we picked our way nearly blind through the forest. Chang-wei once again pushed the wheelbarrow while I kept close to him. The commander took the lead while the other guards surrounded us on all sides.

The group paused as Chang-wei struggled to push the wheelbarrow over a rocky patch.

“Hurry up.”

“The ground is uphill this way,” Chang-wei said, breathing hard. “And my arms are tired from the day's work.”

I knew to be ready. Throughout the entire day, we had exchanged signs. When we had been given the order to pack up, Chang-wei had dawdled as he reloaded our supplies so there would be less visibility as the sun went down.

“You, take the wheelbarrow,” the commander ordered. “Make it quick.”

The guard to our left came to relieve Chang-wei, and my muscles tensed. That was a break in the protective ring surrounding us. Chang-wei had told me to look for such an opportunity. He would create a diversion any moment now, and I had to seize the moment and run as fast as I could, no looking back.

I started moving as soon as I heard the crash of the wheelbarrow.

“Worthless dog—”

An unexpected cry came from the rear guard, and I froze at the vicious snarl that accompanied it. This wasn't part of the plan.

Suddenly the guard was on the ground, wrestling with something large. “Help—”

His plea was choked off by a scream of pure terror.

The formation was completely broken. The other guards rushed to the fallen man's aid. The beast on top of him tore at him, but there was something wrong, something very wrong with the sounds it was making.

I tried to run but could only stagger a few steps. My heart was pounding too hard to think. I saw the flash of a blade before it plunged into the creature.

The thing howled with pain. Then I realized why the sounds had paralyzed me. They weren't the growls and snarls of an animal. They were cries of anguish, of very human anguish.

The knife plunged again. Someone sparked a lantern and a yellow glow flooded the area just as a hand grabbed onto me. I screamed.

“It's me.” Chang-wei wrapped an arm around me. His face was streaked with dirt and he was bleeding beneath his left eye.

My heart sank. Our short-lived escape had failed.

The guards had surrounded us again, but their attention was on their fallen comrade who lay bleeding, a chunk of flesh ripped from his cheek. His screams split the air.

The creature that had been pulled off of him wasn't a creature, but he didn't resemble a man, either. He lay curled with limbs writhing as he struggled to get up. His body had wasted away to skin and bone, which made me wonder how he had the strength to attack so viciously.

He was still howling, a desperate, soulless howl as if his tongue had been cut out. When I saw his mouth, it was completely black like a pool of tar.

The guard who had wielded the knife now stood paralyzed as he stared at the thing before him. “What sort of demon is this?”

I clung to Chang-wei. Though the man was emaciated and his clothes torn to shreds, I recognized him.

“Gao,” I whispered brokenly against Chang-wei's shoulder. My mind didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe any man could become like this, let alone someone I had known. And only in a matter of days.

The only culprit I could point to was the opium Gao had smoked. But how had he deteriorated so quickly?

The commander approached what was left of Gao with his knife drawn. When he ended it in one quick swipe, we all felt it was an act of mercy.