"If the black spot isn't an eagle, what could it be?"

asked Chen. "If it is an eagle, how could it remain

motionless in mid-air? It's very strange." The three

watched the spot for a while, then saw it move and

become larger. A black eagle swept over their heads.

Princess Fragrance raised her hand to tidy her hair,

which had been blown about by the wind. Chen looked at

her snow-white skin and the white material of her

dress next to it and realised the answer.

"Look at her hand!" he said excitedly to Huo Qingtong.

"Yes, her hands are very pretty," she replied

absent-mindedly.

"Of course her hands are beautiful. But don't you see?

Because her skin is so white, it's difficult at a

glance to tell where the hand begins and the dress

ends."

"So?" asked Huo Qingtong, puzzled.

"The eagle was sitting on top of a white mountain!"

"Yes! You're right," Huo Qingtong exclaimed. "The sky

over there is white, the same colour as the peak, so

from a distance, it can't be seen."

"Exactly," said Chen.

Princess Fragrance realised they were talking about

the Secret City. "How do we get there?" she asked.

"That is what we have to carefully work out," Huo

Qingtong replied. She pulled out the map again and

studied it carefully again for a while. "When the sun

starts to sink towards the west, we'll be able to tell

if there's a mountain there or not by its shadow."

"We mustn't give ourselves away," said Chen. "We don't

want the others to work out what we're doing."

"Yes. Let's pretend we're talking about this wolf,"

she suggested.

Chen pulled the wolf across and the three sat around

it, now pulling out one of its hairs and examine it

closely, now opening its mouth to look at its teeth.

The sun gradually sank towards the west and the

mountain's shadow did indeed appear, stretching out

longer and longer across the desert like some giant

lying down. Huo Qingtong drew a map on the ground,

estimating the distances.

"From here to the mountain must be about twenty or

thirty miles," she said, turning the wolf over.

Chen picked up one of its legs and played with its

sharp claws. "If we had another horse apart from the

white horse, the three of us could make that in one

go."

"So we have to think of some way to get them to allow

us to go," Huo Qingtong replied.

"Yes." He picked up his dagger and slit open the

wolf's stomach.

"What's so interesting about that dead wolf?" Zhang

shouted, annoyed at not being able to understand what

they were saying. "Are you discussing how to bury him,

Master Chen?"

"We are discussing how to get out," Chen said. "Look,

the wolf's stomach is completely empty."

"Do you have a plan?" Zhang asked.

"When the firewood has all been burned and there is no

more to collect, then we are all going to die, is that

not so?" Zhang and the Three Devils nodded. "But if

one of us were willing to sacrifice himself and ride

out of the circle, the wolves would swarm after him

like bees from a hive. Once they were drawn off, the

others could escape.

"But what about the one who goes?" asked Zhang.

"If he comes across either the Manchu or Muslim armies

then he will be all right. Otherwise he will die. But

it is better than us all dying here together."

"It's not a bad idea," said Tang. "But who's going to

lead the wolves away? It's certain death."

"What do you suggest, Brother Tang?"

Tang was silent. "Let's draw lots," Hahetai suggested.

"Whoever loses, goes."

"Yes, let's draw lots," Zhang said eagerly. Chen had

wanted to offer himself and then break out with the

sisters. But he could not suggest it without arousing

their suspicions, so he said: "Just the five of us

will draw. Let us exempt the two girls."

"We're all people," Gu protested. "Why should they be

exempted?"

"How could we live down the shame of being saved by a

girl?" said Hahetai. "I would prefer to die here."

"I think that if we're going to draw lots, we should

all draw," said Tang, wanting to lessen the chance of

himself being chosen.

They all looked at Zhang, waiting to hear his opinion.

Zhang had already worked out a plan and knew he could

not lose. Moreover, one of the girls was wanted by the

Emperor and he fancied the other for himself.

"I will not allow a lady to save my life," he said

proudly.

"All right, then," said Gu. "We'll let them off."

"I'll collect some sticks to use," said Tang, but

Zhang stopped him.

"No," he said. "It's too easy to cheat with sticks.

We'll use copper coins instead." He pulled a dozen or

so coins from his pocket and selected five. "Four of

these are Emperor Yong Zheng coins and the fifth is

from the reign of Emperor Sun Zhi. Please examine

them. They are exactly the same size."

"And whoever picks the Emperor Sun Zhi coin leads the

wolves away," Tang added, as he carefully examined the

coins.

"Exactly," said Zhang. "Why not put them in your bag

for the draw, Brother Tang?" Tang did as he said.

"Now, who will go first?" Zhang asked. He looked at Gu

and saw his hands were shaking. "Brother Gu is

afraid," he said with a smile. "Life and death are

governed by fate. I will go first." He stretched his

hand onto Tang's bag and pulled an Emperor Yong Zheng

coin out.

"Oh, what a pity!" he exclaimed. "I won't be able to

be the hero." He opened his first and showed the coin

to the other four. The five coins were the same size,

but the Emperor Sun Zhi coin was about eighty years

older than the others and therefore slightly smoother

and thinner, although not enough to be immediately

obvious.

Chen's turn was next, and to his disappointment he

chose an Emperor Yong Zheng coin.

"Brother Gu, if you please," Zhang said. Gu drew his

sword and flourished it threateningly.

"It's a trick!" he shouted. "You already decided that

it would be one of us three."

"What do you mean, a trick?" Zhang demanded.

"They're your coins, and you had first choice. How do

we know you haven't marked them in some way?"

Zhang's face went white. "Then what do you suggest,

Brother Gu?"

"One of those Yong Zheng coins in your pocket is

lighter in colour than the others. Put that in with

four dark ones, and whoever picks the light one goes."

Zhang hesitated for a second, then smiled. "Just as

you say. But I fear it will still be you who goes to

feed the wolves." He surreptitiously bent the

light-coloured coin slightly before placing it with

the others.

"If neither you nor I lose, I will fight you

afterwards," Gu said threateningly.

"It will be my pleasure," replied Zhang. He put the

five coins in the bag. "You three gentlemen choose

first, then myself and lastly Master Chen, is that

satisfactory?"

The Three Devils did not object. "Brother Hahetai, you

first," said Tang.

Just as Hahetai put his hand in the bag, Huo Qingtong

shouted out in Mongolian: "Don't take the bent one!"

He started in fright. The first coin he felt was

indeed slightly bent. He chose another one and pulled

it out: it was dark coloured.

Huo Qingtong had seen Zhang bend the coin, and had

warned Hahetai because he was the most decent of the

Three Devils.

Next was Gu's turn. Hahetai told him in the thick,

unintelligable dialect of northeast China not to take

the bent coin. Gu and Tang both glanced angrily at

Zhang and pulled out dark coloured coins. Chen looked

questioningly at Huo Qingtong.

"Don't take the bent one," Princess Fragrance said.

Chen knew Zhang would certainly take the unbent coin,

thereby giving him both the light-coloured coin and

the chance to escape with the girls. But as Zhang put

his hand into Hahetai's bag, Chen saw Gu looking

covertly at Huo Qingtong, and realised they would

never let him take the girls with him. Uncertain of

what to do and with no time left to think, he suddenly

blurted out: "Take the bent one! Leave the flat one

for me!"

Zhang started in shock and drew his hand back. "What

do you mean, bent?" he demanded.

"One of the two coins in the bag has been bent by you.

I want the one that's not bent." He put his hand in

the bag and pulled out the dark coin. "You've caused

your own funeral," he said to Zhang with a smile.

Zhang's face went dark and he drew his sword. "We had

agreed that I would choose first," he said, and swung

the blade at Chen's neck. Chen ducked and thrust his

dagger at Zhang's stomach. The two fought closely for

a moment. Suddenly, Zhang flung his sword at Huo

Qingtong. Chen was afraid she would be too weak to

dodge it and raced over to intercept the weapon. But

it was just a diversion. As Chen ran towards Huo

Qingtong, Zhang jumped over to Princess Fragrance and

grabbed her.

"Get out!" he shouted to Chen, who stopped in his

tracks and stared dumbly back at Zhang. "If you don't

get out, I'll throw her to the wolves!" He picked the

girl up and swung her about above his head. Chen heart

pounded and his brain whirled in confusion.

"Ride out and lead the wolves away!" Zhang shouted

again.

Chen knew Zhang would do what he said and so he slowly

untied the white horse's reins and mounted up.

"I'll count to three. If you're not out of the circle

by then, I'll let her go. One....two....three!" As he

said three, the white horse bounded out of the ring.

Chen landed in the midst of the wolves, grabbed the

first two that attacked him by the scruffs of their

necks, then turned the horse round, soared back into

the ring of fire and flung them at Zhang.

With two such ferocious animals flying at him, Zhang

was forced to drop Princess Fragrance to protect

himself. Chen threw two of his chess pieces at him,

scooped Princess Fragrance up, then leapt out of the

circle of fire once more with another horse close

behind: Huo Qingtong had taken advantage of the fight

to cut the reins of a horse and mount up without the

Three Devils noticing.

She and Chen waded through the wolf pack, slashing

right and left with their weapons as if chopping

vegetables, and in a moment, the two horses were out

in the open and galloping off westwards with the wolf

pack chasing behind. The horses were much faster than

the wolves, and before long, they had left the pack

far behind. But Chen knew the hard part would be

staying ahead of these tireless, hungry beasts.
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