The Wandering God

55 The True Face of Lushan 2/2

廬山真面目
Lúshān zhēnmiànmù
The true face of Lushan.
The truth about a person or a matter.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Sanli and I waited in the dark of the warehouse, and as the second prince had promised, two men came to load cargo less than an hour later.

They said nothing as we slipped aboard, though I knew they saw us.

Once on the ship I slid through an open window into the cabin in the middle of the ship. It was small, but ornately furnished, and I guessed that instead of cargo this ship often transported dignitaries and officals.

I felt around in the darkness till I found a tallow candle. But there was nothing to light it with.

I gave up and instead slid the window open. The men knew we were aboard anyway.

Outside I watched the lights of the city pass us by as we set out. Here and there escaped paper lanterns floated into the air, carrying messages to departed loved ones and relatives.

I turned away from the window and began to search the cabin once more.

Finally I found what I was looking for. A small wooden chest, with the character for medicine carved into the top. My fingers felt along the gouges, reading them in the dark.

"Come sit her by the window prince, so you can see the city, and I can see your wounds."

Sanli moved out of the darkness, settling before the window.

In the faint light there I cleaned his face and hands, carefully. I opened and sniffed each vial in the chest till I found one that stung my nose with the smell of peppermint and other astringent herbs, and then spread that over the prince's cuts.

Then I reached to the hem of the prince's shirt.

But when I tried to draw it up and over his head, Sanli flinched away, as he had done in the courtyard.

I stilled.

"I am sorry prince," I said softly. "I will not hurt you. I just want to check your chest for wounds."

"I know you won't hurt me Ao," said Sanli, speaking even softer than I had spoken. My heart jumped, relieved to hear the little prince's voice, and I realized it was the first time he had spoken since we left the tigress behind. "I think my shoulder is dislocated."

I found a small knife in the medicine chest, and cut away Sanli's shirt, carefully, carefully drawing the sleeve away from the swollen shoulder.

Even in the dim half light I could see the purple bruising.

I should have killed the tiger.

I felt with the tips of my fingers as carefully as I could the swollen skin, but Sanli winced at even my slightest touch. "You are right prince, it is dislocated. I am sorry, but it is better to return it to place now than later."

"Will you need to tie me?" Sanli said, voice wooden.

I was confused, and then I remembered our time in the cave, when I had cut away the infected skin around his wound.

I laughed in relief, perhaps too loudly, realizing the prince was making a joke. "It will hurt prince, but only a moment. Are you ready?"

Sanli nodded, and I began to count. "One, two-" I did not wait till three. I pushed his shoulder back into place before he could tense his muscles.

Sanli grunted in pain, but bore it better than I thought he would. He clutched at his shoulder, fingers digging into his upper arm, but made no other sound.