Undercover - In China - Book 7

Part 40 - Thunder Voice Wand

Our driving improved as we moved north east for most of the day. We stopped for a meal as the late afternoon shadows settled about us. A chill wind blew across the hills and a dust cloud appear on the horizon, the setting sun coloured the top of it red.

'Can you hear thunder?' Licia asked. 'Deng Fu says it's the sound of horses' hooves. Cho Cho's cavalry.'

We drove on at a faster pace as the night grew darker. Eventually, we stopped and Deng Fu unharnessed the horse to let it drink and eat. We fell asleep on the rice bags and were awakened just after dawn by the noise of a cavalry column coming toward us at a trot. They flew no banners but the leader wore a battered helmet and a magnificent beard which bristled like a porcupine. Zhang Fei bellowed something cheerfully as he stopped beside us. 

Licia translated. 'He says he starving and Deng Fu has all the food. We are to follow him.'

 ❘❘ ❘❘❘ ❘❘❘❘❘❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❘❘❘❘ ❘❘❘❘ ❘❘ 

 We followed Zhang Fei, across a long, narrow wooden bridge over a river, to a small wood. His men crowded around us in a rough circle, their horses stamped their hooves and breathed clouds of vapour into the cold air. 

 There was a chuckle and Licia explained that Deng Fu had asked Zhang Fei what the plan was. Zhang Fei said Gao Jin was going to cook the rice and afterward we're going to stop Cho Cho's men from crossing Steep Slope bridge.

Miguel did a quick count. 'He's going to stop Cho Cho's entire army with twenty men?'

When Licia relayed Miguel's question, Zhang Fei laughed. 'My men are the ugliest bunch so if we all look fierce, Cho Cho's mob will be scared to death.' 

 After breakfast, Zhang Fei sent most of the men to the far side of the little wood with orders to make the biggest dust cloud possible by dragging tree branches behind their horses. Then Zhang Fei rode to the bridge and sat motionless, staring at the horizon in a Zen-like trance. 

 I admired his patience but after a while I got bored and unbuckled one of the leather bags on the back of our carriage. The first bag contained Kongming's robes complete with heron feather fan and head band and that gave me an idea. 

 I turned to Deng Fu. 'Put these on.' He looked puzzled until Licia explained and then he slipped the robe over his shoulders and tied the head band around his hair. 

 'Are we allowed to do this?' Licia asked.

'If they think Kongming is here,' I explained, 'they may fear another trap.'

Miguel untied another box and lifted the lid. 'Holy Granola! Sergeant, get a look at this!'

Licia looked around in alarm. 'Why do you keep calling Ziff, sergeant?'

'He's been demoted from lieutenant,' Miguel said with a straight face. 'This looks like a battery powered speaker and two radio microphones. We can do some serious audio interfacing with this.' He fiddled with amplifier controls as I switched on a microphone. The speakers emitted a squeal of feedback.

'Move the mike behind the speaker so it doesn't pick up the output,' Miguel suggested. 'TESTING, TESTING.' My voice boomed from the speaker. 'THIS IS YOUR WORLD FAMOUS REPORTER ZIFF DION TALKING TO YOU FROM STEEP SLOPE BRIDGE IN CHINA.'

Zhang Fei trotted his horse back across the bridge and spoke to Licia. 'He wants to know what was that terrible noise,' Licia giggled. 'And he asks why Deng Fu looks like Kongming.' 

 'I've got an idea,' I said as I held out the microphone to Zhang Fei. 'Tell him to say something.' The words boomed from the speaker making his horse jump nervously. 'Tell him it's a magical thunder voice wand. He must hang it around his neck.' I turned to Miguel. 'Would you hang onto his horse's thingy for a moment in case it bolts?'

'Bridle,' Miguel pointed out. 'The leather straps around the horses head are called a bridle.' 'THUNDER . . . VOICE . . . WAND?' Zhang Fei repeated in Mandarin as Licia explained. Miguel hung onto the bridle as Zhang Fei's horse tried to rear in terror. Zhang Fei scratched his bristling beard in astonishment, looked over his shoulder and roared something which echoed from the trees. Licia translated. 'He told his men to make a bigger dusk cloud.'