Undercover - In China - Book 7

Part 43 - Miffed, Peeved and Disgruntled

 We looked back anxiously but there was no sign of pursuit and gradually we began to relax.

 Miguel grinned at me. 'You're getting seriously good with that amplifier, Ziff. But, next time, let me know first. My ears are still ringing. How did you make that scream?'

'There's a CD in the amplifier with Halloween sound effects,' I said. 'That was a nice pitch with the skunk juice, Miguel. You hit Murga dead on.' 

 'What did Murga say to you?' Miguel asked. 'He said Dr Zhang escaped.  That's all he said.'

We caught up with an ox cart loaded with refugees who confirmed that we were still on the road to Jiangling. A little further on, we encountered two skinny boys loading sacks of grain onto a wooden oxen, a large one-wheel barrow. Licia asked if they had seen Cho Cho's supply column.

 One of them grinned mischievously as he told Licia he would answer the question if we helped push the wheel barrow up the next hill.  Licia laughed. 'Their names are Old Tang and Young Tang.' Old Tang looked all of 16 years old.'

Miguel and I jumped down leaving Licia to drive the carriage. Young Tang slipped a rope sling, attached to the shafts, across my shoulders. When I straightened my knees, I easily lifted the shafts but Old Tang had to throw himself against the side to stop the wheel barrow falling over. Miguel and Young Tang hauled at the rope attached to the front, while Old Tang helped me to steady the load. I couldn't see past the bags piled high in front of me but Miguel called out, 'Left, left, straight, right.' I could barely hear his instructions, because of the noise from the squeaking wheel. I was exhausted when we got to the top of the rise. 

 Licia asked Old Tang why the wheel barrow squeaked so badly. Old Tang looked at her as if she was particularly stupid. 'The squeaking keeps the demons away,' he said scornfully. 'Every child knows that.'

Young Tang spoke to Licia and she explained, 'I told him we were looking for our uncle Denny, a funny looking white ghost like Xia Dian, Ziff.  Old Tang thinks Denny is up ahead with the rest of the wheel barrows.'

Young and Old Tang expressed eternal thanks as Miguel and I rejoined Licia on the carriage and we soon caught up with a line of wheel barrows loaded with bundles of hay, sacks of grain, cast iron cooking pots, weapons, armour, bottles, bundles, baskets and tools. They were waiting to cross a bridge where a line of soldiers were helping the carters to haul the wheel barrows up the steep bank. 

 'I can see why they use wheel barrows,' I remarked. 'A two-wheeled cart would never get across that tiny bridge or up that slope. We'll have to look for another crossing for the carriage.' 

 We drove the carriage through the marshy ground, along the creek until we saw a thin man, dressed in rags, lying on the bank of the creek with his feet in the water. His helmet looked curiously like a bowler hat. A soldier shouted at him but he didn't open his eyes, instead he cursed all bridges, all wheel barrows and all Chinese soldiers in the most vulgar language. Every second word sounded like tabernak, colees or merde. It was a moment before I realized he was speaking English but swearing in Canadian French.

I jumped down from the carriage. 'Kozak,' I said quietly. 'It's me, Ziff Dion. What're you doing here?' Kozak opened one bloodshot eye and looked at me without comprehension. He closed his eye. 'Go away. I resign. I will not push zat damned wheel barrow one more step. I am miffed, peeved and really, really disgruntled. Come back tomorrow.'