Airship Stowaway

Training

The next morning Joanna awoke before dawn, and put on the robes she had borrowed. She hurried down to meet Gansung, heart beating in her chest. 

Joanna had hoped that the new side of Gansung that she had glimpsed on the previous day would again be in evidence: but this was not so. Gansung greeted her with barely a nod, face as impassive as ever, and proceeded to drill her mercilessly. Stretching, sit-ups, deep knee-bends, press-ups all followed one another without letup, until Joanna was left gasping for breath. She knew she wasn't yet fully acclimated to the altitude, but she was determined not to give up. 

Finally Gansung nodded. "Warmup over. Now we start the real work." He studied her face carefully. But Joanna was determined to hide her sinking heart. After a few moments, Gansung turned away, satisfied. 

He called Joanna over to the centre of the hall. "This is called Sweeping Crane." With his weight on his slightly bent left leg, Gansung raised his curved arms to shoulder level, and then whipped out out his right foot in a round, sweeping motion that ended with his foot lightly poised on the floor in front of him. 

"What is it for?" asked Joanna. 

"Come and stand in front of me." Joanna obeyed, and stood facing Gansung. "Crouch slightly, and hold your hands out to your sides."

The instant Joanna complied, Gansung's right foot swept out again like a striking cobra. It hooked around her legs at about knee height, and swept them out from under her. Joanna fell heavily to the floor, only managing to partly break her fall with her hands. 

"That's what it's for." Gansung grinned fiercely as Joanna hauled herself to her feet. "Now you try."

It was not easy for Joanna to achieve even a portion of Gansung's grace. She felt herself wobbling as she tried to balance her weight on her left leg. And as soon as she extended her foot, the wobble got worse, and she had to windmill her arms to stay upright. 

Gansung was not impressed. "Arms still! Stay upright! Sweep faster!" The flurry of commands only made Joanna more flustered, and more unbalanced. 

Finally Gansung motioned her to stop her efforts. "Now you practice. Tomorrow it must be perfect." Then he turned and left the hall. 

Joanna tried and tried, but it was no use. When she concentrated on her balance, her arms went wrong. When she tried to keep her arms steady, she nearly fell over. And when she tried to sweep her leg as fast as she could, everything went wrong, and she wasn't even a tenth as fast as Gansung anyway. She just didn't know how to do it. 

At last she collapsed on the floor in despair. She just couldn't do it. Tears of frustration started to well up. It was so unfair! Here she was, a million miles from home and everything that was familiar, being pushed to do something she didn't really want to do!

Even as the thought arose, another voice spoke quietly in her head. That's not true. You do want to do it.

"Yes. Yes, I do," said Joanna quietly. She suddenly looked up. There was a young novice standing about ten paces away, looking at her. The boy was very young, maybe five or six. His face had such an open and warm expression on it that Joanna immediately felt calmer and more relaxed. The boy's face almost shone with serenity, and his eyes sparkled with intelligence and humour. 

He clasped his hands in front of him and bowed his head in greeting, and Joanna responded automatically in the same way. He then raised his right hand, and seemed about to say something, when a large group of monks burst into the hall, all speaking loudly and gesticulating wildly at the boy. They surrounded him in an instant, all speaking at the same time, all seemingly scolding him, to judge by their tone of voice. The boy maintained his calm countenance, looking from one to the other in turn, and now and again replying, with a smile, and sometimes a laugh. 

Joanna noticed that Lopsang was at the back of the group. She had not seen the old lama for a number of weeks. Two monks were talking to him earnestly, and glancing over at Joanna from time to time. One gesticulated angrily in her direction. 

Presently the entourage began to move towards the exit, shepherding the young boy in their midst, but Lopsang detached himself and moved towards Joanna, reaching her just as the noisy group left the hall, and peace descended again. 

"Hello Joseph," said Lopsang, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. "How are you?"

"I am well, thank you. And you?"

Lopsang inclined his head slightly. "Very well. Joseph, I must ask you how you came to be talking with the Dalai Lama."