‘What’re you going to do with the history?’ Lowenthal asked.
‘I hope to be a school teacher, perhaps in the British settlement at Tseun Wan.’
‘Very ambitious,’ DeLaroza said. ‘I assume you know the legend of Kowloon and T’un Hai well, then?’
‘Hal. My father told me the story many times before he died. It was a special thing between us.’
‘Mister Lowenthal here does not know the story. Would you honour us?’
‘Of course, nm. It is my honour.’
‘Would you like something to drink first?’
‘Urn, dor-jeh. I have had too many Coca-Colas already. I will be fat like T’sai-Shen if I am not careful.’
‘Who is T’sai-Shen?’ Lowenthal asked.
‘The god of wealth and happiness. He is so-o-o big,’ she said, holding her arms in front of her in a large circle.
‘I doubt that,’ Lowenthal said with a smile.
‘Should I begin then?’
‘Please,’ DeLaroza said.
She stood b wing, pressing her hands together in an attitude of p aye-, and then began reciting the myth in her bell-like voice, acting it out in pantomime; moving slowly in place, each gesture a ballet of grace. Lowenthal could not take his eyes off her.
‘In the land of my father the most wondrous and ancient of all creatures is the dragon, for the dragon represents both earth and water.
‘The dragon has the power of the rains, he puts colour in the cheeks of the flowers. He brings the bountiful rice crop.
‘But if the dragon is offended by the misdeeds and dishonour of the emperors, he becomes angry. The rains do not come. It is a time when the earth is like the wrinkled face of the prophet. The crops die in the ground, the rivers become like dusty pathways. The harvest is a time of sorrow and weeping.
‘And so, once a year the ministers and lords of the empire honour Chiang-Yuan, the Dragon of the Ten Toes, and it is a great celebration which is called the Feast of the Dragon Door and they adorn the dishes from which they eat, the robes they wear, even their thrones, with the countenance of Chiang-Yuan.
‘In the time of Fu Hsi, who was by legend the first of all the great emperors of China, a dragon horse arose from the Yellow River and presented himself to the emperor. He was sent by Yu-huang-shang-ti, the August Emperor of Jade, and god of all gods, to serve Fu Hsi and give to him the wisdom of the gods. On the back of the dragon horse was a mystical chart from which all of the written language of China was taken. And in the time of Fu Hsi there was peace in the land and it was a time of plenty.
‘And so, from that time on, the Dragon of the Ten Toes has been the imperial symbol of all emperors.
‘His enemy was T’un Hai, the two-headed blood snake of the dark world, for it was believed that the snake tore the souls of the dead to pieces and scattered them to the sea. Only Chiang-Yuan could save them and lead them to everlasting peace in the kingdom of the Jade Emperor.
‘And so it was in the time of the boy emperor Ping, eight hundred years ago. The young king loved Chiang-Yuan and believed that when an emperor died his soul lived on in the body of the dragon. And he believed also that in the eight mountain peaks surrounding I-long Kong there lived eight dragons, each with the soul of one of Ping’s ancestors. His prime minister told Ping that there would be another dragon when Ping died and it would live in the high mountain on the western side of the island of Hong Kong and it would be called Kow-Loon, which means “ninth dragon,” and Ping’s soul would live in its great body and would protect the harbour and the souls of the dead from T’un Hai.
‘When Ping passed on, the dragon Kow-Loon appeared on the western peak and its soul was the soul of Ping and Kow-Loon went forth on the island in search of T’un Hai and in the place now known as Tiger Balm Gardens he found the snake of lost souls in a cave. T’un Hai came from the cave and attacked Kow-Loon and they fought for twenty-three days and nights until the earth was scorched from Kow-Loon’s fiery breath and the earth was scarred from their battle and the hills fell into the sea. The earth trembled. A great earthquake shook the island and the people escaped to the sea in their sampans and waited until the battle was over and T’un Hai slid into the sea and was never seen again.
‘And since that time Kow-Loon has protected Hong Kong and many people still live on sampans so they will be safe if T’un Hai ever returns and there is another great battle and the earth trembles again.’
Heida closed her eyes and bowed her head. The story was over.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
Lowenthal sat back and stared at the young lady, entranced by the story and by her visual interpretation. ‘No,’ he said, ‘it is I who thank you. I’m very touched by your story. You tell it with great passion.’
‘It is only because my father told it to me with passion, for he believed the story, just as he believed that. when he died he would ride on the back of the dragon horse to the place where the August Supreme Emperor of Jade resides.’
‘And do you believe the story?’ Lowenthal asked.
A smile touched her lips. ‘hai. Of course. I believe it because it is a legend that sings with truth.’ She reached inside her blouse and took out a thin gold chain with a gold pendant hanging from it. On the pendant in bas relief was the tiny figure of a dragon, grinning ferociously, his head crouching between his five-toed feet. ‘It is always around my neck,’ she said, ‘even when I sleep. It protects me from T’un Hai.’
DeLaroza thanked her and she bowed and was gone.
‘I must say, you make all of this very real,’ Lowenthal said. ‘I wonder why it is that Easterners have much more interesting and dramatic gods than we Westerners.’
‘You Westerners,’ DeLaroza said with a smile. ‘I am a Buddhist. But enough of that. Let us talk about the campaign. Needless to say, I am delighted you have joined us.’
‘So far you seem to be doing just fine without me.’
‘So far we have played in our own territory.’
Wan Shu arrived with the first of many dishes, what appeared to be tiny chicken wings covered with a clear sauce. ‘This looks delicious,’ Lowenthal said. ‘What is it?’
‘Well, it is hardly what we would call chia-ch’ang-pien-fan — everyday food — in China. You eat the whole thing, the bones and all. Just chew it well. They are sparrow wings.’
Lowenthal paused in mid-bite and there was a moment when he seemed to be wondering whether to go on or not.
‘Please, do not stop,’ DeLaroza said. ‘Heida mentioned the Feast of the Dragon Door. What Wan Shu is preparing is a meal based on that feast. There will be some rare delicacies, such as these sparrow wings. Also quail, elephant trunk, sturgeon intestines, bear paw, and deer tail, along with more traditional fare. The meal for two hundred guests will cost ten thousand dollars.’
‘That’s five hundred dollars a meal!’
‘Exactly. The banquet originated during the time of the Emperor Tsi Tzu of the Sung Dynasty, about seven hundred years ago. It usually went on for clays. I have eliminated some of the more exotic dishes. Peacock tongues, monkey brains, gorilla lips.’
‘Gorilla lips?’
‘A truly rare delicacy in China. But I don’t want to discourage any of the guests.’
‘Elephant trunk and deer tails may take care of that.’
DeLaroza leaned forward and winked. ‘We won’t tell them until after they’ve eaten.’
The sparrow wings actually were quite delicious and Lowenthal finished them with relish. He sat back and said, ‘Tell me, what took you from Brazil to Hong Kong?’
‘I see you have been checking up on me.’
Lowenthal shrugged. ‘There’s not much to check up on, actually.’
‘I have always avoided publicity. A quirk of mine.’