A powerful teenager threw open the heavy door and stormed inside the dark room. His intense eyes reflected the dancing flames of the torch in his hands. “Well, well, well,” he hissed at Malao and Fu. “How fortunate that you two should show up here at this time. We are expecting hundreds of guests soon, and they will be hungry for some fresh meat!”
Fu and Malao stared with their mouths agape.
The teen smirked and turned to the guard standing in the doorway. “Give me some time alone with these boys. I need to see what they are made of. A quarter of an hour should be sufficient. Make sure you lock the door behind you, too. If you hear screaming, pay it no mind. It will cease soon enough.” “I understand, sir,” the guard replied with a wide grin. “Fresh meat always squeals the loudest.” He laughed and bowed, then took a step back and closed the door.
Hok squinted downriver, staring into the rising sun. She and Seh had had an uneventful night. In fact, it had been downright boring. They hadn't encountered a single boat the whole time, and the traveling was easy. Hok was tired, but glad they'd stayed on the river without stopping. Jinan shouldn't be too far ahead.
Hok's stomach growled and her gaze drifted to the large basket PawPaw had placed in the skiff for them. They hadn't bothered to open it during the night.
“Are you hungry, Seh?” Hok asked.
Seh twitched, but didn't answer. He was asleep. Hok decided to leave him be.
Hok hooked one of the basket's large handles with her foot and pulled it toward her. It was surprisingly heavy. She lifted the lid and found the two large hats PawPaw had mentioned, plus numerous containers of dried fruit and roasted nuts. There was enough food in there to last her and Seh at least a week.
Hok began to rummage through the items, taking care to keep the skiff on its steady course down the center of the river. At the very bottom of the basket, she noticed a corner of blue cloth. She grabbed hold of it and tugged. It was a large silk bag that matched her pale blue silk robe. Hok opened it and found an impressive collection of dried medicinal herbs. She grinned. PawPaw was the best.
Hok slipped the bag's single long strap around her neck and over one shoulder, then glanced over at Seh. He had curled into a ball on the floor of the skiff. Hok watched him sleep. The gentle rocking motion of the boat made keeping her eyes open a bit of a challenge, but she wanted to keep pressing onward. She also wanted to eat.
Hok looked up and saw a particularly narrow bend in the river ahead. Until now, the river had been growing increasingly wide, as PawPaw said it would. Hok sighed and replaced the lid on the basket. She would eat after she steered the boat through the bend and on to wider waters.
Hok glanced at the shore, then at the water, then back at the shore. She noticed that the current in this section of the river was pulling them along faster than previous sections. Uh-oh, she thought. With the fear of rapids creeping into her mind, Hok grabbed the rudder with both hands.
As she steered the boat into the curve, her grip tightened. Hok didn't see any rocks in the water, but there was an obstacle ahead that could prove to be far more dangerous. If the river had been a road, she would have been better prepared for the sight. However, being on the water, she had failed to recognize the bend for what it was—a natural choke point. The perfect place for an ambush.
Seh suddenly sat up, instantly awake. “Hok!” he whispered. “I sense something.”
“Yes,” Hok replied. “River pirates.”
Hok scanned the river ahead of them and didn't like what she saw. Three sleek boats were anchored in a line across the width of the river. Each boat held four men wrapped head to toe in black cloth. The only thing visible was their eyes, which were staring in Hok's direction down qiang barrels.
“I sense a lot of negative energy,” Seh said. “How many pirates are there?”
“Twelve,” Hok replied, “and they all have qiangs.”
“What do you think our chances are?” Seh asked.
“We don't have a chance,” Hok said.
The pirate in the bow of the center boat waved his qiang and called out to Hok, “Steer toward me and prepare to be boarded!”
Hok lowered her voice to a whisper. “What should we do?”
“Do what they say,” Seh replied. “Unless you have a better idea. Remember what PawPaw said about them.”
Hok frowned. She was out of ideas. They were going to be boarded.
The center pirate boat was anchored with its bow facing upstream, and Hok pointed the bow of Paw-Paw's skiff at it. She let the strong current carry them downstream. The pirate boat was coming up fast.
“Slow down,” the pirate leader called out.