I had woken up at the crack of dawn the other morning after hearing several taps on the kitchen window. It was still quite dark and as I looked up, I saw a shadowy figure against the window pane. Of course curiosity got the better of me and I went to investigate.
I opened the window a little and to my shock, saw that it was the Black Queen! She looked like she had been in a fight and there were bloody scratches all over her face and body.
"Please help me ...." she was crying. I stood in a daze. All kinds of thoughts flashed through my mind - was this some kind of trick she had up her sleeve?
I gathered my senses together and replied, "What do you want? Is this some kind of trick?"
"No, I need your help desperately, please believe me ...." she begged.
I decided to call Head Nun who came to the window, still half asleep.
"Well," she said. "I'm sorry we can't let you in. We don't know whether you are sincere or just bluffing."
"Alright, I don't blame you," the Black Queen said. I noticed she was looking nervously behind her all the time as though she expected someone to jump on her. We shut the window and left her outside.
I of course could not get back to sleep and when the sun rose, I looked out of the window. She was still there, sleeping under a bush. Meantime Ning had come round for breakfast and he was just as shocked as I was to see the Black Queen. "Don't believe anything she says," he warned me. "I think we should tie her up or put her in a box so that she can't do anybody any harm."
We found an old wooden box with holes and put her inside. I was surprised that she seemed to have lost all her arrogance and haughtiness and meekly allowed herself to be placed in the box.
Later, Head Nun, Ning and myself sat down to listen to her story. With a voice that trembled, she began her story.
"After I returned from Nirvana, I found that a troublemaker named Black Eye had been inciting the people against me during my absence. He had long been jealous of me as he wanted to be King. When I returned without my soldiers, he called me a coward and traitor. He and his supporters stormed my castle but I managed to escape with the help of a loyal subject, Black Star who brought me here. He has gone back to fight it out with Black Eye and will return for me when it's safe. All I'm asking is a few days' refuge in your temple until Black Star returns."
"Huh! I don't believe a word of it," said Ning. "Why should we help you when you have caused us so much trouble? How do we know you're telling the truth?"
"I'm afraid she is," said a voice behind us. We turned round to see Lao Tze standing there.
"I flew past the Black Planet last night and the whole place is in a turmoil. The one who calls himself Black Eye is leading a band of renegades and they're destroying homes and killing everyone everywhere. They know the Black Queen is here and they're coming to get her. I came to warn you, Da. I'm sorry I can't help you as I am on another mission. Good luck!" With that, he vanished.
It was then that I hit upon the idea of taking the Black Queen to the monastery at Dragon Island. "The place is quiet and remote and nobody will find her there," I said.
Ning looked at me in amazement. "Da, I can't believe what you just said. You can't be serious about helping this...this...witch! Remember, she tried to kill me at the Temple of Great Peace!"
"Those must have been Black Eye's supporters," said the Black Queen. "I swear I know nothing of it."
"There's no time for argument," I said. "Let's get the Head Monk's permission and if he agrees, we can leave immediately for Dragon Island."
Ning started to protest again but witch or not, I knew I could not stand by and watch her being captured and killed.
We left the temple almost immediately after contacting the Head Monk.
"I'm coming with you," said Ning, still grumbling and calling me "crazy". Head Nun was in tears when I bid her goodbye. I didn't know what was going to happen but I sure wished Lao Tze could have come with us.
(To be continued)
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| A shadowy figure against the window pane |
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