“Some people just can’t handle the truth,” says Suki.
While the New Deitsu team works on repairing the pagoda, Sensei Madame Liao trains us at the Conservatory of Wu Liu. She teaches us an unusual hybrid tan-toe routine involving a short wooden practice sword called Wall of Steel. We do it facing north, in formation side to side because it was originally invented to beat back an invading army. It also doesn’t require us to make any rotations, so we don’t have to face south. However, someone occasionally forgets and almost turns south before someone else screams out a warning and they all erupt in nervous giggles.
I nearly face south myself during a break, but Suki immediately grabs my arm and holds me in place. The House of Flowering Blossoms girls crowd around her.
“See! She’s trying to look at the building site!” Suki points at me and hisses, “I know you want to watch the pagoda being rebuilt so you can learn the secrets of our pearl and report it back to the Empress Dowager.”
“Like when you invaded us for our bamboo,” says Mariko.
“Vandal! Thief!” sneers Suki.
Nothing would give me greater happiness in this life than to kick her into the ocean. However, the last thing I can afford now is to break any rules.
I shake my arm free and turn to face north, mumbling something under my breath. I make sure they can’t hear anything except for the word Suki.
“What did you say?” Suki demands.
I look down at my skates and mutter again.
“Say it to my face!” she says.
She skates close to me, her face to mine.
I lift my face to hers, look her in the eyes, and say, “I said that the only thing I want to steal is a look at your face when you realize that you’re facing south, Suki.”
All the other students screech when they see this. Sensei Madame Liao whips her gaze toward us just a heartbeat after Suki spins to face east. I skate away and my heart is full of delight.
However, my joy only lasts a moment because this really is a disaster. Not just Suki’s rumor that I’m a Shinian spy. I’m also worried because the pagoda is so damaged that it will likely take days if not weeks to repair. How can I practice if I can’t face south that entire time?
And the pagoda was the site of the boys’ Motivation. What if they start accusing Cricket?
I hear a cracking noise in the distance. Sensei Madame Liao kneels down and places her ear to the pearl. She rises, turns to us, and announces that the New Deitsu team has finished its work and that we may resume use of all directions.
How can that be? It’s only been an hour. We all hop on the rails to skate toward the worksite. We arrive to find the Pagoda of Filial Sacrifice fully restored. Sensei Madame Liao skates to the entrance and speaks with Chairman Niu. He goes inside the pagoda.
Sensei Madame Liao ushers the students toward Eastern Heaven Dining Hall for midmeal.
“Chen Peasprout.” I freeze at the sound of Sensei Madame Liao calling my name.
“You need to answer some questions.”
“What else do you want to ask me?”
“Not I. Chairman Niu would like to speak with you.”
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Sensei Madame Liao directs me into the Pagoda of Filial Sacrifice. She does not enter. She slides the door closed behind me.
The space inside is round and sealed, like an ossuary. The Chairman stands at the back of the chamber and watches me enter. He sips his tea anemone. He’s powerfully built but holds his body oddly. He’s tipping forward like he’s being dragged down by some great weight. Is he ill?
He doesn’t speak, holding me in his unblinking gaze. The charming Chairman from this morning is gone. There’s nothing that looks like it could belong to Hisashi’s father in this man. The occasional tap of the long nail of his littlest finger against the porcelain is the only sound in the chamber.
At last, the Chairman smiles and flashes his dimples. “Little bird. I’d like to ask you to please turn in place. Slowly. Can you do that for me?”
I can’t think of a reason to disobey, so I reluctantly begin to turn.
“Stop,” he says. “Please.”
I stop two-thirds through the rotation.
“Look straight ahead,” he says. “Please.”
Why is he doing this? From the corner of my eye, I see him take the blunt knife used to score the tea anemones to release their flavor. My Chi flashes.
“Open your mouth,” he says. “Please.”
This is beginning to frighten me, but surely he wouldn’t hurt me with Sensei Madame Liao waiting right outside the door. He skates to me and places the handle of the knife in my mouth.
“Bite down, please.”
I clench my teeth on the knife. He adjusts it. Then the Chairman balances his cup of tea anemones on the flat surface of the blade. He returns to the back of the room where he can see me but I can only catch a glimpse of him.
Now I understand. He’ll use this method to detect any lies. He wants to see my reaction to his questions, and if anything he says makes me turn my head to him even the slightest, he’ll know, because the cup will fall.
“I find it easier to get the truth this way, rather than rely on spoken answers,” the Chairman says. Then he begins speaking question after question in a steady voice.
“Where were you last night, little bird?”
I need to stay calm. I can’t react, or the knife will shake and spill the cup of tea.
“Did you bring anything from Shin to Pearl Famous?”
He has no right to be doing this. I want to cry out and deny what he’s suggesting.
“Have
