Crouching Dragon: The Journey of Zhuge Liang sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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“…Really…?” Kongming replied: it had been three years since his own meeting with Liu Bei, and there had still been no attempt from Liu Bei’s camp to contact Kongming at all.
“Yes,” Mister Sima said cheerfully. “Very good man, very good indeed.”
“…And… did anything eventful transpire…?” Kongming prompted: he was used to Mister Sima, who was very eccentric, and he knew that he needed to find the correct approach to continuing the conversation, else he would be locked in a repetitive stream of “Yes!” and “Very Good!” for the rest of the afternoon.
“Lord Liu asked if there were any capable men that I could name,” Mister Sima reported, “his having heard that I was well informed of the talents of the day.”
“…So Lord Liu is finally starting to realise his dependency on good advice,” Kongming chuckled. “Master, I presume you guided him in the direction of such notables as Ma Liang, Cui Zhouping, Pang Degong, and Shi Tao…?”
“…Very good, very good!” Mister Sima said with a hearty laugh. “In fact, although they are, as you say, men of merit, I in fact said only two Taoist names: Crouching Dragon, and Young Phoenix!”
“…And, Master, his response was…?” Kongming asked with trepidation.
“I added further,” Mister Sima continued, “that such men are not to be summoned… such men are to be sought out!”
“…You did…?” Kongming exclaimed with desperation. “And… what did he say to that, Master…?”
“Very good! …Very good!” Mister Sima chuckled.
“No, really, Master, what did he say…?” Kongming prompted.
“He may visit you: that is all that he said,” Mister Sima replied.
“…I see,” Kongming sighed, since there was no absolute in the statement.
“He also said,” Mister Sima added: Kongming ignored his frustration at the elder’s way of doing things, and awaited the rest of the statement. “He also said that he may like to visit you soon. He has been meaning to do so… he said that as well.”
Kongming hid his gratitude that his gut instinct had been right, and said, “My thanks, Master, for telling me of this… I am ready now, for whatever day he should choose to visit me.”
“Don’t be too eager,” Mister Sima warned suddenly. “Remember…”
“…A ravenous beggar only gets scraps,” Kongming chuckled. “I know… Lord Liu is a shrewd man… a man that does not care for those that will be of no use to him. If he now intends to visit me sincerely… then we are both ready.”
“Very good, very good!” Mister Sima said with cheer: he clapped his hands together and laughed boisterously. “Yes, yes, very, very good indeed!”
“…Will you now be staying…?” Kongming asked. “I can have one of the lads prepare tea.”
“Very good, very good!” Mister Sima chuckled. “…But I must be going. You take care, you and your family… there will be exciting times ahead.”
Kongming bowed low: Mister Sima gestured for him to rise, bowed slightly, and departed, leaving Kongming to wonder how he should prepare for the upcoming visit by Liu Bei.
Days passed: it was springtime, and the days were cool and breezy. One evening, Kongming sat quietly, Yueying at his side, as the two read over some texts that Kongming had been writing.
“I think that he will be impressed,” Yueying suggested kindly.
“No, no, not like this,” Kongming fretted. “I must commit it all to mind.”
“…You know it backwards,” Yueying giggled. “You could probably draw the map from memory as well.”