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    <s id="1:1">The boots reached the door, and came on into the room.</s>
    <s id="1:2">Trinket peeped out from behind the table-cloth.</s>
    <s id="1:3">From the size of his footwear, the new arrival seemed to be a boy like himself.</s>
    <s id="1:4">He heaved a sigh of relief, and put the pancake in his mouth.</s>
    <s id="1:5">He didn't dare to take a bite out of it, but softened it with his saliva, and then swallowed it silently down.</s>
    <s id="1:6">Meanwhile he could hear noisy munching coming from the table above him.</s>
    <s id="1:7">The new boy was clearly tucking in.</s>
    <s id="1:8">'Why, he's just another scavenger like me!' thought Trinket to himself.</s>
    <s id="1:9">'I'll jump out and scare him off, then I can carry on eating to my heart's content.'</s>
    <s id="1:10">His thoughts ran on: 'What a fool I was just now!</s>
    <s id="1:11">I should have stuffed a whole plateful in my pocket and buggered off!</s>
    <s id="1:12">This isn't like home.</s>
    <s id="1:13">They wouldn't miss a little thing like that, or expect me to pay for it!'</s>
    <s id="1:14">All of a sudden there was a series of noisy thumps.</s>
    <s id="1:15">The new scavenger had started hitting something.</s>
    <s id="1:16">His curiosity aroused, Trinket poked his head out from under the table.</s>
    <s id="1:17">What he saw was a boy of fourteen or fifteen, in a short gown, punching at one of the bags that hung from the beam.</s>
    <s id="1:18">After a while, the boy moved across and started attacking one of the oxhide cut-outs.</s>
    <s id="1:19">He struck the figure first on the chest with one fist, then reached forward with both hands and grappled it by the waist, forcing it to the ground.</s>
    <s id="1:20">It was very much the same sort of technique as the one used by the Manchu wrestlers in the inn the previous day.</s>
    <s id="1:21">Trinket chuckled to himself and darted out from beneath the table.</s>
    <s id="1:22">'Why fight a dummy!' he cried.</s>
    <s id="1:23">'Why not try me?'</s>
    <s id="1:24">The other boy's first reaction was one of alarm, at the sight of this strange apparition with its head swathed in bandages.</s>
    <s id="1:25">But alarm quickly turned to delight when he realized that he had found a sparring partner.</s>
    <s id="1:26">'Very well!' he replied.</s>
    <s id="1:27">'On guard!'</s>
    <s id="1:28">Trinket sprang forward and seized the boy's arms, intending to give him a sharp twist, but the boy turned smartly, and hooked him with his right foot, sending Trinket crashing to the floor.</s>
    <s id="1:29">'You're hopeless!' he jeered.</s>
    <s id="1:30">'You obviously don't know the first thing about wrestling!'</s>
    <s id="1:31">'Who says I don't!' protested Trinket, leaping to his feet again and reaching for the boy's left leg.</s>
    <s id="1:32">The boy made a grab for his back, but this time Trinket dodged in time and the boy seized a handful of air.</s>
    <s id="1:33">Trinket recalled Whiskers' fight with the seven wrestlers at the inn, and shot out a quick left that caught the boy hard, fair and square, on the lower cheek.</s>
    <s id="1:34">The boy stood there stunned for a few seconds, and a momentary look of anger came into his eyes.</s>
    <s id="1:35">'You're hopeless!' cried Trinket with a grin.</s>
    <s id="1:36">'You obviously don't know the first thing about wrestling.'</s>
    <s id="1:37">The boy said nothing, but feinted with his left fist.</s>
    <s id="1:38">Trinket fell for it and dodged, and as he did so, the boy's elbow came crashing across into his midriff and winded him completely.</s>
    <s id="1:39">He crumpled up and fell to the ground in excruciating pain.</s>
    <s id="1:40">The boy now came at Trinket from behind, slipped both hands under his arms and laced his hands together around his throat, throttling him, and pressing him harder and harder down on to the ground.</s>
    <s id="1:41">Trinket kicked frantically with his right foot, but then the boy loosed his hands and gave him a terrific shove which sent him rolling across the room like a puppy chasing its own tail.</s>
    <s id="1:42">Trinket was furious.</s>
    <s id="1:43">He came tumbling back, wrapped both arms round the boy's legs, and tugged at him with all his might.</s>
    <s id="1:44">The boy crashed down right on top of him.</s>
    <s id="1:45">He was quite a bit bigger than Trinket, and had soon succeeded in throttling him again and pinning him to the ground.</s>
    <s id="1:46">Trinket began to choke, thrashed out with his feet to extricate himself, and finally managed to wriggle on top of the boy and hold him down.</s>
    <s id="1:47">He was too light to maintain the upper hand for long, however, and soon the boy was back on top of him again.</s>
    <s id="1:48">Ever a crafty fighter, Trinket now let go of the boy's legs, got behind him, and landed him a good kick on the backside.</s>
    <s id="1:49">The boy quickly grabbed his right leg and tugged at it, sending Trinket crashing down on his back.</s>
    <s id="1:50">The boy leapt astride him, pinned his head to the floor, and cried: 'Well!</s>
    <s id="1:51">Surrender?'</s>
    <s id="1:52">Trinket had meanwhile managed to hook his left foot round the boy's waist, and started to rub it up and down the small of his back.</s>
    <s id="1:53">The boy, it transpired, was extremely ticklish, and he couldn't help giggling, and loosened his grasp.</s>
    <s id="1:54">Trinket seized his chance, leapt up, and pinned his opponent down by the throat.</s>
    <s id="1:55">The boy now used a standard wrestling ploy, gripping Trinket by the back of the neck and pulling him to the ground with considerable force.</s>
    <s id="1:56">Trinket went out like a light.</s>
    <s id="1:57">When he regained consciousness, he found that he was temporarily immobilized.</s>
    <s id="1:58">The boy burst out laughing.</s>
    <s id="1:59">'Well?</s>
    <s id="1:60">Had enough?</s>
    <s id="1:61">Give in?'</s>
    <s id="1:62">But Trinket was not finished yet.</s>
    <s id="1:63">He eventually succeeded in jumping up and landing a head-butt right in the boy's midriff.</s>
    <s id="1:64">The boy groaned and staggered back a few steps.</s>
    <s id="1:65">Trinket lunged after him, the boy leant a little to one side, put out a leg, and brought him tumbling to the floor.</s>
    <s id="1:66">Trinket reached out frantically as he fell, clutching at the boy's legs, and the two of them went down together.</s>
    <s id="1:67">They struggled for a while, each one gaining the upper hand for a moment, then going under, ringing the changes more than a dozen times, until finally they were in a complete deadlock, panting and staring fixedly at each other.</s>
    <s id="1:68">And then suddenly, at exactly the same moment, they both burst out laughing.</s>
    <s id="1:69">There was something about the clinch they were in that struck them both as terribly funny.</s>
    <s id="1:70">Slowly they let go.</s>
    <s id="1:71">The boy reached out a hand and began removing the bandages from Trinket's face.</s>
    <s id="1:72">'What did you want to wrap your face up for?'</s>
    <s id="1:73">Trinket was about to snatch the bandages back, when he reflected that the boy had already seen most of his face and that it would achieve nothing.</s>
    <s id="1:74">'I didn't want anyone to recognize me taking the cake.'</s>
    <s id="1:75">'I see,' said the boy, chuckling and standing up.</s>
    <s id="1:76">'So you make a habit of coming here and taking food, do you?'</s>
    <s id="1:77">'No, I don't,' said Trinket.</s>
    <s id="1:78">As he rose to his feet, he stole a closer glance at his opponent: there was something at once impressive and attractive about the boy's features, a clearness of brow, a noble look in the eyes, an expression in the face, that drew Trinket towards him.</s>
    <s id="1:79">'What's your name?' asked the boy.</s>
    <s id="1:80">'Laurel,' replied Trinket.</s>
    <s id="1:81">'And yours?'</s>
    <s id="1:82">After a moment's hesitation the boy replied: 'Mine's . . .</s>
    <s id="1:83">People call me Misty.</s>
    <s id="1:84">Which of the Goong-goongs do you work for?'</s>
    <s id="1:85">'I'm with Hai Goong-goong.'</s>
    <s id="1:86">Misty nodded, and used Trinket's bandages to mop the sweat from his brow.</s>
    <s id="1:87">He helped himself to a cake.</s>
    <s id="1:88">Trinket was not going to be outdone.</s>
    <s id="1:89">If this young fellow could continue calmly scavenging, so could he.</s>
    <s id="1:90">He popped another slice of layer cake nonchalantly into his mouth.</s>
    <s id="1:91">'I can see you've never done any wrestling,' laughed Misty.</s>
    <s id="1:92">'But you're a quick mover all the same!</s>
    <s id="1:93">You managed to get away that time.</s>
    <s id="1:94">A few more goes and I'd have had you, though—'</s>
    <s id="1:95">'Is that right?' protested Trinket.</s>
    <s id="1:96">'Come on then: let's see—'</s>
    <s id="1:97">'At you!'</s>
    <s id="1:98">The two of them set to again.</s>
    <s id="1:99">Misty clearly knew a few wrestling moves, and was the older and stronger of the two.</s>
    <s id="1:100">But Trinket had the benefit of years of experience in the streets of Yangzhou, where he'd had to deal with all manner of bullies and thugs, big and small, and in this respect he was definitely Misty's superior.</s>
    <s id="1:101">But for one reason or another (partly Whiskers' lecture, partly because this was, after all, only 'play-fighting' and not in deadly earnest) he didn't avail himself of a single one of the dubious tricks at which he excelled: the finger-twist, the pigtail-pull, the throat-bite, the eye-poke, the ear-yank, the grip-o'-the-balls.</s>
    <s id="1:102">As a result he eventually came off the loser again, with Misty sitting on his back, and no hope of throwing him off.</s>
    <s id="1:103">'Surrender?'</s>
    <s id="1:104">'Never!'</s>
    <s id="1:105">Misty burst out laughing and jumped up.</s>
    <s id="1:106">Trinket went for him again, but this time Misty shook his head.</s>
    <s id="1:107">'No more for today!</s>
    <s id="1:108">Tomorrow, if you like.</s>
    <s id="1:109">But I don't see the point: you'll never be able to beat me!'</s>
    <s id="1:110">Trinket was not having this.</s>
    <s id="1:111">He pulled a piece of silver from his pocket, about three taels' worth: 'Tomorrow we fight for money!</s>
    <s id="1:112">You'd better bring three taels yourself!'</s>
    <s id="1:113">Misty seemed somewhat taken aback by this but then concurred.</s>
    <s id="1:114">'All right.</s>
    <s id="1:115">We fight for money.</s>
    <s id="1:116">I'll bring my stake.</s>
    <s id="1:117">See you here at noon tomorrow.'</s>
    <s id="1:118">'Live or die!</s>
    <s id="1:119">Excellent kungfu!</s>
    <s id="1:120">My word is my wand!' cried Trinket, and Misty burst out laughing.</s>
    <s id="1:121">'It certainly is!'</s>
    <s id="1:122">And with that he left the room.</s>
    <s id="1:123">Trinket helped himself to a big handful of cakes and stuffed them inside his jacket.</s>
    <s id="1:124">Then he too left the room.</s>
    <s id="1:125">As he went, he found himself thinking of Whiskers' heroic stand at Victory Hill: now there was a man!</s>
    <s id="1:126">Whiskers had pledged his word to fight, and nothing could have stood between him and the fulfilment of that pledge, not the walls of his prison cell, not even his own wounds.</s>
    <s id="1:127">How many times Trinket had sat listening to the storytellers' tales, and how many times he'd dreamed of one day being a hero himself—Trinket the Brave Man and True!</s>
    <s id="1:128">Now, he'd said he would fight, and there could be no going back!</s>
    <s id="1:129">He had pledged his word!</s>
    <s id="1:130">And if he was to be a man of his word, he would have to forget about escape—at least for the time being.</s>
    <s id="1:131">He would have to go back to the old eunuch that evening.</s>
    <s id="1:132">He therefore decided to retrace his steps to the room where they had been gambling earlier in the day — and from there he took a direction opposite to the one he had taken earlier (which had led him deeper and deeper into the mansion), followed two covered walkways, vaguely remembered one or two shrubs he had passed by in the courtyards on the way, and somehow, by hook or by crook, navigated his way back to the old eunuch's quarters.</s>
    <s id="1:133">As he drew near the entrance, he heard the old fellow coughing.</s>
    <s id="1:134">'Goong-goong?</s>
    <s id="1:135">Are you feeling any better?'</s>
    <s id="1:136">'Better my arse!' muttered the eunuch.</s>
    <s id="1:137">'Get a move on, will you!'</s>
    <s id="1:138">Trinket hurried over to him.</s>
    <s id="1:139">Old Hai was sitting at a table (the broken one had been replaced).</s>
    <s id="1:140">''How much did you win?'</s>
    <s id="1:141">'I won a dozen taels,' replied Trinket.</s>
    <s id="1:142">'But I—'</s>
    <s id="1:143">'You what?' snapped the eunuch.</s>
    <s id="1:144">'I lent them to Wu.'</s>
    <s id="1:145">In actual fact he'd won twenty and lent twelve to Wu: the remaining eight he wished to hang on to.</s>
    <s id="1:146">Old Hai scowled at him.</s>
    <s id="1:147">'What do you want to go lending money to that Wu fellow for?</s>
    <s id="1:148">He doesn't even work in the Upper Library, dammit!</s>
    <s id="1:149">You could at least have lent to one of the Wen brothers!'</s>
    <s id="1:150">Trinket didn't follow this at all.</s>
    <s id="1:151">'But they didn't ask me for a loan.'</s>
    <s id="1:152">'Then you should have found a way to offer one.</s>
    <s id="1:153">Have you forgotten everything I ever told you?'</s>
    <s id="1:154">'It's just that. . . what with killing that boy yesterday, I can't seem to think straight, it must have gone clean out of my mind.</s>
    <s id="1:155">I ought to have lent the money to one of the Wen brothers, that's right, I remember now, you told me.'</s>
    <s id="1:156">Old Hai humphed.</s>
    <s id="1:157">'What's so alarming about killing?</s>
    <s id="1:158">I suppose you're only a child though, you've never done it before.</s>
    <s id="1:159">Now, about the book— I hope you haven't forgotten.'</s>
    <s id="1:160">'The book?'</s>
    <s id="1:161">Old Hai humphed again.</s>
    <s id="1:162">'Have you forgotten everything?'</s>
    <s id="1:163">'Goong-goong, I... I've got this terrible headache . . . and I'm so worried about your cough ...</s>
    <s id="1:164">I just can't keep my mind on anything!'</s>
    <s id="1:165">'Very well.</s>
    <s id="1:166">Come over here!'</s>
    <s id="1:167">'Yes, Goong-goong!'</s>
    <s id="1:168">Trinket walked a few steps closer.</s>
    <s id="1:169">'I'm going to repeat it for you once more.</s>
    <s id="1:170">Forget this time, and I shall kill you.'</s>
    <s id="1:171">'Yes, Goong-goong!' piped Trinket, thinking to himself, 'Just say it once, and I'll never forget it, not in a hundred years!'</s>
    <s id="1:172">'Listen: you're to win money from the Wen brothers.</s>
    <s id="1:173">Then you're to lend them money, the more the better.</s>
    <s id="1:174">Then, after a few days you're to ask them to take you to the Upper Library.</s>
    <s id="1:175">They'll have to say yes, if they owe you money.</s>
    <s id="1:176">If they try to fob you off, you tell them that I'll report them to the Chief Librarian;</s>
    <s id="1:177">I'll tell him they refuse to pay their debts, and ask him to wait for His Majesty to—'</s>
    <s id="1:178">'His Majesty?'</s>
    <s id="1:179">'What?'</s>
    <s id="1:180">'Oh . . . nothing.'</s>
    <s id="1:181">'If they ask you why you want to go to the Upper Library, you say that you're longing for a glimpse of His Majesty, so you just want a chance to perform some little errand there.</s>
    <s id="1:182">Of course the Wen brothers won't let you see His Majesty; when they take you, His Majesty won't even be in the Upper Library.</s>
    <s id="1:183">That's when you find a way to steal the book . . .'</s>
    <s id="1:184">Something was beginning to fall into place in Trinket's mind, with all these references to 'His Majesty'.</s>
    <s id="1:185">'Could this be the Palace, the Forbidden City itself!' he thought silently to himself.</s>
    <s id="1:186">'Have I been wrong all this time, about it being the number one whore-house in Peking?</s>
    <s id="1:187">Aiyeeh! Of course!</s>
    <s id="1:188">That must be it!</s>
    <s id="1:189">These people are all eunuchs working for the Emperor. . .'</s>
    <s id="1:190">As a boy, Trinket had heard people talk about the Emperor, the Empress, Princes and Princesses, Palace Ladies, Palace Eunuchs, but he hadn't the faintest idea what these grand beings actually looked like.</s>
    <s id="1:191">All he knew was that the Emperor wore a Dragon Robe.</s>
    <s id="1:192">In Yangzhou he'd seen all sorts of plays, but the eunuchs on stage were never dressed anything like Old Hai, or his new gambling friend Wu.</s>
    <s id="1:193">And the stage eunuchs always held those long horsehair fly-whisks, and kept waving them around in the air.</s>
    <s id="1:194">And anyway, he had never understood a word of what they were singing.</s>
    <s id="1:195">So this was what real Palace Eunuchs were like!</s>
    <s id="1:196">'Cripes!' he cried silently to himself.</s>
    <s id="1:197">That means I've become a little Palace Eunuch myself!</s>
    <s id="1:198">I've lost my balls!'</s>
    <s id="1:199">'Did you take in what I said just now?' growled Old Hai.</s>
    <s id="1:200">'Yes, Goong-goong, yes!</s>
    <s id="1:201">I've got to go to His Majesty's Upper Library!'</s>
    <s id="1:202">'And why have you got to go?</s>
    <s id="1:203">To play?'</s>
    <s id="1:204">'To steal a book.'</s>
    <s id="1:205">'Which book?'</s>
    <s id="1:206">'I... I... can't remember.'</s>
    <s id="1:207">'I'll tell you once more.</s>
    <s id="1:208">And this time, don't forget.</s>
    <s id="1:209">It's a Sutra, called the Sutra in Forty-Two Sections.</s>
    <s id="1:210">It's very old.</s>
    <s id="1:211">There are several copies of it.</s>
    <s id="1:212">Just bring them all to me.</s>
    <s id="1:213">Got it?</s>
    <s id="1:214">Now—what's it called?'</s>
    <s id="1:215">'The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections.'</s>
    <s id="1:216">Trinket sounded very pleased with himself.</s>
    <s id="1:217">'What are you so happy about?' snapped the old eunuch.</s>
    <s id="1:218">'I'm just happy about. . . about remembering it the minute you mentioned it again.'</s>
    <s id="1:219">In actual fact, when Old Hai had spoken of stealing a book, Trinket's heart had sunk.</s>
    <s id="1:220">The 'stealing' part was no problem; it was the 'book' part that presented what seemed at first like an insurmountable obstacle.</s>
    <s id="1:221">The trouble was that Trinket could barely read.</s>
    <s id="1:222">He couldn't decipher more than a word or two, let alone book titles.</s>
    <s id="1:223">Then he heard the eunuch say that the book was the Sutra in Forty-Two Sections, and his heart leapt: what the word Sutra looked like he had not the foggiest notion, but numbers were something he could read.</s>
    <s id="1:224">So the second part of the title was a walk-over!</s>
    <s id="1:225">Wasn't that sufficient reason to be pleased?</s>
    <s id="1:226">'Now,' went on Old Hai, 'if you go stealing books from the Upper Library, you've got to be very smart, very careful.</s>
    <s id="1:227">If anyone spots you, you're as good as dead.</s>
    <s id="1:228">A hundred times over.'</s>
    <s id="1:229">'I know,' said Trinket.</s>
    <s id="1:230">He suddenly thought of something, and added: 'If I did get caught, I'd never dream of dragging you into it, Goong-goong!'</s>
    <s id="1:231">Old Hai heaved a strangely unconcerned sigh.</s>
    <s id="1:232">'Drag me in or drag me out, it's all the same to me . . .'</s>
    <s id="1:233">He had another coughing fit, and went on: 'You've done quite well today.</s>
    <s id="1:234">At least you've won something.</s>
    <s id="1:235">What did the others think?</s>
    <s id="1:236">Were they suspicious?'</s>
    <s id="1:237">Trinket chortled.</s>
    <s id="1:238">'Oh no, why should they be?'</s>
    <s id="1:239">He was about to boast, but thought better of it.</s>
    <s id="1:240">'Well then, don't sit around doing nothing.</s>
    <s id="1:241">Eat your lunch, and if you've no jobs to do, go and practise with the dice!'</s>
    <s id="1:242">'Yes, Goong-goong!'</s>
    <s id="1:243">Trinket walked across to the dining-table, where bowls and chopsticks had been laid, four dishes and a soup, all untouched.</s>
    <s id="1:244">'Goong-goong, aren't you eating?</s>
    <s id="1:245">Let me serve you!'</s>
    <s id="1:246">'I'm not hungry.</s>
    <s id="1:247">You go ahead.'</s>
    <s id="1:248">Trinket was delighted, and without bothering to fill his bowl with rice, he attacked a dish of stewed meat.</s>
    <s id="1:249">The food was cold, but he was hungry, and to him it was indescribably delicious.</s>
    <s id="1:250">'I wonder where they get the food from?</s>
    <s id="1:251">Oh well, I'd better not ask too many questions, just keep my eyes open and pick things up one at a time.</s>
    <s id="1:252">If this really is the Forbidden City, then old Wu and the Wen brothers and little Misty must all of them be eunuchs.</s>
    <s id="1:253">I wonder what the actual Emperor and Empress look like?</s>
    <s id="1:254">I must try and get a look.</s>
    <s id="1:255">Then one day when I'm back at home, ha ha!</s>
    <s id="1:256">I can tell people who I've seen.</s>
    <s id="1:257">Just imagine the look on their faces!</s>
    <s id="1:258">'I wonder if Whiskers got out safe?</s>
    <s id="1:259">They didn't say anything about someone getting caught when we were gambling . . .</s>
    <s id="1:260">Most probably he got away all right.'</s>
    <s id="1:261">When he had finished eating, he went through the motions of practising with the dice so as not to arouse the old eunuch's suspicions, throwing them noisily across the table.</s>
    <s id="1:262">After a while his eyelids began to feel heavy.</s>
    <s id="1:263">He hadn't slept all night.</s>
    <s id="1:264">In minutes he was sound asleep.</s>
    <s id="1:265">He slept till evening, when a junior eunuch brought in their supper.</s>
    <s id="1:266">Trinket waited on Old Hai as he ate a bowl of rice, and then helped him to bed.</s>
    <s id="1:267">Afterwards he went to lie down on the smaller bed, thinking to himself: 'Tomorrow, whatever else happens, I must win my fight with Misty!'</s>
    <s id="1:268">He lay there, trying to remember Whiskers' fight with the wrestlers in the tavern.</s>
    <s id="1:269">He wished he could remember the details more clearly.</s>
    <s id="1:270">'If only I'd taken old Whiskers up on his offer!</s>
    <s id="1:271">With him as my teacher I could have learnt a thing or two on the way up here, and then I could have put Misty in his place—even though he is stronger than I am.</s>
    <s id="1:272">If he gets me on the ground again tomorrow, I'll die of shame!</s>
    <s id="1:273">Little White Dragon—forget it!</s>
    <s id="1:274">I'd never dare show my face among the Brothers!'</s>
    <s id="1:275">Suddenly a thought occurred to him.</s>
    <s id="1:276">'The wrestlers were no match for Whiskers; but Whiskers was no match for Old Turtle-head—why don't I get him to teach me a few moves?'</s>
    <s id="1:277">He asked the old eunuch at once: 'Goong-goong, if you want me to go stealing books from the Upper Library, there's just one problem.'</s>
    <s id="1:278">'What's that?'</s>
    <s id="1:279">'Well, after today's game, I met this . . . little eunuch, who stood in my way and asked me to give him some of my winnings.</s>
    <s id="1:280">I wouldn't, so we ended up fighting.</s>
    <s id="1:281">That's why I was so late for lunch.'</s>
    <s id="1:282">'He beat you, presumably.'</s>
    <s id="1:283">'He was bigger than me, and stronger.</s>
    <s id="1:284">He says I've got to fight with him every day, until I can beat him.</s>
    <s id="1:285">Then he'll let me off.'</s>
    <s id="1:286">'What was the little fellow's name?</s>
    <s id="1:287">Which part of the Palace was he from?'</s>
    <s id="1:288">'He's called Misty.</s>
    <s id="1:289">I don't know where he's from.'</s>
    <s id="1:290">'You must have been acting too pleased with yourself after your win—that's probably what annoyed him.'</s>
    <s id="1:291">'I won't let him get away with it!</s>
    <s id="1:292">I'm going to fight him tomorrow!</s>
    <s id="1:293">But I just wonder if I can beat him.'</s>
    <s id="1:294">Old Hai humphed.</s>
    <s id="1:295">'You want to wangle some moves out of me, don't you?</s>
    <s id="1:296">The answer's no, so it's no use trying.'</s>
    <s id="1:297">'Clever Old Turtle-head!' thought Trinket, silently cursing to himself.</s>
    <s id="1:298">'This little fellow Misty,' he began again, out loud, 'he wasn't such a good fighter really.</s>
    <s id="1:299">I wouldn't need to learn much to beat him.</s>
    <s id="1:300">I don't need you to teach me, either.</s>
    <s id="1:301">I had him on the ground today, it's just that he was too strong for me: he managed to buck me off.</s>
    <s id="1:302">Tomorrow I'll get a proper grip on him.</s>
    <s id="1:303">That should fix the little bugger!'</s>
    <s id="1:304">He had been trying so hard all day to keep his language clean.</s>
    <s id="1:305">'If you want to stop him bucking you, that's easy!' said Old Hai.</s>
    <s id="1:306">'I didn't think it would be hard.</s>
    <s id="1:307">I just get him in a good shoulder grip, then—'</s>
    <s id="1:308">'That's no good!</s>
    <s id="1:309">Bucking comes from the lower back.</s>
    <s id="1:310">You have to knee him on the vital point in the small of his back.</s>
    <s id="1:311">Come over here and I'll show you.'</s>
    <s id="1:312">Trinket hopped out of bed and was at Old Hai's bedside in a trice.</s>
    <s id="1:313">The old eunuch felt around in the small of his back and pressed lightly.</s>
    <s id="1:314">Trinket felt his whole body go limp.</s>
    <s id="1:315">'Can you remember that?'</s>
    <s id="1:316">'Yes, I'll try it out tomorrow.</s>
    <s id="1:317">Let's hope it works.'</s>
    <s id="1:318">'Works?</s>
    <s id="1:319">Of course it will work.</s>
    <s id="1:320">It's absolutely foolproof!'</s>
    <s id="1:321">Old Hai reached out his hand and pressed lightly on either side of Trinket's neck.</s>
    <s id="1:322">Trinket let out a gasp of pain.</s>
    <s id="1:323">He had a choking sensation in his chest, and could hardly breathe.</s>
    <s id="1:324">'Get him on these two points,' said Hai, 'and he'll have no strength to fight with.'</s>
    <s id="1:325">Trinket was pleased as punch.</s>
    <s id="1:326">'Well, that's it then!</s>
    <s id="1:327">Tomorrow, I win!'</s>
    <s id="1:328">Trinket went back to bed, and fell asleep dreaming of Misty surrendering to the Little White Dragon!</s>
    <s id="1:329">Wu came to fetch him again the following morning.</s>
    <s id="1:330">It was the Wen brothers' turn to be bankers.</s>
    <s id="1:331">Trinket had soon managed to win over twenty taels off them.</s>
    <s id="1:332">It was a bad day for the bank altogether.</s>
    <s id="1:333">In less than an hour they had to pay out fifty taels, which was all they had.</s>
    <s id="1:334">Trinket lent them another twenty, and by the end of the day's play that was all gone too.</s>
    <s id="1:335">All Trinket could think about was his appointment with Misty.</s>
    <s id="1:336">As soon as the gambling was over, he hurried to the 'cake room'.</s>
    <s id="1:337">The table was piled high again with good things to eat, and this time Trinket tucked in with a vengeance.</s>
    <s id="1:338">Then he heard the flip-ploy of cloth boots again.</s>
    <s id="1:339">He ducked under the table, just in case it turned out to be someone other than Misty.</s>
    <s id="1:340">'Laurel!</s>
    <s id="1:341">Laurel!'</s>
    <s id="1:342">It was Misty's voice calling from the doorway.</s>
    <s id="1:343">Trinket sprang out, and with a big grin on his face, called back: 'Live or die!'</s>
    <s id="1:344">'I live, you die!' laughed Misty, striding into the room.</s>
    <s id="1:345">Trinket noticed at once that he was wearing a completely new outfit, and couldn't help feeling jealous.</s>
    <s id="1:346">'Huh!' he muttered to himself.</s>
    <s id="1:347">'Just you wait!</s>
    <s id="1:348">You won't be so pleased when I've made a big rip in that smart gown of yours!'</s>
    <s id="1:349">He let out a great war cry and threw himself straight into the attack.</s>
    <s id="1:350">'Excellent kungfu!' cried his opponent, grappling him with both arms, and delivering a swinging kick with his left foot.</s>
    <s id="1:351">Trinket lost his balance, tottered and fell, bringing Misty down with him.</s>
    <s id="1:352">As Trinket rolled and spun round, he managed to pin Misty face down on the floor.</s>
    <s id="1:353">He remembered Old Hai's little demonstration, and felt for the vital point in the small of Misty's back.</s>
    <s id="1:354">But he had never done this sort of thing before, and it was hard to find the point at his very first attempt.</s>
    <s id="1:355">Misty meanwhile had spun round, gripped Trinket's left arm, and twisted it back.</s>
    <s id="1:356">'Hey!' screamed Trinket, 'that's not fair!</s>
    <s id="1:357">Twisting my arm like that!'</s>
    <s id="1:358">That's what wresding's all about!' laughed Misty.</s>
    <s id="1:359">'Who says it's not fair!'</s>
    <s id="1:360">Trinket took advantage of the fact that Misty was busy speaking and momentarily off his guard, to launch a counter-attack.</s>
    <s id="1:361">He brought his head down with all his might on to Misty's back, shot his right hand under his armpit, and flung him up into the air as hard as he could.</s>
    <s id="1:362">Misty went flying over his head and landed widi a crash on the ground.</s>
    <s id="1:363">He leapt to his feet again, crying: 'So you know the Bucking Antelope too!'</s>
    <s id="1:364">Trinket had never even heard of the Antelope.</s>
    <s id="1:365">He'd just been improvising and thrashing around, and somehow or other had managed to outwit his opponent.</s>
    <s id="1:366">He was pretty chuffed.</s>
    <s id="1:367">'The Antelope is nothing!' he cried.</s>
    <s id="1:368">'I know plenty more, and they're a lot worse.</s>
    <s id="1:369">You haven't seen anything yet!'</s>
    <s id="1:370">'Perfect!' cried Misty in delight.</s>
    <s id="1:371">'Go to!'</s>
    <s id="1:372">Trinket engaged in a quick moment's reflection: 'Misty has obviously had lessons—that's why he keeps getting the better of me.</s>
    <s id="1:373">But that's no problem.</s>
    <s id="1:374">All I have to do is watch his moves and copy them.</s>
    <s id="1:375">He can throw me a few times— I'll soon get the hang of it.'</s>
    <s id="1:376">Misty started coming at him.</s>
    <s id="1:377">Trinket lunged back, but it was a feint: Misty stepped aside, let Trinket surge on, and chopped him on the back with the side of his hand.</s>
    <s id="1:378">Trinket was unable to rein himself in, and went crashing to the ground.</s>
    <s id="1:379">Misty gave a great cry of delight, leapt forwards, and planted himself astride Trinket's back.</s>
    <s id="1:380">'Surrender?'</s>
    <s id="1:381">'No!</s>
    <s id="1:382">Never!' protested Trinket, but when he tried to straighten himself up and get to his feet, he felt a sudden numbness in the small of his back.</s>
    <s id="1:383">Misty had beaten him to it!</s>
    <s id="1:384">He had pressed on exactly the spot Old Hai had been trying to teach him the previous evening.</s>
    <s id="1:385">After struggling futilely for a moment longer, he finally gave up.</s>
    <s id="1:386">'All right!' he cried.</s>
    <s id="1:387">This time I surrender!'</s>
    <s id="1:388">Misty laughed and set him free.</s>
    <s id="1:389">As Trinket got up, he suddenly shot out one of his feet.</s>
    <s id="1:390">Misty toppled over, and Trinket punched him in the small of the back.</s>
    <s id="1:391">Misty gave a cry of pain and bent double.</s>
    <s id="1:392">Trinket leapt on him from behind and gripped him tightly round the throat with both his hands.</s>
    <s id="1:393">Misty lost consciousness for an instant, and fell flat on the ground.</s>
    <s id="1:394">Trinket held on and demanded triumphantly: 'Surrender?'</s>
    <s id="1:395">Misty gave a little grunt.</s>
    <s id="1:396">Then suddenly he drove his elbows hard into Trinket's ribs, and Trinket went reeling over on to the floor, screaming with pain, certain that he must have several broken bones.</s>
    <s id="1:397">Misty spun round and sat astride his chest, once more the victor, though this time a winded and exhausted one, panting for breath.</s>
    <s id="1:398">'Do . . . you . . . give in?'</s>
    <s id="1:399">'Give in my arse!' panted Trinket back.</s>
    <s id="1:400">The answer's no!</s>
    <s id="1:401">A hundred times no!</s>
    <s id="1:402">You were lucky just now, that's all!'</s>
    <s id="1:403">'Then get up ... and fight!'</s>
    <s id="1:404">Trinket stretched and heaved with all his might (what little of it he had left), but his opponent was still astride his aching ribs, and his efforts were to no avail.</s>
    <s id="1:405">After several more minutes of futile struggle, he surrendered yet again.</s>
    <s id="1:406">Misty rose to his feet.</s>
    <s id="1:407">His arms were sore and limp with exhaustion.</s>
    <s id="1:408">Trinket staggered to his feet and took a few tottering steps across the room.</s>
    <s id="1:409">'Tomorrow . . . tomorrow I'll take you on again . . . and I'll beat you for sure!'</s>
    <s id="1:410">Misty laughed.</s>
    <s id="1:411">'If we fight a hundred times, you'll. . . you'll always lose!</s>
    <s id="1:412">If you've got the guts, come again tomorrow!'</s>
    <s id="1:413">'You're probably the one who's not got the guts!</s>
    <s id="1:414">I'm not afraid.</s>
    <s id="1:415">Live or die!</s>
    <s id="1:416">My word is my wand!'</s>
    <s id="1:417">They had both been quite carried away by the fighting, and neither of them had mentioned the money, or the bet they had laid.</s>
    <s id="1:418">Or to be strictly accurate, Misty didn't mention it, and since he didn't, Trinket was more than happy to pretend to have forgotten.</s>
    <s id="1:419">If he had emerged the victor, it would have been a very different story.</s>
  </p>
</text>
