Week 28.5 – Ghost Dragon

Previously: Twain decided to go back in time and set up his seduction of Yi Fan. And now…

Twain knew as soon as he touched the duffel bag holding the cup that something was wrong. It was cool. Not just cool, but damp. And once he opened the bag, the sticky-sweet odor became unmistakable. The container of shendu guotsu had come open somehow and leaked all over the inside of the bag.

He needed more, but he didn’t know how long it might take to find some. It was extremely rare and extremely expensive. His plans would have to wait until he could track down a source.

[blockquote type=”blockquote_quotes” align=”right”]All he had to do, once he ended up in the past, was kiss Yi Fan (which he totally didn’t mind) and convince her that he loved her, which shouldn’t be tough considering how incredibly lonely she obviously was…[/blockquote]The door opened and Ari entered, wearing a chauffeur’s uniform. He glanced at the body on the floor and quickly looked away. “I’m supposed to help you carry the body out to the car.” He sniffed. “Did somebody spill the juice in here?”

“Not just any juice,” Twain said.

“Smells like shendu guotsu,” Ari said.

“How would you know that?” Twain asked. “It’s incredibly rare.”

“Not here,” Ari said. “The fruit grows right on the slopes of Moon Ridge. We should have a gallon or two in here somewhere.”

But a quick check of the shelves turned up nothing. “Don’t worry, we’ll get some more,” Ari said. “It’s in every corner store.”

“I need some right now,” Twain said and turned to leave.

“Wait, you can’t go out,” Ari said. “At least help me with the body first.”

So Twain helped Ari load Biryukov’s body into the trunk of Biryukov’s limo, where the naked body of the chauffeur already lay. As Ari drove off with a couple of other servants to dispose of the bodies, Twain walked out the gates of the estate and down the street to a nearby market. He wasn’t worried about being spotted. Wearing Biryukov’s uniform should shield him from unwanted attention. Besides, there was hardly anybody on the streets except a Chinese couple having a quiet argument beside their car.

As Ari had said, the market had plastic jugs of the precvious juice right out on the shelves, cheap. Twain bought one and walked back to the estate. Once inside, he filled the cup, then set it out on a back patio to soak up the sun for an hour.

All he had to do, once he ended up in the past, was kiss Yi Fan (which he totally didn’t mind) and convince her that he loved her, which shouldn’t be tough considering how incredibly lonely she obviously was. The only other thing he needed to tell her was when to expect him back at that yurt her security forces had picked him up from.

When an hour had passed, he went out on the patio, making sure to take the mask with him, and picked up the cup. But before he could drink, he heard running footsteps approaching. He turned and saw a woman in a Chinese dress almost upon him, and threw the liquid in her face in a defensive reflex.

As the woman disappeared, Twain realized it had been Digger. In a dress.

That’s right, Digger and Metalord have arrived, so get ready for two or three weeks of drawn-out conversation over tea and scones. Or just maybe there might be a fight. Be here next week for our (hopefully on time) next thrilling episode of Run, Digger, Run!

To read from the beginning, click here…