fear of dying. There is an inner peace with this acceptance, a peace that steadies the hand and prepares the mind and body to kill."
Joshua took the weapon and faced the meadow. Letting his arms hang at his sides, he took a breath and let it out slowly.
Six more militiamen burst out of the trees. Standing perfectly still for a full two seconds, he finally raised the pistol.
"Hit," said Bak, watching Joshua's movements and his sighting of the weapon. "Hit ... hit ... hit ... hit ... hit! By the gods!"
Joshua stood with the empty pistol in his hand, still pulling the trigger. Only when Stephen reached out and touched his shoulders did Joshua lower the pistol and face the Teacher with a distant gaze.
Bak stared into his student's eyes for a long moment before stepping up and taking the weapon from his hand.
"What did you feel?"
Joshua spoke as if in a trance. "At peace."
"Did you hear the rifles shooting at you?"
"I don't think so, Teacher. I don't remember hearing anything."
Bak nodded. "The gods have blessed you. I have seen it before but never in one so young."
Stephen slapped Joshua's back excitedly. "You got them all! And you did it so fast!"
Joshua's eyes came into focus and he looked down at his hands. "It-it felt so strange."
Bak handed the pistol to Stephen. "Go to the range and practice. I want you to hit the target at twenty paces with all six shots. Take a box of ammunition and use it all."
"What about Joshua?"
"Can you two not be separated even for an hour? Go on, I will be working here with him. Now go."
Bak waited until Stephen had walked over the ridge before facing Joshua with an intense stare. "How long have you known you were blessed with this gift?"
Joshua lowered his head and looked at his feet. "Four years, Teacher. I felt it when I shot my first gyi-I had complete focus."
Bak took Joshua's arm and led him to the shade of a gnarled banyan tree. "The blessing the gods have given you makes you different. Those I have seen with the gift fear themselves, for they know the gift is there, wanting to be released. Do not fear what the gods have given to you, my student. Understand it is a gift given to few and that you were chosen. Accept this gift, use it when necessary, but never look for a reason to use it."
Bak smiled and patted the boy's shoulder. "I will help you to understand the gift. It is the first time I have had this opportunity in all my years of teaching Horsemen. I am honored."
Joshua bowed his head. "No, Teacher, I am honored."
The mission church bell clanged three times to signal the approach of a supply convoy. As always, the arrival of the trucks from Namti was cause for all work to cease and for everyone in the village to come to the mission compound.
Henry and Sarah were just as excited as the villagers.
The first large, Japanese-made truck topped the rise followed by two more and a surprise: a new white Land Rover.
Henry stepped off the porch as the Land Rover came to a stop in front of the house. A large white man wearing khaki clothes stepped out of the vehicle and removed his slouch hat. Smiling, the stranger offered his hand to Henry.
"You must be Pastor Brown. I've heard a lot about you.
It's a real pleasure."
Henry grinned and shook the stranger's hand. "An American! We don't see many up here. Please come and have tea with us and tell us what has brought you to Shaduzup."
The tall stranger offered his hand to Sarah as he stepped up onto the porch. "And you must be Mrs. Brown. I'm John Swift from the American Embassy in Rangoon. It sure is a pleasure to meet you."
"Please sit down, Mr. Swift," said Sarah, shaking his hand and motioning to a chair.
Swift took a seat and looked out at the compound, his smile replaced by a frown. "Pastor, I'm afraid I've come here with some bad news."
Sarah and Henry held their breath as the tall American sipped his tea before speaking. "Pastor, the Burmese government leaders have ordered all foreigners out of the country.
But
Joshua took the weapon and faced the meadow. Letting his arms hang at his sides, he took a breath and let it out slowly.
Six more militiamen burst out of the trees. Standing perfectly still for a full two seconds, he finally raised the pistol.
"Hit," said Bak, watching Joshua's movements and his sighting of the weapon. "Hit ... hit ... hit ... hit ... hit! By the gods!"
Joshua stood with the empty pistol in his hand, still pulling the trigger. Only when Stephen reached out and touched his shoulders did Joshua lower the pistol and face the Teacher with a distant gaze.
Bak stared into his student's eyes for a long moment before stepping up and taking the weapon from his hand.
"What did you feel?"
Joshua spoke as if in a trance. "At peace."
"Did you hear the rifles shooting at you?"
"I don't think so, Teacher. I don't remember hearing anything."
Bak nodded. "The gods have blessed you. I have seen it before but never in one so young."
Stephen slapped Joshua's back excitedly. "You got them all! And you did it so fast!"
Joshua's eyes came into focus and he looked down at his hands. "It-it felt so strange."
Bak handed the pistol to Stephen. "Go to the range and practice. I want you to hit the target at twenty paces with all six shots. Take a box of ammunition and use it all."
"What about Joshua?"
"Can you two not be separated even for an hour? Go on, I will be working here with him. Now go."
Bak waited until Stephen had walked over the ridge before facing Joshua with an intense stare. "How long have you known you were blessed with this gift?"
Joshua lowered his head and looked at his feet. "Four years, Teacher. I felt it when I shot my first gyi-I had complete focus."
Bak took Joshua's arm and led him to the shade of a gnarled banyan tree. "The blessing the gods have given you makes you different. Those I have seen with the gift fear themselves, for they know the gift is there, wanting to be released. Do not fear what the gods have given to you, my student. Understand it is a gift given to few and that you were chosen. Accept this gift, use it when necessary, but never look for a reason to use it."
Bak smiled and patted the boy's shoulder. "I will help you to understand the gift. It is the first time I have had this opportunity in all my years of teaching Horsemen. I am honored."
Joshua bowed his head. "No, Teacher, I am honored."
The mission church bell clanged three times to signal the approach of a supply convoy. As always, the arrival of the trucks from Namti was cause for all work to cease and for everyone in the village to come to the mission compound.
Henry and Sarah were just as excited as the villagers.
The first large, Japanese-made truck topped the rise followed by two more and a surprise: a new white Land Rover.
Henry stepped off the porch as the Land Rover came to a stop in front of the house. A large white man wearing khaki clothes stepped out of the vehicle and removed his slouch hat. Smiling, the stranger offered his hand to Henry.
"You must be Pastor Brown. I've heard a lot about you.
It's a real pleasure."
Henry grinned and shook the stranger's hand. "An American! We don't see many up here. Please come and have tea with us and tell us what has brought you to Shaduzup."
The tall stranger offered his hand to Sarah as he stepped up onto the porch. "And you must be Mrs. Brown. I'm John Swift from the American Embassy in Rangoon. It sure is a pleasure to meet you."
"Please sit down, Mr. Swift," said Sarah, shaking his hand and motioning to a chair.
Swift took a seat and looked out at the compound, his smile replaced by a frown. "Pastor, I'm afraid I've come here with some bad news."
Sarah and Henry held their breath as the tall American sipped his tea before speaking. "Pastor, the Burmese government leaders have ordered all foreigners out of the country.
But
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