mushrooms.”
“
Buried or hid?
He brought back a dirty shovel. He buried it.”
“Maybe,” she said, “or maybe just half buried. He accidentally mentioned something about a tiny cave. If you can find a rock outcropping near a patch of stinkhorn mushrooms somewhere near those ferns, I believe you will find the dragon bone. It will be in a silk drawstring bag.”
“Supposing I find it, how am I supposed to get it to you? Mail it?”
“No. Phoenix mailed large quantities to PawPaw and Grandmaster Long, but PawPaw arranged everything. Wecannot ask her to get involved with this. She would say something to Hok and Phoenix’s grandfather, and I would be out of luck—and you would be out of a lot of money. You might even get in trouble for mailing it. Even though dragon bone is a natural substance, I do not know the laws about shipping medicinal herbs out of this country.”
“What am I supposed to do, then?”
Hú Dié sniffled and wiped her eyes. She gave me a pleading look.
I braced myself.
“You could bring it to China,” she said.
I groaned. I had a feeling she was leading up to this. “You want me to call Ling and accept Mr. Chang’s offer to try China for one week.”
“I really do think you would enjoy China. Honest.”
“I don’t know, Hú Dié. Riding in China is one thing, but smuggling dragon bone is another. My parents are lawyers. What you’re talking about could be some kind of serious offense. How would I even get it through security and customs and all that?”
“Phoenix once hid dragon bone inside a container of protein powder he had emptied out. It fooled the police in Texas.”
“Are you even listening to yourself?” I asked. “This all sounds so crazy.”
Hú Dié began to sob again. “You are right, Jake. It is crazy. I just do not have anyone else to turn to. I am sorry that I bothered you with it.” She turned away from me, her back heaving from the effort of crying.
I felt like a jerk. I couldn’t stand to see her like this. It sounded like dragon bone was probably Hú Dié’s mother’s only shot at staying alive.
Before even I realized what I was doing, I heard myself say, “I guess I could do it, Hú Dié. At least traveling to China would give me some more time to hang out with you.”
Hú Dié turned back to me, and her dirt-streaked, soaking-wet face lit up like the sun. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, I’m certain.”
“You are the best ever! I cannot wait to show you my hometown of Kaifeng.”
I began to smile, but then it quickly faded. “Kaifeng? What about Shanghai? You’d still race there on Saturday if I came to China, right?”
“I hope so. It depends on my mother’s condition, though.”
“I understand,” I said. “I guess I’m going to have to figure out a way to bum a ride to Brown County tomorrow.”
Hú Dié looked concerned. “No, Jake. You should try to retrieve it today. You are supposed to contact Ling and Mr. Chang by tonight if you want to accept their offer, and they will probably want to fly you out tomorrow. The race is on Saturday, and it’s already Monday.”
“But how can I possibly get to Brown County today?” I asked. “My parents are both tied up until tonight.”
“Back home, I would just call a taxi.”
I thought about it for a second. “That could work. Or maybe a private shuttle car like my mom and dad take home from the airport when they have to go out of town.”
“I have about fifty dollars left that I can give you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I don’t want your money.”
“I will think of some way to repay you,” Hú Dié said. “You will see.”
“You don’t have to—”
Someone suddenly shouted,
“There you guys are!”
It was Phoenix.
He rolled up to us atop his mountain bike, and he didn’t look happy. “I should have known you’d bring her here, Jake. What were you two talking about?”
I swallowed hard. “Nothing, I—”
“Jake was just telling me that he
“
Buried or hid?
He brought back a dirty shovel. He buried it.”
“Maybe,” she said, “or maybe just half buried. He accidentally mentioned something about a tiny cave. If you can find a rock outcropping near a patch of stinkhorn mushrooms somewhere near those ferns, I believe you will find the dragon bone. It will be in a silk drawstring bag.”
“Supposing I find it, how am I supposed to get it to you? Mail it?”
“No. Phoenix mailed large quantities to PawPaw and Grandmaster Long, but PawPaw arranged everything. Wecannot ask her to get involved with this. She would say something to Hok and Phoenix’s grandfather, and I would be out of luck—and you would be out of a lot of money. You might even get in trouble for mailing it. Even though dragon bone is a natural substance, I do not know the laws about shipping medicinal herbs out of this country.”
“What am I supposed to do, then?”
Hú Dié sniffled and wiped her eyes. She gave me a pleading look.
I braced myself.
“You could bring it to China,” she said.
I groaned. I had a feeling she was leading up to this. “You want me to call Ling and accept Mr. Chang’s offer to try China for one week.”
“I really do think you would enjoy China. Honest.”
“I don’t know, Hú Dié. Riding in China is one thing, but smuggling dragon bone is another. My parents are lawyers. What you’re talking about could be some kind of serious offense. How would I even get it through security and customs and all that?”
“Phoenix once hid dragon bone inside a container of protein powder he had emptied out. It fooled the police in Texas.”
“Are you even listening to yourself?” I asked. “This all sounds so crazy.”
Hú Dié began to sob again. “You are right, Jake. It is crazy. I just do not have anyone else to turn to. I am sorry that I bothered you with it.” She turned away from me, her back heaving from the effort of crying.
I felt like a jerk. I couldn’t stand to see her like this. It sounded like dragon bone was probably Hú Dié’s mother’s only shot at staying alive.
Before even I realized what I was doing, I heard myself say, “I guess I could do it, Hú Dié. At least traveling to China would give me some more time to hang out with you.”
Hú Dié turned back to me, and her dirt-streaked, soaking-wet face lit up like the sun. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, I’m certain.”
“You are the best ever! I cannot wait to show you my hometown of Kaifeng.”
I began to smile, but then it quickly faded. “Kaifeng? What about Shanghai? You’d still race there on Saturday if I came to China, right?”
“I hope so. It depends on my mother’s condition, though.”
“I understand,” I said. “I guess I’m going to have to figure out a way to bum a ride to Brown County tomorrow.”
Hú Dié looked concerned. “No, Jake. You should try to retrieve it today. You are supposed to contact Ling and Mr. Chang by tonight if you want to accept their offer, and they will probably want to fly you out tomorrow. The race is on Saturday, and it’s already Monday.”
“But how can I possibly get to Brown County today?” I asked. “My parents are both tied up until tonight.”
“Back home, I would just call a taxi.”
I thought about it for a second. “That could work. Or maybe a private shuttle car like my mom and dad take home from the airport when they have to go out of town.”
“I have about fifty dollars left that I can give you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I don’t want your money.”
“I will think of some way to repay you,” Hú Dié said. “You will see.”
“You don’t have to—”
Someone suddenly shouted,
“There you guys are!”
It was Phoenix.
He rolled up to us atop his mountain bike, and he didn’t look happy. “I should have known you’d bring her here, Jake. What were you two talking about?”
I swallowed hard. “Nothing, I—”
“Jake was just telling me that he
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