I called him an idiot. It would be hypocritical of me to apologize for what I did to him since I would do it again, but calling him an idiot for understanding what I did not? I believe I need to apologize for that. What happens afterwards is something I don't know."
The giant bureaucrat sighed. “This matter is beyond me. I don’t know if the Goddess of Mercy would approve.”
“If you truly want to know the answer to that, then do as I ask. If Guan Shi Yin has something to say, send her to me. She will know where to find me.”
The Master sent for the scrolls without further argument. Later, as Springshadow approached the dark gates of the hell where Xiaofan was confined, she found Guan Shi Yin waiting for her.
Springshadow sighed deeply. "I assume the Master of the Hall of Records took me at my word. Fair enough, but don't try to stop me."
"What if I do?" the goddess asked mildly.
Springshadow looked grim. "I'll fight you. I don't want to, but I will do it."
Guan Shi Yin smiled. "I know you fear me, and that is wise, yet you would test me if I got between you and your goal? Springshadow, I must say you've surprised me. You've discovered something you actually care about. Other than yourself, I mean."
Springshadow trembled. "What is this thing?"
"An obligation: the sort that Sunflash and Hsien Se spoke of. A small one easily discharged, I'll grant you, but your acceptance of it means that your quest is no longer just about you; and at least in some small way, you understand this thing that Hsien Se always understood and Sunflash finally learned."
"I know, and I hate it!" Springshadow said. "But I can't make the feeling go away. I've tried."
The goddess stood aside. "Then your nature is not now what it used to be. You've changed, just a little, and you managed that change while outside the sway of time. I must say I'm impressed. Go talk to Xiaofan, if you wish."
"I don't suppose you would take me to him?"
"Not this time, Springshadow, but please take this with you."
The goddess held out a small porcelain bottle, stoppered with a cork.
"What's this?" Springshadow asked.
"One of my tokens. You may find it useful where you're going."
Guan Shi Yin vanished, and behind where she had stood the gates of hell opened wide, but Springshadow did not move.
"She's gone. Wildeye, You can come out now," Springshadow said.
A large boulder beside the path flashed white and then swirled as if it had suddenly turned into mist. In another moment Wildeye stood beside her on the path.
"How did you know?" he asked.
"I may be in human form, but my nose still works. Stones don't normally reek of wine. You, on the other hand..."
"Point taken." Wildeye didn't say anything else for a few moments. And then he was almost hesitant. "Do you...do you really think you can do it?"
"Do what? Find Xiaofan without the Goddess of Mercy's help?"
He grunted. "No. I mean care about something that isn't you. How have you managed? I've been trying for centuries!"
"Then unlike Xiaofan, you actually are an idiot. The point of finding Xiaofan is to stop caring. I'll figure out how to rid myself of this 'obligation' thing, and that will be the end of it."
"Just in case that isn't the end, would you do me a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Teach me what you failed to unlearn."
She let out a sigh. "And you would chain me with yet another obligation? Is there no end to them?"
Wildeye grunted. "Don't ask me. You're the one going back to hell to find out."
Springshadow smiled at him. "Aren't you coming along? You may as well do it openly, if that boulder trick is the best you can do."
He frowned. "That was a good trick...and of course I am. I just didn't think you'd ask me."
"In your own way you've shared this adventure almost from the start. I suppose you have the right to see how it turns out."
"Then let's be on our way...before Guan Shi Yin returns. As I said before, she frightens me."
The two friends approached the open gates of hell, and without
The giant bureaucrat sighed. “This matter is beyond me. I don’t know if the Goddess of Mercy would approve.”
“If you truly want to know the answer to that, then do as I ask. If Guan Shi Yin has something to say, send her to me. She will know where to find me.”
The Master sent for the scrolls without further argument. Later, as Springshadow approached the dark gates of the hell where Xiaofan was confined, she found Guan Shi Yin waiting for her.
Springshadow sighed deeply. "I assume the Master of the Hall of Records took me at my word. Fair enough, but don't try to stop me."
"What if I do?" the goddess asked mildly.
Springshadow looked grim. "I'll fight you. I don't want to, but I will do it."
Guan Shi Yin smiled. "I know you fear me, and that is wise, yet you would test me if I got between you and your goal? Springshadow, I must say you've surprised me. You've discovered something you actually care about. Other than yourself, I mean."
Springshadow trembled. "What is this thing?"
"An obligation: the sort that Sunflash and Hsien Se spoke of. A small one easily discharged, I'll grant you, but your acceptance of it means that your quest is no longer just about you; and at least in some small way, you understand this thing that Hsien Se always understood and Sunflash finally learned."
"I know, and I hate it!" Springshadow said. "But I can't make the feeling go away. I've tried."
The goddess stood aside. "Then your nature is not now what it used to be. You've changed, just a little, and you managed that change while outside the sway of time. I must say I'm impressed. Go talk to Xiaofan, if you wish."
"I don't suppose you would take me to him?"
"Not this time, Springshadow, but please take this with you."
The goddess held out a small porcelain bottle, stoppered with a cork.
"What's this?" Springshadow asked.
"One of my tokens. You may find it useful where you're going."
Guan Shi Yin vanished, and behind where she had stood the gates of hell opened wide, but Springshadow did not move.
"She's gone. Wildeye, You can come out now," Springshadow said.
A large boulder beside the path flashed white and then swirled as if it had suddenly turned into mist. In another moment Wildeye stood beside her on the path.
"How did you know?" he asked.
"I may be in human form, but my nose still works. Stones don't normally reek of wine. You, on the other hand..."
"Point taken." Wildeye didn't say anything else for a few moments. And then he was almost hesitant. "Do you...do you really think you can do it?"
"Do what? Find Xiaofan without the Goddess of Mercy's help?"
He grunted. "No. I mean care about something that isn't you. How have you managed? I've been trying for centuries!"
"Then unlike Xiaofan, you actually are an idiot. The point of finding Xiaofan is to stop caring. I'll figure out how to rid myself of this 'obligation' thing, and that will be the end of it."
"Just in case that isn't the end, would you do me a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Teach me what you failed to unlearn."
She let out a sigh. "And you would chain me with yet another obligation? Is there no end to them?"
Wildeye grunted. "Don't ask me. You're the one going back to hell to find out."
Springshadow smiled at him. "Aren't you coming along? You may as well do it openly, if that boulder trick is the best you can do."
He frowned. "That was a good trick...and of course I am. I just didn't think you'd ask me."
"In your own way you've shared this adventure almost from the start. I suppose you have the right to see how it turns out."
"Then let's be on our way...before Guan Shi Yin returns. As I said before, she frightens me."
The two friends approached the open gates of hell, and without
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