The Smell of Scorched Flesh

Suzhen came up the path, carrying Xuxian's bundle under her arm. She saw them crowding around the fire, and saw Granny Hong hold something out with a hopeless laugh. "I give up, I give up, my eyes are so bad, child, I can't possibly see what it says in this terrible light!"

"Ah, Granny Hong, you must use your fingers to feel it then," Xuxian was saying as Suzhen approached.

"Xuxian, I've got your bundle," she said, holding it out as she came into the light.

Xiaohu hailed her eagerly. "You're back, Madame Xu! Come and have a try. Physician Xu, let her try touching it and see if she can tell what word is on it."

Suzhen could not help smiling at his excitement. She put the bundle down and made her way into the circle to Xuxian's side. "Why, what are you all talking about?"

Xuxian turned to her eagerly. "Susu, you worked hard. Here, touch this and see if you can tell what the word on it is. It is a rare amulet that Fahai showed us, the same one he used on the tiger spirit--"

As he spoke he held out something to her, and Suzhen instinctively opened her hand for it as she listened to him. She could barely make out what it was in the shadows, and too late she realized what he was saying. Without even looking at the monk she knew that he was watching her keenly.

With a gasp, she felt a stab of burning pain, and it was all she could do not to cry out and fling the amulet away. Her hand jerked sharply as the amulet's surface seared into her skin, but the jolt of pain cleared her mind in a blinding flash, and she moved quickly.

Xuxian sprang forward with a startled exclamation as he saw Suzhen trip heavily and stumble. He tried to catch her but her flailing arm pushed him aside, and she fell face forward into the fire, scattering hot coals.

Granny Hong screamed, and Xiaohu covered his eyes. Yuanzheng lunged forward, scattering the wine bowls, at the same time Xuxian's voice rang out, sharp and frantic with horror.

"Susu!"

There was the acrid smell of burning flesh and fur, and Suzhen cried out sharply in pain. The next moment Xuxian had grabbed her in his arms and pulled her back almost roughly.

The edge of her rabbit fur cloak had started to catch on fire. He beat out the small sparks rapidly with his bare hands and turned to her, livid with panic.

"Susu, are you hurt?" he gasped. "Your eyes. Did the fire harm your eyes?" Taking her face in his hands, he wiped the smoke stains from her cheeks and examined her eyes anxiously, then let go of her face only to catch her by the shoulders and look her over intently.

"Your hand," he exclaimed suddenly, taking her wrist and drawing it into the light. "Yuanzheng, the medicine pack--Xiaohu, get me some water, quickly! Susu, are you in great pain?" in anguish, as the light fell onto the charred flesh of her palm.

"It hurts," she said in a small thin voice, her face pale even in the shadows.

Very gently, he turned her hand in his, carefully blowing away the ash clinging to it. "It's a bad burn, and no wonder, but it saved you from being blinded by the sparks, or falling face down into the coals. My darling, I was so frightened. Are you all right? What a dreadful thing to happen. Not that salve, the other one." he said wildly, gesturing distractedly at Yuanzheng as he fumbled with the bundle in the bad lighting.

Panting, Xiaohu came rushing up with a wooden bucket of water, spilling half of it in his hurry. He seized a dipperful and held it out anxiously, splashing Yuanzheng in the process.

"That looks gruesome," he stammered, making a face as he caught a glimpse of the raw red flesh under the black soot. "It must hurt like anything. Madame Xu, I salute you, you're taking the pain like a man."

Xuxian directed him curtly as he poured the icy water over Suzhen's hand. "Less talking, Xiaohu. More water, on the other side now, make sure you wash out all the ash! Careful, your hand's not steady--I'll do it myself!" He snatched the dipper impatiently from Xiaohu.

Granny Hong finally found her voice. "What a frightful thing to happen--oh my poor dear, are you all right?" she wailed, getting unsteadily to her feet.

Suzhen managed a drawn smile. "It's just a small burn, Granny Hong. See, Xuxian is tending to it for me. I tripped on something, I wasn't paying attention to my feet. I will not be so careless next time."

Brows knitted, Xuxian put down the dipper and took the bottle of salve from Yuanzheng, uncorking it with his teeth. Fahai watched silently from across, his eyes flitting from Xuxian's anxious face to Suzhen's pale one.

Yuanzheng crouched beside them, shaking his head. "That was a bad fall, Sister-in-law. The consequences could have been terrible. Thank the gods it was nothing worse." he said earnestly. "Next time I must bank the fire with some large stones."

Xiaohu slowly reached for the forgotten roast partridge and continued gnawing, albeit with a sober expression. He glanced sideways at the monk and wrinkled his nose in disapproval. Was the man a stone statue? He hadn't even moved a muscle. Maybe he was meditating with his eyes open. With a snort, which was all he dared to do, Xiaohu finished his partridge and reached resolutely for Yuanzheng's, since he had abandoned it. Good food must not be wasted, after all.

Suzhen winced as Xuxian gently shook the salve onto the burn. He looked searchingly up at her and abruptly put her hand down to caress her cheek. "I'll bind it up for you when we get home,"

he promised. "Bear with the pain a little. If it hurts, I'll pour more cold water over it."

She nodded, looking shaken, and slowly turned her hand in her lap, examining the burn. It was a large red patch in the center of her palm, right where the amulet had been, except the scorched flesh no longer had any marks of the amulet. Instead, a pale blister was starting to form.

She drew a deep breath, if an unsteady one. This one, at least, she had managed to win.