Soul Drift
The girl jumped down and immediately began rummaging through the bag. She had to get up on her toes to look inside it. Suddenly she jerked her hand away sharply, and the scratch on her finger turned red with blood.
«Oh, who'd have thought,» the girl said, «there's so much regret, and it always hurts.»
She kicked the sack with her foot, and all its contents spilled out at once.
«They bring junk with them,» the girl frowned.
Suddenly it rained. The girl took out her umbrella and hid from the cold droplets as if nothing had happened. She beckoned Ling to follow her and went to the far end of the garden, where there was a pergola covered with greenery.
Shaking off her umbrella, the girl stepped inside and transformed herself into a beautiful girl. Ling stared at her with his eyes wide open.
«Well,» she said in a grown-up voice, «you still don't recognize me?»
«Was I supposed to?» Ling asked carefully.
«It's strange, I know exactly who you are, but something is wrong, she thought aloud.»
«Do we know each other?»
«Well yes, I made a little joke at the fountain, I apologize. How do you like your new incarnation?»
«What's that?» If Ling had his normal body now, he wouldn't have been able to control his heartbeat.
«Oh, I'm sorry,» the girl slapped her forehead, «your memory is sealed! Oh, that's all right.»
"Did you meet Cal?"
She chattered on and on about something beyond his perception, then said familiar things.
"Cal?" Ling couldn't understand what she was saying.
«And so?!» She pressed her hands to her cheeks, «Is he still handsome?»
Ling decided that the girl must have known Cal in his lifetime or something. While he was thinking about how to answer, she asked:
«So did you two recognize each other?» The girl fluttered her eyelashes.
«What do you mean?» The young man didn't understand the question.
«Oh, poor! You have waited so many years for this meeting, and your memory fails you! It's ironic...» There was a blush on her cheeks, «we were all so worried about you...»
Ling wiped raindrops from his neck with his sleeve and stared at the strange girl incomprehensibly. A soul like his had very little emotion left, or rather almost none at all.
He remembered Cal, Teacher, and Wei, but all of them were no more important to him now than the amount of rain in Beijing.
The girl touched the crystal on her chest and said:
«Mr. Twelfth, I met the Ninth, you asked me to inform you.»
After these words, a movement of air was felt behind Ling's back and a man of about thirty-five appeared. The young man turned sharply and stared fearfully at the stranger.
The man was dressed in long gray robes. Silver hair lay in a soft wave on his shoulder. On his chest hung a crystal like a girl. He cast a brief wary glance at Ling and turned to the girl:
«It's not convenient to talk here, let's go to my place.»
Then he put his palm on Ling's shoulder, and everything around him disappeared and then reappeared. The young man and his companions stood in the center of a huge circular room. Bookshelves stretched up to the ceiling, the height of which could not be measured by eye.
The scale was breathtaking. Ling turned around and noticed the symmetrical vaulted windows, taller than human height, decorated with stained glass.
Mahogany floors, deep leather armchairs, candles in candlesticks, and a peaceful atmosphere everywhere...
«Welcome to my humble home,» the Twelfth began.
While the guests were seated, the host graciously offered them fragrant tea and warm buns. Ling could hardly believe what was happening and suddenly realized that his clothes were completely dry. As he palpated his sleeve, he was finally convinced that strange things were happening to him.
Meanwhile, the girl, whom the strange man had called Third several times, poured and served them tea. Ling cautiously took the dainty cup and sipped. It tasted divine!
«How good it is to be able to taste food in this place,» he thought.
The landlord touched the crystal and contacted someone, inviting them to join him. Immediately an elderly woman with tall hair entered the room. She, like the man, wore gray robes. With a slight nod of her head, the woman approached Ling.
«It is good to see you, Head!» she said bluntly, «Have you come to retrieve your memories of your past life?»
Ling didn't know what to answer. Even his being here had not been planned by him. Everything happened against his will and desire.
«It was a troubled time, we had our hands full with the Ancient Spirit, and your death was a blow to all...» the woman said, «I was about to leave the frontier and cross into the Aether, so I only caught a glimpse of the story.»
She paused for a moment and then added, "Honorable Twelfth, I remember that the Chapter was cared for by the Fourth Elder as his kinsman...?"
The woman tried to recall the events of a long time ago.
Ling was slowly getting used to everyone calling him by his number, the Ninth or Head, but he didn't expect to have any kinship with the unknown number Four.
«You're right,» Twelfth replied, putting his palm to his forehead and covering his eyes, «I'm not in the habit of meddling in other people's affairs, we all promised to respect each other.»
The woman nodded understandingly and sat down in the chair that had appeared out of nowhere across from Ling. He could have easily choked on his own surprise, but Third prudently patted him on the back. He nodded back appreciatively.
«The Fourth is still in the frontier,» the man at the table said, tapping his finger on the table with his hand away from his face.
«Elder, should we interfere in this matter?»
The man did not answer. The Third fidgeted restlessly in his chair, wanting to say something, but not daring to break the silence. At last the Twelfth slammed his palm on the table.
«Let the Fourth decide.»
The woman nodded understandingly, to the obvious disappointment of the Third. The girl turned away to the window to hide her feelings, but her lower lip trembled treacherously.
Ling alone remained indifferent. He didn't care deeply what was wrong with his memory or why everyone was so worried.
He remembered all his few years of life pretty well, and that was enough to keep him from remembering anything else. And anyway, how much does a person need to remember? The main thing is not to repeat his mistakes.
And yet Third's strange reaction made him curious. Why is she so eager to make him remember, and one more thing... what has Cal got to do with it?
"So," the young man cleared his throat, "I'd like to ask you something."
The man and the woman turned to him together.
«Mistress Third mentioned my new friend Cal, so, he's been around a long time... but... could I have met him before?» Ling finally formulated and felt a slight awkwardness.
The third one opened her mouth in indignation and then burst into tears as she tucked herself into the armrest of her chair. The man almost hid his smile, and the woman suddenly looked up into the upper tiers of the library.
An awkward pause hung, broken by Third's noisy anguish. She now reminded Ling of his mother as she watched some tearful soap opera. Well, here we go again, some strange reaction...
«Elder,» the man at the table spoke and stood up, «memory is everyone's treasure,» he stepped closer and stood next to Seventh, «it so happens that you are deprived of memories of a past life, and that is, by the way, about a hundred and fifty years.»
Ling listened to him with an incredibly stupid expression on his face. What?! A hundred and fifty years?!
«We have no right to take away and return your memories because it's your personal decision. Whoever sealed your memory in the past could only do so with your consent. We can only tell you what we know ourselves...»
«Yes, only what we know ourselves, without the details,» the woman confirmed.
Ling nodded in agreement and the Third, wiping her nose with her sleeve, sat up straight and prepared to listen.
«You became the Ninth Elder after the death of your father, who was the Second Elder. You were once wounded by an Ancient Spirit, and that wound poisoned your life for many years. When you fell into his hands a second time, you died, but not at his hand, and in doing so, you lost all your memories.»
«An Elder's soul can be reborn, and you expressed such a wish after a long rehabilitation,» the woman interjected, «you returned to the frontier in Shi Ling's body many years after your death. We could not send you back at once because of your severe injuries, your soul was almost split... we strengthened it at first, but you lost most of your strength in the transition.»
The two elders were silent, giving Ling time to think about what they said and to comprehend.
«If you wish, it is possible to regain your knowledge and strength, so let me help you, Elder,» the man in silver robes said softly.
All this time, Ling's restlessness never left him. It itched like a pesky fly, keeping him from concentrating. First of all, Cal, what kind of reaction was that to the simple question of whether he had known Cal in another life?
But it seems that only the Third can answer him. And second, an even more sensitive and pressing question, will Ling himself come back? And how? Will he be reborn?
Or would his body still be useful? And how long has he been here? And if he does come back, the powers and knowledge won't hurt him and then he wants all-inclusive help. Realizing there was more than one question, Ling raised his hand like a class.
«Dear Elders, before answering your question, will you please tell me how long I am here and will I return to earth?»
«No one is keeping you,» Seventh replied, «we are only helping you. If you want to go back, only three hours of Earth time have passed. You can safely return to your body and return to your normal life.»
«But you will not forget what happened here,» the man added.
«In that case, I want back everything that belongs to me, as well as on top of everything you are willing to give me, thank you,» Ling said in the same breath.