"The Chinese Mask" by Gary (Owl) Vowles

By Gary Vowles

"Behind you!"

The young man turned slowly still confused by his surroundings. A warrior dressed in leather and bamboo armour ran at him. The small man’s sword slashed down biting deep into David’s raised arm. Metal scraped sickeningly down bone catching at the elbow. The young man gasped in pain and staggered back. The oriental warrior advanced and lifted his sword to strike again. David lifted his hand weakly and closed his eyes.

"What is this Kai Shan? You expect mercy? Hai!" The warrior shook his head angrily and viciously kicked David in the knee. The young man, his eyes jolted open, fell heavily to the stone pathway.

The oriental warrior strode to the young woman who had called the urgent warning. Without a moment of hesitation he slit her throat and threw her body to the ground. David pulled at his face desperately.

Breathing hard he stared at the wooden mask in his hands. Slowly he pulled himself up from the lunchroom floor, gathering the paper that had been wrapped around the strange gift. He rubbed his arm, flexing his fingers as the door was flung open.

"David? Are you alright?"

"Yes, err yes Mr Padbury. I must have slipped."

"You look as white as a ghost. You’re sure you’re alright?"

"Yes sir. I think it was just the shock of receiving this parcel from my uncle after he died last week."

"Yes . . . well I just came to let you know that you can have your holidays starting from Monday."

"Holidays?"

"Yes. You came into my office a moment ago and asked for them. Are you sure you are alright David?"

"Yes sir, just delayed shock I think?"

David could see Padbury thinking. It was something everyone in the company could do. The State Manager’s eyes twitched as he calculated numbers and figures.

"It might be best if you take the rest of the day off David. Can not have you making mistakes eh?" Padbury backed up the statement with gentle cough onto the back of his hand. "And tomorrow as well . . .rest. Yes rest, emotions are funny things." The State Manager began to pull the door closed after him. "And we will see you when you come back in a months time."

David licked dry lips and examined the wooden mask. He knew very well that he had not asked to take holidays. He also would have sworn that he had been standing in a perfect landscaped garden a moment ago walking with a beautiful young woman before she had been brutally murdered.

The ancient Chinese mask sat on the table staring blankly at David as he gratefully finished the last of several household tasks he had set himself since arriving home. Sliding down onto a seat he sipped his coffee as he searched through the crumpled paper that had been wrapped around the mask. There was nothing except for his dead Uncle’s return address in Singapore. Nothing to explain what the mask was for or why it had been forwarded to him. The parcel had been posted the same day that his Uncle had died.

Carefully he picked up the mask, its dark timber stained and worn smooth with age. It was certainly no "Made in Taiwan" tourist trinket nor did it give a hint by any marking as to its purpose. He wondered if there might be some clue as to the mask’s origins on the Internet. Carefully he ran his fingers over the delicately chiselled timber tracing the features before slowly pushing it against his face.

"Guess who?"

The voice was soft with a girlish musical quality about it. David smiled as the scent of jasmine and vanilla invaded his senses. He longed to brush his lips against the warm soft hands that covered his eyes. He knew her name. He’d known her name the first time he met her.

"Teinin." He whispered.

The young woman laughed and ducked away as he turned. Her long colourful dress and robes swirled coyly around her as she asked teasingly, "You missed me so much?"

David smiled. It was exactly the same as before. Her clothes, her delicate almond shaped eyes, her golden tanned skin, all said that she was Siamese. Somewhere in the back of his mind as if through a thick fog he remembered that Siam no longer existed.

"I did. I could not stay away."

Her lowered eyes lifted for the briefest of moments and looked directly into his as she smiled. David’s heart raced, the brief glance said more than words ever could.

"Walk with me. The afternoons are always so pleasant in spring."

David sighed sadly and began to turn down the stone path that he knew led to their deaths.

"No." Teinin laughed and ran across the lawn.

For a moment David panicked. This was not what happened this morning; they had turned to walk down the path. Quickly he ran to catch up with her and noticed for the first time the ornate sword and hilted dagger at his waist. His clothes were also very different to hers. They were the drab garments of a Chinese cavalry officer. He held his hands up and slowly turned them before his wondering eyes noticing their strange altered colour. A delicate hand caught his and pulled him along.

"Come see what I found."

David found himself laughing running beside the beautiful young woman. With every passing moment his concerns and questions evaporated like mist.

"See!" Tienin pointed to a tree. "On the third branch – a nest!"

Excitedly she put a finger to her mouth and with exaggerated care, moved closer to her find. He smiled and slowly started to follow almost missing the small warrior hiding behind the tree.

"Teinin!"

David ran and caught her quickly in his arms pushing and urging her back up the hill.

"Quickly! Run! Hide!"

He turned in time to duck the sword’s swing and rose to punch the man in the stomach. His knuckles rasped across the bamboo armour as the warrior continued the full spinning turn, bringing his sword bearing down again. David swore and leapt at the man using his height and weight to push and bustle the smaller man off balance. The Siamese warrior dropped and rolled backwards, releasing his sword and grabbing a handful of David’s heavy quilted tunic. David found himself twisting through the air upside down, arms flailing. He landed heavily, the wind knocked from his lungs. Blinking away the pain he scrambled painfully to his feet in time to see Teinin slowly wilt to the ground like a flower at spring’s end. She had neither run nor hidden but seemingly waited her fate silently. The warrior stepped across her body his head tilted in question.

"What is this Kai Shan, some new ploy to bore me to death?"

David looked at the curved dagger its blade gleaming crimson with smeared blood. Desperately he ripped the mask from his face.

He fell forward onto his desk breathing heavily. The dark room was illuminated only by the flickering glow of the computer monitor. On the screen flashed confirmation of his flight number and booking to Singapore. David stood quickly and pushed away from the desk sending the chair across the room with a noisy clatter. The Chinese face of the mask in the shadowed glow of the screen seemed to change expression as it returned his stare. With another clatter, it joined the chair on the opposite side of the room.

David watched the grey light of the dawn creep across the sky from the balcony of his apartment. What little of the night had remained, he’d spent churning over in his mind the day’s events. He was scared. Scared knowing that the mask controlled his actions while he wore it. But he was even more scared knowing that he was also curiously fascinated.

"Who was Teinin? Twice he had miserably failed her."

"Was she still alive?"

"Was she even real?"

"Who was this Kai Shan that he seemed to become?"

Inside the computer still blinked confirmation of this morning’s flight. David groaned with reluctant decision and shook his head in resignation. He was still scared but fascination held him in an even tighter enthrallment. Rubbing tired eyes he stood and went inside to pack. He would have just enough time to catch his plane.

"Guess who?"

"Teinin."

She laughed and ducked quickly away in a swirl of vanilla and jasmine.

"You missed me so much?" she asked teasingly.

"I did. I could not stay away." David found it was true. As the passengers around him had nodded off to sleep he could not resist donning the mask again.

"Walk with me. The afternoons are always so pleasant in spring."

"Could we not sit here in the sun?"

"And risk being openly seen together?" Teinin lowered her eyes and smiled. "What will people think of me?" Not waiting for an answer, she gathered her dress and robes about her and sat, a brilliant red carnation in full bloom on the velvet green grass.

"Do you know of any warrior that would wish us harm?"

"Oh only a dozen." Teinin laughed. "You tease me with this question."

David smiled; it was impossible not to when she laughed.

"Do you know one who is only this tall?" David held his hand level with his shoulder.

"You do tease me do you not?" the smile slipped away from her lips as she tilted her head to the side questioningly. "You know Quinsun has sworn to kill us both."

David mouthed the name softly to himself as he lay down on grass. It seemed so strangely familiar.

"You are troubled my love?"

"I just need time to think." David closed his eyes and lay his head down on the grass. "Why does he wish so desperately to kill us both?"

The question was whispered more to himself, but Teinin sighed as she gently ran her hand across his brow.

"Before you and your armies came, Quinsun had hoped to convince my father to give me to him in marriage. When you spared my brother’s life in that last battle, my brother who is so precious to my father, and father saw the stolen glances between us when you were first here, he showed his gratitude in the only way he could." Teinin kissed her finger and pressed it against David’s nose. "But you know all of this. What troubles you this day? Do you have second thoughts about our marriage?"

"Of course not!" David caught her hand and held it to his lips. "I just wish this moment would last longer."

"It will my love, forever. Even Quinsun can not separate us now." Teinin leaned down and kissed him gently on the forehead. "I can already feel you drawing closer by the minute."

"What? How do you mean?"

Teinin smiled. It was a smile that said she would answer no more. "I must leave and prepare. Be careful my love, know that I wait for you."

David watched Teinin rise and leave almost expecting Quinsun to appear. He could not help but feel more confused than before. Slowly he lifted his hands to his face and pulled away the mask.

"You sound as if you’ve lived in Singapore all your life."

"Sorry?" David looked at the man seated next to him sipping his tea.

"I said that you sound . . . my that’s an incredible mask. It’s beautiful. May I have a look?"

David handed the man the mask automatically before realising he had even done so. He hardly dared breath as the man turned it over slowly and carefully examined it.

"This is absolutely superb workmanship. It must be hundreds of years old. I’m surprised its not locked away in a safe or museum. Obviously it’s not for sale?"

"I’m afraid not."

The man smiled and handed the mask back. "Not surprised. Whoops, there goes the landing light. Time to buckle up."

David sat staring at the mask across the table in his hotel room. It had taken no time to unpack. He sipped his coffee disinterestedly as more a distraction to how he was feeling. Curiosity still held him firmly in its grasp but there was a growing sense of fear that surrounded him. It had grown steadily as he realised he was in a strange room, in an alien country at the seeming mercy of a mask that almost held him captive. David wondered if his Uncle had ever worn the mask and for a moment more fear gripped him tighter as he also wondered if the mask were connected to his Uncle’s death. He had never done anything like this before. He had always weighed his decisions carefully before taking action. Against almost every reason he could think of, he reached for the mask and lifted it to his face.

"Guess who?"

The scent of jasmine and vanilla filled his senses as the soft voice bought a smile to his lips.

"Teinin."

The young woman laughed and ducked away, her colourful dress and robes rustled softly in the quiet garden.

"You missed me so much?"

"I did. I could not stay away." David knew these words were as much his now as they were Kai Shan's. He was captivated fully by this young woman with her ever so expressive eyes. His heart raced as she smiled.

"Walk with me. The afternoons are always so pleasant in spring."

"Or we could sit here in the sun?" he asked hopefully.

"First come and see what I have found." Teinin took his hand and ran lightly across the grass. The magic of the garden drew David after the beautiful young woman. He again found his concerns and questions evaporating.

"See, look on the third branch, a nest!"

David searched the trees carefully as Teinin gathered her dress and robes to sit on the cool grass.

"You seem so distant my love. It is as if you are not fully here with me. You are troubled?"

"I am worried. Do you ever feel that you are part of a dream, a dream that can turn at any moment into a nightmare and there is nothing you can do to avoid it?"

"Surely that is what life is about, uncertainty? Fate toying with us turning us this way and that to see where we bend."

"Perhaps then I worry about breaking, I do not know. I do know I am caught in such a dream at the moment. It’s a dream as sweet as new honey but despite all my efforts it ends in such bitterness. I’m not even sure it is truly my dream or whether it belongs to another and whatever I do it will accomplish nothing new."

Teinin smiled and gave David a woven grass bracelet. "My Imperial Officer, conqueror of my heart, you are also a philosopher? What more secrets do you hide from me behind those mysterious brown eyes?"

David laughed at her teasing tone and bent to kiss her. Their lips brushed softly, almost shyly. Teinin quickly pulled away, her eyes looking away from his.

"An impertious philosopher at that!" With a slight tilt of her head and brief stolen glance she smiled before quickly turning eyes away. "Desire burns in me for our wedding night." It was the softest of whispers.

"Perhaps I should go. I did not mean to cause you discomfort." David lifted his hands to his face.

"No! Kai Shan no!" Teinin pulled urgently at his hands. "You must not go!"

David sat upright and looked quickly around. Her sudden urgent words had him convinced that the warrior running at them. Teinin lifted her hands to her face the scent of vanilla suddenly growing stronger.

"Quinsun must see that you are here. We must keep his mind occupied with us, with his jealousy, with his anger."

David was not sure how, but the young woman in front of him had suddenly changed. She seemed very much sure of herself in the way she spoke. Even her voice had taken a strange foreign accent.

"Promise you will stay no matter what!"

"I do not understand. What is happening?"

"Promise Kai Shan! Promise you will stay no matter what."

"I promise, of course I promise."

Teinin nodded and smiled as she slowly stood. "Let us walk then. It is too nice this afternoon to miss the sights and scents of the garden." The young woman held out her hand. In a brief instant she had transformed back to the shy young girl woman.

David took her delicate hand and nodded his mind numb with confusion. He was certain he had missed something important and just as certain he was being bent to someone’s design. Before he could dwell upon what had happened he saw a familiar figure through the trees.

"Quinsun comes. Run Teinin and hide"

"No. Together" Teinin squeezed his hand before removing the dagger from his belt.

"I am no match for him. He will kill me. At least save yourself."

"No. Together we’ll die as vowed. Kai Shan I will love you always til the end of time. Perhaps this time we will spend it together."

"No. I am sorry, not this time. I could not finish it. My heart will always be yours my love." David swallowed as the words flowed out of his mouth unbidden. They were neither his words nor his voice. He had no time to think further as Quinsun removed his sword from its ornate scabbard.

David remembered his own blade at his side and drew its slowly free. He smiled to himself as he felt its unfamiliar weight in his hands. It was at best a nervous smile as he held the strange sword out in front of him.

"So we fight today!" shouted the warrior as he warily approached David. "I expected for a moment that you intended to fall on your own sword."

"Does it annoy you that you will never taste Teinin’s lips."

Quinsun laughed coldly. "We have not done that for a few hundred years or so. Should I now run at you in rage and forget all my skills? Come Kai Shan surely your own skills have improved enough without resorting to such."

Quinsun ran in the last few steps and with a flurry of quick blows pressed home his attack. David staggered back under the assault trying his best simply to get his sword in the way. Both were surprised when Teinin stabbed the small warrior in the back with the dagger. He turned quickly and dealt her two quick blows to her shoulder and neck. David took his chance and with all his strength hacked down on Quinsun’s arm.

The small warrior, sword fallen to the ground, yelled his rage and pain as he turned. David pressed home his advantage using the weapon more as an axe than a sword. Quinsun, his useless arm hanging at his side, spun danced and twisted away from the attack gaining only a few minor cuts.

David rested on the sword catching his breath, he was covered in blood, most of it his own. He could see Teinin to side. She lay deathly still. David kicked the warrior’s sword towards him.

"Come." He breathed hoarsely.

Quinsun picked up the blade in his left hand and smiled. "You will die again this day you dog!"

The two men ran at each other exchanging quick blows. David gasped as his chest was opened. Slowly he turned, staggered a step and fell.

David gasped and sucked in a huge breath of foul air. It was night. He was in a dark narrow alley. Blood was running freely down his right arm. The sharp pain from his side when he breathed suggested that he probably had a broken rib. Around him the air was full of unrelenting sound, but it was the scrape of a boot on stone that caught his attention.

A young man as bloodied as David was desperately reaching for a knife lying in the filth of the street. David spun and kicked him in the mouth. The youth fell back and immediately leapt forward shouting a hurried blood flecked curse. David caught him around the throat and arm and spun him back into the wall. Pain lanced up his side as too slowly he tried to avoid the spearing punch to his stomach. Tensing, he took the blow and smashed his forehead down into the youth’s face. The boy staggered backward hands cupping his face. David driven by blood rage grabbed a handful of hair and punched the youth. The heavy blow slid off the boy’s sternum and into his throat. The youth fell to his knees as he tried to suck air through his crushed windpipe. His hand pulled desperately at David’s leg as he tried to stand. Slowly he slid back down to the dank street before lying limply on the ground.

David fell to his knees and sucked air into his tired lungs. He could see his wooden mask where it had fallen from his face. Slowly he crawled to it and clutched it to his chest, a lifeline in a sea of confusion.

"Guess who?"

David breathed in the strong scent of vanilla as small warm hands cupped his eyes.

"Teinin?"

Her teasing laugher was almost the same but as the young woman crouched down beside him, he saw it was not Teinin.

"Only when I wear this," She held up a wooden mask stained dark with age. David recognised the delicate carved face and almond shaped eyes immediately. "Without it I am Kwon." Her smile was just as infectious as Teinin’s. "You must be Thomas’s nephew."

"Yes, I’m David."

"Here let me help." She held out her hand and guided him to his feet.

"You were Teinin in the gardens?"

"Yes, but only for the past month. My Aunt sent the mask to me just before she died just as your uncle passed the mask to you." Kwon bent down beside the youth and pulled at his face. Slowly she stood holding out a second mask to David. Hers obviously depicted Teinin; the other resembled the small warrior Quinsun.

"I do not understand? This boy was Quinsun?"

"As much as you were Kai Shan whenever you wore your mask." Kwon bent close to David and kissed him gently. She watched his reaction carefully the smile never leaving her face. The young woman was certainly not the shy Teinin. "I was just curious to know how much that last kiss in the garden was Kai Shan’s and how much of it was yours."

"And?"

"Not sure. I’ll have to test it again. We had better go. Can you walk?"

"Yes, I think so but I will be sore tomorrow."

"Lean on me. My car is not far away. Once we burn Quinsun’s mask, then it is over." She smiled seeing his confusion. "Come we can go to my place. Once you are cleaned up I will explain."

David accepted her offered hand and hobbled slowly into the night. In the back of his mind he felt a new dream starting.