Carry Tiger to Mountain by Mark Zuehlke

Author:Mark Zuehlke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC022000
Publisher: Dundurn Press Limited
Published: 2002-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

chapter eleven

I climbed Vhanna’s wall and circumvented her security response net by phoning Jabronski and reporting in on her cell phone so that he didn’t come galloping over like the cavalry to save the day. Then I descended the stairs to the beach where she was outlined against a sinking sun that set the blue ocean dazzlingly ablaze and shot golden shafts of light across the pale sand. Vhanna was rhythmically working her way through a long form Tai Chi set. Two sets in one day was highly unusual for Vhanna, who is extremely precise about routine and normally confines herself to one Tai Chi set daily. The deviation suggested to me the depths of her turmoil and her desire to steady her emotions and regain a calm centre in her spirit.

Pivoting her left foot ninety degrees to the right to establish a firm foundation, Vhanna launched herself forward with her right leg, planting it solidly a long step ahead of her while her left arm thrust straight with the palm open as if to push against an invisible opponent’s chest. Vhanna then settled back onto her left hip as her right arm rose up in a parrying motion, her left palm braced against the back of her right wrist so that her arms were both extended as far as they would go without unbalancing her. Swaying back onto her left leg, Vhanna’s hips turned forty-five degrees to the left as her elbows dropped so that her hands were palm out just in front of her chest. Squaring her hips while pushing forward with her palms shoulder-width apart brought Vhanna to the final, powerful full-length extension that completed the Carry Tiger to Mountain movement and set her up to move gracefully into Whip Out Horizontally.

I settled on the bottom stair, patted a hand on my knee, and chuckled softly as Fergus, who until now had been sitting on his haunches in front of Vhanna looking on with deep concentration, cocked his head to one side and then trotted happily over. He met my eye, stubby tail wagging as much as it could and floppy ears twitching as he approached. When he reached me, Fergus rose up to put his front paws on my knees and thrust his face practically into mine. Several hours had passed since last we met and he was obviously happy to see me. I let him swipe my hand with his tongue before giving him a gentle scratch behind his ears. He leaned into this attention so hard that he almost toppled over on his side in a relaxed swoon.

While I had been concentrating on my good and loyal friend, Vhanna had reached the point in her routine at which she crossed her hands over her chest and then offered a gracious bow toward the red sun as it plunged into the hot purple of the surging waves rolling endlessly toward us. I walked toward her, realizing as I did so that she was still unaware of my presence and remained focused on the set and the meditative quality of it.

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