The Story of the Stone by Barry Hughart

Author:Barry Hughart
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction, General, Fantasy, Fiction
Publisher: Doubleday
Published: 2009-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

Prince Liu Pao was delighted to see us. At first I was delighted to see him too, but then Master Li introduced Grief of Dawn. The prince jumped a foot into the air and his complexion switched back and forth from pink to white and the conversation went something like this.

"Would you care for tea?"

"No, thank you, Your Highness," said Grief of Dawn.

"Wine, perhaps?"

"No, thank you, Your Highness," said Grief of Dawn.

"Cakes? Fruit?"

"No, thank you, Your Highness," said Grief of Dawn.

"How about a few swans?" the prince said hopefully. "Cash? Lambs? Silk?"

Since those were the classic wedding gifts, I decided I was in trouble. The prince's reaction to Moon Boy was almost as strong, and within minutes the three of them were so close that I began to think deep thoughts about Grief of Dawn's belief that part of the soul she shared with Moon Boy had been lost on the Great Wheel of Transmigrations. Had the wandering soul settled inside Prince Liu Pao? I asked Master Li about it, but he only grunted noncommittally.

He had something else to think about. Now all his attention was focused upon the mysterious stone of the Laughing Prince, and he settled down in the library at the monastery and began poring over ancient records in search of any mention of an unusual stone. He asked the prince to do the same with family papers, and I was sent out to see what I could find in peasant tales and legends.

It was something to keep my mind off the prince and Grief of Dawn. The stone stories of the old women in the village were the same ones I had heard all my life, so I tried a different kind of folk tale. Blacksmiths are surrounded by boys as flowers are surrounded by bees, so I decided to lend the village smith a hand. After I had lifted the anvil a few times and bent a few iron bars in my hands I had all the boys I needed, and within two days I was able to race into the library at the monastery.

"A stone! A magical stone!" I shouted. Master Li looked up from the scrolls and blinked at me. "It's a boys' story, and very ancient," I said excitedly. "So far I've only heard a vague description, but I know it deals with a hero who sneaks into a secret cavern and finds a magical stone. Know what he's trying to do with it?" I said rhetorically. "Kill the Laughing Prince, that's what."

Master Li leaned back and pressed the tips of his fingers together. "Well, well, well," he said.

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