The excitement died down, Huo felt a strange sense of tiredness and he knew it was because of the barrage of emotions that was running through him. He had a smile which he couldn’t control as he settled himself among the soft cushions beside Wei. They both sat silent for a while; all one heard was the occassional sipping from the cups. “Huo, do you see that corner there, there is a dagger on that table, can you bring it here?” said Wei, pointing to a dim corner of the room. Huo slowly traced the fingers to where they were pointing and noticed a small table with a wooden stand. He picked up the dagger to see that it was a small iron dagger with a simple hilt. There was a copper ball at the end for easy handing of the dagger. It was the kinds used by experts who used them from a distance; he recognised it as a throwing dagger. He balanced it on the tip of his fore finger and felt a small tilt. The dagger hadnt been balanced properly, it was of poor quality. As he turned and walked back to his seat, Wei had moved to his desk and pulled out some documents.
“I wanted to talk to you about a few things, which is why I called you over. I know I was the one who had forbidden us speak of business during our dinners but I feel happy today and I want to share everything with you today Huo.” Huo didn’t know what to make of it, the fleet was one of the best if not the best in the whole of the Southern seas, everything was in order, so what could it be? “Don’t worry, there is no problem” said Wei, looking at Huo enquiring eyes. “I just wanted to talk to you about a few things here and there, show you some things, its nothing to get alarmed about.”
“Did you notice the carpet? Want to take a guess from where it originated?” said Wei. “Well, I first thought it was a Persian from Azarbaijan but then I noticed that the colour combinations used were different from what is weaved in Bagdhad. Their designs are more prominent and the motifs stand out like the ones we brought in from Khorassan and Sistan last year for the emperor. I was very sure that it was from Persia but when I walked on it, I felt the threads which had been woven with an Anatolian knot. The Persian carpets are generally stitched with a single looping knot but this has a double loop knot. From everything I know, this then should have a more of a block print kind of design but the curves and delicacy of the angles are nothing like I have seen before. The wool and silk threads have lightness to it, the whiteness told me that it is indeed a Chinese carpet and not woven outside. The Ujumqin is coarse yet, this is fine but I will still stick to my instinct that this is Ujumqin wool and the fat has been removed first.”
“Aha! Wonderful Huo, it’s almost as though you knew the sheep by name! This carpet was woven by a dear old woman in a small factory in the North Jiangsu Province Suqian City. You know I keep going up North because that is the only place I am not recognised and can walk about in the open without any hesitation. Well, I found it along one such trip. Her son runs the small carpet business and the shop is well known for its special stitching. Even with the double loop, that old lady was able to stitch with 36 symmetrical knots per square centimetre and provide the delicate natural flows that you see in the leaves here.” Wei walked up to the canter table and poured out another glass for both of them. “The sake is exceptional don’t you think? It is the right temperature and I my friend am already feeling nice and happy.” Huo was slowly reading through Plato’s writings and Wei couldn’t make out if his fingers were shaking from the excitement of reading or the effects of the sake. “it is strange my friend that you are reading from The Apology while I lace our drinks with the very same hemlock which took Socrates away from all of us. Do not worry; you will feel no pain, as you can see you have difficulty moving already.” To Huo shock, he couldn’t move his hand; he tried to get up but couldn’t feel his feet. He frantically tried to raise himself but couldn’t move. He turned to Wei with confusion written in his eyes wondering if this was another of Wei’s jokes. Wei himself was seated and was dangling the throwing dagger by the ball of his thumb and index finger.
Wei slowly looked at Hou and said, “Everything about today is from the north Huo, the food cooked has been according to Shandong cuisine and were my favourite foods as a boy. My birthplace is a small village north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong Province. My father was a shipbuilder for Quinliang, a local warlord in the state of Lu. He was a good man but fate dealt him an untimely death, murdered by the neighbouring landlord. My father had gone to meet Quinliang when they attacked and he was killed along with everyone in Quinliang’s home. I had accompanied my father that day and the only reason I lived was because his body lay on me, hiding me from the assassins. Do you remember that day Huo? Do you remember this blade? You threw it at my father.” Huo looked alarmed, his mind raced back to that day when he had gone on order of his lord to kill and vanish. He had been paid a lot of money and had later moved with his wife to the South where he wouldn be recognised. He tried to stand up but he couldn’t feel his hands or legs anymore. “Don’t struggle Huo, the more you try, the faster the poison will act on you. The poison was distilled so it gave out no smell or taste, the ycall the poison coniine, it freezes the body, it makes one paralysed so don’t struggle. You might find it a little difficult to breathe so my advice to you is to relax yourself and you will live longer.”
“Quinliang’s house was set on fire and my mother thought I had died along with my father. She took my younger brother and moved further up to protect him. I found them years later in a small village where she was making carpets for a living; this carpet was woven by her. As you learnt today of my secrets, I too know yours my friend. Several years ago, I had come to terms with it; I had found solace in my family, with Mei and had forgiven you. I knew I had you in front of me and that you would do no more harm to my family. I was wrong wasn’t I Huo? I didn’t favour the partnership with the Wang family and you along with Anderson tried to take over the organisation didn’t you? Mei found out about it and was coming to tell me when you had her killed. Anderson told me everything before I killed him Huo. You don’t have to say anything. It is fate that everything I cared for and cherished was destroyed by you, my friend.”
Huo just looked at Wei blankly, there were tears trickling down his eyes. “Over the years, I have helped my younger brother grow his carpet business; today Lin Carpets is one of the biggest factories in the entire North. My will allocates everything to my younger brother and his family. Even though you destroyed my family, do not worry my friend, I have made sure your family is taken care of well. They will not suffer for the actions of their father. You took away my little Lin from me Huo and I died that very day. These past years have gone into planning for this evening and today everything is complete, everything is taken care of.”
Wei was finding it difficult to talk, he was making an effort to breathe, “I have no more responsibilities and no more burdens. My mother is frail and old, she doesnt remember me well anymore. My family is gone and this world is not the place for me anymore. When the servants come tomorrow morning and noone opens the door, they will break it down and search for us. All the cooks were given a holiday today and I cooked the dinner myself so no one will be held responsible for our deaths. I am very glad you loved my cooking.”
When the servants broke down the door, on the following afternoon, they found Wei with his eyes open, staring into the embers at the fireplace, one hand holdiing the dagger and in his other hand a small portrait of his wife and daughter.
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