Kim Possible belongs to Disney.
Parts of this chapter were inspired by SpicyWeasel and PengyChan's discussion at the Ron Stoppable forums.
This chapter was insanely difficult to write. I have never edited one chapter as much as this one. Even now it doesn't quite please me, but after three weeks of headache, I decided that I want to move on to what happens next. Special thanks to Gemini Artemis, PengyChan and Slyrr for helping me out with how to approach this chapter.
After posting this, I now have over a million words archived on this site. Odd, I have a hard time understanding just where all that came from.
THE MONKEY'S VALET
Chapter 10
When Bates woke up the next morning, he knew from the start that something was very wrong. It took him a few moments to remember why there was such a heavy, uncomfortable feeling at the bottom of his stomach, but once he did, he jumped right out of bed. He got dressed in record time and ran out of his bedroom, still buttoning his vest on the way.
The day hadn't dawned yet and he was the only one awake, so he didn't worry about the lack of dignity he was showing at the moment. He stopped only once he reached the lounge where the remains of the previous night's fire were still lukewarm.
There were papers spread all over the table, and Bates approached them with care. He could remember exactly what had happened yesterday, but he felt reluctant to actually see the proof of it. He still had to because no matter how clear his memories were, his mind refused to accept such lunacy.
He picked up one of the papers. Written on it was something about genetics and there was an image of some kind of DNA structure, but he didn't understand anything of it. It was still enough to show him that he hadn't imagined any of what had happened. He sighed and let the paper fall back on the table.
How could this be real? That woman had to have somehow manipulated Lord Fiske into this idiotic mess. There was no other explanation because Bates knew that his master would have laughed at the mere idea of mutation only a few months ago. To have himself mutilated like that…
There had to be some way to stop this madness from happening. He would have to talk to Lord Fiske once that woman was gone. Maybe then he would listen to what he had to say and look at the matter with new eyes. It just couldn't be that his master would go along with something like this. It could still be some kind of joke.
And yet he couldn't convince himself to believe that; the rage in Lord Fiske's eyes the previous night had been far too real and frightening. The man had been furious enough to drive away perhaps the only person in the world who cared about him, all because of their disagreement on the issue.
As much as Bates disliked Amy, he couldn't blame her for that. Whatever had triggered that reaction in Fiske had been brewing along for longer than he had known her. The odd mood swings and angry snaps over the slightest disagreements were enough proof of that.
Whatever the reason was, the most urgent thing to do was to talk to Lord Fiske and convince him to allow him to stay. Bates had avoided his master after his outburst because he knew there was no chance of talking to him before he had calmed down. Hopefully the night had soothed the man's anger somewhat.
It was only now that Bates realised that he was no longer in the lounge. He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't even noticed he had been walking, and it was with some amount of surprise that he found himself in Lord Fiske's study. He rarely went there without a reason when the man himself wasn't present because he always felt like he was defiling some old sanctuary when he did so.
The room hadn't changed much. Its familiar air soothed Bates's nerves somewhat, and he recalled the many times he had seen his master buried in his studies behind his desk. Those days felt like they had taken place a lifetime ago. He was almost startled to realise that it had been nearly a year since they had gone to search for the first monkey statue.
Everything was a mess, and there were more books sprawled on the desk and floor than were standing on the shelf. Bates looked at them and wondered how Lord Fiske could have ever handled his precious books like that. It almost looked like somebody had been throwing them around the room in a fit of rage.
Carefully, he picked up the closest volumes and started rearranging them back on the shelf. As he did so, he couldn't help but notice the titles of some of the books.
"The Mystical Sects of the Far-East. When did he get interested in something like that?" he wondered out loud. More titles caught his attention and he realised that all of the books he was holding had something to do with the occult, ancient myths and magic. He quickly put them away and wiped his hands on his trousers, feeling violated. If magic was all Lord Fiske read about these days, it was no surprise that he was acting odd.
He decided he didn't want to have anything more to do with the books and that snooping around in his master's study was hardly going to help him with his current situation. Just as he was about to leave, his eyes were drawn to one more book that was peeking under a larger volume on the desk. It was a book he recognised instantly; it was the missing diary.
Bates froze for a moment and only stared at the book. He couldn't believe his luck. He had thought he would never again see the diary, but now it lay conveniently before him. A glance at the grandfather clock in the room told him that he had more than enough time to take a look at it before anybody would wake up.
He took the diary into his hands. The previous day, he had still felt a twinge of reluctance and guilt when thinking about looking into his master's secrets, but there was no doubt in his heart now. If Lord Fiske had been lured into that woman's web and convinced into thinking that genetic mutation was what he needed, it was Bates's responsibility to find out everything that might help in bringing the man's life back on track before it was too late.
With a mix of curiosity, worry and even fear, he opened the diary and started reading. It seemed like he had written something every day, but Bates decided to skim and read only those entries that looked like they had something to offer him.
12th of April
My arrival to the school was not exactly what I was expecting. My father's journals told of a thriving community of martial arts experts with vast knowledge on the nearly forgotten aspects of Tai Shing Pek Kwar and the legends tied to the art. I recall the many times he said how he wanted to take me here to further improve my skills. Upon arriving, however, I soon realised that the glory days are a thing of the past and that the school has fallen to decay, both literally and figuratively.
Only the old master and some of his pupils remain. The people living in the town by the mountain have lost interest in the school and no longer send their children to study here, so there is very little fresh blood and young ones. I estimate the whole school will disappear in a generation or two unless they manage to find a strong master to replace the old one when he passes away.
They didn't exactly regard me with warm welcomes when I arrived, but once I explained whose son I was, they were more accepting of my presence. Apparently, the school has never been and will never be open to foreigners, with some exceptions. Master Lo recalled my father and granted me the chance to prove my worth to study with them, but I'm unsure whether this is going to lead me anywhere.
13th of April
I have been allowed to stay at the school, but the day has not been a complete success. I joined the others for training this morning and was dismayed to realise that they have mastered forms of Tai Shing Pek Kwar that I have never encountered in my life. As a result, fighting them was difficult and I suffered some embarrassing blows before I learnt their patterns and how to anticipate their next move. That was not ideal for convincing Master Lo of that he should trust me with the most guarded secrets of the school. I suppose it is a small victory that he didn't kick me out right away.
16th of April
Training with the others has turned out to be more interesting than I was expecting. They don't seem too willing to share their secrets with me, but I have been studying their every move, and I'm fairly confident that I have discovered the patterns behind some of their forms. Still, I must be careful not to copy them the wrong way and do unnecessary damage to my skills. Considering that this is monkey kung fu, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they're trying to trick me.
The past few days have taught me that I was more out of shape than I thought. I have wasted too much time studying and sitting idly at home. Now is the time to step up, brush up on my skills and start taking care of this body.
Bates frowned to himself after reading these three entries. The only surprising thing he could see about them was that Lord Fiske's trip had taken him to an old martial arts school instead of a famed university or museum. Other than that, nothing stood out. It was even a relief to read such coherent entries from his master, even if they had been written months ago.
25th of April
I have now been here for almost two weeks, and my patience is wearing thin. I have tried to approach Master Lo about his secret knowledge several times now, but he refuses to speak of it. He says I have potential, for an outsider, but that I am nowhere near ready to know what he does. That old fool! It is obvious that the school's rotten state is because their master is a senile idiot who has lost his perception and wisdom. I suspect I will learn nothing from him.
28th of April
I am still not welcome here. The students will not talk to me unless I address them directly, and Master Lo is always talking about what a great man my father was. I am growing tired of his constant babbling because I know his words are a thinly guided message that I am supposedly not the man my father was. Not that I would ever want to be. Despite all his virtues, he lacked vision and ambition.
I wonder if it's possible that Master Lo himself does not know about the monkey statues either. The knowledge could have been lost over the centuries. His school certainly bears no resemblance to the famed warrior tribes of Tai Shing Pek Kwar, and it's possible only fragments of the secrets have survived to this day.
7th of May
I approached one of the younger students. They're less loyal to Master Lo than the others and more eager to learn about the outside world. The lad I picked is overly curious about what lies beyond the walls of the school, and charming him with stories of my adventures was child's play. I am not yet sure if I will gain anything from this, but it might become useful to have at least one ally in this wretched place.
10th of May
Shin has proven that he doesn't know much that could be of interest to me, but I still find him a useful tool. He may not know anything about the monkey statues that I haven't already discovered on my own, but he does have some interesting stories to tell. Apparently, there is an ancient temple further up in the mountains, and Master Lo is the only one allowed to go up there. Nobody has any idea what the place hides, but I have my suspicions. I would be very surprised if the temple was not a hiding place for the second monkey statue, considering that this school was once so grand and respected. Guarding the statue must have been a mission placed on their shoulders by the original warriors.
I don't think it's wise to attempt climbing up the mountain and retrieving the statue just yet. Despite Master Lo's refusal to share his secrets with me, there is still much I can learn from them about improving my martial arts skills. I doubt I will ever be able to return once I've taken their statue, so I must make good use of my time here.
This entry made Bates frown with some discomfort. Lord Fiske's writing made it look like he was planning to steal the statue. That wasn't something the valet could condone, even if they had sometimes bent the rules of archaeology a little to get what they wanted. At least the law was usually on their side, but that wasn't the case this time.
He was also somewhat bothered by the manipulative tendencies his master was showing in his entries. Fiske didn't sound like someone genuinely interested in studying with the others but rather like someone who only wanted to suck them dry of everything that might be useful to him and then leave them behind. That clashed immensely with both the polite face and the angry bursts of impatience that Bates was used to.
14th of May
Finally success! I was able to defeat Master Lo's best pupil in combat, much to the surprise of everybody. They were not expecting an outsider to triumph so soon without any proper teaching, but I showed them who has truly mastered Tai Shing Pek Kwar. I suspect even Master Lo was impressed because he said he would speak to me tomorrow. I must rest well before that.
15th of May
Speaking with Master Lo has given me much to consider. He congratulated me on my victory and said that I had surprised him. He had not been expecting me to have reached my father's level of skill, and he admitted that he had let first impressions lead him. I tried to ask him what he meant by that, but he wouldn't give me an answer. I doubt he took me for an inexperienced amateur when I arrived because I have practised monkey kung fu all my life. It must have been something else about me, but that's hardly important.
I asked him if he would be willing to tell me more about the school, its history and connection to Tai Shing Pek Kwar. I didn't mention the four monkey statues because I didn't want to make him suspicious now that he has finally started to trust me somewhat. To my slight surprise, he agreed to share some of their legends with me, but only those that he had told my father as well. This was a disappointment since I already more or less know them, but it was still enlightening to hear them from a different source.
The school was founded in the Qing Dynasty by two brothers who wanted to train a noble army of masters of Tai Shing Pek Kwar to protect the area from bandits who were living in the mountains. They soon gathered many followers and were eventually able to defeat their enemies, bringing peace to the area. The Emperor was so impressed by their skills that he granted the school the privilege of functioning as an independent organization. It grew into almost a guild and had representatives in the court and agents in many neighbouring countries, not to forget tremendous wealth. All of this was brought to an end when the dynasty fell in 1912, but the school was able to survive despite the chaos in the country, or maybe because of it. It has only fallen to decay in the past years because western culture has crept into people's lives and they no longer have enough interested pupils, benefactors or power. Master Lo doesn't seem bothered by this, however. He says that hard times are when one sees who is loyal and fit to become a real master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar.
I told him that I already knew most of this through my father, but he said that it is never fruitless to recall how the origins of the school are in honour and wanting to use monkey kung fu for the common good. I must admit I found his babbling somewhat irritating. To me Tai Shing Pek Kwar has always been a way to improve myself, and since I cannot think of a way to use it to help others nor am I particularly interested in it, it's a waste of time to even consider the issue.
I was annoyed by that he didn't say a word about the four monkey statues, so I asked if he could tell me anything else about the two brothers. I suspect they must have been members of the tribe that originally had the statues. All Master Lo told me was that the younger one moved to live in Japan because he married the daughter of a master of a local ninja school. He might have taken some of his secrets with him. I will have to look into this at a better time.
20th of May
I have spent the past few days polishing my martial arts. It is hard for me to believe how much I have improved in such a short time, and yet I feel like something is missing. I know my timing is perfect, my moves fluid and have enough strength to defeat everyone else here in combat. Despite this there is a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that keeps telling me that I could still be better, but I don't know how I could achieve that level.
I am also starting to question whether my trip here was an utter waste of time. While I do appreciate improving my monkey kung fu, my main objective was to learn more about the four monkey statues and the legends behind them. Books cannot tell me anything else, so if I fail to get the information from Master Lo, everything will have been useless. I wish Bates were here. He always sees something I've missed in my enthusiasm, so I'm sure he would know what to do.
It is very rarely that I find a subject as interesting as these monkey statues. It tends to be that all fascinating mysteries are either already solved by someone else or there is so little information left that it is impossible to make any solid discoveries. I am certain that Master Lo and maybe some others elsewhere know the truth, or at least part of it. I can't even say how frustrating I find it that they refuse to share their knowledge. If anything were to happen to them, everything would be lost and the four monkeys would remain nothing but a faint myth. Even more importantly, legends such as these are meant to be shared and researched in the academic world. Apart from being a fascinating subject of study, it is also my responsibility to reveal everything I can to my colleagues.
24th of May
Master Lo was watching our training again this morning, but this time he pulled me aside after we were done. He said he had noticed something about my style that he found curious and that he wished to discuss it. I could sense that there would be criticism, so I tried to keep an open mind, though I must admit that my monkey kung fu is something I do not want others to meddle with. Whatever improvements or mistakes I make are mine, and they're nobody else's business.
He told me that my style was very similar to my father's. I replied that it was only natural since he had taught me for so many years, but Master Lo did not seem very satisfied with this answer. He said that there was something in my style that he had never seen in my father and that it was something rough and unpolished. I bit back an angry retort and asked what he meant by that. He didn't answer me right away, but after a while he asked how much time I spend meditating outside training.
I must say I was somewhat surprised by this. While meditating is a good way to centre one's thoughts when one is troubled, I have never considered it a very useful method for me. I have always been able to find some other way to get past my problems, and I do not see the appeal of wasting my time doing nothing. I told Master Lo that I have never felt the need to turn to meditating, not even to calm down after intensive training. I rather enjoy the rush of adrenalin in my veins. It keeps me sharp.
I could see that Master Lo was not impressed by my answer. His frown deepened in a way that for some reason reminded me of my father whenever he was displeased with me. I do not like feeling like someone is looking down at me, so this realisation alone was enough to make me put up my guard. I said that I have done perfectly fine in my own way and that I don't need to change anything.
He replied by stating that this was where I differed from my father. I had trouble stopping myself from groaning at that; I am growing tired of hearing about him all the time. I suppose he was the kind of man they like in these secret schools – patient, honourable and all too willing to do everything in his power to assist others, never realising how more he could have gained if he had focused more on himself.
I told him that while I do respect my father's memory, I do not wish to follow his example in everything and that I have different ways of reaching my goals in life. I expected Master Lo to give me a lecture about patience and how I should try to become more like my father, but all he said was that I was much younger than my years had made him expect. I know what he's trying to tell me, but since I couldn't disagree any more, I am not going to trouble myself with it.
26th of May
Master Lo appeared at my quarters after the day's training was over. I was immersed in one of my books about local history at the moment, so I was not very happy to be interrupted. However, politeness required me to put my studies aside for a while and hear what he had to say.
To my frustration, he had come to instruct me on meditating because he thought that the supposed roughness in my style was a result of my body not being in harmony with my mind. I rather wished that he would have left me alone so that I could have gone back to reading, but it would have been inexcusable to throw the master out when I was a guest at his school. I had no option but to humour him.
This was where Bates decided to start skimming more. There was still much to be read, and he knew he didn't have too much time before he would have to leave the study and go make breakfast. As of yet, he hadn't found anything that seemed out of place or could have explained his master's odd and almost obsessed behaviour. He was almost starting to doubt his own conclusions. Maybe the fault lay somewhere else.
The next few entries contained Fiske's complaints about how he didn't think meditating was helping him achieve anything and how annoyed he was starting to feel at Master Lo's insistence that it was good for him. It reminded the valet of the times he had witnessed Fiske talk back to his father about the same thing. He had always been too impatient to properly sit still for a long time and concentrate his thoughts.
5th of June
Meditating has become a regular routine in my daily life, mostly because Master Lo insists on it and because I don't wish to anger him needlessly. I'm still hoping that he might share his knowledge with me later if I can convince him that I'm worthy of it. If that doesn't happen soon, I will have to come up with another plan.
Despite how little I enjoy meditating, I must admit that it does have some merits that I had missed before. I sleep better if I centre my thoughts before nightfall, and I find it easier to concentrate on my studies if I have first cleared the day's events from my mind. It might be worth considering taking up the practise whenever my life becomes too hectic.
Bates was just about to flip through some more pages to see if there was anything worthwhile coming up in later sections of the book, but it was then that the next entry caught his eye. Even before reading a single word he could tell that it was very different from the others and that it could hold the answers to his questions.
Lord Fiske's usually precise and neat handwriting was sprawled all across the page, the words written in either great hurry or such burst of emotion that the man had been unable to hold a pen properly. Some words were barely readable and the lines were shaky, making the whole entry look like the scrawling of a madman.
7th of June
Amazing! I just had the most brilliant vision! Words can do no justice to how vivid and strong everything was in my mind, and I doubt anybody would ever understand me even if I told them what I saw. Such strength! Such power! Never even in my wildest dreams did I think there might be any truth behind the old legends, but now I am convinced. There can be no other explanation for what I just saw. I just want to fall on my back and laugh and laugh and laugh.
After that, the entry continued in a much more rational manner and in better handwriting, so Bates supposed his master had found the time to calm down after his discovery, whatever it had been.
I should be cursed for doubting the merits of meditation. I know now that I was entirely mistaken in my belief that it was nothing but a waste of time and that I could never benefit from it at all. From this day onwards, it shall be part of my daily routine with no exceptions. Who could have predicted that clearing the mind would prepare it for such amazing thoughts and visions as what I just experienced? Clearly there is still much the western man doesn't know.
I was sitting alone in my chambers and centring my thoughts after today's training when it happened. All of a sudden, I was no longer aware of my body or surroundings. All I could feel was the immense power flowing through my veins and making me invincible. I cannot even explain what the feeling was like; it was hot and painful, but at the same time it filled me with such a sense of wonder and power that I wouldn't have given a single moment of it away. All I could hear was the screeching of monkeys, but it was not unpleasant. In fact, I'm almost certain I could understand them, even though they spoke no words. They were greeting their chosen one and welcoming him – welcoming me! – as their new leader.
When I came back to my senses, it felt like I had been away from my body for hours. I wasn't physically exhausted, but my mind was filled with so many thoughts that I was certain I might go insane from the intensity of it. And yet even then there was one thought clearer than all the others. I knew with no doubt that I had just experienced what it feels like to be blessed with Mystical Monkey Power, the supernatural essence that the four monkey statues can give a man. I thought it was nothing but a legend and even now the rational part in me is trying to make me question my experience, but I know it was real. I am not insane, so what I felt must have been a genuine vision. Why I received it remains a mystery at the moment, but I will dedicate all my time to solving this riddle now.
What madness was this?
Bates only stared at the page and kept reading the last few lines again and again. He couldn't believe it that Lord Fiske could have written such words; this was not something he would have expected from his rational and scientific master. If it wasn't for the familiar handwriting, he would have felt compelled to believe that someone had taken the diary and written childish rubbish into it. Lord Fiske didn't believe in magic or legends; he was only interested in them because they told what the world view and culture of ancient peoples had been like. He had always reacted with condescending amusement whenever one of his colleagues had proposed that maybe there was some truth in told tales.
And yet he had a harder time imagining Fiske chuckling at the four monkey statues than raving about them with a mad gleam in his eyes. The man had been babbling something about destiny when he had returned from China, he had slowly grown more and more serious about the statues, and he had shown increasing worry about someone finding out about that he had them. Could this be because the statues had become much more to him than a subject of fascinating research? Bates felt a chill go down his spine as the image of the grimacing jade monkeys flashed in his mind.
8th of June
I spoke to Master Lo about my experience. At first I was hesitant to do so because I was not sure if this was something I should share with anyone, but I decided that I am more likely to discover what I need if I consult someone who knows more than I do.
He listened to my tale with interest. When I was done, he said that he was truly surprised. He had suggested meditation to me only because he thought I might benefit from it, but he had had no idea something more might happen. I asked him if he knew what my vision meant, and in my eagerness I let it slip that I know about the four monkey statues.
He regarded me with silence, and for a moment I was afraid he might end our conversation there. Then he said that it was to be expected that hard times bring forth change. I tried to ask him what he meant by that, but he waved me into silence. I obeyed reluctantly, only because I was desperate to hear what he knew.
He said that since I already had information about the statues, I had to be aware of their origins and what powers they supposedly had. He briefly repeated what I already know, namely that the statues were created and hidden by a secret tribe of practitioners of Tai Shing Pek Kwar who thought the power was too dangerous and didn't want anyone else to discover it. Master Lo said it was better this way because such power can corrupt all but the strongest of men. Some members of the tribe itself had already started showing signs of madness. He said that legends speak of only one who is powerful and pure enough to wield Mystical Monkey Power without the danger of succumbing to it.
I asked him if he knew where the four statues were hidden, but he dismissed my question and said that it was for the best if we didn't even discuss the matter. The Chosen One would find the statues inevitably, and there was no reason to speculate about it. This answer made me furious, and I had a hard time stopping myself from grabbing the old man by his robe. How could he not recognise the importance of my vision?
9th of June
I now spend more time meditating than training with the others in the hopes of receiving another vision. Though the experience is still vivid in my mind, it is nothing but a memory. I would give anything to feel that power again.
I remain doubtful about the story of the Chosen One that Master Lo told me about. Such stories are all too common for it have any real truth behind it. All I'm positive of is that there is more to the statues than meets the eye. Now that some time has passed after my vision, I find it hard to believe that they could truly grant man any real power, but my curiosity has been awakened. I know now that I won't have any rest before I've gathered all four and discovered exactly what they're about.
It is now more than ever that I wish Bates were here. I know he would react to all this with doubt and shrug my experience off as a dream or hallucination, but I feel it is exactly this critical thinking that I need. I know I am in the bad habit of letting my instincts get the better of me and make me commit rash actions that I might regret later. I am certain of that my vision was genuine, but what I should do about it remains a mystery to me. I'm also sure Bates could offer me much needed advice on this matter. I don't think I can trust anyone here at the school with my thoughts.
It was this final paragraph that Bates clung to. Now Fiske was sounding like himself again, even if the subject of his writing was still absurd and beyond his understanding. His master hadn't gone insane with what he had experienced, or what he had thought he had experienced, but was still able to look at the situation in his usual manner.
Despite this, he was afraid to continue reading. It would have been so comforting to stop there and pretend that this was all there was to it and that the matter with Mystical Monkey Power had never gone any further. It was only the memory of the insane rage in Lord Fiske's eyes the previous evening that made Bates turn the page.
11th of June
I do not wish to talk to Master Lo anymore because I know he will not share his knowledge with me, and I don't want to let him know that I have already acquired the first statue.
Every time I try to centre my thoughts, they turn back to the statue we retrieved in Congo. Its face keeps jumping in front of me whenever I close my eyes, and I can almost hear it call out to me. How could I not realise that before? I have read about the statue, I have examined it, I have held it in my hands! How could it not be obvious to me that there was more to it, that it was an artefact of such power and mystique?
I fear there is only one path before me. It is essential that I acquire the second statue for study purposes and so that I can be certain of the legends and what they might mean for me. I must know more, and I feel that the rightful place of the statue is in my hands. Master Lo seems content with keeping it hidden up in the mountains, but I know that a great future cannot be reached with such cowardice. It is therefore essential that I steal the statue. It is the only way I can study it and maybe discover more about the legend Master Lo told me about. I believe this is a justified act.
14th of June
As I write this, I am already safely on my way back home. The second monkey statue rests in my arms, and I need every bit of my willpower to stop myself from opening the bag and admiring it. I cannot wait to show it to Bates. It is even more magnificent than the first, or maybe I only feel that way because acquiring it was considerably harder than the case with the first statue. I doubt I will ever forget what happened, but I want to write all of it down now that I have hours to spare before we land in London.
I talked to the lad whose interest I had managed to pique and asked for his help. I told him I wanted to get away from the school for the night to meet someone at the town and that I could not consult Master Lo because of the personal nature of the matter. I asked him to keep guard by my chambers and stop everyone from entering them so that they wouldn't know I was gone. I know that if anybody were to ask for me, he would have to reveal what he knows, which is exactly my plan. With everyone thinking that I had gone to the town, they wouldn't suspect of anything before it was too late.
My journey to the top of the mountain was far from an easy one. I brought a torch with me, but I could not switch it on because the light would have been seen from the school. I had to keep stumbling in the dark, and it is only pure luck, or maybe fate, that I didn't break my ankle or get lost on my way.
It took me several hours to reach the temple. I could only make out the outlines of it in the dark, but it was obvious that it was in the shape of a monkey's head, very much like the ruined temple in Congo. I stepped inside through the mouth, and it was now that I dared to give myself some light. I almost dropped the torch in my eagerness to see where I was.
Due to the ruined state of the temple in Congo, I had been unable to even begin to imagine what it might have looked like in its prime. This temple was a mirror image of all that. There wasn't a single scratch on the walls, the paint looked like it was fresh and the hallway was clear of dust and rubble. Lean monkey statues stood by the walls, each holding a plate with ancient writing. I would have delighted to stop and decipher them for further study for I'm sure they contained many secrets about the tribe of warriors who built the temple. I knew I had no time for that, so it was with a heavy heart that I had to pass them and continue on my way.
Next, I found myself in a small round chamber with three different paths to choose from. This temple seemed to be much larger than the one in Congo, and it made me fear I might not find the statue in time. The walls of the chamber were covered in that same writing I had seen on the plates in the monkeys' hands. More secrets I would never know. For a brief moment, I wondered if it wouldn't have been a good idea to forget all about the statue and bury myself into research instead. I knew I could have easily filled at least one new book about everything I would discover at the temple. All the knowledge hidden there would have been more beneficial to the archaeological community than a mere statue.
But I couldn't do it. Maybe it's selfish of me, but the statues have captured my mind and I know I won't have a moment of rest before I have acquired them all and revealed their secrets. Before my arrival here, I thought it was purely academic interest, but my vision has made it more personal. Whether the power I felt was real or not, I feel that something ties me to the statues. Maybe it's my destiny to reveal if the stories are true or not.
This short moment of pondering made me careless. While I was still looking at the ancient writing on the ceiling, the floor started moving. My instincts told me to jump away from the moving tile, but in the dark I couldn't see what was around me. The time I needed to turn the torch from the ceiling to the floor almost cost me my life, and it was only pure luck that I managed to jump to safety. The tile I landed on was soon moving as well, and only after three more attempts did I find a steady place to stand on. This little escapade had led me to the leftmost path, and it was now impossible to reach the other two or go back the way I had entered. The floor had transformed into a pit of acid, which I find quite an interesting choice for a trap. Not only does it mean that someone maintains the temple regularly, but also that they're willing to rebuild the floor each time some adventurer enters. I will draw a diagram of this trap later and try to analyse it. It's unlike anything I've seen before and it might prove useful in the third temple.
I encountered several other traps on my way, but they were nothing out of the ordinary, merely a few death pits and spikes. I suppose the builders of the temple didn't expect anyone to make it through the acid. I wasn't overly worried about these traps, and the only thing bothering me was that the path I was following might not be the right one of the three.
Fortunately, it turned out that I had been very lucky. I discovered a much larger chamber only about twenty minutes later. I could switch off my torch because the room was lit by real ones. Using electrical light there felt almost like a sacrilege.
The chamber was decorated in much more detail than anything in the African temple. Monkey statues were standing by the walls like warriors or guardians. One curious thing I noticed about them was that they represented a very old style. I believe this is significant because Kou Sze didn't found the art of Tai Shing until the late Qing Dynasty, which makes it impossible for the tribe of Tai Shing Pek Kwar practitioners to be very ancient. It could be that the four jade monkeys are in fact much older than that and belonged to some other culture or organization before them. Until this point, all my research has been directed at monkey kung fu, but I might do interesting findings if I go further back in time and start looking into older cultures.
Note to self: ring Lee Tan about that altar
In retrospect, I realise the presence of flaming torches should have made me suspicious, but I was too captured by the chamber and everything I could see. At the centre of the room, standing on a tall pedestal, was the second monkey statue. There was some sort of architectural contraption, maybe mirrors, that made it bask in the light of the flames. For a moment I could only marvel at it, but then I took the first step towards it.
There were no more traps, or at least I didn't set off any, and the statue was easy to reach. I had to draw my hands back as soon as I lay them upon it because the statue sent a tingling sensation right through my body. Or maybe it was my imagination for it didn't happen again, and I don't recall anything like that happening with the first statue. What I know for certain is that this statue made more of an impression on me, and I could have stood there hours admiring it.
Unfortunately, my quest was not to be as easy as I had planned. I suppose it is some sort of inevitable cliché that right when the thief (though I don't really see myself as the villain here) is about to collect his prize, the hero arrives at the scene. I hadn't thought I would meet anybody else at the temple, so I was quite surprised when Master Lo made an appearance all of a sudden.
The man's infuriating calmness was still present and he made no move to stop me from taking the statue, but he did have the nerve to mock me. He said that I had surprised him because he had been expecting me to succumb to the temptation much sooner than this. I realised that all my carefully planned safety measures had been in vain; this old fool had known I would try to take the statue all along. Knowing how jealously old schools such as this guard their secrets, I asked him why he hadn't done anything to stop me. His warriors could have easily defeated me together.
The answer he gave me almost made me laugh out loud. He said he believed that this was meant to be and that it was time for the statue to leave the temple so that it could fulfil its destiny. It was the usual mantra repeated by those who are unable to control their lives and want to blame it all on fate to feel better about it. Yet I saw some reason in his words. I was the one who had received the vision, and it was too much of a coincidence that the second statue just happened to be near the school my father had told me about. Maybe it was meant to be that I took it.
The entry continued further, but Bates had no interest to read the rest of it. He knew he was in a hurry if he wanted to finish before it was time to go to the kitchen, so he flipped through some more pages. There were no more diary entries, but the book was still filled with writing. Even the margins were covered in Fiske's enthusiastic scribbling whenever he had run out of space.
There was a technical drawing of one of the traps the man had described in writing, lots of dates and names that meant nothing to Bates, doodles of monkey symbols and geometric patterns and several paragraphs in some sort of ancient writing. These pages had no dates, so the valet supposed they were research notes Fiske had written after he had returned from China. There wasn't anything suspicious about them, but somehow they left a bad taste in his mouth. Maybe it was Fiske's handwriting that was unusually messy, like he had been so excited to pour his thoughts on paper that he hadn't been able to control himself. Or maybe it was how most of the notes seemed to consist of mystical symbols, legends and myths. At the bottom on the final page, there was a round drawing with the four jade monkeys placed inside it.
It sounds insane, but everything I have discovered through my research seems to be pointing to one, single truth. Not only one but several of the ancient cultures had legends about someone who would learn to control a magnificent power and rise to greatness. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the vision was a sign to me. Mystical Monkey Power and I are tied together. My vision, Master Lo's babbling about destiny, how I have already acquired two of the statues with little difficulty, the way the statues have captured my mind… all of this adds up and makes me even further convinced.
That was the end. Bates closed the book and put it back where he had found it, but he couldn't bring himself to stand up just yet. Too many thoughts were going in circles in his head, and he had to rub his eyes to bring even some sense into the mess.
"He can't truly believe in Mystical Monkey Power, can he?" he whispered to himself as he turned to stare at the diary. His eyes were then drawn to the bookshelf where he had previously organized some of the books about magic, and he felt dread creep into his heart. This interest was surely only academic. It had to be.
And what if it wasn't? He wouldn't have read the diary in the first place if he hadn't noticed something odd about Lord Fiske's recent behaviour. The man's obsessed interest in supernatural powers could no longer be called a mere hobby, especially if he really did believe in such nonsense. It didn't even matter whether the vision he had so feverishly described in the diary was real or not; it still proved that Fiske had faith in something like that. It was utterly idiotic.
He had to do something about this. Bates knew that he would only succeed in making Fiske angrier with him, but he couldn't just stand back and watch how his master fell deeper and deeper into this madness. Things had already progressed much further than they should have, and now could be his last chance to stop this.
The only problem was how to do it. It had already become painfully obvious that Fiske didn't want to listen to reason and was ready to push him away if he didn't agree with him. He wasn't really even employed anymore, and further arguments with Fiske would hardly help change that. If he said one negative word about the monkey statues, his master would drive him away even further.
Yet it was all Bates could imagine doing. He saw himself as responsible for his master's wellbeing, and not only as a valet, but as a friend as well. There had to be a way to open Fiske's eyes to what he was doing with his life and bring him back to reality. If he had to do something drastic to achieve that, so be it.
The only end he could see was the discovery of the fourth statue. Then Fiske could research Mystical Monkey Power to his heart's content and hopefully grow bored of it once he realised that there was nothing magical about them and that his so called vision had been nothing but a trick brought on by his imagination and exhaustion after hard training. Fiske would never accept this truth if he didn't see it himself, so Bates realised that his only option was to help his master to continue his quest for the final statue.
Of course, there was still the problem with the mutation plans. Bates had no idea how he could ever convince Fiske to give up that, not after the man had already made up his mind.
He could have discussed this matter with me, he thought with a sense of disappointment. Why had Fiske kept something that big a secret from him?
In any case, while the idea of mutation made him feel sick inside, he knew that any physical alterations wouldn't do unnecessary damage to Fiske's mental state. It was highly questionable and would lead to trouble with the rest of the world, but at least genetics was something firmly rooted in the real world. Fiske might regret mutilating himself like that in the long run, but maybe that was a lesson the man had to learn about getting too excited and not thinking things through.
Bates shook his head to himself. He knew he would have to try his best to convince his master to give up on all his plans with Amy, but he was also aware that if offering his reluctant acceptance was what he had to do to keep his job, that was exactly what he would do. He wouldn't be the first valet in history to close his eyes from the shocking exploits of his master in order to save the bigger picture.