He was far too light for a man this tall. It was like carrying a child. Diego was a lot heavier – in the early years of his illness, he couldn't be left alone with Felipe, for the fourteen years old boy wouldn't have been able to catch him during a faint.
Mei Changsu weighted so little that Gilberto had been able to collect him in his arms from the bench – furs and all – and to carry him in the hallways without taking a break. Managing the step down to the platform had been a little trickier, but only because the door was very narrow.
- "Felipe was right. You really ought to eat a bit more."
Mei Changsu sighed.
- "You're not the first one to say so, believe me. But my illness tends to make my stomach… queasy."
His head was resting against Gilberto's shoulder, even though they had been complete strangers less than eight hours ago. He must have been really exhausted, for the caballero could guess this man had been brought up to never allow himself to show weakness. Or maybe it was the rising fever confusing him.
The rain had thankfully stopped, but the night was cold. There weren't many people on the platform, manly passengers of the train who were hurrying away sleepily, draped in their strange straw coats.
- "Chief!" cried a voice, in which there was stupor – and indignation.
Gilberto braced himself to explain he had not done anything to the person he was carrying and turned around. Felipe, arms full with their luggage, stepped closer to him with the visible intention to defend them against whatever danger was coming.
There was no danger, but a small plump man with a goatee and his hair tied in a high bun, wearing plain clothes and carrying a reed umbrella. He looked very worried at the lantern's light.
- "What happened?" he stammered. "Were you hurt, Captain? Who are these people? Where are Little Fei Liu and the young master?"
- "These two are friends", explained Mei Changsu hastily – as if he needed to stop something from happening.
The newcomer relaxed a bit. Mei Changsu shifted, asking to be put down, but the small man frowned and shook his head. Gilberto almost laughed. He nodded his understanding and tightened his arms to prevent the patient from standing up.
Mei Changsu rolled his eyes. He sighed and went on with the introduction, as they walked towards the exit, following the small man.
- "There was an… unexpected turn of events at the last station and Lin Chen got in the wrong train with Fei Liu. I was blessed enough to meet Sir Gilberto and young Fe Li Pe… who had boarded the wrong train too. Sir Gilberto, this is Li Gang, my butler. These people will rest at our place before continuing their journey, Li-dage. Their sick friend is hopefully with Lin Chen. We'll need to check on that. Please send a bird to Nankin."
- "Will do, Chief."
Felipe was wondering if there would be one of those man-stirred buggies waiting for them, when there was only a big wooden box with curtains and two puzzled porters in the dark empty street.
Li Gang lifted the curtains, showing a padded seat inside the box.
- "If you please…" he said, turning to Gilberto who nodded again. He carefully put down the sick man, then stepped back and took the light the butler was handing to him – with not a care in the world for propriety.
Li Gang tucked Mei Changsu under the furs and gave him a small bronze box in which were warm ambers.
The sick man took it gratefully, but before he leaned his weary head against the cushions, he frowned and said firmly:
- "Our guests are of noble birth, Li-dage. You and the rest of the household will show them the same respect you'd have for members of the royal family."
Felipe's eyes widened. He wanted to protest that he was nowhere near this important, but his hands were full, and he caught sight of Gilberto shaking his head discretely.
Li Gang bowed humbly, and he took back the lantern. He whistled and some men appeared from nowhere, rid Felipe of his load, then disappeared again, except for one who stayed behind and lighted another of these round paper lantern hanging from a rod. He had a sword at his waist and his moustache was the only thing they could see from under his cone-shaped hat.
- "Please forgive me", said the butler meekly. And when a thin hand waved tiredly to dismiss him, he turned to the voyagers. "This way, honourable sirs."
The curtains fell back, hiding the sick man, and the porters strapped themselves to long poles and lifted the box, following Li Gang who was making sure they could see where they put their feet on the uneven muddy road, even if it meant he would stumble himself.
Felipe trotted next to Gilberto's long strides. At the flickering light of the lantern, his hands asked the many questions he had not been able to ask before, even when they were still in the train, under the wistful eyes of Mei Changsu.
- "Where are they taking us? Is it safe to follow them? What do you think of him? He looks like a good man, but…"
- "I don't know, Felipe", said Gilberto quietly, his right hand coming to squeeze gently the boy's nape. The other one was – casually – close to his own sword, ready to make it jump out of its sheath. "But we'll be alright, I promise."
- "Diego is alone with them!"
- "I'm sure Diego is fine. Mei Changsu said he was with two people he trusted with his life."
He paused, thoughtful.
- "These men seem to be very dedicated to their master. It's peculiar, though. It's not often that you see this kind of devotion from strong fighters to a scholar. Did you hear… well, probably not. Your ears cannot possibly make sense of sounds this different from the languages you're used to."
Felipe tapped him impatiently on the arm.
- "What is it?"
Gilberto lowered his voice even more, although he was quite sure no one understood Spanish around him.
- "The butler called him 'Captain', which confirms he was indeed a soldier at some point. I'm pretty sure this Li Gang served under him, and if I had to guess, I'd say he was a sergeant. Doesn't he remind you of Mendoza?"
Felipe thought for a second, then shook his head.
- "Oh, come on!"
- "Stop laughing, they'll think you're making fun of them."
Gilberto sobered up.
- "Right. And we don't know how many others are hiding around us in the shadows. He's very well protected for a merchant, even for a rich one… that's what I was about to tell you. He asked the butler to treat us like royalty. Doesn't it seem weird to you? The man didn't even bat a lash. It's either an expression or…"
Felipe snorted.
- "He cannot be a prince. He was travelling in a train. Alone. With a child and a doctor, not an army. His clothes are not rich. And he's very sick."
- "Kings get sick too", said Gilberto.
- "You're silly!"
- "Well, I'm right, though."
Felipe didn't have time to argue back, because the porters had stopped in front of a wooden gate. Li Gang motioned to some servants who had been waiting with lanterns on the steps and they hurried to open, stirring a great deal of agitation inside the house and the yards.
Gilberto politely explained half in signs and half in broken Chinese to the butler that he fully intended to carry Mei Changsu inside and he pushed aside the brawny simpleton who was coming to do the task. Felipe smiled despite his fatigue and his anxiety: Gilberto really had thwarted to the stranger, since they had found him in the compartment. It probably was his way of coping with not being able to take care of Diego.
The caballero carried the scholar to a very warm room packed with tons of books – there were dozens of scrolls on the shelves and countless piles of blue paperbacks on the floor. Mei Changsu involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief when he was settled down on the bed and he closed his eyes for a minute, before waving off the many servants and gruff looking fellows who had followed the stranger in, watching him warily. Li Gang pushed out everyone, except for Gilberto, Felipe and a small grumpy old man who sat by the patient and immediately took his pulse, muttering something under his white beard.
- "I'm fine", said Mei Changsu without opening his eyes. "I just need a bit of rest. Take care of my guests first."
Li Gang did not budge.
Mei Changsu opened his eyes and frowned.
- "Will I need to repeat myself?" he asked in a cold voice, painfully prompting himself to his elbows.
Felipe again felt a shiver running down his spine. Gilberto's face was unreadable, but inside, he was more and more convinced that there was more than a simple merchant guild leader or former captain's authority to this voice of command.
The old man groaned disapprovingly and helped his patient to lie again, but he then turned to the butler and nodded. Li Gang bowed and scurried out silently, signing to Gilberto and Felipe to follow him.
He took them to a large and comfortable room and made sure they had everything they needed before closing the sliding doors and leaving them on their own. Felipe flopped on the bed, surprised at how rich it looked, compared to what they had been used to since their arrival in China. It was wide, as usual, but the fluffy blankets and the thin mattress were embroidered and smelt nice. It had curtains with golden tassels, like a four-poster bed. Tea and cakes had been served on a small round table, large blue and white porcelain bowls were filled with warm and scented water and they had also been provided with delicate towels and some fresh linen robes.
Gilberto cleaned up as casually as if he was at the hacienda and dressed in one of the strange garments. Felipe was reluctant at first, but he found that he felt a lot better after washing, changing and eating some.
- "I hope they're providing the same service to Diego", yawned Gilberto, plumping himself on the bed, his hands folded behind his neck.
Felipe nodded sleepily. His worry was numbed by the warmth in the room, the pleasant sensation of nice comfortable clothes on his now clean skin and a full stomach. He felt bad for not being devoured by anxiety, but strangely detached from what was happening to him. The thought that they might have been drugged swam lazily in his foggy brain, but he could not muster the strength to share it with Gilberto, who was already on his way to dreamland, before sleep overcame him.
oOoOoOo
They had not left him alone for a minute and if he had not been awfully grateful for their friendly presence in this foreign environment, he would have started to wonder if he was somehow their hostage.
The bed was comfortable and after the long journey, washing and changing had been very welcome. Fei Liu had wanted to try on his western clothes, and they had had a good laugh watching him dance around the room dressed only in a white frilly shirt that look like a short dress on him. Lin Chen had then ordered for a light snack to be served and brewed a pot of nice fragrant tea that he had assured would not hinder sleeping.
The dove had been sent. Diego could only wait for news of his brother, now, it would have been stupid to worry and to let his imagination run wild. Lin Chen had said something like that, in less words, after tucking him in bed like a young child.
But still, he couldn't sleep.
A candle was burning low on the table, a lonely flickering light in the dark room. Fei Liu was sprawled at the feet of the bed, snoring softly. Some birds were chirping outside – dawn was close. Lin Chen had gone out a moment ago and Diego had heard some movement outside. Servants getting up, probably, unless it was something else.
He had been sick and dizzy at the station and could not remember well how he had gotten to the house, but after he had had some rest, he had started to notice how strange these people were. Most of the servants were probably former soldiers. The others were supposedly merchants – they were dressed like so, at least – but they looked like a bunch of bandits. The weirdest thing was that everybody seemed to fear Lin Chen's temper. They were calling him "the young master" and trying their best to avoid him.
Diego couldn't help but think of Gilberto's bad habit of teasing people and how it had countless times threw off servants or guests. Because he was clever, resourceful and impatient, people tended to think that Don Alejandro's eldest son was selfish, arrogant and borderline mean… when in Diego's point of view, his brother just needed to rein in a bit his temper and remember he didn't have to pretend he was strong all the time.
Lin Chen was probably the same: gifted and handsome, surely a bit of a bully and definitely a show-off, but most of the time putting up an act to convince everybody he was capable of doing anything when actually he was the first one to doubt himself.
Diego smiled, but then he sobered up.
From what he had gathered so far, Lin Chen's sick friend was about to embark on a terrible journey to make the world a better place, and Diego prayed, really prayed, that Mei Changsu would live to see it to the end, for Lin Chen's fortitude and Fei Liu's heart would probably be shattered to pieces when he would leave them.
It would be a small comfort, at least, if they could then live in the world he'd have saved…
He blushed and shifted uncomfortably on the bed.
Wasn't that a big fat lie?
Gilberto had said so too, once.
Diego was glad he had managed to accomplish his own mission. He knew he ought to be grateful to have been able to live for so long, but he couldn't help being ashamed at his greed – after such a long and hard fight, his country was finally at peace, but here he was, asking for more: he wanted to be healthy, to get married, to have children, to see Gilberto happy and free.
Was it very selfish to pray for his wishes to be granted?
Would Mei Changsu beg for a miracle too, at the end of his own journey?
Gilberto had always been prepared for the worst, even though he had never stopped fighting with all his will for his brother to survive yet another day. Lin Chen was obviously denying the truth and seemed determined to give his friend the chance of a proper life, after all of this. Were the young doctor's goals too high? Was he blinded by his love? Or was it just exactly the right thing to hammer in a desperate man's brain?
Diego knew that deep down, he had never stopped wanting to live, and he was quite sure it was one of the reasons why he had made it so far – even though carrying on his mission sure had been a big part in it. Maybe Mei Changsu needed someone to remind him that he was also worth the fight.
Fei Liu stirred and sat up, yawning and stretching. His young sleepy face smiled brightly as he turned to the man… only to give place to a pout when he found it was Diego instead of Mei Changsu next to him.
The caballero chuckled warmly at this visible disappointment.
- "I'm sorry I'm not him!"
The morning sun was bathing the room in golden light, now.
- "Su-gege often sad", said the young bodyguard solemnly. "Fei Liu makes him happy. Smile and play and laugh. Fei Liu protects Su-gege. Feels better when together."
Diego smiled again, softly.
- "I'm sure."
He patted the boy's dark hair and Fei Liu cocked his head to the side, half-closing his eyes like a content cat.
- "Don't change, little one. I bet your love is one of the best remedies he can get."
Outside, behind the door he had been about to slide-open, Lin Chen leant against the wall, swallowing back the tears swelling up in his throat again.
If only love would have been enough to keep Changsu alive, they would have had enough.
Lin Chen's, Li Gang's, Wei Zheng's, Meng Zhi's, Nihuang's… and even more with Prince Jingyan's, when he'd finally know the truth – and Lin Chen fully intended in telling him the truth before the end, whatever Changsu would say – it should have been more than enough, to make anyone want to live.
But somehow Lin Chen knew it was not enough to bring back to life a man who had died a thousand deaths.
But maybe it would be enough to make him feel alive, at least for a little time…
Was it wrong to pray for a miracle, when it wasn't only for you?
Lin Chen had no idea that he was going to live for almost a hundred years, but he knew that the next three years would fly by like a hundred days, inexorably slipping through his hands.
oOoOoOo
Felipe would later remember these next three days as the longest days in his life. It was very strange how everything was fine and still the wait was unbearable. They were treated very nicely and there were many things to see and to write about and to draw to be able to share them later with Diego, so he should have been too busy to keep track of the time… and yet it was as if he could hear every single tick of the clock. As soon as the dove had brought in the message that Diego was indeed at the Alliance's den in the South, Mei Changsu had arranged for Gilberto and Felipe to go to Nankin, and gave instructions to send back, to make sure Diego would be cared for till they would arrive.
Then they had boarded the train once again and travelled back to the dreadful station and then farther.
It had taken them a good day and night to get to Nankin. People were waiting for them at the station with a red flag and a sign that read "This way, guys" in Spanish. Gilberto had choked on a weak laughter and he had run almost all the way to the big two-story house uphill where the servants had taken them.
Diego was waiting for them in the front yard, dressed in Chinese robes, chilling under a parasol with one of his books, as if he had not a care in the world.
But Felipe wasn't fooled. He could read on the small lines around Diego's mouth and at the corners of his eyes that he had been as worried as them. At least, he didn't look sick and for that Felipe was immensely grateful.
Never again would he allow himself to be separated from him.
Diego barely had time to get up before Gilberto scooped him in his arms and hugged him fiercely. Felipe squeezed in between the two men like if he was still the child who had welcome the twins home some nine years ago. He was a grown-up, now, but he didn't care – he needed to feel Diego's embrace to be sure they were back together, safe and sound.
Gilberto probably needed it too, because he did not say anything for a long time, before he stepped back and cleared his throat.
- "I'm okay", said Diego with a smile – but there was a lot of emotion in his eyes. "I promise. I'm okay."
Gilberto nodded. His lips were tightly pursed. He tried to shrug, but somehow failed, and then he had a strangled laugh.
- "Father will kill me", he choked. "Hell, I would kill me too. I'm sorry, Diego. I'm so sorry, little brother."
Diego frowned.
- "Language", he said.
Then he grinned, a bit cheekily.
- "Not that anyone can understand you here", he added with a wink.
And then Gilberto wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve and put his arm on Diego's shoulders while his brother smiled through his tears and Felipe sniffled and everything was fine again.
They never got to meet the two people that had taken the wrong train too on that fateful day. Diego told them a lot about the carefree long-haired doctor and the baby-faced fierce bodyguard who had left earlier to go back to their friend, and they answered all his questions about the strange sick man they had found in his place in the compartment.
They left Nankin to continue their journey the day after and then they met their friend, the man Zorro had saved from pirates, and Diego was examined by several nice doctors who gave him some new prescriptions, but overall were quite pleasantly surprised at his current treatments and agreed with everything Father Benitez and Señora Neilson had suggested.
They went back to California six months later and then Diego and Victoria got married and Felipe went to Monterey to study medicine and Gilberto took over most of the rancho's supervision and pretended he was bored with it, which didn't fool anyone except for the foolish and selfish young señoritas he intended to keep at a distance.
It was only seven years later that they heard again of the mysterious people they had met in China.
Felipe, who had recently taken over Doctor Hernandez' practice in Los Angeles, was fending with Gilberto under the watchful eye of Diego in the front yard of the de la Vega's hacienda. Don Alejandro was crooning over his grandson's cradle, while Victoria was showing to the little girl that looked so much like her how to cross-stitch. There was orange juice on the wrought iron table and the afternoon sun was playfully flickering on the white flagstones through the leaves of the big tree.
They had not heard the horses at the gate, so it was quite a surprise for them when the guest was introduced by a puzzled servant.
It was a woman – the most beautiful woman Gilberto had ever seen since Zafira. She was dressed in French ladies' travelling clothes – pearl grey jacket with lots of tiny buttons, long fitted skirt with a bustle, leather gloves – and her dark hair was gathered in a puffy bun under a small felt hat with a veil, a feather and a velvet black ribbon, but she was definitely not French.
She was Chinese.
- "You are de la Vega", she said simply, looking at them one after the other, her gaze lingering especially on Victoria.
Her accent was thick, and her eyes were the saddest eyes in the whole world. It was most strange. Although she was small and dressed with simple elegance, there was something fierce and regal in the way she carried herself.
Gilberto stepped forward.
- "How can we help you?" he asked, every bit the polite gentleman, despite the fact he was sweaty, his hair was mussed up and his shirt was opened at the collar. His naked sword was firm in his hand and Felipe could see Zorro's shadow over him – Gilberto had never stopped protecting his family, whatever clothing he wore.
The woman smiled.
- "Put away your sword. I have no intention to harm your family", she said gently.
And Felipe somehow knew that if she had intended too, not much could have stopped her. Don Alejandro must have felt it too, because he collected Victoria and the children and put them behind him.
But Diego showed no fear when he came to stand by his brother.
- "Please take a seat", he said. He pulled a chair and offered it to her. "You must be thirsty after this long journey. Would you like a drink?"
The woman thanked him with a nod and gracefully sat. She took off her hat and put it neatly on the table, next to her gloves.
Now they could see that she was not as young as her beauty could have let people believe, and that she had small delicate hands with the same callosities a swordsman would have had.
Gilberto leaned over the table after she had a sip of orange juice.
- "Who are you?" he asked bluntly. "Why did you come here?"
She ignored him, looked at the little girl who was peaking at her from behind Victoria's skirt and smiled tenderly.
- "Are these your children or are they really your sick brother's?" she asked.
Gilberto paled and his knuckles whitened on his sword, although it took Felipe a bit more time to understand what the woman had implied – Victoria had been faster than him and she had turned crimson.
- "They're mine", said Diego calmly. "I never would have thought such a miracle would be possible, but the doctors I met in your country were very helpful and I recovered some of my strength after taking their concoctions for some time. The children we had never dared hope for were a late and unexpected blessing."
The woman nodded again.
- "Maybe if there had been time, Lin Chen could have managed such a miracle too", she muttered.
Gilberto frowned. The name was ringing some very far away bells in his memory.
- "I met someone called Lin Chen in that train back then", Diego said slowly. "Do you know him? He had a young boy with him. A strange, strong, stubborn, but loving and joyful boy."
The woman smiled.
- "Fei Liu" she said. "He always leaves quite an impression on people."
She looked even sadder, if it was possible.
- "Our little monkey's still alive", she added – and then she inhaled deeply, as if something heavy was weighting on her chest and keeping her from breathing freely. "Lin Chen travelled with him for a long time, and when he went back to Langya Monastery, Fei Liu returned to the Northern Mountains. He lives in a small shack by the grave. I don't think he'll ever leave it again. He always wanted to be with his Su-gege and nothing could keep him away from him for a long time."
Felipe's heart sank.
So the stranger they had met in the train – what was his name again? Ah, Mei Changsu – was dead. Why did he feel so sad? They had barely known him…
Tears were trembling at the woman's long lashes, now. She lifted her beautiful eyes.
- "My name is Nihuang. I was betrothed to the man you met in the train, Gilberto de la Vega. I came here because I wanted to see you face to face. Lin Shu-gege told me about you and your sick brother. You said some things to him, when you met that day – things he never forgot. I do think he would have tried to live like you suggested… if peace had lasted longer. But he never could stay still when his country was in danger."
Gilberto and Diego both brought their chairs closer.
- "Tell us more about him", they said at the same time.
Felipe grabbed a tool, and, although they were still wary of the strange woman, Don Alejandro and Victoria sat on the bench to listen to her as well, after they had sent back the children with the nanny.
Nihuang smiled so brightly that the Californian sun suddenly felt dim and dull.
- "He did it. He changed everything", she said.
And then she told them the story of the young captain and the seventy thousand men butchered in the Northern Mountains, of the snow and the fire, of the famous Langya List, of a young doctor who had never believed in anything before he had met a ghost, of a faithful water buffalo and of a prince who had risen to be a wise and strong king, of hateful brothers and traitors and of a ruler who had never learnt to forgive and to trust.
She told them the story of a young princess who had become a fierce general after she had lost her love and of a sick scholar who had sacrificed everything to save his country – including his name, his fame and his strength.
- "He was called Lin Shu and he was the Emperor's nephew", she said proudly, even though tears were glistening on her cheeks. "You met him when he was calling himself Mei Changsu and was only known as the leader of a guild of merchants. He was all of this. A prince born to lead armies, a fugitive, a scholar who loved poetry and books, a charismatic mob leader, a genius strategist, a sick man… a selfless hero… a father to Fei Liu… the best of friends… and the man I loved."
Her voice broke.
- "He died in the Northern Mountains – he must have always wanted to lie with his brothers in arms – during his last battle. I tried to stop him from going there… Prince Jingyan and Lin Chen tried too. We wanted him to leave the battle to others, to think of himself – to think of us. But he never could have ignored the pleas of duty."
Nihuang smiled through her tears.
- "You told him seven years was a long time to wear the Fox's mask", she said. "He kept his mask for fourteen years. But just like you, he never thought the world needed to know his real name."
They did not say anything. It was a lot to take in. Even though it had been a very long time since they had taken the wrong train, they could still remember the two men and the boy they had met then.
It was like a vivid dream or a faded memory, something both sweet and painful.
The princess got up.
- "I must be on my way", she said. "I've been to many places – all the places he had dreamt to see and more, but I need to go back, now. I might be an old woman, but Jingyan – I mean, the Emperor needs trustful generals around him. There will always be enemies to Da Liang and I cannot rest – my Lin Shu never rested and I won't let him down."
They got up too and she bowed. She left like a shadow, just like she had arrived. Later, Felipe would sometimes wonder if they had dreamt of her coming.
Gilberto never forgot the woman, but it was only years later that he understood how brave she was – and how great Mei Changsu's sacrifice had been. It took a tremendous amount of courage to overcome the pain and to keep on living when you had lost everything you cared for.
Nihuang did not have a terrible mission to help her carry on and Lin Shu had worked really hard at building the peace and ridding the country of corrupt officials, although none of this would ever bring back his brothers in arms and the father he had lost in the Northern Mountains.
After Diego's death, Gilberto wished he could hide himself again behind Zorro's mask and thunder on with Tornado on El Camino Real, fighting and risking his life to bring freedom and justice to California – but Zorro wasn't needed anymore. Gilberto de la Vega was.
Don Alejandro had peacefully left his sons during the winter prior and Victoria was gone too – Diego's poor heart had not been able to endure the news of her terrible accident, especially because the frantic lancer who had come to the hacienda had broken it to him without any preparation – so Gilberto was the only one left to take care of the children and the rancho.
So he gritted his teeth and tried to live on – even if it only meant getting up to do meaningless and mundane things like caring for the cattle and doing the books and checking on the bees and watching over schoolwork and weeding the roses and reading bedtime stories.
Then he found out that these things weren't meaningless. They were precious little moments, history being built, crumbs of happiness, pieces of a puzzle far bigger than him.
His niece and nephew were growing up safe and healthy, and Felipe was every bit the man Diego had seen in him. California was at peace and he had many memories to cherish.
It was more than Nihuang had ever had and still, the princess had left with her head up and a smile.
On the other side of the world, a young prince was playing with a slave-born future general.
At his desk, a just king was writing the name of a new army.
In Langya Monastery, Lin Chen had just inherited his father's position.
Somewhere on the Northern Border, atop a mountain, a man-child was babbling with himself while peeling a tangerine in front of a snow-covered grave.
The glowing sun was going down on the scarlet horizon and the wind was rising.
Gilberto sighed. It was time to go home.
There would come a day when they would be reunited again.
Until then, he just had to remember that hope was not the only thing Lin Shu and Diego had left behind when their work had been done. Duty, love, remembrance, children to raise… it was all part of protecting the future, it was another reason to live and he had his hands full with it.
They would be okay.