Dragon Horse

Shou-lao had not been in Maracanda for many years... and now he was back, right here in Maracanda, and Kan was prepared to bet ten silver taals that the Old Man had plenty of wonderful new stories to tell.

Kan rapped on the heavy, double-fronted doors of Rokshan's house.
Their house servant, Ah Lin, heaved one of the doors open a crack to see who it was at such an ungodly hour - her wrinkled old face creased into a delighted smile of welcome when she saw who it was.

'Kanandak, master acrobat, is returned at last to the Western Empire's City of Dreams...' Kan sang out in his best ringmaster's voice, bowing low and beaming at her after executing a perfect circle of cartwheels.

'Come in, come in, before you wake the whole household - master acrobat indeed,' Ah Lin chuckled.

'No, I can't stop. Is Roksy up? He must come straight away. somebody he hasn't seen for years and years is here! Tell him Shou-lao is here, the old story-teller. I'll meet him outside the School in two candle-rings.
And he was gone, disappearing down the street in a whirling flurry of forward flips and cartwheels.

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