The White Mountain by David Wingrove Read Free Book Online

Are you sure there’s nothing my art could give you that life couldn’t?’
    Li Yuan turned away, as if stung. He was silent for some time, then he looked back, a grim expression of defiance changing his features. ‘Only illusions. Nothing real.’
    Ben shook his head. ‘You’re wrong. I could give you something so real, sosolid and substantial that you could hold it in your arms – could taste it and smell it and never for a moment know that you were only dreaming.’
    Li Yuan stared at him, aghast, then looked down. ‘I don’t believe you. It could never be that good.’
    â€˜Ah, but it will.’
    Li Yuan lifted his head angrily. ‘Can it give you back your father? Can it do that?’
    The boy did not flinch. His eyes caught Li Yuan’s and held them. ‘Yes. Even that, if I wanted it.’
    Li Yuan arrived at Tongjiang four hours later to find things in chaos, the audience hall packed with his Ministers and advisors. While the T’ang changed, Nan Ho went among the men, finding out what had been happening in their brief absence.
    When Li Yuan returned to his study, Nan Ho was waiting for him, his face flushed, his whole manner extremely agitated.
    â€˜What is it, Nan Ho? What has got my Ministers in such a state?’
    Nan Ho bowed low. ‘It is not just your Ministers, Chieh Hsia . The whole of the Above is in uproar. They say that more than two hundred are ill already, and that more than a dozen have died.’
    Li Yuan sat forward. ‘What do you mean?’
    Nan Ho looked up at him. ‘There is an epidemic, Chieh Hsia , sweeping through the Minor Families. No one knows quite what it is…’
    Li Yuan stood angrily and came round his desk. ‘No one knows? Am I to believe this? Where are the Royal Surgeons? Have them come to me at once.’
    Nan Ho lowered his head. ‘They are outside, Chieh Hsia , but—’
    â€˜No buts, Master Nan. Get them in here now. If there is an epidemic we must act fast.’
    Nan Ho brought them in, then stood back, letting his T’ang question the men directly.
    The eight old men stood there, their ancient bodies bent forward awkwardly.
    â€˜Well?’ he said, facing the most senior of them. ‘What has been happening, Surgeon Yu? Why have you not been able to trace the source of this disease?’
    â€˜Chieh Hsia…’ the old man began, his voice quavering. ‘Forgive me, but the facts contradict themselves.’
    â€˜Nonsense!’ Li Yuan barked, clearly angry. ‘Do you know the cause of the disease or not?’
    The old man shook his head, distressed. ‘Forgive me, Chieh Hsia , but it is not possible. The Families are bred immune. For more than one hundred and fifty years…’
    Li Yuan huffed impatiently. ‘Impossible? Nothing is impossible! I’ve just come from Hal Shepherd’s funeral. They killed him, remember? With a cancer. Something that, according to you, was quite impossible. So what have they come up with now?’
    The old man glanced sideways at his colleagues, then spoke again. ‘It seems, from our first tests, that what the victims are suffering from is what we term yang mei ping , “willow-plum sickness”.’
    Li Yuan laughed. ‘A fancy name, Surgeon Yu, but what does it mean?’
    Nan Ho answered for the old man. ‘It is syphilis, Chieh Hsia . A sexually transmitted disease that affects the brain and drives its victims insane. This strain, apparently, is a particularly virulent and fast-working one. Besides sidestepping the natural immunity of its victims, it has a remarkably short incubation period. Many of its victims are dead within thirty hours of getting the dose.’
    Surgeon Yu looked at Nan Ho gratefully, then nodded. ‘That is so, Chieh Hsia. However, it seems that this particular strain affects only those of Han origin. As far as we can make out, no Hung Mao are affected.’
    Li