Mulan,Li,andXiubowedtheirheadsingratitude.WhileitwastraditionfortheMatchmakertonotrevealdetailstoeitherfamilyabouttheotherfamily,therewasalwaysawaytogleanalittlebit.Inthiscase,asMulanstaredatthebeautifulteapotonthetableinfrontofher,sheknewthatFongLin’sfamilywaswell-off,atleastmoresothanhers.TheHuas’teapotwasfadedandtheircupsmismatched.Thisnewonewouldstandoutontheirthreadbareshelves.Thepressuretobeperfectfeltevengreater.Mulan’sfamilywouldbenefitfromhermarriagetoasuccessfulman.Shehadtopullthisoff.

MulanwasjuststartingtobelieveshecouldgetthroughthemeetingwhenshelookedoveratXiu.Heryoungersister’seyeswerewidewithfear.Followinghergaze,Mulansawalargespiderslowlyunspoolingitselffromtheceilingtowardthetable.Inchbyinchitmadeitswaydown??.??.??.righttowardXiu.Itdroppedontothetable,itslong,hairylegsundulatingbeneathit.

Underneathhermaskofwhitemakeup,Mulanfeltthecolordrainfromherface.IfthespidertookevenonesteptowardXiu,thegirlwascertaintoscreamandtheMatchmakerwouldbefurious.Smoothly,andthankfulforthemaskhermakeupprovided,Mulanreachedoutandplacedtheteapotoverthespider.Thenshereturnedherhandstoherlap.Butnotbeforeshootinghersisteralook.

Thelook,unfortunately,wasnotlostontheMatchmaker.Herowneyesnarrowed.“Issomethingwrong?”sheasked.

“No,MadamMatchmaker,”Mulansaidinhermostdemurevoice.“Thankyou.”

TheMatchmaker’slipstightenedinunspokenaggravation.Mulanmethergaze,herownexpressionrevealingnothing.Finally,theMatchmakernoddedtowardtheteapot.“Itisideal,”shesaid,hertonedrippingwithcondescension,“fortheteapottoremaininthecenterofthetable.”

“Yes,”Mulanagreed.“Iunderstand.ButIthinktheteapotshouldremainwhereitis.”

Instantly,theroomgrewicy.AsheenofsweatappearedonLi’sbrowandXiu’sbreathstopped,herfacegrowingaswhiteasMulan’spaintedone.FongLinlookedbackandforthbetweentheMatchmakerandMulan,perplexed.

“Movetheteapot,girl.”EachwordshotoutoftheMatchmaker’smouthlikeanarrow.

Mulanlookedbackandforthbetweentheteapotandhersister,unsurewhattodo.Ifshemovedthepot,thespiderwouldmove,too.Butifshedidn’tmovethepot,thenthingswouldn’tendwellanyway.Shethoughtofherfather,standingoutside,waitingforhertokeepherpromise.Shesighed.ShehadtodowhattheMatchmakersaid.

Slowly,sheliftedtheteapot.

Thespider,releasedfromitsmakeshiftprison,leapt—rightintothelapofFongLin.

Lettingoutanear-piercingshriek,FongLinjumpedtoherfeet,brushingwildlyatherlapandsendingthespiderflying.Foronebeat,theroomgrewstillagainasthewomenalllookedtoseewherethespiderhadlanded??.??.??.

AndthentheMatchmakerletoutascreamofherownasshelookeddownandsawthecreaturecrawlingacrossherchest.Terrified,shestumbledbackward,herarmspinwheelingwildly.Themomentumsenthertumblingintoachair.Herfeet,kickingfuriously,contactedthetable,flippingitup.Theteapotandteacupsweresentflying,endoverend,shootinghotwaterineverydirectionastheyspun.

Watchingastheroomdevolvedintoabsolutechaosaroundher,Mulanstayedeerilystill.Hereyesweretheonlythingthatmovedastheytrackedthearcoftheteapotandcups.Then,inablurofmotion,shereachedupandpulledoutthefourlongpinsthatheldupherhair.Extendingoneofthepins,shecaughtateacup.Thenanother.

<i>

Clink.Clink.Clink

</i>

.Onebyone,shesnaggedtheotherteapotsoutofmidair,balancingthemonthepins.

Buttheteapotwasstillfalling.Lookingover,Mulansawitwasmereinchesfromhittingthefloor.Mulandidn’tstoptothink.Shejustacted.Quickaslightning,shestuckoutherfoot.Shegrimacedassheheardherdressrip,butthehandleofthepotsnaggedonhertoe.Ithung,danglingprecariouslyastheteacupscontinuedtoswingonthepins.

Foronelongmoment,theroomwassilent.Mulanfelttheeyesofthefourotherwomenonher,theirsurprisemirroringherown.Shehaddoneit.Shehadaverteddisaster.Thespiderwasgoneandtheteasetwasinonepiece.

Andthen,herlongthickhair,freedfromthepinsthathadkeptitcontained,begantoescapeitsbuns.Likewaterpouringfromthetopofafalls,itdroppeddown,thelongstrandscoveringMulan’sface.

Withhervisionblocked,Mulanhadnothingtofocuson.Almostinstantly,shelostherbalance.Thelegonthegroundbegantoshakewhiletheoneintheairbegantosway.Thenherarmsfollowedsuit,movingupanddownandsidetosideuntil,withashout,Mulanfell.

<i>

Crash!Crash!Crash!

</i>

Piecebypiecetheteasetsmashedtotheground,breakingintoathousandfragments.

Lyingonthefloor,MulanheardFongLin’sshriekofrageandfeltthelookofdisappointmentcomingfromherownmother.Xiuwasweepingquietlyassheleaneddownandtriedtopickupthelargerpiecesofporcelain.Buteventhegentlestoftouchesbrokethepiecesstillsmaller,causingFongLintoscreamagain.Amomentlater,Mulanheardthefrontdooropenandthenslamasthemotherofhersuitor—orrather,ex-suitor—stormedoutside.

Mulangottoherfeet,herheadstillbowed.ShefollowedFongLin’sdeparture,hermotherandsisterjoiningher.Noneofthemsaidaword.Theywalkedinsilenceoutthedoor,downthefrontstairs,andintothecourtyardwhereZhouwaited.

ButtheMatchmakerwasnotnearlyasquiet.Stormingoutfrombehindthem,sheliftedherarmandpointedanaccusatoryfingerrightatMulan.“DishonortotheHuafamily!”shescreamed,hervoicebouncingoffthewallsofthenearbyhousesandcatchingtheattentionoftheentirevillage.“Theyhavefailedtoraiseagooddaughter!”

EachwordwaslikeaslapacrossMulan’sface.TheMatchmakerwasright.Shehadfailedherfamily.Shewouldneverbringthemhonor.Howcouldshe,nowthattheMatchmakerwouldneverletherstepfootinherhouseagain?

Notdaringtomeetherfather’sgaze,unabletofacethedisappointmentsheknewshewouldsee,Mulanbegantotrudgeacrossthecourtyardandbacktoherownhome.Itwasgoingtobethelongestwalkofherlifewithnothingbuthersadthoughtsandangrylooksfromhermotherforcompany.Inthatsecond,Mulanwishedforanything,anythingatall,totaketheattentionfromher.

Asifoncue,thesoundofdrumbeatsbegantoechothroughthevillage.

Mulanandherfamily,alongwiththeentirevillage,stoppedintheirtracks.Alleyesturnedtowardthesingle-laneroadthatledintotheirsmallvillage.Normallyitwasempty,thedirtundisturbed.Butnowtheycouldseebillowingsandkickedintotheairbywhatappearedtobeasmallparadeofriders.

Afewoftheyoungerchildrenracedaheadtoseewhatwashappeningandturnedaround.“Soldiers!”theyshoutedastheyranback.

Mulan’sheartpoundedinherchestasaroundher,thevillagersbegantomurmuramongthemselves.Ithadbeenyearssincesoldiershadappearedintheirvillage.ThelasttimehadbeenwhenherownfatherhadbeentakenofftofightfortheEmperor.Whatcouldtheybedoingtherenow?Justthen,thedrummingstoppedandthedustsettled.There,standinginfrontofthem,wereamagistrateandsixsoldiers.Themenlookedatthevillagersfromatoptheirhorses,theirfaceshiddenbymasks.Withasignalfromthemagistrate,severalofthemjumpeddownandbegantopostpiecesofpapertovarioushouses.

“Citizens!Citizens!”themagistrateshouted,asifhehadn’talreadygotteneveryone’sattention.“Weareunderattackfromnortherninvaders.Ourlandisatwar!ByedictofHisImperialMajestytheSonofHeaven,everyfamilymustcontributeonemantofight!Onemanfromeveryhouse!”Hepulledoutascrollandunrolledit.Fromwhereshestood,Mulancouldseethatthewritingonthescrollwasalonglistofnames.“Wangfamily!Chinfamily!”

Asthemagistratecontinuedtoreadoffthelistofthefamilieswholivedinthetulou,Mulanrealizedherfatherhaddisappearedintothecrowd.Sheroseonhertiptoes,tryingtoseewherehehadgone,butthevillagehaddevolvedintochaos.Menwerepushingtheirwaythroughthecrowdtogetthepaperworkthatwouldconscriptthemintothearmy.Behindthem,womenoldandyoungstartedtoweep,someoutofjoythatonemanfromtheirfamilywouldbeahero,andothersbecausetheyknewtheconsequencesofwar—bothphysicallyandmentally.

“Dufamily!Huafamily!”

Mulan’sbreathcaughtinherthroatwhensheheardherfamily’snamecalled.Shelookedforherfather,spottinghimmakinghiswaythroughthecrowd.Hewalkedwithhisheadheldhighandwithouttheuseofhiscane.Mulanknewwhathewasabouttodo.

Approachingthemagistrateandtwoofthesoldierswhohadremainedonhorseback,Zhoubowed.“IamHuaZhou,”hesaidasherosebackup.“IservedtheImperialArmyinthelastbattleagainstthenortherninvaders.”

ThemagistratelookeddownatZhou.“Haveyounosonoldenoughtofight?”heasked.

“Iamblessedwithtwodaughters,”Mulan’sfatheranswered.“Iwillfight.”

Themagistrateconsideredthemanbeforehim.Mulansawhimeyeingherfather’sgrayinghairandthelinesathiseyes.Sheknewthattohim,herfatherappearedaproud,butold,man.Finally,themagistratenoddedtothesoldiernearesthim.TheyoungmanreachedintohisbagandpulledoutasetofpapersthatwouldmarkZhouforservice.Hehelditout.

Inwhatfeltlikeslowmotion,Mulanwatchedasherfatherreachedouthisownhand.Hisfingersbrushedtheparchmentandwereabouttoclosearoundthepaperwhenhisleggaveout.Hegaveamuffledshoutashefelltotheground.Lyingatthefeetofthemagistrate’shorse,Zhou’seyesclosedinhorror.Hiswaistcoathadfallenopen,revealingthebindingonhislegthatnow,duetothefall,wasunraveling.

Lookingatherfather,Mulan’sheartbroke.Themanwasutterlyhumiliated.Eventhesoldiersseemedembarrassedforhim,steppingbackandthenavertingtheireyes.Spottingherfather’scanelyingonthegroundwherehemusthaveleftit,Mulanmovedtotakeit.Buthermotherputahandonhershoulder,stoppingher.

“Youmustnot,”shewhispered.“Thatwillonlyhumiliatehimfurther.”

Asthemagistrateresumedreadingthenamesofthetuloufamilies,ayoungersoldierdismountedandofferedhishandtoZhou.Zhourefused.Graspinghisscrolltightlyinhishand,hepainfullypushedhimselftohisfeet.Thenhelimpedaway,hisheadhigh.

Mulanwatchedhimgo.Herfatherwasagoodman,buthewasaproudman.Andthatpridewasgoingtogethimkilledifhewenttowar.