He walked backwards two or three steps and then turned and went out.
Ai-ku knew that something extraordinary was about to happen, something quite impossible to predict, something quite impossible to forestall. She realized, too, that His Honor was indeed august, that she had entirely misinterpreted his character and that she had been, therefore, entirely too impertinent and blunt. She regretted deeply and was constrained to say, "Of course I have been from the beginning only waiting for Your Honor's command . . . "
Although her voice was as light as gossamer, to His Honor Wei, however, it was, in the midst of the silence, like a clap of thunder. He jumped up.
"Now you are talking! His Honor Seven is most just and Ai-ku most understanding," he flattered. Then he turned to Chuang Mu-san, saying, "Old Mu, of course you'll have no objections since she herself has accepted the terms. I suppose you have brought your red and green papers, as I asked you to do. Then let us all bring the papers out . . . "
Ai-ku looked at her father and found him taking something out of his pocket. At the same time the wooden-sticklike man also came in and handed His Honor Seven a black, flat object that looked something like a small turtle. Ai-ku was afraid that the situation might again change and quickly turned to see what her father was doing. He had already opened up a blue cloth bag on the tea table and had taken out the silver dollars.
His Honor Seven now pulled off the head of the small turtle and poured something from the turtle's body into the palm of his hand. The sticklike man relieved him of the flat object. Then His Honor rubbed a finger of the other hand
