Sparrow Falling Read Online Free PDF

He had not been able to get in touch with any of his usual contacts, and suspected they were avoiding him – also a bad sign.
    But he had been in worse situations, and had talked, charmed, stolen and tricked his way out of them all. He fluffed his tail, set his face in an engaging expression of open, slightly stupid innocence, and started towards the gates and their guardians; great Shi lions, ten feet high at the shoulder, who had not yet decided whether to notice one small fox-spirit approaching their gates.
     
     
    “S O, YOU’RE BACK ,” the Shi lioness said. She glanced across at her mate. “He’s back.”
    “He carries the stink of the biaozi on him,” said the lion, rolling the embroidered sphere below his foot back and forth.
    “So he does. He should wash, or he will offend the court,” the lioness said. The cub curled beside her opened his eyes, blinked at Liu, yawned, and closed them again.
    “Perhaps he should be washed.” The lion bared his teeth, and curled his tongue. “Come here and let me wash you, Little Fox. I will remove the stink of the creature who calls herself a Queen.”
    “I thank you for your generosity,” Liu said. “But I fear I am not worthy of such a gift.”
    “No, indeed you are not. I suppose you wish to enter?”
    “I must enter, or disobey.” Liu held out the scroll on which his summons had been written, in letters of purple edged with gold. Matching silk ribbons trailed from it, each an inch wide and at least two feet longer than necessary. Really, his former master had no subtlety. That was one thing you could say for the Queen – she was as subtle as the edge of a razor.
    The lion leaned down and sniffed at the scroll, shook his curly mane, and sat back. “It is as he says, our master has ordered it, we must let him enter.”
    “I do not trust him,” said the lioness, “and it is my place to guard those within.”
    “Do you wish to disobey our great lord?” the lion growled. “ That ,” he jerked his head at Liu, “might be in the habit of disobedience. We are not.”
    “I disobey no-one. I fulfil my duty. If he is to come in then I should be the one to say it.”
    “You are disputatious and wearisome.”
    “I ask only to be allowed to fulfil my function as duty requires of me!”
    The lion snarled with exasperation, and waved his claw. “Go, go!”
    The great gates of red lacquer, carved with peonies, peaches, and dragons, opened with ponderous gravity, revealing a long walk lined with huabaio pillars of green jade, carved with more dragons, twining sinuously and raising their translucent heads to stare at Liu as he walked, head high and tail up, along the path.
    Behind him the Shi were still arguing.
    Liu heard the jade dragons whispering to each other as he passed. Some were snickering.

 
    Belgravia
     
     
    S TUG OPENED HIS front door and immediately Cora was there, all ringlets and perfume, her pale hands fluttering like trapped birds. “Oh, there you are, Joshua. Such a day I’ve had, you wouldn’t believe!”
    “Really, dear?”
    “Yes, that maid that Eliza found for me, oh, quite the most dreadful creature you know, really, so insolent, I had to turn her out.”
    “I thought she seemed quite proficient.”
    “Well, yes, she was to start with, but then I realised how she was sneaking about, you know, the way these girls do, poking her nose into things and asking questions, and oh, gossiping, I caught her gossiping with cook just at the most inconvenient time, going on about her family and so forth, really not at all... in any case, I shan’t ask Eliza for another recommendation.”
    “I’m sure you know best, Cora.”
    “Well, at least now I won’t have to worry. ” She took his coat from his shoulders and hung it on the stand in the hall. “Oh,” she said, leading the way into the drawing room, “there’s a tea, tomorrow, at the Sithwaites’. I know you won’t mind if I go, though I know they’re not quite the thing,