Once, so long ago that no one is sure of Dates anymore,— tho' some say it was during the reign1 of one of the Hia Emperors,— upon the first day of Autumn in the Hsiu or Moon-station of Fang2, an eclipse of the Sun occurr'd, which the Court Astronomers3, Hsi and Ho, fail'd to predict,— not just predict accurately4, but predict at all. Instead of diligently5 observing the Heavens, and doing the calculations, they had been spending most of their time roistering into town at late hours, abusing wine, drunkenly pursuing notorious Courtesans, not all of whom were Women, falling into public Latrines, and losing great portions of their Royal Stipends6 to all sorts of thieves, from Adventuresses to Gaming?table Bullies,— until, one strangely-lit Noontide, clogg'd and neural-gick, weaving their way back to their quarters in the Palace, they notice something about the shadows of the trees.— The sunlight that is able to pass clear of the leaves and strike the Road-way, instead of the usual more or less round Dots amid a general shade, presents instead, a mind?lessly repeated Spill of identical Crescents, each growing imperceptibly narrower and sharper, as the stupefied Philosophers watch,— slowly realizing that they are seeing the Moon, moving onto the Disk of the Sun, carpeting the Ground by the bleary shimmering7 tens of thousands, as far in ev'ry direction as they can see.
"We may be in trouble," says Ho.
"Thanks for doing the brain-work on that." They hurry on in the livid, decadent8 Noon, stepping among the slow-stirring bright lacework, their faces averted9 from the Event above. Dogs howl all over the City. Chick?ens stop what they are doing and fall asleep. Babies cry, Pigs briefly10 acquire the power of speech, saying, "Hush11, hush." The Light continues to seep13 away, until all individual Shadows are dissolv'd in a general Gloom, tense and baleful.
Inside the Observatory14, a great Tower of imported Rajputana Marble, a winding16 stairway leads upward to the Observing Platforms. Hsi and Ho ascend17, bickering18. "We did the Reductions correctly, didn't we? You look'd it over, right?"
"Well I didn't check ev'ry Digit19, I assum'd that if you were doing your job, I wouldn't have to."
At the highest platform, they stand, two miniature rob'd wastrels20, try?ing not to look into the black rays of Totality, whilst, far below, with an eruption21 of Cymbals22 and Fifes, a great Voice declares Hsi and Ho, henceforward unto Eternity23, enemies of the Emperor,— and condemns24 them to death.
"For what?" Ho, terrified, squeals25 at his Partner. "What'd we do?"
"We made the Emperor look bad. As a Child of Heaven, he's suppos'd to know all about these Wonders in advance."
' 'Tis only an Eclipse,— only Shadows,— what harm to the Kingdom could result?"
Hsi cackles. "As above, so below. Eclipses indicate for all to see that something is wrong in the very Heart of the State,...tho' with this Emperor, if anything goes amiss, his shoes failing to fit, his Luncheon26 disagreeing with him, whatever it is, he'll blame it 'pon the Eclipse,— that is, upon us."
Ho groans27. "Our heads, for a little indigestion?"
"Why they call them 'Heads of State,' I suppose—"
"Hsi! we are in Danger! What do we do?"
"Escape," reckons Hsi. Looking Earthward, they now see below them a body of men in dark, gleaming Armor, gathering28 into columns in the damag'd light.
"How," inquires Ho, his voice higher than usual, "— fly?"
"An excellent idea," Hsi now producing a gigantick sky-blue Kite, of some strong yet light silk Stuff, strengthen'd with curious Bamboo Rib-
work, furnish'd with apparatus29 for steering30. "Quickly!" They can hear the clamor of Soldiers' feet, echoing in the Stair-well.
"But will it hold our combin'd weights?" cries Ho, as his colleague, having attach'd these Wings, now roughly embraces him.
"Depends what you ate for Breakfast,"— as together they step from the ?rial platform into pure Altitude.—
"Well, I had the rest of the Duck, about six Dumplings with Pork Sauce, then— Aaaagh!" as they go plummeting31 toward the Terrain32 below, clutching each other in terror as, above them now, upon the Plat?form they lately occupied, appear the first of their Pursuers, gazing after them in that afflicted33 light, with faces too small to read any more. They wait for Arrows. Above stares the black Disk of the Sun....
In the reduced Visibility, the Astronomers have lost all sense of how fast they're falling,— indeed have no idea of how far they have already travel'd from the Palace and their Pursuers. It is really only after con12?siderable time has pass'd, without having smash'd into the ground at high speed, that Hsi, the quicker of the pair, grasps that they have been gliding34 after all. By then the Lunar Visitor has begun to pass from the Sun's Face, and the landscape to grow increasingly readable again.
"Look!" Hsi pointing behind Ho, "some Army, and on the move! Look at that Plume35 of Dust!"
"Where?" Ho turns to look. "And,— coming our way, too! what do you suppose it is?"
"Wait," it occurs to Hsi. "Ho, 'tis us. Elementary Opticks! If we can see them..."
"Yes, yes?" Ho waits. Hsi waits for Ho. At length, "Oh of course, you mean,— then they can see us, too?"
"For this, I am risking my life? Why don't I just drop you off here? It would also make my escape that much easier."
"Suit yourself of course."
"And my arms are getting tir'd."
"Well, so are mine. Some embrace!"
"All right then, off you go," Hsi opening his arms abruptly36. Ho clutches wildly back at Hsi but is already in midair, with nothing more to expect in the way of embraces, but the Wind of his Descent.
So intently have the Astronomers been bickering, however, that Ho has fail'd to notice how closely by now their Craft has laps'd to Earth. In fact, he falls no more than ten feet, and that into a small, willow-fring'd Lake belonging to the lands of Lord Huang, a very rich trader with seven eligible37 daughters. As Ho flounders about in the Lake, his partner lands on top of him, and then the pair of Wings upon them both....
They haul themselves to shore and stagger about, soaking wet, beginning, as their relief at being alive fades, to argue again. "You just let me drop?" Ho recalls. "Much higher, and you would have murder'd me?— This is strange! I'm here talking to not just a murderer, but my murderer!"
"/ knew we were almost down," Hsi says. "Do you really think I'd drop you any more than ten feet?"
"Well,— I don't know. Would you have dropp'd me,— twenty feet? People can get kill'd falling twenty feet."
"Not into the water."
"Oh! Suppose it had been but a giant reflecting-pool, and only Inches deep?"
"I could see 'twas far deeper, by the color of the Water, not to mention Waves upon the Surface."
"So after this close assessment38 of our landing area, why did you not choose to share any of it?"
"You seem'd more interested in screaming,— I was reluctant to inter39?rupt."
"But you let me believe you were killing40 me.— When I hit that lake, I thought, so, this is it, here it is, the world of the Dead.— Hmm, wet— Cold, too. They don't let you breathe. So forth41. Eventually realizing I was under Water, of course,—
"Thank you, Ho,— but for the kind of help you need...your College must keep a list they can refer you to, and as I've said many times, there is no stigma42, there are excellent remedial programs for cases like— excuse me, what are you doing?"
"Pissing." Somewhere out in the pale green Maze43 of the willows44 there's a chorus of merry comment, from the daughters of Huang, who customarily go about ev'rywhere in Company. Soon Ho has wander'd out of Hsi's sight, calling, "Girls! Girls! Here it is, over here!”
About then their Father shows up with a platoon of arm'd retainers, demanding to know how Hsi has penetrated45 so far inside his Boundaries. Unable to come up with another story on the Spot, Hsi tells the truth. The Lord thinks he is confabulating, but the Eclipse part of it has his inter?est. "Stargazer, eh? Can you predict when the next Eclipse will happen?"
"Of course. The Moon, you want Moon-Eclipses, I can do those too."
"I made more yuan on one deal today than you would ever have seen in your Life working for the Emperor,— all as the Result of your wond'rous Eclipse. A warehouse46 full of silk, let go for nothing, because its owner thought this was the End. If I'd known beforehand, I could have done more than one Deal like that. No wonder the Emperor wants your heads."
Reflexively Hsi grabs his Head, as if to assure himself of its contin?ued Attachment47. "Uh..."
"Needless to say, this would pay quite well. Same deal for your Part?ner, of course. Where is he, by the way?"
This is answer'd by a slow crescendo48 of Conversation, advancing upon them through the ornamental49 forest of Birches all around. "Keep those swords ready, Boys," advises Lord Huang, beginning to betray some Annoyance50. Out of the trees bursts a dishevel'd and uncontrollably gig?gling Ho, his arm around the eldest51 of the girls, who is kissing him pas?sionately whilst her sisters, aroar and roseate and smudg'd, frolick about them.
"Papa! This is Ho, and we wish to be married, this instant."
"Yes Papa, oh please," chorus the rest, as Li gives Ho a push, send?ing him staggering in her Father's direction. Ho's robes are torn, upon all expos'd skin are fingernail scratches, there is green scum from the Lake clinging to his hair. He leers in a friendly way at Lord Huang but isn't sure what to say.
"Have we a Deal?" mutters the Lord to Hsi, who shrugs52. "I see no problem, then.— Welcome to the Huangs, my boy. Ho, is it? You, like your excellent co-adjutor here, have pass'd into a new Realm. Your Emperor was answerable to Heaven,— here must we answer to the Mar15?ket, day upon day unending, for 'tis the inscrutable Power we serve, an invisible-Handed god without Mercy."
In the weeks and years to follow, Hsi and Ho, ever one step ahead of the Emperor's hir'd Blademen, travel far, gain respect, and make fortune
upon fortune, not the least of their Successes being Erotick, at one time and another, in varying Combinations, too, some of them quite entertain?ing, with all seven Daughters. Hsi and Ho are frequently mistaken for one another,— in their early Careers an Inconvenience, in their later Years a source, ever fresh, of Occasion for Glee. Periodickally, one or the other, repenting53 of his life, makes Atonement to Heaven by forswearing Drink, or Gluttony, or Mah-Jongg,— as seldom, if ever, are both Astronomers repentant54 at the same time, at least one may pay his Duties close Atten?tion. As a result, no longer do Hsi and Ho fail to plan for Eclipses, solar or lunar. Lord Huang, however, continues to extend himself upon a faith in the Astronomers ever in need of re-convincing, wagering55 ever more stupendous Sums upon the ecliptick Innocence56 of ev'ryone else, not only Silk-Merchants but presently Bankers, other Lords, and their Generals, until the terrible Day when Hsi or Ho, or both, whilst casting Calculations for an upcoming Total Solar Eclipse, with fingers Greas'd from the giant platter-ful of Dim Sum, which, having given their personal gold Chop-Sticks away as tokens of desire to the operatick Personage Miss Chen, they are absent-mindedly eating from by Hand, happen to mis-count enough critical Beads57 of the Abacus58 to throw their Prediction off by hours. Meanwhile, dress'd as a Chinese Sub-Deity in red, yellow, and blue and a number of Gem-Tones, having already commanded the Sun to darken, with no result, Lord Huang finds himself far from home, waiting before a fateful River-bank and a humorless Army. The contempt in the front ranks grows more and more open, as the loss of Huang's credibility spreads backward thro' the Host. The Sky continues as blank as a hir'd Astronomer's face, the Sun as relentlessly59 beaming as an Idiot. In one ver?sion of the Tale, Huang is sav'd just in time, and in his rage banishes60 Hsi and Ho, who end their lives in the western Desert, beggar'd and holy, liv?ing on what few drops of water and grains of Rice the Day may bring them,— in the other version, Huang is assassinated61 by his own fretful Troops, whereupon the Sun at last begins to darken, the Army is smitten62 with Terror and Contrition63, and the Astronomers, who appear to have been waiting but this Moment all their lives, are easily able to take over Huang's Lands, Fortune, Army, and Harem of Daughters, who ageless as the Pleiades (which Chinese girls know as the "Seven Sisters of Indus?try") attend the Star-Gazers faithfully till their Days be run.
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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fang
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| n.尖牙，犬牙 | |
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astronomers
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| n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 ) | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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stipends
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| n.（尤指牧师的）薪俸( stipend的名词复数 ) | |
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shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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decadent
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| adj.颓废的，衰落的，堕落的 | |
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averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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seep
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| v.渗出，渗漏；n.渗漏，小泉，水（油）坑 | |
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observatory
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| n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台 | |
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mar
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| vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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bickering
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| v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁 | |
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digit
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| n.零到九的阿拉伯数字，手指，脚趾 | |
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wastrels
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| n.无用的人，废物( wastrel的名词复数 )；浪子 | |
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eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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cymbals
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| pl.铙钹 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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condemns
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| v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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squeals
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| n.长而尖锐的叫声( squeal的名词复数 )v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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plummeting
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| v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的现在分词 ) | |
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terrain
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| n.地面，地形，地图 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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plume
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| n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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eligible
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| adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的 | |
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assessment
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| n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额 | |
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inter
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| v.埋葬 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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stigma
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| n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头 | |
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maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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warehouse
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| n.仓库；vt.存入仓库 | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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crescendo
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| n.(音乐)渐强，高潮 | |
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ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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50
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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51
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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52
shrugs
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| n.耸肩（以表示冷淡，怀疑等）( shrug的名词复数 ) | |
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53
repenting
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的现在分词 ) | |
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54
repentant
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| adj.对…感到悔恨的 | |
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wagering
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| v.在（某物）上赌钱，打赌( wager的现在分词 )；保证，担保 | |
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56
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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57
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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abacus
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| n.算盘 | |
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relentlessly
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| adv.不屈不挠地；残酷地；不间断 | |
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banishes
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的第三人称单数 ) | |
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assassinated
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| v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏 | |
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smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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contrition
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| n.悔罪，痛悔 | |
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