Did people really starve to death here? Emeline wasn't sure she wanted to know, and while she valued a chance to see a place like this, she was determined that she'd never seek out another.
Then 'Doctor' Lu appeared, startling her a bit, but she was still trusting that Charlie wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. But then there was talk of needles, and that made her hesitate. "Needles? Is that necessary?" She'd never actually been poked with a needled, besides when she was sewing, or the time as a child that she fell into the rose bushes, but talk of evil spirits unsettled her, not that she believed in such things.
"Well, all right, I suppose..." She followed into the room, looking around skeptically, then shrugged. "So, what do I need to do?"
不要輕視蛇，有朝一日它可能會變成一條龍
Then 'Doctor' Lu appeared, startling her a bit, but she was still trusting that Charlie wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. But then there was talk of needles, and that made her hesitate. "Needles? Is that necessary?" She'd never actually been poked with a needled, besides when she was sewing, or the time as a child that she fell into the rose bushes, but talk of evil spirits unsettled her, not that she believed in such things.
"Doctor Lu say very necessary. Jealous woman now Fox Spirit. Baby must be protect!" Charlie nodded.
"Well, all right, I suppose..." She followed into the room, looking around skeptically, then shrugged. "So, what do I need to do?"
The ancient Doctor pointed to a rickety wooden chair and then busied himself with a little tool kit wrapped in a small silken roll. Above the chair hung a round mirror set in an ornate octagonal dark wood frame with strange symbols upon it. He babbled something at Charlie who went to a side table and fetched a small bowl of herbs.
"Charlie show first!" the little fat men beamed and handed over the bowl. The next part of the operation was odd, Charlie held out his arm and Lu brought forth not just one of the thin needles, but one of the thin needles with a smouldering, smoking blob of the dried mugwort in a holder at the end. Emeline was witnessing the ancient and mysterious art of Moxibustion!
Lu gently inserted the burning object into Charlie's arm.
"See, it - ow! - it not hurt!" Charlie smiled, a small tear welling in his eye. "This very good for baby. Unfortunate, Charlie Fa not having baby, only look like having baby!" he grinned, rubbing his large tummy.
"I don't know..." Emeline was quite skeptical, but then, besides a little pain, where was the harm, and she was curious to see if it would actually do something. Of course, there was no evil eye that needed to be eradicated, but how many non-Chinese could say they experienced 'Moxibustion'?
"All right, then." Taking a breath, she sat, then pulled up her sleeve to expose her forearm. "If nothing else, it will distract me from little Mavis' dancing circles!" It didn't occur to her that she'd have to explain any marks to Barnabas, and he might not be too happy with her exploits!
不要輕視蛇，有朝一日它可能會變成一條龍
"I don't know..." Emeline was quite skeptical, but then, besides a little pain, where was the harm, and she was curious to see if it would actually do something. Of course, there was no evil eye that needed to be eradicated, but how many non-Chinese could say they experienced 'Moxibustion'?
"It up to Mrs Pike. No work well if person not willing" Charlie assured her. "Perhaps can try first needle; if no like, forget other four. Who care?!" On the other hand, Dr Lu seemed very keen to get on with it, there was a rather urgent tone about his chatter.
"All right, then." Taking a breath, she sat, then pulled up her sleeve to expose her forearm. "If nothing else, it will distract me from little Mavis' dancing circles!" It didn't occur to her that she'd have to explain any marks to Barnabas, and he might not be too happy with her exploits!
Charlie nodded happily and bade Dr Lu come forward. As the man started the operation, choosing where he put the thin, smoking needle very carefully after feeling Emeline's pulse for a few seconds, Charlie was apparently translating what she said to the old man with the dark glasses, judging by the fact that the baby's name was clearly discernable amongst the mandarin. "她说这个孩子叫 Mavis 并且在周围跳舞"
Charlie peered at the white woman expectantly, hoping that the needle did not hurt much going in, but that she, and the baby for that matter, would feel some benefit immediately.
Doctor Lu babbled at Charlie: 我们来得及。幸运的是那个叫来的幽灵孩子把你带到了那里!
Charlie frowned: 鬼孩子?!?!
"So sorry!" he said to Emeline "Very rude to talk in Chinese tongue in front of white lady. Dr Lu tell this one very disturbing news. Give Charlie Fa collywobbles. Say little girl that lead humble servant to honourable lady in interesting condition was Guǐ háizi. Means 'ghost child'!"
Emeline winced and hissed, more from the anticipation than any pain. Yes, it hurt a little, but only a little, and she was more fascinated than anything.
And just as she was realizing that the discomfort in her belly seemed to be easing, Charlie spoke, talking about a 'ghost child'? That mention gave her the collywobbles, too, even though she'd never heard the term!
"Gway hazy? Is that ghost child?" Her brow furrowed into a frown. "Please, what do you mean that you were led to me?" Certainly, that had just been a coincidence, that Charlie had shown up with his cart when she needed a ride?
不要輕視蛇，有朝一日它可能會變成一條龍
"Gway hazy? Is that ghost child?" Her brow furrowed into a frown. "Please, what do you mean that you were led to me?" Certainly, that had just been a coincidence, that Charlie had shown up with his cart when she needed a ride?
Charlie nodded. "It all very strange. Charlie Fa sleep with light on tonight, you bet!" he said, indicating that he himself didn't necessarily take all of this supernatural stuff in his stride: he had heard too many tales of Fox Spirits and vengeful ghosts as a child in Habin Province that had made his hair stand on end.
He changed the subject.
"How you like needle treatment. How baby Mavis like same?" he asked solicitously, Dr Lu was popping them in with gay abandon now.
"It meant to clean qi - spirit energy" Charlie explained, not that that in itself was much of an explanation to a westerner.
She didn't really get any good answers, but Emeline didn't mind, since she didn't really believe in such things, and it seemed to make the men feel better.
"It does seem to help," she commented, then she laughed as she looked at her arm with all the little pins sticking out. "I'm actually feeling much better, and the baby seems to have settled." She even felt like she had more energy. "And I don't know that it's a girl, of course." There was no way to know that sort of thing, until she had the infant in her arms. "I just try different names, to see which might fit, and to annoy my husband. All we really care about is that the baby is healthy. I'm sure this will help."
Not really, but no harm done, right?
不要輕視蛇，有朝一日它可能會變成一條龍
"It does seem to help," she commented, then she laughed as she looked at her arm with all the little pins sticking out.
Charlie chuckled to hear Emeline chuckle. "Yes, very good. Arm look like 刺猬 Cìwèi." He struggled to think of the American name, but failed, as they didn't have hedgehogs in this country. "Like Porky Pine!" he settled on the nearest native equivalent he could come up with.
"I'm actually feeling much better, and the baby seems to have settled." She even felt like she had more energy. "And I don't know that it's a girl, of course." There was no way to know that sort of thing, until she had the infant in her arms. "I just try different names, to see which might fit, and to annoy my husband. All we really care about is that the baby is healthy. I'm sure this will help."
"Yes, understand. Charlie Fa have many children back in China. Many boy, many girl, one we not too sure. Leave all behind when come to 'Merica. Even if know if baby boy or girl, no can name until see. This girl maybe don't look like Mavis when born!" he told her, not, apparently, too concerned that he had left his massive family in his home country.
"You're right, she may not look like a Mavis, especially if she's a boy!" Emeline laughed, then looked at Charlie. "Don't you miss your children? I'm afraid I'd miss mine a great deal, I don't know that I could leave them behind...even if..." Sighing, she shrugged. "I had a daughter, and when she died, I felt like my world crashed, it was horrible, but I had to keep going."
She offered a sad smile. "I know this child is going to be strong and healthy, and we're going to have a dozen!" Her smile brightened. "Maybe we can name one Charlie! Or porky pine!"
Saint Mary's In The Mountains that's what they called off of Sun Mountain. It was the most beautiful church he had ever seen, sitting up here, away from the rest of the world. He knew there were others of equal splendor, but he had never actually paid any mind to the ones in San Francisco, or anywhere else he had ever been.
He spent some time inside, getting right with his creator, it had been quite a while, and Pronto Pike had much to atone for, or so he believed, and he was probably right in that belief. His life had careened between the edge and middle ground of life. From taking lives to marrying Emelline and creating the first of the dozen or so she planned on. Now, things were different, much different. He had been ignorant of his own situation, painfully ignorant. Living off of his salary all of this time, though it had been good, it could have been much better for all concerned.
He stepped out, went back up to C Street, and looked around at things that were familiar to him, things he had missed about the town, the mountain, and the people, but he realized, they were all a part of the past, his past. Now it was about Emiline, the baby, and him. Then too there was home and his life in Kalispell.
He was just above 'A' Street before he realized he had hiked up the hill. He stopped and looked out at a view he had loved. A view that he would likely never see again. Virginia City had given him so much, but Kalispell had given him far more.
Circa 1875