mother’s on her dying day. The caregiver stepped forward cautiously and gently tapped his master on the
shoulder. When that didn’t work, he shook him, rather roughly, and called his name out loud. Liko’s face turned
as white as a sheet. He ran out of the beacon tower and gathered some of the others. Soon, a large crowd ran
toward the beacon tower where Boqin lay. After one of the generals checked his pulse, he declared him dead.
There was a moment of silence. All of them mourned. Suddenly, a rumbling sound could be heard by all. The
Great Wall surged forwards, backwards, upwards and downwards very violently as if it indeed was alive. Never
was there an earthquake such as this. Stones rained down on the poor soldiers, some of the brighter ones,
including all the higher officials present, ran outside and tried to maintain their balance. The soldiers screamed
and called for help. Suddenly, the stones parted in the floor of the beacon tower and the corpse of Boqin fell in,
Liko shouting in horror and reaching out his hand to grab him, but he was too late. The corpse fell into the pit
and the stones merged together. The Great Wall was like the backbone of a dead dragon that curled and winded
its way through the peaks and kept the foreign invaders at bay. Outside, the trees that grew on the mountainside
were lush and verdant. Vines and moss covered bare rocks. The hot sun shone as if the gods were pleased with
the burnt offerings made that morning. Clear chantings could be heard from nearby monasteries as monks and
nuns praised the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of old in unison. Songbirds sang arias, refrains and chorales, and all
who heard took pleasure in it. A gentle breeze was cool and refreshing. The men could be seen trudging along
the Great Wall, in mournful silence. From a tree overlooking the Great Wall, a crow burst out, and flew cawing
out rather loudly as it flew on and on… until it disappeared in the distance.
* * *