Trusting Women With Boxes

Rosamunda floats gently down from the moon bridge.....

Click!

...and is captured within the illusory circle by Ming Rong's camera..

Could this really happen? No? Let's not be too hasty ....

Splash!

Yes. It could really happen,

I'm all wet, says Rosamunda.

I didn't mean you to come down like that, says Ming Rong, helping her out of the pond. I meant you to come down the way you went up. But it'll be the most awesome photo.

He wraps his jacket around Rosamunda. They sit down at the edge of the pond.

Tell me the story of Chang'e, says Rosamunda.

So Ming Rong tells her the story:

Chang'e and her husband Houyi were immortals living in heaven. One day the ten sons of the Jade Emperor turned into ten suns, and began scorching the earth. Houyi, the archer, shot nine of them leaving only one sun. But the Jade Emperor was not pleased.  He sent Houyi and Chang'e to live on earth as mortals.

Typical, says Rosamunda. SHE didn't do anything.

True, says Ming Rong. Chang'e was unhappy. So Houyi set off in search of a means of regaining immortality.

HE did? says Rosamunda. I thought SHE was unhappy.

Just listen, says Ming Rong. He went. He met the Queen Mother of the West who gave him a pill. She told him one pill was enough for two people. He took the pill home and put it in a box for safe keeping, telling Chang'e not to open the box. Then he went away for a while.

Why? says Rosamunda.

So the rest of the story could happen, says Ming Rong. Chang'e opened the box and found the pill. Before she could put it away Houyi came back. So she swallowed the pill in a panic. Soon she began to float upwards. Houyi was alarmed. Upwards and upwards she went. The only way he could bring her down was to shoot her with arrows. But he didn't want to hurt her. She floated up to the moon where she stayed and was lonely, except for the rabbit who also happened to live there.

Wow, says Rosamunda. It's a feminist story.

Is it? says Ming Rong. But you are shivering, Rosamunda. Let me take you home.

.........

Arthur, Margaret and Gaius are on the plane flying homewards.

Gaius is snoozing.

Margaret is thinking (not too regretfully) about Rosamunda.

Arthur is thinking about Sweezus and how he will go round to see him as soon as he gets home. He will take him those Richie Porte notes. He feels around for them in his pocket. But what's this here? He pulls out the box.

Is that the box Dr Zhu Min gave Gaius? says Margaret.

Yes, says Arthur. Here, you have it. Give it to Gaius when he wakes up.

Margaret takes it.

Gaius is still snoozing.

Margaret fingers the box. There is sticky tape holding the lid on. She picks at the tape surreptitiously.......