二十五 (Twenty-Five)

Foreign enemies attacked Felicity. The felinoids thought it was just the enemy coming to plunder intoxicating leaves. They offered no resistance at all, hoping only that the soldiers firing downstairs would leave some for them. Even when they saw the enemies arrive, they remained unperturbed.

The foreign troops arrived. The emperor was a sensible man, and the ministers were loyal. Then everyone happily put on their wooden boots and went off to drill.

The foreign soldiers demolished the intoxicating leaves buildings. They could dismantle the houses themselves and carry them away. The felinoids had no recourse at all.

The fall of the Cat Country was inevitable. The felinoids made no effort and refused to cooperate. They deserved only to be slaves!

But I still had to see. I was by no means gloating over their misfortune. I wanted to see it through to the end.

The emperor had fled. A "new" government was established, with the emperor renamed as head of state, but the government offices were still staffed by the same old bureaucrats. The army was still led by those officers. They no longer went to drill. They merely loitered in the streets, even stealing some intoxicating leaves to consume, because the new government "protected" intoxicating leaves.

The new government also killed a few people to establish its authority. It burned a few houses to "demonstrate its power". It also plundered some intoxicating leaves to "maintain the market". The price of intoxicating leaves dropped from fifty taels per qian to ten taels per qian. Yet the officials of the "new" government only concerned themselves with killing, burning, and looting. They paid no heed to the market.

The foreign troops watched. Originally, they had no intention of occupying Felicity. But now, seeing how uncooperative the people here were, they decided to take action.

At this time, I encountered Young Scorpion. He had indeed grown much thinner, his eyes larger, but he lacked vitality.

He gave me a bitter smile. "A slave of a fallen country cannot have spirit."

He led me outside the city to look. It turned out the foreign troops had already set up defenses, preparing to attack.

"Look," Young Scorpion pointed at an artillery position. "Their cannons are all aimed at our imperial palace. They plan to flatten the palace with the first volley, then enter the city and slaughter us all."

"Can we not resist?" I asked.

"Resist? Where is the army?" A strange expression appeared on Young Scorpion's face, something between a smile and a cry. "Oh, perhaps those 'new' government officials have a way. They might order the felinoids to line up and have their own artillery fire at the palace, just to beg the foreign troops not to enter the city!"

I felt utterly heartbroken. There was no need to ask further. The Cat Country was finished, along with its emperor, officials, and people, all doomed.

I returned with Young Scorpion. The streets were already in chaos. The felinoids knew the foreign troops were coming soon. They began looting, hoping to hide everything before the foreigners arrived. Intoxicating leaves were the easiest to steal. They no longer cared about rites or sacrifices. Everyone scrambled to haul them home.

Young Scorpion watched them loot without uttering a word.

When they reached his dwelling, he said to me, "Father and Madam Envoy are both dead."

I was stunned.

"It happened yesterday," he continued. "They committed suicide together. Father said he was old and couldn't bear the pain of a fallen country. Madam Envoy said she would follow him because she loved him."

I still couldn't speak.

Young Scorpion poured two cups of wine. "Come, let us drink a toast. Before the Cat Country is completely destroyed, let us drink one more cup."

We drank in silence.

"I cannot die," Young Scorpion said softly. "I fear that if I die, our history will have no record. I must see. I must witness how the Cat Country perishes. I must record the final chapter of our history. But," he gave a bitter smile, "for whom would I record it?"

Outside, the chaos grew worse. Gunfire erupted.

Young Scorpion pulled me up onto the rooftop.

In the distance, the imperial palace caught fire. The flames grew larger. In a moment, the palace had become a sea of fire.

The felinoids began setting fires. They stopped looting. They wanted to burn everything, so the foreign troops would find nothing when they entered.

Flames soared into the sky, turning Felicity into a volcano.

Young Scorpion's hand trembled as he pointed at the palace. "Father, Madam Envoy, all gone! The Cat Country will be gone too!"

The fire burned fiercer, engulfing all of Felicity in flames.

The foreign troops' cannons roared, firing shot after shot into the fiery sea.

The felinoids all fled and scattered. Only soldiers remained in the streets. They offered no resistance, merely awaiting death.

Young Scorpion pulled me down from the rooftop. "We must go. It's not safe here either."

The two of us ran wildly through the firelight, escaping the city.

Looking back, Felicity had become a sea of fire, with foreign cannons still firing one shell after another into the flames.

Young Scorpion sat on a rock, panting. "Finished, finished!"

I sat beside him, listening to the cannon fire and watching the flames, unable to utter a word.

Suddenly, Young Scorpion stood up, knelt toward Felicity, and kowtowed three times.

Then he sat down and drew a small knife from his bosom.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I am fulfilling my father's last wish." He gave a bitter smile and plunged the knife into his chest.

He looked at me, his lips moving slightly, then collapsed.

I lifted him up. His breathing had already stopped.

I had no tears. I sat there, watching the great fire of Felicity, listening to the foreign cannons. I didn't know how long I sat.

Finally, I stood up and, with my own hands, dug a pit and buried Young Scorpion.

I set off alone toward Mars.

I wanted to go home, but where was my home?

The people of Mars, though not highly enlightened, had hope. They were not felinoids.

The felinoids were finished, not even their flies would be left.

I knew myself now. I was not a great man, but I had accomplished something, for I had witnessed the fall of the Cat Country.

People of Mars, strive on. You are fortunate.

I bless you!