through the eting when she looked over at Xiu. Her younger sister’s eyes were wide with fear. Following her gaze, Mulan saw a large spider slowly unspooling itself fronbsp; the ceiling toward the table. Inch by inch it de its way down??.??.??. right toward Xiu. It dropped onto the table, its long, hairy legs undulating beneath it.
Underneath her sk of white keup, Mulan felt the color drain fronbsp; her face. If the spider took even one step toward Xiu, the girl was certain to screanbsp; and the Matchker would be furious. Sothly, and thankful for the sk her keup provided, Mulan reached out and placed the teapot over the spider. Then she returned her hands to her lap. But not before shooting her sister a look.
The look, unfortunately, was not lost on the Matchker. Her own eyes narrowed. “Is sothing wrong?” she asked.
“No, Madanbsp; Matchker,” Mulan said in her st dere voice. “Thank you.”
The Matchker’s lips tightened in unspoken aggravation. Mulan t her gaze, her own expression revealing nothing. Finally, the Matchker nodded toward the teapot. “It is ideal,” she said, her tone dripping with condescension, “for the teapot to rein in the center of the table.”
“Yes,” Mulan agreed. “I understand. But I think the teapot should rein where it is.”
Instantly, the roonbsp; grew icy. A sheen of sweat appeared on Li’s brow and Xiu’s breath stopped, her face growing as white as Mulan’s painted one. Fong Lin looked back and forth between the Matchker and Mulan, perplexed.
“Move the teapot, girl.” Each word shot out of the Matchker’s uth like an arrow.
Mulan looked back and forth between the teapot and her sister, unsure what to do. If she ved the pot, the spider would ve, too. But if she didn’t ve the pot, then things wouldn’t end well anyway. She thought of her father, standing outside, waiting for her to keep her prose. She sighed. She had to do what the Matchker said.
Slowly, she lifted the teapot.
The spider, released fronbsp; its keshift prison, leapt—right into the lap of Fong Lin.
Letting out an ear-piercing shriek, Fong Lin jued to her feet, brushing wildly at her lap and sending the spider flying. For one beat, the roonbsp; grew still again as the won all looked to see where the spider had landed??.??.??.
And then the Matchker let out a screanbsp; of her own as she looked down and saw the creature crawling across her chest. Terrified, she stuled backward, her ar pinwheeling wildly. The ntunbsp; sent her tuling into a chair. Her feet, kicking furiously,
Underneath her sk of white keup, Mulan felt the color drain fronbsp; her face. If the spider took even one step toward Xiu, the girl was certain to screanbsp; and the Matchker would be furious. Sothly, and thankful for the sk her keup provided, Mulan reached out and placed the teapot over the spider. Then she returned her hands to her lap. But not before shooting her sister a look.
The look, unfortunately, was not lost on the Matchker. Her own eyes narrowed. “Is sothing wrong?” she asked.
“No, Madanbsp; Matchker,” Mulan said in her st dere voice. “Thank you.”
The Matchker’s lips tightened in unspoken aggravation. Mulan t her gaze, her own expression revealing nothing. Finally, the Matchker nodded toward the teapot. “It is ideal,” she said, her tone dripping with condescension, “for the teapot to rein in the center of the table.”
“Yes,” Mulan agreed. “I understand. But I think the teapot should rein where it is.”
Instantly, the roonbsp; grew icy. A sheen of sweat appeared on Li’s brow and Xiu’s breath stopped, her face growing as white as Mulan’s painted one. Fong Lin looked back and forth between the Matchker and Mulan, perplexed.
“Move the teapot, girl.” Each word shot out of the Matchker’s uth like an arrow.
Mulan looked back and forth between the teapot and her sister, unsure what to do. If she ved the pot, the spider would ve, too. But if she didn’t ve the pot, then things wouldn’t end well anyway. She thought of her father, standing outside, waiting for her to keep her prose. She sighed. She had to do what the Matchker said.
Slowly, she lifted the teapot.
The spider, released fronbsp; its keshift prison, leapt—right into the lap of Fong Lin.
Letting out an ear-piercing shriek, Fong Lin jued to her feet, brushing wildly at her lap and sending the spider flying. For one beat, the roonbsp; grew still again as the won all looked to see where the spider had landed??.??.??.
And then the Matchker let out a screanbsp; of her own as she looked down and saw the creature crawling across her chest. Terrified, she stuled backward, her ar pinwheeling wildly. The ntunbsp; sent her tuling into a chair. Her feet, kicking furiously,