Flower Girl: A Burton Family Mystery Part 9

Reddy changed the subject, saying, "I have a surprise for you. Michaela II. She's the most perfect sniper weapon in the world, one of a kind made especially for you. Care to try her out?"

I watched as he placed a metallic object on a flat rock. It was half the size of a wasp with two wings that opened when the guidance system kicked in. It also had two small antennae. Reddy carefully loaded the wasp projectile into the barrel of the customized rifle and pointed it in the direction of the green gla.s.s buoys in the eastern corner of the cove. Using the laptop, he synchronized the lat.i.tude and longitude of the wasp and that of his target buoy which he had previously determined, then entered the windage and other data into the laptop. The laptop screen read TARGET ENGAGED. It flashed twice and then I saw the small splash on the screen and the message TARGET DESTROYED.

"Your turn," Reddy said, pointing to the remaining small wasp on the flat rock. "Be sure not to compress the wings nor the antennae. Cup it in your open palm and slide it into the barrel b.u.t.t end first, gently tilt the barrel until you hear a soft click. There is a tiny magnet in the wasp's a.s.s that engages with the firing mechanism."

I followed Reddy's laptop voice commands precisely. It was totally different from the SR-25 where I took two deep breaths, exhaled slowly and softly squeezed the trigger. "Soft isn't good enough. It has to be oh so gentle," Reddy said.

We reviewed what I did in slow motion and I soon learned how this weapon worked. Reddy had developed a tiny battery that propelled the wasp drone. It had a range of one to two kilometers depending on headwinds and humidity. The CIA, and who knows which other governments and/or organizations, wanted this miniature battery for several military and spy adaptations.

"Push the enter b.u.t.ton when the screen says TARGET ENGAGED."

We watched on the laptop screen as the wasp projectile left the barrel and as it progressed toward the target. Nearing the target area, its wings unfolded so it could make flight path adjustments which were invisible in real time. Reddy showed me how he had made these corrections with the small wireless direction controller, like the ones used for computer combat games. He purposely missed the target for educational reasons.

My second round ripped through the green gla.s.s buoy puncturing it front and back at exit without shattering it; it soon filled with water and sank.

"I like the way you handled Michaela II. Would you prefer her or the SR-25 for your first a.s.signment?" Reddy asked.

"No offense, but I feel more confident with the SR-25," I replied, adding, "a.s.suming the range to the target is as we have practiced and with the laptop of course so I won't need a spotter/partner."

"That practice was with special no mess rounds." He smiled, an almost wicked grin crossing his face. He reminded me of a mad scientist unleas.h.i.+ng his creation on an unsuspecting world. "We can load the wasp with an explosive if needed."

That steely-eyed look was the same look that has kept me at a distance from my father. I secretly thought he enjoys the kill. However, it might be that he enjoyed the challenge of a very difficult task and trade at which he was highly skilled. I also enjoyed such challenges. Either way, that look had always disturbed me.

Reddy spoke softly, "Good choice. Always choose the weapon you know best. And, you have correctly a.s.sumed that I can configure the SR-25 to respond to laptop commands. No spotter necessary. I told you at the lake that you're ready for your first a.s.signment - your target is Dr. Evel Park Junior."

Junior! I tried not to react to this announcement. To act as cool as Reddy always was. I definitely had motivation enough to take Junior on as my first Burton's Family Business a.s.signment. Junior clearly met Reddy's Rule # 1. However, revenge violated Reddy's Rule Number 2. I had to come to grips with my sense of retribution.

The next day we were scheduled to depart for Mokpo to start our Silla dynasty tour. Rhyly got up early so she could interview a few of the haenyeo divers, so we told her to catch a taxi and meet us at the ferry in Jeju City in two hours. We gathered Rhyly's and our bags from Reddy's place and caught a taxi of our own. Then we headed for the ferry to Mokpo. Meanwhile, Hamish had flown down from Seoul and would meet us at the Mokpo ferry landing.

"Hamish is going to be our guide and driver for a tour of Gyeongju," Reddy said as Rhyly joined us. "He says it is best not to drive in Korea. Let a local do the driving or take a taxi or a bus."

"I have never been on the Gyeongbu Expressway which runs from Pusan to Seoul. It'll be a blast and we can really see the countryside. Hamish is flying into Gw.a.n.gju airport and picking up a rental car in Mokpo. On our driving tour to Gyeongju we will see several of the wonders of ancient Silla. Over a thousand years of Silla heritage, ancient tombs at Namsan Mountain, archaeological ruins, the Silla Bell, and Queen Seondeok's star gazing tower. Fantastic stuff!"

Five hours later, Hamish greeted us with his usual jolly smile. "An young ha seyo? You must be Dr. Rhyly Raincrow. Delighted to meet you. And you are Dr. Shannon Lee Burton." He said each name with a slight hesitation, adding, "I have waited many years for my G.o.ddaughter to return."

I broke my rule and allowed him to give me a bear hug that nearly crushed me.

"Our chariot awaits us in the parking area," Hamish added as he took Reddy's hand and gave him a hug. As we piled into the Hyundai SUV, Hamish immediately began his role as guide and historian.

"As with the haenyeo, we see the relevance of women in times past and in ancient Korean mythology," Hamish said as we drove from Mokpo to Busan. "I believe that has become the theme of our tour."

"We visited the haenyeo yesterday and Reddy told us about their matriarchal culture," Rhyly said.

Hamish smiled and said, "Ask Reddy who taught him." Reddy pointed at Hamish.

"During our Silla tour, the artifacts and sites we'll focus on have a history of a.s.sociation with women's contributions to Korea's development," Hamish said. "That is why I have asked Sister Cerice to join us. These are but a few of the many women's contributions. Many others have been systematically destroyed or lost over the centuries of wars and change and she is an expert on these injustices to women.

"The history of women in Korea includes numerous despotic eras of enslavement and forced prost.i.tution as well as artists and craftswomen being enslaved and sent to j.a.pan to bolster a sagging culture. The Manchu, the Mongols, and internal clans and forces have enslaved Korean women and expatriated them to other countries as wives and to bolster populations. In the twentieth century the j.a.panese enslaved thousands of Korean women, somewhere between seventy and 200,000,as 'comfort women' for their military occupation forces. However, much about their history has been lost over time and I fear it is also been systematically eradicated in an effort to preserve male-dominance for Korea. Enough introduction. Fasten your seat belts and enjoy the tour."

As we drove from Mokpo to Gyeongju, the ancient capital of Silla, Rhyly asked Hamish, "How did you accrue this vast knowledge of the contributions of women to Korean development?"

"I was raised by the sisters of Saint Catherine at a century old convent on Seoul's Namsan Mountain. Sister Cerice is a research faculty member at Ewha Women's University. She does not teach cla.s.ses as she has Tourette's syndrome and prefers to stay in the convent and avoid strangers. She is nearly eighty and has been my history teacher for many years. She shared her English translations of the Sagi and other records of the Silla with me and a few other orphans at the convent. It is this knowledge that I am sharing with you now."

"But, where did you acquire your knowledge of the systematic destruction of women's contributions?" Rhyly persisted.

"That too came from Sister Cerice. She has long suspected that historical records of the contributions of the women of the Silla era have been and continue to be systematically destroyed. These are not just lost to wars and regime changes over the centuries as values changed from Buddhist to Confucian to Christian," Hamish replied.

"When will we meet her?" Rhyly asked.

"If you approached her, she might share the secrets of lost and destroyed doc.u.ments and artifacts of that era. She works with the scholars at Ewha Women's University, and only travels outside the convent to visit children and the infirm who need her services as she is also a nurse. I do believe that in olden times she would have been a powerful female shaman," Hamish responded. "Sister Cerice has agreed to join us at the Emille Bell, before we enter Gyeongju."

We drove on for nearly an hour enjoying the scenery before Hamish broke the silence.

"Chinese culture heavily influenced the Korean peninsula during all three kingdoms due to close geographic proximity. From the first century to the seventh in the Common Era, during the years when the Silla ruled, the kingdom did not rapidly absorb Chinese culture and did not embrace Buddhism until the sixth century. In the seventh century, the capital of Gyeongju was a spectacular Asian city and the two to three hundred years of the Unified Silla Kingdom produced a time of magnificence in pottery and art, many examples of which have survived and are in museums around the country. Our tour focuses mostly on the seventh century and the first Queen of Silla, Queen Seondeok, who ruled during these times and built the first star gazing tower in Asia."

Our black Hyundai SUV rental car reached Pusan in a few hours. Once clear of the industrial pollution and traffic jams of Pusan, we began picking up some heavy north bound traffic, trucks and cars carrying cargo and pa.s.sengers to Seoul, and to Gyeongju.

I a.s.sumed all along that Hamish was in on Reddy's using the tour as a cover story and that he knew about our plans to rescue Zubaida's granddaughter. I knew Reddy had briefed Hamish on the rescue mission; however, I wondered if he knew about my first a.s.signment.

As we neared Gyeongju, Hamish said, "In addition to Cheju-do and the fabulous legends of the island's G.o.ddesses, matriarchs, and the sea women, we are about to hear and see one of the most revered artifacts of ancient Silla. Rhyly, the tour will provide you with an excellent briefing for your research," Hamish said. Of course the tour was providing us more than that.

"The Emille bell is a national treasure, located at the National Museum at Gyeongju. When rung, it is said that it can be heard from forty miles away on a clear day. We'll test that theory soon," Hamish said.

Traffic was at a minimum as Hamish pulled in to a service station for gas while we purchased some bottles of water. A small nun walked steadily toward us saying, "The bell is best known as the Emille Bell, an ancient Silla term for 'mommy.' Hamish then introduced us to Sister Cerice, and she took the front pa.s.senger seat so she could best talk to us in the back.

Playing our role as tourists, we bought souvenirs and took lots of photos at every opportunity. At the souvenir kiosk outside the station, I caught a glimpse of a Benz limousine. Out of habit I memorized the license plate number, RG 22-N-78.

As we started to pile back into the Hyundai SUV we all heard a deep mellow grroonnggg sound, like a frog croaking, make that a giant frog, followed by a slightly different grrooonngg, followed by another and another, each slightly different tones.

"How far are we from this concert of the giant frogs, the museum, and the bell?" I asked.

Hamish looked at the odometer on the SUV and said, "Thirty kilometers, not forty miles, but that's still a pretty impressive distance for the bell's sound to carry."

As we continued, I couldn't help but notice a black 1,000 cc Yamaha, with a rider dressed all in black, pull out of the service area right behind the limo which was right behind us. We stayed in tandem for the next thirty minutes, until I lost them in the traffic entering Gyeongju.

"Considered a masterpiece of Unified Silla art, the Silla bell is unique among the bronze bells of Korea, having a small hollow tube near the dragon's head hook by which it is hung. The column the bell hangs on is said to be several centuries old. Yet, it still supports the huge bell. The tube absorbs high frequency waves, contributing to a distinctive tone each time the bell is struck. The result is a wide range of sound frequencies." Hamish recited all this as if reading a brochure. "Now you know a bit more about the 'grooongggg' we heard at the gas station on our drive into Gyeongju," Hamish concluded.

"It's huge," I said as we trekked to within a dozen meters of the bell which hung from its dragon's head hook with a striking log hanging beside it. I could feel it still vibrating. I resisted a compelling urge to touch it.

Reddy said, "It weighs just shy of twenty tons."

"Look at the flower patterns and the lotus reliefs," I said, adding, "and the reliefs of two angelic maidens."

"See the striking point. It's also a relief shaped like a lotus between two maidens," Rhyly said.

Sister Cerice smiled. "You are both very knowledgeable. Do you know what these maidens represent?"

"They are called Apsaras, meaning nymphs, female spirits of the clouds and waters in Buddhist and Hindu mythology. It is said that they are beautiful, have supernatural powers, and they can shape change at will, and that they rule over luck and the fortunes one might obtain. Fabulous dancers, musicians, caretakers, in the service of the G.o.ds, like angels," Rhyly replied.

"You are indeed knowledgeable," Sister Cerice said. "I have long wondered if the Wonhwa took their lead from these mythological women."

Rhyly asked, "I have read little of the Wonhwa. Someday will you tell us more about them?" Sister Cerice smiled and nodded.

I made mental notes of these artifacts that validated legends about women. Rhyly did the same but in a notepad, and we discussed them at every opportunity with Sister Cerice, with an emphasis on the Wonhwa and Queen Seondeok.

Hamish said, "Let's take a break across the street at the tea house, after we first check-in and visit the Hilton Hotel facilities."

Returning from the hotel ladies room, Rhyly asked, "I wonder what people did for facilities in seventh century Silla?"

"It's the Chinese inscriptions describing how and why the bell was cast that are most intriguing," Hamish said. "Sister Cerice, please tell Rhyly and Shannon the story behind the casting of the bell."

As Hamish poured us green tea from a ceramic pot with Apsaras decorating the matching cups, Sister Cerice began the story of the casting of the bell. "It was cast by the son of King Seongdeok; however, even more intriguing is the legendary tale of how the bell gained its voice. Legend has it that the first try at casting the bell was a failure. No sound came other than a dull thud when it was struck. The bronze bell was recast many times without success. The king that had first wanted the bell cast died and his young son took over with the help of his mother. The queen and the son carried out what his father had started, but still they didn't have any success.

"Years later, a monk dreamed that if a child was cast into the metal, then the bell would ring. The monk took a child from the village and had her cast into the metal. When the bell was cast and struck, it made a most beautiful sound," Sister Cerice said.

"Melting a young girl, that's rather gruesome," Rhyly replied.

"Perhaps!" Sister Cerice said, adding, "However, at several literary workshops at academic conferences, Dr. Sincere Kim Park has set forth the argument that the Emille Bell legend has been confused with legends of other bells, and that no girl was ever cast into the metal. He described the story as a work of modern fiction, dating no further back than a hundred years ago."

"He's trying to refute the contributions of a queen and a girl to the history of a national treasure, known by all as the 'Mommy Bell,'" I said.

"Exactly!" Sister Cerice replied.

"The Mommy Bell!" Rhyly said, adding, "No wonder male dominance feels challenged."

At the mention of one of the Parks, my thoughts once again drifted back to my first a.s.signment and to my mother's grave.

Hamish got us some local bread to go with our green tea. "The bread is called hw.a.n.gnam and it is stuffed with a paste made of red-beans," Hamish said. "How do you like it?"

"Was this bread available in Silla times?" Rhyly asked. "It's rather good."

"Not likely." Hamish replied, "It's only been around for eighty years."

Hamish had made arrangements for us to stay at the Gyeongju Hilton Hotel to support our tourist cover story. Sister Cerice stayed the night at a local convent. Our next stop in the morning was the national park where we planned to reunite. At Gyeongju National Park and some other national parks and historical places we planned to visit, local residents could enter for free. Tourists were charged a fee. We kept our tourists cover and paid the fees, except for Hamish and Sister Cerice.

Sister Cerice noted that a great deal of Gyeongju's heritage was tied to the Silla kingdom's support of Buddhism. We slowly drove by the ruins of ancient temples, Silla-era stone carvings of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas that decorated the mountainsides around and in the city, and tombs, particularly on the south mountain of Namsan. The traffic seemed to be thinning out and we stopped and spent an hour at the site of Queen Seondeok's tomb. Archaeologists had been digging there recently and their tents were still in use. We planned to return to the tomb the next day.

"What's in Gyeongju besides the Silla Bell?" I asked with a hint of sarcasm, almost giddy at the thought of actually seeing what I had been studying for weeks.

Sister Cerice says, "Evidence that not every female image has been destroyed."

"Let's not forget the importance of our cover story as tourists," I said as I slung my backpack and three cameras over my shoulders. Reddy glared at me. I had blown our cover, at least with Rhyly who, however, didn't react. She was no dummy and I trusted her.

That night, after we finished our day of touring, Hamish asked us to drop by his suite in the hotel around 9pm. "I'll arrange for us to view several parts of the Queen Seondeok TV series. It's good background for tomorrow's visit of Queen Seondeok's tomb on Namsan mountain." We ended up watching four hours of the Queen Seondeok TV series. Hamish had the full set in his collection of DVD's; however, we skipped a few or we would still be watching. Rhyly asked if she might get a set for her research.

Sister Cerice began the next morning by reminding us that these movies and TV shows clearly ill.u.s.trated that not everything contributed by Korean women had been diminished or deleted from historical records.

"Queen Seondeok is buried on Namsan Mountain in Gyeongju. We found this out in the TV series we watched last night at the hotel. However, Hamish, didn't you tell us earlier that you were raised by nuns on Namsan Mountain in Seoul?" Rhyly asked.

Hamish replied, "Very observant. Namsan simply means South Mountain. There are mountains to the south of both Seoul and Gyeongju. They are both spiritual places and tomb sites."

After entering Gyeongju National Park, I did not see the Benz nor the black motorcycle as we parked the SUV, laced up our hiking boots, and followed Hamish up a trail toward the center of Namsan Mountain. There are so many peaks and valleys that I would have gotten lost within twenty minutes but for my six direction training. The landscape was decorated with tomb mounds.

I glanced at Rhyly who said, "I hope Hamish knows the way back."

"Reddy can backtrack better than anyone. Don't worry," I a.s.sured her.

As Hamish pulled the SUV out of the calm of the parking garage into the bustling traffic of Gyeongju, setting off to see Cheomseongdae, Reddy told us, "The tower looks a lot like a large milk bottle or a larger version of one of those Vortac navigation direction markers pilots used to navigate by in America." Rhyly, being a pilot, immediately identified with the metaphor.

"You already know that Cheomseongdae means star-gazing tower; however, did you know that it is the oldest observatory in this part of Asia, dating back to seventh century Silla?" Sister Cerice asked. "Historical doc.u.ments tell us that the tower was built during the reign of Queen Seondeok who believed in astrology as well as astronomy, probably influenced by the female shamans of her time."

"There's the milk bottle," Rhyly said with a laugh, pointing out the window of the SUV.

Sister Cerice said, "There are those who claim that it was not suitable for astronomical observation. Others posit that it was used for astrology rather than astronomy, though during that era there was little differentiation between the two."

"I wonder if Dr. Sincere Park is one of the doubters," Rhyly said.

"In addition to being influenced by the mudang and believing in astrology and astronomy, as well as Buddhism, wasn't Queen Seondeok the first queen of Silla and didn't she have a plan for conquering the other two Koruygu and Georgyu dynasties and uniting the peninsula?" Rhyly asked.

"The Queen also built other structures, often in the style of Buddhist paG.o.das. One story tells of a nine story wooden paG.o.da that was sort of a plan for conquering the peninsula. It was a wooden structure some eighty meters high and on each of nine stories of the Buddhist paG.o.da there was an inscription." Sister Cerice added, "Do you know what these inscriptions engraved into each story represent?"

"Each inscription is a name of one of the neighboring dynasties that border on Silla," Rhyly said as she scrutinized the inscriptions.

I added, "The name on each level appears to be of one of the neighbors of Silla whom the queen planned to conquer."

Sister Cerice replied, "Most impressive. Did you know that the queen planned to triumph over each of them, making the paG.o.da essentially a plan for conquering the peninsula?"

Rhyly laughed and said, "Tell us another story of Queen Seondeok's powers."

Hamish swerved to avoid a motorcycle rider all dressed in black, saying, "Sorry about that folks."

Sister Cerice continued, "Another story of the Queen's powers is said to have occurred in the year 647ce at the time of the first lunar month. It was said at the time that female rulers could not rule the country. Lord Bidam of Silla led a revolt against Queen Seondeok with that very slogan, "Female rulers cannot rule the country."

Rhyly and I simultaneously said, "Wow! I wonder what Hillary would make of that slogan?"

Rhyly added, "I hope he really stepped into the proverbial pile with that slogan."

Sister Cerice continued the story. "Legend has it that during the revolt a star fell. Lord Bidam's cohorts took it as a sign of the end of Queen Seondeok's reign. The general of the queen's royal army advised her to fly a burning kite as a sign that the star was back in its place." Sister Cerice paused for effect and Rhyly took the bait.

"Did the ruse work?" Rhyly asked excitedly.

"Ten days after the revolution began, Bidam and a number of his men were executed," Sister Cerice replied with a big grin.

"Nice trap." Rhyly grinned back. "I like the ending. Chalk up one for the Queen and for Korean women."

Soon the sun was setting on day three of the tour. Hamish continued his tour briefing as we left the first astronomical observatory in the Far East.

"The milk bottle, as you are wont to call it, was built by Queen Seondeok in the seventh century out of granite blocks. It and the Mommy Bell are two of hundreds of remains on Namsan Mountain from the Silla dynasty including tombs of Silla kings and queens from the seventh to tenth centuries. Other remnants and artifacts dot the landscape with Buddhist art, carved reliefs, temples, and paG.o.das. All are considered national treasures," Hamish said. "Sister Cerice says that Namsan is not only known for the Silla remains but also appreciated by many tourists for its natural beauty."