Sample - Ring Dragonz

Hong Kong
Lee rattled loudly on an iron knocker in the middle
of a broad door.
The children heard the thudding of heavy
footsteps approaching from within. A mad clatter of
unlocking hinges followed next. Finally, the door
whooshed open to reveal a gigantic Chinese man
who filled the doorway like a gorilla in a cage. Peter
and Walsh gasped and took two steps backwards,
but Mr. Lee did not appear the least bit intimidated.
“Hello there, Talo,” he boldly addressed the
huge man. “Is my brother at home this evening?”
The mountain of muscles held in the
doorframe, refusing to budge. But eventually the
doorkeeper lumbered aside and permitted the party
to pass under his stern gaze. When all were inside,
Talo relocked the door’s numerous deadbolts and
plodded away.
Anne Mai swiftly surveyed the palace. Corner
to corner, everything looked hand-carved, from
devilish pottery to beastly statuettes. Each piece
appeared quite lifelike, seeming to dance in a
flickering orange glow that haunted every crevice.
“Mama? Is this where Papa grew up?” Anne
Mai whispered in her mother’s ear.
“Yes, Mai Mai,” Mrs. Lee replied. “Generations
of Lees have grown up in this ancestral palace. But
your uncle lives here now.”
Talo returned a minute later escorting a
beautiful Chinese woman wearing a long silken robe.
Her face was painted white and her hair was tied up
in a bun with chopsticks. She bent herself in a
traditional bow, her visage unchanging as a portrait.
Mr. Lee bowed in return. “Hello. We haven’t
met,” he greeted. “I’m Ming Xa, brother to Shang
Sin.” When he got no response, the man tried his
29