Act Three: The Laws of Engaging with the World (Part One)

one

At night, hot water gurgled in the white marble pool. Steam rose continuously, only to be blown away by the wind outside the window, preventing the bathroom from becoming stuffy. Men and women moved back and forth, adding water to earthenware jars, their clean shoes leaving no trace of mud on the damp floor.

Yubi, wrapped in his last layer of clothing, bent over, holding a candle, selecting the perfumes and essential oils he would use that day. The lacquered wooden shelves were filled with a dazzling array of bottles and jars; anyone unfamiliar with the craft would be overwhelmed. Musk, cloves, and sandalwood sat in one row; rockrose, oregano, and lavender in another; olive oil and almond oil, for dissolving, were placed at the very bottom. His gaze swept over the delicate, translucent jars, and he frowned, hesitating.

Myrrh was too bitter, frankincense too sour, but Yubi's favorite was castoreum. Its scent was pleasantly sweet. Yubi had heard stories about castoreum. Beavers were incredibly intelligent creatures. They would build irrigation ditches with branches and stones to prevent rivers from washing away their nests. These free and agile creatures, however, possessed glands that emitted a unique fragrance, attracting hunters eager to obtain this rare treasure. Over time, they learned a terrible self-mutilation technique: when they sensed someone chasing them, they would tear off the coveted lump of flesh from between their hind legs, leaving it for the hunters. This horrific self-castration ended, the hunters got what they wanted and returned home, while the beavers, dragging their crippled bodies, could escape and save their lives.

It was a cruel and pitiful story, but that didn't stop Yubi from liking the taste. He took down the small glass jar containing the reddish-brown powder. "Christina," he called to a maid beside him, "this is it."

“You always use castoreum,” Christina said. She lowered her head, took the jar, then took some olive oil, a strand of her long, brown hair, tied back, cascading down her smooth, delicate, plaster-sculpted neck and shoulders. Yubi knew the taste of her blood; lately, it had been growing increasingly bitter.

"How are things between you and Stephen?" Yubi asked, peering out from behind. Stephen always managed to get him some exotic spices; he'd heard the story of castoreum from him. "Where did he go?"

“He’s in the lady’s room.” Christina turned her back to him, refusing to turn around. She carefully ground the reddish-brown powder in the mortar, scooped it out with a long-handled silver spoon, and put it into the weighed olive oil.

Yubi went to find his mother without shoes. Even in summer, the stone floor was quite cool at night, with a few drops of dew condensing on it. Yubi carefully chose to step on the carpeted areas so that his feet wouldn't feel numb as if they were walking on ice. The ruby ​​ring on his left middle finger was twirled back and forth, round and round.

The number of blood slaves dwindled along the path leading to the first floor. By the time they reached the hallway outside his mother's room, there was no one left. Yubi figured something must have happened; his mother was probably angry. At times like these, no one dared to approach him—except, of course, he was. He thought that if Stephen had gotten into trouble, perhaps he should plead with his mother; otherwise, who would tell him these stories and bring him spices?

Strange noises echoed in the dimly lit corridor, accompanied by a sticky smell. Yubi walked around the corner. He saw the door to his mother's room ajar, and heard soft mutterings inside, accompanied by some ambiguous whispers.

Yubi felt his heart pounding and his veins throbbing. He took the ring off the middle finger of his left hand and held it in his palm. This brought him sudden peace, cleared his eyes, and calmed him considerably. So, he quietly and silently slipped to the door and peered through the crack.

Two bodies lay piled one on top of the other in the room. Stephen was naked, his muscular back glistening with sweat. His mother's long, tousled, white curly hair cascaded down his neck like a waterfall. Then came blood. Red blood, like another waterfall, mingled with the white water, flowing together onto the brown earth—Stephen's skin. He was trembling violently, reminding Yubi of a kingfisher that had once been caught, caged, and presented to him. If he had reached into the cage to grasp it, the frail creature would have flapped its wings so violently, making Yubi's palms itch with its feathers.

Yubi suddenly blushed. He immediately understood what his mother was doing. He thought to himself, "I hate these adult things, they're shameless." But his hands clenched into fists on the door, and he watched quietly while swallowing hard.

Time seemed to stand still. After what appeared to be an eternity, Camilla finally released the corpse and licked her lips. Blood dripped relentlessly from the corner of her mouth down to her chest. Her red eyes darted towards the door.

Yubi was so startled that he shrank back behind the door and quickly slipped the ring back onto his finger. He didn't want to be lectured by his mother. But his bare feet suddenly shivered from the cold stone floor.

“My darling.” Camilla, wearing a light coat, stepped out from behind the door and cradled her child in her arms. The body was colder than the floor tiles, making Yubi feel helpless as she nestled against Camilla’s soft bosom. “Shall we take a bath together? Look at me, I’m so filthy.”

“You killed Stephen,” Yubi said sullenly. “No one will bring me spices anymore.”

His mother smiled immediately. "You like spices. Anyone can bring you spices," she said softly. "I've heard that there's a magical monster in the Eastern Sea called a dragon. Its saliva turns into gray amber, which falls and floats on the sea, emitting an irresistible fragrance that lingers for a long time. This is called ambergris, and a small piece is worth a fortune."

"I've never seen the ocean before," Yubi said, burying her face in a huff.

“Oh, my darling.” Camilla stroked his hair with her cool hands. “You will see the sea. When you grow up, perfume your clothes with ambergris. When you stand on the beach, monsters will smell your scent and think you are one of their own, and they will meet you in the distant waves and clouds.”

“But where can we find ambergris?” Yubi asked dejectedly.

Camilla gently took his hand. They went inside. Yubi then noticed two other unfamiliar figures standing in the corner of the room, opposite the bed, their heads bowed in silent, statue-like poses. Before he could even examine the naked male corpse on his mother's bed, he was led to a side door. Passing through a narrow, cramped stone passage, they arrived at another room. Camilla lit a candle and took a small, exquisite box from a chest.

"Open it and take a look," she said affectionately.

Yubi looked up at her, reached out to unfasten the metal clasp, and lifted the lid. Inside was a silk lining, on which lay a yellowish-white, bumpy stone. "What's this?" he frowned, poking it with his sharp fingernail. "It looks like a ball of dung."

“This is ambergris.” Camilla didn’t mind Yubi using such a vulgar and impolite word. “Take a sniff.”

So Yubi leaned in, pressing his nose against the stylist. A faint, sweet, fishy smell filled his nostrils, making him purse his lips and pull back. "It doesn't smell good, it's a little stinky." He pinched his nose. "How could this be ambergris?"

Camilla looked at him and smiled, her eyes sparkling. She handed Yubi a pair of long, thin tweezers. "Sweetie," she said, "try putting it on the fire."

Yubi looked up at his mother's face with a hint of disbelief, then reached for the tweezers. He knew his mother always teased him harmlessly just to see him react like this. Thinking this, Yubi felt a little embarrassed; he wasn't such a little child anymore. But he obediently used the handle of the tweezers to chip off a small piece, placing the tiny amber-like fragment over the candle flame. As a wisp of smoke rose, the fragment slowly melted into tar, releasing a warm, clear, and expansive aroma of happiness.

“I think I can see the ocean!” Yubi exclaimed in surprise. “It smells like warm seawater and sunshine. I guess this is what the ocean should smell like.”

Camilla smiled at him in the candlelight. "This is yours." Her lips curved into a sweet smile, revealing two dimples. "If you like, light it in the bedroom today."

Yubi was overjoyed. He leaned in and kissed his mother's cold cheeks and lips.

He never saw Christina again after that.