Nakor grinned, and once more Erik was struck by how this strange man, aboard their ship for less than a month now, had come to be so liked by everyone. He told outrageous stories, almost certainly all lies, and his habit of winning consistently at cards caused Erik to think him probably a cheat as well. But if a liar and cheat could said to be trusted, Nakor was.
Sho Pi came to stand next to Nakor. “It is wise to know when to regroup, just as it is wise to know when to press.” He bowed, and Erik returned the bow. At first, like the others, he had thought all the rituals strange, and had mocked them, but now, also like the others, he performed them without thought. In fact, he now admitted to himself that the rituals helped keep him focused.
“Master—” began Sho Pi.
“I tell you again, boy, don’t call me master!”
The men laughed. Sho Pi had decided at some point during the week following Nakor’s arrival that Nakor was the master he had been sent to find. This had brought a consistent stream of denial from Nakor that was now in its third week. At least once in every conversation, Sho Pi called Nakor master and Nakor demanded he stop.
Sho Pi ignored the instruction. “I think we should show the men shi-to-ku.”
Nakor shook his head. “You show them. I’m tired. I’m going to go over there and eat an orange.”
Erik flexed his left shoulder, stiff from the blow to his chest. Sho Pi noticed. “That is bothering you?”
Erik nodded. “Caught me here,” he said, pointing to just below his right pectoral muscle, “but I can feel it all the way through to my neck and elbow. My shoulder is tightening.”
“Then come here,” said Sho Pi.
Nakor watched and nodded as Sho Pi indicated Erik should kneel. He made a gesture with his right hand, then laid his hands upon Erik’s shoulder. Erik’s eyes widened as he felt heat flowing from Sho Pi’s hands. The throbbing in his shoulder quickly diminished. As he knelt there, Erik said, “What are you doing?”
Sho Pi said, “In my homeland it is known as reiki. There is healing energy in the body. It is what helps you recover from injuries and disease.”
As the heat loosened the bruised muscle, Erik said, “Can you teach me to do this?”
“It takes a great deal of time—” began Sho Pi.
“Ha!” shouted Nakor. Moving from the rail, he tossed a half-eaten orange over the side and said, “More monastic mumbo-jumbo! Reiki is no ‘mystic meditation; there is no prayer. It’s a natural thing. Anyone can do it!”
Sho Pi smiled slightly as Nakor waved him aside. Standing over Erik, he said, “You want to do this?”
Erik said, “Yes.”
Nakor said, “Give me your right hand?”
Erik held it out, and Nakor turned it over, palm up. He closed his eyes and made some signs, then slapped Erik’s hand, hard. Erik felt his eyes water from the unexpected blow. “What did you do that for?” he demanded.
“Wakes up the energies. Now, hold your hand here.” Nakor moved Erik’s hand to his shoulder. Erik felt the same heat flowing from his own hand he had felt from Sho Pi’s. “Without prayer or meditation, it flows,” instructed Nakor. “It’s always on, so whatever you touch you will heal. Now I will show you what to touch.” To Sho Pi he said, “I can teach these men to use the power in two days, boy. None of your mystic nonsense. The temples claim this is magic, but it isn’t even a good trick. It’s just that most people are too stupid to know they have the power or how to use it.”
Sho Pi looked at Nakor and feigned a serious expression, but his eyes were amused. “Yes, Master.”
“And don’t call me master!” shouted Nakor.
He instructed the men to circle around and began talking about the body’s natural healing energies. Erik was fascinated. He thought back to those horses he had treated, the ones who should have gotten better but didn’t, and the ones that recovered from injuries against any reasonable expectation of success, and he wondered how much of it was their spirit.
“This energy is made of the stuff of life,” said Nakor. “I think you are not stupid men, but you are also men who do not care much for those things I find so fascinating, so I will not try to explain to you what I think this stuff of life is. Leave it to say that this energy is everywhere, in all things living.”
Calis came up on deck and caught Nakor’s eyes. Something passed between them as Nakor said, “All living things are connected.” Erik glanced back at where Roo sat, and noticed his friend had also caught the exchange.