Lee - The Zodiac Legacy: Convergence

Copyright 2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Excerpt from The Zodiac Legacy: The Dragons Return copyright 2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

All rights reserved. Published by Disney Press, an imprint of Disney Book Group. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information, address Disney Press, 1101 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201.

ISBN 978-1-4231-9049-3

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DEDICATED TO EVERYONE WHO LOVES FANTASY AND HIGH ADVENTURE VIA TALES THAT TITILLATE AND THRILL THE IMAGINATION. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, ISNT THAT REALLY ALL OF US?

S.L.

FOR LIZ

S.M.

FOR STEPH, ZOE, AND BUBBA2

A.T.

THERE WAS SOMETHING odd about the tour guide. She was tall, with long hair, and she seemed to know a lot about Chinese historyas she should, working in a museum. But as Steven Lee listened to her, he couldnt shake the feeling that she wasnt quite what she seemed.

The New China Heritage Museum first opened five years ago, the guide said. It was designed to resemble a traditional Chinese quadrangle house, with several buildings surrounding a central courtyard.

Steven raised his hand. Mr. Singh, the teacher, nodded to him.

Was it always planned to be a museum? Steven asked.

Yes, the guide replied. She seemed distracted; her eyes darted quickly around the room. I mean, no. Maybe. I think it was supposed to be a hotel?

Steven frowned. A hotel? That didnt sound right. And the guide didnt sound very sure of herself.

The rest of the class just nodded.

Steven looked around the room. Its high walls were covered with intricate wooden carvings, stained-glass windows, and stylized artwork depicting ancient peasants with their oxen. A couple of large Buddha statues stood in the center of the room.

The earliest books were manufactured in China, the guide said, gesturing toward a glass case. Even before the invention of paper, writing was printed on materials like bone, wood, and, uh She trailed off.

Stevens friend Harani stepped forward. And what? she asked.

Umm The guide had pulled out her phone and stood frowning at it. Uh, plastic

Mr. Singh cocked his head. Excuse me, maam. Diddid you say plastic?

Did I? She smiled distantly. Thats silly, of course. I meant, uhaluminum foil.

Thats definitely not right, Steven thought.

This woman is way off-script, Harani whispered, leaning in close to Steven. Her dark hair was pulled back from her face and she wore a bright orange sweater.

I know, right? Steven replied. And whats she doing now?

The guide was jabbing at her phones screen, shaking her head.

Harani smiled. Maybe shes waiting for a better job offer.

Then he noticed the guides name tag: It read Jumanne. Steven frowned; the woman sounded Chinese, but the name didnt. Then again, Steven looked Chinese, and his name was Americana fact that had surprised a few of the locals in Hong Kong on this very trip.

Ryan, a friendly kid with red hair, pushed in between Steven and Harani. Hey, Lee, Ryan said. You see this?

Ryan pointed at a display case. Inside it, a very old printed book stood propped open. A few Chinese characters ran down the side, but the page was dominated by an old-style etching, a stylized drawing of a man in robes shooting some kind of lightning out of his hand.

Steven blinked. Weve been over this, Ryan. I dont know what everything here says, he said.

I know, dude, but its not thatthe guy in the drawing. He looks like a crazy super hero!

He looks like that guy, Harani said. She pointed at Stevens chest.

Steven looked from the book down to the image on his T-shirt. It showed a dark-skinned man in metallic armor, his hand crackling with energy.

Steven looked up at Harani in disbelief. You mean the Steel Mongoose? he asked.

She shrugged.

Youve never heard of the Steel Mongoose? Steven continued. African adventurer Bob Mugabi, who found himself critically injured and built a high-tech exoskeleton that gives him the powers of a cute but deadly wild animal?

Is, uh, is he in comic books? Harani asked.

No. Maybe, I dunno. He only starred in Steel Mongoose 3, the top-grossing film of last year! It was playing on the flight?

I like poetry, she said.

Then Harani looked past him and grimaced. Steven turned to see Mr. Singh glaring at them from a few feet away.

We better cool it, Harani whispered.

Ryan laughed. You and your heroes, Lee. Theyre not real, you know.

Harani and Ryan moved off. Steven lingered behind for a moment, staring at the book in the case. The strange image of the man with the lightning bolts seemed to stare back at him, as if it were speaking to him through the ages.

Hey, Lee, Ryan called. Take a look at this.

Steven crossed over to the wall. Ryan had stopped next to a big empty case with a sign reading, in English and Chinese: EXHIBIT REMOVED FOR REPAIRS .

Sucks, huh? Ryan said. This thing must be fifteen feet tall.

Steven peered closer. Inside the case was a small cardboard standup with a picture of the missing exhibit: a large flat disk, etched with a series of concentric circles and lines. The lines formed hundreds of tiny boxes, each filled with one or more ancient Chinese characters. Notches studded the outer part, marked with numbers from 0 to 360. A label read: ShipanAstrological Compass. C. 200 B.C.

My grandfather, Steven said. Hes got one of those. Well, his is a lot smaller. I think he brought it over from China. Steven pointed. The markings are the names of stars in the sky.

I like your grandpa, Ryan said. He makes those tasty little salty peapods. Yo, we better get moving.

Ryan started off after Harani and the rest of the class, who had gathered around a large Buddha statue. But Steven hesitated. He looked around at the rugs and weathered maps covering the walls. The glass cases holding ancient pieces of bone and pottery. An exhibit of Cantonese opera showing people in bright, lavish costumes. The vast history and culture of China preserved in this place.

Steven hadnt wanted to come to Hong Kong. He liked his home in suburban Philadelphia, his big TV and his Xbox and his Blu-ray collection of superhero movies. But his parents had insisted. You should see China, his father had said. You have to be in a place to understand it. You need to know where you came from.

It must have been important, Steven knew, because his father rarely spoke for that long. In fact, Stevens parents werent around much; ever since he could remember, theyd been busy running their company, seven days a week. But grandfather was always around, with his awesome cooking and his warm smile and his long stories about old China.

I should listen to those stories more, Steven thought.

He gazed over at the class. Harani asked the guide another question. Steven couldnt hear the answer, but some of the other kids laughed. Mr. Singh frowned, leaning forward to reprimand them gently.