Read Monkey for Free Online Page B

for you, big man. Let him go, and let me get back to business.”
    Hung growled. “I don't think so, boss.” He held up his bleeding hand. “This happened because of him.”
    Mong laughed. “Is that why everyone was chanting, ‘Fight, fight, fight’? Because you got a little scratch on your overgrown paw?”
    Hung snarled, and one of the bandits spoke up. “The newcomer suggested a fight to settle the score, boss. Let's let them fight! I want to wager. I'll take the monkey boy, along with all the money from anyone who wants to bet on Hung!”
    Malao watched as several bandits rushed toward the man who'd spoken. There was a flurry of fast-talking. Gold coins exchanged hands. Mong grinned and walked over to Seh. “Well, I guess we've got ourselves some afternoon entertainment. Would you care to wager, newcomer? Since you're the one who suggested the fight, I'm presuming you'll take the boy.”
    “I don't have any money,” Seh replied. “But if I did, I would bet it all on the boy.”
    Mong smiled and slapped Seh on the back. The bandit leader reached into the folds of his robe and removed a sizable pouch. He held it high over his head and announced, “I bet this entire bag of gold on theboy! Somebody give him a weapon and let the games begin!”
    The bandits cheered and Hung grunted. Malao watched Hung take several steps back as the net was lifted and the bandits formed a circle around him and Hung. Hung twisted and stretched with his huge hammers in hand, preparing for battle. Malao stood weaponless.
    “Didn't you men hear me?” Mong said to the group. “Somebody give the boy a weapon!”
    No one responded.
    Seh looked firmly at a bandit holding a long, tasseled spear. Even from a distance, Malao could tell the spear was well made. The tassel was perfectly positioned at the bottom of the metal spearhead where the spearhead connected to the wooden shaft. The main purpose of the tassel, made of long brown horsehair, was to distract an opponent from the spearhead's razor-sharp tip. Its secondary purpose was to absorb any blood that might run down the shaft, making the weapon slippery for the user. Apparently this particular tassel was effective. It glistened red with fresh blood.
    Seh approached the bandit. “Let the boy borrow your monkey skewer.”
    “I don't think so,” the bandit replied. He gripped the weapon with both hands and raised it over his head, out of Seh's reach. “I wagered on Hung and—”
    Seh's long arms suddenly lashed out in a flash of blue silk. Malao saw him extend the first two fingerson each hand and strike both of the bandit's arms high on the inner biceps, near the man's armpits. The bandit's arms instantly slumped to his sides, limp. The spear dropped to the ground.
    Malao glanced at Mong. Mong was grinning.
    “Thanks,” Seh said to the bandit. He relaxed his snake-head fists, picked up the spear, and hurled it at Malao.
    Malao dropped to the ground and rolled sideways, thrusting his right arm straight up into the air. When he felt the tassel brush against his hand, he clenched his fist, catching the spear halfway down the shaft. He completed his roll and sprang to his feet.
    Malao switched the spear to his left hand and brought his right hand up to his nose. He sniffed the blood that had been painted across it by the flying tassel. His upper lip curled back as he turned to face Hung.
    Hung roared and raced toward Malao, his hammers raised high. Malao knew that the best defense against a war hammer was to not be there when it struck, so when the hammers came down, he leaped to one side.
    There was an explosion of dirt as the hammers plowed matching craters into the earth. When the dust cleared, Malao was far from the damage. He stood in the exact center of the bandit ring, waiting.
    Hung growled and lifted his hammers high once more. This time, he walked slowly toward Malao.
    Malao straightened his arms and held the spearout before him with both hands, parallel to the ground. But