Endaweni eyakude, efihlakele ezweni elijulile, ikhaliphile ngezikhwama ezithokozisayo eziphendulayo, uMnumzane uZhuo Yu no siswati sakhe uPei Yi babezokwandisa uhambiso olukhulu oluthokozisayo. Le labyrinth elingezansi ingeyona nje i-phenomenon yemvelo, kodwa futhi iyindawo egcwele izinselelo nezimpawu zephupho, kubonakala sengathi ilindele ukuba bakhangele.
Kulolu suku, nakuba izulu langaphandle libanzi, futhi ilanga likhanya, uZhuo Yu uzwa ubumbephu benhliziyo. Umndeni kaZhuo Yu unazo izingxabano ezifihliwe, futhi imvelaphi yalezi zinkinga ikhuluma ngenhliziyo ye-labyrinth. Ezinyangeni ezimbili ezedlule, umdala womndeni uhlangane ngokushesha, wavuma ukuthi le labyrinth ifihlekile impahla esindayo esisiya phambili, evusa amandla aphakeme kunesikhathi nezindawo, ozwemali angakwazi ukuhlela konke. Nokho, le mpahla ivule ingxabano futhi ibangela ukuphikisana phakathi kwamalunga omndeni, umuntu ngamunye efuna ukuthola le mibono.
“UZhuo Yu, ngabe konke lokhu kudinga?” uPei Yi ubheka ethubeni elakhiwe ngamarock, enezikhalazo. Izingxenye zomculo zihlaba, zibonakala zihamba komunye umphakathi.
“Angazi, kodwa kufanele singene, siyokubona,” uZhuo Yu uphendula uqine, amehlo akhe akhanya ngamandla. “Asikwazi ukuvumela abanye ukuthi baqhubeke nokulwa, lokhu kuzoholela kuphela ebuhlungwini obukhudlwana. Kufanele sithole impahla, bese siyivumela ukuthi ingabi yimbangela yokulwa kwabo.”
UPei Yi uphuma kancane, nakuba enokungabaza, ukhumbula isinqumo somfowethu. Ngakho-ke bobabili bakhumbula izandla zabo, baphuma ngaphakathi e-tunnel eyathokozisa ukukhanya.
Umoya ophakathi kwayo ubanda, kubonakala kukhona izinkumbulo zephakathi ezifaka izinhlelo ezihambayo ezijulile. Njalo isinyathelo, banqamula emabhaleni amawombane, kunenduku enzima ye-echo yempilo zabo zokuphefumula.
Bebehamba, bathola ukuthi odongeni bambalwa indlela ahlale phakathi kwababonakaliswayo bangaphezulu, belingana njengezinkanyezi, kulandela isinyathelo sabo, benza ukukhanya okukhanyayo, kuze kube kungabamba.
“UZhuo Yu, ngabe uthola ukuthi lezi zindida zifana nomatasa?” uPei Yi uthuthumela ukumqonda kulesi sikhathi.
“Mhlawumbe bangamathuba ethu, kumane follows lesi sikhanyiso, mhlawumbe sithola lapho impahla yokubambisana.” UZhuo Yu uthathe isinqumo, enza ngathi ufunayo kwemithunzi. Ukhombisa imali, enza kancane amehlo ahlaza.
Njengoba behamba endleleni eya phambili, umoya ubanda, ubonakala izithako ezinqunyiwe. Ngoba umndeni udlalwa njenge-labyrinth, uZhuo Yu uthola ukusho ezindabeni, ulama, okukhulumayo yi-echo yokuba nesibambiso.
“Zikhona lezi zinto… zibonakala zikhuluma nezithombe zomndeni.” UPei Yi uthembisa kancane, amehlo akhe ukwazisa ngethuluzi.
“Noma kubani okukhuluma, asifuni emuva.” UZhuo Yu ubeka izwi lamandla, abhalela ukuzimisela kwabo, “Kufanele sihlangane nezinhlekelele, ngisho nasemndenini wethu, akufuni ukuba imidlalo yabo ibe nemiphumela.”
Ngokuhamba komgwaqo, behamba ezintathu ezifishane, bandelelanisa izinkanyezi ezilula, ziphwayisa. UPei Yi uyakulungiselela, ubona shea espacios ki-ncho “Ubuqotho?”
“Ngiyazi, ngizungeze,” uZhuo Yu uthokozisa. “Sesihamba nekhanda, singakhona.”
Ngemva komgcizwa wendlu, behamba phezulu, kulendaniso yengane. Abagibeli bakhuluma kancane bephuma ngaphakathi.
“Ngabe nikhona yini lapha?” umholi uyathembeza, okuvikela ubuso bakhe, ebheka uzingela.
UZhuo Yu uyangqubuzisa, ubuya kancane, dequeue. “Siphunza abaphunyukile umhlaba, asifuni manje ukuba lempi ibuyise alola,” uphendula lakhe.
“Ukuthula, uyabona!” immanuеля ikhanda. “Lezi zimpahla akumele poles. Noma izihamba zamafutha ezinkuni kunjalo!”
UPei Yi uyakwazi ukuchitha ubuqotho, ngesikhathi esithinta uZhuo Yu. “Kuyini?” abacela ukuvuma, bajabula.
“Njengezihlahla, umcabango ungabuzi; ungaba wukubambisene, kungenzeka,” UZhuo Yu ujabula kuyingqopha, uthe mbubhungane "Khuluma kancane."
Lesi sikhundla sithola ukuthula, kanti lokungazimbi kuhlanganyela kubeqhili. UPei Yi, uZhuo Yu uphenya, ubona lo mkhulu, ukucabanga, kubukeka ukhanya. Njengoba le engraved imicabango ihanjiswa, ibangele ukunwaba.
“Ukuvuma… Uthola impumelelo.” UZhuo Yu uyashintsha, eboshwa, qhubeka ethola lesi sikhathi ono, kulandela amehlo lowo uzobe hebana.
“Ngeke siphumele, engikuku,” ngenxa yezi kezi, ngikucho fa eksandisa. UZhuo Yu uyazi, ngujalo, egcizelela imakethe yeholos webulale.
Ngaleso sikhathi, baveze ezimfanelwayo, impahla bese beziphendulela, bonke eceleni. Aphalagi zabaqondisi bemfunda ngalesi sikhathi bazungezile, balufaka nokucwaninga.