On the morning of the fourth day, sunlight filtered through gaps in the canopy.
Odin leaned against a tree trunk and took a bite of wild boar jerky.
Ponzu crouched beside him, tapping her fingers against the brim of her hat.
A few bees flew out, circled the area, then returned.
"Found him?" Odin asked.
Ponzu nodded. "There's a cave to the southeast. My bees picked up the scent of a lot of snakes."
"So that's your target, the snake charmer."
"It should be."
Odin stuffed the last piece of wild boar jerky into his mouth, dusted off his hands, and stood up.
Ponzu stood too, releasing more bees to lead the way.
They walked through the woods for about twenty minutes.
A low hill appeared ahead, with a cave entrance at its base. The opening was about three meters across, and the surrounding ground was clear.
Odin and Ponzu stopped and surveyed their surroundings.
Slithering tracks marked the ground at the entrance, the soil pressed flat into countless winding grooves.
Some of the grooves were still fresh, with damp soil along their edges.
A few bats hung upside down above the entrance. They stirred at the sound of footsteps but did not fly away.
Ponzu's bees circled the entrance, refusing to go inside.
"There are a lot of snakes in there," Ponzu said. "My bees sense danger."
Odin walked up to the entrance and peered inside.
The cave was deep, its far end beyond the reach of the light.
Air drifted out from within, carrying a damp, rank stench.
He listened for a few seconds.
There were sounds inside-faint hissing, along with the scrape of scales as something slithered over rock.
"He's in there," Odin said.
Ponzu stepped up beside him and stared into the cave. "Can we get in?"
"I can," Odin said.
Ponzu fell silent for a few seconds.
She raised her hand, trying to direct her bees into the cave.
A few bees reluctantly flew two meters inside, but soon retreated and buzzed erratically above her head.
"They're scared." Ponzu sighed.
"That's normal." Odin nodded. "Wait here. I'll go in and bring out his number badge."
Ponzu shook her head. "No. He's my target."
"Then how do you plan to get in?"
Ponzu said nothing.
She stared at the entrance for a long time, then turned to look at the surrounding woods.
"Smoke," she said.
"Smoke?"
"Lots of smoke," Ponzu said. "We'll smoke him out."
Odin paused, then nodded. "Clever."
They got to work.
Ponzu stayed at the entrance, directing her bees to gather dry grass, dead branches, and damp leafy twigs nearby.
Odin went into the woods for more firewood, making several trips and bringing back a large pile.
They piled dry grass at the entrance and stacked dead branches on top, forming a small mound.
Ponzu took a flint from her backpack, lit the dry grass, and covered it with the damp leafy twigs to produce smoke.
Flames leaped up, and thick smoke began pouring into the cave.
Ponzu crouched beside the fire and fanned it with a huge leaf, driving the smoke into the cave.
She glanced up at the entrance now and then, waiting for the snake charmer to emerge.
Odin stood nearby, leaning against a tree.
The smoke grew thicker and thicker, soon shrouding the entrance.
Smoke poured into the cave, but nothing stirred inside.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
Half an hour.
Ponzu frowned. "Why hasn't he come out yet?"
"Maybe the cave's well ventilated," Odin said. "Or maybe he can hold out."
Ponzu gritted her teeth and kept adding wood.
Another ten minutes passed.
Something suddenly stirred at the entrance.
A brown snake over a meter long shot out of the smoke, landed on the ground, and quickly vanished into the grass.
A second followed, then a third.
Then more than a dozen poured out at once, in different sizes and colors, streaming from the cave like flowing water.
Ponzu backed away a few steps, and her bees swarmed around her protectively.
The snakes ignored them and soon disappeared into the surrounding grass.
Smoke was still pouring into the cave.
They waited another few minutes.
Coughing came from the entrance.
A man rushed out of the smoke, bent double with both hands over his mouth and nose, coughing and cursing.
He wore dark clothes, and a number of brightly colored venomous snakes clung to his body.
The snake charmer-Ba Peng.
Ba Peng burst clear of the smoke and gulped down fresh air.
He looked up, saw Ponzu and Odin, and froze for a moment before his expression changed.
"You-"
Ponzu gave him no chance to speak.
She raised her hand, flicking her fingers rapidly.
Bees poured out of her hat, forming a yellow-and-black cloud in the air before swooping toward Ba Peng.
Ba Peng reacted quickly.
He reached into a cloth pouch at his waist, pulled out a handful of powder, and tossed it into the air.
The powder scattered, and the swarm suddenly fell into disarray.
A few bees dropped straight to the ground. The rest circled in the air, afraid to approach.
"Insect repellent," Ponzu said through gritted teeth.
Ba Peng stepped back and reached into another cloth pouch.
This time, he took out a small bamboo whistle.
He brought it to his lips and blew.
The shrill whistle echoed through the woods.
The grass suddenly rustled.
The snakes that had fled earlier slithered back one after another.
They converged from every direction, heads raised and tongues flicking, surrounding Ponzu and Odin.
Ba Peng smiled. "You wouldn't want one of them to bite you, would you?"
Both Odin and Ponzu knew what he meant: a bite from one of these venomous snakes would leave them with virtually no hope of survival.
Ponzu ignored him.
She watched the snakes around her, flicking her fingers rapidly.
The bees regrouped and circled above her head, but they did not dare dive down.
"Your bees are scared of snakes," Ba Peng said. "And they're scared of my insect repellent. How are you going to fight me?"
Ponzu gritted her teeth.
She took a small bottle from her waist pouch, unscrewed the cap, poured the liquid into her palm, and rubbed her hands together.
A pungent odor spread through the air.
The surrounding snakes suddenly drew back a little, lowering their heads and tensing their bodies.
Ba Peng frowned. "What's that smell?"
"You're not the only one who knows these tricks," Ponzu said.
The odor came from something the venomous snakes disliked. With it protecting her, Ponzu was confident they would not attack her.
It would not last long, but it would give her a minute or two.
She raised her hand, but this time, instead of directing her bees, she charged straight at Ba Peng.
Ba Peng froze for a second, then sneered.
He swept his hand, and a venomous snake at his waist launched itself straight at Ponzu.
Ponzu sidestepped, but the snake twisted in midair, its tail sweeping around to lash her shoulder.
Ponzu staggered but stayed on her feet.
She kept charging, clenched her right fist, and punched at Ba Peng's face.
Ba Peng raised his arm to block.
Her fist struck his forearm. The blow was not powerful, but the pungent odor grew stronger.
Ba Peng frowned and tried to push her away.
But Ponzu's other hand had already reached his waist. She grabbed a cloth pouch and yanked hard.
The pouch came free, spilling its contents across the ground-a few whistles, several packets of powder, and a number badge.
Number 103.
Ponzu immediately bent down to pick it up.
Ba Peng was not about to let that happen. He lashed out with a kick.
Ponzu checked her movement, shifted her shoulder out of the kick's path, then kicked Ba Peng in the waist, sending him toppling sideways.
Only then did Ponzu lean down and pick up the number badge from the ground.
Number 103 was hers.
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