The City Trilogy Read online

  There are a number of legends concerning the origin of the Bronze Statue. According to Huhui historical records, the first Bronze Statue was erected in memory of the earliest group of settlers. But most agree that the statue was of the city’s first leader. Others have suggested that it was taken as spoils in the Third Interstellar War; but all later historians agree that it existed in Sunlon City by the time of that war. At first the statue, which was considered large in its day, was only 33 meters in height, nothing compared to the colossus it later became.

  Twenty years after the end of the Third Interstellar War, the Huhui king, who had disappeared in the chaos of the war, suddenly returned to Sunlon City. The king’s younger brother, who had succeeded him, was unwilling to step down in his favor. Both sides resorted to arms. With the secret assistance of the old ministers, the old king captured the capital, and the new king fled to the grassy plains. After being restored to power, the old king exterminated everyone in the new king’s faction. In addition to displaying the 1,000-plus heads on the city wall, he had the Bronze Statue melted down along with the arms of the defeated faction and recast in a statue in his own likeness. The old king died soon thereafter, and since the heir was still young, the king’s brother, with the help of the Leopard people, retook Sunlon City. After the new king was restored, he likewise killed all the members of the old king’s faction, melted down the Bronze Statue, and had it recast in his own image. As luck would have it, the young heir managed to escape to the plains, and 12 years later he led a force against the city. The war between the old and new factions continued for more than 1,000 years. According to Huhui historical records, Sunlon City changed hands 31 times. The upheaval of those days is apparent in the name given to it by historians: the “Thousand-Year War.”

  The Thousand-Year War was in fact a civil war between the old and new factions and made no positive contribution during the Anliu Era of Huhui civilization, except perhaps the progress made in bronze metallurgy. For regardless of which faction took the city, the first thing they did was to put the losing faction to the sword and melt down their armor along with the Bronze Statue and recast it anew. Each time, greater numbers of people died and there was a concomitant increase in the size of the statue. The seventeenth time Sunlon City changed hands, the statue was already 99 meters high. Regardless of how metallurgic techniques progressed, smelting the bronze for such a huge statue was a long and arduous job. Each time the victorious faction cast a new statue, the nation’s resources were exhausted and the people impoverished. Complaints were rampant. Often, as soon as the statue was recast the losing faction was again attacking the city, and work would soon have to recommence on the statue.

  But the statue had to be recast, for it had become the nightmare of all those who ruled the city. A poet expressed it best when he wrote:

  All the world’s eyes

  Are fixed on the bronze image

  Growing larger by the day.

  The nineteenth time that Sunlon City changed hands, the victors ordered that the statue be destroyed and never recast. But in one night the brave prince of the new faction became the object of contempt and was forsaken, and on the following day he was stabbed to death in his bath by his subordinates. Sunlon City changed hands for the twentieth time. After such a frightful lesson, no ruler of the city ever dared go against tradition again. The Bronze Statue had to be recast regardless of how arduous the task or how it drained the state coffers.

  The rulers of Sunlon City were ambivalent in their attitude toward the statue: they risked their lives if they failed to recast it, but doing so would also ruin the state. Having to make such a difficult choice was enough to turn the hair of the wisest king white from worry. The people of Sunlon City were no less ambivalent. They hated the statue because so many fathers and sons, along with their armor, ended up incorporated in it. Some lost their footing and fell into the molten metal in the bronze-casting cauldron; others died crushed beneath falling pieces of the statue as it was demolished; and still others fell dead from exhaustion on the roadside as they helped move the statue. Consequently, there were many bitter memories associated with the statue. But the symbol of Sunlon City also was a great source of pride. The city’s greatness was founded on the very existence of the statue; it was the reason the city’s glorious deeds were on everybody’s lips. Never was there a Huhui poet who didn’t write a poem cursing the statue; nor was there ever one who didn’t praise it. On account of this, even today, when young Huhui people find that the course of love does not run smooth, they always allude to an unreciprocating lover as the “Bronze Statue of Sunlon City” in their love letters.

  When the city changed hands for the twenty-ninth time, the statue was a huge 165 meters in height. The mere sight of it would leave anyone who contemplated melting it down utterly terror stricken. Once, after the old king’s faction gained the upper hand, the general arrogantly entered the city. His subordinates led him to the statue and after a mere glance at it, he fell from his horse and lay in a coma for three days. On the third night, someone saw him, barefoot with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself on the square in front of the palace. In the morning, the sentries discovered him—he had hanged himself in the palace. Some said that he had committed suicide; others claimed that he had lost his mind; others said that the souls in the statue had possessed him and forced him to take his own life.

  Whatever the truth of the matter, in the 37 years after the general hanged himself, neither army would enter—Sunlon City existed in a power vacuum. The leaders of both sides realized that whoever dared to enter the city would have to recast the statue, a deed for which they all lacked sufficient courage. The city was simply left to its own devices. It was the will of heaven, no doubt. That 37-year period saw the beginnings of the democratic tradition of Huhui civilization. Since Sunlon City was avoided by both factions and was without a leader, chaos reigned for many years. Later, an old pedant urged the residents, in accordance with the ancient laws of Earth, to form the first republican government, now termed the “First Republic” by historians. The city changed hands for the thirtieth time.

  After the founding of the republic, prosperity gradually returned to the city. The people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and industry and commerce developed rapidly. When the senior statesmen of the republic grew conceited, some people felt it was time to recast the statue. They pointed out that it was in the image of the last king of the new faction and as such was no longer worthy of respect and veneration. After all, the successes of the republic had long since surpassed those of the old kings, and naturally this called for a new statue. But everyone differed on whose likeness it should bear. There was no consensus. Some people suggested that many small statues should be made to honor the city’s founders, but others thought that the statue should honor the city’s first ruler. Although they could not say so publicly, the senior statesmen of the republic, of course, all secretly hoped that the statue would be remade in their image.

  Many were opposed to recasting the statue. They pointed out that the kings of old had ended up destroying the nation and themselves on account of the statue, and that a republican government should not be given to such vanities. The cavalries of the old and new factions continued to appear on the plains outside Sunlon City, as a reminder that they could enter at any time. It was felt that wasting all available manpower and materials on the statue was tantamount to foolishly inviting self-destruction. Besides, the statue was already 165 meters high and weighed more than 100 tons. The last time it was recast, the process took 10 years. Was it possible that the republican government would ignore the opposition of the city residents and insist on doing things its own way?

  The power of those in favor of and those against the statue was great, and neither side would yield. But in the end, it was the old pedant who had suggested a republican form of government who came up with a way out of the impasse. The old man was more than 90 years old, but he was sharpe
r than many young people. His solution was unprecedented in Huhui history and had a tremendous impact on future generations. He was of the opinion that there was no need to recast the statue; they could simply add another layer of bronze. In that way, not only would the new statue be larger than the old, but there would be no need to destroy the old statue and manpower and materials would be saved. But more important, future rulers would never speak lightly of tearing down the statue. At most, they would add another layer of bronze, because the old statue remained intact inside the new.

  The old pedant’s idea was quickly and unanimously adopted by the senate of the republican government. The merchants and common people of the city were gladdened and greatly relieved. It was a brilliant plan that satisfied both sides! The people felt a great deal of gratitude to the old pedant, and in recognition of his meritorious service in having initated the republic, the new statue would be made in his likeness. But little did anyone know that this would cost the old pedant his life and bring the First Republic to an end.

  News of the republic’s new statue spread rapidly over the plains, rousing the anger of the leaders of the old and new factions alike. Once they realized that it was not so hard to redo the statue, they burned with ambition and, giving up their former differences, organized a combined force and besieged Sunlon City. The republican government fought valiantly for three years but could not hold out forever. The day the city fell, every last senior statesman was in the senate, where, rather than flee, they set themselves afire to die for their country. The republican forces defending the city fought to the last man. Not one surrendered. The tragic end of the First Republic was lamented by Huhui poets in song that stirred the hearts of countless later freedom fighters. The combined army entered the city and the subsequent slaughter lasted three days, during which the old pedant and the 35 members of his family were all put to the sword. It was ordered that his head and those of his family be hung on the city wall and never taken down. Only 124 years later, after the success of the democratic revolution and the founding of the Second Republic, were the heads removed, at which time the Bronze Statue was remade in the old pendant’s likeness.

  After the triumph of the combined army, the prince of the new faction and the princess of the old faction were united as king and queen. And thus, the Thousand-Year-War between the factions came to an end, and a new layer of bronze was quickly added to the republic’s statue. Huhui history entered a new era, marking the end of fighting between the old and new factions but the beginning of war between the Royalist party and the Democratic party. In the following 2,000 years, there were 27 republican revolutions and 27 restorations. The leopard was the symbol of the Royalists and the green snake that of the Democratic force. Hence, the historians’ term the “Snake and Leopard War.” The last time the two sides reached a détente, Huhui history entered a period of constitutional monarchy, and the Anliu Era of Huhui culture saw the birth of a golden age.

  In the 2,000 years of the Snake and Leopard War, 54 layers of bronze were added to the statue, making it a majestic colossus nearly 330 meters in height. The early years of the constitutional monarchy produced several generals and ministers of great talent and bold vision who redid the statue several times. But adding just one new layer to the colossal statue in itself became a feat of engineering. The last time a layer of bronze was added, it cost millions and brought down the cabinet. After that, no minister ever tried to add another layer of metal to the statue.

  The Bronze Statue itself gradually began to change. The many layers of bronze that were added over time were originally in the likenesses of various historical figures. It is unclear whether time or the influence of gravity was to blame for the statue gradually taking on a new appearance. The face was no longer identifiable as that of any one historical figure, but rather seemed a composite of many. When the residents of Sunlon City or the tourists looked at the statue, they all had the strange feeling that they were looking at a living being rather than hundreds of tons of metal. Some said that when they looked at the statue it seemed as if the whole of Huhui history was looking back at them. Others said that the face of the Bronze Statue was not that of an ordinary person. Various myths about the statue gradually spread far and wide. Some swore that when they passed it at night they could hear its heavy breathing. The residents in several lanes near it claimed to have heard the sounds of weeping and sighing coming from inside. These rumors, though denied by the government, spread like wildfire. But on the other hand, the government thought the appearance of various myths was not so strange given all the wronged souls buried by the statue. Only after the Bronze Statue Cult emerged and people began worshipping the statue as the one true god did the government, in a fit of panic, adopt severe measures prohibiting the new cult from preaching and holding religious services.

  Huhui civilization at that time reached its zenith, like the noonday sun. Advances in art, culture, commerce, industry, technology, and defense placed the Huhui far ahead of any other galaxies in the vicinity of the Milky Way. Therefore, the Huhui planet became the leader of eighteen nearby galaxies. Later historians found it difficult to explain the appearance of the primitive Bronze Statue cult in the capital of Sunlon City given the advances during the Anliu Era of Huhui civilization.

  The magical powers of the statue grew day by day. Despite the fact that the city government added no new layers of bronze, the statue continued to grow. Some people wondered if the cult followers were working on the statue in secret, which was highly unlikely, because, first of all, although the followers knelt before the statue to worship it, they dared not touch the statue since they considered it an act of profanation. Second, even if they did want to refurbish the statue, it would have been difficult for them to go undetected by the guards posted there. There was another more scientific theory that postulated that as a result of the sinking of the geological strata beneath the city, a fissure appeared beneath the statue through which molten magma was forced into the statue, making it swell much like a balloon. This also explained why at times the statue appeared to be sweating or weeping. But regardless of the theories, the ever-growing statue did instill fear in the general populace. In the silence of the night, it could be heard to pant; the sound was clearly audible to all, even those who didn’t believe in the cult. The statue’s expression grew ferocious and terrifying. When the newly arrived ambassador from another country first laid eyes on the statue, he blurted out, “It’s the face of the devil!”

  Over the next 100-plus years, the statue continued to increase in size, reaching 396 meters in height. It also expanded, spreading to occupy the square in which it stood as well as 4 or 5 residential blocks. The number of believers increased as the statue grew, and despite vigorous attempts by the government to control the cult, its power continued to grow. Masses of children sporting Bronze Statue buttons marched through the City. Women who wore pendants inlaid with images of the Bronze Statue came to pray for favors. Philosophers wrote long theses on whether the statue was the one and only true god of the universe. Doctrinal differences emerged between cult sects, often resulting in bloody conflicts. The bodies of the followers who died for their faith were piled before the statue. But the statue was apparently unmoved by these incidents and seemed intent only on continuing to grow. The Bronze Statue Cult, which initially had been suppressed by the authorities, became the state religion when the prime minister and the cabinet members joined. The Huhui planet was the leader of an alliance of 18 galaxies and asked all other members to convert to the cult. Due to Huhui military threats, 13 did as requested, while the other 5 withdrew from the alliance. Fanatical cult members on the Huhui planet organized a crusade against the recreant members. The armed conflicts led to intervention by neighboring superpower galaxies. A series of unfortunate incidents ensued and, like a chain reaction, led to the Fourth Interstellar War.

  The Fourth Interstellar War lasted 250 years and had a devastating impact on all of the civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. The
facts are recorded in great detail in The Complete History of the Fourth Interstellar War and need not be repeated here. Shortly after an armistice was signed, the chief instigator of the war was punished. The fleet from the G Supergalaxy surrounded the small Huhui planet. A fearless imperial outer space fleet appeared in the sky above Sunlon City, and in a matter of 20 minutes vaporized the Bronze Statue, leaving an empty patch of scorched earth in the city center.

  But the myths about the Bronze Statue survived even after it was vaporized. It was said that the day before the statue was destroyed it wept unceasingly and its facial expression showed a rare kindness. One believer later recalled that when he saw the statue crying he realized that the statue was the very soul of the city. Another said that the vaporized statue had not disappeared into the atmosphere but had reappeared in the mountains near the upper reaches of the Hu River. Others said that they believed the statue would rematerialize in the city center to lead the Huhui heroes in a Fifth Interstellar War to restore the fame and influence of the cult. These legends are still current in the Huhui world.

  But one thing was certain—the fate of the statue was closely linked to that of the city. After the statue disappeared, the Anliu Era of Huhui civilization was on the road to collapse. Twenty-five years after the statue was vaporized, the city was attacked by the Serpent people and ended up in ruins. Shortly thereafter, the Serpent people of the Hu River Valley became extinct. The exact nature of the relationship between this bizarre history and the Bronze Statue remains to be verified by later historians.