de Monsoreau ; and Les Quarante-Cinq. According to legend, Dumas wrote with four separate pens at once, and a waiter stood by his side ladling soup into his open mouth, to save time. See F. W. J. Hemmings, reading in the book version, although Chinese readers seem inclined to be tolerant.25 Be that as it may, the translator is obliged to deal with plot mechanics. It is part of the contract. Sometimes it seems uncontrived and unproblematic, as in this scene between Auntie Tao and Trinket : The Eight Sutras, the Dragon Line, and the Mystic Dragons ( English chapter 12 ) As she said this, Auntie Tao cracked the whip loudly in the air. ' And the reason my Shifu entered the Palace was to lay hands on the Eight Sutras. ' ' Eight ?
 
' ' That ' s right. One for each of the Banners. The Chief of each Banner ─ Plain White, Yellow, Red, and Blue ; Bordered White, Yellow, Red, and Blue ─ has his own copy. ' ' That makes sense, ' said Trinket. ' The two I saw at Oboi ' s were different colours. One was yellow with a red border, one was