My Splendid Concubine (19 page)

Ward
’s second-in-command, a man named Henry Burgevine, opened the door. He was a bear of a man from America’s North Carolina. His face was covered with freckles. He had red hair and a thick beard with dried food stuck in it. Between the freckles and red hair, his face had an orange cast to the skin. The front of his filthy shirt was covered with wine and dirt stains. The man looked like riffraff.

“
I want to see Ward,” Robert said.

“
What do you want to see him about?” Burgevine asked. He examined them as if their skin were blue. He filled the entire doorway. There was no way to squeeze by him without shoving him aside.

“
We have business,” Robert replied. He nodded past Burgevine toward the room. “I want to wait in there.”

Burgevine stepped aside and watched Robert and Ayaou walk into the house. He closed the door and took a seat at a nearby table. Bowls filled with food sat in front of him. He took up a spoon and started to stuff himself. He glanced at Ayaou and said through a mouthful of food,
“I can imagine what that business is going to be. Don’t expect Ward to be happy. We’re going to leave tomorrow to stage a surprise attack on Sungkiang. We’re going to take it this time.”

“
That’s what Ward said last time.” Robert couldn’t keep the anger out of his voice.

“
We won’t have any liquor with us. That will make the difference.” Burgevine picked up a chicken leg and shoved it in his mouth. After the bone was pulled out, he kept chewing, and said, “If you’re a smart man, conduct your business with him after we’ve taken Sungkiang. He’ll be in better spirits then.”

A noise came from the hallway.
“Better spirits for what?” It was Ward. He entered the room holding a walking stick. He stopped when he saw Robert and Ayaou. His eyebrows lowered into a solid dark, angry line.

Robert sensed Ayaou
’s fear. He put an arm around her and pulled her close. He realized right away he’d made a mistake, but he couldn’t help himself. He was afraid too, but he wasn’t going to allow Ward to see it. He had to be strong.

Ward
’s expression changed. “What’re you up to, Hart?”

“
I want to buy Ayaou,” Robert said. His voice was firm and confident.

Shades of gray filled Ward
’s face. “If you took my virgin, I’ll see you flogged and her dead.” He took a step toward Ayaou.

Robert freed
the Colt from its holster.

Ward stopped.
“What did you do when the Taipings attacked?” he asked. “Did you run away with the other cowards?”

“
I fought until I went down,” Robert replied. “I was wounded.” He pulled up his shirt to reveal the pink scar running down his ribs. “Ayaou saved my life.” Then Robert sneered. “I can see that you are still alive. What does that make you?”

“
Why, you insolent dog,” Ward replied. His voice started to grow louder. “I’ll bet she did more than just save your life. That is still no excuse to steal my property.” Ward was shouting now. He pointed his stick at Robert’s chest. “You’ll leave the bitch here. I might have my dogs eat her. I’ll not sell her to you.”

“
No one is leaving until we make a deal,” Robert said.

Burgevine started to stand. There was a menacing look on his face.

Robert pointed the Colt at the man from North Carolina. “Sit and finish eating. This is between Ward and me.”

At Ward
’s gesture, Burgevine backed off. Without coming any closer to Robert or Ayaou, Ward pulled over a chair and sat.

“
Name a price, Ward,” Robert said. “I know how much you paid. I’ll do my best to make you a profit.”

Ward put his head back and roared with laughter. His thick, d
irty raven hair brushed his shoulders as he shook his head. “It’s not the money.” Ward’s smile looked evil. He stroked his mustache then the patch of hair on his chin below his lower lip. “How about this? I let you take her after I have at her for one night.”

Robert grinned back and swiveled the barrel of the Colt in Ward
’s direction. “You’re making me angry, Ward,” he said. He cocked the pistol’s hammer with an ominous click. Ward tensed as if he were going to leap.

“
I wouldn’t do that,” Robert said. “I’ll have no problem shooting you before you can leave that chair.”

“
Don’t be ridiculous, Hart. I don’t owe you!”

“
Yes you do. I left Shanghai with your army to take Sungkiang, and they got drunk. The troopers you gave me to command laughed at me when I wanted to take precautions. When attacked, those fools dropped their fancy rifles and ran to Shanghai where they took your money and deserted. I was the one who stood, fought, and almost died. For that sacrifice, I demand nothing from you but Ayaou.”

“
That’s enough!” Ward yelled with his face bloated in anger. He bolted from the chair and spread his legs for the blow he expected.

“
It doesn’t take much to pull a trigger,” Robert said. “How big of a hole do you think this .44 caliber ball will make in you? I understand the sixty grains of black powder behind each ball makes a big kick.

“
State a price.” Robert glared at Ward. “Or name the time, place and choice of weapons. I’ll fight for her. You know I can fight.”

“
You’re desperate, Hart, aren’t you?” Ward started to pace the room but kept his distance. After a moment, he made an outrageous offer. “Five hundred pounds!”

“
Done!” Robert said. He cursed himself for being stupid. He should’ve negotiated the price down. He’d just agreed to pay more than three thousand yuan for Ayaou. Shao-mei had cost him forty-two.

Ward
was stunned. Then he smiled. “You have thirty days to get the money while she stays here.”

“
No, she comes with me.”

Ward sat.
“You’re a fool paying that amount. I’ll bet she’s not a virgin now. Besides, she’s a boat girl. She’s scum not worth the black shine on your boots. You can get three dozen virgins for five hundred pounds. You could open a whorehouse and make a fortune.”

“
You’ll get the money before the thirty days are up.” Taking Ayaou by the arm, Robert backed toward the door.

Ward
grinned. His chest and shoulders jiggled as his eyes watered. He laughed in silence. It was intimidating. Robert watched Ward’s hands and was aware of every movement Burgevine was making. Then Ward slapped a knee and broke out in loud guffaws.

“
What?” Robert said. They were at the door and in one or two steps would be outside.

“
This is my city,” Ward said, suddenly sober. “Do you expect to talk to me like that and leave Shanghai alive? You had better shoot me, because I might come looking for you.”

Robert
couldn’t move for a few heartbeats. He just stared at Ward. Then he turned and rushed from the house.

“
Are you out of your mind?” Ayaou said, once they were in the street.

“
Yes, I am.” Glancing back to make sure they weren’t being followed, Robert hustled Ayaou to the nearest corner. He wanted to get out of Shanghai as quickly as possible. He hid the pistol under his clothing before they merged with the foot traffic on a busy street.

“
But I’m not worth that,” she said.

“
You are to me,” he replied. Robert hurried from the American section of the city. When they entered the French concession, the wide, straight streets were lined with firmiana trees. Each stem looked as if it could be cut and carried away like a parasol. The trees were full of upright clusters of greenish white flowers. There were cafes with tables outside on the wide sidewalks where patrons were drinking coffee. There was hardly a Chinese face in sight. Now Ayaou stood out as if she were the foreigner. They walked past French women dressed in fancy European dresses. Couples walked arm and arm. A nanny scurried by with three children. There were also armed French gendarmes at almost every intersection. Every time they turned into another street, Robert looked back to see if they were being followed.

They left
the French concession by passing through an opening in the thirty-foot high battlements that surrounded the old Chinese portion of the city. The streets became narrow twisting about like serpents while the upper levels of the two-story buildings protruded over the street with a thin strip of sky showing. The narrow streets were not only built like this to confuse ghosts but were also designed to allow one ox cart passage. Robert realized that the same twisted streets that hindered a ghost’s passage through the city also made it difficult for anyone following them. He took Ayaou by an arm and started to pull her along faster.

“
Robert, why are we walking so fast?” Ayaou asked breathlessly.

He didn
’t want to alarm her with his suspicions that Ward might have someone following them, so he said, “There was a ghost chasing us. I wanted to lose it.”

“
You saw a ghost,” she said, shocked. She looked around. “I’ve never seen one, but I know they are there. I sometimes feel them waiting outside the gate to the city. When you walk through one, it is like a cold wind chilling your heart.”

He studied her face and
saw the fear in her eyes. Telling that lie had been a mistake. He hadn’t realized that Ayaou was so superstitious. He should have known. It was obvious that most Chinese believed in ghosts. If they had not, they wouldn’t have made the effort to build their cities like labyrinths. He resolved not to frighten her again.

They reached a corner and turned into a wider, busi
er street where it was easy to get lost in the surging Chinese crowd.

They
had reached the Chinese merchant district. Large white banners printed with inked Chinese characters hung above shop windows. The signs read ‘low price for sale’. There were only a few foreigners on this street.

“
How can you possibly get five hundred pounds?” Ayaou asked. “It is many times what Ward paid my father. I’m not worth it.”

“
Don’t worry about the money,” Robert said. “You’ve already told me where I can get it. What we need to do right now is to find a boat and go to Captain Patridge’s summerhouse.”

As they moved through the crowds, a thought occurred to Ro
bert that his parents would be shocked if they discovered he’d bought one concubine and was going for her older sister. His womanizing and drinking at college had scandalized his family. What he was doing now would probably kill his father, who seldom cracked a smile and spent most of every waking moment with a Bible. When he talked, the conversation was usually about scripture and what it meant. There was a ritual before every meal where Robert’s father asked his sons and daughters what each had done for God that day. Maybe Robert could say he’d been thinking of God when he’d risked his life to save the two sisters from a horrible fate. Robert doubted his father would accept that.

Robert decided not to
mention Ayaou or Shao-mei to any of his friends in the letters he wrote home. No one would understand anyway. Besides, someone might tell his parents. Robert looked around to make sure no one was watching. A shock raced through him when he saw a familiar face from Sungkiang. It was one of the men that laughed at him the night before the battle. The man was staring back with surprise. With heart pounding, Robert reached for his revolver.

Chapter 12

The man turned and ran. Robert had no way to know whether the man was running because he was a deserter or on his way to report to Ward.

“
We have to find a ship now, Ayaou!” he said.

“
We have been looking,” she replied. “None of the foreign ships are going that way.”

“
What about a Chinese junk? There are more of them. We might stand a better chance.”

It took an hour to find a Chinese boat leaving Shanghai to Zhoushan Island. Robert used the last of the money to purchase passage. It was a heavy Ningpo junk with a painting of a Phoenix on its high stern. It must have been painted recently as the
vivid paint looked fresh. The fiery image of the bird’s plumage contrasted with the dull gray brown of the hull—especially the tail of the magical bird.

Ayaou stood close to Robert as they hired a sampan to take them to the junk.
“I’ve been in China a year, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Robert said. “Among my people the Phoenix is a symbol of rebirth, and it isn’t as colorful as this.”

“
The reason you haven’t seen it before is because the
Feng Huang
is the Emperor of birds. He hides when trouble is near. We see him during peaceful and prosperous times. Since the Taiping uprising, the
Feng Huang
has been in hiding.

“
However, I heard one of the crew members say the son of the family patriarch married recently. The father had two of these birds painted on the hull. On this side we see the male. On the other side is the female. The tail of the bird is painted in the five sacred colors: red, blue, yellow, white and black.”