China by Edward Rutherfurd (historical books to read TXT) 📕

Then Nio and Sea Dragon inspected Hog Lane. Halfway down, there was a small alley where three or four men could hide. A few minutes more of discreetly working loose the boards in front of the stall beside it, and they had a space in which to dump the messenger. “All we need now,” said Sea Dragon, “is to place the lookouts.” Nio found a spot on the waterfront where he could watch the entrance to Dr. Parker’s little hospital. Sea Dragon could position himself in a doorway near the foot of Hog Lane. The two other men would wait in the alley. “You signal me as he leaves the hospital,” the pirate told Nio. “And I’ll slip up the lane.”

They separated after that. Nio went to a teahouse before returning, a little before dusk, to the waterfront.

—

For the first minutes, everything had gone so smoothly. There wasn’t a soul about. Sitting behind a big mooring post by the waterside, Nio had a thick, heavy club, about the length of a rolling pin, on the ground beside him. Just as dusk began, he saw the messenger. There was no mistaking him. He was quite an old man, though he still looked spry. He came out of Hog Lane and went swiftly down the line of empty factories to Parker’s door.

He was in there only a few moments. When he came out, he was slightly bent forward, with the package hoisted on his back. It looked bulky rather than heavy. As soon as the old man’s back was turned to him, Nio grabbed his club in one hand, stood up, and with his other hand waved a white cloth towards the place where Sea Dragon was waiting. Instantly, he saw the pirate slip like a shadow into the lane. Moving silently, Nio had followed. When the old man turned into the lane, he clutched the club tightly to his chest and started to run, as fast as he could, to catch up with him. He entered the lane. Apart from the old man, it was empty. He raced up the lane. Would the old fellow hear him? He saw him hesitate. Was he going to turn? No. He’d seen Sea Dragon step out in front of him. The pirate was bowing politely. Clever fellow. Only fifteen yards to go. The old man was about to pass. Sea Dragon grabbed his hands. The old man cried out.

He was there. He cracked the club on the side of the old man’s head. Tock! The sound seemed to fill the lane. But he’d judged it well. The old man went down, smacking into the ground. He was out cold.

The two other men were already out of the alleyway. They tore the package off the old man’s back and thrust it at Sea Dragon. They picked up the old man. His body was limp. And they were about to throw him into the stall when Sea Dragon stopped them. “He saw my face.” He turned to Nio. “Show me your knife.” Nio pulled it out. “Good. Kill him.”

“Kill him?” Nio looked up and down the lane. Empty. Nobody even looking in. But he hesitated.

If they were attacked by a war junk when they were smuggling, he wouldn’t mind killing. That was the game. Everyone knew it. The thought of killing Lin never worried him, either. Lin was a mandarin from the north, nothing to do with him or his people. And he was trying to destroy a local trade. Let him die. Who cared?

But this old man was harmless. Just an old Cantonese, with children and grandchildren most likely, a poor fellow running an errand. He didn’t want to kill him.

“He saw me. Kill him.” Sea Dragon was looking at him. It was an order. No man in his crew could disobey that. And the rest of the crew wouldn’t tolerate anyone who did. Sea Dragon was looking at him, and there was death in his eyes.

Nio turned and plunged his knife into the old fellow’s body, under the ribs, and twisted it up to strike the heart. He saw one of the men holding the old fellow nod to Sea Dragon. They tossed the old man’s body behind the boards and pushed them back in place.

And just then Nio glanced up the alley as Shi-Rong entered it. He did not know that he could move so fast. Reaching across, he scooped up the package containing the trusses and, with a single motion, slung it into the shadows of the alleyway.

“Mandarin,” he hissed. “Bow when he passes.” Then, taking Sea Dragon’s arm, he called out, “Goodnight, my friends,” to the two other men and walked casually towards Shi-Rong with the pirate beside him.

Shi-Rong was in a hurry. He looked preoccupied. When Nio and Sea Dragon made way for him and bowed, he hardly acknowledged them and scarcely seemed to notice the other two men at all. As soon as Shi-Rong was out of the lane, Nio signaled the other men to bring the package at once and helped Sea Dragon sling it over his back.

“That was Lin’s secretary,” he explained. “He must be making sure the package was sent.”

“Good.” Sea Dragon was walking swiftly. “Parker will tell him it’s on the way. Let’s do it.”

—

There was no problem when they reached Lin’s headquarters. From across the street, Nio watched Sea Dragon speak to the guards at the gate, one of whom went to get instructions and soon returned. “You’re to wait inside,” Nio heard him say.

So far, so good. The lanterns were being lit in a big teahouse nearby. There were quite a few people about in the street. It was easy enough for Nio and the other two men to wait around without attracting attention.

Only one thing troubled him. It seemed quite likely that after Shi-Rong had gone to check with Dr. Parker that the delivery was being made, the young mandarin would have finished his work