The Shadow Of Weng-Chiang Part 14

Acting on instinct, since his mind was too frightened to operate properly, Li hurled the gun at the dwarf and turned to run. However, Kwok smashed him to the ground with a pistol-b.u.t.t. Li lay groaning, unable to think of anything but the pain in the side of his head, and felt a faint twinge of deja vu deja vu as HsienKo's bare feet moved past his head. The opium den, he recalled. That dwarf must have been the child he thought he'd seen. as HsienKo's bare feet moved past his head. The opium den, he recalled. That dwarf must have been the child he thought he'd seen.

'All right, Sin; enough,' she commanded. The inhuman dwarf halted, its beady eyes flas.h.i.+ng at the unwanted restraint.

The silk-wrapped beauty smiled demurely, her green eyes almost glowing in the darkness like those of a cat. 'Like any human child, Sin doesn't like to be stopped from playing his favourite games. Unfortunately, he only really knows one game.'

Li sat up carefully, aware of the gun aimed at him. He couldn't take his eyes off Sin. He certainly wasn't human. The knife was recognizably the one he had taken from the Doctor and given to Professor Ying for examination. He would deal with Ying later, if there was a later. 'What is that thing?'

'An automaton, if you like, but one that does more than strike a bell every hour on the hour.'

'So I see.' Li turned slightly, and Sin moved to follow him.

He might not be able to kill a machine, and didn't have the time to try to sabotage it, but he could at least get it out of the way. 'I don't think of myself as a bell.' He lashed out at Sin with his foot, catching it in the midriff.

Though unhurt, the dwarf was lifted through the air and slammed into Kwok. Kwok's gun discharged into the ceiling as they tumbled to the floor.

Li flung open the french windows and dashed across the patio. He leapt off the edge as a volley of shots boomed over his head. The safety of the trees beckoned, and then he could return to find out what the Doctor had discovered. He wished he could believe that that was why he was running so fast.

HsienKo lowered her gun once it was empty. The cool night breeze was ruffling her silk wrap as she stepped back in from the french windows. Kwok had scrambled away from Sin and was checking his own gun. He looked at her, trying to hide his loathing of Sin. The dwarf was a product of sorcery, he was certain. 'Now do you believe that we should have killed him and the Doctor?'

'I owed the Doctor, and I still want him on our side. Li is nothing, but you're right; he knows too much. Give the evacuation order; I want the house empty by dawn. Tomorrow I'll sort out everything at the duty stations to cover our absence, then move on to the Jade Emperor. It's not likely that anyone else will be able to second-guess us, but if they do they should be too late to stop the generators running.'

After spending several minutes tying up the stunned guards, the Doctor and K9 had crept down a narrow scree-strewn path to the floor of the quarry. Four trucks were parked in the dusty central amphitheatre, while a couple of tents were set up near a large campfire burning a few yards away. Spindly pieces of wood held up pots and kettles over the fire where men were silhouetted sitting around it.

The Doctor scuttled across to the nearest tent. He held the ends of his scarf off the ground so as not to rattle any small rocks. A quick look confirmed that there was no one inside, so he quickly ducked through the flap.

Now he could make out the voices of the men sitting around the fire. 'At least we won't have to do this again,' one of them was saying.

'No. Once we're finished at the Jade Emperor temple and Weng-Chiang has returned...'

'It hardly seems true, does it? I still have fears that HsienKo is wrong and nothing will happen.'

'She may only be a woman, but she has done what she said.

She gave us the Dragon Path; she will renew Weng-Chiang.'

'I saw the omens at the sacrifice, it's true. The smoke took the form of the eyes of the dragon.'

K9 could sense the Doctor's life signs altering to a more tense mode. 'Renew Weng-Chiang?' He crawled out of the back of the tent as they moved towards the trucks. The Doctor knelt to examine a piece of rock from the floor of the quarry.

He sniffed at it, then held it to his ear before holding it out to K9. 'What can you tell me about this? Quietly?'

'Mica-bearing rock. Magnet.i.tes, silicates and trace elements of ferric salts all show disruption caused by exposure to chronon radiation. Suggest displacement as cause.'

'Hmm. Like the splash created by a diver when he enters the water.'

'Affirmative, master.' K9 could tell that his information had been understood, and that was a reflection of high efficiency. He wouldn't stoop to using a word like 'pleasing'

though it proved that his function as a computer was being adequately fulfilled. The Doctor replaced the rock on the ground and tiptoed over to the nearest truck. Making sure no one was in it, he lifted K9 up and scrambled on board. The truck was full of squared-off piles of crates covered with tarpaulins.

There was a knock behind him. The Doctor flattened himself against the side of the truck, affording K9 a clear shot at the newcomer. K9 held his fire, however; it was Li, whose heat trace and heart rate were visibly increased.

The Doctor lifted one of the tarpaulins carefully and directed the light from a pen torch onto the crate underneath. 'Imperial Army Air Fleet, Kanamaruhara...These are j.a.panese military explosives.' K9's linguistic bank confirmed that the Doctor was right.

Li peered at the stylized characters painted onto the wood.

'Stolen from forward bases in Manchuria?'

'Not necessarily; until we know what causes the Dragon Paths, we can't be sure what sort of a range they're spread over.'

'You mean they could be from mainland j.a.pan? That's impossible.'

'So should a journey from London to here be. If a journey along the Dragon Path is at a speed as close to the speed of light as makes no difference, he could have travelled that distance in the blink of an eye. Just like we did from the countryside to near the Bund.'

There was a flurry of activity from outside. All three of them looked out: a car had arrived in the quarry, Kwok waving the men from the fireside to the trucks. The Doctor looked at Li. 'I take it things didn't go well?'

'You could put it that way.'

The truck shook as its engine started up, and the Doctor and Li had to grab hold of crates to keep their balance. 'They're leaving!' The Doctor grabbed K9 and dropped him off the back of the truck. He followed, then rolled up to catch Li.

The truck had already gone, however, and the growl of its engine echoed into silence. Around him, the remaining vehicles were hurtling straight towards the rocky sides of the quarry. Flickering blue ripples burst from the front of each truck, and they disappeared one by one until the Doctor was forced to dodge the last truck as it went past. His eyes widened as he saw what was amidst the crates in the back of the final vanis.h.i.+ng truck.

There could hardly have been two police boxes in Shanghai...

Twelve.

he Club Do-San was rather busier now that night had fallen T . Woo felt a surge of pride at the sight of so many people chatting and laughing together in his establishment. He had never expected that the trade which had been picked for him by his former masters would be so satisfying, but there was something addictive about persuading people to happily forget their cares for a while.

He moved across the dance floor, trying not to cough on the tobacco smoke that filled the air. The smoke reminded him uncomfortably of the fate of his original club which had burned to the ground several years ago. He had almost died there, having set the charges with too short a fuse. As far as his ex-employers were concerned he had died there. He even had the death certificate to prove it, though the name on it wasn't Woo. It hadn't been a place like this, of course. This had taken real care to build up, unlike the old sleazepit.

He liked to tour the club once or twice a night, to see if anyone he knew was in. He didn't recognize anyone tonight, though it was still early. Now he had a second opinion to seek whether Romana would recognize anyone here. He mixed himself a Manhattan behind the bar while waiting for her debut. He also smiled and made eyes at the barmaids that was expected of him, and playing on expectations was what made his job possible. At least it was a pleasurable duty.

The band struck up a fanfare to announce the imminent emergence of the evening's singer. Romana who had been billed as Romy, direct from Broadway emerged from an arch at the centre of the bandstand. Woo could see the uncertainty in her eyes, but had to admit that her affected haughtiness covered it well enough to hide it from the audience. She launched into 'Wonderful World', which she had told him was by Louis Armstrong, though he had never heard of it. Perhaps launched was the wrong word; she enunciated each word clearly and delicately, but it seemed to work with this song.

The patrons didn't seem to be enraptured, but they weren't throwing bottles at her either, so he supposed she was doing all right. He watched her for several long moments, not really listening to the song, and could feel his heart beating faster.

He wondered what her skin would feel like under his palms, her mouth on his...Stop that, he told himself. He forced himself to move his eyes across the tables. This was business, and in any case, Wei Pei would be upset. He smiled at the thought that it might be worth it.

As Professor Ying of Shanghai's police laboratory was shaken awake, he reached instinctively for the gun on his bedside table. He stopped when he saw that it was Kwok, standing by the bed. 'I wish you would use the doorbell like anyone else.'

Kwok, who never seemed sociable, ignored him. 'Get dressed. We're moving to the Jade Emperor immediately.'

Ying was alert at once. 'What's happened?'

'Your friend from work has blown our cover. HsienKo is preparing to coordinate the main workforce's movement tomorrow, but she wants the heat exchanger and turbine prepared by the time she arrives. You've got ten minutes.'

With that, Kwok stepped back into the darkness. Although the door and windows never opened, Ying knew that he was no longer in the building, let alone the room.

Woo settled into the chair in his office and selected a table number at random from the switchboard. The voices of two Americans came over the speaker, arguing over a girl. He tried a different number, only to find that it belonged to someone complaining about having to fetch their own drinks.

Woo groaned inwardly; the waiter for this s.h.i.+ft must have slipped away early, and it was the way of things in China that staff who worked in one section couldn't work in another. If Woo tried to send a waiter from the floorside area up to the balcony, the boss coolie would cause trouble. He switched to another table.

'... is going on. The whole brigade is being mobilized first thing,' someone was saying.

'When did those orders come in? We haven't heard anything.'

'I don't know. All I do know is that I'm the one stuck with finding someone to replace the Fourteenth Engineers from tomorrow night.'

'The campaign against the Communists is probably bogged down in the mountains again.'

'Probably. If we were coolies we could just let them stew. I don't much like Kwok's att.i.tude either.' Woo sat bolt upright.

'It borders on insubordination.'

'Haven't you had confirmation from his commander?'

'Haven't been able to get through. There's something very odd going on there. To be honest, I begin to wonder whether his commander even knows what is going on.' Woo wondered as well. Kwok was a common name, but the anomalous behaviour suggested that this was no coincidence.

'Now you're seeing shadows. It's just Logistics getting things wrong as usual. Now cheer up, we're here to enjoy ourselves.'

'Hmm. I could enjoy myself with this Romy.' Both voices degenerated into lascivious laughter. Woo was disgusted, mostly because he felt the same way.

Woo picked up the phone. 'Rondo, it's me. Check the files and get back to me on where the Fourteenth Engineering Brigade is based.' If there was a connection to Black Scorpion, then a visit from Yan Cheh would definitely be a good idea.

He replaced the phone, glad that the evening hadn't been a total loss.

Woo could hear polite applause over the speakers. Such politeness was one of the things that was as prevalent here in Shanghai as at home. Romana came into the office a few minutes later, looking weary. He felt guilty at having put her out there; she had demonstrated great intellect, of course, but she did somehow seem quite innocent in a way. He supposed it was like a traveller who had learned all about the city from books, then tried to act like a native except that she wasn't that annoying. No, he decided, it was more an air of having been sheltered. 'Well?'

She took a deep breath. 'I didn't see anyone out there who was at the docks or the police station. Did you have any luck?'

'Perhaps. It may be unconnected, but '

Romana nodded, cutting him off. 'It seems obvious that waiting for information to fall into our lap isn't going to work.' She straightened, pacing around slightly. Woo was surprised; it was as if she was trying to take charge. 'First we'll have to find the Doctor.'

'First you'd best get some rest and something to eat,' Woo corrected. 'We'll see about looking for your friend afterwards.'

The world had twisted in some strange way, then returned to normal. It wasn't something that Li could quantify, but more a sensation in his stomach, as if he had spun through the air while firmly attached to the ground. It had been a far stronger sensation than when he had followed the Doctor's car, but was a distinctly similar phenomenon.

Li was faintly glad of that. At least whatever it was had been categorizable. That meant he could compare it to other events efficiently. It wasn't much, but it was a start. He peered out from beneath the tarpaulin and saw a few more trucks following.

A large double-roofed arch was shrinking into the distance behind the trucks, and rural buildings were crowding around it in a street. Li didn't recognize the arch at all. He was pretty sure he knew most of Shanghai, but this part was definitely unfamiliar. Fastidious to the last, he dutifully started noting down brief local features in a small notepad. They might come in useful later.

The truck then turned left, and Li saw that they were entering some sort of walled compound through a large double gate. The truck ground to a halt in the middle of a moonlit courtyard. The other trucks swerved to park alongside and Li scrambled towards the back of the truck, knowing that someone would be coming to unload it.

He was right. Before he even set foot on the ground, two men had arrived to open the tailgate. They stared at him in mute surprise. He quickly launched a flurry of blows at them, then jumped down to make a run for the gates. Twice in one night, he thought, recognizing the irony of a policeman being a fugitive.

He had almost reached the gate when another truck rumbled through. Blinded by the headlights, he flung himself to one side as it pa.s.sed. By the time the glare had pa.s.sed and he could pick himself up, several armed guards had surrounded him.

One of them, shrugged. 'Kill him.'

'No!' a familiar voice snapped. Li turned to see the mustachioed Professor Ying jogging across the courtyard towards them. Li was more hurt than angry at first. The idea of a police officer a.s.sociating with these bandits was sickening.

He didn't think it was hypocritical to feel that way while he himself was a member of the Great Circle Tong, since the Great Circle at least had some semiofficial approval.

Doubtless Ying had made up all that nonsense about the knife not being the murder weapon. Li's anger swelled, bubbling up through the surprise. He would throw the book at Ying for this twisted double-life he had led.

Ying smiled, as if reading his mind. 'If the Doctor is also still free, but outside HsienKo's control, we may need a hostage.'

Romana and Woo had eaten in Woo's private dining-room, with Rondo as their waiter. He had also delivered the file which Woo had asked for. Woo was quite at ease; of the various girls he had entertained here, Romy was by far the most fascinating. It was that mixture of intelligence and innocence that interested him.

'I suggest you remain here,' Woo was saying, 'while I pay this engineering brigade a visit. If they have been infiltrated by the Black Scorpion ' There was a faint shuffling sound behind the door and Woo saw the handle begin to turn.

Since Rondo hadn't preceded whoever it was and they hadn't knocked Woo doubted it was anyone friendly. He grabbed a champagne bottle from the rack and slipped behind the door as it started to open. Romana look up in surprise as a tall man with curly hair and an unseasonal overcoat and woollen scarf breezed in. Woo raised the champagne bottle, ready for a surprise overhand swing. 'Aha,' the newcomer exclaimed. 'Of all the gin joints in all the world, I thought I'd find you here.' He suddenly stretched an accusatory finger backwards towards Woo, without looking round. 'If that's a '29, you were expecting me.'

'It's all right,' Romana told Woo. 'This is the friend I told you about; the Doctor.'

'Yes, I recognize the scarf. Pleased to meet you, Doctor.

Romy has been telling me all about you.' Slightly distracted by wondering what had given away his position, Woo looked the Doctor up and down, taking in the bizarre clothing and rather theatrically eccentric wide-eyed look. This was unmistakably the man from the docks, whom he had followed to the police box on Waibaidu bridge, but at close range he didn't look much like a policeman to Woo not even an undercover one. K9 followed the Doctor in.

The Doctor looked at Romana with a wicked grin. 'Romy?'

'It's my stage name,' Romana said haughtily.

'Well, it could be worse.' He turned to Woo. 'You must be Yan Cheh.'

'Yes.' Woo felt inexplicably embarra.s.sed.

'Let me guess You're going to tell me you know what evil lurks in the hearts of men?'

'I leave that to Orson Welles. His serial is...amusing.'

'Yes.' The Doctor looked around at the expensive furnis.h.i.+ngs. 'Ah; billionaire playboy by day, licensed to kill costumed vigilante by night?'

'I'm not a billionaire, my reasons for what I do are not simple as mere vigilantism, and I don't wear a costume. Apart from that, I don't see the problem.'

The Doctor gave him a reproachful look. 'Well, it's not totally original is it?'

Woo smiled tightly. 'And the more-than-human eccentric expert in everything is? I've read Robeson's pulp adventures too.'