Chapter 35
Friday, May 8
Rupert, Lya, Nell, and Alisa met for breakfast in the hotel dining room.
Alisa was dismayed to learn that one of her clients insisted on meeting
with her that day and would require her full attention. Mr. Li's services
would not be required, since the client was sending a car for her.
The other three investigators agreed to meet back at the hotel at noon.
Rupert and Mr. Li and spent the morning visiting various publishing
shops to arrange for a new edition of his Eyewitness Account of the Russo-Japanese
War (to be translated into Japanese and Chinese). Nell and Lya
took a taxi to the Stumbling Tiger bar on Lantern Street, which they found
to be closed. Little activity of any type was observed along this
street of bars, brothels, and dancehalls. They then drove to the
north railway station but were stopped by a checkpoint operated by ragtag
Chinese troops. After learning that the station was under the control
of a local warlord, they told the driver to return to the hotel. On
the way back they noticed a noisy demonstration in front of the Soviet consulate.
Upon inquiry at the hotel, they learned that such demonstrations by
White Russian exiles were frequent but rarely violent.
Nell and Lya then took a taxi to the Customs House. Lya showed
the clerk on duty the photograph found
in Jackson Elias' hotel room shortly after his murder. The clerk did
not recognize it, but Lya persuaded him to allow her and Nell to examine
the registry of ships. Nell noted a 90 foot yacht named "Dark Mistress"
that was registered to a "Mr. Alfred Penhurst", of British nationality, since
1921. Nell turned pale, prompting the clerk to ask if anything was
wrong. Nell recovered her composure and asked the clerk if Mr. Penhurst
had left a forwarding address for mail. She was told that none had
been provided.
Nell and Lya left the customs office and walked back to the Astor House,
carefully examining boats moored along the Bund embankment. Lya seemed
agitated at the possibility that "Alfred Penhurst" might be "Aubrey Penhew"
but Nell managed to keep Lya from making a scene in public.
After meeting Rupert at the hotel, the trio embarked on a three hour
cruise of the Whangpoo River and Shanghai harbor area. Midway through
the tour, Nell and Lya spotted a yacht resembling the Dark Mistress anchored
near a warehouse on the north side of the river. Consulting her map,
Nell identified the area as Kaoyang Street, which Lya recognized as the
address of Ho Fong Imports. As the tour boat approached the yacht,
Rupert managed to read the name: DARK MISTRESS. The background matched
that shown in Elias' photograph.
Upon returning to the hotel, the trio were delighted to spot Oswald van
Dreisen and Sydney Bedard checking in. Over cocktails in the bar, Sydney
told them that she and Oswald had had quite a remarkable journey from Haifa
to Shanghai, but that the story would have to wait for a later time. Sydney
was intrigued with the elegant decadence of Shanghai and wanted to visit
every bar and nightspot in town. Oswald planned to stay for a few days
until he made contact with an old family friend (a medical doctor) before
continuing on to Australia on business.
While Oswald and Sydney rested from their journey, Nell, Rupert, and
Lya went to the afternoon tea dance at the hotel. This was one of
the few places where Western and Chinese high society could meet and mingle.
Nell made discreet inquiries about yachting but learned nothing useful.
Lya met a woman who was a client of the Chinese astrologer Mr. Lung and was given a glowing
endorsement of his acumen and divinatory powers. Lya noted the lady's
name and proceeded to ask her questions about feng-shui.
After the tea dance, Nell went up to the roof-garden with a pair of binoculars
and observed what she thought to be Ho Fong Imports and the Dark Mistress
(several miles away to the north-east). Near sunset she thought she
noticed activity, with several bright flashes.
The group decided to order room service and plan their next actions from
the safety of Alisa's suite. Lya noted that the Chinese astrologer,
Mr. Lung, lived only a few blocks from Ho Fong Imports and that this would
be an excellent opportunity to learn the future and investigate Ho Fong
and "Alfred Penhurst" at the same time. And, since Mr. Lung was open
for consultations until 10 pm, it provide a good excuse for them being out
so late in that area. Nell thought this might be dangerous without
more thorough scouting but was persuaded by Lya that they would avoid any
confrontations. "The Heavenly Stem and the Earthly Branch will provide
the answers, Nell! No appointment required!" insisted Lya.
Nell, Lya, Rupert, and Sydney (in two rickshaws) travelled from
the Astor House hotel to Mr. Lung's house on Kaoyang Street, two blocks east
of Ho Fong Imports' warehouse. The house occupied the ground floor
of a three-story building. On the front steps a large Siamese cat
was yowling to be let in. Lya greeted the cat as a potential ally
from Bast, and rang the bell.
Mr. Lung, a slight man of about 50 years in age, opened the door and
politely inquired as to the visitors' desire. Lya (posing as Sarah
Brightman) gave Mr. Lung her business card
and requested that he perform a reading for her. After carefully examining
the card, Mr. Lung (with obvious reluctance and trepidation) invited the
group in. The Siamese cat followed at a distance. Sydney decided
to wait outside.
The entry hall of of the house was hung with numerous tiger scrolls (parchment
strips inscribed with Chinese characters), which Mr. Lung explained were
intended to ward off demons. After escorting the group into his parlor,
Mr. Lung pointed out that the furniture was carefully arranged according
to the precepts of feng-shui as a further defense against evil influences.
He then gave Lya a bronze medallion to wear as further protection.
Lya was very favorably impressed by Mr. Lung's preparations and told
him that she had been menaced by occult influences herself. Mr. Lung
then invited Lya to sit at a table across from him. Suspended over
the table was a "sword" whose blade and hilt were composed of threaded Chinese
coins. After several moments of meditation, Mr. Lung asked Lya what
she wished to learn. Lya replied that she wanted a general reading,
with emphasis on possible occult influences around her. Mr. Lung then
went over to an adjacent table and began burning Chinese banknotes in a brazier.
He explained that this "money" was drawn on the "Bank of Hell" and
was intended to distract any demons who might be scrying them. Mr.
Lung then went to another brazier and burned a pair of silk slippers, which
gave off an acrid smoke and stench. He explained, somewhat nervously,
that the smell was intended to banish any remaining evil spirits. "And
us, too", coughed Nell. Lya jotted down a brief description of all
these wards in her notebook.
Suddenly, the Siamese cat (which had quietly entered the parlor) transformed
from a large cat into a large demon - 250 pounds, large belly, glowing
claws, and eyes that flashed and smoked. In a grinding and harsh
voice it spoke. "I am Wu the Implacable, ageless and cruel servant
of the Celestial Court. I have come to punish the astrologer Lung,
for crimes committed against the Celestial Court. Prepare to die,
worthless one."
While Nell stood transfixed in horror, Lya cast aside what sanity remained
and ran screaming from the house. Rupert (recalling what he had
learned from Dark Cults of Africa)
intoned the spell Cast Out Devils. To his (and Mr. Lung's)
amazement, it worked, and Wu the Demon vanished in a cloud of greasy black
smoke!
Nell ran outside and found Sydney restraining Lya from running away into
the night. With Nell's assistance, Sydney took out her hip flask and
poured Lya a shot of whiskey. Meanwhile, Mr. Lung thanked Rupert for
saving his life. He told Rupert that the Celestial Court sought to
punish him for providing accurate divination to all persons, including Westerners
and those of unworthy parentage. Mistakenly, he had thought that Rupert
and his friends were demons (in human form) and had attempted to banish them
(for which he humbly apologized). Since the immutable laws of the
stars had decreed that this day was that appointed for his judgment, the
failure of Wu the Demon-Cat to slay him meant that he was safe for the next
12 years. He asked Rupert how he could repay his debt to him and was
told that the group needed advice and introductions to those learned in
the occult. Mr. Lung gave Rupert one of the Tiger scrolls and a bronze
medallion and told him to return next week for further consultation.
Rupert left Mr. Lung's house to find Lya calmer, but still panicked and
unstable. Hailing a passing taxi, the three took Lya back to the Astor
House hotel, where they left her in the care of Alisa. "The cat - it
was evil! Does Bast know?" Lya repeated over and over to herself, as
she sat on the floor in the corner of the room, scribbling furiously in
her notebook.
The three then took a rickshaw back to Kaoyang Street and got out a block
away from Ho Fong Imports' warehouse. From the darkness of an alleyway
across the street, they observed workers loading crates aboard the Dark
Mistress, under the direction of a middle-aged, heavy-set Chinese man
wearing a baggy, white linen suit and chain-smoking aromatic cigarettes,
and a Westerner resembling a younger version of Sir Aubrey Penhew. A
fishy smell permeated the air. Nell thought the workers had batrachian
features, as they shuffled back and forth between yacht and warehouse. Little
was heard, other than scattered words in Chinese and English. After
about 15 minutes the workers boarded the yacht, along with "young Penhew".
The Dark Mistress silently floated away from the dock, until
a powerful engine activated and the yacht rapidly faded from view. The
Chinese man then left in a chauffeur-driven Packard (which had been parked
nearby).
Sydney suggested that she and Oswald should make a business appointment
with Mr. Ho Fong next week to try and get a look inside the warehouse. The
trio then hailed a passing rickshaw and set out for Lantern Street, in
the Hongkew district.
Unlike the visit of that morning, Lantern Street was alive with activity
in the hours near midnight. The street was filled with revelers staggering
between bars, gambling dens, and flower girl houses. Most of the crowd
were Chinese, although scattered clumps of British, American, French, and
Italian sailors were visible in the throng.
Number 10 Lantern Street was the Stumbling Tiger bar, identified by both
Chinese and English language signs and by the image of a drunken tiger stumbling
over a stone. With some trepidation, the trio walked in.
The interior of the Stumbling Tiger bar was large, dark, and dirty, with
green-painted walls and posters of Chinese actresses and silent film stars.
The light managed to be both harsh and inadequate. Decades of
cigarette smoke and missed tries at spittoons gave the air a heavy, mouldering
quality. The clientele was mostly Asian, along with a group of Italian
sailors at the far end of the bar. Not for the first time, Nell wondered
what she was doing here.
Sydney, however, seemed quite at home. She led the way inside and
found a place at the bar, near the Italians. Nell and Rupert followed
at a distance and sat at the other end of the bar.
To help create a distraction (or so she said later), Sydney started flirting
with the Italian sailors. "Hey, McChum - Whiskey alla tutti" said
one of the sailors (indicating Sydney and the Italians only). Rupert
ordered a scotch (Dewar's), which the bartender poured from an unlabeled
bottle of brownish liquid, while Nell picked up a matchbook - it matched that found in Jackson
Elias' room.
In Lya's absence, Nell decided to take the initiative and asked the bartender
if he knew someone named Fergus.
"Fergus, yeah that's me. Fergus Chum. I own this place. Yeah.
You want a drink?"
Nell asked for a gin fizz, paid for it leaving a very generous tip, then
asked Fergus if he knew someone named Jack Brady, whom she described as
a mutual acquaintance.
"Yeah, Jack Brady. Jack Brady save my life once. Right here
in this bar. Yeah."
Nell asked if Fergus had seen Brady recently.
"Jack Brady. No see him for long time. Think, maybe he leave
Shanghai. Yeah. Say, lady, tell your friend over there. Italian
sailors no good. Drink, fight, cause trouble. You keep eye on
her. Yeah."
Nell persisted and asked Fergus if he knew where Brady might have gone.
In a lowered voice, Fergus whispered, "Jack Brady go to Rangoon. He
have big deal there with Charlie Grey - they sell guns, I think. Charlie
Grey a big money man - very important there. Yeah."
Fergus then went over to attend to other, more boisterous patrons. At
that point a short, polite Japanese man dressed in working clothes walked
up to Nell and introduced himself as Mr. Mutsu. Reeking of alcohol,
he asked her (in slurred, heavily-accented English) if she was enjoying
her visit to Shanghai. Was she a journalist, here to investigate atrocities
committed by low-born Chinese warlords against honorable Japanese citizens,
he asked? Nell parried his inquiries and told him that she was an
American tourist, travelling around the world in the company of friends.
Mr. Mutsu wished her a pleasant stay in Shanghai and returned to his
table.
Nell indicated to Rupert that she was ready to leave. Rupert extricated
Sydney from the attentions of the sailors, and the trio walked out of the
bar onto Lantern Street. Rupert began looking for a taxi or rickshaw
to take them back to the Astor House.
Suddenly, four Chinese men burst out of the Stumbling Tiger bar and attacked
the trio with sharp, metal sickles! Nell and Syndey fumbled to draw
their pistols, while Rupert stood on in stunned amazement a short distance
away. The four attackers severely wounded Nell and Sydney. Nell
eventually found her pistol and fired wildly, while Sydney fell to the ground,
bleeding profusely. Rupert recovered, drew his pistol, and fired,
missing as well. One of the attackers stood over Sydney, preparing
to sever her head, when he abruptly fell to the ground, dead.
Mr. Mutsu stood in the doorway of the Stumbling Tiger, calmly firing an
8 mm automatic pistol. Within the span of a few heartbeats all four
attackers lay dead. Mr. Mutsu then walked up to Rupert and told him
(in excellent, crisp, slightly-accented English) that he was a friend and
would explain later. Rupert noticed that Mr. Mutsu was not drunk in the slightest
and that the reek of alcohol came from liquor spilled on his clothing. Nell,
although badly wounded, applied first aid to Syndey and stanched the bleeding.
Nell considered ditching the pistol and returning to the umbrella
as her weapon of choice.
Mutsu hailed a passing Japanese policeman, who commandeered two rickshaws
(ejecting their occupants) that eventually carried the four to the hospital
on Haining Road. The examining doctor ordered Nell and Sydney
to be kept overnight.
By now it was past midnight, and Mr. Mutsu suggested that he and Rupert
meet the next day at the Cricket Club at 2 PM for further discussions, along
with any other members of his group. Rupert agreed, and wearily returned
to the Astor House Hotel for a few hours of sleep.
Saturday, May 9
The next morning, Rupert reserved two room at the Palace Hotel, as
a safe refuge in case more trouble erupted. He met Alisa for
a late breakfast and told her what had happened last night. Alisa
told him that she had managed to give Lya a sedative and she was sleeping
soundly. The two agreed to meet Mr. Mutsu that afternoon.
Rupert, Alisa, and Oswald then took a taxi to the hospital. They
were allowed to visit Nell and were told that she she was in good condition
and was likely to be released in a few days. Sydney was in critical
condition and not allowed visitors. Oswald agreed to remain at the
hospital for the rest of the day in case anything further developed.
Returning to the hotel, they found that Lya had awoken and was directing
two bellboys in re-arranging the furniture in Alisa's suite according to
the principles of feng-shui. Once the task was completed, Lya seemed
much calmer until she heard that Nell and Sydney were in the hospital. She
then refused to leave the room under any circumstances. Alisa ordered
lunch from room service for the three of them.
Alisa and Rupert then took a taxi to the Cricket Club, whose membership
was restricted to Westerners and Japanese nationals (no Chinese allowed).
They found that Mr. Mutsu had reserved a private conference room for
their meeting.
Mr. Mutsu introduced himself as the supervisor of Fujian Export and Import,
a Japanese firm in the Hongkew district. He had heard rumors from
his Chinese workers that a strange cult, the Order of the Bloated Corpse,
was being organized to kill all foreigners in China. He had begun
an investigation of his own and had learned that this cult was working on
a "super-weapon" of some kind. Some of their supplies were being provided
by Ho Fong Imports, a British firm called Crescent Empire Imports, and an
Australian company called Western Mining and Exploration. Rupert decided
that Mr. Mutsu could be trusted, and told him what he and the others had
learned about the connections between these firms and the Penhew Foundation.
He also explained about the Carlyle Expedition and their efforts to
find any survivors. Right now they were looking for Jack Brady.
Mr. Mutsu replied that he had heard rumors about Jack Brady being hunted
by the Order of the Bloated Corpse. Brady had been seen recently at
the Stumbling Tiger, which is why he (Mutsu) was there. When he heard
Nell inquire about Brady, he wanted to find out why she was interested.
He apologized for briefly thinking that she and Rupert were insane
cultists. When Nell, Rupert, and Sydney left the Stumbling Tiger,
Mr. Mutsu had noticed four cultists following them. He had followed
them and was pleased to have been able to intervene in the melee. He
pointed out to Rupert that his group should not rely on women as combatants.
Mr. Mutsu gave Rupert a telephone number at which he could be reached.
They agreed to meet again at an undetermined location on Tuesday to
continue the investigation.
Rupert and Alisa returned to the Astor House Hotel and told Lya that Nell
and Sydney would soon be out of the hospital.
Sunday, May 10
The next morning, Alisa took Lya to mass at the church where Brother
Paul was staying, in the hope that this might help her regain sanity. They
then drove to the hospital and were told that Nell would be released on
Monday morning. Nell asked them to bring her some clothes (as the
ones she had been wearing had been slashed to ribbons). During her
hospital stay she had had a chance to read the local newspaper (the Shanghai
Courier) and wanted to visit its offices as soon as she was feeling
well again.
Upon returning to the Astor House hotel, the concierge gave Alisa an envelope
addressed to "Miss Nell Parker". Alisa promised to give Nell the letter,
but did not reveal that Nell was in the hospital.
After returning to the suite, Lya grabbed the envelope from Alisa and insisted
on steaming it open. "It might be a message from Bast, or a letter
from Jackson - I mean Jack Brady", she said. Alisa reluctantly agreed.
The envelope contained an invitation
to dinner for Nell and her friends, "at a time of their convenience".
"Matters of mutual interest" would be discussed. Nell was to RSVP
as to the date and number of her companions. The invitation was from
the Honorable Lin Tang-Yu of Yu-yuan Road.
Alisa telephoned Rupert and informed him of the invitation. He told
her to pack an overnight bag and be ready to go to the Palace Hotel at a moment's
notice, if necessary.
Monday, May 11
Alisa, Lya, and Oswald picked up Nell from the hospital, having brought
her suitable clothing from her hotel room. Sydney was in better but
guarded condition. No release date for her was given, although she was
now allowed visitors.
Sydney was glad to see the group and seemed in good spirits. Oswald
agreed to remain nearby until visiting hours were over.
Returning to the hotel, Lya seemed to have recovered her mental and emotional
balance, now that Nell was back. Alisa showed Nell the invitation.
Nell was quite surprised, commenting that it should have been more
properly addressed to "Mrs. George Parker". She had no idea who Lin
Tang-Yu was.
That afternoon, Nell and Lya visited the office of the Shanghai Courier.
Searching the archives they
found a number of interesting stories that warranted further investigation.
They then visited the American consulate (across the street from their
hotel) and inquired about Mr. Lin Tang-Yu and the correct protocol. They
were told that Lin Tang-Yu was a wealthy mandarin (a former official at the
Imperial Court in Peking) who was now living in retirement. His younger
brother was an active warlord in the Kweilin region. Two days notice
should be provided, from RSVP to dinner date.
Late that afternoon, Rupert received a telephone call at the hotel from
Mr. Mutsu. He said that he had found something interesting in the Pootung
district (across the river from Hongkew) and suggested they meet Tuesday morning
at 9 am at the Public Gardens. Rupert agreed and informed the others
that evening at dinner. Lya was quite interested in meeting Mr. Mutsu
and wondered what he knew about Japanese occult practices.
