Girl Goes To Wudang (An Emily Kane Adventure Book 7) Page 16

  “Yes, sir,” Emily said in English, guessing that he spoke the language. “I am honored to be included in your celebration”

  “Yes, yes,” Wu Wei said, holding up his hand. The circle that she now found herself in the middle of had grown significantly larger in the meantime, since the guests had begun to congregate as if by some sort of gravitational force. “Tell me, Miao Zhizheng, why is my son lurking in the shadows over by the door? Is he in hiding?”

  “Shall I summon him, sir?” Zhizheng asked.

  “Tell me, Capt Tenno, have you met my son?” Wu Wei addressed her now in Putonghua, perhaps testing her in return.

  “Yes, sir,” she said. “I was honored to make his acquaintance last week at the state dinner.”

  “Is dancing part of the training for American naval officers?”

  “Yes, sir, it is. Classes in ballroom dancing are offered at the Naval Academy.”

  “Perhaps this is why your president is so confident as to send the American fleet into Chinese seas.”

  The tone in Wu Wei’s questions had evolved during this interrogation, from brusque to dismissive to something more aggressive. It occurred to Emily that a humorous retort might be the best way to shift the register of this conversation – if only she wasn’t so lame at humor. Her ‘quip’ about Academy dance classes had fallen totally flat… and she also had every reason to believe he knew exactly where his son had spent Saturday night. Margie would know how to handle the situation, if only she were here.

  “I’m not privy to Fleet policy, sir.”

  By this time, Wu Dao had managed to squeeze through the crowd and find his way to his father’s side, though he was perhaps not fully aware of the extent to which Emily might require rescuing. Zhizheng shrugged his shoulders when Wu Dao glanced his way.

  “Ballroom dancing, you say? How interesting, Capt Tenno.” He turned to General Yang, who seemed to be enjoying Emily’s discomfiture. “General Fan and General Chen tell me the captain gave quite a dance lesson to your brigade wu shu champion the other day at NDU. I wonder if the Beijing ‘Sword’ battalion would benefit from more dance lessons.”

  “Yes, Wu Dao,” Yang said. “She defeated another woman. Behold the example of heroism Liang zhuxi offers to the rest of us.”

  “I was grateful for the opportunity to test my skills against Feng Tu, General.” It may have been a mistake to intervene between the two men, but Emily’s comfort level with the tone of an exchange that had begun to feel dangerous was approaching zero. “Her fighting spirit is a true example.”

  An older man in a red jacket whispered something to Wu Wei, who promptly clapped loudly to get everyone’s attention. “Friends and honored guests, gentleman and ladies, welcome to my home. Dinner will be served through those doors.”

  The crowd began to file into a large banquet room, where seven or eight large tables had been set out. Emily scanned the inner court for any sign of Jiang Xi and began to worry that he might not show up, or worse, that the evening had a very different significance than she’d been led to understand. Finally, Zhizheng found her arm, and escorted her into the next room, where they were shown to a table with several minor functionaries, and almost as many empty chairs – and Emily was content to be at a safe distance from any VIPs.

  In a smaller venue, with no more than fifty people to serve, and in a very rich man’s house, the dishes emerged from the kitchen with a good deal more timeliness than had been possible at the state dinner. A dozen or so young men and women shuttled among the tables, delivering dispatches of seafood or duck, sizzling rice, cabbage and spinach. Emily made a silent promise not to have any maotai – “Only black tea for me, thank you,” she said to one server.

  “Experience is a clever teacher,” Zhizheng said, from the seat next to hers. “For my part, I’m sticking to the Japanese beer this evening.”

  It was difficult to be certain what the other people at the table thought of them, despite the steady whispering and furtive glances sent Emily’s way. To be fair, she must have seemed as out of place to them as she felt. Two women and a pair of well-dressed men, whose names had already been consigned to oblivion – did Zhizheng even know them? A fifth guest, an elderly gentleman dressed quite plainly in the loose fitting tunic and pants of an older style, watched her steadily, but said nothing and betrayed no judgment she could discern, and had nothing besides the soup and a cup of tea.

  Behind the main house, a large patio surrounded a central reflecting pool, and Wu Wei had arranged for an entertainment after dinner. All the guests found seats on one side of the pool and on the other, acrobats dressed in the saffron robes of some monastic order performed, while drummers set a rhythm in the background. Zhizheng and Emily perched along a garden wall on one side, at some distance from the other guests – though the elderly gentleman sat nearby, still saying nothing.

  “Shaolin monks,” Zhizheng said, “… from the southern temple. They’re a very expensive act.”

  “I’m sure my father chose them merely in order to annoy grandfather.” Wu Dao had finally managed to escape his father’s watchful eye and join them, nodding to the elderly gentleman as he spoke. “But they are quite skillful, don’t you think?”

  “I am very impressed,” Emily said, during a series of daring vaults onto the arms of a growing tower of bodies. “Are these monks from the temple famous for wu shu?”

  “I imagine these particular monks live in Beijing,” Zhizheng said. “At least, judging from how often they perform in the city, it’s hard to see how they can have much time to return to the New Forest Temple.” The old man snorted at this remark, betraying an interest in their conversation for the first time.

  “Do I detect some scorn in your voice, Zhi Zhi?” Wu Dao poked his friend in jest. “I can assure you, they are great warriors. No mere dancers these.”

  “Whatever they are, they must train an awful lot,” Emily said. “Their strength, their balance… it’s quite impressive.”

  “… and their choreography,” Zhizheng added.

  “Yes, I get it. It’s all choreographed and they’re just performers.”

  Before she could really pursue this critique of her dilettantish friends’ dismissal of the monks from Shaolin – and the question lingered at the back of her mind, why was she so charmed by these two? – a small commotion near the entrance to the patio had caught Emily’s attention. Two of the generals, Chen and Yang, had gone over to the patio entrance to greet a late arriving guest. Wu Wei didn’t take any notice of them, though whether he was unaware or uninterested, or even irritated, she was not able to discern. The low light made it difficult to see from her position, but she was pretty sure the latecomers were a tall man and woman, and Emily found her heart beating a little faster in the hope that Jiang Xi had finally arrived.

  What should she do? Walk over and greet him? Or would it endanger him… and her? Emily scanned the party on the patio and recognized no one she’d actually known for longer than a week, besides Jiang Xi himself, and practically everyone else was a potential enemy to both of them. However much she might be attracted to Wu Dao, and however sweet she found Zhizheng’s conversation to be, Jiang was the only true ally she had here… and the only person she was truly afraid to be seen speaking with.

  As she drew closer to the group by the entrance, the large man shifted his posture as if to turn away from her, but in the process gave Emily a clearer view of his companion, a tall woman, elegantly dressed, a pageboy haircut with sharp bangs and large hoop earrings. How much closer could she get without committing herself to what could prove to be an awkward situation? She was still within the orbit of Wu Dao and Zhizheng, and perhaps even the quiet old man. If she took one more step, who would she use as an excuse to approach the latecomers? Yang and Chen had not offered anything like a cordial welcome to her earlier, and she didn’t want to approach Jiang as though they were already acquainted. Some other pretext would be necessary, and she turned back to Zhizheng in time to hear the latest cr
itique of the monks.

  “The head of the temple has taken it in exciting new directions. The press is eager to read the next quarterly report.”

  Emily frowned, and noticed the old man observing her rather more closely than before. Perhaps Zhizheng or Wu Dao should have introduced her already, and just thinking about it left her feeling even more at a loss as to the nuances of etiquette in such elevated circles of Chinese society. Once again, she felt the absence of Margie, who seemed to her the font of all social knowledge, what ever it might actually concern. Just as she was about to tell Zhizheng how much she’d like to be able to do a standing back-flip onto someone else’s shoulders, Wu Dao tipped his head toward the group of latecomers.

  “I think General Chen is trying to get your attention.”

  The fact was confirmed, when she turned to look – Chen met her eyes and waved her over. “Wait here,” she said, when Wu Dao moved to follow. “Give me a little space with the generals.”

  “We were just talking about you, Captain,” General Chen said. “Apparently, news of your wu shu exhibition made it as far as the Ministry of State Security. Allow me to introduce you to the assistant deputy minister for counter-intelligence and… Oh, forgive me, Jiang Xi, I am sure to get the title wrong. They are so complicated at the Guoanbu. Suffice it to say, Mr. Jiang is a very powerful and respected man, doing invaluable work to keep our nation strong and safe.”

  “I am honored to make your acquaintance,” Emily said, now relieved to be able to think that the purpose of the invitation was exactly what Jiang had promised, and yet also apprehensive as to whether she should admit to knowing him already.

  “Yes, Capt Tenno. I have heard your name, though I think the general is having some fun at my expense.”

  “… and at mine, too, I daresay.” Emily made sure to flash a smile at the general as she said this.

  “But, in this case, I was just telling the generals how surprised I was to see the president award you our highest military honor the other night at the state dinner for your president.”

  “You were there, too? I’m sorry not to have had the opportunity to meet you then, Mr. Jiang. But this is as good an occasion for making new friends.”

  “I remember remarking at the time to my fiancée that you seemed familiar to me, and yet I can’t imagine where we might have met.”

  Emily recognized this formula as soon as she heard it, a sort of semaphore Jiang was employing, as if to say, “Do not remember, but leave a little wiggle room, in case evidence of a meeting surfaces at some later date.” She was prepared to respond appropriately, but the intensity with which the woman on his arm was examining her face gave her some little pause. She bowed slightly to her and said, “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced. I am…”

  Jiang immediately interrupted to complete the introduction, using the excuse she’d provided to further obscure the question of what sort of familiarity they may already have with each other. “Please forgive me, Capt Tenno, and allow me introduce Guo Jie Yi, my colleague at the ministry and my fiancée.”

  “I am pleased to meet you, Captain, and, yes, word of your exploits has made the rounds of the entire ministry, even the interior bureau.” Emily felt her stomach churn at this speech, and tried not to let it show, but Guo Jie Yi may have noticed, or perhaps she had bigger fish to fry. “Forgive me, Miss Tenno, but I couldn’t resist a little fun at the generals’ expense. For some reason no one outside the military can grasp, they think the army’s preparedness should be measured by its wu shu skills. The rest of us know that an army is strong because of personal discipline, a clear chain of command and well-maintained equipment.”

  “You are wise, Guo Jie Yi, but I can also truthfully say that Feng Tu’s wu shu skills were excellent, and the generals should be commended for having developed a training regimen of such quality. An army of soldiers as well-trained as she is would be difficult to defeat.” Yang and Chen nodded in approval, and Jiang flashed her a mischievous smile.

  “Didn’t some ancient Greek say something to the effect that one should beware of an enemy’s praise, especially of one’s military preparedness?”

  “I hope we’re not enemies,” Emily said.

  “No, of course not,” General Chen said. “But perhaps rivals?”

  The generals soon tired of Guo Jie Yi’s banter, and Jiang herded them back to a circle of chairs around the host, Wu Wei. Emily recognized her cue and looked for some common ground with Jiang’s fiancée without letting her in on any family secrets.

  “Men are so concerned about the size of shiny metal things.” Guo Jie Yi pointed to Emily’s medals, now that they were alone.

  “But they have so many more than I do. Honestly, I didn’t even want to wear these, but my superiors were worried about offending Liang zhuxi if I didn’t wear the one he gave me.”

  “How ironic, then, since Liang isn’t even here. I’m sure the generals think you’re trying to offend them with it.”

  “Am I wrong to think that you come from the south, maybe Guangzhou?”

  “You have a good ear, Captain.”

  “Please, call me Michiko, or Em. That’s what my friends do.”

  “Okay, if that’s the way you want it.” Guo Jie Yi couldn’t hold back a little laugh. “My friends call me Kitty.”

  “I bet there’s a story behind that name.”

  “Not really. My family is from Hong Kong and, you know, practically everyone speaks English down there and they pronounce my name Kit Yee…” At some point, Kitty had shifted over to speaking English, which she did very well. “… and my grandmother keeps a bunch of cats in her apartment. You get the picture.”

  Only five or six years older than her, but Kitty felt like someone from a different generation. She had family, too, and they joked about the peculiarity of family connections – and Emily was careful to keep some features of her connections under wraps – but no matter how many confidences she shared, Kitty still seemed like a distant observer. Was there really some reason she should seem to be anything else? They barely knew each other, and if Jiang’s cover story was still intact, this was the most casual of meetings, with no basis for any real intimacy between them.

  Emily let Kitty probe her on life in the US military, on life for a woman in the Marines. She was curious about the Academy, about whether women could really advance in the chain of command, and Emily related some more or less generic experiences on that score – yes, men obeyed her, and yes, her opportunities for advancement were more limited than for men, and no, not every soldier respected her, even if they would follow her commands. Naturally, she said nothing about her specific experiences, or the peculiar reputation she’d earned among the jarheads. The first priority in the conversation was to protect Jiang and explore the possibility of introducing Li Li into the family he hoped to build with Kitty. But Emily hadn’t lost sight of an older imperative, relating to a threat Jiang assured her had been extinguished.

  “I’m sure you will have handsome children, and with the relaxation of the rules…”

  “What about you? Do you have a special someone?”

  Emily recognized the maneuver immediately, a deflection from a too personal question, and she couldn’t complain, though she couldn’t also shake the feeling that it was a counter-interrogation. “No one I’m ready to start a family with,” she replied.

  “Not for lack of offers, I imagine.”

  “… or lack of encouragement from my mother,” she said, trying to simulate the ordinary sentiments of some ‘normal’ person. Would Yuki like to have a grandchild? This was a question she’d never asked herself – how ironic that it only arose in an attempt to dissimulate her feelings. “Would there be support for maternity leave at the ministry?”

  “Why not paternity leave instead? You surprise me, Michiko. I expected you to be more, how shall I say… ‘liberated’, is that the right word?”

  “So you’d trust Mr. Jiang with your infant?”

  “You mean b
ecause his hands are so large? I’m sure he’d know how to be gentle.”

  What did it mean that the entire conversation with Kit Yee seemed completely empty? Emily picked over it in the back seat of the SUV, while Donaldson and Chow minded their own concerns. Certainly, they’d be debriefed by the DSS office back at the embassy, no matter how little they’d been allowed to see. Perhaps something useful could be gleaned from their observations, at least as far as personal security arrangements for the senior officers of the PLA. Of course, Nyquist would be disappointed by what she had to report – no progress in developing Wu Dao as an asset – though she cared very little about whatever consequences might follow from her failure. More important to her was whether she had any helpful advice for Jiang Xi. Could he entrust Kitty with the safety of his niece? On this point, Emily had little confidence that she’d discovered anything. His fiancée had been impenetrable to all her efforts… unless that was the result she sought. Had she been too guarded, and was that incompatible with her claim to being infatuated with Jiang Xi? “That’s pretty thin,” she muttered.

  “What’s that, Captain?” Jimmy Chow had turned completely around to address her.

  “It’s nothing. Are you taking me home, or to the NEC?”

  “Wherever you prefer… right, Tom?” Donaldson shrugged.

  “Then get off up ahead.” Emily tapped the headrest on Donaldson’s seat and pointed.

  “What, you live in Hepingli? That’s fancy.”

  “Not hardly. I’m across the Binhe canal from the Temple of Earth Park.”

  “By the Confucius Temple?” Donaldson had scrunched around in his seat to confirm her directions.

  “Yeah, sort of. It’s an alley a quarter klick down on the right.”

  16

  Crossing the River at Mae Sai

  “We’ve been here three days now, Danko. Does it usually take this long?”

  “Patience is a wise companion. All things come to those…”