Cheng Pao stands to the side, his mighty arms crossed on his chest, making it plain he does not sit at the same table as barbarians.
A young Irish-looking boy bounds onto the deck of the junk, looking wildly excited—and well you should, lad. You would never find this kind of exotic adventure back in Limerick. He carries stemmed glasses and pours out the wine, placing the first in front of Shih, then one before each of the rest of the company.
Cheng Shih does not reach for hers and I know why. I reach for it instead, and put it to my lips to sample it. Yummm, it is very good.
In Europe, this would be a breach of etiquette, but not here. One does not become a pirate queen by allowing herself to be poisoned.
I offer the glass, proven to be unpoisoned, to our hostess. "Here, Beloved Shih, taste it. It is from the barbarian lands, but it is very good."
She smiles and takes the wineglass, looks at its curious—to her—shape, and takes a sip. She smiles and nods, and takes this opportunity to stroke the back of my neck and pull me to her. She puts a light kiss on my forehead. I do not look over at Jaimy.
Then she says, "Siu."
I begin...
I tell the lads of the Golden Buddha, of the bargain I have struck with Cheng Shih, how we will use the Cerberus to sneak up on the Lorelei Lee and take her, then use the diving bell that rests in her bilges to raise the golden statue. The Golden Buddha will bring such great pleasure to Beloved Shih that she will allow all of them to go free and be on their way. I tell them of how we on the Lorelei Lee had been so kindly treated by our dear Captain Laughton and how sad we were at his death. Then I recount the reign of terror that Ruger had instituted after our poor dear Captain had died and he had taken control...
Then, I must tell it.... All this time, Ian McConnaughey has been looking at me, imploring me with his eyes... Tell me of my Mairead!
I beckon for him to come up and sit beside me. Shih looks at me with question in her dark eyes, but does not interfere.
When he settles in, I take his hand and say, "Ian, I must tell you this..." and tears come from my eyes, and he looks stricken. "No, no, I am sorry, no ... Your Mairead is well, but..."
Then I proceed to tell him of Ruger's vicious attack upon his girl and the loss of her ... and his ... baby.
His face turns ashen, then hardens.
"Ian, I know," I whisper. "I know..."
But then Cheng Shih reaches out her hand and says something ... and Brother Arcangelo Rossetti translates it for her into the English that Ian will understand.
"Know this, young foreign man, when the time comes, it is you who will kill him. I promise it!"
Chapter 63
"How does that feel, Jaimy?" I ask, massaging the muscles of the back of his neck. We are in the washroom of the Divine Wind and Jaimy is in the tub. I kneel by the side if it, having just finished washing and rinsing his hair. When it's wet, the white streak in his glossy dark mane stands out all the more bright and sharp.
His lovely eyes are closed. He does not reply, but only gives out a low animal moan of pleasure. I believe that all thoughts of violent mutinies, troublesome Royal Navy escorts, and unruly Irish crew members are erased, for the moment, from his now relaxed and easy mind.
Cheng Shih has allowed me to do this—under the merry but watchful eyes of her faithful Chi-chi. I'm sure he has been ordered to make certain we don't end up doing anything too frisky.
In the days since we took the Cerberus, we have had each of her officers over for a bath, while their uniforms are taken off to be cleaned, as they are rather rank, especially to my newly tuned nose.
Ah, yes. I am, indeed, becoming Chinese in that way.
Ian McConnaughey submits to being put in the tub and having his head scrubbed by Chi-chi, Ian's mind being on other, more vengeful things. However, when Arthur McBride's turn comes, he demands girls to do the job, and several are found onboard the Divine Wind—in the laundry, the storerooms, the usual places where one finds girls on any ship—and given new duties.
Grinning broadly, and aided by his new, giggling female attendants, McBride drops clothing and climbs into the tub, lighting his pipe and leaning back in complete piggish male contentment. All the Chinese are very curious about the tobacco he uses, having never seen the vile weed before, and McBride is generous in passing out Captain Griswold's considerable stash of the stuff. Pipes are loaded, packed, and lit, and soon many of the Chinese who partake of this treat are sick, throwing up over the side. But others continue to smoke the stuff.
One time I had gone into the washhouse with Chi-chi to carry in more towels and such and I found Arthur within. I have this image, which shall stay with me always, of Arthur McBride in the tub with his two big feet propped over the side, a dreamy expression on his face, two giggling girls on either side soaping him up, and his popping open an eye and saying, "Ah, 'tis our own dear girl, herself, appearin' out of the mist. Come over here, Jacky Faber. Drop yer silken garb and please to slip in here beside me now."
I did not accede to the rascal's request.
When Jaimy is off the Cerberus, Ian McConnaughey takes command, and I know he is bending on every scrap of canvas possible to get to his Mairead ... and to Ruger ... as quickly as he can. The doldrums have lifted and all ships plow along at a nice clip.
"Chi-chi, the eucalyptus oil, please," I say, reaching out my hand toward the bottle. He does not have to know the language to catch my meaning, and he places the jar in my hand. Chi-chi, I'm finding, is quite bright, and I'm learning elemental Chinese from him. Surprisingly, he is also literate and can read and write the complex calligraphy of their language. I guess nothing but the best in the way of eunuchs will do for the mighty Cheng Shih.
Taking the bottle, I pour some of the liquid onto my hand and then apply it to Jaimy's back. I put down the bottle and begin massaging the oil into his muscles.
"You like, Mr. Pretty Barbarian Man, Sir?" I croon in a high singsong voice. "You like when Jak-ki cow-child move fingers like this? Or like this? No? Yes? No?"
He laughs and reaches around and takes me by the wrist.
"Yes, Jacky, cow-child, I like it very much. Now give your barbarian a kiss."
Well, we cannot do that, sweet barbarian ... Chi-chi would see and report. But we will do this...
I know that I'm risking a switching for this, but I say, "Make room, Jaimy," and I loosen the ties of my robe, slip it off, and drop it into Chi-chi's hands. A quick leg over the edge of the tub and I slide my own slippery self in next to Jaimy.
Ummmm...
"Sort of like our lovely hammock back on the dear old Dolphin, eh, Jay-mee?" is what I say, snuggling into his side. "'Cept it's a little more wet."
"It is that, Jacky." He laughs, his breath coming a bit fast. "We only lack Davy standing over us, calling us a pair of sodomites."
Recalling that magical time in our youth, when we were just kids on a wounded British frigate, cast adrift with not much of a future to hope for, I sigh and trace my finger down through the center of his brow, down his nose, over his lips and chin, and down to his throat.
"Mmm, it's so good to be here beside you, love," I murmer, luxuriating in the warmth of the water and the feel of his body here next to mine.
Oh, yes, Lord, thank you for this gift...
He in turn lifts his own right hand and places it on the part of my head that is bald and leaves it there.
I have noticed that whenever my head has been shorn, various males of my acquaintance seem compelled to place the palms of their hands upon my bare skull, and I think I know why...
"Yes, Jaimy, I know what you are thinking ... and believe it or not, it is true. Under your hand is a mind, a person, a brain. I know it is sometimes hard for you to believe that, but it is true. And that which is under your hand loves you very much"
With that, I squirm around and place myself between his legs, my back toward him. Taking the bottle of bath oil from Chi-chi, I hand it to Jaimy, saying, "My turn now, dear one"
He applies the fragrant oil to my back and rubs it in with his long, strong fingers, and I moan with pleasure at his touch.
Purrrrrrr...
"Oh, yes, right there, Jaimy. Oh, yes, that is so nice ... so nice..."
After several moments of exquisite pleasure, I feel him move my pigtail to the side and uh-oh ... back to reality ... as I know he is looking at the new addition to my bodily splendor.
"What is this, then?" he asks.
"It is the mark of Cheng Shih," I say. "The Mark of the Golden Dragon."
"So you are her slave, then?"
He has tensed up—I can feel it.
"No, Jaimy, it just means that she has ... given me her protection."
He is silent, and he has stopped massaging my back.
"Will you be with her again, tonight?" he finally asks.
I sigh and say, "Yes, Jaimy, I will."
Another silence ... then...
"You have made yet another bargain for my safety, haven't you, Jacky?"
I don't reply for a moment, then I reach back and pull his arms around me, across my chest, and push myself back against him.
"Jaimy, love, you must learn to live in the moment. We must take what we can get in this world."
"But..."
I wriggle my bum a bit. That should ease his mind a tad.
"Look, Jaimy, in this case, she is justified. I did try to burn down her ship. By rights she should have killed me. And she did not."
"Because she wanted to ... use you."
I whip around in the bath to face him.
"Use me?" I ask. "Just how does she use me, Mr. James Emerson Fletcher, Man-of-the-World-Who-Knows-Everything-There-Is-to-Know?H mmm?"
He looks off, uneasy, and says, "You know..."
Uh-oh ...The male mind must be set at ease.
"No, I don't know." I put my palms to either side of his face and look into his eyes and say with all sincerity, "Believe me, Jaimy, Chinese women are very reserved and very ... shy about some things." A lot more shy than a certain Mam'selle Claudelle de Bourbon back in New Orleans, that's for sure. "And she might look like a heathen devil, but to me she is very kind." Mostly, I'm thinking, remembering that switch. "And very proper, too. Now just pet me, Jaimy, and put everything else out of your mind"
I turn around again and feel his strong hands on my back.
Oh, yes, Jaimy, just like that...
I lean back against him and feel his arms encircle me again...
Ummmmm...
No, we did not come together as one in that lovely tub, James Fletcher and I. That would have been awkward and probably gotten the both of us beheaded. No, when I go to the marriage bed, be it legal or not, I want it to be made up with the finest silk sheets on a day that is perfectly beautiful, with the windows open and a gentle breeze blowing and the birds outside singing a glorious song. That's what I want for that day.
On this day, however...
The door bursts open and Ravi rushes in.
"Missy Memsahib! Come quick. We have found our dear ship!"
Chapter 64
Once again I am crouched, hidden behind the main hatch of the Cerberus as we approach the unwary Lorelei Lee. Except this time, it is Jaimy who stands up on the quarterdeck as I lie here below with my Chinese cohorts, ready to spring. Our boarding party lies out of sight of those on the Lorelei Lee—me, Cheng Pao, and a dozen of his best swordsmen, and Cheng Shih. We will board the Lee in that order, right behind Ian McConnaughey, who stands ready at the port rail of the Cerberus. The Divine Wind lies over the horizon, with other ships of Cheng Shih's fleet. We are arranged such that I might point out Ruger to Ian and possibly talk the other officers out of a pointless fight—I would hate to see them hurt.