Lizard's Tale

by Weng Wai Chan

  ‘Yes!’ exclaimed Georgina. ‘They put a horrid sack right over my head! I couldn’t breathe!’

  ‘Hey, Brylcreem!’ yelled one of the boys sitting on Nobu. ‘What we do with this bad guy?’

  Brylcreem looked at Lizard, who jerked his head at the cage. ‘Let’s see how Nobu likes being locked up.’

  The boys dragged Nobu into the cage. Brylcreem locked the door and tossed the keys to Lizard.

  Nobu staggered to his feet and rushed to the bars, simmering with rage and shouting in Japanese.

  Brylcreem reached between the bars and poked the man’s forehead with a forceful finger. ‘Quiet! Don’t make me come in there and tie your mouth up!’ He turned to Lizard. ‘See? Must be tough with bad guys. I can be a good policeman, right?’

  ‘Wait, where’s the hooded man?’ asked Lizard, anxiety flooding through him. The man was like a crocodile in a murky river, cunning and ruthless, and Lizard feared and respected him. Especially when he couldn’t see him.

  ‘Don’t worry, I left Ah Kit and Ah Yan guarding him,’ Brylcreem said, heading out of the room.

  Out on the landing, Ah Kit and Ah Yan were sprawled on top of each other, unconscious, and the hooded man was nowhere to be seen.

  ‘Aiyah!’ yelled Brylcreem. He called the boys something rude in Hokkien and kicked them. They stirred, groaned and sat up. ‘What kind of kung fu boys you call yourselves? Useless! You let that fellow get away, ah?’

  ‘Let’s get out of here,’ said Lizard, relieved that the hooded man had gone, but afraid that he would return any minute with reinforcements. ‘What happened to the other men?’

  ‘What men?’ said Brylcreem as they all trooped down the two flights of stairs. ‘There was nobody else down there.’

  Lili said nothing as they went into the airy shop. She was sure the hooded man was part of a secret organisation of Japanese spies that was gathering intelligence in preparation for war. She needed to tell Miss Adelia, but perhaps there was more information to find here first.

  ‘Here,’ said Brylcreem, reaching into a glass jar of lollies he’d found on one of the counters in the shop and giving handfuls of sweets to the boys. ‘Thanks, huh?’

  The boys took the lollies and whooped jubilantly. As far as they were concerned, they had beaten the bad guys and rescued a missy in distress; a British missy, what’s more.

  Lili ignored them and went into the back of the shop. ‘Look,’ she said, as Lizard joined her. She pointed to a metal lattice grill across a doorway. There was a cupboard-sized room beyond it.

  ‘It’s a lift,’ said Georgina. ‘Haven’t you ever seen one? All the best department stores in London have them.’

  ‘Yes, I know. They have them at the Capitol Theatre,’ said Lizard proudly.

  ‘Ah Keung’s brother say a big wood box come in yesterday,’ said Brylcreem. ‘He think some animal in there, because it make some noise.’

  ‘Really?’ said Lili. ‘What sort of noise?’

  ‘Noise, lah!’ said Brylcreem impatiently. ‘Who care what noise? Does silk make noise?’

  ‘Good point,’ said Lili. If it wasn’t silk, what was it? She had to find out, but not with Brylcreem’s gang and Georgina there.

  ‘Can you take Missy Georgina back to Raffles Hotel?’ she asked Brylcreem. ‘Just push her in the front door and they can give her back to her family,’ she said. ‘But go slowly, no need to rush.’ Lili knew that as soon as Georgina arrived at Raffles, she would tell her parents where she had been and the police would come straight away. Lili needed time to gather some intelligence of her own.

  ‘Why you not come?’ said Brylcreem.

  ‘Yeah, why?’ said Lizard.

  Lili frowned meaningfully at him. I’m in charge, said the look, and don’t forget it.

  Lizard grudgingly stopped talking.

  ‘All right,’ said Brylcreem, eyeing the lift. ‘But don’t go in there. I don’t trust that thing. Come on, boys, let’s go.’ He gestured politely for Georgina to go ahead. ‘We get a rickshaw for you, Missy.’

  ‘But—’ said Georgina, looking at Lizard.

  Lizard opened his mouth to speak, but Lili got in first. ‘You want to be locked back in that cage? I’m sure Nobu will make room for you. When the other thugs come back, you can all have tea and small sandwiches together,’ said Lili, her hand on her hip.

  ‘You’ll be all right,’ said Lizard. ‘Brylcreem’s going to be a policeman. You’ll be safer with him than anyone else in Singapore.’

  Brylcreem grinned. ‘You go Raffles, no trouble, I make sure, Missy.’

  ‘Just think, iced drinks and electric fans,’ Lili called as Georgina left with her troop of bodyguards.

  Lizard was keen to leave too. He glanced round to make sure that he and Lili were alone in the shop. ‘Why are we hanging around? Georgina is safe, and you’ve photographed the codebook,’ he said.

  ‘That doesn’t mean we can’t find out more about the book, and about what these spies are up to,’ said Lili.

  ‘You think we might find some clues?’ said Lizard, a tiny hope flickering to life—maybe there was something to find out about Uncle Archie here.

  ‘I’ll never get another chance like this,’ said Lili. ‘Give me the keys.’

  In a few moments, she had unlocked the metal grill door to the lift. Inside, there was a panel with buttons on it and she pressed the lowest one. With a clunk and a jerk, the small room moved downwards.

  ‘The gunjin could be back any minute,’ Lizard said nervously.

  ‘We had better be quick, then,’ said Lili, as the lift lurched to a stop. Lizard peered through the grill door, half expecting to see a grim gunjin staring at him, but there was no one there. He pulled open the door and they stepped into a gloomy basement. A single dim globe threw a little light onto a desk, but everything else was in shadows. Three desk drawers were open and empty, as if they had been cleared out in a hurry.

  ‘Nothing,’ Lili said in disgust. ‘Looks like they took everything.’

  ‘Not everything. Look at this,’ said Lizard, crouching to pick up an envelope from under the desk. There was no letter inside, but the back of the envelope was covered in numbers. The numbers were in groups of five digits.

  ‘Excellent,’ said Lili, looking pleased as she tucked the envelope into her tunic. She found a light switch by the door and turned it on.

  Lizard blinked in the glare of the main light. There was a cage in the shadows at the back of the room, just like the one upstairs.

  Someone was sitting slumped in a chair in the corner of it.

  Lili and Lizard approached cautiously. ‘Hello?’ said Lili.

  No response.

  ‘Hello?’ she said again, louder.

  The figure didn’t move.

  Now they could see that it was a man and that he was chained to the chair. He looked to be tall and he had limp, brownish hair. Lizard stepped right up to the cage. His hands reached up to grip the bars.

  ‘Hello?’ he whispered. His hands were sweaty on the bars.

  The man slowly lifted his head.

  ‘Hello?’ Lizard whispered again, his heart beating so fast that it was like a trapped bird in his chest. He pressed against the bars, wanting them to dissolve, willing them to dissolve.

  The man raised his eyes, and slowly focused on Lizard.

  Lizard stared in at him. The face was haggard and exhausted.

  And familiar.

  ‘Uncle Archie?’ Lizard’s voice had a break in it.

  ‘Lizard?’ croaked the man. ‘Is that really you?’

  ‘Uncle Archie!’ Lizard shook the bars, rattling the cage.

  Lili’s eyes widened in astonishment, and then she flicked through the keys in her hands. She found the right one and unlocked the cage door.

  Lizard pushed past her and threw his arms around the dishevelled man. He squashed his face into his uncle’s chest and hugged him hard.

  ‘I’ve found you, Uncle Archie,’ Lizard’s voice was muffled
against his uncle’s chest. ‘I can’t believe I’ve finally found you.’

  Lizard was almost afraid to open his eyes in case it was just another dream from which he’d wake and find Uncle Archie still missing. He had been waiting for Uncle Archie to come back to him every single moment, waking or sleeping, for the past two years.

  ‘How can you possibly be here?’ Uncle Archie said. He pressed his face into the top of Lizard’s head. ‘You’ve grown so much. I’ve missed you so much. I’m so sorry I couldn’t get home to you—’ His voice broke off.

  Lizard lifted his face to his uncle’s. ‘What have they done to you?’ he gasped in dismay, fully taking in Uncle Archie’s bruised and gaunt face.

  For a moment, the man’s brow uncreased as he looked at Lizard. ‘I’m all right, Lizard. Are you well, my boy?’ he said. ‘Did Pak Tuah look after you? Tell me.’

  ‘Yes, yes, I’m fine. But—don’t ever leave again, Uncle Archie,’ said Lizard.

  Uncle Archie’s eyes filled with love and sadness, and Lizard knew he wouldn’t make a promise he might not be able to keep.

  Lizard turned to Lili. ‘Let’s get him out!’

  But Uncle Archie was not only chained to the chair, but also to the solid iron bars behind him. Lili started trying the keys, one after the other, in the heavy padlock that secured the chain.

  Uncle Archie stared at Lizard, suddenly intense. ‘Lizard, there isn’t much time. You must pass on a message for me,’ he said. ‘It’s vitally important. I’m trusting you, my boy. You must go to Mr Davis at the Hill Street Export Offices and tell him that the gamekeeper says that autumn is coming so get marmalade.’

  Lili shot a startled glance at Uncle Archie but didn’t stop working at the lock.

  ‘What? I don’t understand,’ Lizard said, bewildered.

  Uncle Archie stared into his eyes, the way Lizard remembered he had always done when he needed Lizard to do something important. ‘I know you don’t understand,’ said Uncle Archie, ‘but you must trust me. Say it after me, Lizard. Tell Mr Davis that the gamekeeper says that autumn is coming so get marmalade.’ Uncle Archie paused, waiting for Lizard to speak.

  ‘Uh—go to Mr Davis,’ replied Lizard.

  Uncle Archie nodded. ‘And tell him—’

  ‘The gamekeeper says autumn is coming so get marmalade.’

  ‘Well done, Lizard,’ said Uncle Archie. Then he looked at both Lili and Lizard. ‘You must not tell anyone but Mr Davis, understand?’

  Lizard nodded, but Lili didn’t.

  ‘The teak box, Uncle Archie!’ Lizard said. ‘With the codebook—was it you? Did you get it from the Japanese?’

  Uncle Archie stared at Lizard, eyes glinting. ‘A codebook? What do you know about a codebook?’

  ‘I…’ Lizard didn’t want to say the words ‘stole it’, nor could he ever lie to Uncle Archie. ‘I got it from Raffles. I recognised the knot of the week. It was the Zeppelin, and it was tied with parachute cord just like we always practised tying knots with on the beach.’

  Uncle Archie said nothing, but his eyes shone with pride, and he swallowed a lump in his throat.

  ‘Well, what a coincidence, Lizard,’ he said at last, a ghost of a smile breaking through the pain on his face. ‘Just a coincidence, all right?’

  Just then, they heard a clanking noise which made them all jump. It was the lift, moving upwards. It clunked to a stop somewhere above them, and they could hear footsteps moving into it.

  ‘None of these keys fit!’ Lili burst out in frustration.

  ‘Leave it and hide behind those crates,’ Uncle Archie said. ‘They mustn’t see you! Lock the cage!’

  The lift began its noisy descent as Lizard scrambled behind the crates and Lili locked the cage. She crouched down next to Lizard as the lift stopped, and they heard the grill slide open and footsteps move into the room.

  Lizard peeked out from behind the crates and saw a person move towards the cage. She was impeccably dressed in a daisy-patterned frock with a smart pale blue handbag on her arm. Her silver hair caught the light. What could a well-dressed European lady possibly be doing here? thought Lizard.

  ‘Miss Adelia!’ Lili cried and burst out from behind the crates.

  ‘Lili?’ The lady turned a startled face to her.

  ‘We have to get him out!’ Lili cried, pointing into the cage, and she hurried over with the keys in her hand. ‘It’s Lizard’s uncle. Uncle Archie!’

  Miss Adelia looked at the man, who was now sitting up straight and watching her.

  ‘Madam, we don’t have much time,’ said Uncle Archie.

  ‘Who are you?’ Miss Adelia said. She glanced at Lili, who was unlocking the cage door.

  ‘Please listen, they’ll be back soon,’ said Uncle Archie. ‘You must ask for Mr Davis at the Hill Street Export Offices.’

  Miss Adelia gave an involuntary blink. She leaned down and stared closer at Uncle Archie’s face.

  ‘Tell Mr Davis that Tanaka—he owns this shop—must be interviewed,’ he said. ‘Do you need to write this down?’

  ‘I assure you my memory is excellent,’ Miss Adelia said, as Lili swung the door open. Lizard dashed in again and gripped his uncle’s shoulder. Lili handed the keys to Miss Adelia, who took them calmly and quickly tried the keys in the padlock on Uncle Archie’s chains.

  ‘When you go to Mr Davis, take the boy,’ he said, nodding at Lizard. ‘It’s important.’

  ‘What else can you tell me?’ said Miss Adelia as she continued to test each key in the padlock.

  ‘It’s no use. Only the hooded man has the key to this padlock,’ Uncle Archie said grimly.

  ‘Look for tools,’ Miss Adelia muttered to Lili.

  Lili scrambled out and started searching the room for cutters or pliers.

  There was a muffled thud from upstairs. This time, it had to be the gunjin returning for sure.

  ‘Go now, behind that big crate there,’ Uncle Archie lifted his chin towards it. ‘There’s a door. One of your keys will get you out.’

  Miss Adelia rose without another word and strode behind the crate.

  They could hear the grind of the lift now, and Japanese voices getting nearer all the time.

  Lili dashed into the cage, grabbed Lizard and dragged him out.

  ‘We can’t just leave you!’ Lizard gasped to his uncle.

  ‘You must go. I’m happy you’re in good hands,’ Uncle Archie said. ‘Get out of here, quick!’

  The lift ground to a halt.

  ‘We’ll come back for you,’ said Lili as she headed towards the big crate, holding on to Lizard’s wrist as she went.

  The lift grills clanked open.

  ‘What? No!’ Lizard started as Lili pulled him, staggering, behind her.

  The hooded man rushed out, with three men close behind him.

  ‘No!’ Lizard shouted.

  Uncle Archie didn’t turn to look at the men. His eyes followed Lizard as Lili pulled him across the room.

  The hooded man stopped still as his men ran past him. He glanced at Uncle Archie, then at Lizard, and a puzzled frown crossed his face as he watched Lizard vanish behind the crate.

  Miss Adelia had opened the door, and Lili hauled Lizard through it, slamming it behind them. Miss Adelia was already halfway up a short flight of wooden stairs.

  ‘Uncle Archie! We can’t leave him,’ Lizard yelled, shoving Lili aside and rattling the doorknob, but it had locked and was immoveable. Uncle Archie was cut off from him again.

  ‘No!’ he cried again, thumping the door hard with both fists.

  Loud boot steps thundered on the other side, interspersed with shouts.

  Lizard stared at the door, his hands clenched and white-knuckled against it. His head dropped onto his fists. Every muscle of his body was taut with despair and his breath came in short, agonised jerks. He didn’t even flinch as a heavy boot kicked the door from the other side.

  ‘Kagi! Kagi!’ a voice yelled in Japanese. Key! Key!

  Lili fought down a fr
eezing wash of panic. She needed to get Lizard out of there before they opened the door, so she did it the most direct way she could: she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled.

  The shock of being grabbed like that—and by a girl!—made Lizard spin around.

  ‘Lizard, it’ll be worse for him if they catch you too.’ Lili cupped his face in both hands, looking into his huge, devastated eyes. ‘They’ll torture you to torture him. That will hurt him more than anything else, understand? We’ll come back for him, all right? I promise!’

  They heard a key being shoved into the lock on the other side of the door.

  Lili spun Lizard’s shoulders around and pushed him up the stairs.

  ‘Quick, you two!’ Miss Adelia hissed. She had the top door open and they could see the morning light outside. They scrambled out into a quiet back alley. Miss Adelia slammed the door shut behind them and hurried them along until they finally came out into North Bridge Road.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  An Infestation of Children

  ‘We can’t just leave him there!’ Lizard burst out, as Miss Adelia led them into a coffee shop opposite the Tanaka’s Emporium shopfront.

  ‘There’s nothing we can do right now, Lizard,’ said Lili. ‘The place is full of gunjin. Don’t worry, we’ll rescue him.’

  Miss Neha was sitting at a table in the window with her coin purse and a cup of coffee in front of her. Lili and Miss Adelia sat down with her. Lizard hovered restlessly, looking out the window towards Tanaka’s. Plenty of people were milling around, setting up business or already well into their day. None of them knew anything of what was going on inside that fortress.

  Miss Adelia leaned in close to Miss Neha and began to report the events of the night.

  Lili looked at Lizard. He was making her nervous. ‘Sit down, Lizard. It will be all right,’ she said.

  ‘I’m sorry, I can’t just do nothing,’ he said, and he swiped Miss Neha’s coin purse off the table and ran out the door and across the road. Lili leapt up to follow him, but Miss Adelia grabbed her wrist.