Zero Minus Ten

by Raymond Benson

  The answer came rolling down Kwai Chung Road in the form of a red and silver taxi cab. Bond flagged it down and got in the back seat. He told the driver in Cantonese to wait: they were going to follow another car in a moment. He handed the driver 50 Hong Kong dollars, so he was happy to do what he was asked.

  Sure enough, the Rolls-Royce soon appeared and headed for Kowloon. Bond made sure the taxi kept a safe distance.

  THIRTEEN

  TRIAD CEREMONY

  10:00 P.M.

  The Rolls-Royce drove south to Boundary Street and then east across the peninsula. The road soon merged with West Prince Edward Road and the Rolls turned off into the area known as Kowloon City, not far from Kai Tak Airport. It pulled into a narrow, dingy alley, and stopped. Bond told the taxi driver to let him out at the corner and managed to get out without being seen.

  It was not a well-lit or inviting neighbourhood. In fact, if Bond’s memory served him correctly, he was near where the infamous “Walled City” used to be. This notorious pocket of vice and squalor was always an embarrassment. Long ago, before British rule, the enclave was a Chinese military outpost. After the British took over, a granite-walled fortress was constructed. The New Territories lease of 1898 left the area under Chinese jurisdiction due to an administrative error, and it remained unregulated by the Hong Kong government. By the mid-sixties, the Walled City was a cesspool of crime, the haven of drug smugglers, prostitutes, thieves, and murderers. Britain and China finally reached an agreement in 1987 to rid themselves of this sewer, and in 1993 the Walled City was demolished. A park was now being developed on the site. Nevertheless, Bond thought the absence of the Walled City didn’t make the neighbourhood much friendlier. The side streets south of the proposed park were just as sinister. It was just the place for Triads to operate, and it was precisely where James Bond now found himself.

  Bond watched the men get out of the Rolls. They entered a shabby building, and then the Rolls drove away. He waited a minute, then stealthily crept towards the middle of the alley. Li Xu Nan and Scarf ace had entered what appeared to be an abandoned condemned building. The door was loose on its hinges and the windows were broken or in some cases, completely missing.

  Bond decided to climb up another level and perhaps slip into one of the second-floor windows. It wasn’t difficult to get a foothold but once inside, he found himself in a dark room with a wooden floor. The slats in the floor were loose, allowing some light from the level below to seep through. If he wasn’t careful, the floor would creak. Bond got down on his stomach and snaked along the floor, distributing his weight so that the noise would be minimized. Through the slats, he could see several men milling around, preparing for some kind of meeting. They were dressed in black robes resembling those worn by Buddhist monks, with white sashes serving as belts. They also wore strange headbands made of red cloth, with the free ends hanging down over the front of the body. There were a number of large loops, or knots, in the bands around their head.

  Bond searched his memory for what he knew about Triads and their sacred initiation ceremonies. If they were about to perform one, then he could very possibly be the only Westerner ever to witness one. He had to make sure he was completely silent, as they would surely kill him if they found him.

  An altar was constructed at the west end of the room, illuminated entirely by candlelight. A large wooden tub painted red and filled with rice stood in front of the altar. Four Chinese characters adorned the outer circumference which Bond translated as “pine,” “cedar” (both of which signified “longevity” to the Chinese), “peach” and “plum” (both of which denoted “loyalty”).

  He remembered that the tub was called the “Tau,” and contained various precious objects belonging to the society, including five sets of four triangular flags, or pennants, which represented the names of legendary “ancestors” of the five “Lodges” of Triad societies.

  More important were the “Warrant Flags,” which were used by Triad officials during the ceremony. The name “Dragon Wing” was written in Chinese down the side of the Warrant Flag of the Society Leader, and the main character “Ling” (“warrant”) was in the centre. An upright, oblong-shaped flag bore the characters meaning “Order of the Commander of Three Armies,” another reference to the complex legendary history of the Triads. Most of the flags had two red pennants attached to the top bearing the characters meaning “Act According to the Will of Heaven: Overthrow Ch’ing, Restore Ming.”

  The main altar had a number of peculiar items on and around it. Above the Tau and its contents, which stood in front of the altar, hung a sheet of red paper. It bore characters exhorting the society to flourish throughout the country. Among the other items present were brass lamps, a pot of wine and five wine bowls, an incense pot for holding joss sticks, dishes of fresh fruit and flowers, and a large mixing bowl. Finally, there was a sheet of yellow paper bearing the names of the Triad’s recruits hanging above the altar, and five small triangular flags. Characters meaning “wood,” “fire,” “metal,” “earth,” and “water” were written on the five flags.

  Bond heard a drum beat a few times and the room became silent. Li Xu Nan, dressed in a red robe, entered the room and sat to the left of the altar. As he was Cho Kun, the Dragon Head, his was the only robe decorated with characters. On his left arm was a white circle containing the Chinese character meaning “Heaven.” On his right arm was the character meaning “Earth.” On his back were two characters, meaning “Sun” and “Moon” respectively, which when combined meant “Ming.” On the front of the robe was the octagonal symbol of the Pat Kwa, or “Eight Diagrams.” In the centre of the octagon was the Yin and Yang symbol of opposing yet complementary forces upon which the main tenets of Chinese philosophical thought were based. Magical powers were ascribed to this venerated emblem, and for this reason it was frequently employed by priests, necromancers, geomancers, and ordinary people as a good luck or protective charm.

  The man Bond referred to as Scarface entered the room and sat to the right of the altar. He was wearing a white robe, and was the only man with a string of prayer beads around his neck. Bond didn’t know much about Triad ceremonies, but he did know that they were usually led by an official known as the Heung Chu, or “Incense Master,” who acted as a spiritual leader and sometimes second-in-command of the society. Scarface was obviously the Incense Master.

  Two men in black robes stood at the extreme east end of the room, holding swords to block the entrance to the lodge. Another official in a black robe, the recruiting officer, moved from the altar down to the east end and began the ceremony. Bond noted that four Chinese teenagers stood outside the swords. They were not dressed in black robes, but rather in simple white shirts and trousers. These were the recruits.

  The recruiting officer turned his right shoulder to the “guards” and called out in Cantonese, “Lower the net!” He made a sign with his left hand, denoting his rank within the organization. The two men in black robes then performed the secret handshake of the society out of view of the recruits. After performing this ritual, the recruiting officer was allowed through the swords.

  The first official then addressed the recruits in Cantonese: “Why do you come here?”

  The recruits replied in unison, “We come to enlist and obtain rations.”

  “There are no rations for our army.”

  “We bring our own.”

  “The red rice of our army contains sand and stones. Can you eat it?”

  “If our brothers can eat it, so can we.”

  “When you see the beauty of our sworn sisters and sisters-in-law, will you have adulterous ideas?”

  “No,” the recruits replied in unison. “We would not dare to.”

  “If offered a reward by the Government, even as much as ten thousand taels of gold, to arrest your brothers, would you do so?”

  “No. We would not dare to.”

  “If you have spoken truly, you are loyal and righteous and may enter the city to swear all
egiance and protect the country with your concerted efforts.”

  The recruits each handed the official some money, and in return received a joss stick which they held in both hands. The recruits then got on their hands and knees and crawled under the raised swords, symbolizing that they were “passing through a mountain of knives.”

  Scarface, the Incense Master, stood and picked up the Warrant Flag of the Leader from the Tau and displayed it to everyone in the room.

  “The Five Founders bestow on me the banner of authority,” he said. “With it I will bring fresh troops into the city. We will pledge fraternity according to the will of Heaven. None must reveal the secrets that may be disclosed to him. The brethren have elected me to take charge of the Lodge, and have entrusted the seal of authority to my care. I am determined to exercise my authority.”

  The Incense Master then turned to three minor officials present near the altar. Bond recognized them as the three officials who were next in the chain of command of the organization. They were known respectively as the White Paper Fan, who acted as an adviser or counsellor; The Red Pole, who was a fighter and trainer; and the Straw Sandal, who acted as messenger and communications officer.

  The Incense Master said to the Straw Sandal, “An order has been issued from the Five Ancestors Altar. Investigations must be made around the Lodge. If police are present to spy on us, they must be relentlessly washed.” With that, he handed the Straw Sandal a warrant flag and a sword.

  Bond knew that “washed” meant “killed.” The Straw Sandal went around the room, checking the identities and hand signs of everyone present. When he was finished, he returned and handed back the flag and sword saying, “I now return the order flag in front of the Five Ancestors Altar. Thorough search has been made of the Lodge. Everyone was searched. All are surnamed Hung.”

  This confused Bond until he remembered that “Hung Mun” was a universal surname meaning “Triad Society,” and was used by all Triads. The ceremony was clearly going to be a difficult test of Bond’s knowledge of Cantonese!

  The Incense Master then lit two tall single-stemmed brass lamps on the altar, saying, “Two old trees, one on either side, will bring stability to the nation. Heroes are recruited from all parts of the country. Tonight we pledge fraternity in the Red Flower Pavilion.” Next, he lit five joss sticks, and then held them in both hands. He began to recite a lengthy poem.

  “We worship Heaven and Earth by the three lights. Our Ancestors arose to support the Ming. The Hung door is opened wide and our brothers are many. Hung children are taught to remember the oaths and rules. Politeness, Righteousness, Wisdom, Faithfulness, and Virtue are our fundamental rules. The three talents—Heaven, Earth, and Man—combine to establish the nation. We dedicate ourselves by the drawing of blood. Our Ancestors showed their loyalty by sacrificing themselves for the Emperor.”

  Bond watched and listened in fascination as the Incense Master continued his recitation. After several minutes, Scarface placed the five joss sticks in the main incense pot on the altar at the five cardinal points—north, east, south, west, and centre. As he did this, he said, “The smoke of the incense sticks reaches the Heavenly Court, penetrates the earth, rises to the centre, rises to the Flower Pavilion, and reaches the city of Willows. We pledge fraternity in a union to overthrow Ch’ing—to bring an end to the decadent Ch’ing dynasty, and restore the rivers and mountains to Ming.”

  Next, the Incense Master took the dishes of fruit and flowers and a cup of wine and placed them in front of the memorial tablet on the wall. He recited a similar poem, then poured the cup of wine onto the floor.

  The recruits knelt before the Incense Master and rolled up their trouser legs. The left trouser leg was rolled three times outwards to signify the resurgence of Ming, and the right was rolled three times inward to signify the disappearance of Ch’ing. Then they removed their shoes and put one straw sandal on their left feet. The Incense Master said, “Straw sandals were originally of five strands. In a battle at Wu Lung river they were lost. Only one was saved and retrieved at Chung Chau.”

  Next, he poured the wine into cups and emptied them on to the floor. “Wine is offered to the souls of our Ancestors and to those who died for our cause. Our fraternal spirit will last forever. The heroes in heaven will protect us. We swear we will kill all the traitors, so that Hung brothers can enjoy happiness and peace.”

  At this point, two officials in black robes brought in three life-sized paper figures in a kneeling position. They were placed on the floor, and a label was attached to each figure bearing one of the names of three historical Triad traitors. An official known as the Sin Fung, or Vanguard, took a long sword from the Tau and approached the figures. He placed the five elemental flags around them and said, “A big flag is erected in the Lodge. All heroes come here to worship. When our troops move out on to the plain, this sword will first stab Ma Ning Yee.” With that, he swiftly cut off the paper head of the first figure.

  “When the sword is turned back, it is used to stab Chan Man Yiu.” He then cut off the head of the second paper figure.

  “On the third occasion, it stabs the bad Emperor of Ch’ing.” He then cut off the head of the third paper figure and called out, “Brothers assembled here, will you give help when the need arises?”

  Everyone in the room shouted, “We will!” so loudly that it startled Bond.

  At this point, the Incense Master took each of the items in the Tau, one by one, and recited a short poem about each. Following this was a long, drawn-out question-and-answer session between the Incense Master and the Vanguard, “proving” the identity and validity of the Vanguard and his role in the ceremony.

  Then it was time for the actual initiation of the recruits. Each potential Triad member was given a joss stick, which was lit and held pointed down with both hands. The Vanguard asked them, “Which is the harder, the sword or your neck?”

  The recruits all answered, “My neck.” Bond deduced that this was an indication that even the threat of death would not cause them to reveal the society secrets. Then the Vanguard began to read the Thirty-Six Oaths of the Society. As each oath was proclaimed, a new joss stick was lit and handed to each recruit. The recruits repeated the oath and then extinguished the joss stick on the ground in front of them, symbolizing that they, too, would be similarly extinguished if they broke the oath.

  “After having entered the Hung gates I must treat the parents and relatives of my sworn brothers as my own kin. I shall suffer death by five thunderbolts if I do not keep this oath.

  “When Hung brothers visit my house, I shall provide them with board and lodging. I shall be killed by myriads of swords if I treat them as strangers.

  “I will always acknowledge my Hung brothers when they identify themselves. If I ignore them I will be killed by myriads of swords.

  “I shall never betray my sworn brothers. If, through a misunderstanding, I have caused the arrest of one of my brothers I must release him immediately. If I break this oath I will be killed by five thunderbolts.”

  The oaths continued in this fashion, mostly dealing with subjects regarding honour, betrayal, loyalty, and defending other members of the society. Several of the oaths were promises not to commit adultery or harm the other brothers’ family members. Finally, the Vanguard reached the last two oaths.

  “I must never reveal Hung secrets or signs when speaking to outsiders. If I do so I will be killed by myriads of swords.

  “After entering the Hung gates I shall be loyal and faithful and shall endeavour to overthrow Ch’ing and restore Ming by coordinating my efforts with those of my sworn brethren even though my brethren and I may not be in the same profession. Our common aim is to avenge our Five Ancestors.”

  The Vanguard called out, “Will you swear to obey the oaths?”

  “We swear to obey!” the recruits replied.

  “Those who obey will be prosperous to the end. Those who do not will die as laid down in the oaths.”

  During this rec
itation, the large yellow paper at the front of the altar was held up high, and then set on fire. The ashes were placed in the large bowl, to which was added rice wine, sugar, and cinnabar.

  An official entered the room carrying a live chicken and a china bowl. He passed in front of each recruit, allowing them to touch the chicken’s head and the bowl. The Vanguard, who was holding the long sword, said, “The lotus flower signifies wealth and nobility. Loyally and faithfully we perpetuate the Hung family. The wicked and treacherous will be broken into pieces, in the same manner as this particular lotus flower.” That said, the Vanguard took the china bowl, tossed it in the air, and deftly smashed it to pieces with the sword. The official then handed over the chicken to the Vanguard, and helped him tie its legs together. They placed the chicken’s head on a chopping block, with the bowl of ashes, wine, sugar, and cinnabar on the floor next to the block.

  “The chicken’s head sheds fresh blood. Here there is loyalty and righteousness. We will all live long lives.”

  The Vanguard stood and, with great ceremony, cut off the chicken’s head with one swift blow of the sword. There was an immense amount of blood, and the headless body jerked grotesquely as if it was still struggling to get away. The Vanguard took the head and dipped it into the bowl, mixing the blood with the other ingredients. The carcass was then taken away, and the recruits all held up their left hands, palm upward. The Incense Master approached them, holding a needle and red thread.

  He said, “The silver needle brings blood from the finger. Do not reveal our secrets to others. If any secrets are disclosed, blood will be shed from the five holes of your body.”

  The Incense Master then pricked the middle finger of each recruit’s left hand, and added their blood to the bowl’s mixture. Each recruit touched the mixture with the pricked finger, then placed the finger in their mouth to taste the substance. “It is sweet,” they all said, one by one. Next, the Incense Master poured a little of the mixture into cups and handed one to each recruit.