by Shea Meadows
The baby giggled. “Of course she came along. She had that nice ghost Wang Mang looking out for my former father. Wang knows a lot about what’s going on with the world in the Bi Mo Chu. And Moon has the new stones with her that protect us from getting sucked into the cube, as she calls it. I was perfectly safe.”
David’s face took on his “a policeman conducting an interrogation” expression. “Only one thing missing: you didn’t ask your parents’ permission. We talked about this. No out-of-body trips to China unless we are with you. You are the prize your former father would like to capture the most.”
The baby looked down and started playing with her stuffed bunny. “Well, technically I was with you. I was sitting right here in my car seat between you and Mommy. So, you were with me when I was going out-of-body. That’s what you meant, right?”
David couldn’t help but laugh. “You have a brilliant future as a lawyer. You know exactly what we meant. If we went out-of-body with you it would be okay. Moon is okay, too, but only if we know what you’re doing.”
Ricky looked around, wondering if anyone else on the plane could hear their conversation with the very old soul that was Nory. To them we look like a young couple playing with a particularly well-behaved baby. Wow. Nory is right when she says people think babies are as clueless as mushrooms.
Moon’s etheric body popped in, floating over the seat in front of them and she added her viewpoint to the conversation. “I have to apologize. I’d gotten so used to being her mentor on the other side, it seemed natural. Her parents should decide if she should be participating in something or not. We did uncover some things, but we shouldn’t have done it unless we asked first.”
David nodded and Ricky smiled. “We’d prefer to be in on the action. It may seem like this flight is going on forever, but we will get to Shanghai. Susan’s friend can help us locate the scrolls. Within a day or so we will be elbow deep in dust, unearthing what we need.”
Quiet from Moon and Nory, then Nory’s voice came. “You mean we have to wait until our bodies get there? Okay, if you say so, but we’re wasting time.”
A collective, grudging sigh from Nory and Moon, then Nory snuggled against her daddy’s shoulder and fell asleep and Moon’s image disappeared.
“Perhaps we should have thanked her for keeping Nory busy during the flight,” Ricky said with a smile. “It was a lot easier on all of us.”
Ten hours later, very frazzled and overwhelmed from the long trip, they landed at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai where it was almost as cold as it had been in Minnesota. They had left Minneapolis at eight on the morning of December twenty-sixth and landed in China at three in the afternoon on December twenty-seventh. George had made reservations at the Old Days Mansion Hotel, which was a short distance from the museum, in the French Quarter of the city.
The airport was crowded, and the experience included long lines for customs and searching for their suitcases. They all held their breaths when the inspector went through their luggage, especially Susan Fry, who had the ancient mirror, the small cube and the pendant secreted among her underwear. She’d guessed right, that only a cursory look at her lingerie would take place. She told Ricky, “If I was a glamorous twenty-something, they would have patted every bra.”
The traffic from the airport to the downtown hotel was chaotic, and Nory chattered on about how it looked in the early 1900s compared to the early 2000s. When they drove up to the Old Days Mansion Hotel, she squealed in delight.
“I remember this place! This is where we stayed when I was here before. It was only a few years old then. It was built it 1932, and they used to call this the French Quarter. You guys are going to be impressed.”
The lobby was lush, with beautiful gilded mirrors and display cases with samples of artifacts from past years, including an eighty-year-old guest registry which could be examined if the provided gloves were worn. “I wrote in that, Mommy, when I was three-year-old Nellie. Can I show you?”
“Later, sweetheart, after we get a short nap and some dinner. I need to eat if I have to function on four hours of sleep,” Ricky responded, with a nod to the guides who were adjusting their energy fields so they could endure the time zone change.
They had asked for a suite that could accommodate the whole party and were provided with a king deluxe balcony suite. They traveled upstairs on the ancient elevator that creaked and groaned as it brought them to the third floor. The Clarks had one room for their family, Susan and Bonta shared a room on one side of them and George on the other. There were doors connecting the spaces and a common sitting room in the largest of the three. The hotel provided a crib and changing stand for the baby.
Nory, held by her mother, looked out at Shanghai from the balcony of their room, and pointed out what she remembered from her trip in her former incarnation.
“Mommy, this was a wild place in the 1930s. It was a private hotel and entertainment center run by its owner, my former father’s friend Du. He liked me because I played with his ears, but my former mother said I should stay away from him. I looked up his Akashic Record from that life; turns out she was right. He was the opium boss of Shanghai.”
Ricky’s shocked look was just what Nory expected.
“We could go down in the lobby, and I’ll show you. There are pictures of him and his ladies of the night. Don’t look surprised. You knew I wasn’t your average infant.”
“Later dear. We’re taking a nap so we’ll be able to enjoy dinner. Your body is definitely overtired. Tomorrow and Friday, we’ll spend time in the museum, or wherever our search for the scrolls takes us. We start the cruise to Xian on Saturday. We have to rest when we have the chance,” Ricky answered.
The baby nodded and smiled. “I think we’ll find what we’re looking for tomorrow.”
After a two-hour nap, the adults were still adjusting to the time change but the baby was ready for the next adventure. She refused to stay in the room with Bonta and insisted she had to see what changes had been made in the restaurant.
David made a reservation for everyone at the Gold Palace Restaurant at the hotel for seven that evening. It was a light and airy room with a great view of the city. The staff dressed in replicas of outfits that were the norm for guests in the 1930s when the hotel was the gathering place of wealthy Europeans with wild occupations. According to the information on the menus, this had been the preferred place for deals to be made and alliances formed; all under the watchful eye of the owner, Du Yuesheng.
Their waiter spoke English well and knew the art of warming up the client for the wished-for gratuity after the meal. “Old Du was called ‘Big Ears’ by friends and enemies alike. He was a drug lord and was said to be addicted to his product. On his good days, he was a genial host, if you ignored the rumors about all the people he killed to get to the top.”
Nory was excited and frustrated, wishing to tell her firsthand memories. “See, Mom, I told you. Du seemed like a good guy. He was one of my former father’s best friends in Shanghai. Du’s the one that introduced my former father to the scholar.”
Ricky smiled at the waiter. “Any rumors about his ghost haunting the hotel?”
The waiter smirked. “If you believe in superstition, you could imagine him still in charge of the mob which spent most of their time here in the 1930s. That was before the auspicious government’s triumphant rise to power. He would be singing the praises of the People’s Republic if he lived here today. But enough chatter; your food is getting cold. I go now for fresh tea.”
David leaned toward Ricky. “You made our waiter nervous, but I’m sure you had a purpose.”
Ricky nodded. “I’ve been feeling Du hovering around us. He’s not as evident as many of the ghosts that we’ve dealt with; he’s stealthy. I would love a chance to speak with him. He might be able to tell us something about what Norton Reston did to discover the scrolls that explained the Bi Mo Chu.”
George, Susan and Bonta leaned toward them. “Could we have a séance or som
ething like that?” Susan asked.
“Not necessary. It’s all about making the intention. If you’re in a ghost’s home field, so to speak, it’s often possible to get them into a conversation,” George answered for Ricky.
“That’s right,” Ricky said. “It’s best if you let them know you’d like to make their acquaintance but not be pushy. We’re here for two nights. Hopefully he’ll come out of hiding because Nory is here. They met when Nory was Nellie, back when she visited with Norton and Emily Reston.”
David looked at the itinerary for the trip. “In two days, we fly to Wuhan where we start the cruise on the Yangtze River, with a museum tour before we board the ship. There are six days on the ship, with stops at a school, a tour at Xiling Gorge and a temple visit in Shibaozhai. When we reach Chongqing, we get off the boat and take a flight to Xian. So, that means we have to stick with the group at least until we get to Xian if we want our transportation.”
“Wouldn’t it have been easier to simply fly to Shanghai, do what we need to do here, then fly to Xian when we have a better idea where Norton is hanging out?” Susan asked.
“The guides showed me a picture with all of us on a ship, and this was the only cruise that included Xian. What that means is we’ll pick up more information when we’re cruising,” Bonta answered. “If you want guidance from the higher frequencies, you don’t vary too much from what they show you.”
“Bonta has been amazingly accurate with her drawings, so if it works, don’t fix it,” George commented.
After a scrumptious meal with many meat, rice and vegetable courses, Nory was starting to fade, so the group dispersed to their rooms at about nine local time with a plan to be up and ready to leave early in the morning, either with the tour bus or on their own.
Nory was floppy with exhaustion as she nursed before being put in the crib. It wasn’t long after when Ricky and David settled into their bed, sleep taking over instantly. Moon’s familiar face took the place of her dreams. “Ricky, Du Yuesheng has invited us to a party. Want to attend?”
Ricky smiled. “Just you and me?”
“Our whole group. It’s being held in the frequency that Du created just above the material dimension in 1936. He is looking forward to seeing little Nellie again,” Moon answered.
“Is it safe, and is it worth the risk?”
Moon made an exasperated sound. “Is there anything safe about this whole thing? Nory is our ticket in and she’s ready to go. We will be surrounding her for protection. If we can get the slightest bit of information as to what went on when Norton Reston lived in Shanghai we might be able to find the scrolls we need.”
It was Ricky’s turn to sigh. “I know, I know. The purpose for this trip never leaves my mind. I never realized how much we’ve depended on the Akashic Record for information. Blocking his record was Reston’s best trick so far, among a whole host of metaphysical manipulations that he’s used to prove he’s a megalomaniac. I can’t wait for the chance to send him over to you folks on the higher frequency for processing.”
Moon snorted. “I won’t be on that team. I’m way too biased. But enough of this bantering. Tell David what we’re doing. I will tell Dad and Bonta. Susan should be able to hear me too. It’s important everyone is there, dressed in the clothes of the era. I’ll meet you there in a minute or two.”
Ricky’s etheric body caught the attention of David’s essence as he walked through old tombs in Xian. “Didn’t expect to find you here but not surprised. Your record says you’ve had lives in ancient China. We need you for a meeting in 1936. Du Yuesheng has invited us to a party.”
David shuddered. “This place is getting dark and nasty. I was looking for Norton’s cave, but 1936 sounds more interesting. Clothes for the period are now moving into place.”
David’s image was transformed into a suave man in a white fedora and three-pieced white suit with white spats over black shoes. He was the very image of a nineteen thirties’ European living in Shanghai.
Ricky wore a long, blue silk dress, with a light blue shawl and a band of flowers in her upswept hair. Just then, Nory-as-Nellie appeared in the body of a three-year-old with a frilly pink dress, patent leather shoes and braids. “This is what I was wearing when I met Du the first time,” she said. “He will recognize me for sure.”
Susan Fry popped in wearing the traditional cheongsam style dress, this one below the knees. Her henna-rinsed, spiky hair was gone, replaced by a sedate brown upswept style.
“Wow, Susan!” Ricky said. “Marvelous job of shapeshifting. You look like the pictures of the ladies in the lobby.”
Susan smiled at the comment. “Bonta helped me. I knew the style but not how to change my hair.”
Bonta popped in next, looking nothing like her usual self. She had the aspect of a Chinese dowager of great wealth, dripping with jade and pearls, wearing high quality silk. Her almond eyes and long braid complemented her pale Asiatic skin. “I don’t think many women of color wearing dread-locks were seen in the 1930s in this part of town,” she said with a laugh.
George followed in a moment. He looked like a wealthy Chinese gentleman of the era, wearing a silk Manchurian-styled suit and a small mustache and pointy beard. He carried a walking-stick with an emerald-eyed dragon at the top and a gold tip. “I’m going to offer this to Du as a sign of respect. His Akashic Record says he has a thing about ornate canes.”
Moon popped in last, with a dress similar to Ricky’s but green in color. “He also had a thing about monkeys being good luck, but I decided not to bring one. I think the cane will be enough of a bribe, since the whole thing is symbolic. He can create whatever he wants anyway. Sima Qian is going to remain invisible along with Luan Du and Wang Mang. We don’t want him to think we have enough insider support as it is.”
She looked at the group. “I guess we’re ready for the meeting. Nory, your job is to be as cute as possible. Pet his monkey heads if you have to. We need an information source.”
Nory nodded. “I used to play with his ear when I didn’t know better. He thought it was funny,” she said with a giggle.
David frowned at her. “Just remember he’s not sweet and cuddly. He killed a whole lot of folks before they killed him in return.”
“We have a whole crew watching over us, David. Stop being a cop and start being a spy. Let’s go.”
The group popped into the reality created by Du for the meeting. They moved easily through time and landed in the restaurant where they recently had eaten, but the décor had changed. In 2004, the hotel’s Gold Palace was clean, efficient, and airy with a view overlooking the city. In 1936, it was filled with large gold phoenixes next to the bar, round tables with ornate red chairs and gold wallpaper inscribed with the Chinese characters for good luck, long life and joyful living.
There was a stage where the waiting room would one day be, and a jazz band playing while winsome Asian girls, barely clad in tight, beaded dresses, and carrying feather fans, were gyrating to the music. The room was filled with smoke and noisy, high-pitched conversation. The sounds, smells, and crowding were enough to make it difficult to breathe. On top of that, there were pots of incense burning near each of the golden birds.
“Your parents took you here?” Ricky whispered to Nory. “What were they thinking?”
“My former mother didn’t like it, but I thought it was exciting,” Nory replied. “Aren’t the dancing girls pretty? I pretended I was one while we lived here. We stayed in Du’s mansion for a week before we moved on to Xian.”
A waiter with a long, wooly-caterpillar type scar along one side of his face brought them to a round table. As he walked away, David noticed a dagger fixed deeply in his back, blood trailing down to the floor behind him. “Do we really want to be here?”
“They’re ghosts, Daddy. Obviously part of the local gang,” Nory explained. “We have bodies to go back to but they don’t.”
David shuddered and adjusted the tight collar on his shirt. “Where is Du anyway?”
> “He has to make an entrance,” Moon whispered. “He set all of this up to impress us. Try not to freak out and mistake it for a material environment.”
“Did you guys see anyone bring this food?” George asked, gesturing to the table which was suddenly arrayed with place settings and silver-capped serving dishes.
“Not real, George,” Susan said. “But if I wasn’t afraid of being poisoned I’d probably dig in. None of it will bother our digestion.”
Bonta laughed. “The poison wouldn’t be real either. Think of this as a stage and everything here as stage dressing.”
As they were inspecting the contents of the serving dishes and marveling at the smells and variety, an athletic-looking bald man with large ears and a radiant smile came up behind Ricky, who had Nory settled on her lap.
“It is my favorite little one,” he crooned in accented English. “I am happy your parents brought you for a visit.”
Two empty chairs manifested at the table between Ricky and David. Du Yuesheng suddenly took residence in the one near Ricky and one of the dancing girls claimed the one next to David. The Opium Lord was wearing a jacket which would later be adapted by the government and renamed after Chairman Mao. It appeared to be gold silk. Ricky’s hand brushed it as he reached toward her child, and it felt like the gold platting on the edges of the dishes. Ricky subtly blocked Du’s advance, turning the gesture into a handshake.
“Thank you for your gracious invitation to your club. You know my daughter, but we haven’t met. I am Ricky Clark, and the gentleman in the white suit is my husband David,” Ricky began.
Du waved his hand toward her and interrupted with his own narration. “Yes, Mrs. Clark. I know every guest in my hotel, which, in fact, is my home. No matter who pretends to own it, this building is mine. The government chased me to Hong Kong and never paid me for my dwelling. They took my fortune and allowed me to wither away as a shadow. But they could not get rid of me.”
He made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “All who worked with me in the golden years when I ran Shanghai have refused to go to the Celestial Kingdom. We remain here in a slightly altered timeline, watching, controlling and interfering. The government pretends we don’t exist.”