James Clavell - Gai-Jin

by Gai-Jin(Lit)

  Settlement. It had been consecrated last year by the Bishop of Hong Kong. The steeple was tall and the bell sweet-sounding, reminding all ex-patriots of home--so very far away. Wood and plaster and bricks from Shanghai. Neat gardens and small cemetery with only seven graves, sickness rare in Yokohama--unlike

  Hong Kong with its plagues and the lethal Happy

  Valley fever, mal-aria--all seven deaths by misadventure, except one of old age.

  Twenty years working in Asia were rare and men past retirement age, rarer still.

  Again the bell tolled, not yet insistent, more than enough time to take their places, the Noble House pew in the first row. I need all the help I can get, Struan was thinking fervently, never devout though always a believer. I'm glad it's our church more than the other traders'.

  The land and the building had been donated to the

  Church of England by all traders. They had enthusiastically voted the levy four hours after the

  Yokohama Club had opened its doors for business, the same day the Settlement was founded-- at McFay's insistence and on the orders of

  Tess Struan, who guaranteed fifty percent of the cost. She had also pledged to provide the bell and had it cast in their new foundry in Hong

  Kong. When Tyler Brock heard about it, not to be outdone by his estranged and hated daughter, he had ordered a stained-glass window from

  London and pews of English oak.

  "Sunday church's all right, once a month,

  Father used to say, but never in Mother's hearing."

  Struan smiled bleakly. "When he was younger he was as much a churchgoer as she is now..." He stopped a moment to gather his breath and stared out to sea. The sea was choppy, blue-grey, the sky speckled with cumulus. A dozen or so merchantmen lay snug in the roads,

  English predominately, one American, one

  Russian, yesterday's mail steamer, the French paddle steamer flagship wallowing at anchor, and the

  21-gun steam frigate H.m.s. Pearl, still without her foremast. "Feels naked without the fleet, doesn't it?"

  "Yes and it does. Not many will miss prayers today." McFay circled his head to ease the ache in his neck.

  "How long do you think they'll be gone?"

  "A month is my bet... 'morning Mrs.

  Lunkchurch." Both raised their hats politely, Struan awkwardly, as she sailed past, bustled and bonneted, husband sweatily in tow, his face dark with bruises. "What the devil happened to him?"

  "Fighting," McFay said cautiously, still trying to gauge Struan's humor--he had not seen him or heard from him since yesterday except to get a curt message this morning to join him for their walk to church. He fell into step as Struan started off again. "Seems he, Dmitri and a few others decided to visit Drunk Town last night for a Saturday night binge."

  "You mean punch-up?"

  "'fraid that was the basic idea. Dmitri, well, he said they had a grand time."

  Struan noticed the sudden glint in

  McFay's eyes. "Ah, you were there too,

  Jamie?" he asked dryly, then smiled.

  McFay saw the smile and was greatly relieved. "Well yes, Tai-pan, yes, I went along... but just to make sure Dmitri didn't get into trouble."

  "Did he?" Struan asked with a sudden stab of envy.

  "No, but och ay, Tai-pan, we had a grand time."

  "You lucky fellow! Come on, Jamie, tell all!"

  Jamie heard and saw the open friendliness and camaraderie that he had been afraid he had lost forever and beamed, his aches forgotten, angers forgotten and worries over his future. "There was a smashing cockfight at the Bull and Cock, best we've had here, they've a new ring now and a new Nagasaki beer that's better than our own

  Highland Dark! Two army handlers were pitted against two of our lads, Chandler Sykes and Old Bloody."

  "Who?"

  "He's one of our retired seaman, a master gunner, name of Charlie Bent, who paid off of

  Lasting Cloud--the same gunner who blew

  Wu Fang Choi's war junk out of the water for your dad, back in '43. Now he's nicknamed

  "Old Bloody" as he looks after the abattoir. Well I backed him all the way,

  Tai-pan, and won twenty-five pounds. Afterwards we descended on the Yokopoko Palace--that's the biggest tavern in Drunk Town, Army mostly, the Navy go to the Friar Tuck and never the twain shall meet." He laughed. "Lost a tenner at roulette, another five at dice.

  In no time at all there was the greatest free-for-all, traders against the rest. I think we won. Then home to bed though, er, a few, repaired to Naughty Nellie's."

  "You too?"

  "Well, yes but only for a nightcap, her champagne's the best and cheapest in Yokohama."

  "And the girls?"

  McFay laughed again. "Nothing like Mrs.

  Fortheringill's Establishment for Young Ladies in

  Hong Kong! There're about a dozen birds, most from the East End via Hong Kong, a few from

  Sydney in Australia, daughters of women convicts who've served their time and stayed on.

  They're all a bit grotty, and not to my taste." Filled with bonhommie he greeted passersby and added without thinking, "My needs are more than well looked after by Nemi." He glanced at Struan and saw the stretched face. His good humor vanished and he cursed himself for mentioning her. "You all right, Tai-pan?"

  "Yes, yes of course," Struan said, abruptly filled with envy at the other man's strength and virility, not loathing him for it, just himself. "Can't bear being like this, Jamie, hate it.

  Hate it! Christ, it's so difficult to be patient. I've just got to, I know that." He forced a smile. "Nemi? Oh yes, she seemed a nice girl. Pretty." With a vast effort

  Struan tore his mind off Shizuka and his failure, his frantic need to succeed with

  Angelique, and to weather the shoals ahead and coming tempest his mother was bound to generate. One thing at a time. Gear yourself to get through church, then through the rest of the day until six o'clock when Ah

  Tok will bring you the medicine: "Would you like a little before you go to your temple, my son?"'

  "No thank you, Mother, once a day is enough.

  The doctor said I should be careful."

  "What do foreign devils know?"'

  "Ayeeyah, I'm a foreign devil."

  "Ayeeyah, yes, but you're my son..."

  Ah Tok's such an old biddy. But then I can trust her. No harm in a little once a day.

  I can quit anytime, anytime, he reassured himself. Don't need it during the day though it certainly helps. Got to decide about Mother's letter, got to write her by tomorrow's mail. Got to.

  Her letter had been delivered by hand from the mail ship by special courier, inevitably a relation of their compradore, Gordon Chen. Again it had had no "P.s. I love you." Again the secret message had infuriated him:

  Malcolm: Have you gone totally dotty?

  Engagement party? After I warned you? Why on earth did you totally disregard my letter and my urgent summons to return? If it wasn't for

  Dr. Hoag's medical report received today with the unbelievable news I would have presumed you had head injuries as well as the terrible sword wounds. I have demanded our Governor take the most stringent measures against these uncivilized beasts and bring the violators to the Queen's justice at once! If he doesn't, I warned him personally that the whole force of the Noble

  House will be arranged against this administration!

  Enough of that. It is VITAL that you return to Hong Kong at once to make final three matters--of course I am prepared to forgive your transgression, you are still so very young, you have been through a terrible experience and have fallen into the clutches of an exceedingly clever woman. I thank God you are gaining strength every day. From Dr. Hoag's report, thankfully you should certainly be fit enough to travel by the time you receive this (i have instructed

  Dr. Hoag to return with you and hold him personally responsible for your safety). I have booked passage for you both on the mail ship--not for her, delib
erately.

  It is essential you come back QUICKLY

  AND ALONE: first to formally become tai-pan. yr grandfather left specific instructions, in writing, that MUST be complied with before you

  LEGALLY become tai-pan of Struan's whatever your father or I leave to you by will. Before your father died, in your absence, my son, he made me swear what had to be sworn and that I would swear you to these same conditions. This must be done quickly.

  Second: because we must decide at once how to combat Tyler Brock's attack on us--I mentioned before that he has the full support of the Victoria Bank and today threatens to foreclose on our promissory notes that will ruin us if successful. Gordon Chen has suggested a solution but it is terribly risky, may not be put to paper, and requires the tai-pan's signature and participation. My stepbrother "Sir" Morgan Brock has just arrived in Hong Kong and is flaunting his knighthood that he only acquired by persuading his heirless father-in-law to adopt him who then, conveniently and almost at once thereafter, died.

  Was the poor man assisted? God forgive me but I would not doubt it. Both he and Tyler

  Brock openly claim that by Christmas they will have us humbled and they will be in possession of our

  Steward's box at the races in Happy

  Valley. The voting for a new Steward was yesterday. As per your grandfather's wishes on your behalf I again blackballed him. God forgive me but I hate my father so much I almost become mad.

  Third: your entrapment! I could not believe my ears about this "engagement party" until it was confirmed. I hope by now, I pray God, your good sense has returned and you realize what has happened to you. Fortunately of course you cannot marry without my approval and certainly not the

  Catholic daughter of a runaway embezzler

  (there are warrants out to seize him for debts).

  In fairness I do understand you. Gordon Chen explained how easy it would be for a youth like you to be embroiled so do not despair. We have a plan that will extract you from her toils and prove to you conclusively that she is just a--sorry my son but

  I have to be blunt--just a jezebel.

  When you marry your wife must be English,

  God-fearing, never a heretic, a lady of good family, trained and at ease in SOCIETY and worthy to be your wife, bringing you a suitable dowry and qualities to assist your future. When the time comes you will have many suitable ladies to choose from.

  By the same mail I have written Dr.

  Hoag, and also McFay expressing my shock that he allowed this engagement stupidity to happen. I look forward to embracing you in a few days. your loving Mother.

  Almost at once Jamie had rushed into the room, white-faced. "She's heard!"

  "I know that. Never mind."

  "Jesus Christ, Malcolm, you can't just say never mind!" McFay spluttered, practically incoherent. He offered him the letter that shook in his hand. "Here, read it for yourself."

  The letter, without any form of greeting, was just signed Tess Struan:

  Unless you have a satisfactory explanation why you permitted my son (though he is to be tai-pan you must know is still a minor) to become engaged without first obtaining my approval--which you

  MUST know would never be forthcoming for such an unsuitable match, you will cease to head Struan's in Japan at the end of the year. Put Mr.

  Vargas in charge for the moment and return with my son on the mail ship to settle this matter.

  Struan had angrily shoved the letter back.

  "I'm not going back to Hong Kong yet--

  I'll go when I choose."

  "Christ Jesus, Malcolm, if she orders us back then we had better go. There're reasons th--"'

  "No!" he had flared. "Understand? No!"

  "For God's sake, open your eyes to the truth," McFay had flared back. "You are under age, she is running the company and has been for years. We're under her orders an--"'

  "I'm not under her orders, any orders.

  Get out!"

  "I won't! Can't you see what she asks is wise and no hardship. We can be back here in two to three weeks, you have to get her approval sometime, surely it's better to try now, it'll clear the air for you and make our job easier an--"'

  "No! And... and I'm cancelling her orders: I order you. I'm tai-pan of

  Struan's!"

  "Christ, you must know I can't go against her!"

  Struan almost faltered in his steps remembering the dreadful stab of pain in his loins as he had thoughtlessly scrambled out of his chair to his feet and shouted at McFay: "You fucking listen, I remind you of your sacred oath to serve the tai-pan, the tai-pan for Christ's sake, whoever he is, the tai-pan, not his fucking mother!

  REMEMBER?"'

  "But, don't y--"'

  "Who're you going to obey, Jamie? Me or my mother?"' There had been a vast chasm between them and more anger and more words, but he had prevailed. This battle was no contest. The stipulation was written into every document of appointment, to be signed and settled under God's oath in accordance with their founder's instructions.

  "All right, I agree!" McFay had said through his teeth. "But I dem--sorry I ask the right to write to her and tell her my new orders."

  "Do that, by the mail ship, and while you're about it, tell her the tai-pan orders you to stay here, that only I can fire you, as I will by God if I have any trouble--and that if I want to get engaged, minor or no, that's up to me." Then he had groped back to his chair, almost doubled up with pain.

  "My God, Tai-pan," McFay said weakly, "she'll dismiss me whether you like it or not. I'm finished."

  "No. Not without my say-so, it's in our bylaws."

  "Maybe. But like it or not, she can make my life and yours a misery, like it or not."

  "No, you're only doing what I want.

  You're within Dirk's law--and that's what governs her above all else," he said, remembering the times without number she had invoked the name of Dirk

  Struan to his father, or to him, or his brothers and sisters, on a point of business or morality or on life itself. And didn't Father and Mother both say a thousand times that I was to be tai-pan after him, everyone, particularly Uncle Gordon accepting that. Any formalities can wait, she's just using that as an additional excuse to curb me--

  Christ I've trained all my life for the job,

  I know how to deal with her and I know what's wrong here. "I'm tai-pan by God, and now... now if you'll excuse me, I, I've work to do."

  The moment he was alone he had shouted for Ah

  Tok.

  Ayeeyah, that was one time I really needed the medicine, it works so well and saved me all that pain and anguish and gave me courage again and, later, such a happy time with Angelique. Ah my angel, back again in her suite next door thank God, so near and delectable and warm and near but oh and Christ, I wish when I thought of her the ache wouldn't begin, and that ache would not lead to the other pain and it's not yet midmorning with a boring sermon and lunch to endure--and more than eight hours until the next...

  "Sorry about yesterday," McFay was saying.

  "Very sorry."

  "I'm not, it brought matters out in the open and settled them," he said with a curious strength.

  "Now there's a real head to the company--I agree my Father wasn't effective and spent most of the last few years drunk, with Mother doing the best she could which hasn't kept us ahead of Brock's--again let's be honest they're stronger and richer and more sound than we are and we'll be lucky to weather the current storm. Take Japan--Japan's hardly paying expenses."

  "Yes, short term, but long term it will be profitable."

  "Not the way you've been running it so far.

  Jappos are not buying any profitable goods from us.

  We buy silk cloth and silkworms, a few lacquer trinkets, what else? Nothing of value. They've no industry and don't seem to want any."

  "True, but then China took time to open up, years. And there we've the opium, tea, silver triangle."

  "True but China's different. China'
s a cultured, ancient civilization. We've friends there and, as you say, a trading pattern. My point is we've got to hurry things up here to survive, or we close it down."

  "As soon as Sir William sorts out the

  Bakufu--"

  "The pox on that!" Struan's voice sharpened.