Daylight on Iron Mountain

by David Wingrove

  ‘An hour’s recess,’ he said, looking to Shu Liang, who smiled and nodded. ‘But be back here in good time.’

  Then, as if he couldn’t get away fast enough, he was gone.

  For a second or two, Shu Liang watched the space Judge Yo had vacated. Then he turned back to them, smiling broadly, his mouth the tiniest of slits in the middle of those folds of flesh that were his chin and neck. ‘Shih Reed… forgive me for my lateness… As you’ve probably gathered, I am Shu Liang, your Senior Advocate.’

  Jake took the massive scented hand, his own dwarfed by it. ‘Shu Liang…’ Only as he looked up, meeting the big man’s eyes, he caught his breath.

  A Han with green eyes! It was unheard of. Or were these fake? Lenses, perhaps?

  ‘My own,’ Shu Liang said, smiling, as if he’d read Jake’s thoughts. ‘Or rather, my mother’s. She was Hung Mao.’

  ‘Ah…’ Even so… it felt wrong. Wasn’t there something about dominants and recessives? Shouldn’t his eyes be dark?

  Shu Liang looked about him. ‘Advocate Meng, Advocate Yang… friends… is there a room we can use? If we’re to have a strategy…’ He paused, then laughed. ‘Did he really cite Chu versus Chi?’

  ‘He did,’ Meng answered, grinning.

  ‘Then maybe we won’t need to use anything stronger than irony.’

  Seated in one of the smaller anterooms, Shu Liang faced Jake across the table, while the rest of them looked on, Meng holding Shu Liang’s staff.

  ‘Doubtless you want to know who I am, is that not so, Shih Reed?’

  Seen close up, Shu Liang really was something. Precious stones had been sewn into his olive-green silks – stones that looked like tiny tiger’s eyes – interspersed with tiny butterflies made of golden thread. From his clothes one might have mistaken him for a dandy, a dilettante, except for those eyes. Behind the green, embedded in the green, was an intelligence that was somehow cold and machine-like.

  Jake smiled. ‘You must be someone very special, Advocate Shu…’

  ‘Oh, I am, friend Jake. You might also think that I think a great deal of myself, saying that. Then again, there is a great deal of me. Appearances might suggest that I have a whole school of lawyers in here, fighting to get out!’

  Shu Liang let the laughter die, then spoke again. ‘But let me be serious a moment. This case… it interests me. The very fact that the Changs should pursue it through a court at this level says a great deal about their motives. They wish to establish a precedent, I imagine. To win two or three such cases. Enough to establish them in law. As for what Advocate Hui was doing back there… it stank of obfuscation, neh? Chu versus Chi…’ He laughed. ‘Only, if he thinks he can play such games with me, then he’s very much mistaken.’

  Shu Liang shifted a little, as if uncomfortable on the small chair he was sitting on. ‘Your case, Shih Reed… the truth is, it should not have needed to be heard. The Judge should have ruled, at once and without need to have considered anything but your original agreement with MicroData. A contract is a contract, after all, and anyone who buys into that contract does so as if they stepped into the shoes of the previous owner.’

  He sighed. ‘Only the fact is this… we live in dark times. Our sense of yi, of social rightness, upon which all of our law is based, has been worn down, our social conscience abraded. As a result, self-serving lackeys like our friend Yo Jou Hsi have proliferated, like bugs on a bloated corpse. Judge Wei’s death – his “accident” – surprised me somewhat. It was somehow too bold, too… direct. Perhaps Wei simply got too greedy. Or, more likely, Judge Yo promised to undercut him. To deliver the verdict at half the cost. Whatever… the one thing we can be certain of is that Yo is their man, and that given the chance, he will rule for them.’

  Jake frowned. ‘Then that business of the auction?’

  ‘Was, I believe, to test your resolve to continue with the case. To see whether you would not rather prefer to settle than to fight on. Judge Yo may be venial, but he is not stupid. I can’t believe he would have accepted a higher bribe from you, even if you had offered such. He is, I am sure, conscious now of just how ruthless his employers can be. Wei’s accident will have told him as much.’

  Shu Liang smiled. Then, lifting himself up out of the chair, he walked over to the far end of the room, where shelf after shelf of leather-bound volumes filled the wall from floor to ceiling. Idly, he pulled one down and studied it a moment, then put it back.

  ‘You see, the problem is not in winning this case, but in making it stick. Making it… unchallengeable. Making it so that the Changs – and others like them – will be discouraged from bringing a similar case against someone new. Someone who, unlike you, Shih Reed, is not so willing to fight for what is theirs.’

  Advocate Meng spoke now for the first time. ‘So what next, Master Shu? You spoke of a strategy…’

  Shu Liang turned back, facing him.

  ‘I think our first task is to expose Advocate Hui for the fake he is. To shoot down all his ducks. All of his Chis and Chus. To blow the dust away and get down to the facts.’ He smiled. ‘I’ll enjoy that. It’ll be fun.’

  ‘Fun?’ Across from him Meng laughed. But Jake could see from his expression that he was clearly in awe of the big man, and if Meng was in awe, then Shu Liang had to be something special.

  ‘Well, maybe fun is overdoing it,’ Shu Liang said, coming back across and taking his staff back from Meng. ‘But I do enjoy watching men like Hui Chang Yeh shown up for the fools and charlatans they are, don’t you? I just love to see them squirm.’

  While Shu Liang and the others went to get some breakfast, Jake took Advocate Yang aside.

  ‘Shu Liang,’ he began. ‘The man’s impressive, I agree, only…’

  ‘Only what?’ Yang said. ‘This friend of yours at GenSyn… he must like you a great deal, Shih Reed. Shu Liang… he is, how d’you say it? A “one-off”. His reputation… well, I was honoured just to be in court with him.’

  ‘He’s good then?’

  ‘Good?’ Yang laughed. ‘Why, the man has an eidetic memory. There’s nothing he doesn’t know. Twenty-four centuries of Han law… he has it all, up here, in his brain, from the Ta k’ao – the pronouncements of the sage kings – to the most current legislation on genetics and nanotechnology! Chi and Chu… he could quote you Chi and Chu, word perfect, and all the subsequent cases built on it! Don’t you understand? The man is a walking, talking encyclopaedia. Why, I almost feel sorry for Advocate Hui. Only the man deserves what’s coming to him. Deserves the humiliation and loss of face… Oh, and speaking of which, I have to thank you, Jake.’

  ‘Thank me? For what?’

  ‘For this.’ Yang pulled a slip of paper from the pocket of his silks and handed it to Jake.

  Jake read it, then looked up. ‘I don’t understand. I thought you said your offices weren’t insured.’

  ‘They weren’t.’

  ‘But this is…’

  ‘An insurance cheque, I know. I called them. They said it had been authorized by their clients, GenSyn.’

  ‘And you thought…’ Jake shook his head, then handed the cheque back. ‘I didn’t know a thing about this. But look… I’ll thank them on your behalf. I’ll go speak to them now, before we have to go back in.’

  ‘Thank you, Shih Reed. Only one last thing before we go back in…’

  ‘Go on?’

  Yang looked about him, as if to check no one was listening, then leaned close, speaking softly, so only Jake could hear.

  ‘I probably worry far too much, but… well, it occurs to me that, if Shu Liang is as good as we hope he’ll be, then… well, it will not be Advocate Hui alone who’ll suffer loss of face. The Changs…’ He swallowed. ‘I guess what I am saying is that I would consider asking GenSyn for protection. And your wife… well, if it were me, I would consider bringing her close, where no one could threaten her.’

  Yang saw how Jake looked down at that and blinked. ‘You mean… they have already?’

  J
ake nodded.

  ‘Then do not delay, dear friend. Bring her here at once. Under armed guard, if necessary. Judge Wei must have thought himself safe from them, only look where that got him. Sharing a drink with the God of Hell!’

  Ten minutes later, Jake was back in his room, speaking to Alison’s assistant, a young Han named Tu Mu.

  ‘She should be in any minute now,’ Tu Mu was saying. ‘But I’ll pass your message on, all right? And you really mustn’t worry about your wife, Shih Reed. We’ve a team of four looking after her, twenty-four hours a day. And if there’s any problem at all, we’ll contact you immediately, even if you’re in court.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Jake said, reassured. Deciding, there and then, that it made no sense to drag her out here. That it made better sense for him to go there, even if it meant travelling back and forth. ‘And tell Alison I’ll speak to her later. After the morning session.’

  Jake cut connection, then looked at the time at the bottom of the screen. It was just after nine. Normally, if he’d been home, they wouldn’t even have got up yet, only he knew Mary hadn’t been sleeping well lately; that she’d been getting up early to make a cup of ch’a and watch the news.

  He called her, then stood there, waiting to be connected. Only this time he wasn’t.

  A face appeared on screen. A young male Han, not so very different from Tu Mu. It was preprogrammed, he realized, not real-time. The slightest lack of sync betrayed its nature.

  ‘Forgive me, Shih Reed,’ it said, bowing to him, ‘but there are problems with the communications grid at present. If you would like to leave a message, I can record one for you and send it on later, when the grid is back up.’

  Jake frowned, not understanding. One moment it had been working, the next it was gone.

  Someone had clearly pulled the plug.

  He left a message, then cut connection again. He really ought to be returning to court, to join them for Shu Liang’s ‘performance’, only there were a couple of things he wanted to do before he went back.

  The first was to check on the news.

  But when he tried to get the screen to work, it didn’t. It was just blank. He changed channels, hoping to find one that was still up and running. There was nothing.

  Had everything been switched off ? Or was it, perhaps, just a local fault?

  Whatever it was, he felt a deep unease. Was Tsao Ch’un using this opportunity to purge his enemies? To cleanse the levels of those who’d sided against him? If so, it was not beyond belief that he and Mary would be on his list.

  Jake counted to twenty, calming himself, trying to think things through. It was going to be all right. And how did he know that? Because it was different this time round. If it was war – and it clearly was – then it was a war to establish who controlled it all. A war between the big people. A ‘War in Heaven’, as they liked to call it. He and his like – the hsiao jen, or ‘little people’ – wouldn’t be affected. Not in any serious way. They might be inconvenienced a bit, only…

  Jake bit his lip. No. It was no good lying to himself. If the Seven lost this war – and surely they must – then his life and the lives of those he loved best were all in danger. Not immediately. Perhaps only once things had settled again. But Tsao Ch’un would make it his business to deal with those who’d opposed him in any fashion, whenever. For that was Tsao Ch’un’s way. It was why he was still in charge.

  The screen lit up again. But it wasn’t the news channel. Nor was it Mary. It was Advocate Meng, calling from the communications room in the courthouse, sixty levels down.

  ‘Jake? Are you all right? Look… in view of what’s going on, Judge Yo has suspended the hearing. They’re going to reassess things tomorrow, midday local time. I can handle that, if you want. In the meantime you might as well go home.’

  ‘D’you think that’s wise? I mean… is it safe to travel?’

  ‘As far as I know. Why? Have you heard any different?’

  ‘They’ve shut down the communications network. Did you know that?’

  ‘No…’ Meng looked thoughtful. ‘Look, I’m sure it’s temporary. And if you’re worried, we can try and arrange something. Rent a cruiser, maybe.’

  On GenSyn’s bill, no doubt, Jake thought, wondering whether he should try Alison again.

  ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘And thanks… ’Til tomorrow, neh?’

  Meng smiled back at him. ‘Until tomorrow. And Jake… keep safe.’

  The screen went black, like it was dead.

  Meng was right. He ought to go home. Sit this out there, with Mary at his side. As for the case, that could wait until things were settled.

  Jake went over to the bed and sat. The best thing would be to go and see them at reception. See what could be arranged. Maybe he should do that now. Only he found he was loath to move. What if Mary called him back and he wasn’t here? No. He’d give it ten minutes. Then, if nothing was happening, he’d go and see them at the desk. Try and organize transport home.

  If anything was still running.

  He spoke to the screen. ‘Hello?… Hello? Is there anybody there?’

  The room was silent. Or almost so. Underneath the silence was the slow and steady pulse of the big circulatory fans, pushing the air through the levels.

  Jake stood again. What was he waiting for? He ought to go and see them now. Only right then the screen lit up again.

  ‘Jake?’

  ‘Mary… thank fuck…’

  ‘Jake…’ Only for all her surface disapproval, she was smiling, pleased to see him. ‘What’s happening? The TV keeps blacking out.’

  ‘I know,’ he said, not wanting to get into that. ‘Look, I’m going to come home. The Judge has suspended the hearing temporarily, so there’s no real point being here. I don’t know what’s up and running, but I’ll try and get back ASAP. You just sit tight, okay?’

  ‘Okay… but Jake… don’t take any risks. And Jake… I love you.’

  He smiled. ‘Love you, too.’

  And she was gone. The screen was blank again.

  Alison… he really ought to phone Alison.

  Later, he thought. When I’m home. I’ll phone her then.

  Jake stood, looking about him. Then, knowing there was nothing else to do, he threw his holdall onto the bed and started gathering all his stuff together.

  War in Heaven… Pray God it stayed that way!

  Mary went through to the bedroom, then stood there, looking about her. How good it had been just to see his face. How comforting. Only now she feared for him. The world was at war and he would be travelling back through it. The thought of it ripped at her guts.

  Oh, Jake… be safe…

  She had woken that morning with dreams of home. Of her and Annie as children, playing in the fields behind the house. And of Tom and Jake… husbands both, the two of them in bed with her in her dream, one either side of her, her arms about them both.

  So calm, those dreams. So strangely calm, and once again so comforting.

  Jake too had been visited by dreams lately. He had told her of them. At least, those that could be spoken of. Only Jake’s dreams were much darker than her own. Dark, threatening dreams that mirrored the sheer awfulness of those things that had happened to him, back in his past lives.

  She went over to the dressing table and sat, studying herself in the mirror, examining the ruins of her face. She had been so pretty, and now so old.

  Strange how he never dreamed of Annie. Or maybe he did and never spoke of it to her.

  For a moment longer she sat there and remembered her sister’s face, seeing her there, laughing in the sunlight, smiling at the memory.

  And then it was gone.

  Silence, and then… the screens were on again, the chatter of excited voices filling the air.

  The bolt had stopped. For the best part of an hour it had run along its tracks, chewing up the miles, on through the stacks, bringing him closer and closer by the minute. But now it had stopped, and further up the station there was a d
isturbance. People were shouting and there were screams.

  Jake looked about him at the packed carriage. They were afraid. Every last one of them. Terrified that here, in a place none of them knew, it would all come to an end. With a mob of rampaging thugs who had been freed by the situation to indulge themselves. To break and smash and maim.

  Across from him an old lady had begun to cry. Beside her a mother held her two children close, while the father stood protectively in front of them.

  Jake looked down, swallowing. Why couldn’t the bastards just let them be? What God-awful quality in men made them behave like this? If he’d had a gun…

  If I had a gun, what?

  No. There was no fooling himself. It was a young man’s world. A Yang world full of aggressive little shits who just loved to trample on their fellows and kick the crap out of them, or beat them with lengths of metal piping. Young men who never saw the consequences.

  Back in Corfe they’d have known what to do.

  Only this wasn’t Corfe.

  Outside the noise had grown. Down there, at the far end of the platform, they were fighting now. He could see the blur of struck blows, the yells and cries of pain.

  And then there were whistles. Suddenly, from one of the entrances to the left of the platform, armed soldiers – Security by the look of them – began to pour. At least thirty or more of them, armed with guns and batons. A gun went off and then another, and suddenly the mob broke, making for the exits, even as the soldiers grabbed hold of some of them, grappling them to the floor.

  Thank Christ, Jake thought, never happier to see the Security forces at work. Ignoring, for that moment, all that he knew about the way they operated. How corrupt they were. How they would beat up prisoners in their cells. No, right then he wanted to hug them. Because without them…

  There were cheers and applause, and as their officer turned to look back down the platform, big beaming smiles.

  ‘Please, get back inside, ladies and gentlemen,’ he said, his voice amplified by the loudhailer in his hand. ‘We will have you under way again in just a few minutes.’