He leaned forward, taking another huge pile of duck and rice.
‘…buying judges is one thing, but what they did to Chi Lin Lin… to involve the brotherhoods…’
Shu Liang frowned, then put one hand to his chest. ‘Forgive me, I…’ He belched, then made to smile at Meng apologetically, only the smile became a look of surprise.
‘This duck…’
Shu Liang dropped his chopsticks and grabbed the edge of the table. His face was a strange colour suddenly, his eyes…
He tried to get up, to haul himself up onto his feet, his chest convulsing now, his eyes seeming to pop out from his face.
Meng stood, going round the table to try to help him, but it was already too late. Shu Liang’s hand went to his throat, and then he fell. Sideways and backwards, his huge weight pulling the chair down with him, the tablecloth catching in the big man’s hand, pulling all the dishes down on top of him as he crashed to the ground.
‘Aiya!’ Meng cried, knowing that he too had been meant to be a victim of this; seeing how Shu Liang gasped for air now, his face an ugly purple, his huge chest heaving like some animal were trying to force its way out of him.
‘Shu Liang! Shu Liang!’
Only Shu Liang was dead. He lay there now, staring up at the lanterns overhead, his swollen, sea-green eyes stranger yet in the plum-coloured bruise that was his face.
‘Kuan Yin preserve us,’ Meng said, falling to his knees. Only he knew now it would take more than the Goddess of Mercy to protect him. Because this had ceased being a court case. This now was war. And no judges to rule on what was right or wrong.
*
Judge Yo stepped through into the hushed silence of the courtroom, looking to his left as he did and smiling to himself, seeing that it was empty. No presence at all on any of the benches.
He took his seat, smoothing out his silks.
‘Advocate Hui,’ he began. He looked to his right, where the Changs and their advocates sat, five deep on the benches there, and the Judge felt a deep satisfaction that matters had been settled finally. ‘I understand that Shih Reed has decided not to pursue his case.’
Hui stepped out into the space before Judge Yo then bowed low. ‘It is so, my Lord.’
‘Then it is my ruling…’
But Yo Jou Hsi never completed his ruling. Right then the doors at the far end burst open and Security officers flooded the floor of the courtroom.
For a moment there was uproar, and then Judge Yo banged his gavel.
‘What in the gods’ names is meant by this? By whose authority do you invade my courtroom?’
One of the Security men – a full major by the look of the leaping tiger on his chest patch – confronted Judge Yo.
‘Yo Jou Hsi,’ he began, reading from a scroll he had unfurled. ‘I am arresting you for conspiracy to prevent the just outcome of the case of Reed versus the MicroData Corporation.’
Judge Yo was outraged. He stood and then turned, looking towards the Changs, as if for some explanation. But Chang Yi Wei, the eldest and most senior of the clan, was being handcuffed right then, while another of the soldiers was reading out the charge against him. A charge of murder and conspiracy to murder.
As for Advocate Hui, he had been forced to the ground and was being read his rights, the big man squirming as he tried to free himself, all dignity gone from him.
‘This is outrageous!’ Chang Yi Wei yelled, as he was half-pulled, half-shoved, up the steps and out of the courtroom. ‘You’ll pay for this! Just you wait! I’ll have you stripped down to a common soldier, see if I don’t! You think GenSyn will save your arse? Not if our great Lord, Tsao Ch’un has his way!’
War. Yes, this was war. Only things weren’t decided yet. And until they were…
Looking on, using a screen further down the corridor, Meng Hsin-fa wondered how long it would be before Chang Yi Wei bought himself a judge and got his freedom again. Not long, perhaps. But it bought Meng time. And in that time he could find other reasons to incarcerate and slow them down. To buy decisions, the way they were wont to do. And to use the law the same way that they did, to make things swing his way.
After all, what did it matter now if he were ultimately disbarred? Unless he fought them now there was no chance. And besides, he no longer cared. Not since they’d killed his friends.
Yes, they had missed a chance when they hadn’t simply put a bullet through his head. They’d thought that they’d get him along with Shu Liang. Only they hadn’t. And now that small omission would come back to haunt them.
And to litigate against them, Meng thought, smiling grimly. For whether Tsao Ch’un won or didn’t win seemed irrelevant now. He could not wait for the world to find its balance once again. He had to act now. To bring them low. To make them…
Meng Hsin-fa smiled broadly at the thought. To make them pariahs, smeared by so many accusations that they could not go out in public for fear of lost face.
Why he almost laughed. But laughter wasn’t appropriate. Not after what they had done. If he’d had a gun…
Only he hadn’t. Nor would he get one. Not yet, anyway. He would do this his way. Using his mind. Oh, it wasn’t as fine a mind as Shu Liang’s, but it was sharp enough to cut and wound a thousand Changs. Let them line up against him, he would defeat them all!
But first he would deal with Judge Yo. First he would see that hatchet-faced bastard squeal and beg for mercy.
Jake was sitting there quietly in the corner of the living room when Mary got back. She had come back alone, leaving Beth and the kids with a neighbour.
‘What is it?’ she asked, seeing his face. ‘What have those bastards done now?’
Jake looked down into the glass of Scotch he’d poured himself. ‘They killed Shu Liang. And they would have killed Meng, too, only…’
He explained it all to her. And then, strangely, he laughed.
‘What?’ She went across and sat, facing him.
‘The case. We won. At least, a court of appeal has reversed Judge Yo’s decision.’
‘I didn’t know he’d made one.’
‘Well, he did. But now he’s been arrested, for conspiracy. Him and Chang Yi Wei.’
Mary stared at him, shocked. ‘Who…?’
‘Advocate Meng,’ Jake answered her. ‘It seems he took offence when they tried to poison him. Seems he’s pulled all kinds of strings. An influential man, our Meng. And besides, there are a lot of people who admired Shu Liang. To take such a big man down… well, they did not anticipate the adverse reaction to their act. Shu Liang was much loved and much admired.’
‘But if Tsao Ch’un triumphs…?’
‘Then he triumphs. But the law will go on. Tsao Ch’un cannot rule without the law. How could he? He is but a single man.’
‘Even so…’
‘The Changs assumed too much. They tried to set themselves above the law, and that has angered a goodly number in that profession. It seems they are not all like Judge Yo. Far from it.’
Mary looked down. ‘So you think we are safe, Jake?’
He took another sip, then shook his head. ‘Safe? No. But in no immediate danger.’
There was no news. In fact, there was a total news blackout. But was that good or bad?
Meng Hsin-fa stepped down from the sedan he’d hired. Taking five coins from his purse, he paid the chief runner.
The truth was, he had stirred up a regular hornet’s nest. If he had called in all his favours, then so too had the Changs.
Which was why he was here now, at the lowest level of the City, brought here at the summons of his old friend, Shao.
He and Shao had been at school together, but then Meng had gone into law while his friend had joined the Academy, training to be a soldier. And now he was a major in Security.
At least, he was until all this business was resolved.
Meng had shown his friend the tapes. Had shown him first-hand the contempt the Changs had for legal process. To get warrants for arrests – that had
been pretty easy. The Changs had taken on the law itself when they had murdered two of its officers, for small as Yang Hong Yu and Chi Lin Lin had been, they were still lawyers.
The rest was timing.
Meng ducked inside, through the plastic sheet, to where Chang Yi Wei sat on a chair with his wrists and ankles bound, in the middle of what looked like some kind of warehouse. Seeing and recognizing Meng, he began to yell at him, swearing and threatening his life.
Meng walked right up to him, then leaning close, slapped the man’s face hard.
‘Shut up!’
Chang Yi Wei stared back at him, shocked. ‘What is this?’ he said, his voice quieter than any of them had heard it before.
‘This,’ Meng answered him, ‘is a trial. And a far fairer trial than any you have bought.’
‘But I…’
Meng raised his hand and Chang fell silent.
‘Good. I see you get the idea. You speak when you are spoken to, or not at all. You understand that, Shih Chang?’
Chang nodded.
‘Good. Then I’ll ask you one question. Did you instruct your men to have Advocate Yang and his assistant killed?’
Chang blinked, but he did not answer. He turned his head away, looking away from Meng.
Meng walked round the big man until he stood within his eyeline once again.
‘I don’t think you understand what’s happening, do you?’
Chang’s eyes flared at that. ‘Oh, I think…’
Meng’s slap surprised him. Chang looked down, murmuring to himself. ‘I’ll have you, you fucker…’
‘Oh, you might. Although I doubt it. Not you, anyway. But I want an answer. Did you or didn’t you…?’
‘I didn’t.’
‘Oh? Is that the truth now, Chang Yi Wei?’
Chang turned his head. Again he did not answer.
Meng turned, looking to his old friend Shao. ‘Major… you found the two men in those tapes, is that right?’
Major Shao stepped forward. ‘I did. It was all rather easy, actually. We enhanced the retinal prints on the tape and tracked them down.’
‘And where are they now?’
‘Why, they’re here.’
Shao turned, gesturing towards the darkness at the end of the big room, from which came four of his men, two of them escorting each of the accused men.
‘These are the men?’
‘They are.’
‘And do we know who gave them their orders?’
‘We do. Unfortunately the man is dead. But we do know who gave him his orders. We have that on tape.’
‘And who was that, Major Shao?’
‘It was Chang Lai-hsun, the nephew of our friend here.’
Chang Yi Wei snorted. ‘If you think you can…’
Meng leaned in close. ‘If I think what? That I can prove you had my friends killed? That you gave instructions to your nephew, who then hired these men? Do you think I could prove that?’
‘Not in a court, no.’
‘Then what is this?’
Chang Yi Wei sniffed dismissively. ‘This is kidnap. This is—’
Meng slapped him again. ‘This,’ he said, straightening up, ‘Is justice. And better justice than you allowed any of your enemies.’
Chang met his eyes, defiant now. ‘You wouldn’t dare.’
‘Wouldn’t I? Not if I knew for certain it was you?’
Chang shook his head. ‘I know your sort. Liberals…’ He spat at Meng’s feet. ‘Go on… do your worst! You simply wouldn’t dare!’
Meng turned. ‘Major Shao. Give me your gun.’
Shao unholstered his gun and, after checking it was loaded, handed it across.
Meng hefted the gun in his hand, getting used to it, then walked across to where the two Tong runners were being held. ‘These are the men, right?’
‘Without a shadow of doubt.’
Meng stared at the two men for a second, seeing how brave they were at the end, for all their lack of compassion. Admiring that if nothing else about them. Then, stepping closer, he put the barrel to the temple of the first of them.
‘Guilty.’
The detonation shook Chang. His eyes widened with fear, watching as Meng Hsin-fa stepped across to face the second of the two.
‘And you,’ he said. ‘Guilty.’
This time Chang’s whole body jerked at the sound of the shot. As if he knew what was next.
‘And you?’ Meng said, coming back across, the gun glinting in his hand. ‘How do you plead? Or are you going to claim some mitigating circumstances for your actions? Was it, perhaps, merely good business practice?’
Chang Yi Wei seemed to grit his teeth. Then he spoke. ‘Kill me and you might as well put the next bullet in your head. They’ll come for you, you know. My whole clan. They won’t rest ’til I’m avenged.’
Meng smiled. ‘Then maybe that’s what I’ll do. To save them the bother. Only you’re not going to die. Death’s far too good for you.’
‘What do you mean?’
Meng walked back over to Major Shao and handed him back the gun. Turning away, he spoke to the darkness once again.
‘Surgeon Pa… step forward, if you please.’
A man stepped from the darkness. An old man, a greybeard, dressed in a green medical one-piece.
‘Surgeon Pa… you have your equipment with you?’
‘I have.’
‘And you know what is required?’
‘I do.’
Meng turned to Major Shao again. ‘Major… could one of your men tape this for us. I would like this distributed as widely as possible.’
Chang Yi Wei looked about him, a look of query and alarm in his face now. ‘What in the gods’ names are you up to?’
Meng turned to face him again. ‘My dear friend, Shu Liang, whom you had poisoned… oh, and before we quibble about that, I do have evidence… he told me a wonderful story the other day. About a court case from centuries past… one that set a precedent that still stands to this day. One very few people know about.’
Chang tried to get up, tried to pull his hands out of the restraining cords, but he found he couldn’t do either. His face was red now from his exertions.
‘You will release me now!’
Meng smiled acidly. ‘Aren’t you interested, Chang Yi Wei?’
Chang swallowed and looked down.
‘Cut his clothes from him!’ Meng ordered, as two of Shao’s officers made their way across, one holding Chang tightly while the other took a knife from their belt.
Again Chang started to struggle, only he was no match for the two elite soldiers. In a moment his silks had been cut from him and he sat there, naked beneath the glaring light.
‘Good,’ Meng said. ‘How you came into the world, neh?’
‘You’re dead!’ Chang spat, furious now, a colour at his cheeks.
‘Maybe,’ Meng said. ‘But it is the ruling of this court that, as punishment for your actions, you be castrated.’
Chang gasped. He might have guessed, but to hear the word.
‘Hold him down!’ Meng barked, as the two officers grabbed Chang’s arms and pushed him back in the chair. ‘Surgeon Pa…’
Meng watched as Pa did his work and the big man screamed and screamed.
There, he thought. It’s almost enough. Only it wasn’t quite. He wished he could cut Chang’s balls off a thousand times. His and all his clan’s. And maybe he would. Maybe he could pick them off, one by one, and bring them here. Only he doubted they would let him. No. He had only managed to get this far because they’d thought him toothless – lacking in the will to do something like this. Only they’d been wrong. But they would be forewarned from here on in. And he…
Maybe Chang Yi Wei is right. Maybe I should take Shao’s gun and end it, now, before they come for me. Because if I fall into their hands…
Chang’s screams went on and on, even as Surgeon Pa cauterized the wound.
Meng turned, looking down at Chang Yi Wei, not feeli
ng the least compassion for the man. ‘Chang No-balls, that’s what they’ll call you henceforth.’ He smiled, the smile fading even as it formed as he recalled what this man – this vile piece of shit – had done to his friends.
‘And now I’m done.’
Jake ended the call, then walked through, looking about him at his family, glad that they were there – most of them, anyway – at hand and close by, not half the City’s length away.
‘What did he say?’ Mary asked, looking up from where she was sewing.
Jake smiled. ‘He said it’s done. It’s over. He didn’t give any details, but he thinks they’ll not pursue the matter.’
Only Jake didn’t really believe that. He knew what they were like.
He sat himself down beside her on the sofa, studying her face as she worked, seeing how from time to time she would turn to him and smile. She was still there, beneath the wrinkles and the odd touch of grey. And if her face had become thinner and her neck more lined, he did not love her any the less for that. Of all the women in his life, she had been the best.
‘What…?’ she asked.
‘Alison’s death,’ he answered. ‘It got me thinking… about Annie.’
‘And?’
‘When I think of her… it doesn’t hurt any more. It’s as if I’ve come to peace with that.’
‘But you think of her still?’
‘From time to time.’
She looked down again, starting another row of stitches. ‘I think of Tom sometimes. Of how lucky we were. To have that time together. And then you…’
Mary looked up, met his eyes and smiled.
‘It’s been a hard day,’ he said.
And it had only just begun. The fate of their world lay in the balance. Out there, somewhere, it was all happening. The last decisive moves of the game.
He knew the odds. Knew that Tsao Ch’un ought to win. Ought to crush them, in fact. Only the day’s events had brought him some small hope. Hope that there were still good people in their world. People who were strong as well as kind.
It reminded him of a film he’d loved, back in the old world – a black and white movie that was over a hundred years old when he’d first seen it. Gary Cooper had been the star. The same actor as had been in High Noon. He’d played this man from the country who’d inherited a fortune and had come up to New York to sort things out. A love story. Only a love story that was to a certain liberal cast of mind as much about the woman in it.
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