The Cloud Leopard's Daughter

by Deborah Challinor

  But Longwei and his men were in the bay, not looking quite so impressive and piratical in the daylight, but fearsome enough. And not the fabled fifty junks, either, only about a dozen. Knowing that Amber was aboard one gave him new strength and he turned the sampan so that the wind filled her sail and headed towards them.

  He was met some distance out by two men in a ship’s boat. One called to him in Chinese.

  That’s no bloody use, is it? Israel thought. He couldn’t speak a word.

  He shook his head and called back, ‘No speak Chinese.’

  Another question in Chinese.

  Again he shook his head. ‘No! Only English!’ He wondered what he could say to make them understand. ‘Rian Farrell? Katipo?’

  By this time he’d sailed past them and they were having to row to keep up. They didn’t look happy about it. One had drawn an ancient-looking pistol.

  ‘Amber!’ he shouted. ‘Amber Farrell!’

  The one with the pistol nodded, then pointed to the junks.

  Hoping this meant he could continue, Israel sailed on, his shoulders involuntarily hunched, half expecting to feel the bite of a ball. Nearing the junks he furled in and allowed the sampan to drift. Lee Longwei was leaning casually on the bulwark of the largest ship, observing his approach. Israel saw that just above the junk’s waterline near the bow was painted a large, garish eye and the name Kaili, something he hadn’t noticed during his last visit.

  Seeing that he was in danger of banging into the junk’s hull, Israel reached for the oars and turned the sampan so she came side on. He maintained the position, looking up at Longwei, waiting for the ladder to be thrown down. It wasn’t. Longwei was, however, joined by half a dozen others, all staring over the bulwark at him.

  He started to feel stupid. Eventually he called, ‘Permission to come aboard!’

  Lee Longwei called back, ‘Why?’

  Taken aback, Israel thought, You arsehole. ‘I want to talk. I have a proposition.’

  ‘Captain Farrell does, or you do?’

  Ah. ‘The captain does.’

  ‘Then why did he not come himself?’

  ‘He’s . . . indisposed, so he sent me.’

  ‘In a sampan?’

  There were smirks and guffaws from the audience.

  ‘That’s right.’ And it’s damn near killed me.

  ‘And who are you?’

  ‘Israel Mitchell. I was here the other night with the captain.’

  ‘I know you were here then, but who are you?’

  Israel scowled. What the hell was that supposed to mean? ‘I’m Katipo crew. I’ve sailed with Captain Farrell for nine years.’

  Another long stare. Israel suspected that wasn’t the answer Longwei was looking for. Finally he flicked his hand and the rope ladder came tumbling down, clattering against the hull. Israel tied the sampan to the bottom rungs and shinnied up.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said as he crested the bulwark. He didn’t feel like saying it but decided it would pay to keep on the right side of Longwei. ‘Is there somewhere private we can talk?’

  ‘Here will suffice.’

  ‘I’d rather talk alone.’

  ‘Is your message from your captain so sensitive?’

  Israel blinked, having forgotten he’d said he was here on Rian’s orders. ‘Er, yes, it is actually.’

  ‘We can speak below, but Ip To will be in attendance.’

  Nodding, Israel said, ‘That’ll do.’ It would, too: the Chinese cove with the eye patch was big but he looked thick-headed and apparently didn’t speak a word of English.

  Longwei led the way down to the mess room. It wasn’t as big as the Katipo’s mess room and it stank like a bloody Chinese market at the end of a hot day, but it seemed reasonably clean.

  ‘Would you care for tea?’ Longwei asked.

  ‘Not if it isn’t proper English with milk,’ Israel said as he sat down. ‘I can’t stand the Chinese stuff.’

  Longwei spoke to Ip To in Chinese, and the big man disappeared somewhere. The pirate looked back at Israel. ‘So, this proposition from Captain Farrell?’

  ‘Ah, well, yes.’ Israel scratched the back of his salt-itchy neck. ‘Actually, it is my idea, not Rian’s. He went to see that Empress Cixi woman and she gave him short shrift and the governor won’t talk to him now, either. So he’s pretty well buggered.’

  ‘Has he gone to Shanghai?’

  ‘Shanghai? No.’

  ‘Then what is he doing?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Though Israel did know. Rian and the others were coming up with a plan to get Amber back, but they’d never think of one as good as his.

  ‘Then what is this proposition of yours?’ Longwei asked.

  ‘Look, you want the opium trade stopped and we want Amber back, right?’

  ‘I think that has been made reasonably clear.’

  ‘Right. Do you know who William Eastwood is?’

  Longwei thought for a moment. ‘No.’

  ‘I’ve been asking around about who does what in this hole of a town. He’s a partner in Jardine Matheson and Co here in Hong Kong. Eastwood only arrived last year. He’s twenty-eight, a Scotsman and a bachelor, and my sources tell me he’s especially keen on pretty girls with a bit of a dusky tint, if you get my meaning. They say he’s been going through the Chinese girls like a hot knife through butter.’

  Longwei winced slightly.

  Israel went on. ‘I thought, if he met Amber, he’d be hooked. You have to admit she’s beautiful.’

  ‘You would prostitute her?’ Longwei looked mildly shocked. ‘To what end?’

  ‘Christ, no. What do you think I am? No, we let him see her, just long enough to tempt him, then we tell him we can arrange a private meeting with her. You know what I mean. Then we lure him somewhere secluded, using Amber as bait, then kill him. We make sure it looks like Cixi’s people are responsible, and the British will knock Cixi off her throne.’

  Ip To arrived then with Israel’s tea and set the delicate little cup on the table. Israel sniffed it. It looked like normal tea, but God only knew what was in it.

  ‘How will that stop the import of opium?’ Longwei asked.

  ‘You told Rian you thought she was colluding with the British. Maybe whoever comes after her will make more of an effort to end the trade. And, you know, with Eastwood working for Jardine Matheson, the biggest importers of the lot, it sends a message, doesn’t it?’ He tailed off.

  ‘It is more likely to start another war.’ Longwei drummed his fingers on the table. ‘If you accost Eastwood and present the girl like a bag of rice for sale, he will be suspicious. It seems an odd thing to do.’

  Israel scoffed. ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake, we’re men of the world here. He must get that all the time if he’s made a habit of wenching and no effort to hide it. He’ll just think I’m her fancy man. I’ll get myself a decent suit of clothes. Don’t worry, I’ll look the part.’

  I’m not worried, he thought, because I’ll be doing no such bloody thing.

  ‘And you are expecting me to release the girl?’

  ‘Obviously. Well, the plan won’t work if you don’t.’ Israel sipped his tea: it tasted all right though the milk was a bit strange. ‘I’ll need her to bait the hook, then to reassure him when he arrives at wherever we decide to kill him. Before we kill him, I mean.’

  A muscle in Longwei’s jaw clenched and Israel sat back a little. ‘Do not keep referring to “we”. I will not be doing any of the killing. I will not be present at all. This is your plot. How do I know that if I release her you will not just sail away?’

  ‘Because I give you my word that we won’t, and I’m good for it.’

  ‘You understand that I have people on the wharves in Victoria, and in the markets, and on the streets?’

  ‘Er, I do now.’

  ‘I will know of every move you make, and if you fail or renege I will take the girl back.’

  Bugger, Israel thought. Surely that’s a bluff? Then his heart thudd
ed wildly as he realised Longwei had agreed to his plan. ‘So I can take her?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Now?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Let me talk to her in private first. There’re some things she needs to know.’ A few small lies he needed to tell, so he could get her off the ship without any cats getting out of bags.

  *

  When Ip To returned from escorting Israel to Amber, Longwei summarised his conversation then said, ‘It is possibly the stupidest plan I have heard in my life, if he truly intends to go through with it. The man must be mad.’

  ‘Do you believe he actually will?’

  ‘No. I suspect he is here without Captain Farrell’s knowledge and wants the girl for himself.’

  Ip To said, ‘But she is married.’

  Longwei gave him a withering look. ‘That is why he is here alone. He will be in my cabin telling the girl a pack of lies.’

  ‘It will be a relief to get rid of her.’

  ‘Yes, it will, though unfortunately that may not last long. She may be lovely to look at but she is very bad-tempered and she talks endlessly. I pity her husband. We should have left her with Lo Fang and let him suffer her. That would teach him for taking her in the first place.’ Longwei sighed. ‘I had hoped that her father might make some headway talking to the British, being the sort of man that he is, but my expectations have come to nothing. He has not gone to Shanghai, I gather he is no longer in favour with the governor, and, to be fair, dealing with the country traders was always going to be beyond the captain’s capabilities. Beyond anyone’s capabilities, except perhaps the British law-makers’. But then again, it was only a test. I did not really expect him to actually achieve anything.’

  ‘A test of what?’

  ‘His character. Of who he is, of what he stands for.’

  Ip To scowled. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because my sources tell me he is a man of integrity and ability, and I might have need of him one day.’

  ‘But if it was a test, he failed.’

  ‘Not necessarily. He did not dismiss outright my request when I presented it to him.’

  ‘Only because he thought you might return his daughter if he agreed to it.’

  ‘Well, of course. And I know that privately he considered the task hopeless, but aside from that I sensed in him an empathy for the plight of our people, which is refreshing to say the least, not to mention exceedingly rare in a white man. So while he failed to execute the task, he has passed the test. And when this Mitchell fails, as I am sure he will, and we have the captain’s daughter back, I think we will resort to old-fashioned ransom for money, which the captain will no doubt pay, and we will put the funds towards our cause.’

  Ip To grunted unhappily. ‘I do not understand why you let Mitchell take the girl if you are so sure his plan will fail. What is the point?’

  ‘The point is that I make the decisions and you do not. And I want to see what Farrell does to retrieve his daughter from his crewman. It is all part of the test.’

  ‘Ah.’ Ip To suddenly gave a deep chuckle. ‘I do not particularly like Captain Farrell, but he did at least attempt to speak to the Empress Dowager Cixi. I would like to have been there.’

  ‘Yes, although I did not ask him to do that, did I? And in such a public forum. Rather brave of him. As I said, he has a certain integrity. And that is why we will follow this Mitchell. I do not want any harm to befall the captain’s daughter.’

  ‘You are growing soft.’

  ‘No, I am keeping my word.’

  ‘And an eye on that Chinese girl.’

  ‘Two, actually,’ Longwei said. ‘As, unlike you, I have two.’

  Ip To scowled.

  ‘And send a ship after that ridiculous little sampan when they leave. But not too close. I would not be surprised if it sank.’

  *

  Amber scampered down the Kaili’s ladder and settled herself in the bow of the sampan.

  ‘It’s not very big, is it? Is it safe on the open sea?’

  ‘It got me here in one piece,’ Israel replied as he untied the rope and pushed off with an oar.

  ‘It’d better get us back. I’m dying to see everyone.’

  Israel flinched, glad he was facing away from her. How the hell was he going to tell her? Perhaps he could just say they’d gone to Shanghai to talk to the customs officials there, or even back to New Zealand. But no, that wouldn’t work. It had to be what he’d decided, and he was dreading it.

  ‘How is everyone?’ she asked.

  He nodded noncommittally. ‘Mmm.’

  As he turned the sampan and set out rowing, she waved back at the Kaili. ‘They weren’t all that bad, you know, for pirates. I quite liked Longwei.’

  ‘I don’t trust him.’

  ‘He let me go, didn’t he? He can’t be all bad.’

  Israel didn’t answer, too busy trying to hoist the sail. To the north, above the green hills of Lamma Island, the rain-sodden clouds were gathering, looking like they were getting ready to release a deluge. Should he wait? What if Longwei changed his mind? No, they’d go. Providing they weren’t caught in the stretch between Lamma Island and Hong Kong they could always go ashore.

  He eyed Amber, huddling in the bow. ‘Will you be warm enough?’

  She shrugged. He didn’t know what she’d been wearing when she was taken from the hotel at Cebu, but someone had given her a pair of trousers, a tunic and a pair of those odd Chinese shoes, which looked at least one size too big. Her hair was tied back, though it continued to whip all over the place. As he watched she pulled a square of cloth out of a pocket and secured it around her head, knotting it at the back. And she still managed to look lovely.

  ‘If you get cold,’ he said, ‘tell me. You can have my coat.’

  ‘I’ll be all right.’

  She probably wouldn’t, not when they got out into the open sea. He should have thought and brought blankets, but they would only have got wet. Or oilcloth. That would have done the trick. She could have sat there in the bow wrapped up in a big length of oilcloth with her hair streaming out like his very own living figurehead.

  He checked his watch and saw it was twenty minutes past one o’clock. If everything went well they should be back in Victoria Harbour before sunset. The wind filled the sail and they fair raced along, even in the bay, and it wasn’t long before they rounded the headland and headed north. As soon as they did, a smaller junk from Longwei’s squadron raised her sails and very slowly began to tack. Eventually she picked up enough speed to turn in a large arc and bear towards the headland herself.

  *

  Everyone was disconcerted by Israel’s disappearance, but not necessarily for the same reasons. Kitty, Pierre and Simon were of the opinion he’d gone off to drown his sorrows over Amber’s continued absence – well, they were all missing her and worried sick – while Mick thought he was probably in a brothel. Rian and Hawk were angry as he had, in effect, deserted his post, and Gideon, though concerned, was annoyed because he’d have to take Israel’s place on watch if he wasn’t back by nightfall. Haunui, Ropata and, increasingly as the day wore on, Tahi, suspected he’d gone after Amber himself.

  ‘What makes you think that?’ Rian asked when they told him.

  ‘Because he’s in love with her,’ Haunui said.

  ‘Who said?’

  ‘I do. It’s obvious.’

  ‘Not to me it isn’t.

  ‘You don’t notice that sort of thing.’

  ‘Then why should you?’

  ‘’Cos I do. And I’m right. The boy’s been pining after her for years.’

  ‘Look, no offence intended, Haunui, but you haven’t even been aboard most of the time Israel’s been with us.’

  ‘But I have,’ Ropata said. ‘And he’s right. Israel thinks he’s keeping it to himself, but he does stare at her a lot and he’s always making excuses to be wherever she is.’

  Rian said, ‘Not easy to get away from each other on a ship this size.’<
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  Haunui nodded at Tahi. ‘And when they were married, the boy just about turned himself inside out trying to act like he was happy for them.’

  ‘Did he?’

  ‘But he wasn’t.’ Haunui shook his head. ‘He was rotten with jealousy.’

  ‘But he’s supposed to be your best friend,’ Rian said to Tahi.

  ‘I thought he was. He acted like he was. Maybe he still is—’

  ‘He isn’t, boy,’ Haunui interrupted.

  ‘—but he wants my wife,’ Tahi finished, then realised he was talking about Rian’s daughter. ‘That is, I mean to say he wishes Amber were his wife, not mine.’

  ‘Why didn’t you do something about it?’

  ‘I didn’t know. I couldn’t be sure it was happening. He was just the same old Israel. Well, until recently.’

  ‘You didn’t notice any of the staring and trying to get her alone and what have you?’

  ‘It . . . I don’t know.’ Tahi’s face reddened. ‘It wasn’t like that. We’ve just always been friends.’

  ‘You didn’t notice it either, Rian,’ Haunui said. ‘’Cos I don’t think it was like that. I doubt even Amber noticed.’

  ‘When were you sure it was happening?’ Rian demanded.

  ‘Hold on, Rian,’ Haunui said, a hint of admonishment in his voice. ‘The boy here hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s the other one needs a bloody good talking to.’

  ‘More than a talking to,’ Ropata muttered.

  ‘When Koro said something, and after the vision,’ Tahi said. ‘The visions always tell the truth.’ He frowned. ‘Though I got Israel mixed up with Longwei.’

  Rian let out an enormous, angry sigh. ‘And you think he’s gone to try to get her back himself?’

  Haunui nodded. ‘Might have. He was a bit sour after you and Kitty came back from talking to the empress. Reckoned he could have done better himself. And then when we decided we wouldn’t be going to Shanghai . . .’ He shrugged.

  ‘But Longwei wouldn’t hand Amber over to someone like Israel. He’s just a boy. He’d appreciate that if I was going to send someone on my behalf I’d send Hawk, or you.’