'I have the launch ready,' Lolly Kwai turned to Denton. 'We can catch them from the river. They will have lookouts on the shore.'
Denton felt his stomach crumple. He was unsure and diffident. He tried to remember how Johnson had handled the salt smuggling all those months ago.
'We must hurry,' Lolly Kwai urged. 'They sail in one hour.'
'How much should I pay him?' Denton whispered uncertainly in English.
The informer's eyes flickered again, as if he'd understood. But he said nothing.
Lolly Kwai held up five stiff, plump fingers. 'Fifty dollar.'
'I haven't got that much on me,' Denton said worriedly. 'I'll have to draw some more out.'
The Chinese spoke rapidly to Lolly Kwai, so quickly and quietly that Denton couldn't understand a word, Lolly Kwai turned back to Denton. 'Twenty-five now, twenty-five afterwards?' he suggested.
Denton handed the money over. The man's eyes watched tensely as Denton counted it out, then he slipped it into his quilted jacket without checking it. As he did so, Denton recalled the handless stumps of Johnson's informer in the mortuary. The man slid out of the rickshaw and merged with the night, his black cloth slippers making no sound on the paved street - the first street to be paved in Shanghai.
Lolly laid a restraining hand on Denton's arm until the informer had had time to get well away, then led him to the launch. As they steamed the half-mile down to the lower section wharves, Lolly, his face glistening in the light in the well of the launch, explained how they could catch the smugglers red-handed. Denton nodded gladly, grateful that he was taking over. He felt he was hollow, acting like a puppet; but he couldn't have acted by himself. Lolly gave orders to the two men in the bow, who were flapping their arms across their chests against the cutting chill of the breeze off the water.
When they neared the vessel, Lolly stopped the engines and had all the lights put out. It was a moonless night, and they drifted almost invisibly down toward the Alexander the First. Lolly grinned and pointed. A file of coolies were trotting up a gangplank at the stern, carrying the bales on their shoulders and dropping them on the main deck. They were working silently, their usual grunting chant hushed. As the launch drifted towards the white, rusty hull of the ship, Denton could hear the bales thumping dully onto the metal deck above him.
It wasn't until they had gently bumped against the ship's side that they were seen. There was a soft yell, and the coolies dropped their bales and fled. Denton followed Lolly Kwai up some iron rungs onto the quay. How cold and smooth the rungs were, he thought detachedly, surprised that he should notice such a thing at such a time. The gangplank lay on the ground where it had been hastily thrown when the last coolie had run off. Lolly led the way up the main gangway amidships.
Denton, following, saw the ship's agent awaiting them, the same smooth, pale Mr Ching, in whose presence he'd signed the customs clearance a few hours before. 'Good evening Mista' Den-tong.' His rimless glasses, always set a little down his nose to give him a quizzical, scholarly expression, glinted as he smiled. He spoke a little breathlessly, rubbing his hands together inside the full sleeves of his long, quilted gown. 'Is something wrong? It is very cold, I think.'
'You've been loading without authority?' Denton said unsteadily. Against his will a polite note of questioning had slipped into his voice.
'Without authority?' Ching's eyebrows rose in hurt amazement. 'Surely no, Mista' Den-tong.'
'What were those bales you were just loading, then?' Denton still felt unable to be brisk and authoritative against Ching's elastic, courteous friendliness. He glanced after Lolly and the two men who had gone aft to find the bales. Without Lolly's presence, he felt smaller, unprotected.
'Are not those the bales we have already pay tax?' Ching's eyebrows rose again in pained incredulity.
'May I see the manifest, please?' Still he was asking, not demanding.
Ching led him politely to the first class dining-saloon and ordered some coffee for him while the manifest was sent for.
As Ching laid the papers before him, Denton noticed he was drawing a long white envelope out of his full sleeves. Ching held the envelope half-covered, half-revealed as he spoke. 'I am sure if there is any mistakings they can be quickly arrange',' he said, smiling, his eyes on Denton's.
Lolly Kwai appeared in the doorway, and the envelope disappeared into the wide folds of Ching's gown. He waited courteously while Lolly Kwai murmured into Denton's ear. 'Twenty-nine bales cotton. Under tarpaulin. More below.'
Denton nodded, scrutinising the manifest. 'There doesn't seem to be any cotton down here at all.'
'No cotton?' Ching shook his head in disbelief. 'No cotton, Mista' Den-tong?'
'See for yourself.' He pushed the manifest across. At last his voice was strengthening. Was it Lolly Kwai's presence that stiffened it?
Ching bent and studied the sheets for some time turning them backwards and forwards and shaking his head in a show of perplexity. At last he straightened up smiling still. 'A misunderstanding, Mista' Den-tong. They must have thought the cotton is already cleared. I tell them to unload at once. Some more coffee? Brandy?'
'I'm afraid I'll have to report this, Mr Ching,' Denton said. 'The ship can't sail until the matter's been investigated. It appears those bales are contraband.'
'If they are unload', Mista' Den-tong?' Ching's voice was wheedling now. 'You will let the ship sail? It is high cost of pay dues in port.' Again Denton glimpsed the white envelope as Ching turned away from Lolly Kwai. It was just like the envelope Mason had taken from him that time when they'd inspected the ship together.
'I'm sorry. I have to withhold clearance from the ship now.' Denton heard himself uttering the official phrases at though he were reciting from the pamphlets Mr Brown had given him in his first week. 'And we shall have to leave a guard on board too.' His voice still sounded too polite and apologetic, but there was a stubborn core to it now. He stood up with a faint, throbbing feeling of elation. He felt he'd carried it off after all. He could tell from the momentary, hesitant glimmer in Ching's eyes like an actor's who'd forgotten his lines. And from his smile too - it had lost its pliability and become fixed. Even his supple voice had run dry.
As he went down the gangway, Lolly Kwai turned to him with his cheerful smile. 'Mr Ching big friend Mr Mason,' he said, in a pidgin that seemed to mock itself. 'Mr Mason not likee this bobberee.' His breath steamed on the air as he laughed.
27
ON THE FIRS' DAY of Chinese New Year, all the family must have dinner together.' Wei paused while some firecrackers banged and flashed nearby. 'After thir' day visit relative'.' He was nursing a small potted tangerine tree on his lap, the little orange fruits quivering on their stems as the rickshaw jolted over the ruts and holes in the road. His spare, bony shoulders pressed against Denton's when the coolie suddenly swung the shafts round to avoid a sedan chair borne out of the little alley by four trotting bearers. 'Everyone must have new clothe' to wear and relative' give money to children. Good fortune token, it is called.'
Some grinning boys threw a firecracker at the rickshaw wheels and the coolie swore angrily at them as the explosion sent flame and smoke round his legs. Wei nearly dropped the tangerine tree which was wrapped in red paper.
'And after the third day,' Denton smiled, eager to display his know-ledge, 'students must visit their teachers and pay their respects.'
'You are very goo' pupil,' Wei nodded approvingly. 'You have learn' a very lot.'
'And the money packets are red for good luck, and the money inside them must be new money,' Denton went on. 'And that tangerine tree is for your family, for prosperity in the coming year.'
Wei began speaking in Chinese now, smiling encouragement. 'If you go on like this, you will become my best pupil.'
It was Denton's turn to act as host, so he paid the coolie when they reached the restaurant. Firecrackers were exploding again nearby and he covered