Part 12 (1/2)

That they knew each other proved the Doctor had lied, but then this visit could be a trap, since Li was now a man alone against all these guards.

'Oh, very comfortable. Nice place you have here one of Sa.s.soon's?'

'Thank you, and no.' She rifled through the oddments of sweets and technological junk on the platter, finally retrieving the Tong a.s.sa.s.sin's locket the Doctor had kept. She smiled sweetly after opening it to glance at the geomantic compa.s.s within. 'My father had it built based upon a house he once stayed at in France: Vaux-leVicomte. The original was built by Louis Quatorze's finance minister, and legend has it that when Louis saw how impressive it was he immediately had the man jailed for embezzling his funds.'

'Louis always was headstrong; I did try to warn him that the minister's brother was head of the Compagnie du Saint Sacrement, but he wouldn't listen. Had to do things the hard way, did old Louis. That was just the way things were three hundred years ago, of course.' Li wondered if he could reach his keys on the platter to separate himself from this lunatic without the guards getting jumpy. 'Aren't you going to ask us who we are, who we're working for and what we're doing snooping around your house?'

'I could if you really want me to, but since I already know, there wouldn't be much point to it. You're the Doctor, you detected the influence of the Dragon Paths though I'm not sure how and you saw me at the docks.' She let the locket spin gently on the end of the chain. 'You also stole some of my property.'

'You had an odd choice of people to entrust it to.'

'Call it a reminder of loyalty.'

'Ah.' The Doctor grinned hopefully. 'In that case, now that you've answered my questions, I release you then?'

'Not quite.'

'I thought not. You don't seem very surprised that I talk about meeting someone three hundred years ago.'

'If you found your way here, you must know that we are members of the Tong of the Black Scorpion. You did cross our path in 1889, and we do have a pa.s.sing acquaintance with the theoretical possibility of time travel, thanks to our late lamented G.o.d, Weng-Chiang.'

'Magnus Greel was no G.o.d.'

'Of course not!' She came round the table to sit by the Doctor. She lowered her voice to a more conversational tone.

'What is a G.o.d, eh? Theology was never my strong suit. As I see it, Doctor, those like you and I are G.o.ds, so to speak. A G.o.d is someone who can truly shape their own destiny; no more, no less. Your interference now is a nuisance, and in shaping my destiny, I like to be free of nuisances.'

'Ah, you want rid of me. I wondered when you'd get round to that. So, what did you have in mind?' He snapped his fingers. 'I've got it! Bored to death by revolutionary speeches.'

HsienKo shook her head, and Li could have sworn there was real admiration in her look. 'I should have you shot, but...Two things. Firstly, only your interference now is a nuisance. All your knowledge, and wisdom oh yes, I know you have a great deal of common sense that's all raw ore.

It's waiting to be refined.' She looked at him with a canted eyebrow. 'We will be friends, later, but not yet. Treason, said Cardinal Richelieu, is a matter of dates; well, so is enmity.

Secondly, I owe you one favour, Doctor. You probably don't even know why, but if I'm to honour my ancestors and myself, I must repay the family debt. Once a car is ready, we will take you through the Dragon Path to the Orkney Isles. By the time you travel normally from there back to Shanghai, my work will be finished and so you will not be able to interfere.

Afterwards, you may return and we will talk further. Then you'll see that I am not so terrible after all, and we shall become friends.'

'Orkney is not really my preferred climate; couldn't I go to Hawaii instead? Sun, sea, sand and surf; that sort of thing?'

'Or I could kill both yourself and the inspector here.' She shook her head. 'I have no quarrel with you, Doctor; not really.'

'Then the men you sent to kill me didn't really mean it?'

HsienKo laughed; a delightfully musical sound, Li thought, despite the circ.u.mstances. 'I see you have a sense of humour. Those men were merely a formality arranged by Kwok here. It was purely business think nothing of them. To have ignored the threat posed by your abilities would have been an insult to you.'

'Well, I always thought I was man enough to take a few insults. I mean, I know Romana says I can be terribly childish, but '

'What's wrong with being childish now and again? The more developed the mind, the greater the need for the relaxation of play. What I have to arrange will occur soon, and then I will be gone. Peace will return to the country.'

'Obviously you haven't read the papers lately.'

'The j.a.panese expansion? That can be nipped in the bud.'

She fell silent, looking away quickly. Li had seen that look before, in the eyes of prisoners who had just incriminated themselves.

'Aren't you going to explain your plans first?'

'Ah, then you escape and stop me? You've been watching too many Republic serials. I am not Gale Sondergaard.'

Li agreed silently. She and Kwok seemed more like some evil version of William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles.

'Can I ask a question?' the Doctor said, more quietly.

'If you must.'

'How are you generating the chronon energy that propels you between telluric interstices?'

'Generate what?' HsienKo hastily covered a frown with a demure look. 'A lady must keep some secrets.' She stood and turned to the guards. 'Give them refreshments, but keep them here until their car is ready.' Beckoning Kwok to follow, she left.

The Doctor stared off into s.p.a.ce. 'So, she doesn't have the segment...And isn't generating chronon energy herself.' He nodded absently. 'Or at least not consciously...'

Outside, HsienKo mulled over the conversation as she and Kwok walked round the base of the main staircase. That last question had meant more than it had at first seemed. The Doctor was after something, but what?

Kwok caught her hand, and they stopped. 'Those two could be dangerous and this house is compromised. Let me kill them for you, beloved; I promise no one will trouble you again.'

'That is the Tong way and not following it could lose me face, but neglecting a debt to my ancestors would be even more damaging.' Why, she wondered, wasn't the Doctor embracing her offer of safe pa.s.sage. Killing demeaned her most uncomfortably, but she would do it if absolutely necessary. She sighed, resolving not to kill the Doctor. Going by both her father's notes and the Doctor's careful hiding of his true thoughts here, he was too intelligent to waste. When Weng-Chiang had been returned to her, she would need the Doctor. He would make an excellent adviser. First, however, he had to be kept separate from her work, so that he would not misunderstand and side against her. 'Think of it as returning to our roots the Tongs were originally founded as rebel bands combating oppressive governments. No one ever said they had to be our our oppressive governments.' oppressive governments.'

Kwok nodded. 'I know you do what you think best, but you are inexperienced in dealing with troublemakers. The first thing I learned at the Canton Club was that the only sure way to prevent trouble recurring was to knock the troublemaker down so hard he could not get up again.'

'Isn't that why I'm going to Hsinking? The Doctor isn't a troublemaker; more a stroke of ill luck. Let him jinx someone else until the circ.u.mstances are different then this ill luck becomes good fortune. The Doctor has great ch'i ch'i. I would like to exploit that.'

'After what happened to your father?'

'My father's destiny was set from the moment he left.' She wished that her belief in that view of events could damp the pain.

'I just don't want to see you hurt.'

Concern again; it had always been Kwok's main feature.

How many other men could she say that about? She squeezed his hand gently. 'It's all right. Guard them personally if you like. You can drive them through the Dragon Path to Orkney, to be on the safe side.'

'Why drive? The nearest path large enough to accommodate a car is at the quarry.'