Part 37 (1/2)

Then the full weight of the Yakuza crashed into him, into the Justice stone, smearing its face with blood, guts and shards of shattered bone. I he stink or steaming feces was overpowering and Jake, without conscious thought, began the difficult process of crawling away from it. He felt buried in filth. It was difficult to breathe and he began to pant.

He felt someone begin to pull him away and he rolled face upward. A cloth pa.s.sed across his face, wiping away the flecks of blood and flesh. Jake looked at the dead Yakuza, saw the rear end of a black anodized steel bolt stuck through what remained of the man.

He raised his gaze, saw the beautiful woman in the exquisite persimmon-colored kimono who had helped tend to him at Mikio's house, kneeling beside him, a b.l.o.o.d.y cloth in one hand.

It was only after a stunned and silent moment that he realized she carried in her other hand a Mitsui Jujika-1000 compressed-gas powered crossbow.

Bliss knew what it was like to be in the arms of Buddha. As she approached the Container Terminal at Kwun Tong she saw that Fung the Skeleton was not present. She saw this not with her eyes but with her mind.

Her qi, part of which was now always within da-hei, the great darkness, made her aware of this fact. Spread upon the sea of quickening night, her spirit tapped into the vibrations of the universe.

Who was that crying in the street? She was forever aware of the wailing of the dead, ma.s.sed, an army that took up a continent. Who were they? Her countrymen, the dead of China, calling to be free.

How did she know this? What was it like to be in contact with a spirit? Bliss, in the bow of the walla-walla she had hired, closed her eyes, listened to the voice of s.h.i.+ Zilin. It was in the whisper of the wind fluttering the tendrils of her hair, in the lapping of the waves against the small craft's sides, the bubbling of its wake. It was in the cries of the sea gulls, greedily circling a fis.h.i.+ng trawler.

The earth moved and s.h.i.+ Zilin spoke. They were one and the same, interchangeable. The qi of the planet rose and fell as it inhaled and exhaled. She felt this as she heard him speak. There were no words but rather impulses akin to the way one's brain automatically sent messages to one's extremities to move. One was never aware of the process, only the end result. It was mysterious, magical, awesome, even. Therefore, it was not something one could share with another human being. Often, Bliss wondered what she would do when Jake returned to Hong Kong. What would she tell him? How would he perceive the changes in her. How would they affect him?

She gave a little s.h.i.+ver in the predawn darkness. Already, in the east, a line of palest pink had begun to color the oyster gray as night paled.

*Tell me where, miss,” the boatman said. ”Exactly.”

Bliss pointed and when there was no reply, turned around. Caught him staring at her with a kind of fright. What is it that he sees? she wondered. Perhaps I am branded, a scar struck along my cheek. And, unconsciously, she put fingertips to flesh, ran them along the smooth surface. She laughed at herself but it was an uneasy sound, itself making her s.h.i.+ver all over again.

She wished Jake were here beside her. Not to tell her what to do or even to rea.s.sure her. For the first time since their reuniting, doubts about the two of them lay like clouds across the horizon.

His history haunted her. She knew of his first wife's suicide, the death of Lan at the Sumchun River; knew, too, of Jake's second wife, Mariana. Her murder in the j.a.panese Alps had brought Jake back to Bliss for good. But neither of his marriages had been particularly happy ones.

Jake was married to his work, whether that be with the Quarry, in the past, or the yuhn-hyun in the present. His was a wholly obsessive personality and this very obsession had caused, his closest friends felt, his estrangement with those he loved most in the world.

Bliss knew this to be only part of the story. She thought of Jake's specialness. She had trained with the same martial arts and philosophical master Fo Saan, who had trained Jake. She therefore knew with great intimacy the extraordinary talents Jake possessed. It was his heightened qi, his ability to enter into a semimystical state known as ba-mahk, she believed, that set him apart from most people. It was this, she believed, that was most responsible for estranging him from his family.

Now Bliss wondered how their relations.h.i.+p would be affected. Her own qi was expanded within da-hei. It was here that Zilin spoke to her. She wondered if she were the guardian of the Jian's spirit, or if his qi had become hers. She wondered if he were guiding her in some way and, if so, to what purpose.

”Here, miss,” the boatman said as they touched the pier. But he would not take the money they had agreed on before setting out. He would not even meet her eyes nor answer her questions. Clearly, all he wanted was for her to get off his boat.

This Bliss did, gaining access to the dockside via a rusted metal staircase that ran up the concrete bulkhead from the lower quay. She could smell the diesel fumes from the airport. To her left was the Container Terminal itself and, beyond, a seemingly endless line of G.o.downswarehouses filled with all manner of licit and illicit goods awaiting transs.h.i.+pment to virtually every country on the globe.

Fung the Skeleton's boat lay at anchor perhaps three hundred meters down the quay. It was a slim, sleek-looking craft with enough horsepower to outrun the most modern of the police launches. It was painted the color of deep water at night and was almost invisible.

Its captain, she learned by questioning a crew member, was known only as the Malaysian. She had been there less than twenty minuteswhen he appeared. He was a dark-skinned man with an athletic build running to fat. He had a great, curling mustache s.h.i.+ning with wax.

He was young, no more than his mid-thirties, Bliss judged. He wore a pair of knock-off Guess jeans, a muscle T-s.h.i.+rt that looked ludicrous on a man of his bulk.

The same man whom Bliss had questioned stopped the Malaysian, spoke to him for a minute. The Malaysian nodded, dismissing the man. He came across the pier to where Bliss was waiting.

He squinted into the sunrise, said, ”You looking for the captain of this boat?”

”I'm looking for Fung the Skeleton.”

The Malaysian took a hand-rolled cigarette out of a pocket of his jeans. It was half-crushed. He spent some time trying to straighten it out, somewhat more lighting it. He sucked in some smoke, then said, ”We have nothing to talk about,” as he exhaled.

”I've got something to sell,” she said.

”You?” He gave a laugh and shook his head. ”You've got nothing I'd be interested in buying. Unless a” His eyes swept over her body.

”Opals,” Bliss said.

”You're wasting my time.” He began to turn away.

”Fire opals from Australia,” she said. ”Are you familiar with them?”

He took another drag on the cigarette. ”Sure. Everything's got a price and I know *em all.”

She noted his att.i.tude. He liked to feel superior. ”Familiar enough to know what this's worth?” She handed over the opal.

The Malaysian grunted, took a look at it. Turned it over. Held it up to the light. Then he turned his head and spat. Dropped it back into her palm. ”That all?” he said. ”Go on. Get outta here.”

”Not just this one,” she said, unfazed. ”One hundred more just like it.”

”Same quality?” She noticed that he wasn't so eager to leave now.

She nodded.

”You got a price in mind?”

Bliss looked at him, saw what she needed in his face. If he saw even a tiny c.h.i.n.k in her front now, he'd roll right over her. ”I've got a price.” Put an edge into her voice.

”Let's hear it. If it's”

But she was already shaking her head. ”Not you,” she said. ”I'll tell it to Fung the Skeleton.”

”Who?”

”Are you interested in the opals?”

”Only if the price is right.”

”What are you going to tell Fung when I sell these to his compet.i.tion.”

The Malaysian said nothing.

”Opals are Fung's specialty.”

The Malaysian contemplated the dying end of his cigarette. ”I don't know you.” His icy eyes met hers.

Bliss held the opal out to him. ”Take this to Fung, ”she said. ”Maybe that will ease your mind.”

The Malaysian flicked his b.u.t.t into the water. He seemed to have made up his mind. ”Get on board,” he said, ignoring the jewel. ”We sail in three minutes.”

When they were on their way he took her arm. ”You're either very smart or very stupid,” he said. ”I wonder which one it is.”