“Please,” Bentley said.
“If you do not go aboard now he will be offended. He has invited you.”
Marissa looked uncertainly at Tristan. Tristan laughed in spite of himself.
“Well, luv,” he said, “are you or aren’t you?”
“Give me a boost,” Marissa said.
As soon as Marissa, Tristan, and Bentley were on board, the sampan chugged away. Marissa was alarmed by its unexpected departure.
“How are we to get back?” she questioned.
“Don’t worry,” Bentley said.
“The sampan will be back for us.
The other fellow is going to get some money that was supposed to be given to the captain.”
They followed the captain through a room filled with ship’s stores as well as family furnishings. In one corner, a pressure stove was lit; on top of it was a simmering cauldron.
The captain led them forward out onto the forward deck.
From there they climbed a ladder to the main deck.
“The captain would like to introduce himself,” Bentley said as they all sat down on bamboo mats.
“His name is Zur FaHuang.”
Marissa and Tristan smiled and bowed as did the captain.
Then they had Bentley introduce them. After more bowing and smiling Tristan asked Bentley if the captain was aware of what they wanted to know.
While Bentley was speaking to Zur, Marissa noticed that two women had appeared from below, both dressed in black. The younger woman was carrying a small infant. The little girl they’d seen earlier was clinging to her mother’s leg.
Bentley turned back to Marissa and Tristan.
“Mr. Yip’s man told the captain that it was permitted for you to ask him about people he has been smuggling out of the Middle Kingdom. I trust you understand what that is about?”
“We do indeed,” Tristan said.
“Then the first order of business,” Bentley said, “is to determine how much this will cost you.”
“You mean I have to pay this bloke as well?” Tristan asked with dismay.
“If you want any information,” Bentley said.
“Bloody hell,” Tristan said.
“Find out what he wants.”
Bentley negotiated. In the middle of the conversation, the captain appeared to get angry and leaped to his feet. He proceeded to parade around the deck, gesturing wildly.
“What’s happening?” Tristan asked Bentley.
“He’s talking about inflation,” Bentley said.
“Inflation?” Marissa questioned with disbelief.
“Well, he didn’t use that term,” Bentley admitted.
“But what he’s irritated about amounts to the same thing.”
Marissa watched the man, trying to remember that they were dealing with a swaggering, modern-day pirate who happened to be living in one of the unabashed capitals of capitalism.
Finally a price was established at a thousand Hong Kong dollars. After Tristan gave the man the money, he sat back down and tried to be helpful.
With Bentley as translator, Tristan asked about the men that Zur had been smuggling into Hong Kong for the Wing Sin and ultimately for Female Care Australia: who were they and where did they come from? Unfortunately, the answers were short. Zur had no idea.
Tristan couldn’t believe it.
“I paid a thousand Hong Kong dollars to hear that he doesn’t know?” he asked with aggravation.
Tristan got to his feet and paced like the captain had.
“Ask him if he knows anything at all about these people. Anything!”
Bentley asked.
Once the captain had replied, Bentley turned back to Tristan.
“He says that some of the men were monks. Or at least he thinks they were.”
“Now that’s helpful,” Tristan said irritably.
“Tell me something
I don’t know.”
The captain talked to Bentley at length while Tristan fumed about all the money he’d paid for nothing.
Bentley turned back to Tristan.
“The captain is upset you are not happy. He has made another offer. It seems that he is leaving this afternoon at six P.M. to make another one of these pickups.
That was what he was arguing about with Mr. Yip’s man. He was supposed to have more up-front money. He says that for two thousand Hong Kong dollars each, you and your wife can go with him. It only takes about three or four hours to cross the pearl River. Then you can talk directly to the men he picks up and get answers to all your questions.”