But this despair did not grip Longstaff. He had returned from Canton last night in the flagship, flushed with success, and as he lived aboard her and had no intention of residing in Happy Valley, he knew he was out of reach of the poisonous night gases.
He had gained everything he had set out to get—and more.
The day after the investing of Canton had been launched the six million taels of ransom he had demanded were paid in full, and he had called off the attack. But he had ordered immediate preparations for full-scale war to the north. And this time there would be no stopping—not until the treaty was ratified. Within a few weeks the promised reinforcements from India would arrive. And then the armada would sail north once more to the Pei Ho—to Peking—and the Orient would be opened up once and for all.
“Yes, absolutely,” Longstaff chuckled. He was alone in his quarters in H.M.S.
Vengeance, admiring himself in a mirror. “You’re really quite clever, my dear fellow,” he told himself aloud. “Yes indeed. Much more clever than the Tai-Pan and he’s the personification of cleverness.” He put down the mirror and rubbed cologne on his face, then glanced at his fob watch. Struan was due in a few minutes. “Even so, no need to let your right hand know what your left’s doing, eh?” he chortled.
Longstaff could hardly believe that he had arranged the acquisition of the tea seeds so easily. At least, he reminded himself contentedly,
Horatio had arranged it. I wonder why the man’s so distraught over his sister’s wanting to marry Glessing. I would have thought that it was an excellent match. After all, she
is rather drab and mousy—though she did look stunning at the ball. But a damned good piece of luck he hates Glessing, what? And damned good piece of luck that he’s always hated the opium trade. And damned clever the way I put the idea into his mind—the hook baited with Glessing’s removal.
“ ’Pon me word, Horatio,” he had said a week ago at Canton, “damnable business all this opium trade, what? And all because we have to pay bullion for tea. Pity British India doesn’t
grow it, what? Then there’d be no need for opium. We’d simply outlaw it, save the heathen for better things, what?
Plant seeds of goodness among them instead of that damnable drug. Then the fleet could go home and we’d live in peace and quiet forevermore.”
Within two days Horatio had drawn him aside and had excitedly expounded the idea of getting tea seeds from the Chinese and sending them to India. He had been suitably astonished, but he had allowed Horatio to convince him of the idea’s potential.
“But, good Lord, Horatio,” he had said, “how on earth could you get the tea seeds?”
“This was my plan: I’ll speak privately to Viceroy Ching-so, Your Excellency. I’ll say that you’re a keen gardener, that you have the idea of turning Hong Kong into a garden. I’ll ask for fifty pounds each of mulberry seeds, cotton seeds, spring rice, camelias and other flowers as well as assorted teas. That will throw him off tea specifically.”
“But, Horatio, he’s a very clever man. He must know that few, if any, of these plants will grow in Hong Kong.”
“Of course. He’ll just put it down to barbarian stupidity.”
Horatio had been beside himself with excitement.
“But how would you get him to keep this secret? Ching-so would tell the mandarins—or the Co-hong—and they would surely tell the traders. You know how those damned pirates would move heaven and earth to prevent what you propose. They would surely see through your purpose. What about the Tai-Pan? Surely you see what you propose would put him out of business.”
“He’s rich enough now, Your Excellency. We have to stamp out the opium evil. It’s our duty.”
“Yes. But both Chinese and Europeans would be implacably against the plan. And when Ching-so realizes what you really have in mind, as he must—well, you’d never get the seeds then.”
Horatio had thought a moment. Then he had said, “Yes. But if I were to say that in return for the favor to me—for I just want you, my employer, to be happy with a surprise gift—I, who have to count the chests of silver and sign for them, well, I might not miss one chest—then he would be sure to keep it secret from everyone.”
“What’s the value of a chest?”
“Forty thousand taels of silver.”
“But the bullion belongs to Her Majesty’s Government, Horatio.”
“Of course. In your negotiations you could ‘privately’ insure that there is one extra chest which could not be official so the Crown would not lose. The seeds would be your gift to Her Majesty’s Government, sir. I would be honored if you would say that it was your idea. I’m sure it was. Something you said triggered it in my mind. And rightfully you should have the credit. After all, you are the plenipotentiary.”
“But if your plan succeeds, then you’re not only destroying the China traders, you’re destroying yourself. That doesn’t make sense.”
“Opium is a terrible vice, sir. Any risk we’d take is justified. But my job depends on your success, not on opium.”
“If this succeeds then too, you’re undermining the very foundations of Hong Kong.”
“But it will take many years for tea to thrive elsewhere. Hong Kong is safe in your time, sir. Hong Kong will still be the emporium of Asian trade. Who knows what will happen over the years?”
“Then I take it you want me to investigate the tea-growing possibilities with the Viceroy of India?”
“Who but you, Your Excellency, could bring the idea—your idea—to a perfect conclusion?”
He had reluctantly allowed himself to be persuaded and had cautioned Horatio about the need for extreme secrecy.
The very next day Horatio had reported happily, “Ching-so agreed! He said that within six weeks to two months the chests of seeds would be delivered to Hong Kong, Your Excellency. Now all that remains to make everything perfect, for me, is for Glessing to be sent home immediately. I believe Mary’s just infatuated. Pity she can’t be given a year or so to make absolutely sure she knows what she’s doing, out of reach of his everyday influence . . .”
Longstaff chuckled again at youth’s transparent attempt at subtlety. He brushed his hair and opened the cabin door and went into the chart room. He searched through the papers in his safe and found the letter that Horatio had translated for him weeks ago. “No more need for this,” he said aloud. He tore up the paper, leaned out of a porthole, threw the pieces into the sea, and watched them float away.
Perhaps Glessing should be sent home. The girl is under age and Horatio’s in a very difficult position. Well, I’ll think about it. After the seeds are en route to India.
He saw Struan’s longboat approaching. Struan was sitting disconsolately amidships. The Tai-Pan’s gravity reminded Longstaff about the malaria. What the devil are we going to do about that, eh? Ruins the whole strategy of Hong Kong, what?
Struan was staring out the stern windows waiting patiently for Longstaff to finish.
“ ’Pon me word, Dirk, it was almost as though Ching-so knew we were going to demand six million taels. The ransom was instantly ready. To the penny. He was most apologetic for the raping of the Settlement. He said it was those damned anarchists—the Triads. He’s ordered a thorough investigation and hopes to be able to crush them once and for all. It seems that one of their leaders has fallen into his hands. If he can’t get anything out of the man, no one can. He promised to tell me at once the names of the Triads here.”