They combed and brushed her hair, braided it and dressed it elegantly with fresh, sweet-smelling flowers, and changed the sheets and the pillows and sprinkled them with perfume and put aromatic herbs under the pillow.
And even though the moving and changing had sapped much of her strength, May-may felt reborn.
“Now some broth, Supreme Lady. And then a fresh mango,” Yin-hsi said.
“And then,” Ah Sam said importantly, her silver earrings jingling, “we have marvelous news for you.”
“What?”
“Only after you’ve eaten, Mother,” Ah Sam said. When May-may began to protest, Ah Sam shook her head firmly. “We have to look after you, you’re still a patient. Second Mother and I know that good news is marvelous for digestion. But first you must have something to digest.”
May-may drank some broth and ate a little of the sliced mango. They encouraged her to eat more. “You must build up your strength, Supreme Lady.”
“I’ll finish the mango if you tell me the news now,” May-may said.
Yin-hsi frowned. Then she nodded to Ah Sam. “Go on, Ah Sam. But begin with what Lo Chum told you—how it all started.”
“Not so loud!” May-may said warningly. “Don’t wake Father.”
“Well,” Ah Sam began, “the night before we arrived—seven dreadful days ago—Father’s barbarian son fell into the clutches of the devil incarnate, a barbarian. This monstrous barbarian laid a plot so foul, so fiendish—to destroy Father’s beloved son—that I almost cannot describe it. And last night and today, while the devil magic drink was wrecking your fever sickness, things came to their terrible doom-filled climax. We spent the vigil of the night on our kness begging the gods. But to no avail. Father was lost, you were lost, we were lost, and worse—the enemy had won the game.” Ah Sam paused and with studied faintness tottered to the table, picked up the tiny glass filled with the wine that Yin-hsi has brought as a present to May-may and sipped it, overcome with emotion.
When she was refreshed she told the entire story with harrowing pauses and unbelievable sighs and mighty gesticulations.
“And there, on the filth-filled ground,” Ah Sam ended with a sobbing whisper, stabbing the floor with her fingers, “hacked into forty pieces, surrounded by the bodies of fifteen assassins, lay the corpse of the devil barbarian. Gorth! And thus was our Father saved!”
May-may clapped her hands gleefully, and congratulated herself for her foresight. The gods are certainly looking over us! Thank goodness I talked to Gordon Chen when I did. But for him . . . “Oh, how wonderful! Oh, Ah Sam, you told it brilliantly. I nearly died when you came to the part about Father leaving the house this morning. If you hadn’t said before you began that the news was marvelous I would
really have died.”
“Heya, lassie!” Struan was awake, roused by May-may’s clapping.
Yin-hsi and Ah Sam got up hastily and bowed.
“I feel fantastical better, Tai-Pan,” May-may said.
“You look fantastical better.”
“You need food, Tai-Pan,” May-may said. “You probably have na eaten all day.”
“Thank you, lass, but I’m na hungry. I’ll get something at the residence later.” Struan stood and stretched.
“Please eat here,” May-may said. “Stay here tonight. Please. I dinna want to—well, please stay. That would make me very happy.”
“Of course, lassie,” Struan said. “You’ve got to take the cinchona for the next four days. Three times a day.”
“But, Tai-Pan, I feel very gracious good. Please, no more.”
“Three times a day, May-may. For the next four days.”
“God’s blood, it tastes like birds’ droppings mixed with vinegar and snake’s bile.”
A table laden with food was brought into the bedroom. Yin-hsi served them, then left them alone. May-may picked daintily at a few quick-fried shrimps. “What did you do today?” she asked.
“Nae anything of import. But one problem’s settled. Gorth’s dead.”
“Oh? How?” May-may asked, and was suitably surprised and shocked as he told her the news. “You’re very clever, Tai-Pan. But your joss is fantastical good.”
Struan pushed his plate away and stifled a yawn and thought about joss. “Aye.”
“Will Brock be terrible angry?”
“Gorth’s death’s na on my hands. Even if it was, he deserved to die. In some ways I’m sorry he died like that.” Gorth’s death and the elopement will break Brock’s temper, he thought. I’d best be ready with a gun or knife. Will he come after me like an assassin in the night? Or openly? I’ll worry about that tomorrow.
“Culum should be back soon.”
“Why do you na go to bed? You look very tired. When Lo Chum brings word, Ah Sam will wake you, heya? I think I’d like to sleep now too.”
“I think I will, lassie.” Struan kissed her tenderly and held her in his arms. “Ah, lassie, lassie. I was so afraid for you.”
“Thank you, Tai-Pan. Go to sleep now, and tomorrow I’ll be much better and so will you.”
“I have to go to Hong Kong, lassie. As soon as possible. For a few days.”
Her chest tightened. “When do you go, Tai-Pan?”
“Tomorrow, if you’re well.”
“Will you do something for me, Tai-Pan?”
“Of course.”
“Take me with you. I dinna want to—to be alone here if you’re there.”
“You’re na well enough to move and I have to go, lass.”
“Oh, but I will be tomorrow. I promise. I’ll stay in bed on the ship and we can live on
Resting Cloud as we did before. Please.”
“I’ll only be a few days, lass, and it would be better for you to stay here. Much better.”
But May-may nestled closer to him, needling him. “Please. I’ll be very good and take all the cups without troubles and stay in bed and get well and eat and eat and eat and be fantastical very good. I promise. Please dinna leave me until I’m truly better.”
“Well, you sleep now and we’ll decide tomorrow.”
She kissed him. “No decides tomorrow. If you go off, I will na eat and na take the cups, by God! There!” she said, aping his gruffness. “Your old mother’s put her feets in the deck and she’ll na budge!”
Struan held her very close. Minute by minute he could feel her growing stronger. God bless the cinchona.
“All right, but we’ll na go tomorrow. The next day, at dawn. If you’re well enough. If you—”
“Oh, thank you, Tai-Pan. I’ll be very well.”
He held her away from him and appraised her closely. He knew that it would take months for her to recover her former beauty. But it’s na just a face that makes a person exquisite, he told himself. It’s what’s underneath, in the eyes and in the heart. “Ah, lassie, you’re so beautiful. I love you.”
She touched his nose with a tiny finger. “Wat for you say such things to your old mother?” She pressed into his arms. “I think you’re terrifical beautiful too.”