"Not now for Christ's sake." In spite of the cold and wet Jamie was sweating. He led the way back to the High Street to the lee of a bungalow, safe from other ears. "What happened?"
"It worked like a charm. This morning as soon as the cutter arrived we went to the morgue an--"
"Who's we?"
"Settry, Sergeant Towery, the Bosun and two crew. We draped and secured the flag to the coffin and they put it aboard the cutter. The other one is waiting for us tonight or whenever--supposedly waiting for cremation." Hoag peered seawards, against the rain. "No chance tonight, eh?"
"No. But it'll blow itself out by morning. I think."
"Good." Hoag rubbed his hands against the cold.
"Everything worked like a dream. One small problem, the native was tiny, just skin and bones so I packed his coffin with earth to make up the difference in their weights."
"God Almighty, of course! I'd forgotten about that. That was clever."
"Did that last night, no trouble--no one said a thing when they put the coffin aboard the cutter, not a sausage."
"My God, this is all so dicey," Jamie said uneasily. "How are we going to get the other coffin out of the Legation with the clerks and soldiers there?"
"Already taken care of that." Hoag chortled.
"I told our Japanese assistants to put it in the shed by our Kanagawa jetty, it's not far from the crematorium. They can do it without arousing any suspicion. George told me he puts coffins and bodies there when he has an overload. It's routine."
"Marvelous! How far is it from the jetty?"
"Fifty yards or so. Three of us can carry it easily and we'll have the Bosun, won't we?"
"Yes. You've done damn well. Damn well." Jamie squinted into the rain. "Pity we couldn't do it tonight and finish it."
"Never mind. Tomorrow will be fine." Hoag was very confident and pleased with Jamie's praise. No need to tell about being spotted and about Pallidar.
This morning they had had breakfast together and when he said: "Settry, about last night..."
Pallidar had interrupted him: "Forget it, just forget it, Doctor, that's the best thing for you to do."
That is best, he thought, beaming, forget it ever happened. "Shall we fetch Angelique? How is she?"
Within the hour they had reassembled beside the cutter. The rain was heavier and the wind squalling.
Spray came over part of the jetty. The cutter, well moored, dipped and fell with the waves, ropes creaking. Angelique wore black, a black cloak raincoat over her dyed black dress, black hat with a heavy black veil, and an umbrella. The umbrella was sky blue, a startling contrast.
Surrounding her were Jamie, Skye, Dmitri, Tyrer, Sir William and other Ministers, Captain Strongbow, Gornt, Marlowe, Pallidar, Vargas, Andr`e, Seratard, the Reverend Tweet and many others, all bundled against the rain. In the background Father Leo stood bleakly, hands in his sleeves, peering out from under his cowl. Jamie had invited Tweet to say a blessing: "It would be odd if we didn't, Angelique. I'll make sure there's no real service, or speeches, that wouldn't be correct, just a blessing."
The inclement weather helped to make the blessing brief. For once, Tweet was curiously eloquent. When he finished, self-consciously they all looked at her. Overhead gulls cawed as the wind swirled them past, riding the currents joyously. Sir William said, "Again, Madame, my deepest condolences."
"Thank you." She stood straight, rain spattering off her umbrella. "I protest that I am not allowed to bury my husband openly as he and I wish."
"Your protest is noted, Madame." Sir William raised his hat. The rest filed past, saying their condolences and raising their hats or saluting if in uniform. Strongbow saluted and stepped into the cutter, Pallidar boarded after him as Marlowe stopped in front of her, still upset.
"I'm so terribly sorry," he said, saluting, and walked off.
Father Leo was last. Somberly he made the sign of the cross, saying the Latin words, his face mostly hidden.
"But he's not Catholic, Father," she said gently.
"I think he was one of us, senhora, in his heart." Father Leo's accent was thickened with grief, his night spent in prayer, asking what should he do, should he attend or not. "He would have seen the Light, you would have helped him, I'm sure of it. In nomine Patri..."
Unhappily he ambled away. Now only Jamie, Hoag and Skye stood with her on the jetty. "What now, Jamie?" she asked, a deep melancholy swooping over her.
"We wait a minute," he said.
Like the others he was feeling that he was part of a cheat, at the same time deeply moved and not a cheat. This is just to help a friend, he told himself.
You promised to guard his tail, and hers. That's what you're doing. Yes but it's cheating and I hate it. Forget that, you're their leader, act like one. "Captain Strongbow, cast off!
God speed!"
"Aye aye sir, thank you." The cutter eased away, dipping in the troughs, then picked up speed. Sea gulls mewed in her wake.
They watched her go.
"It feels so odd," she murmured, weeping silently. "It is, and it isn't. We're not wrong are we? Are we?"
Again Jamie made the decision for all of them.
"No," he said and took her arm and walked her home.
Just before sunset, Vargas knocked on the tai-pan's office door. "Mr. Gornt to see you, senhora. Monsieur Andr`e left a message that Monsieur Seratard would be honored if you would dine with him."
"Thank them but say no, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps.
Hello, Edward. Come in." Again she sat in an easy chair by the windows, the day dark and rainy. A white wine was opened and waiting in ice. One fine glass was upended in the ice and chilling. "Please help yourself, you're boarding now?"
"Yes, the tender's ready. Your health, Ma'am."
"And yours. Are you the only passenger?"
"I don't know." He hesitated. "You look wonderful, ethereal, and unobtainable, Ma'am."
"I will be sorry to see you go. Perhaps everything will be better when you return," she said, liking him as before. "Will you come back or first go to Shanghai?"
"I'll know better in Hong Kong. Where will you be staying? On the Peak in the Struan Great House?"
"I've not decided--finally--even if I'll go."
"But... you won't be at the funeral?" he asked, confused.