My Splendid Concubine by Lloyd Lofthouse

stiff fight. I am sure he’s dead by now. The Taipings don’t take kindly to opium and want to see all foreigners beheaded anyway.”
    Bainbridge held out a Chinese placard. “I took this off a rebel I killed.”
    Captain Patridge interpreted it into English. “The Taipings are calling on the people to rise up and exterminate the Imps and Monkeys, which of course refers to us.”
    “ The boat people may live a few more days,” Captain Bainbridge said. “If they can’t produce a ransom, they’ll be beheaded.”
    Robert remembered what had happened to the Bengalis in Patridge ’s story. He questioned his decision to come to China. He wanted his family to be proud of him and forgive him for his sins, but to do that he had to become a success. However, if he did not survive, he would never achieve his goals.
    “ We can’t allow the Taipings to get away with this,” Patridge said.
    “ I agree,” Robert said, without thinking. “These Taipings sound like cowards. They are nothing but common thugs and thieves. I want to be part of whatever you do.” He felt himself wilting under the combined glare of everyone and regretted his outburst. He then remembered the moment he had spoken out during dinner last night. Everyone had stared at him then too. Why hadn’t he learned from that mistake and kept his mouth shut? He hated acting the fool.
    “ It’ll be my pleasure to have you with us,” Patridge said, breaking the silence. Robert relaxed at the reprieve and started to breathe again. He was glad Patridge had agreed to take him along.
    “ We’ll take both ships to the Lookong receiving station and pick up more men and weapons,” Patridge said. “We should reach the Taiping camp along the Woosung River in two days and hit them before the sun rises. If luck is with us, we’ll reclaim the opium before the Taipings burn it, and we will free the boat people.”
     
    Before leaving for the Lookong receiving station, Robert instructed Guan-jiah to return to Ningpo. “But, Master, my place is beside you. If you are going into danger, I should be there too.”
    “ And if you die, Guan-jiah, who will take care of your father and mother? Has anyone else in your family sacrificed as you have?”
    Guan-jiah ’s expression was unreadable. “You are right, Master. I will return to Ningpo and await your return.” He nodded and left to pack his meager belongings. As he walked off, Robert followed his servant’s frail slender frame with his eyes. He looked too young to think so old.
     
    Chapter 3
     
    The Yangtze had a metallic smell like blood mixed with manure. There was no breeze and it was hot and humid. The creak of the rigging and the sounds of oars dipping into the muddy yellow colored water were the only noises. The men in the small boats strained and sweated to tow the armed merchant ships into position to destroy an enemy.
    The schooner had eight cannons; the brig, the Maryann , had twelve. Although the merchant ships could bring ten of those cannons to bear on the shore, those eight and six pounders didn’t offer much firepower, so every gun was loaded with sections of chain and iron balls the size of grapes.
    Robert imagined the carnage —the yard long pieces of chain twirling through the air ripping flesh and bone rending men like swine being slaughtered. He stared past the boats strung out along the twin cables and studied the multitude of campfires flickering along the far shoreline. There were too many. He feared death. It was warm and humid. When he shivered, it had nothing to do with the temperature. It was as if he were shaking fear off as a dog shakes water from its coat. He turned from the sight and went below deck to the main cabin of the Maryann where Captain Patridge was meeting with the officers.
    As Robert entered the cabin, he saw Patridge spreading a map on the table and putting lead weights on the corners, so the map wouldn ’t curl up. Captains Bainbridge and Roundtree stood on either side