bad business,
Francis. I hesitate to speak of it here.” He looked away. “Be assured
that the company is expending every effort in the matter. Your brother
has been granted full honours. ”
“Thank you,” said Frankie. “But if I may ask how–?”
“Alice will brief you this afternoon,” Tze said, with a finality that
ended the line of conversation like an axe-blow. “But before then we
must address a matter that concerns
you,
and you alone.”
“I don’t understand.”
Tze gestured to a portly woman hovering near the door, and on cue she
came closer. Her face was a little too perfect for the body it was on.
“Francis, this is Phoebe Hi. She is a cousin of our corporate clan, from
the RedWhiteBlue group.”
Frankie gave her a weak smile. RedWhiteBlue Inc. was YLHI’s
entertainment division, a hit factory churning out music, vids and home
vircade games across half of the Pacific Rim. Hi gave him a plastic
blink of seamless teeth. “I worked closely with your brother,” she said.
“I hope to do the same with you.”
Tze gave her the slightest of nods and Hi retreated a couple of steps.
“Yes, my boy. I’ve brought you here because I hope you will accept a
gift from us.”
“Gift?” repeated Frankie, his head spinning.
The other man rubbed at his tightly trimmed beard. “I know that nothing
can replace your brother, but it is my hope that you will allow me to
demonstrate the regard in which he was held by Yuk Lung.” He placed a
fatherly hand on Frankie’s shoulder, the other reaching for the metal
box on the table. “I want you to take Alan’s place here in Hong Kong. I
want you to assume his duties and position within our clan, with all the
responsibilities and rewards that entails. Will you join us, Francis?”
As if there was any other answer to give. “Of… Of course, sir. But
I…”
Tze put a finger to his lips. “Ssh. No doubts, lad. We have none of that
here.”
Frankie nodded. “I, uh, accept, sir. It’s an honour.”
“We are a traditional corporation, Francis,” Tze continued, opening the
box. “In this day and age, to some that makes Yuk Lung seem… peculiar
in its practices.” His fist came up and in it was an ornate four-fold
brass dagger. “This is a ghost knife. It is more than two thousand years
old.” He offered it, blade-first.
Gingerly, Frankie took it, feeling the razor sharp edges pulling at the
skin of his palm. Tze smiled a little and cupped Frankie’s hand in his,
pressing the younger man’s flesh into the blades. Where it cut him, it
felt icy cold.
“It is important,” Tze said, tightening his grip, “for men to understand
that the wheel turns only when the axle is oiled by blood. ”
Session #542, resuming at 3. 38pm
DR YEOH:Are you ready, Sally?
SALLY: Okay. Can I get a smoke?
DR YEOH: I’m afraid not. We’ve talked about that before. You can’t
smoke in the clinic.
SALLY: Oh yeah. Right.
DR YEOH: So. Let’s continue. We were talking about your friend, Cynda.
SALLY: Not my friend any more.
DR YEOH:Why is that?
SALLY: I told you. I saw what she had in there.
DR YEOH: In where?
SALLY: Inside her head.
DR YEOH: What did she have in her head, Sally?
SALLY: Worms. Black worms and snakes.
DR YEOH: How did that make you feel?
SALLY: Sick. I thought she was my friend, but she…
DR YEOH: Take your time.
SALLY: All these years and she had worms in her head. I shared a flat
with her, a bathroom. We drank from the same cups. I never would have if
I had known.
DR YEOH: How did you find out about the worms?
SALLY: Yonni brought these geltabs around. New things, never tried
them before. We had some drinks and we dropped a few.
DR YEOH: And then you saw…
SALLY: Worms. Coming out of her eyes and nose. She was screaming at
me, she said I was going to kill her.
DR YEOH: Perhaps you only thought you were seeing worms. Perhaps it
was the tablets, did that occur to you?
SALLY: No. I’ve tripped before. I know the difference. Tliis
Francis. I hesitate to speak of it here.” He looked away. “Be assured
that the company is expending every effort in the matter. Your brother
has been granted full honours. ”
“Thank you,” said Frankie. “But if I may ask how–?”
“Alice will brief you this afternoon,” Tze said, with a finality that
ended the line of conversation like an axe-blow. “But before then we
must address a matter that concerns
you,
and you alone.”
“I don’t understand.”
Tze gestured to a portly woman hovering near the door, and on cue she
came closer. Her face was a little too perfect for the body it was on.
“Francis, this is Phoebe Hi. She is a cousin of our corporate clan, from
the RedWhiteBlue group.”
Frankie gave her a weak smile. RedWhiteBlue Inc. was YLHI’s
entertainment division, a hit factory churning out music, vids and home
vircade games across half of the Pacific Rim. Hi gave him a plastic
blink of seamless teeth. “I worked closely with your brother,” she said.
“I hope to do the same with you.”
Tze gave her the slightest of nods and Hi retreated a couple of steps.
“Yes, my boy. I’ve brought you here because I hope you will accept a
gift from us.”
“Gift?” repeated Frankie, his head spinning.
The other man rubbed at his tightly trimmed beard. “I know that nothing
can replace your brother, but it is my hope that you will allow me to
demonstrate the regard in which he was held by Yuk Lung.” He placed a
fatherly hand on Frankie’s shoulder, the other reaching for the metal
box on the table. “I want you to take Alan’s place here in Hong Kong. I
want you to assume his duties and position within our clan, with all the
responsibilities and rewards that entails. Will you join us, Francis?”
As if there was any other answer to give. “Of… Of course, sir. But
I…”
Tze put a finger to his lips. “Ssh. No doubts, lad. We have none of that
here.”
Frankie nodded. “I, uh, accept, sir. It’s an honour.”
“We are a traditional corporation, Francis,” Tze continued, opening the
box. “In this day and age, to some that makes Yuk Lung seem… peculiar
in its practices.” His fist came up and in it was an ornate four-fold
brass dagger. “This is a ghost knife. It is more than two thousand years
old.” He offered it, blade-first.
Gingerly, Frankie took it, feeling the razor sharp edges pulling at the
skin of his palm. Tze smiled a little and cupped Frankie’s hand in his,
pressing the younger man’s flesh into the blades. Where it cut him, it
felt icy cold.
“It is important,” Tze said, tightening his grip, “for men to understand
that the wheel turns only when the axle is oiled by blood. ”
Session #542, resuming at 3. 38pm
DR YEOH:Are you ready, Sally?
SALLY: Okay. Can I get a smoke?
DR YEOH: I’m afraid not. We’ve talked about that before. You can’t
smoke in the clinic.
SALLY: Oh yeah. Right.
DR YEOH: So. Let’s continue. We were talking about your friend, Cynda.
SALLY: Not my friend any more.
DR YEOH:Why is that?
SALLY: I told you. I saw what she had in there.
DR YEOH: In where?
SALLY: Inside her head.
DR YEOH: What did she have in her head, Sally?
SALLY: Worms. Black worms and snakes.
DR YEOH: How did that make you feel?
SALLY: Sick. I thought she was my friend, but she…
DR YEOH: Take your time.
SALLY: All these years and she had worms in her head. I shared a flat
with her, a bathroom. We drank from the same cups. I never would have if
I had known.
DR YEOH: How did you find out about the worms?
SALLY: Yonni brought these geltabs around. New things, never tried
them before. We had some drinks and we dropped a few.
DR YEOH: And then you saw…
SALLY: Worms. Coming out of her eyes and nose. She was screaming at
me, she said I was going to kill her.
DR YEOH: Perhaps you only thought you were seeing worms. Perhaps it
was the tablets, did that occur to you?
SALLY: No. I’ve tripped before. I know the difference. Tliis
Similar Books
