SUMMARY 37: TAIL CHASING
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Adrian's head swivels uncertainly towards Katya. "I'm fine! I'm not drunk at all." He stands, more than a little uncertainly. "I only had two." A burly but handsome Russian man throws back his head and roars. Winking in a most suggestive way, he stands and addresses Katya. "Katya, so good to see you alive and " --he turns his suggestive look at Elizabeth-- "doing so well. But now I must sleep, and work. Tomorrow, we will meet here, yes?" He gives her a hug and a friendly pat, and walks out gracefully.

Elizabeth and Katya help Adrian to a rickshaw.

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Sun shines through the many windows of a tasteful hotel suite. At the dining table, the party converses over breakfast. Adrian settles himself with a cup of black coffee; Katya with borscht; Bloch with bacon; Elizabeth with kippers and toast, periodically waving their scent under Adrian's nose and giggling; Smythe with oatmeal; Don with an exotic fruit salad.

"Well." Katya puts her spoon down decisively. "I will investigate Dark Mistress. Perhaps I can see who visits, etcetera."

Adrian grimaces as Elizabeth offers him the fish once more. "I think that I will go to the newspaper offices and search through back issues. Perhaps there are ritual killings happening here too. Smythe?" Smythe, startled, looks up from his oatmeal and nods.

Don stands, breaking the lethargy of the breakfast. "Well. There are things I must attend to at the Cartwright offices here, and I can also perhaps find something out about the Dark Mistress, and Fong Imports." Gracefully dabbing at his mouth with a napkin, he grabs a smart overcoat and heads out the door. Others follow, leaving Elizabeth and Bloch regarding each other over the tasteful flower arrangement. They yawn. Bloch, fiddling with a piece of bacon, asks "Are you reading the Pnakotic Manuscripts?".

Elizabeth, too, stands. "No, I'm working on a spell; I don't need the book for that. It's all yours."

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Don, looking irritated, stands as a harried looking man in a suit rushes towards him. "Ah, yes, Mr. Cartwright, of course, of course. Please, won't you use my office? . . . I mean, your office, of course, yes, your office. I was just using it, since we aren't favored with a visit very often... erm, ahh, not that we feel badly in any way about that, you're a very busy man, of course, yes, right this way..." He trails off, leading an increasingly impatient Don to a well-appointed office. Once inside, Don cuts the man off with a hand-wave.

"As I was approaching the city, I saw quite an elegant yacht. It certainly stood out among the junks; I was wondering, are there parties hosted on it?"

The harried man smiles and begins speaking again, mopping his forehead with a handkerchief. "The Mary Jade? Oh, that's owned by Lord Bangor. Yes, he has parties, but... I expect you'd find them, and him, rather dull, Master Cartwright, after your world travels."

Don shakes his head, his brow furrowing in an attractive manner. "No, no, the name wasn't Mary Jade. Blast my memory. It was white, large... Dar- something-or-other?"

A look of recognition crosses the man's face. "Ah, yes. The Dark Mistress. Well, you'd be better of with the Mary Jade, sir, actually. It's owned by Alfred Penhurst, although he never travels on it. He owns an island off the coast here a little way - Grey Dragon Island - and the ship just comes around once a week for supplies. No parties there, sir, I'm afraid."

Don nods, and breaks into a charming smile. "Oh, well, I'm sure there is plenty of other trouble I can get into while here." Taking off his overcoat, he sits at the desk. "Now. There is a company here named Fong Imports, and they use a ship called the Ivory Wind. I'm interested in perhaps gaining some information about them; to see whether or not they would be an appropriate focus for some Cartwright recruiting. What do you know of them?"

The man thinks, and shakes his head. "Nothing, sir. They must be rather small. I'll check on it, and have information for you after lunch, say?" He wrings his hands, and hesitates before speaking. "And now, sir, if you'll excuse me... I really should attend to some business here."

After the harried man leaves, Don pulls out several maps of the Shanghai area. Eventually, he finds one which labels the Grey Dragon. It sits approximately 300 miles off the coast of Shanghai; there is a coral reef encircling the island, and the entire region is marked "Treacherous".

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Katya blends into the throng on the Bund, idly stopping at vendor's stalls, searching the docks unobtrusively. Finding the object of her search, she purchases some fruit and finds an appropriate place to sit.

The harbor, similarly to the Muski in Cairo, has its own peculiar life-rhythm. Junks approach larger, sleek European ships, offering wares. People bustle and attend to the ships, to selling their wares. Rank is definitely present here; there is a fairly strict class order in the fancier ships. This order perpetuates even in the smaller junks- the best junks cater to the best larger ships, and fend off shabbier junks trying to 'cut in' on their territory. In the language of the dock life, the Dark Mistress could be said to be anti-social. No junks group around its hull; those junks who attempt to approach are only the shabbiest, and they are turned away.

After approximately an hour of watching, a Chinese boat does approach, however, and things are loaded onto the Dark Mistress. Katya perks up, removes a tiny pair of binoculars from a voluminous pocket, and focuses. There are around six men on the deck of the Dark Mistress; all of them pale, pale Chinese man. They look fleshy, too; their skin slightly soft, slightly pudgy, perhaps. All of them wear medallions of some kind.

After about a half-hour of loading (nondescript boxes), the ship leaves, and the people disappear below deck.

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Adrian and Smythe sigh at each other as they pore through stacks of old newspapers. Suddenly, Smythe perks up. "Hello..... what's this?" He points out an article to Adrian. Adrian reads it, and purses his lips. "Seaman's Club, six weeks ago. Strange creatures emerging from the river, then part of the club falls into the river. I'll copy the text down. I don't seem to be much good for research today."

This pattern continues; Smythe uncovers two more articles, and then begins helping Adrian copy them. "Monks killed in a fire that chased them; European seen leaving the scene. Four weeks ago; then a violent murder involving a giant bat, two days ago.", Smythe murmurs. "88 Lantern Street."

Adrian looks over, mouthing the words 'Fire Demon' at Smythe, who nods. "Well, we should check out that one first- evidence may still be there. The others are old enough that another day or two shouldn't make a difference." They hurriedly scribble down the articles, and purposefully stride back to the Majestic.

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Don, Adrian, and Katya weave their way through the throng of people on Lantern Street. Searching the house numbers, Don jumps a bit as they pass 10 Lantern Street, the Stumbling Tiger Bar. Eventually, they make their way to 88 Lantern Street. It is a large and nicely-kept building, with a police officer standing out front. Adrian slinks off to an alley, and Don and Katya proceed to knock on the door. Several extremely attractive ladies answer. Don and Katya proceed inside.

They are ushered to a sitting room, where a slightly older but still attractive woman, named "Madame G", asks them what their pleasure will be. They are served brandy; their coats are taken. Katya asks if she can obtain information rather than entertainment, and the girls file out of the room. After a bribe, she inquires about the murder. Madame G. begins to look irritated. "Ah. You are curiosity seekers. They are.... nuisances... these days."

After a pointed look from Katya, Don pulls out another bribe. "We would certainly endeavor not to be a nuisance," Katya purrs. Eventually, they are led to a room upstairs. It is drenched in blood; furniture is demolished. Katya notes that the blood is smeared in parallel lines, as if a giant hand had been run down the walls.

"The people who died... was there anything unusual about them?" Don asks, a bit to gruffly. Madame G. shakes her head. "Wong was good girl. She brought in many dollars. There is nobody who would do such a thing." She looks around in disgust. "Mr. Chin I don't know." She looks significantly at Don. "I don't know you, either."

Katya prods Don, who gives Madame G. more money. "The papers said that a girl saw a bat creature. Could we talk to her? Is she available right now?" The older woman makes a clucking noise in her throat. "Enh. Jade. She is young, very impressionable. She is free, but very popular. For another $10, I could arrange something." Katya smiles, and they are led to another room.

After several minutes in a rather tasteful room, a young and attractive Chinese girl (perhaps 15 years of age) enters, and disrobes. She smiles encouragingly at Katya and Don. They attempt to speak to her; she looks confused and begins touching herself.

Eventually, Katya gets it across to the young girl that they only wish to speak. When "Ripponita Wong" is mentioned, a frown mars her face. "No like. Scary."

After a frustrating 10 minutes of language issues, an attractive Russian girl is brought in as well, to translate. Much information is gained: around one week ago, Choi Mei-Lin, a former employee, was purchased by another house. Madame G. was not interested in keeper her around due to the fact that she kept a man in her quarters. Don shows them a picture of Jack Brady, and he is positively identified as the man in question. The two of them went to a house down the block; a Doctor's office.

Don gives the girls even more money, and they leave the house.

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Katya approaches a Chinese man in a gaudy doctor's office. "My friend, here-" she points at Adrian- "is interested in one of your cures." The doctor begins talking about herbal remedies, ancient Chinese practices, but Katya cuts him off. "No, no. A cure for impotence." Adrian coughs and turns red. The doctor beams, and nods. "Ah, yes. What kind of impotence cure was he interested in?"

Katya smiles back. "Yes, a very specific one. I believe it was called Choi?" The doctor chokes, and tells them they will have to pick another cure. "Well, we are willing to wait for this particular cure, and pay handsomely. We have heard much about it." Don flashes some money.

The doctor, over-wrought, splutters "That whore! She left 3 days ago!" After some more bribes, the doctor tells more. Though he doesn't recognize Brady, he says that Choi escaped with another girl to Rue Gelico in the French concession.

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As the group makes their way back to the hotel, Adrian sees something and stops. "Isn't that the Seaman's Club?" he asks, pointing to a sprawling structure perched directly over the Wang-Pu. On the river side of the building, damage has obviously been repaired. "We can just go in quickly." Adrian says, placating Katya. "Just briefly, to see if Brady has been here."

Katya gives her assent, and they proceed into the bar. She is, of course, asked to wait with several other wives in a waiting room.

Adrian purchases drinks for he and Don, and they appraise the room. After around 20 minutes, an inebriated man comes up to them. "I see you have a Russian woman waiting for you. Aren't they a wonder? The things they can do...."

He fixes Adrian and Don with an unsteady finger. "Social death to be seen with one, though. So be warned. You can't bring them into respectable places." He buys another round of drinks, and then another, and they talk long into the afternoon. He has been in Shanghai for around 3 months, and lives upstairs. When asked about the accident, he regales Don and Adrian with funny stories about crotchety boarders getting dumped into the river. When asked about Brady, he recognizes the picture. "Ah, yes. Patrick Givens. He lost all of his luggage when that accident happened- his room was in the part that fell off. He was right upset about it, too. I half thought he was going to dive in after it."

More pleasant conversation ensues while Katya memorizes the latest trends in window treatments, both for traditional Chinese decor and the stylish European decor.

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After returning to the hotel, all but Bloch and Smythe make their way to meet Yevgeny. Don stops off at the Cartwright offices on the way, checking in with the harried man again.

"Ah, yes, sir. The Ivory Wind is purely a cargo vessel, purely between Shanghai and London. It's a bucket of bolts, sir- nothing like a Cartwright ship. It's owned by the captain- Lars Torvak. But I don't know if this will be fruitful, sir- Fong Imports is an awfully small business. They have their headquarters at a warehouse in the Hong Kao district."

Don makes a good show of being disappointed. "Oh. Well, might as well check it out anyway; Peterman & Co. started out that small as well." He looks doubtful. "Where did you say it was?"

The man nods at Don. "Yes, sir, that it did. Owned by a Ho Fong, on Kiong Street. Glad to be of service, sir."

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Yevgeny greets the group warmly, picking up both Elizabeth and Katya in a large bear hug. In Russian, he arranges for a private room and plenty of vodka. Adrian looks slightly green. Once settled, he switches to English.

"Well, I can get you Tommy guns, machine guns, one case of hand grenades, and some pump action shotguns. You're out of luck on the flamethrowers."

Katya looks disappointed, and seems about to speak. Adrian and Elizabeth both appear ready to start on a tirade against the necessity of flame- throwers, and then appear surprised to be on the same side. Katya goes on: "Well, we should at least have some Tommy guns. They are incredibly effective, even if you don't really know what you're doing. With that many bullets, you're bound to hit something."

Adrian gulps. "That's what I'm afraid of. How likely is it that we'll hit each other?"

Yevgeny watches with amusement as a lengthy argument ensues. Eventually, someone asks about price, and his expression becomes a bit more serious. "Well. You're looking at around $350 each for the Tommy guns. The hand grenades, not so expensive- $50 for the case. Shotguns will also be about $50 each. Handguns, not too expensive; $25-$30 each. Machine guns..." he scratches his chin. "Enh. More expensive than Tommy guns." He looks directly at Elizabeth. "I don't know what your funding situation is like."

Elizabeth pipes up. "Well, I'm not terribly excited about spending $350 on a gun that's hard to conceal when we don't know we need them. That's an awful lot of money, Katya." Katya pouts prettily.

"Well, how about the hand grenades, then?" Katya says. "They're only $50, after all, and they could come in quite handy." This earns her an extremely wry look from Elizabeth and a surprised one from Yevgeny, who mouths the words 'only fifty dollars'.

Eventually, the group decides on two pump-action shotguns (one sawed-off), the hand grenades, 3 handguns, and ammunition for all. Elizabeth heaves a sigh of relief when Katya doesn't pursue the Tommy gun issue.

Adrian speaks up quickly once the decision is made, asking Yevgeny about the Stumbling Tiger Bar. "Ah, yes." Yevgeny settles into his glass of vodka. "It's a steaming pit of festering rot."

"....Just like every other bar in the city. Actually, it's a bar that trades in information. It's not dangerous, at least during the day- you should be fine. And nobody knows who this Brady character is."

Don nods. "We found out today he was going under an assumed name. Perhaps you've heard of it? Patrick Givens?"

Yevgeny gulps his vodka, and gives the group a wary look. When he speaks, it is very quietly. "Ah. Yes. That name, I do know. Secret societies in Shanghai... they have existed for hundreds of years. Information being passed down from person to person... hiding from authorities sometimes, working with them at others.... they have all really filtered down into two main gangs existing today. Green gang, I have some knowledge of. Du- you remember, my employer?" He waits for people to nod before continuing. "He is a member of Green gang. Green gang not important to this, however. Other gang is called Red gang. Long history between Red and Green gangs, perhaps bit too long to be told now. Currently, Red gang allied with British power. They seek to gain fortune by aiding the British-" his expression says that he does not think much of this plan- "they do things for British group." He makes a waving motion with his hands. "There are things the British want done, you see- things they cannot do themselves. Too dirty for police to do. One of these things is crackdown on 'private groups' of various kinds. Communists, students, the like- you understand?" He pauses, inhaling deeply from a cigarette and swallowing more vodka.

"The Four Firms is one such group. Very small- perhaps 200 people, perhaps just a bit more. They are new, very secretive gang."

Don interrupts. "Do they compete with the Green gang?"

Yevgeny shakes his head. "They don't really... compete... with major gangs. They devote energies to anti-corruption. They hate council, obviously, but... mostly concerned with factories running children to bone, unethical treatment of workers, etcetera. They are called Four Firms because they have four parts- Firm Study, Firm Belief, Firm Practice, Firm Action. Firm Study are spies,"-his expression marks them of dubious quality-"but Firm Action is relevant Firm here. Firm Action is group of militants- very well trained, very good. Impressive. British _very_ interested in this group, yes? They cause trouble." He pauses. "Of course, everyone is interested, but British very interested means Red gang very interested. Very interested in Patrick Givens, because he is trainer for Firm Action."

Again pausing, he drinks and sighs. "He was kidnapped by Red gang three days ago. He's being held in a warehouse for... questioning. They are trying to find out who the members of Firm Action are. They are very secretive and troublesome, you see."

The group perks up a little, and begins talking about a rescue mission. Yevgeny interrupts them. "It will be difficult. They are keeping him very well guarded, for obvious reasons. 4, maybe 5 men."

The group regards their vodka, and drinks.