Chapter Thirty-Six
Hop Sing peeked around the corner coming from the kitchen to the dining room, looking for a time when Ben and Adam were alone in the sitting room. The subject of Rebecca Cartwright was an uncomfortable one for him. He waited until Ben and Adam were alone, attempting to reduce his shame by eliminating Little Joe and Hoss from the conversation.
Adam sat in the blue chair staring at the apples on the coffee table while a book lay closed in his lap. Ben sat smoking his pipe, watching Adam. It had been a full year since Rebecca had been taken. And though Adam was participating in life around the Ponderosa and Virginia City in body, in mind he was absent. He went to church and sat, much the same way he sat now, fixing his gaze on something in the room and staring. He did the same at the dances, the Cattlemen's Association meetings, and the school board meetings. Even the work he chose to do around the ranch was mundane, monotonous…things he could do with his eyes closed, over and over again.
The operatives from the State Department could never seem to get their hands on General Wei, and none had ever seen the mysterious woman with the unusual eyes. Though many Chinese boasted about seeing her and touching her, they all denied it when questioned by the Americans. They had concluded that she was being kept on a ship, moving from port to port when the offerings for a viewing reached a predetermined level.
Byers had long since gone back where he came from, finding his usefulness in Virginia City negligible. The man constantly apologized, and after a short time, Adam refused to speak to him. The Cartwrights received regular telegrams from him, most saying nothing new.
As Hop Sing entered the room timidly as a mouse, Ben caught his movement out of the corner of his eye and studied him. "Hop Sing, would you sit down for a moment?" asked Ben, motioning to a chair.
Hop Sing sat in the leather chair closest to the kitchen. Ben looked him in the eye and gave him a reassuring smile. "Hop Sing, the fact that you are Chinese does not make you responsible for what's happened to Rebecca."
Adam looked up, meeting Hop Sing's eyes. "It's true. There's no reason for you to feel that way. We certainly don't feel that way about you."
Hop Sing nodded. "Hop Sing have news from Tong in San Francisco."
Adam sat up. Whenever Hop Sing came to them with news, it was worth hearing. "Go ahead," said Adam anxiously.
"Cousin say Tong know how to bring Missy Rebecca back to San Francisco."
"How?" asked Adam, moving to the edge of his chair.
"Silver. You get $25,000 in silver, General Wei come. Show girl."
Adam looked over at his father. "Silver…only silver?"
"That what Tong say. Silver. Must be Chinaman. Tong say General know you look for girl. He not come for American. Only Chinaman. Only after he know no funny business. Price high because he know you look for wife."
"Hop Sing, why would the Tong tell you this?" asked Adam, standing, cocking his head to the side and narrowing his eyes.
Hop Sing stood up straight. "Cousin Tong. He say Tong very upset. He say Tong blamed for missing girl because they Chinese. Girl always in newspaper. Never go away. Tong want problem go away."
"Hop Sing, you tell the Tong we'll come up with the $25,000 in silver if they make arrangements to get General Wei here," said Ben.