XXV

Old Grudges and Lies

Lin unlocked the door to the room and stepped inside. The room was only slightly less smoky than the rest of the downstairs parlor, and only slightly less noisy. The walls were quite thin. She listened to the playful twinkle of the piano downstairs and the murmurs of the people as she turned to close the door. She paused, her hand on the handle…She wanted to lock everyone out. But Wang would probably want a moment to speak to her alone. She needed to tell him everything…

Sighing, she left the door ajar and removed her coat, draping it over the side of a chair. She sat on the side of the bed, her back to the door. Wang did not even approve of Roy…he would much less approve of Rathbone. But Lin was not as innocent as Wang remembered her to be once upon a time.

She sighed, feeling her troubles were nowhere near over yet.

The door squeaked. Lin tilted an ear back, listening for Wang's familiar voice.

"It's me." He said lightly and stepped inside, closing the door behind himself. She turned to face him, saying nothing. He waved her up, "Come."

Sighing, she prepared herself for whatever would come.

Wang pulled two footstools from the dressing corner and slid them beside the conjoining door. "Sit."

Linking her fingers behind her back nervously, she strolled toward him and seated herself.

"Lin," He started, leaning a hand to his knee as he tried a tone of voice much like his father during a lecture. "Our father would talk about the right man for you."

Contrary to her cool exterior, her insides were twisting.

"He must be strong…"

She thought of the first time Rathbone wrestled her to the dust-covered floor. How she kept a straight face was a miracle.

"…Courageous…"

He was quite cunning, smartly brave when he had to be…

"…And a good father."

She could not picture it. But the thought was shoved from her mind. That was not the issue…Wang was referring to someone else. Someone she could have easily guessed. And then did. "Like Roy."

"No, not like Roy." He protested. She had almost corrected him on her meaning, but he continued, "You don't know him like I do. He has many bad habits."

Lin lifted a brow. Didn't everyone have bad habits? She could remember Wang goofing around with the other boys when they were young, playing in their underwear in the streams and haystacks… "Such as…?"

"He drinks, smokes… and gambles."

She blinked, recalling her time at the country estate. She could not remember Rathbone doing any of those things… but he certainly had his bad habits as well. Like getting wrapped up in big ideas with dangerous people.

Wang spoke again, drawing her out of her thoughts once more. "He sleeps with women for money."

It irked her to hear Wang speak of his best friend in such a manner when Roy was not there to defend his own reputation. It was best to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, she had been mostly wrong about one man already…"Roy won't do that. I can see inside him. He has a good heart."

Desperate, Wang turned to a new tactic, "His salmon don't swim up stream."

Lin was clueless, "Huh?"

"He shoots blanks!"

Blinking, Lin wondered how he could possibly convict his friend of not shooting bullets. Surely the man wasn't that much a coward!

"Lin, he cannot be trusted."

"How can you say that? He's your friend…"

But Wang shrugged sheepishly, "Eh, yeah… sort of. Roy's the kind of friend you don't introduce to your other friends or bring home to your family. He never speaks the truth – You know what I call him? Not Roy O'bannon. Roy O'balogne!"

"I don't care."

"Lin." He said deeply, "I forbid it."

It was the last straw. She stood up, glaring down to him, "You are not my father." She swept past him, storming out of the room and into the hall. Roy did have a good heart, and if Wang could not see that over the years he had spent with him, how on earth could she ever consider the idea of her brother warming to the idea of Him?

A pair of Boxer rebels remained crouched beneath the red lights of the boarding house windows, keeping an eye on the trio of troublemakers, while Rathbone stepped down further into the alley. Wu Chow waved him around the corner where they could speak more privately and away from the windows.

Cigar smoke clouded out as he turned to his accomplice. "You are going out of your way coming all the way here aren't you?"

Rathbone looked steadily to him, "I could say the same thing about you."

"I like to see my men are doing their jobs."

"And I like reassurance."

Wu Chow lowered the cigar as he overlooked the Englishman with a scrutinizing glance over. "Are you sure it has nothing to do with a woman?"

He foresaw the question, and resisted the flinch of uncertainty. Instead he smirked with good humor and nodded, "She could be useful."

Wu Chow remained silent with a skeptical gleam in his eye. After another, long puff of his cigar, he spoke again. "I want all three of them in the warehouse by midnight."

"They will be."

"They'd better be." Wu Chow warned. Pinning the cigar in his wide mouth, he grinned and turned to stroll on his way, tipping his derby hat to a passing lady at the street before he continued on his way.

Rathbone stood still a moment. Keeping a lie was easy. It was keeping two contradicting lies that was difficult… Swallowing, he gathered his wits and collected himself before he turned to rejoin the Boxers at the window. Suddenly a door opened he did not realize was there. A figure rushed out, bumping straight into him.

He caught Lin by the arms and blinked with surprise. "Lin!" He whispered with surprise.

She looked to him, also taken aback. Wiping tears from her face, she smiled weakly to him. "I did not think you would come."

He could not return the smile, however… and seeing the seriousness on his face brought her own to die. "Lin, I'm not alone." HE whispered, and ushered her to the corner. Carefully they peered around the corner. Lin gasped and jumped out of sight of the Boxer rebels. "I didn't know how to warn you, and I don't know what I can do yet."

"I…understand." Her dark eyes darted nervously around as she grasped his arms in turn.

"We just want to know where the boy is. Lin, where is he?"

Wide eyed, she blinked at him, "I don't know. I've never seen him."

"Damn." Rathbone let his hands fall from her shoulders as he looked upward to the building that towered over them. "Lin… you should know something else."

"What?" She looked curious, frightful at him.

He looked to her. "Wu Chow knows."

Lin seemed to freeze.

"Lin, time's running short. I think the sooner your brother knows the better."

But she shook her head immediately, "He said many things… he will not listen and he won't try to understand." A hand slowly rose to cover her gaping mouth. The hand quickly lowered, "How many are there here?"

"Two at the moment. More are arriving. Perhaps if you all snuck out…" But he cut his words off and shook his head, "No, Lin, you must tell your brother. If he is as impetuous as you, I'm not going to be responsible for what I do if he attacks me."

Lin certainly understood that. She nodded, "We'll leave tonight then."

"Good," He sighed with some relief and took her shoulders, "I'll try to distract them as long as I can."

Lin nodded again, resting her hands to his chest as they leaned forward for a kiss. But a sudden uproar of screams and shouting overhead drew their attention. Both their brows furrowed. "What is gong on?" She asked out loud.

"That's O'bannon's room…"

"I must go." She turned and dashed for the door, only to be snatched by the wrist and whirled around. Trapping her with an arm around her waist he stole a kiss before she pried him off with a grin. "Later!" She turned and yanked the door open, disappearing into the smoky interior.

Lin jogged up the steps, pausing when she received curious staring. Sheepishly smiling, she slowed her steps and continued up the stairs. Wang and Roy… she knew her brother would be reliable in a crisis. Roy's room was filled with women giggling, squealing and much a ruckus. Lin paused halfway to her own door to see if Wang was still inside when she caught the familiar chuckle…Wang's chuckle somewhere inside Roy's room with all the hubbub.

A brow popped up as she stepped toward the door. "Roy?" She called through the door, knocking lightly. Unheard over all the noise within, she took the handle and stepped inside. She blinked at the sight of downy feathers floating about, and then froze with shock. Among a sea of half naked English women and a boat load of feathers stood her brother and Roy.

Wang grinned childishly, ready to hit the woman beside him with a raised, half drained pillow when he spotted Lin staring at the pair of them. He gasped, "LIN!"

Both the men turned, their pillows pressed down to cover their parts. The room went silent. The women continued to snicker where they stood. Roy rose a finger to point to Chon, "It was his idea."

But Wang shook his head and pointed to Roy. They were in a crisis… and the two of them were playing with bawdy women. Lin stepped back into the hall, unable to look at them anymore… Before she knew it, she darted down the steps once more.

"Chon!" Roy yelled at him, stepping after her.

"Clothes!" Wang called back, stopping Roy from following her as they searched for their clothes beneath the piles of feathers.