Gelignite (19 page)

The Chinese built him a perfect replica of the South China Presbyterian Mission church in which they had all been deheathenised. The government apologised profusely to the American Catholic and proceeded to offer it to the South China Presbyterians at a high ground rent as a base from which to continue their good works.

The South China Presbyterians took one look at the church and decided they were doing well enough already and declined it.

The government looked around for someone else. Some Mormons on their way through to Zion found the Chinese very receptive to their doctrine of plural marriage and asked the government if, possibly, they might rent it? The government said, 'Certainly.' The Chinese, plurally married and content, flocked to the church to hear more. More was that Zion was located a few thousand miles away in Missouri. The Chinese flocked out.

The government said it had no idea that was what the Mormons had had in mind.

A Welsh Methodist happened to be passing. The government thought that sounded safer. The Chinese decided that if you weren't too keen to make a pious pilgrimage to Missouri where you might enjoy the favours of female multitudes, then a worshipful wander to Wales where there was nothing but Welsh coal mines and climate sounded even less attractive.

The Welsh Methodist went back to his chapel in Merthyr Tydfil.

The government briefly—in 1859—paused. They looked around. Short of the odd Hedonist, Holy Roller and Hellfire Hollerer, that seemed to be the lot. They wondered who might just possibly have a use for a fine, well-built little section of China.

Lacking anyone better, they gave it to the Chinese. The Chinese asked what the hell they were supposed to do with it The government suggested warily that since the land was located near the sea and on high ground, might it not just conceivably have good feng shui for something? The Chinese, who had had a feng shui diviner in three years before even the first brick had been laid, said maybe. They said, as a favour they'd take it rent-free as a cemetery.

The government said just so long as you don't use the consecrated Catholic-Presbyterian-Mormon-Methodist church for it.

The Chinese said fine. They promised never to use it for anything.

The government said, 'Good.'

It gave them a warm feeling to know they had built something worthwhile.

*

The Commander said, 'We're going to give it to him, Harry.' He and Feiffer stood by the open door of Feiffer's car to one side of the main gate of the cemetery. There were six other police cars blocking the gate. Another two vehicles—one from the Emergency Unit—pulled up. The Commander said, 'I've talked to him and we're going to give it to him.' He glanced across to the ruined church in which Mendoza waited with his transmitter, 'The decision's made. There's no alternative.' A ray of light reflected off the silver braid on the Commander's uniform cap and made it glisten, 'You'd agree with me, Harry?'

Feiffer said, 'You're certain he's actually set up the hardware? The bombs?'

The Commander looked surprised. 'I got here as soon as you rang. I've spoken to him and I take the threat seriously.' He said, 'It's up to me, you know—to make the decision.'

'Yes.' Auden and Spencer were at the open doors of the Emergency Unit van. The street facing the cemetery was cordoned off. There were scope mounted Armalite rifles being handed out.

The Commander said, 'His story is that he's got eighteen bombs planted in and around the cemetery and in the mausoleums.' He added, 'He claims to have two or three actually set inside coffins. I believe him. He wants the money and immunity. I gather that Mr Kan's off getting it together at this moment.' (Feiffer nodded.) 'And as far as immunity goes, I'm going to see the Attorney-General as soon as I leave here.' He - said, 'Mendoza's given me three hours to arrange it. In the circumstances, that's probably more than generous.' The Commander said, 'I even find myself having a sneaking admiration for the man's ability.'

"The families of the people who were killed and maimed in Matsu Lane will find that a great comfort.'

'I mean, in relation to his efficiency—' The Commander said, 'Look, Harry, I don't have to be filled with righteous indignation. I'm too old a dog for that. All I have to do is see that things keep running properly.'

Feiffer said, 'Hmm.'

'—this man poses a threat and I have to find a way to resolve it. If it was a public matter it would be different.' The Commander said, 'Thanks to the news clamp that you opposed, no one, thank God, knows anything about it except the interested patties. That means things can be resolved outside of the public gaze.' He said, 'The accurate situation is that he's got us firmly by the short hairs and the only way to extricate ourselves is to give in. So, as a relatively reasonable man, I'm giving in. It's the appropriate reaction.' He asked, 'Can you even begin to imagine the propaganda the Communists would get out of it if the British Hong Kong Imperialist warmongering etceteras let a Chinese cemetery get blown to bits? It doesn't even bear thinking about. It's a political matter and it requires a political response.' He said definitively, 'That man Mendoza is bloody brilliant and he's going to get exactly what he wants because we don't have any choice.—Clear?'

Auden and Spencer went past O'Yee at the stone wall of the cemetery and took up sniping cover with their Armalites.

'Well?'

'It's clear.'

'I'm glad.' The Commander said, 'Thus far you haven't felt able to agree with my methods in dealing with this case and thus far, I've taken your views seriously. Now it's different.' He dropped his voice, 'I have good reason to believe that both the Attorney-General and the Governor will consent to the immunity without hesitation.'

'What about the money?'

'What about it?'

'What happens to that? Does he get that as well?'

That's between him and Conway Kan.'

'In that case, he gets the money as well.'

That's between him and Conway Kan.' The Commander said, 'If Mr Kan wants to make a gift of money to someone that's his own affair. It doesn't concern the police.'

There was a silence. The Commander looked away.

The Commander said, 'In any event, that's the situation.' We can't afford the trouble the loss of the cemetery would cause.' He said, 'It's one of the oldest cemeteries on the island. There can't be less than three thousand families represented in it. Some of them still quite influential.' The Commander said, 'It's a political gesture activated by—'

'It's just common bloody extortion!'

'As far as you're concerned, it's a political case and it doesn't concern you any further!' He said, before Feiffer could say anything else, 'So just leave it. Your job as the local man on the spot is to take charge in my absence and keep the area clear of bystanders, all right? Just keep the area clear and everyone in check. Have you got that?'

'What about the snipers? Whose idea were they?'

'They were my idea. They're strictly for the sake of appearance. Ammunition hasn't been issued—and it isn't going to be. All right?' The Commander said, 'Just keep everyone happy until I get back from seeing the Attorney-General.' The Commander waved at his driver to bring his car forward. He looked at Feiffer interrogatively, 'All right?'

'Is it OK if I at least talk to him?'

'To who?'

'To bloody Mendoza of course!'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Because he's too—'

Feiffer said angrily, 'Listen, if he's so goddamned brilliant then a few words from me—from the local moron directing bloody traffic—won't make any bloody difference, will it?' He said, 'You might just faintly recall I've been chasing the bugger for quite some time now! I think I at least deserve the right to see him face to face before he flies off with his bloody money to join John Paul Getty on his yacht!' He asked the Commander bitterly, 'You'd agree, Neal? Or wouldn't you?' He said vehemently, 'You never bloody know, do you? I might even be able to talk him out of it!' He added, 'Or shoot his bloody bomb finger off.'

The Commander paused. He looked at Feiffer's face for a moment. The Commander said quietly, 'I'd be against that, Harry: anything that might jeopardise negotiations, unless it was totally successful.' He asked, 'Just how good a shot are you?'

'I wasn't serious, as well you know!' He glanced at the Commander and realised that the Commander had been serious. Feiffer said, 'My God, you people must be really desperate—'

The Commander said nothing.

Feiffer said, 'I just want to talk to him.' He glanced across to where O'Yee was standing in the street and gazing out at the silent church. He said, 'Not an army, just me. Talk. Not shoot. All right?' He waited. He thought, "This has all been done the wrong way from the start." He thought, "Nothing'll change. He'll say no and it'll all go on continuing in totally the wrong way." He waited for the Commander to decide.

The Commander looked at him.

'Talk to him?'

The Commander looked at him. The Commander's car pulled up behind him.

'Well?'

The Commander said, Do it,' and the driver got out to hold open the rear door. The Commander said, 'But don't be wrong.' He went to get into the car. 'I'll be back in approximately two hours. You've got until then.' The driver closed the door after him and got back into the front seat

'To do what?' Feiffer waited for the Commander to roll down the rear window.

The Commander paused. He gave a sharp command to his driver and the car sped away.

It was 3 pm in the afternoon on a wonderfully bright Spring day.

... At the cemetery.

*

Feiffer said, 'We've got two hours.'

To do what?' O'Yee looked out at the church. A tall figure half-silhouetted behind part of the fallen tower wall moved a few feet to one side and then disappeared. O'Yee had a strange look on his face. He looked at Feiffer and then across to the main entrance of the cemetery where the uniformed men were, 'From what I hear he's got the game sewn up.' O'Yee said, 'I've been watching the uniformed men—the Chinese. They're not happy about this.' He said with the strange look still on his face, 'Neither am I. Maybe we'd best just give him the money.'

'Are you serious?'

O'Yee did not reply. After a moment he said, 'I've got a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach, Harry, like someone's just died.' He said, 'I don't expect you to understand it.'

'I understand that that murdering bastard out there has killed people!'

O'Yee nodded. O'Yee said, 'The thought that he could destroy all—It makes me feel—' He said suddenly, 'Just give him the money and be done with it!'

'And what about the people he's killed?'

'I'm sorry about that, but there's just nothing to be done! If Kan's willing to pay him, then let him pay him!' O'Yee said, 'Anything! Just so long as he gets out of here!'

Feiffer said, 'Listen, I've got two hours. There must be something—something he's missed—some leeway—can't you see that?'

'I can see that he's—'

'He's been leading everyone along from the word go! He writes
political
on his letters, so by God, the crimes are political; he sends the cops a bomb so they'll take him seriously, and what do they do? They take him seriously— He kindly leaves duplicate bombs around so we can see just how they're done and think he's clever, so hey presto he's a fucking genius! He leaves fingerprints all over the place so we'll know it's him when he comes to blow up the cemetery, so we say, "It's got to be him." He's done everything with one sole aim in mind: to give us to understand that he's in control, that he's the local bloody Fu Manchu, too clever to be caught, so when it comes time to catch him we say, "No, he can't be caught—we'll give him immunity!" It's all a brilliant piece of nerve and camouflage. But he's made a mistake! Somewhere along the line he's done something which can't be justified! He's made one assumption that doesn't rest on any evidence or reality and that's where we can get in and knock his bloody chessboard right off the bloody table!' He demanded malevolently, 'Now where is it?'

'I just don't want anyone charging about setting him off!' O'Yee said, "Why not just let Kan pay him the money?'

'Because that's not the way things are supposed to be done! This is not going to happen behind closed doors! Even the bloody rifles aren't loaded— Now, I want your assessment of the situation so far!'

'My assessment of the situation is that it's all over!'

'It isn't all over by a long shot. It's just starting. The investigation is just starting. So far, he's called every one of the shots and while we thought we were investigating a series of bombings all we were really doing was helping him: being his errand boys. Well, that's over. So now we go back to square one. So we start our investigation
now
.'

O'Yee said, 'Why the hell do you think the only people with the rifles are Auden and Spencer? Because there isn't a Chinese copper in the whole of Asia who'd start shooting in a place like this!' He said, 'If they didn't know that ammunition hasn't been issued, they'd tear Auden and Spencer to pieces!'

'What about Mendoza? Why don't they tear
him
to pieces?'

'Because he's got the graves of their families and the families of their friends wired up with goddamned gelignite, that's why! You get rid of that and Mendoza won't even make it to the nearest police car!' He said definitively, 'But he has got the gelignite and no one is going to do anything.' He said, 'I'm sorry!' He demanded, 'What the hell have we got left to investigate anyway?'

Feiffer said,'Him!'

'Big deal!' There was a strange sound rising from somewhere behind him. O'Yee looked around. It was the Chinese Constables. They were together by the main entrance. It was a humming sound, deep, single toned, like a dirge. You couldn't see who was actually making the sound, but it was there. One of them looked at O'Yee and then at Feiffer. He looked back to O'Yee again. The sound went on and on. The Chinese Constables looked wan and drained as if their strength had gone. Their arms seemed to hang down, ragdoll-like: O'Yee knew he was imagining it The sound went on and on. O'Yee glanced across at Mendoza's outline at the break in the wall. He thought, "Oh my God, what would my father say?"