THE IMPERIAL ENGINEER (31 page)

Mr. White himself greeted her. When she explained her needs, he beamed widely
and showed her around the store. Lulu was amused to see, tucked in a back corner, an
assortment of coffins. Apparently Mr. White believed in providing furniture to all sorts of
people.

By a little after noon, the Dewitts were the owners of a moderately priced parlor
set. Mr. White had done his best to sell her an expensive mahogany and plush set, but she'd
thought it garish and tawdry. The simply carved walnut and subdued brocade of the pieces
she decided upon were much more to her taste. She hoped the style would appeal to Tony,
as well. She also bought a desk, a large wardrobe, another bureau, two more kitchen chairs,
a glass-fronted bookcase, four lamps, and three ornately-framed prints. They could always
replace the prints with ones more to their liking later, but the walls needed something
now.

I certainly hope Tony was telling the truth when he said he had money enough
laid aside for me to furnish the house.
Well, if he doesn't, I can always sell out
some of my investments.
After all, she had been saving them for the future. Now her
future would be considerably different, and irrevocably linked to his.

She instructed Mr. White to send the bill to her husband, and received his
assurances that everything would be delivered tomorrow morning.

Upon her return to Mr. Yu's establishment, she found he had more than fulfilled
her request. He introduced his friend, Lee Ken Shi. "He is very good cook, but does not
speak much English. I believe your husband will find a way to communicate with
him."

Lulu opened her mouth, then closed it again. So Tony was not fooling the Chinese
community. "Yes," she said, with a perfectly straight face, "I'm sure he will."

"This is Mr. Lee's son, Ru Nan, who has some experience as a stablehand. He
claims to be able to drive, but you might wish to test him yourself. He is very young."

Indeed he was, not looking much over ten years of age. But he was as tall as she,
and well muscled, so she imagined he was in his mid-teens at least. "Do you speak English,
Ru Nan?"

"Little bit," he replied, with a low bow. "I learn ver' fast."

"Then I will give you a trial for one week. You may begin work this afternoon. If
your work and your driving skills prove satisfactory, you have a permanent job."

Mr. Yu translated, giving Lulu some doubt about her ability to make Ru Nan
understand what she wanted of him. No matter. She could always point in the direction she
wished to travel. More important was his ability to handle the horses. She hoped the rental
horse understood Chinese.

"This is my niece, Xi Xin," Mr. Yu said, when he had finished speaking to Ru
Nan. "She is eager to learn to be a lady's maid, for there are few positions for a Chinese
girl who does not wish to..." He hesitated, and looked away.

"Who does not wish to be sold into prostitution, you mean. Yes, I am aware of the
problem. I wish I could help, but I have no need of a lady's maid. I am perfectly capable of
dressing myself." Even as she spoke, she regretted the words. The child was lovely, but so
very young. What could she do about the house?

"She is also a very hard worker. You will need a house maid. She is willing to
work for only two dollars a week, and her meals."

Lulu heard an echo of Tony's childish voice telling of the day when his whole life
changed. "Two dolla' week and found?" she said, softly.

Mr. Yu looked at her in puzzlement.

"Thank you, Mr. Yu. I will hire your niece. We have a second bedroom I had
intended to turn into an office for myself. If Xi Xin does not object to sharing it during the
day, she may lodge with us."

"I am in your debt," he told her.

"Not at all. It is I who am paying a debt, in spirit if not in fact. An old debt." She
hoped Tony would understand that this child, little older than he when Silas found him,
was in as much peril as he had been, for all she had an uncle who would do his best to
protect her. She was far too pretty and she would soon be a woman. There were many men
who would see her ripe for the taking.

Shortly it was arranged that Mr. Lee would follow her to the house in a borrowed
dog cart, bringing what he and his son felt essential to making a place for themselves in the
barn. He would also bring some supplies for both kitchen and stable. "I purchased very
little when I stocked our pantry. You must see what you need, and tomorrow we will
shop."

Mr. Lee looked mystified, until Xi Xin, in a soft voice, spoke to him. Then he
nodded enthusiastically.

Lulu realized she had hired the girl without knowing whether they could speak to
each other.
Well, it would have served me right if we hadn't been able to. But I couldn't
leave her in town, not as lovely as she is. She would be such easy prey.

* * * *

"So you got it all fixed up?"

Tony relaxed in the chair across from his boss. "I hope so. Until whoever did this
decides to pull another rotten stunt." He scratched his head. "I sure wish I knew who."

"I'd rather know why," Eagleton said. "I won't deny I've made some enemies since
I came to town, but offhand I hadn't thought any of them to be the sort to attack the
telephone system. Guess I was wrong."

"I've got men guarding the switchboard and riding every one of the lines outside
of town daily. Maybe that will keep us operating. It's sure eating into the profits,
though."

"Don't worry about it. We'll weather this, as long as it doesn't go on too long."
Eagleton stood. "I'm having dinner with Axminster this evening. Even though he signed up
late, he's convinced now that having a telephone in the bank is a good thing." He winked.
"It never hurts to have the bankers on your side. Remember that, boy."

"Better you than me," Tony said, grimacing. The thought of sitting across a table
from the banker's wife would be enough to sour any man's digestion.

Chuckling, Eagleton picked up his hat. "Tony, if you want to be a success in this
old world, you'll cultivate the ability to eat anything anywhere and not let your dining
companions affect your appetite. I'll give Mrs. Axminster your best."

"You do that," Tony replied, not sure if Eagleton was joking or not. He rose too,
and stretched. At least he wasn't as worn out tonight as he'd been.

With Eagleton's departure, he returned to his office and checked his calendar. Yes,
the batteries belonging to the earliest subscribers should be serviced this week. One more
thing to fill his days. At least he wasn't bored. He looked at his bicycle and shook his head.
He was getting damned tired of freezing half to death morning and night. Maybe he'd rent
a horse, and to hell with the cost. But first he'd have to lay in some hay and grain and clean
out another stall. He rolled the machine out onto the sidewalk and locked the door behind
him.

As he rode, he thought about the talk he and Lulu had to have before much more
time had passed. He wanted her in his arms at night, not huddled in a ball of misery on the
opposite edge of the bed.

What was the matter with her? The last time she'd shared his bed, she'd flinched
every time he touched her. Yet this morning she had caught fire from his kiss. Heat pooled
in his belly at the memory. He wanted to make slow, delicious love to his wife. The one
time they'd been together had been wonderful, but quick and hot, and over too soon. He
had taken her to completion, but it had been almost an accident, for he'd been so
desperately eager, so hungry for her that any skill he'd ever learned had gone by the
wayside.

Lulu deserved better than that. She deserved to be teased and tempted and
tortured, until she came apart in his arms.

When his house came into sight, he saw light streaming from every window.
Lulu must have bought some more lamps
. He hoped she'd also bought herself a
chair. He was too damned tired to spend the evening on one of those hard kitchen chairs,
and yet not so tired he couldn't be a gentleman and let her have the upholstered one. He
turned into the short drive, his front wheel catching in soft, rutted snow.

There was a light in the barn, too, he saw, frowning. Was Lulu out here taking
care of the horse? She had no business... He pushed open the door and saw two men sitting
close to a brazier near the back wall.

Two Chinamen.

And there were two horses in the stalls, as well as a dog cart and the buggy Lulu
had hired, parked in the middle aisle. "What the hell?"

Both men jumped to their feet and bowed.

The door was pulled from his hand. "Oh, good, I was hoping I'd have a chance to
introduce you. Why don't you put your bicycle away first, Tony?"

He leaned his bicycle against the wall beside the door, and turned to face Lulu.
"Okay, suppose you tell me what these men are doing here?"

"Why you told me yourself I might hire help, just last night. This is Lee Ken Shi,
who is our cook, and his son, Lee Ru Nan, who is our stableman and my driver. Mr. Lee,
we will want supper in about half an hour."

Both men bowed to Tony, but neither spoke. They looked scared.

As well they should be. They'd be on their way back to town in ten minutes.
"Wait!" he said, holding out his arm when the older man would have eased past him.
"Lulu, we can't hire Chinese. It could mean my job."

"Balderdash. Mr. Eagleton is your employer, not your owner. He has no say in
what you do when you are not working for him."

"The devil he doesn't. He...we all have to live here, and right now anyone who
hires a Celestial is ostracized. There's talk of a boycott. It could affect the telephone
company. I can't afford that."

She stared at him, her expression one of amazement. "Are you telling me you
would give in to bigotry and prejudice.
You?
You would forsake your heritage and
turn your back on your own people?" Her voice broke on the last word.

"Don't talk nonsense! This has nothing to do with my 'heritage,' if I have one. This
is pure economic necessity. I need that job."

"You can work anywhere. Or I can. I refuse to allow you to make an ethical
compromise to satisfy the residents of this town. If they are that narrow, that intolerant,
then I would sooner live elsewhere, as I'm sure you would."

"God damn it, Lulu, you've been gone while this Anti-Chinese League was getting
organized. You have no idea of the momentum it's gained. By hiring these men, you could
be asking to have us run out of town ourselves. Or worse. Now I'm sorry, but I simply will
not allow you to hire these men." He turned to Mr. Lee and opened his mouth to make
excuses and apologies.

Lulu spoke first. "You have nothing to say about whom I hire. I made no promise
to obey you, and I have every intention of paying their wages myself. So there!" She
stepped between him and the two men. "Mr. Lee, Ru Nan, please excuse my husband's
words. He and I will settle this question later. In the meantime, we will dine as soon as
supper is ready."

Nose in the air, she whirled and stalked out of the barn.

The two men looked questioningly at Tony. "We'll talk later. You can stay--for
tonight, at least," he said, accepting that he and Lulu had much to discuss and doing it
before them would only weaken his position.

This was one argument he intended to win.

The worst form of Chinese slavery is that of young girls from ten years of age upwards.
From three to four thousand of this miserable class are now living in California. They
constitute, with a few exceptions, the female Chinese population of the State. I have talked
with some of these, and hear their sorrows, but their awe of their masters and of the
relentless highbinders prevents them from daring to accept aid in an escape. Most of them
do not understand the possibility of such a thing.

Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine
, November 1883

~~~

Resisting the urge to slam the door, Tony closed it carefully. He turned to speak to
Lulu, but before he could, Lulu said, "Xi Xin, please go out to the barn for a while. I will
call you when I need you."

A small Chinese girl scuttled across the kitchen, shoulders hunched. She snatched
a shawl from the hook beside the door and was gone in a draft of cold air.

"Who was that?" Tony said, keeping his voice even with an effort. "Another of
your efforts to save the world?"

"She's Mr. Yu's niece, Xi Xin. I...the maid."

"The maid? Great God, Lulu, this is a four room house. We have one hired horse.
And you think you need three servants?"

"Tony, did you look at her? She's a beautiful girl, just on the edge of womanhood.
If she doesn't work for me, what will happen to her? How long can she work in the laundry
before some man sees her?"

"Her uncle can send her away. Or marry her off. Or something. Damn it, Lulu.
This is not your concern." Brushing past her, he went to the bedroom to change his
clothes.

She followed, to stand in the doorway. "Not my concern? Were you Silas's
concern? Should he have sent you away? Married you off?" Her mocking laugh sounded
forced. "No, you were only a useless child, so perhaps he should have sold you."

"It's not the same thing. That was a wide open gold camp, rough and uncivilized.
There was practically no law--"

"But there is right and wrong, no matter how rough and uncivilized a place is. And
Silas knew what was right. Didn't he?"

Tony looked back at her, saw how her body, her curly mop of hair were outlined
by golden light from the lamps behind her. Even as he wanted to shake some sense into
her, he knew what would happen if he put his hands on her. He bent to unlace his
boots.

"Didn't he?" she asked again, bringing him back to his senses.

"Yes, damn it. But that was different," he insisted.

"I don't see how. You were a child in need. So is Xi Xin. Isn't that all that
matters?"