Blood Alley Page #3

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- You crazy.

- I'm crazy about you!

I thinky hair all cutty.

- Give me a kiss.

- You crazy crazy. Full of ginger!

Captain sailorman crazy, full of ginger.

Bell go ding-dong, my come chop-chop.

- Yeah?

- Capt. Wilder, can I come in?

I wouldn't recommend it.

I'm full of ginger, and also in the bathtub.

Mr. Tao's nephew has come home.

He's here.

- The chief engineer?

- Yes.

Send him in.

American?

Call me Tack.

- Light your cigar and stay a while, Tack.

- I bring these for you.

- Been San Pedro, Captain?

- Sure.

That town for the birds. Wish I back there.

I train, learn marine engineer in States.

Light?

Who blew up our ferryboat?

Me.

Amoy paper, see? Today we on front page.

- What happened?

- Iron boiler no good. I blow.

- You what?

- Damage not bad.

Old wine sack in pilothouse

want more steam.

I give.

We never make Hong Kong

with old iron boiler.

I plenty good engineer. Know my stuff.

- Now repair yard give us new steel boiler.

- How long will it take?

Maybe five days.

You worried about comrade in kitchen?

I'll put today's paper in his pocket,

dump him far away on South River.

They figure he been in Amoy,

forget about us.

Good deal. That will take about five days.

We'll need a black gang.

All set.

Wine sack old skipper never know

what go on under his feet.

I train my cousins many months ago.

Great black gang.

- Oil.

- Oil no worry.

- She burn wood.

- Wood?

Yeah. Low-pressure steam. 50 pound.

Tell me more

about this ocean-going stove of yours.

- She plenty fine ship. Got strong bottom.

- Flat as a pancake.

Give it to me straight, chief.

- Has she got 300 miles left in her?

- Aye, Captain.

- She number-one ship.

- Yeah. She can do 8 knots.

Six.

Now all I need is a ship.

How much longer?

Thank you.

How long has it been, Baby?

And I haven't even made a pass at her.

Jail sure must have aged me.

Who am I trying to kid?

Look, Baby, you stay here...

but if you hear a bell go ding-dong,

you better come chop-chop.

Captain.

- Yes?

- Mr. Tao here.

Ten thousand regrets

that I must call at this hour.

My unworthy nephew

has just brought word...

the ferryboat will be ready for us

tomorrow night.

Couldn't have picked a better time.

- Beg your pardon?

- Nothing.

Nephew Tack brings also the Amoy paper.

The headlines concern our Dr. Grainger.

It is news we feared.

The commissar in Haifeng

died under Dr. Grainger's knife...

which, I regret, often swims in rice wine.

The People's Court stoned him

and put him to death as a murderer.

It is Miss Grainger who concerns us most.

You must realize, illustrious Captain...

that her secret worry has been

that we would depart Chiku Shan...

before her father's return.

It has so happened.

With my people, death is expected.

I do not pretend to understand

the mind of your people.

You will know best

how to prepare her for this unhappy news.

- You expect me to tell her?

- Quite so. You must find a way.

Good night, eminent brother.

Not tonight, Cathy.

With or without the bell in your hand.

Hey, Baby?

Our monks shave their heads, Captain.

You must remember

to keep the hood in place.

Are monks allowed to scratch?

I watched you broad-jumping down

from the village. You must walk the part.

If you itch but do not scratch,

then perhaps you'll look like our monk.

Don't you think

you'd better change position?

No, that's all right.

Pardon me, Captain. The bad news.

Have you found a moment

to tell Miss Cathy?

When's the right moment

to tell somebody...

there's been a sort of murder

in their family?

What are we towing?

Our carpenters have made a smokestack...

to look like the one that puffs sparks

on a ferry.

- What for?

- Be patient.

Here stands Dragon Point.

For two years,

we have secretly raised the bottom...

stone by stone.

Our smokestack will be made

to sit on the stones...

so that only the top rises above the water.

Patience was made in China.

Here is Shima,

where we go aboard the ferry.

When it travels to this spot,

we will set off smoke bombs.

And tomorrow, all Amoy will think...

that the ferryboat burned and sank

off Dragon's Point in the fog.

Even the passengers will believe it.

Once the smoke begins,

we ourselves will encourage the panic.

"Abandon ship! Lifeboats!"

Take these gentlemen below

and lock them up.

You better get below

and see they just lock that captain up.

- Yes, sir.

- We may need him later.

Yes, sir.

- It's a fine day up here.

- Welcome aboard, Captain.

We're taking down the Red flag.

Send it below. We'll burn it.

Can do!

Many months they have waited,

Captain, for this moment.

- I'm waiting for the moment we shove off.

- Tomorrow. It will come quickly.

Like 10,000 years...

and we still have

that patrol boat to fool with.

It will fool itself, Captain.

When it comes looking for us,

it must enter by the channel.

- The water elsewhere is thin as rice paper.

- You're gonna trap it in here.

Once it arrives, the channel will disappear.

So that's it.

Those sampans have been stoning up

the mouth of the channel.

Putting teeth in a mouth, Captain.

You wouldn't mind if I blew the whistle,

just a little toot-toot?

Toot away.

One of God's footsteps.

Where are you going?

Me? A little sleep.

Tomorrow I'm going to take charge...

Get yourself a work party

and clean up this old scow.

From now on,

consider yourself third mate.

Me? But I know nothing of big ships.

- In that case, you're first mate.

- Me?

Check the tanks and make sure

we got plenty of fresh water aboard.

And I want you to scrape this propaganda

off the bulkheads.

You think you can get your hands

on some fresh paint?

Yes, Captain.

That jack staff is so grimy,

I can't steer by it.

I myself will paint it

an excellent yellow, my captain.

Bring back something to tell the time.

Yes, Captain.

The rudder's sluggish,

the turnbuckles won't turn...

the capstan's rusted,

the decks are warped...

she's stubby, and high in the water.

God help us in a rough sea.

But you know something, Baby?

I kind of like her.

So that's where

this bustled old lady began.

"Sacramento, 1885."

Captain, look!

What is it?

Us, Captain. Our name, the Chiku Shan.

Nail it up.

How long will it take your elders

to get moving?

There's a fog bank out there,

I'd like to get buried in it.

Captain, look!

Wonderful music.

You'd better roll out our former captain

and turn him loose.

When he starts yakking,

that patrol boat will come running.

- Then we can uncork our surprise.

- Yes, Captain.

- What's our steam pressure?

- My gauge, which is a liar, says 33 pounds.

I want full speed down the river.

I give it. Now I go back to sleep.

You can sleep in Hong Kong.

What about fuel?

There is wood cut for us in the village...

but we burn a cord now, Captain.

We cannot carry enough for the whole trip.

Start packing it aboard. We're shoving off.

Get this stuff moving now.

Yes, Captain. Here's your Big Ben.

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