The Bitter Tea of General Yen Page #3

I want to make sure he gets it.

Maybe.

This is all I have left.

Can you do it with that?

Maybe.

Here.

Mah-Li, I'll never forget this.

Speak English.

What did she say?

She said, " No, for

the third and last time."

Well...

I often envy the common soldier.

His wants are so few.

Even a common soldier

would've knocked.

I did.

I almost broke the door down,

but you didn't hear me.

You were evidently absorbed in the

sublime effects of the spring moon

upon my people.

What do you want?

In my province, this is

called a cherry-blossom moon.

It's a time when young and old,

rich and poor, sick and sound

pay their homage

to the god of love.

You think you can wear

me down, don't you?

But you can't. Do you

hear me? You can't.

Oh, please let me go.

I can't stand this any longer.

Please send me

back to my friends.

But I have told you:

The country's in state of war.

If anything should

happen to you,

I have to answer to Dr. Strike.

How long will it be?

I don't know.

Maybe a week,

maybe a month.

Maybe even longer.

But I will do everything I can

to make your visit pleasant.

If you would only relax and

let me improve our acquaintance.

It's pretty hard to become

acquainted with a man

who ruthlessly slaughters

helpless prisoners in one move,

and in the next shows such a tender

reverence for the beauty of the moon.

You have the true

missionary spirit.

Really, Miss Davis,

there are times when

I would like to laugh at you.

But there are also times

when I find you admirable.

There are also

moments when I...

Perhaps I shouldn't

speak of them.

I might astound you.

Perhaps you believe us

incapable of such moments.

Yes, I'm sure you do.

Have you ever read

our poetry, Miss Davis?

Do you understand

our music?

Have you ever seen our paintings

of women walking among fruit trees?

Where the fruit trees

look like women,

and the women

look like fruit trees.

There has never been

a people more purely artist,

and therefore,

more purely lover,

than the Chinese.

I think we ought to end

this discussion.

Certainly, if you

find it objectionable.

But I wish you didn't.

If you should

change your mind,

if you would follow our custom

of accepting third invitations,

we are having dinner at 8.

Yes?

I will give you

more suitable gifts later.

Why?

That was Captain Li.

Oh, that's all right, Mah-Li.

You don't have to bribe me.

Then you won't tell the general?

It's nothing to me.

If you want to do something for me,

help me get out of here.

Escape?

Isn't there some way

you could persuade him

to send me back to my friends?

He would only think

I was jealous.

But it would be easy for you

to do it yourself after dinner.

Please come. You could help me

so much with Mr. Jones.

Jones?

An American?

Yes. The general's

financial advisor.

What kind of a man is he?

Oh, he's very smart.

I'm afraid of him.

Could I meet him?

Yes, if you come

down to dinner.

This dress of mine

looks terrible.

Oh, I can arrange that.

Do you like this one?

I like that one.

I have noticed you were

in need of powder and paint.

Yes, perhaps I am.

I will see you at dinner.

Thank you.

Oh, Miss Davis, I'm so glad

you changed your mind.

This is Mr. Jones,

my financial advisor.

Hello. How's the

missionary racket?

And this is Captain Li, my aide.

Please.

You're a newcomer

in China, I take it?

Yes, I landed

four days ago.

You're learning an awful lot

about China in four days.

I certainly have.

No.

No champagne?

That's Pol Roger, 1906.

I wonder if I could

have a glass of water.

Water? You'll catch

your death of typhoid.

Your health, Miss Davis.

And the same to you, Mrs. Yen.

Oh, that chair is for my wife...

who does not exist.

As yet.

You see, Mah-Li

isn't his wife.

She isn't even allowed to

sit on the same level with us.

She may seem

kind of lonely tonight,

but I've seen her

with plenty of company.

Excuse me.

I was greatly relieved tonight

when I heard there was another

American in this strange place.

Well, thank you

for the compliment.

But I guess I'm what's known in

the dime novels as a renegade,

and a darn good one at that.

I don't think I'd be

much of a relief to anybody.

What's that?

Oh, I was just trying to find out

the duties of a financial advisor.

He's the secretary

of my treasury.

Yeah, I'm the big squeeze.

And if I do say it myself, I can

milk more money out of this province

than any man alive.

Do you advise the general

on other matters too?

Sure I do. But he never takes it,

except when it comes to money.

Then he's all ears.

Aren't you, general?

Well, as they say in your

country, "Money talks."

Money talks in any country.

Wait till you hear how that boxcar full

of money I've got out there is gonna talk.

Six million dollars Mex can make

a lot of noise in any language.

I thought you asked me

not to mention that, Jones.

We're all friends here.

Besides, Mah-Li knows anyway.

I didn't tell her.

You're not the only man around

this ranch who tells her things.

We play dealer's

choice, Miss Davis.

Stud, jackpot, spit-in-the-ocean,

roodles. Anything you like.

I'm sorry,

I haven't any money.

I'll be glad to carry you.

It's only a friendly little game.

No, thanks.

I think I'll watch.

How about you, general?

Pass.

Two bucks.

And $10 more.

Not me. I thought you said you passed.

I'll raise you $10.

And $10 more.

He loves to steal a pot.

Don't pay any attention

to Jones. He has a bad liver.

Oh, don't try to kid me, general.

Don't I know you

better than you do yourself?

Him and me,

thick as thieves.

Don't you tell me

everything you know?

Do I?

And if you don't,

don't I know how

to find it out anyway?

I don't know. Do you?

Sure I do. All I have to do is give

$50 to the general's bodyguard.

You give too much.

Sometimes I give

more than that.

Yes, sir. Five hundred

dollars Mex to Captain Li

and you can get the low-down

on whatever happens around here.

How many cards, please?

Two.

And how does Captain Li know?

You better ask

Captain Li about that.

How pretty.

Do you know good jade

when you see it?

Valuable as diamonds,

jade like that.

You like them?

Look at them closely.

Yes, they're lovely.

I want you to keep them.

They're yours.

They're yours. Put

them on and wear them.

Oh, I couldn't think of it,

really. I don't want them.

But you must take them.

I assure you,

they are mine to give.

Please take them.

It was cruel of you both to humiliate

her that way. It was disgusting.

Nice girl, Mah-Li.

Raised in a mission school,

she tells me.

She's charming, and I'm

quite sure she's good.

Hah! That's an idea.

Now you're talking.

What about this one?

Come on, gigolo.

Don't forget your

rings, Miss Davis.

How could you employ

a man like that?

Jones has everything

I want of the Western mind.

I don't follow you.

It's very simple.

As long as I can make

my interests his interests,

he is not going to betray me.

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