cc.floodtide-第5部分

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nd　glared　malevolently。　To　the　initiated；　it　was　a　classic　act　of　interrogative　coercion。 〃My　name　is　Ling　T'ai。〃
　
　〃What　province　were　you　born？〃 〃Jiangsu。〃
　〃You　lived　there？〃　asked　the　thin　man。
　〃Until　I　was　twenty　and　finished　my　studies。　Then　I　went　to　Canton；　where　I　became　a　schoolteacher。〃
　The　questions　came　dispassionately　and　devoid　of　inflection。　〃Why　do　you　want　to　go　to　the　United　States？〃
　〃I　knew　the　voyage　would　be　extremely　hazardous；　but　the　promise　of　opportunity　and　a　better　life　was　too　great；〃　answered　Ling　T'ai。　〃I　decided　to　leave　my　family　and　bee　an　American。〃
　〃Where　did　you　obtain　the　money　for　your　passage？〃
　〃I　saved　most　of　it　from　my　teacher's　pay　over　ten　years。　The　rest　I　borrowed　from　my　father。〃
　〃What　is　his　occupation？〃
　〃He　is　a　professor　of　chemistry　at　the　university　in　Beijing。〃
　〃Do　you　have　friends　or　family　in　the　United　States？〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃I　have　no　one。〃
　The　thin　man　looked　at　her　in　long；　slow　speculation；　then　pointed　his　finger　at　her。　〃You　are　a　spy；　sent　to　report　on　our　smuggling　operation。〃
　The　accusation　came　so　abruptly；　she　sat　frozen　for　a　few　moments　before　stammering。　〃I　do　not　know　what　you　mean。　I　am　a　schoolteacher。　Why　do　you　call　me　a　spy？〃
　〃You　do　not　have　the　appearance　of　one　born　in　China。〃
　〃Not　true！〃　she　cried　in　panic。　〃My　mother　and　father　are　Chinese。　So　were　my　grandparents。〃
　〃Then　explain　why　your　height　is　at　least　four　inches　above　average　for　a　Chinese　woman　and　your　facial　features　have　the　faint　touch　of　European　ancestry。〃
　
　〃Who　are　you？〃　she　demanded。　〃Why　are　you　so　cruel？〃
　〃Not　that　it　matters；　my　name　is　Ki　Wong。　I　am　the　chief　enforcer　for　the　Indigo　Star。　Now　please　answer　my　last　question。〃
　Acting　frightened；　Ling　explained　that　her　great…grandfather　had　been　a　Dutch　missionary　who　headed　up　a　mission　in　the　city　of　Longyan。　He　took　a　local　peasant　girl　as　a　wife。　〃That　is　the　only　Western　blood　in　me；　I　swear。〃
　The　inquisitors　acted　as　if　they　did　not　credit　her　story。　〃You　are　lying。〃
　〃Please；　you　must　believe　me！〃
　〃Do　you　speak　English？〃
　〃I　know　only　a　few　words　and　phrases。〃
　Then　Wong　got　down　to　the　real　issue。　〃According　to　our　records；　you　did　not　pay　enough　for　your　passage。　You　owe　us　another　ten　thousand　dollars　American。〃
　Ling　T'ai　leaped　to　her　feet　and　cried　out。　〃But　I　have　no　more　money！〃
　Wong　shrugged　indifferently。　〃Then　you　will　have　to　be　transported　back　to　China。〃
　〃No；　please；　I　can't　go　back；　not　now！〃　She　wrung　her　hands　until　the　knuckles　went　white。　The　chief　enforcer　glanced　smugly　at　the　three　other　men；　who　sat　like　stone　sculptures。　Then　his　voice　changed　subtly；　〃There　may　be　another　way　for　you　to　enter　the　States。〃　　
　〃I　will　do　anything；〃　Ling　T'ai　pleaded。
　〃If　we　put　you　ashore；　you　will　have　to　work　off　the　rest　of　your　passage　fee。　Since　you　can　hardly　speak　English　it　will　be　impossible　for　you　to　find　employment　as　a　schoolteacher。　Without　friends　or　family　you'll　have　no　means　of　support。　Therefore；　we　will　take　it　upon　ourselves　to　generously　provide　you　with　food；　a　place　to　live　and　an　opportunity　for　work　until　such　time　as　you　can　subsist　on　your　own。〃
　〃What　kind　of　work　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Ling　T'ai　hesitantly。
　Wong　paused；　then　grinned　evilly。
　　〃You　will　engage　in　the　art　of　satisfying　men。〃
　This　then　was　what　it　was　all　about。　Ling　T'ai　and　most　of　the　other　smuggled　aliens　were　never　intended　to　be　allowed　to　roam　free　in　the　United　States。　Once　they　landed　on　foreign　soil；　they　were　to　bee　indentured　slaves　subject　to　torture　and　extortion。
　〃Prostitution？〃　Horrified；　Ling　T'ai　shouted　angrily；　〃I　will　never　degrade　myself！〃
　〃A　pity；〃　said　Wong　impassively。　〃You　are　an　attractive　woman　and　could　demand　a　good　price。〃
　He　rose　to　his　feet；　stepped　around　the　table　and　stood　in　front　of　her。　The　smirk　on　his　face　suddenly　vanished　and　was　replaced　with　a　look　of　malice。　Then　he　pulled　what　looked　like　a　stiff　rubber　hose　from　his　coat　pocket　and　began　lashing　at　her　face　and　body。　He　stopped　only　when　he　began　to　break　out　in　sweat；　pausing　to　grip　her　chin　with　one　hand；　staring　into　her　battered　face。　She　moaned　and　pleaded　with　him　to　stop。
　〃Perhaps　you've　had　a　change　of　mind。〃
　〃Never；〃　she　muttered　through　a　split　and　bleeding　lip。　〃I　will　die　first。〃
　Then　Wong's　narrow　lips　curled　into　a　cold　smile。　His　arm　was　raised　and　then　came　down　in　a　vicious　swing　as　the　hose　caught　her　on　the　base　of　the　skull。　Ling　T'ai　was　enveloped　in　blackness。
　Her　tormentor　returned　to　the　table　and　seated　himself。　He　picked　up　a　phone　and　spoke　into　the　mouthpiece。　〃You　may　remove　the　woman　and　place　her　with　those　going　to　Orion　Lake。〃
　〃You　do　not　think　she　can　be　converted　into　a　profitable　piece　of　property？〃　said　a　heavy…bodied　man　at　the　end　of　the　table。
　Wong　shook　his　head　as　he　looked　down　on　Ling　T'ai；　lying　bleeding　on　the　floor。　〃There　is　something　about　this　woman　I　do　not　trust。　It　is　best　to　play　safe。　None　of　us　dare　to　incur　the　wrath　of　our　esteemed　superior　by　jeopardizing　the　enterprise。　Ling　T'ai　will　get　her　wish　to　die。〃
　An　elderly　woman；　who　said　she　was　a　nurse；　tenderly　dabbed　a　wet　cloth　on　Ling　T'ai's　face；　cleaning　away　the　caked　blood　and　applying　disinfectant　from　a　small　first…aid　kit。　After　the　old　nurse　finished　tending　the　injuries；　she　moved　off　to　console　a　young　boy　who　was　whimpering　in　his　mother's　arms。　Ling　T'ai　half　opened　the　eye　that　was　only　mildly　swollen　and　fought　off　a　sudden　wave　of　nausea。　Though　suffering　agonizing　pain　that　erupted　from　every　nerve　ending；　her　mind　was　unmistakenly　clear　on　every　aspect　of　how　she　came　to　be　in　this　predicament。
　Her　name　was　not　Ling　T'ai。　The　name　on　her　American　birth　certificate　read　Julia　Marie　Lee；　born　in　San　Francisco；　California。　Her　father　had　been　an　American　financial　analyst　based　in　Hong　Kong　when　he　met　and　married　the　daughter　of　a　wealthy　Chinese　banker。　Except　for　dove…gray　eyes　under　the　brown　contact　lenses；　she　had　favored　her　mother；　who　passed　on　beautiful　blue…black　hair　and　Asian　facial　features。　Nor　was　she　a　schoolteacher　from　Jiangsu　Province　in　China。
　Julia　Marie　Lee　was　a　special　undercover　agent　for　the　International　Affairs　Investigations　Division　of　the　United　States　Immigration　and　Naturalization　Service。　By　posing　as　Ling　T'ai；　she　had　paid　a　representative　of　an　alien…smuggling　syndicate　in　Beijing　the　equivalent　of　30；000　in　Chinese　currency。　Being　part　of　the　human　cargo　with　its　built…in　misery；　she　piled　a　wealth　of　information　on　the　syndicate's　activities　and　methods　of　operation。
　Once　she　was　smuggled　on　shore；　her　plan　was　to　contact　the　field　office　of　the　assistant　district　director　of　investigations　in　Seattle；　who　was　prepared　and　waiting　for　information　to　arrest　the　smugglers　within　territorial　limits　and　break　up　the　syndicate's　pipeline　into　North　America。　Now　her　fate　was　uncertain；　and　she　saw　no　avenue　of　escape。　Through　some　untapped　reservoir　of　fortitude　she　did　not　know　she　possessed；　Julia　had　somehow　survived　the　torture。　Months　of　hard　training　had　never　prepared　her　for　a　brutal　beating。　She　cursed　herself　for　choosing　the　wrong　course。　If　she　had　meekly　accepted　her　fate；　her　plan　to　escape　would　have　most　likely　been　achieved。　But　she　thought　that　by　playing　the　role　of　a　frightened　but　proud　Chinese　woman　she　could　have　deceived　the　smugglers。　As　it　turned　out；　it　was　a　mistake。　She　realized　now　that　any　sign　of　resistance　was　shown　no　mercy。　Many　of　the　men　and　women；　she　began　to　see　in　the　dim　light；　were　also　badly　beaten。
　
　The　more　Julia　thought　about　her　situation；　the　more　she　became　certain　she　and　everyone　in　the　cargo　hold　around　her　were　going　to　be　murdered。
　
　THE　OWNER　OF　THE　SMALL　GENERAL　STORE　AT　ORION　LAKE；　ninety　miles　due　west　of　Seattle；　turned　slightly　and　peered　at　the　man　who　opened　the　door　and　stood　momentarily　on　the　threshold。　Orion　Lake　was　off　the　beaten　track　to　most　traffic；　and　Dick　Colburn　knew　everyone　in　this　rugged　area　of　the　Olympic　Peninsula　mountains。　The　stranger　was　either　a　tourist　passing　through　or　a　fisherman　from　the　city　trying　his　luck　with　either　the　salmon　or　trout　stocked　in　the　nearby　lake　by　the　Forest　Service。　He　wore　a　short　leather　jacket　over　an　Irish　knit　sweater　and　corduroy　pants。　No　hat　covered　a　mass　of　wavy　black　hair　that　was　streaked　gray　at　the　temples。　Colburn　watched　as　the　stranger　stared　unblinkingly　at　the　shelves　and　display　cases　before　stepping　inside。
　
　Out　of　habit　Colburn　studied　the　man　for　a　few　moments。　The　stranger　was　tall；　his　head　cleared　the　top　of　the　door　by　less　than　three　fingers。　Not　the　face　of　an　office　worker；　Colburn　decided。　The　skin　was　too　tan　and　craggy　for　a　life　spent　indoors。　The　cheeks　and　chin　were　in　need　of　a　shave。　The　body　seemed　thin　for　the　frame。　There　was　the　unmistakable　look　about　him　of　a　man　who　had　seen　too　much；　who　had　suffered　hardship　and　grief。　He　appeared　tired；　not　physically
　
　tired；　but　emotionally　used　up；　someone　who　cared　little　about　life　anymore。　It　was　almost　as　if　he　had　been　tapped　on　the　shoulder　by　death　but　had　somehow　shrugged　him　off。　Yet　there　was　a　quiet　cheerfulness　in　the　opaline…green　eyes　that　broke　through　the　haggard　features；　and　an　obscure　sense　of　pride。
　
　Colburn　concealed　his　interest　well　and　went　about　his　business　of　stocking　the　shelves。　〃Can　I　help　you　with　anything？〃　he　asked　over　his　shoulder。
　〃Just　dropped　by　to　pick　up　a　few　groceries；〃　replied　the　stranger。　Colburn's　store　was　too　small　for　shopping　carts；　so　he　picked　up　a　basket；　slinging　the　carrying　handles　over　one　arm。
　〃How's　the　fishing？〃
　〃Haven't　tried　my　luck　yet。〃
　〃There's　a　good　hole　at　the　south　end　of　the　lake　where　they've　been　known　to　bite。〃
　〃I'll　keep　that　in　mind；　thank　you。〃
　〃Got　you　a　fishing　license　yet？〃
　〃No；　but　I'll　bet　you're　authorized　to　sell　me　one。〃
　〃Resident　or　nonresident　of　the　state　of　Washington？〃
　〃Non。〃
　
　The　grocer　pulled　out　a　form　from　beneath　the　counter　and　handed　the　stranger　a　pen。　〃Just　fill　in　the　applicable　blanks。　I'll　add　the　fee　onto　your　groceries。〃　To　Colburn's　practiced　ear　the　accent　was　vaguely　southwestern。　〃The