Dick Steel; Private Eye

"You, you are the voice in my head," I said understanding now. "You are the being locked in that coin."

"Yes, now dive into the water and dream deep," she said smiling. "When you wake up your long journey will begin."

I timed my dive into the water. The water enveloped me and I was suspended in a blue green universe where all was silence and beauty. The deeper I swam the more at peace I became until I reached the realm of deep dreaming and of that place no sane person remembers. Li Fang is the one who woke up first and found me in my chair. She woke me and led me to my bed. We crawled in next to Iris and I fell back asleep. It was early afternoon by the time I woke up again. The foursome was busy performing various chores and getting ready to depart the next day. Amanda was cooking while Iris was attacking her files with great gusto. Hannah was boxing up a few cherished items in my office while Li Fang swept the floors. I was offered coffee and a meal while I woke up. I learned from Amanda that she had already hired people to go to her place as well as that of the other girls to pack their belongings. What wasn't ready by tomorrow would be stored and shipped once we settled down. We would load the Rolls Royce Sunday morning and we would kiss the city goodbye. Our first destination was the small town of Dunwich and if that didn't work out then it was off to Innsmouth. I liked the thought of a home with a view of the ocean. I could almost hear the crashing of the waves and smell the scent of salt in the air. I finished my meal and set about helping the girls.

Hong Kong:

Jimmy Wong drifted on the swirling cloud of opium smoke as he 'chased the dragon'. His ancient eyes were closed as he wandered along the dreamscape of idyllic palaces crafted from the purest jade. There were fountains and garden paths and everywhere was pristine beauty. He was young once more but still he fought the urge to dive into and carouse among the myriad pools occupied by the dark skinned goddesses of forgotten Leng. He passed them by as he made his way to the celestial library and its untold secrets. He had learned as a youth how to control and harness his dreams and it was that very discipline that allowed him to partake of forgotten lore and delve into secrets even the gods had forsaken. There are on the steps were the twin guardians carved in stone and flanking the great wooden doors that led into the library of Leng. He bowed before the idols before entering for it was fool hardy not to show respect for those blasphemous sculptures that watched and even as the continents drift and mountains become plains still they will guard this sacred space. He pushed hard against the doors and they slowly yielded to his desire. The great vaulted space beyond was cast in shadows and what little light illuminated this place came from the window slits high up on the walls. Shafts of diffused sunlight struck the floor and shone on the polished marble. Jimmy headed straight for his heart's desire but before he could reach it he was summoned back to the earthly realm.

"Master," Shen whispered as he shook the old man. "Master wake up I have grave news."

"Liu, is that you," Jimmy said his voice weak and gravelly. He opened one eye and looked upwards from his prone position. "Oh Shen is that you?"

"Yes Master," the younger man said his face filled with alarm. "I have terrible news!"

"It had better be life and death Shen or I will kill you where you stand," Jimmy said as he slowly got into a sitting position. "So close... so damn close!"

"Master?"

"Never mind, now will you please tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Li Fang is gone," Shen said. Those four words cut through the opium haze like tempered steel.

"What do you mean she is gone," the Tong leader asked very slowly and very precisely. "Tell me what has happened."

"I went up to the old monastery as I always do, once a month, to drop of their supplies and see if they need anything. When I got there no one was around. So I searched the buildings thinking that maybe the old monk was asleep and couldn't hear me. All of the buildings were empty and there was a freshly dug grave out back behind the shrine. Someone, I presume it was Li Fang, carved the old man's name on a piece of wood to mark the grave. Well, I searched again and found absolutely no signs of Li Fang."

"Wait, what about the Gwailoh," Jimmy asked in reference to the white man that had been living with the monk and helping to keep an eye on Li Fang.

"Master don't you remember," Shen asked as respectfully as he could. "He died two years ago when the flu struck this area."

"Aye Yah," Jimmy said as he recalled that particular tragedy. "Li Fang was very upset when he died."

"What are we going to do," the younger man asked as Jimmy pondered the situation and then he pulled out a folded piece of paper from the interior of his silken robes. He unfolded it and read what was written there and a slow smile spread across his lips. A gentle transformation took hold of the Tong leader as his shoulders relaxed, the perpetual scowl disappeared and he let out a sigh that held the stress of a thousand men.

"Nothing," Jimmy Wong said in a near whisper.

"What," Shen said staring in disbelief. "How can we do nothing?" In answer the old man handed him the piece of paper that turned out to be a telegram from the Taipan himself. The gist of the message was this; someone had snuck aboard the slaver ship and killed three members of the crew. The bodies were never recovered and that security was terribly lax on Hong Kong's end of things. "I still don't understand Master."

"She's over there," Jimmy replied. "The Gwailoh must have living relatives in his native country. She will seek them out and as far as we are concerned she is their problem now. The pact has been honored now let it drop."

"Yes Master," Shen replied smiling from ear to ear. "Thank the gods... oh... the poor bastard."

"Yes Shen... go now to the shrine and light some joss sticks so that the gods might have pity on this poor man's eternal soul. He is going to need it."