A Tangled Web Ch. 10

Starting in Li-Nau, she slowly, tentatively, sought out her contacts and through them got the news. Then, using the Ming-Xing, she worked her way up and down the coast, meeting up with the tattered remnants of the rebellion. It took a while to put a full picture together and, as she did, the outlook was bleak. She was finding time and time again that the cadres had all but disbanded; when the leaders had failed to return from the urgent meeting and news had trickled back about a disastrous raid, the members had simply slipped back into their day-to-day lives. However, with a few suitable promotions and some inspirational speeches at clandestine meetings, she was slowly able to start bringing it all back together again.

What was also becoming clear was that those captured in the raid on the compound were still being held, along with the platoon captured at Nan-Tung, in a large prison camp in the south of the country. With her troops and organisation in disarray, there was little that Xui-Li could do to mount a rescue, but she knew that her conscience would not rest easy until she done all that she could. Apart from the boost to morale that a rescue effort would give to the movement, there were people in there to whom she owed her freedom. However, good intentions were one thing, actions were another; she was endlessly getting bogged down by the sheer volume of work and badly needed an assistant, someone she could rely on. She mentioned this in passing to the boatswain and a couple of days later there was a knock on her cabin door. She glanced through the spy hole in the door and saw a young woman waiting outside standing in front of the local organiser, so she opened up and let them in.

"I've been told you needed an assistant, Ma'am, and this young lady comes with the very best recommendations," the local organiser said. "She's my sister's oldest, as bright as a button and completely loyal to the cause."

"Does she know what she's getting into; who I am and what I do?" Xui-Li asked before turning to the girl. "Well, do you?"

"Do you mean fighting for my country, ridding us of the British oppression?" the girl said defiantly.

"It's not quite as simple as that," Xui-Li responded. "You'll be putting yourself in danger. Talking about it is one thing.When the bullets start flying it's completely different. Do you really think you could fight, really, when it comes down to it?"

"And why shouldn't I? You're just like all the rest," the girl said angrily. "Just because I'm a girl you think I belong at home. I'm tough, really tough, I'm just as tough as any boy."

"Yin! Be quiet!" The local organiser cut across. "Excuse her, Madam Hong, she doesn't know our ways."

"No, indeed." Xui-Li looked at Yin who was still fuming slightly. "So you think we don't give girls an even chance here, do you?"

"I'm sorry Ma'am," Yin replied. "But...."

"Never mind your 'buts'," Xui-Li said. "Now come and meet the crew and then we'll have a talk, see if you still want to work for me."

The local organiser made her excuses and left them, so they went below and Xui-Li handed Yin over to the boatswain to be shown around and introduced to the rest of the crew. It soon became clear to Yin just how much she'd got off on the wrong foot and when they returned to Xui-Li's cabin she was quite contrite. She knocked on the door and entered. She found Xui-Li at her desk writing.

"One million pardons, Ma'am," she said, her head bowed. "I spoke intemperately about that which I knew nothing. Please forgive me."

"So you no longer think I'd prefer one of the boys," Xui-Li joked. "Talking of boys, are you leaving some young man pining after you?"

"No, Ma'am. I've... I've never had a boyfriend," Yin replied. "I'm just not interested."

"Neither have I, so at least we have that in common. Now tell me more about yourself."

As the two chatted Xui-Li saw more and more that, despite her youthful exuberance, Yin was exactly what she wanted and, what's more, they got on well together. It turned out that Yin's father had been shot by the British in a skirmish some years back so, for Yin, the struggle was very personal.

"So, are you sure this is what you want?" she asked finally. "If you join up with us it's a one way journey. There's no going back."

"Yes. Yes, please, Ma'am," Yin replied enthusiastically. "It's what I've always wanted."

"Well, we'll see about that. Now we sail tonight; can you be ready in time?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I just need some time to get some things from home, and to say goodbye to my mother."

"And then we must fix you up with somewhere to sleep. There's room below decks with the crew but I like to have you near me at all times. Maybe we can fit you up with a cot in here."

"Here, in your cabin? It would be an honour, Ma'am," Yin said enthusiastically.

"Well, you had best get off then. Be back here before sundown; that's when we sail."

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you, Ma'am." And with that Yin scuttled off.

After she had gone Xui-Li thought about her new assistant. She was certainly pretty and not interested in boys. It wouldn't do to make too many assumptions but maybe a separate cot wouldn't be needed for too long. She glanced over at the bed and thought about the last person to share it with her. Again she wondered what had happened to Jun-Nui; she hadn't spotted her when the compound was raided but, whatever the outcome, she was long gone now. So much misunderstanding lay between them and Xui-Li couldn't help but regret that she would never get the chance to sort things out.

But those weren't the only regrets. Xui-Li had always admitted to having a roving eye, indeed, her eye was currently roving towards Yin, but there had been something about Jun-Nui that had marked her out as special and there was a yearning in Xui-Li's heart as much as her loins. With a sigh she pushed these thoughts to one side; what was done was done and regrets would get her nowhere. She reached for her charts and went back to her plans.

Yin proved to be the perfect assistant; bright and willing, she only had to be shown anything once and was soon able to take a significant portion of Xui-Li's load. Furthermore, in the intimacy of the shared cabin, it wasn't long before Xui-Li came into the cabin to find Yin drying herself off after a dip overboard.

"You look pretty enough to eat," Xui-Li said.

"You can if you want," Yin replied. "Well, I don't mean..." She blushed. "Please, Ma'am, I've been talking to the rest of the crew and they told me what you like."

"And what exactly did they tell you?" Xui-Li enquired gently.

"That you... That you...." Yin let the towel drop to the ground and stood naked before Xui-Li. "Please, Ma'am, please let me be your lover."

Some weeks later Yin and Xui-Li were lying in bed together, relaxing having enjoyed each other's bodies. Yin had proven to be as quick a learner in bed as she was out of it and, whilst they were always professional outside of the captain's cabin, in private their relationship was deepening daily.

"Who's Jun-Nui?" Yin asked.

"She's... she was... just a girl I knew," Xui-Li replied.

"And were you fond of her?"

"A little... Enough, you ask too many questions. Anyway, who told you about Jun-Nui?"

"You did."

"I most certainly did not!"

"Well, maybe not exactly but...."

"But what, you little minx?"

"You called out her name in your sleep."

There was a pause while Xui-Li digested this.

"She was rather special but she's gone, she's in the past, she's dead and... well... even if she's not, I'll never see her again," Xui-Li admitted. "Does it make you jealous that I call out her name?"

"A little but that's just because I want you all to myself," Yin replied.

"And that's what you've got." Xui-Li rolled over and held Yin tight. "You're my special love now."

Back at the brothel, Vera was starting to become part of the furniture. Even Lian was giving her a grudging respect. She had quite a list of regulars, customers who had, at first, been attracted by her European looks but who came back again and again because they valued the way she treated them. Whilst she would never, ever, get to enjoy the abuse her body was put through, or the clumsy mauling that passed for love play from some of her customers, she was an intelligent and imaginative woman who appreciated that the more she played along to her clients' fantasies, the more they paid in tips. It wasn't that she saw any of the money, but getting tips meant that she kept in Lian's good books which, in turn, meant that her life was easier.

Curiously, as she got to know her regulars, their trysts became less about sex and more about loneliness. All too often she would end up listening to a litany of complaints about how their wives were cold and distant, how the sweet girls that they had married had turned into nags and shrews, how they were no longer agreeable, in bed of out. Vera would sympathise with each one, and express surprise that any woman could be cold to such a virile man. Another one of her customers wanted little more than to complain about the problems he was having with his rebellious teenage daughters. After their perfunctory sex was over, they would lie in bed together and, as Vera cuddled up to him, he would complain mournfully "why can't they be good girls, like you?" Vera, ducking the irony that he was calling a prostitute a 'good girl', would be all kindness and sympathy, all the while storing up the stories so as to recycle them as her own misdemeanours the next time that 'daddy smack bottom' came visiting.

But, for all that she was getting used to her ordeal, she could never stop her yearning for freedom, nor would she wish to. Her heart ached just to see the sky again, to feel the wind on her face, to tear down the walls that surrounded her, to rip the prison bars from the windows, to make her own decisions about what she did and when she did it and, more importantly, who she did it with. As yet another drunken lout leered at her, seeing not a person but an object to be used, she dreamed of striking out, of striking back, of revenge. Instead she hid away inside herself, pinned a smile on her face and played along, outwardly pretending that these buffoons were the greatest lovers ever and she adored every moment of their attentions.

There were two things that kept her spirits up throughout all this. Firstly, there was her growing friendship with the other girls. In any enclosed society there are inevitably cliques and in-groups but, as time went by, Vera became less and less of an outsider. She ended up as just one of the girls, as much part of the fabric of the place as any other. Even Lian stopped picking on her. As she got to know the other girls there were two with whom she became especially close. Her 'black and white' show with Sangeeta was always popular and, to prevent it getting stale, for them as much as for their audience, they worked hard to develop it. When the brothel was closed to customers they would pass the time by commandeering the stage and working out their moves. What had started as almost straightforward sexual congress was developing into a choreographed dance routine, a series of stylised mutual caresses before they moved on to the actual penetration. It still held to the overarching theme of Sangeeta dominating Vera and, at Lian's suggestion, Sangeeta now used a riding crop as a prop, but the build-up was longer, it was more sensual, more sensuous. To make it look real, it had to feel real, and it is all but impossible to be that physically close on such a regular basis without forming an emotional bond as well so the two became firm friends. But, even then, it was Jia-Li who remained, as she had been from that very first day, her closest confidante. They found they had much in common and, even when Vera grew less dependent on Jia-Li for guidance, they still spent what spare time they had in each other's company. Like many of the girls they shared a bed and, as they lay together after the night's work was over, their shared caresses were more about mutual support, about healing each other from the carnal appetites of their customers.

But friendship alone, however important, was not sufficient to give Vera something to live for. For all the confidences that Vera shared with Jai-Li, there was one big secret that was hers and hers alone. This was the second thing that kept her alive; her plan, her plan to escape. She knew it wouldn't be easy, she knew it wouldn't be soon but, above all else, this was the thing that kept a flicker of hope burning in her heart. Slowly, so slowly, the pieces were coming together. Possibly the most important part had been the discovery of a loose floorboard just under the bed that she shared with Jia-Li. Now she had a place to hide her growing collection of treasures; items that she felt she might need if and when her moment came. The main, the crucial treasure, was some hair dye. Her blonde tresses were growing out again and this meant that she stood out like a beacon amongst her raven-haired colleagues. One day she found out that some of the girls would use one of cookie's preparations to make their hair more lustrous. When she asked if she could have some, she was forbidden as it turned out it was effectively jet black hair dye. Little did the cook know how this discovery made Vera's heart leap. Bit by bit, Vera, under the guise of helping the others, had secreted small amounts away until she had enough to turn her hair just as dark as theirs. Another find was that the polish that was used on the furniture was made from walnut oil and when this oil came in contact with her fair skin it dyed it brown. This colour wouldn't wash off and took some time to fade. This discovery had been accidental and Lian had been furious when Vera had reported for work with the tips of her fingers badly stained, but Vera had treasured this knowledge and some of this oil became an important part of her stash. A combination of the oil staining her skin and the dye colouring her hair and she might, just, pass as Chinese. She had even managed to put together a small sum in cash, coins that had dropped from her customers' pockets and, by carefully hoarding this away, it had started to mount up. Her plan was nearly ready. All she needed was the right occasion.

And then, one evening, the moment came. The brothel had been invaded, there was no other word to describe it, by a platoon of new recruits from the rebel army. As their sergeant had explained to Lian, they had only just joined up and had yet to even start their training. This was to be their last night in civilisation for quite a while and he asked, nay demanded, that, before they headed into the hills, they be shown a good time. He seemed to feel that the brothel's services should be provided free as a contribution to 'the cause' but Lian vehemently disagreed. After some considerable negotiation, it was agreed that the girls would give their services free and, in return, the brothel would charge full price for any food and drinks. Of course, should any of the recruits feel so enamoured of the girls that he wished to make a small donation, then that would gratefully received. As the profit on the drinks was more than the profit on the girls Lian reluctantly agreed. However she gave firm orders to the girls that they should ensure that each of their customers should not be bedded until they had made their 'voluntary' contributions.

As they piled into the brothel the lads reminded Vera of the rebel soldiers she had seen in the stockade. They were just as young, just as innocent. At barely eighteen they knew nothing of life and were full of false bravado. More importantly, from Vera's point of view, as they had only just been recruited, they hardly knew each other. This was her chance. She homed in on one of the recruits who was drinking wine like there was no tomorrow and was also, importantly, roughly her size. She used all the tricks and charms that came with her trade to ply him with more wine and persuade him that what he really wanted to do was to take her to one of the rooms. When she reminded him that the sex was free he didn't need much more persuading. However, he was nearly too drunk to walk and Vera had to help him to his feet.

Lian was far too busy making sure that the wine was flowing and that they were raking in as muchas possible for her to do other than quickly take the requisite 'voluntary' payment from the recruit before Vera led him down the hallway towards the private rooms. It was a busy night and she had to try quite a few before she found one that was free. She directed him inside and laid him on the bed. The next step in her plan was one she was not looking forward to; he had to be unconscious and she was expecting to have to use force to knock him out but, to her relief, almost as soon as he lay on the bed he rolled over, groaned a couple of times, and passed out in a drunken stupor. Vera poked him a couple of times but he was dead to the world. Now was her chance; there was no time to lose.

The first thing to do was to obscure the observation grill. Under normal circumstances doing this would have been highly suspicious but Vera reckoned that, with all that was going on, no one would be checking up on them and, were they to do so and find the grill covered, they would be too busy to investigate. She took a screen, which was normally used to conceal the washstand, and placed it in front of the grill so that the view was blocked.

The next step was to strip the recruit naked and lay out his clothes ready. It was a bit of a struggle as he was a dead weight and, if anything, fought her rather than helped but it wasn't long before he was naked and Vera was measuring his clothes against her. making sure that they would actually fit. He was chubbier than she was, and the fit was far from perfect, but it would have to do. Up to this point she could, had she been discovered, have talked her way out without too much trouble but now she had to cross the Rubicon. She opened the door and looked up and down the corridor. There was no one there to notice her as she nipped through to the dormitories and, yes, there too, the coast was clear. On a night like this even those not available for sex were busy serving the wine and even the cook would be fully occupied in her kitchen. No one would have the spare time to hang about in the dorms. She lifted the loose board, grabbed the things she had hidden there and, after rechecking the corridor, ran back to the room where the recruit still slept soundly.

If she were to pass as him the biggest problem would be her hair. She took a pair of scissors from her stash and, as quick as she could, she hacked away until it was as short as his. That the cut was rough and ready didn't really matter, his wasn't much better. Then she filled a bowl with water and added the hair dye. She put it on the floor so she could lie down and put the back of her head in it, keeping, as far as possible, her hands free and using towels to keep the dye off her hands. Working as fast as possible she soaked her hair and rubbed away the excess. When she stood up again her hair was still sodden but at least it was black and, if all went to plan, everyone would be far too busy to notice. Next on her agenda was her fair complexion. She scrubbed off her make-up, stripped off her kimono and dabbed at her face and arms with the polish until she was several shades darker; almost as dark as Sangeeta. Now she really was committed. If Lian caught her like this then it would be obvious what she was up to and her very life would be in danger.

She looked again at the recruit. He was no hunk but he certainly hadn't got her feminine shape. Using the scissors and brute force she tore her kimono into strips and bound them about her chest in and attempt to hide her breasts or at least keep them under control if she had to run. Now, at last, it was time to get dressed so, starting with his underwear, she put on the recruit's clothes. The fit wasn't good and she had to do quite a bit of tucking in, but it wasn't hopeless. At least the bagginess of the tunic disguised her still feminine outline. The biggest mercy was that, with a little padding, the boots were wearable. She scooped up what was left of her treasures and packed them in the soldier's kit bag, slung it around her shoulder and looked at herself in the mirror. She wasn't pretty but she wasn't meant to be; at least she looked like a scared new recruit. Now for the final step.