The following morning, Alden took his time preparing and enjoying breakfast together with Ember. Despite the food being average at best in terms of quality, Alden nevertheless savoured every bite. It might not be the tastiest meal he had ever eaten, but it was certainly one of the most satisfying. Once the meal was over and the dishes cleared away, Alden started looking through a list of London businesses partially owned by Robert Smith that Lucille had supplied for him. Unfortunately, none of the businesses stood out to him as being run by anyone he knew. Then again, most of his acquaintances were members of Nabber Hill Lodge, and they tended to be very independent, as business owners. Not really the type to seek out investors… But there were a number of mechanist’s workshops on the list. And while Alden himself didn’t know very many mechanists, he certainly knew someone who did. Karl wiped his greasy, soot-stained face with a rag. Given the already quite dire state of the rag, this mostly served to smear the dirt more evenly across his features. The music box above the door was still working its way through what Alden just about recognized as a very tinny, highly simplified rendition of the Four Crowns Symphony. Clearly, the box was set up to play the entire ten minute symphony, because it had started playing when Alden first opened the door, and even by the time Karl had laboriously managed to make his way through the unbearably messy workshop it was still carrying on. “I understand why you replaced the old music box, but wouldn’t a shorter piece have been more appropriate?” “I suppose, but I already had that music box lying around, so it was the easiest thing for me to exchange it for.” “And you had a music box arrangement of the Four Crowns Symphony lying around because…?” “Some baron or other commissioned a dozen of them a few years back to celebrate the five hundredth anniversary of the Treaty of Four Crowns. The one I put in the door was the prototype for those boxes.” The door mechanism finally chimed out the last note of the symphony, and Alden breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, I suppose it’s your door. But don’t blame me if some customer decides to smash the mechanism to pieces. More to the point, I was wondering if you happen to know the proprietors of any of the workshops on this list.” Karl took the proffered piece of paper curiously. “Well, I’ve at least heard of most of them, but I can’t say I really know any of them personally. Or, well, I suppose I have exchanged a few words with Gerald Chandler. Owner of the Chandler Repair Shop. He joined the Tinker’s Tankard about a week ago.” “Is there any chance I could speak to him?” “Oh, probably. His shop opens on the night shift, so if anything he might be at the Tankard right around now. The Tankard never closes, since mechanists tend to keep all sorts of strange hours.” “I don’t suppose the Tinker’s Tankard allows invited guests?” “Oh, sure. But you have to pay an entry fee.” Alden patted at the coin purse in his front pocket. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.” The Tinker’s Tankard turned out to be a very hastily refurbished old pub at the edge of the southern industrial district. So hastily refurbished, in fact, that Alden could just barely make out the words ‘The Tarnished Crown’ beneath the surface of the crudely repainted sign. But despite the slapdash appearance of the premises, the newly instated social club seemed very lively even at mid-morning. In something of a stroke of good fortune, Gerald Chandler was sitting at the bar as Alden and Karl arrived, working his way through a pint of ale as he sketched up a diagram of some sort of machinery on a block of notepaper. After receiving an introduction from Karl, it only took an offer to buy him a few drinks to get Gerald to agree to a private chat with Alden. Tankards in hand, the two headed off to a corner booth. “So…” Gerald said after a deep swig of ale. “What can I do for you, Mr. Stowe?” “Well, to keep things brief, I run a small tinctury, but business has been good and I’m looking to expand operations. After advertising for investors to fund this expansion, I received an offer from one Robert Smith.” Gerald raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? I had no idea that fancy bastard had any interest in tinctury. He’s usually sniffing around the big growth industries, from what I hear.” “Well then, perhaps he knows something about the future of the tinctury business that even I haven’t heard.” “Hah! Maybe. I wouldn’t put it past him. I’ve met him a couple times, since he owns a one-third stake in my shop and all, and he always struck me as a wily bugger. You know the type. Smooth, slick and completely full of himself.” Alden smiled. “Well, I’m glad I could chat with you like this. Since I’m considering entering a business partnership with the man, I’d love to know everything you can tell me about him.” As it turned out, Gerald Chandler actually had quite a lot to say about Robert Smith. Parts of it were his own experiences, while parts of it were things he’d heard from others who had a similar financial relationship to the man as he did. By the time Alden made it back to the tinctury, morning had long since turned into afternoon. As such, he wasn’t all that surprised to find Mei Jing waiting for him in front of the door to his apartment. “Mei Jing, it’s good to see you again. Have you been waiting long?” “No more than an hour or so, and Em… Ember kept me company until it needed to leave for a guard shift at The Place. It seems to be doing well.” “I’d like to think so. I’m certainly trying to be the best father I can be to them. But let’s head inside. I’ll make some tea and put out some biscuits.” As usual, Mei Jing was quite enamoured with sweet biscuits, and she had worked her way through Alden’s entire selection four times over before she finally had her fill. But Alden was distracted from the adorable bulging of her cheeks by the medicated bandage wrapped around her arm. It was a new bandage, so she clearly changed it out quite frequently. But the fact that she was receiving good care didn’t change the undeniable truth that she had gotten hurt working for him… Alden sighed softly, taking a sip of his tea. It was a useless line of thought. He couldn’t exactly tell Mei Jing to stop working for him at this point. He had to deal with Robert Smith as quickly as possible, and he needed Mei Jing’s help to do so. He simply had to hope that she’d take his words of caution to heart and operate as carefully as possible. “So, since you came to see me I would imagine that you have some important information for me.” “I do. We have investigated Shimmer Place, but we have not been able to go into the house. It is staffed by ten to fifteen Han men. They dress like servants, but they do not act like servants, and they carry hidden weapons.” “Guards, then.” “Yes.” “So, Robert Smith employs a large number of Han guards. I’d say that just about confirms my suspicions, even if it could hardly be considered solid evidence…” “There is another thing. There is also a young Han girl working at Shimmer Place. She cleans and cooks, and seems to sleep in the kitchen at night. But if she is the only one who cleans it must be very slow and strenuous for her, because she has broken feet.” Alden started. “There’s a girl with broken feet at Shimmer Place?” “Yes. She totters on feet that are small and bulge at the top, hidden beneath the fabric of decorated lotus shoes. Girls with broken feet cannot run, and walking for too long is painful for them. It must be very hard for her to do physical labour like cleaning.” Alden frowned. He hadn’t thought it was possible for him to feel any more enmity towards Robert Smith than he already did, and yet… “What else do you know about this girl?” “Not much. One of my girls managed to talk to her when she was throwing out old food, but she didn’t learn much. The girl’s name is Fu Chao Xing, but she wouldn’t say much else about herself.” Alden frowned thoughtfully. “Why is her name in three parts? All other Han names I’ve heard were in two parts.” “Fu is her family name. Most Han do not use their family name when away from Han.” “Why not?” “Many reasons. If you use your family name, then you are acting as part of your family, and any bad thing you do will reflect poorly on your family’s respectability. Also, some Han families are sworn enemies, and if you use your family name, it means you cannot do business or associate with those from opposed families. And of course, many Han in England do not have family names. Runaways, outlaws, disowned people. But some Han of no family have become important in London. And since using a family name when speaking to one who has none is implying you are of higher status than them, that could cause trouble. Because of all these things, even Han who take pride in their family will rarely use their family name in London.” “But this girl uses hers?” “Yes. I am told she introduced herself as Fu Chao Xing when my girl spoke to her.” “How curious… Is the Fu family notable?” Mei Jing shook her head. “Like most Han families, the Fu family is too big with too many branches for the name to have much meaning. There are Fu who are simple farmers, and there are Fu who are great teachers or statesmen. I think there was even a Fu who was a general at the time I left Han, but I may be misremembering something I overheard.” “I suppose the name itself doesn’t tell us much, but the fact that she is using it… Mei Jing, could you arrange a meeting between me and this girl?” Mei Jing went silent for a while. “I think it may be possible. I will try. But I won’t be sure until sometime tomorrow.” “Well, as soon as you have an answer, come find me at Wu Bo’s shop. There are some things I need to ask him about tomorrow.” Wu Bo’s shop was much as Alden remembered it, although there seemed to be even more landscape paintings than before, to the point that very little of the walls remained unadorned. For a moment, Alden seriously considered purchasing one. After all, the line-work was frankly stunning in its beautiful simplicity. But that was hardly why he was here today, so he put the notion from his mind and went up to the counter. “Good day to you, Wu Bo.” The elderly Han man shot Alden a welcoming smile. “Alden Stowe. It is good to see you alive and well.” “I came uncomfortably close to being neither of those things, but I got better. I see you’ve been painting more landscapes.” Wu Bo barked out a laugh. “I have far more time on my hands that I used to. Many of those who usually come to purchase calligraphy from me and blather on about the homeland seem to have vanished. I don’t suppose you had anything to do with their disappearance?” Alden considered the sheer number of suspected Han loyalist who had been captured or killed in the wake of his recent activities. “I very well might have.” “Well, it has certainly done my mood a lot of good. Painting patriotic calligraphy is tiresome and irritating. However, it has done my finances no favours.” Alden grinned and put twenty pounds on the counter. “Well then. Allow me to counteract both of those things by paying you a large sum of money to do something you will probably find both tiresome and irritating.” “What do you need this time?” “I need you to tell me about Han culture, etiquette and social conventions. Particularly anything related to familial duties, obligations and respectability.” Wu Bo frowned. “You were right, this will be tiresome and irritating.” “So tiresome and irritating you won’t do it for twenty pounds?” Wu Bo hesitated for just a moment, then sighed deeply. “Very few things are that tiresome.” The lesson went on for hours, and Alden learned an awful lot about just what it meant to be part of a Han family. Frankly, he didn’t like a lot of what he learned, but they were nevertheless things he needed to know. Still, the very notion that children existed to serve their parents, which seemed to be a core component of the Han view of familial relationships, sat rather poorly with Alden. He quite firmly believed the opposite, after all. By the time Mei Jing arrived at the shop, Alden was very grateful for the interruption. Giving Wu Bo a blatantly insincere apology, he put the lesson on hold and went to speak to Mei Jing instead. “Any success, Mei Jing?” “If you come to the kitchen entrance of Shimmer Place tonight, you can meet with Fu Chao Xing. Because the shifts do not match fully, there are no guards at the kitchen entrance in the first two hours after midnight. And Fu Chao Xing has agreed to speak to you in exchange for herbal medicines to treat foot pain.” Alden’s frown darkened. Not only was the girl made to do physical work on broken feet, she also wasn’t given appropriate medicines to alleviate her pain. His reluctance to continue his lesson with Wu Bo vanished in a flash. He needed to get his hands on Robert Smith, of course, but he also felt a sudden yet intense need to get that girl away from his vile clutches. And if listening to an unpleasant lecture would in any way help him do either of those things, it was well worth it. The back alleys behind the houses of Pennywort Street were surprisingly narrow and dark, given the opulence of the neighbourhood. Then again, that opulence had only come about quite recently, a consequence of the success of the Heath Row passenger airship port. Before then, Pennywort Street had simply been an unremarkable residential street of a small township on the outskirts of London. As the old houses were torn down to make room for larger, more luxurious structures, the back streets turned into cramped, twisting little alleyways. Not that Alden minded. If anything, the shadowy maze of twisting passages made it almost comically easy to make his way to the kitchen entrance of Shimmer Place unnoticed. It was the sort of environment were a Rascal thrived, and Alden couldn’t help but feel a slight, comfortable nostalgia. But that feeling quickly gave way to determination as he approached the kitchen entrance of Shimmer Place and saw Mei Jing standing there together with an unfamiliar girl. The girl was clearly of Han descent, dressed in a beautifully embroidered red and gold garment, but her clothes were mostly covered up by a stained, slightly ragged apron. She looked to be slightly older than Mei Jing, maybe twelve or thirteen, but there were already lines and creases on her face that spoke of pain, fatigue and sadness. Her eyes were a lovely dark brown, but the whites were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and though her long black hair was bound up in an elaborate arrangement, it was matted and dull from poor treatment. Her feet were hidden by strange, richly embroidered cloth shoes, but they were clearly too short to be natural, and the structure of the foot bulged up strangely at the front of the leg. Alden didn’t know what sort of mutilation would leave a foot in such a clearly unnatural shape, and frankly he didn’t care to even imagine it. Still, he concealed his disturbed thoughts behind a polite smile as he walked up to the girl, giving her a brief, shallow bow of the style Wu Bo had suggested would be appropriate for such a meeting. “Good evening. I am Alden Stowe. Am I addressing Fu Chao Xing?” The girl returned the gesture with a much deeper, more respectful bow, although Alden saw a partly concealed flash of pain cross her face as she performed the movement. “I am Fu Chao Xing. I was told that you would bring me medicines in return for a brief conversation?” Alden nodded and started pulling out several small packages from his bag. “Huang Qi to reduce inflammation. Bai Shao to stabilize the sanguine humour and aid circulation. And of course an ointment of Jin Yin Hua, Yan Hu Suo and Ru Xiang to be used for pain relief and to prevent infection.” The girl’s eyes widened slightly as Alden pulled out the medicines. To be honest, Alden would have been more comfortable prescribing remedies he was familiar with, but since he assumed the girl would be more familiar with traditional Han remedies, he had asked Wu Bo to think of an appropriate treatment plan. Judging by the girl’s expression, he had been right to do so. “This is more than I asked for. I am in your debt.” “You are doing me a great favour by speaking to me like this. It is simply an appropriate reward for services rendered.” Fu Chao Xing hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “What is it you wished to speak about?” “I wish to know more about the master of this house. I will not ask you to betray any confidences. Just tell me about your relationship with him and about your life in his house.” “Oh… I don’t know if I can…” The girl fell silent as she clasped her hands tight in front of her stomach. She was clearly struggling with something, so Alden decided to simply wait and let her work through it. In the end, with one final glance at the packages of herbal medicine, she started speaking once more. “The truth is… The truth is that Master Smith is my betrothed. He purchased me as a bride from my family, and we are to be wed once I come of age.” Alden frowned. No matter how he looked at it, Fu Chao Xing was clearly not living a life befitting the betrothed of a wealthy man. Not even by Han standards. Besides, there was something else that didn’t seem right. Thinking back, Alden tried to remember all the things that Wu Bo had taught him about Han customs. “If you are engaged to be married to Robert Smith, then surely you should be Smith Chao Xing?” The girl’s expression went very stiff, and when she spoke, there was even more tension in her voice than before. “Well, in accordance with English law I cannot be married before I turn sixteen, so I am still not part of the Smith family.” “But surely Robert Smith could simply have accepted you into his family as per Han tradition?” “Well, there is no legal grounding in English law for that type of…” “I’m not talking about legal matters. I am talking about matters of courtesy and acceptance. Surely the respectable thing for a man in Robert Smith’s position would be to formally accept you into his family. And if he had done so, I doubt you would have hesitated to call yourself Smith Chao Xing.” Chao Xing grew silent, and Alden realized that she was clasping her hands together so tightly they had gone white, and her entire body was beginning to shiver. When she spoke again, her voice was thick with emotion. “It… I do not like to speak of it, because it is a shameful thing, but… In truth, Master Smith has long since told me he has no intention to marry me. He simply wished to have me as a servant and a decoration.” It was clear that the girl standing before him was struggling to maintain composure, and Alden felt a cold fury roiling within the pit of his stomach. But thankfully, he was able to keep his emotions from showing on his face or in his voice. “Surely your family would object to such a breach of contract?” “My… My branch of the Fu family is very poor. Master Smith paid them a very large bride price for me…” “I see. And I suppose striking out on your own would be difficult, given the state of your feet.” The girl shook her head, tears beading in the corners of her eyes. “It’s not that. Even I understand that my life here is… I work from early morning to late in the night, I am given little enough to eat, and though I am dressed in fine clothing, Master Smith will not provide me the herbs I need to treat my feet. I have heard enough from the runaway girls to know that even I might be able to make a life for myself on the streets, or at least I could make the attempt…” “So why don’t you?” The girl’s expression hardened. “Because while I abide by the agreement my parents made with Master Smith, I am still a daughter of the Fu family. Master Smith might not uphold his side of the agreement, but I can still uphold the respectability of the Fu family by abiding to the stated terms.” “Is the respectability of a family that would carelessly sell you to the highest bidder, not caring at all for your health and happiness, really worth this much suffering?” “It is all I have! Without the Fu name, I will have nothing left!” “You still have your life, Chao Xing. You still have a future.” “What worth is there in the life and future of an unwanted girl?” Alden fell silent as he regarded the girl before him. Her face was full of pain and anger and frustration, but her tears refused to fall. No doubt, she had cried so much in her life that no amount of pain and grief was enough to make her cry any more. As much as he desired her help, he also wanted to help her. Fortunately, he felt confident he could manage both with the right encouragement. “Then will you allow me to give you a future?” The girl looked up at him sharply, confusion writ clear across her features. Alden smiled gently as he continued speaking, carefully choosing his words to increase their emotional impact. Thankfully, Wu Bo's lesson had given him a clear idea of how to do so. “The Stowe family has little in the way of history, merit or respectability. But it has love and care in abundance. If you wish it, I would be happy for you to stand alongside my other children as Stowe Chao Xing.” Confusion gave way to shock, then indecision. “That’s… I can’t…” Seeing her waver, Alden studied her shivering form for a moment as he considered how to proceed. “You would have two siblings. Tiffany and Ember Stowe. I am sure they would be happy to call you their sister. And if you desire it, I could bring you to the surgeon Su Li. I do not know what she charges to heal broken feet, but I have plenty of money. Perhaps in a year or two, you might be able to run again.” Chao Xing grew completely rigid, as if every muscle in her body was straining against itself. Then, tears began to roll down her cheeks. “I could… run?” “I can’t make promises, but I hear the surgeon Su Li has seen great success in healing broken feet.” For a moment, Chao Xing just stood stock still, tears streaking down her face. Then, she spoke, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Baba…” Alden smiled and opened his arms. “Chao-Chao.” It was something he’d learned from Wu Bo. That in Han, saying the first part of a personal name twice was common way to create a diminutive form of the name used as a term of endearment. It seemed appropriate here, but he could never have predicted just how effective it seemed to be. Chao Xing’s entire body jolted as she heard it, and she tottered over to Alden on unsteady legs, wrapping her arms around him in an almost desperate embrace. She was sobbing loudly at this point, but the sound was muffled by the fabric of Alden’s jacket, so he simply stroked her hair gently until she calmed down. “Baba…” “Yes, Chao-Chao?” “What about Master Smith? He is rich and scary, and I doubt he will let me go just like that…” “Robert Smith has done some very bad things, and I intend to make sure he is brought to justice. When that is done, he won’t be able to stand in the way of you becoming my daughter.” Chao Xing was silent for a little while, then she stepped back so that she could look Alden in the eye. “I want to help.” “Are you sure, Chao-Chao?” “I’m sure. I am Stowe Chao Xing, after all. I want to be helpful to the Stowe family.” Alden nodded. “You’re a brave girl, Chao-Chao, and I’m very happy for your help. The first thing I need you to do is to tell me everything you know about Robert Smith, his house and the guards working for him.” Alden returned to the tinctury very late that night, but he couldn’t head to bed just yet. Stepping into the workroom, he found the tinctures he’d asked Tiffany to prepare for him the other day. Looking at the carefully prepared array of vials, he smiled a little awkwardly. He would have to discuss the finer points of labelling with Tiffany at a later date. Precise labelling was a good thing in most situations, but if an unrelated party had found some of these vials it would have led to some very awkward questions being asked. As he inspected the unusual tinctures, Alden considered everything he’d learned. The way the Han loyalists responsible for the burning drug murders had operated. The things he learned from interrogating the Corker brothers. Everything he’d been told about Robert Smith’s actions and personality, be it from Lucille or Gerald Chandler or Chao Xing. What he’d learned about the Han guards at Shimmer Place and how they treated Chao Xing. Somewhere within this mess of information, he could just about make out the path to victory… Pulling himself from his musings, Alden gathered the vials and brought them up to his apartment. There, he hid them away within the small safe that was built into the wall itself. They were just one part of the plans that were even now taking form within Alden’s mind. He wasn’t ready to make his move just yet, but he had formed an outline for the scheme that would bring Robert Smith to justice. He had finally made it to the end game of this prolonged battle. All he needed was a little more time to plan and prepare. The next morning, just as he was finishing up his breakfast with Ember, Alden was called downstairs to accept a delivery. A nondescript messenger boy handed him a sealed envelope and a small package that smelled vaguely herbal, but he claimed to have no knowledge of the sender’s identity. Well aware of the situation he was in, Alden put on a pair of work gloves before bringing the envelope and package back to his apartment. He opened both his windows, making sure to open the envelope by the window where the cross draft would naturally pull any fumes or powders out into the open air. With a certain degree of trepidation, Alden opened the envelope and pulled out a small note. “I have the girl. If you care about her well-being, you will visit me in my home at your earliest opportunity. Come alone. Tell no-one. If you disobey these instructions, the girl dies. R. S.” With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Alden unwrapped the little package. There, nestled among bundles of preservative herbs, was a human finger. Judging from the size and shape, it was clearly the left little finger of a child. The complexion of the severed digit suggested that it was taken from the hand of a person of east-Asian descent, and the clotting of the blood suggested the finger had been taken off no more than an hour or two prior. But what truly drew Alden’s attention was the partly healed burn running along the outside of the severed digit. “…Mei Jing.”