“Put Miss Hu in the best room,” Shao said. “And it doesn’t matter which ones you give to me and Sparrow.”

“If you’ll follow me, Miss Hu. Young Master, Ah Guo will take you to your room.” The housekeeper bowed again. “I shall come back for the other young lady.” She walked across the small courtyard, the lines of her skirt emphasizing the graceful sway of her hips.

Shao followed the manservant to a house on the eastern side of the courtyard.

“How long have you worked for us, Ah Guo?” Shao asked.

“Twenty-seven years,” the man replied, opening the door to a plain but tidy room, “ever since your grandfather opened the shipping business and bought this house.”

“How long has Mrs. Deng worked here?”

“Just two weeks,” Ah Guo said. “Master Tienming brought her from Shanghai.” His expression never changed.

IN THE AFTERNOON, Ah Guo brought the doctor to see Shao. Sparrow and Mrs. Deng were already in the room, but the manservant hovered about the doorway possessively, the very picture of a family retainer. Dr. Mao was middle-aged, with a pleasant, square face and a cheerful demeanor that made Shao feel better just talking to him. Dr. Mao examined Shao’s rashes and asked about his symptoms, examined the label on the now-empty medicine bottle from the army doctor in Foochow.

“He was right to give you antibiotics,” the doctor said. “You have a form of relapsing fever, mostly commonly carried by lice and ticks. Your condition has been exacerbated by exhaustion and poor nutrition. You need antibiotics and bed rest. But I must warn you about the drugs you’re getting.”

Many patients with relapsing fever felt worse for a brief spell after their first large dose of antibiotics, the doctor explained. They often fell into a shaking chill, accompanied by more fever, sweating, and a feeling of extreme fatigue. But once that was over, Shao could expect a rapid and dramatic recovery.

“Drink lots of water, eat plenty of nutritious food,” the doctor said. “And you must continue to get lots of bed rest. My guess is that you’ll be in bed for another week.”

“I’ll make sure of it, Doctor,” Sparrow said.

The doctor nodded. “If you send someone to Dr. Yan’s office in the morning, I will have some antibiotics prepared for you.”

“Where is Dr. Yan, sir?” Ah Guo said.

“He’s taking a short holiday,” Dr. Mao said, “and since he’s been kind enough to let me stay with him while I’m in Wen-chou, the least I could do was act as his locum. Reminds me of my days at medical school.”

He laughed as though it was a huge joke, eyes bright in his square face. Shao felt himself chuckle in response to the infectious laugh.