We made a pot of rice and shared a can of chicken curry. Tak-Tam and Ting-Yan continued to cajole us. I began to feel convinced, and if the other two had agreed, I would have gone, but Emily and Courchene stood firm. “Selwyn-Clarke needs us. We can’t afford to be partisan.”

We invited them to stay the night in the clinic, but they wanted to leave right away so that they could travel while it was still dark. After they’d gone, I lay on my cot and wondered how things might be different if Ting-Yan had married Tak-Wing instead of Tak-Tam. Whether Tak-Wing would have beaten her as he beats Emily. Not that I wished such a thing on that beautiful, sensible woman. It was more that I wondered whether she was the kind of person Tak-Wing would feel he could hit. What a stupid thing to think about. I went to sleep.

CHAPTER 34GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN

Undisclosed Location

New Territories

September 2, 1942

Dear Morgan,

Well cousin, I don’t know if you got my last letter or not, though I’m sending this to you through the same network of messengers, whom I trust. My contact says you received it. I have half a mind to come back to Hong Kong Island myself to get you. It’s a bit dangerous for me to do so, but it would be worth it if I could get you out of there. I still haven’t heard from you, though you could easily have given the messenger who brought my letter a missive of your own in return. Why didn’t you? It can’t possibly be that you think what the Japanese are doing is good and right? Not still?

It is possible to get out. The Japanese administration is encouraging it. You might need to swim a bit, and you’ll for sure have to climb a couple of hills. But didn’t we used to ramble through the Blue Mountains all the time at home? Remember our trip to Nanny Falls and how we met that Maroon couple up there? We sat on that rock talking to them for hours. That was really something, man, to meet those folks. Well, the people I’ve met up here aren’t exactly Maroons, but I’ve assisted in the movements of hundreds of refugees and escapees. Hundreds, cousin, do you understand me? I know you’re a brave man, and the travel is easier than you think, especially for a young fella like you with no injuries and no encumbrances.

Not that things don’t happen, of course. Things happen.

In the meantime, it gets more dangerous for you every day you stay down there. And even if it weren’t dangerous, surely you must be getting very hungry. Stop dreaming, please, my cuz. I’m only saying this because I love you and want you to live.