We made a plan. Courchene, Horace, and Tanaka would pose as Kempeitai, storm the door of the Tai Hang house, and rescue Emily and Raymond. Ting-Yan would supply guns. My job would be to steal Kempeitai uniforms. We had a long, absurd conversation about racial types and whose looks would fool which lookers, about whether Courchene could pass as Asian and, if so, whether he looked more Chinese or Japanese, about whether Tak-Wing would be suspicious of Horace as a Negro Kempeitai, and about whether a Japanese of Tanaka’s cosmopolitan demeanour would be convincing as military police even if Tak-Wing didn’t recognize him as Emily’s friend.

“I’m coming too,” I said.

Courchene gave me a skeptical look. “It’s dangerous, Violet.”

“I know. It’s dangerous for all of us.”

“No more dangerous than sending me,” said Horace.

“You have your bona fides as a committed anti-colonial,” Tanaka said.

“No one’s going to know that by looking at me,” Horace said. “Bona fides and membership are not the same thing. Just try living in America for a day or two.”

“So that settles it,” I said. “I’m coming.”

“How does it settle it?” said Courchene.

“If only Tanaka and Courchene go, it’ll cut the risk in half,” Ting-Yan said.

“It will also cut your strength in half at a time when you may really need it,” said Professor Duffy.

“She’s his sister-in-law!” shouted Courchene.

“She’ll be a small Asian man.”

“The Kempeitai recruit so many local auxiliaries,” Horace said. “Even you could join, Professor Duffy, and as long as you were in uniform, no one would bat an eyelash.”

I still had the job of posing as a laundry worker to steal uniforms. The Kempeitai left their soiled police uniforms at the Hong Kong Cricket Club, to be taken away by the same laundry that used to wash the cricket uniforms.

“Is it truly necessary?” I asked. “I mean, if we have East River guns and Bill teaches us how to storm a fortress, isn’t that good enough?”

“You’ll need more than East River guns if you don’t want anyone to get shot,” said Ting-Yan. “Tak-Wing has a gun too. But we want him to give up without a fight, because we don’t want to hurt him. That means he needs to be truly and completely afraid. He won’t be afraid of a ragtag crew of soft civilians. Especially not if he recognizes you, Violet.”

“Hmph,” I said.

“I’m not soft,” said Horace.

“Me neither,” said Tanaka.

“You know what I mean,” Ting-Yan said.

“Those uniforms better be clean,” Horace said.

“How come you guys don’t already have uniforms?” I asked.

“We’re auxiliary forces,” said Tanaka, “and Colonel Noma’s guests. So our armbands are enough.” He turned to show us more clearly the words law and soldier in Chinese characters on his arm.