Daylight on Iron Mountain by David Wingrove Read Free Book Online

probably. Who did he know here, after all? And even if he did have contacts, how in heaven’s name would he arrange things? If he, Jiang Lei, a general in the Eighteenth Banner could not exert sufficient influence, how could lowly Ho?
    No, he was mad even to think it might work.
    Jiang Lei went through and poured himself a cup of wine. It was too early in the day for drink, but for once he felt the need. It wasn’t every day his friends were arrested.
    He had finished his drink and poured himself a second when the comset buzzed and the screen lit up. Jiang hurried across.
    It was Ho. Seeing his Master, he bowed low and then launched in, smiling as he told Jiang what he had arranged.
    As he finished and the screen blanked, Jiang sat back, laughing with delight.
    Steward Ho, it seems, had a cousin who knew a servant in the royal household. That servant had a friend – a very
close
friend, let it be understood – who looked after the needs of the junior minister in charge of a certain government department. A contact of the friend in that department had a brother who, at a price, would place Jiang’s request before another junior minister. While
that
junior minister was unable himself to give the requisite written permission for a visit, he might, for a ‘small’ consideration, place the matter urgently before
his
Master, the minister himself.
    In short, four small, discreet payments and it would be done. He would get to see Chun Hua.
    ‘Ho,’ he said quietly, speaking to the air, ‘you are a genius.’
    Maybe. But first he had to arrange these payments.
    Ho returned a half an hour later, flushed at his success. Jiang greeted him, then handed him the four red packets, each marked with a different symbol, as Ho had asked.
    Ho bowed low. ‘It is a great deal of money, Master. Are you sure…?’
    Jiang nodded. ‘To see Chun Hua… I would pay ten times as much. But don’t tell them that, Ho. They would only raise their price.’
    Thus it was that, an hour later, Jiang Lei slid down from inside the litter. Handing his documentation to the gate guard, he waited to be passed through.
    He wanted it to be a surprise, so he had not notified Chun Hua of his coming. He wanted to see the joy on her face, hear his daughters squeal with delight as they saw him enter the room.
    ‘Is there something wrong?’
    The gate guard had turned away and was talking into his handset, in a low murmur that Jiang was clearly not meant to hear.
    The guard turned, gave him a contemptuous look, then turned away again.
    ‘Soldier!’
    Jiang’s bark caught the guard totally unprepared. He turned back and, noticing the dress uniform for the first time, came to attention.
    Jiang held himself straight, his full authority in his manner. ‘Are you going to let me go inside, or are you going to keep me out here all afternoon!’
    The guard bowed again. ‘Forgive me, General, only I…’
    At that moment there was a slamming of doors and, a moment later, the noise of several men shuffling quickly along on slippered feet. As Jiang looked past the guard, he saw five men – all Han, all wearing identical pale green
pau
– hurrying towards him down the broad, high-ceilinged corridor.
    As the guard stepped aside, four of the five formed up behind the eldest, a greybeard – the number on his chest badge said ‘Number One’ – as if to block Jiang’s way.
    ‘What do you want?’ Number One bellowed, his face sneering and ugly, clearly angry at being disturbed.
    Jiang looked to the guard. ‘Give him the permission.’
    The gate guard handed it across, then stepped back. The look on his face seemed to suggest he was pleased to hand this over to another; that he had done his bit in stalling the stranger.
    Jiang knew what this was. One last shake-down. Number One was yet another doorkeeper. He would say that the permission had not been properly verified and that it would cost a hundred
yuan
, maybe, to fix that.
    Jiang dug his hand into his pocket. At