Fall of Hades by Richard Paul Evans Read Free Book Online Page B

walked back to the kitchen.
    Welch put on his clothes, then came out. There was a lung , a woven bamboo steamer basket, on the table next to a shallow dish of soy sauce and chopsticks.
    â€œYou remembered that I like those,” Welch said as he sat down. He lifted the lid off the basket, and a cloud of pungent steam filled the air. “Hmm.”
    â€œYes, I remember.”
    He lifted his chopsticks and picked up a dumpling, dipped it into the soy sauce, and then took a large bite. “That’s . . . remarkable.”
    â€œMr. Tsai at the market makes a mean pork dumpling.”
    Welch laughed. He always laughed whenever Mei Li used an American idiom.
    â€œDid I say that right? ‘Mean,’ it means ‘Fei chang hau,’ like ‘very good.’”
    â€œYes,” he said, still smiling. “You used it perfectly.”
    â€œIt is very strange that Americans sometimes say the opposite of what they mean.”
    Welch smiled. “Yes, they do. Often. Was the market busy?”
    â€œThe market is always busy in the morning. It is our way. We do not like the big supermarkets like in America.”
    â€œDid you see anything suspicious in town?”
    â€œIf you mean foreigners, no. Just some students.”
    â€œHow about police?”
    â€œYou think the Taiwanese police will be hunting you?”
    â€œI know they will be. And your military. The Elgen have arrangements with both.”
    â€œAre you sure?”
    â€œVery. I helped make them. Hatch will tell them that I’m one of the terrorists involved with shutting down the Starxource plant. I’m certain that a picture of my face has already been circulated.”
    Mei Li frowned. “I saw nothing unusual.”
    â€œIs there an Internet café nearby?”
    â€œI have Internet in my home.”
    â€œNo, I don’t want them to track us here.”
    â€œThere is an Internet café at the end of the street near the phone store.”
    â€œGood. I can kill two birds with one stone.”
    She looked at him quizzically. “Why do you want to kill birds?”
    â€œIt’s an American saying,” he said. “It means I can do two things at once.”
    â€œMultitask,” she said.
    Welch laughed again. “Where did you learn that?”
    â€œAmerican television channel. That’s where I learn most of my English slang words.”
    Welch fumbled with his chopsticks and dropped one of the dumplings into the dish of soy sauce, spattering the brown liquid all over himself. Mei Li stifled a laugh. “Americans have more trouble with chopsticks than the Chinese language.”
    â€œWe have trouble with both,” Welch said.
    She walked to his side. “I have a question. How are you to get out of Taiwan? If Hatch has reported you as a terrorist, you will not be able to use your passport or you will be caught.”
    â€œI’m thinking I could charter a small plane or even a boat. It’s only six hundred nautical miles to the Philippines.”
    â€œI could find you a boat,” Mei Li said. “But then what will you do?”
    â€œI need to get back to America.” He rubbed his chin. “I’m going to need inside help for that.”
    â€œWho will help you? Who can you trust besides me?”
    â€œThere is no one besides you. I don’t know anyone who isn’t Elgen or who the Elgen know about.” He paused, then said, “Except Michael Vey.”
    â€œWho is Michael Vey?”
    â€œHe’s a Glow.”
    â€œWhat is a glow?”
    Her question reminded Welch of how little Mei Li actually knew about his world or the Elgen. “Michael Vey is part of a group who is fighting the Elgen.”
    â€œYou mean the terrorists who attacked the Starxource plant in Zuoying?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThey are bad people. You should not be with them. It is very dangerous.”
    â€œThey weren’t trying to shut down the plant.