Netherworld by Lisa Morton

Author:Lisa Morton [Morton, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Historical, Steampunk, Supernaturals
ISBN: 9781940161099
Publisher: JournalStone Publishing
Published: 2014-01-10T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter XVI

May 27, 1880

Canton, China

On the day following the exorcism of the vampire, Diana reported to Antonia that the docks were quite safe again (although someone would need to collect the bodies found beneath the Hinton’s go-down, following Master Li’s instructions for burial). She didn’t elaborate on what had transpired, and to her credit Antonia didn’t ask.

The next day Diana found out that British troops outside a small portside Chinese town had just killed several peasants who had protested opium importation. The British had thus far refused to hand over any of the soldiers involved in the incident, and Diana knew they never would.

It was of course news throughout Canton, although Diana was quite sure it would never reach England. Even if it did, it would be dismissed as a simple “disciplinary action,” something designed to keep “John Chinaman” in line.

Diana began to hate the British.

Although she’d become very fond of both Yi-kin and Canton, she felt increasingly that she didn’t belong there; in fact she felt that none of her countrymen belonged there. But she also felt repulsion at the idea of returning on a British ship, via more examples of arrogant imperialism (as in India), and so she made a startling decision:

She would return to England—which was still her home—by way of the Pacific and America.

Besides, there were two gateways in America, and she was impatient to get to them. She desperately wanted more news of William. If he were truly being held captive by a demon in the netherworld, she wanted to know the name of that demon. She wanted to know how to reach it—and she wanted to know how to kill it.

And she’d always had a curiosity to see the United States.

She informed Antonia that she would not be returning home on a Hinton Company vessel. Antonia reacted coolly, and Diana suspected that the young woman was embarrassed at breaking down in front of Diana after her experience with the goong-si, and she was likely stung by the Taoist’s triumph after her refusal to meet his price. Diana mentioned that she wanted to go to America, and Antonia said she would arrange passage for her out of Hong Kong on an Occidental and Oriental Company steamship, bound for San Francisco. Antonia seemed somewhat eager to make the travel arrangements, and Diana thought—sadly—that her friend would probably be happier to see her go.

Diana sought out Yi-kin before she left. She found him in an office, looking over a number of documents. He looked up, smiling, and she had a pang at the thought of leaving this young man behind.

“Yi-kin, I just wanted to tell you that I’ll be leaving Canton soon.”

He stared down at the floor, his voice low. “I am also leaving.”

“Yes, you’ll be bound back for England, I expect—”

“No,” he blurted out, cutting her off. “I am leaving Hinton Company.”

“To go where?”

“I do not yet know.” Finally he looked up at her, and his handsome young face was creased in pain. “When we are in Calcutta, you ask me about opium.

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