The Adventures of Goodnight and Loving by Leslie Thomas

Author:Leslie Thomas [Thomas, Leslie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-05-11T00:00:00+00:00

As the car, sent for them by Mr Chan, drove towards Kai Tak, George had a moment to reflect that his views of Hong Kong had been almost entirely through windows. Now he looked at the boxy scenery flickering by, the tramcars and traffic, and the crowding people, until the road reached the waterfront and the majestic outlook of the great harbour. Charmaine regarded it with dull eyes.

“I can always say I’ve been to Hong Kong,” she said moodily. “Even if it didn’t turn out the way Ron expected.” She remembered George and squeezed his arm, looking carefully towards the driver first. He was cut off by a window. “But I met the kindest man alive.”

“Don’t say ‘alive’ like that,” he suggested. “It sounds temporary.”

“Oh, it’s not,” she said sincerely. “I’m looking forward to showing you Deewhy.”

“You’re sure?” he asked warningly. “You do still need me? I’m not just on a free ride?”

“No way are you,” she retorted. Her voice descended hoarsely. “Listen, this whole creepy bunch frighten the bloody life out of me. That Chan man. I don’t like the way they arrange everything. They could arrange us.”

He pressed her wrist with more confidence than he felt. “I don’t think they want anything but to get us to Australia,” he said. “The simpler the better. They don’t want any trouble.”

The car turned into the conglomerated airport complex. Planes landed and took off under their noses. Inside the departure gate Gregory Chan was waiting. He bowed.

“I hope everything was right, Mrs Mangles,” he said. “Your take-off time will be in one hour …” he looked at his watch, “… seven minutes.” He regarded George carefully. “Mr Mangles will be travelling with you. This way please.”

Yet another Chinese appeared alongside them and silently took over as escort. He conducted them along the busy concourse, pushing people and their baggage aside to make a path. Eventually they arrived at a door in a corner and this he unlocked with a key taken from a small velvet wallet. He motioned for them to go ahead and they walked up a stairway to another door which also needed unlocking. It opened into a small but heavily decorated lounge. The Chinese, still unspeaking, bowed and went out by an opposite door which he unlocked. They stood looking around. The sounds of planes were muffled to throbs. A further door faced them and Charmaine stepped decisively forward and opened it. She halted, frozen in her attitude, her back to George. He heard her gasp.

“George,” she said slowly. “Ron’s in there.”

Moving to her side and looking over her shoulder he could see the coffin side-on, lying on a trestle in the middle of the room.

“He looks so lonely,” she complained. Slowly she shut the door. “Mind you, he usually was.”

They sat on two of the plush purple chairs in the lounge. The door to the corridor opened briskly, enough to startle them, and a young Chinese, reassuringly uniformed, came in.

“Mrs Mangles. Please come to Immigration.” Charmaine glanced at George but went out obediently.

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