Read Online The Chinese Alchemist by Lyn Hamilton - Free Book Online Page A

Market, which, while not as sumptuous as the Eastern Market, located as it is in the wealthier part of Chang’an, had the distinct advantage from my perspective of being adjacent to the Northern Hamlet where famous courtesans, of whom I had become convinced my sister was one, having as a more mature person discarded the brigand theory, plied their trade. Men laughed when I, a young eunuch, walked the streets and lanes of that quarter. They knew from my voice and appearance that I would never know the love of a woman. I ignored them. I was a eunuch in the Imperial Palace, and not just any eunuch but a pure one, who unlike some had never, and would never, be intimate with a woman. I considered these men who frequented the North Hamlet to be my inferiors.
    Soon it was discovered that I could read and write, a skill my father had insisted upon my acquiring, and I was assigned to teach some of the young women of the harem to do the same. I was told I was a comely young man, and soon became a favorite of many of the women, a favorite and perhaps a confidant. I had been afraid that my new responsibilities would not afford me the same opportunity to scour the lanes of the great city of Chang’an, looking for my sister, but I soon found I had even more latitude in my quest, as I both penned and delivered secret letters to the rapid relay stations for these lovely ladies. They had, by and large, a great deal of time on their hands, given the impressive size of the harem. Even those who ascended to the top ranks would spend a night with the Son of Heaven once every few months, and perhaps not even that often, unless they rose to the status of imperial favorites, or were found to be unusually proficient at producing sons.
    Sometimes I would see the carriages of the courtesans, watch them climbing down to choose bolts of silk or whatever pleased them. I did not see Number One Sister. But I did not give up hope.
    *    *    *
    “Blue Toyota, no plates,” David said, as he came back into the building, casting a baleful eye on the doorman in the process. “I almost had him.”
    Dr. Xie was engaged in what sounded like a heated discussion with the young man from the auction house, who looked to be in the throws of a full-blown panic attack. “Scandalous security,” he said to us, leaving the man wringing his hands. “How can they expect people to place items for sale under these kinds of circumstances? We will have to wait for the Beijing Public Security Bureau, I’m afraid.”
    The man in black said something, which Dr. Xie translated. “He’s saying that the doorman is an idiot, grabbing the wrong person.” I was inclined to agree.
    It took the police only a few minutes to get there, but already Burton was pacing up and down in a most annoying way. The instant the police arrived, the man in black pulled them aside. The conversation was in Chinese, so I couldn’t understand a word, but I noticed Burton had his head cocked in their direction, a rather bemused expression on his face. Whatever the discussion, it was brief and resulted in the man in black leaving immediately after it concluded. The rest of us were kept there considerably longer. We were all asked what we had seen, details of our passports and visas were taken, and then we were told we could leave as well. “How did that other guy get out of here so fast?” I said. “Army,” Dr. Xie said. “He’s high up in the Chinese army.”
    “So what?”
    “This is China,” Dr. Xie said in a warning tone. “It is not your home. Things are different here.”
    “Well, that’s it, Lara,” Burton said, coming over to say good-bye. As usual, he didn’t offer to shake hands. “It’s been a blast. Might as well pack our bags and go home. See you there I hope.”
    It didn’t work out like that.
    My first order of business was to call George Matthews and deliver the bad news. I’d told Mira that she could deal with Eva Reti at the law firm, but that I should be the