THE GOLDEN ORB
By Atonia
(Picture creations also by Atonia)
Part 1
He was a big man dressed in khaki with a blue silk scarf tied around his neck in lieu of a tie. His dark hair was combed straight back and a black mustache crossed his full upper lip. He had very dark eyes and when they turned on you, you’d better have an answer. He stood looking out of the window down two stories to the narrow, noisy street below. "So what happened?" Robert Cramer asked.
Brian Brown screwed up his permanently red face, at odds with his ginger hair, and let out a puff of air. "Somebody smoked it." He looked again at the photos scattered across the table. It wasn’t pretty viewing, two people tortured and killed…one a woman. "She’s been identified, a simple school teacher, probably hired for the job."
"No one is simple, Brown."
"Yes, sir, right you are. In this arena most likely there was a threat to her family. That often plays well with the locals. The man is, ah, Joe Wong. He was only an employee."
"Joe?" he interrupted.
"Well, obviously not his first name. Something unpronounceable but he went by the name of Joe. He worked for Trade Imports for three months. Could have been a plant, of course."
Cramer turned from the window. "So you really don’t have anything concrete for me, do you?"
"We’re still working on it. I got a man interviewing the teacher’s family and somebody down at Trade Imports going over the premises."
"If indeed this Joe Wong was a plant, why can’t we put a man in there?"
"We could, yes, we could." Brian looked up from his notes.
"Do we know such a man, somebody who can take care of himself a little better than Mr. Wong?"
Brian leaned back in his chair letting his eyes trail over the nondescript room of institutional grays and greens. "I know a guy…."
"Trustworthy?"
Brian’s thin lips traveled up the side of his face. "He’s been known to be at times. Honestly, he’s played both sides, whatever works toward his own gain, but if he’s on your side he’s committed. He’s from this part of the orient. His mother was part Chinese, his father an Englishman. He pays allegiance to no one country, totally apolitical. I was at school with him in Cambridge. He’s educated, smart, but a little different. He’s English in looks and name only."
"No one is totally anything but if you think you can trust him…and I’ll trust you on this," Cramer looked him in the eye, "then contact him, let him know what’s at stake. That golden orb must not fall into the Tang Chu’s hands. Meanwhile I want some real answers…probably and most likely don’t make the cut."
"Yes, sir." Brian gathered the photos into the manila folder and stood up ready to leave.
"I want to meet him before he goes out. What’s his name?"
"David Blaine. I’ll bring him in." Brian waddled out of Cramer’s domain into his own office. ‘Bring him in,’ yeah, right…only if he wanted to be brought in. He fumbled in his center desk drawer for an address book and flipped through the worn pages. No phone number listed. He’d have to go around and look him up.
David turned over on his stomach on the rumpled silken sheets to watch her dress. His evenly tanned body only half covered he rolled a cigarette and lit it.
"Thank you," she said, picking up the money on the dresser. Smiling, bowing slightly, she backed out of the room.
He supposed he should have thanked her. She’d been expensive and worth it but he never spoke to her. He rolled over on his back, thinking about a swim in his pool when a discreet knock at the door brought a bowing Kim into his bedroom.
"There is someone to see you." He handed him a card on a little brass tray.
David looked at the card, frowned a little and tossed it on the sheets. He finished his cigarette.
Brian moved around the room he’d been shown into, his inner nervousness not evident. The room was furnished in the Asian fashion with low seating. A man his size would never get up from that couch without resulting to all fours. He hadn’t seen David in almost a year. They didn’t travel in the same circles. He stopped and looked at a painting of Blaine and squinted at the artist’s name, as if he might recognize it, but from the look in the eyes of the man in the portrait he must have known the painter well. Or not. That was the thing with David Blaine. You were never quite sure of him.
In school there had been rumors about him but no one had ever confessed to knowing him intimately. He was sensually seductive with a following of young men and women. Brian felt a flush up his neck reddening his face even more. He’d had a crush on him, too. He touched a few objects on a table and became aware he wasn’t alone.
He turned abruptly and there framed in the doorway stood Blaine dressed in a long, dark blue silk kimono.
Brian adopted the English hail and fair well attitude. "Hello, Blaine. Good of you to see me. I would have called but I didn’t have your phone number."
His longish hair was brushed back behind his ears, forming a little wave over one temple. "Brownie…," he said quietly.
"I got a little proposition for ya. Is there a place I can sit down where we can talk?"
"This way." David motioned with a graceful hand and led him out onto a shaded patio. The cool aqua of the pool beckoned beyond and he glanced at it briefly before sitting down.
Brian waited until Kim set a lacquered tray of cool-looking drinks down before beginning. "You’ve no doubt heard about what happened at Trade Imports. Two people killed in the loading area."
"Yes, I have heard." He took a sip from his glass. "What has that to do with me?"
"I need your help, Blaine. You know this town as well as anybody. You know the players. There’s a shipment coming through Trade Imports. It’s already enroute. We need to intercept it here in Hong Kong before it gets to the mainland."
"If you know it is enroute then you must know where it is. Why have you come to me?"
"We can’t touch it right now, but once it’s on our soil we can move on it. I need a man inside to intercept it."
Blaine laughed a little. "Do you not think it odd that I should go inside Trade Imports? As usual you have not done your assignment properly. You never did unless someone helped you." He reached inside the folds of his kimono, brought out the makings for a cigarette and proceeded to roll it.
"What do you mean?"
He took his time and lit the cigarette before answering. "I own Trade Imports."
"You’re Wu Chang?"
"Yes." He blew smoke across the table.
"Well then, you must know what’s coming. You do, don’t you?"
Blaine raised a brow. "A golden orb."
"It’s more than that, Blaine. It’s not the gold, it’s what’s inside of the damned orb."
"It is a gift, I believe?"
"Yeah, a gift all right."
"I care nothing for what is inside…but the gold, it is the size of an American baseball I have been told."
"You’ve been told a lot, my friend."
David looked up at the reference to friendship. They had never been friends. "You are not the only one who desires this orb. I have been approached."
"By who, who contacted you?"
"I have friends in many places. If I told all I know, I would have none." He sat upright in the chair, once again letting his eyes slide to the pool.
Brian studied him for a moment, his fine profile, straight forward nose that belied the sea green eyes when they turned to you. Secrets lay behind those eyes.
"Well, you’ve thrown me, Blaine. I had no idea you owned Trade Imports, but that could work to our advantage if you’re in with me. You’ll know when it hits the shore. Should be a simple thing then to intercept it. We’ve already had a substitute made up."
"How ingenious of you." He flicked ashes in a bowl.
"I’d like you to come in and talk to Cramer. Maybe between you something can be worked out."
"What’s in this for me? Why would I take such a risk with my company and my life? We already have two dead over this orb, one my employee."
"We’re thinking he might have been a plant working with the girl, only he picked the wrong shipment. The box she received held a statue, not an orb. You can name your price. We’ll cover it. You know then who it’s intended for and why it cannot be delivered."
"Three million pounds."
"Bloody hell, Blaine! Within reason, man!"
"In another year you will not be here on this soil. Hong Kong will belong to China once again. I, however, shall remain. This is my home. I must prepare for what may come. I may not have a company in a year’s time. It’s not the only one I own."
"You could get out. You’re still a British subject. Still got the place in Coventry?"
"My father’s home, yes, but I have no desire to leave, so you see I must prepare myself."
"You’ve got a nice place here, just about everything a man could want."
"Not quite."
"You never married?"
"No, at least not yet," he smiled and picked up the glass.
"Yeah, Pamela will be glad to be going home. Hong Kong’s never been her cup of tea."
"I wonder how you can say that when you have never left the British. They are here everywhere. Did you ever learn the language?"
"A bit. It’s not needed, though."
"No, because everyone speaks English…in a Chinese country. Do you not find that strange?"
"You’ll be glad to see the end of us. My God, you’re more Chinese than English."
"I take that as a compliment," David smiled a little. "Tell your Cramer I will speak with him but I make no promises of any kind for you to take back to him. You do understand?"
"Okay, I’ll tell him. Tomorrow after lunch suit you?"
"Yes." He stood up. "Kim will show you out."
"Thanks, Blaine." But he was already walking toward the pool. Unfastening the kimono and dropping it on the grass, he dove in.
Brian watched him until Kim made a movement in the doorway and he turned, a little embarrassed, and followed him out.
Part 2
"Mr. Blaine, good of you to come." Cramer ushered him into his office. Brian was to sit in but at the sight of Blaine, Cramer shook his head slightly and closed the door. He offered his hand.
David bowed slightly in the manner of his countrymen. "Mr. Cramer."
"Have a seat."
David took the proffered chair.
"I guess Brian filled you in on what we’re up against?"
"I am aware of the shipment."
"Right!" Cramer tented his fingers. "I understand you own the company under a false name."
"It’s not false, only one of many I use."
"Why is that necessary for you to use different names?"
"David Blaine is an English name."
Cramer studied him for a moment, his inscrutable countenance giving away nothing. "Are you with us or not?"
"My first inclination was…not, but I have thought about it. It would serve no good to my people for this orb to be delivered to Tang Chu. He calls himself a revolutionary force for good but he would disrupt the lives of millions of people. I do not believe for a moment that you have the same concerns for my country with the interception of this orb. It is for power and that alone that you seek it. In helping you I would be contributing to that power. This I am not prepared to do."
Cramer was not prepared for this. Brian had only told him that he would come in and talk with him. He gazed at him for a bit, impeccably dressed…good tailor. He spoke flawless English however he could detect that it was not his native tongue, and he was a good-looking man. His nose twitched, catching the scent he wore.
"You’ve lived in British Hong Kong all your life, have you not?"
"Except for school, yes."
"You consider yourself English or Chinese?"
"Neither."
"But you speak of ‘your people’."
"Indeed I do. They are my people, my mother’s people."
"Don’t you feel the need to save them from what’s coming? This place will go to hell in a hand basket in less than a year from now."
"That remains to be seen."
"You don’t feel the inclination to support your father’s people?"
"I hardly knew him."
"I see…"
"What do you see, Mr. Cramer?"
"Where your loyalties lie."
"Then you do not see at all. I am interested in protecting what I have, my life."
Cramer pursed his lips. "You’re worried that you might go the way of Joe Wong, is that right?"
"I have no intention of – going that way. You must understand my company has been given this honor to receive and transport this object. Should I fail, I would lose face and, worse, I may die and I’m not ready to die, Mr. Cramer, for England or China."
"Brown says you were approached by someone else."
"…or any other country. I value my life."
"And yet you don’t want it to end up with Tang Chu which it certainly will once it hits the mainland."
"I do not believe it should end up with anyone. It should never have been unearthed in the first place but as it has and is, as we speak, enroute then it is my duty as I see it to destroy it."
"It can’t be destroyed. My God, if it was going to be crushed it would have been in the tunnels where it was found. You had prior knowledge of it. Who have you talked to about it?"
"Only the source that gave me the knowledge. I have no designs for power, Mr. Cramer, only to live in peace. There can be no peace if this orb is allowed to exist."
"So you had on your own decided to destroy it?"
"Yes, as quietly as possible."
"I can’t allow you to do this, Mr. Blaine. Our government has given strict instructions. We’re to intercept the orb and bring it home. From what you say, you’re not going to help us at all. I could have you detained."
"On what charges, Mr. Cramer? I have committed no crime. We speak of something so fantastical as not to be believed in a court of law. It is perhaps a prank gone horribly wrong. And who knows, it may not exist at all…only a rumor to stir up trouble between nations. And if that is so then it has succeeded, has it not? As you have pointed out, I have been approached by several nations. You are not the first to try and put pressure upon me."
"I’m going to put you under surveillance, Mr. Blaine."
David sighed, "Then it should become quite crowded at the end of my drive."
"I don’t think you understand the importance of this orb. Should it fall into the wrong hands then heaven can’t help us."
"But whose hands are the correct ones? That’s why it must be destroyed. It is you who do not understand, Mr. Cramer." He made to get up and leave.
"You’re going to regret this, Mr. Blaine," Cramer said.
"I already regret it, Mr. Cramer." Blaine smiled a little and let himself out of the office. He walked down the corridor toward the stairs.
Brian caught up with him on the landing. "Blaine…why…why won’t you join with us? All you have to do is hand it over when it reaches you. Why not help us out here?"
David smiled, "It has been set in motion, this crazy thing…and I must put a stop to it. Do you not remember trebles?" He continued on down the stairs leaving Brian clutching the railing.
"Trebles?" What was he talking about? He hit the railing with his hand and walked back to his office. Cramer was standing in the corridor and motioned for him to come into his.
"You heard?"
"Yeah, I can’t believe he’s being so obstinate. He never let on to me that he was that involved with it."
"Well, he’s told us to stuff it. I’ve got an idea. Where’s Charlie Stevens?"
"Charlie? Oh, I’m not sure. Last was in Viet Nam. What have you got in mind?"
"Somebody that can get to him before it’s too late. Blaine’s not gay…is he?"
"Not sure I know the answer to that. Maybe he swings both ways…from what I remember."
"He’s our only hope, Brian. As much as I hate to say it, the fate of the world hangs on one man. I’ve put a tail on him but I think we need to get a little more intimate with Mr. Blaine. Get Charlie over here."
Charlie walked down the corridor with a backpack slung over one shoulder, jeans low on her hips and a black tee shirt hugging her torso. She was more than a little jet lagged and if it had been anybody other than Cramer she would have told him to forget it. She needed a shower, a good long sleep and her luggage, which had not arrived with her on the plane.
Tossing her long auburn hair over a shoulder, she knocked on his door.
"Charlie, how are you, love? Hope I didn’t interrupt something exciting."
"Cramer." She dropped her backpack in a chair, sat down and yawned. "I don’t suppose some much needed R&R would be considered exciting to you." She crossed her legs. "I came straight from the airport so come straight to the point. What the heck am I doing here?"
Cramer grinned a little and sat down in his desk chair. She’d been in the sun…looked good, better with a little polishing up. He met her steady gaze. "I’ve got a job for you here in Hong Kong." He went on to explain the situation to her and what he wanted her to do.
Charlie looked off the side for a minute. "Basically you want me to find him, go to bed with him and learn all his secrets. What a guy you are, a fucking prince."
"Did I say go to bed with him? It’s up to you how you get the job done. Just get it however you can. Hell, you may not get that far with him. He might be gay." Cramer grinned.
"Maybe you should have called in Julian then. Let me finish up my tan I was working on."
"I trust you, Charlie." He pushed a folder across his desk. "This is all we know about him, mostly Brian filled in the blanks. The pictures were taken yesterday afternoon here in my office."
Charlie sighed and opened the folder. "Nice looking guy."
"He’s a bit different…yeah, different."
"What makes you think he’s gay?"
"I don’t know, maybe something Brian said. He’s well kept up, I’ll say that, wears perfume, has his nails done."
"That makes him gay," she looked up, "just because he’s not a slob and takes care of himself?" She shook her head and closed the folder. "Is that all? Can I go to my hotel now? Maybe my luggage took a later flight."
"Three days, Charlie, and the boat will be here. That’s how long you’ve got to turn this around to our advantage."
"Three days," she headed for the door, "and I’m going to sleep away one of them."
Later after she’d showered and wrapped in the hotel robe, she lay across the big bed and opened the folder, read everything in it and studied the pictures. He could be an interesting man.…
David lay propped up on a lounge chair by the pool with his phone at his ear.
"David, my dear, how good it is to hear from you."
"Ali, how are you? Are you well?"
"Very well. What do you think about our little project?"
"I think it has gone too far. I am in peril here."
"Come to me. I will protect you. What has happened to cause you this fear?"
"Two deaths, one a school teacher…a woman, and the other one of my own employees. This is more than we bargained for. It must be stopped, Ali."
"Hmm, what would you have me do?"
"Turn the ship around, sink it, do something to destroy the orb."
"Ah, would that I could, my dear. I fear it is too late for that. Besides, don’t you think it will be interesting to see it out to the end? Eh…see who comes up with it?"
"No, I no longer find it interesting. I find myself in danger no matter which way I turn. The Brits, the Americans, the Russians, the North Koreans have all paid me a visit. I am being watched, followed."
"Get yourself to an airport and come to me. Nothing will happen to you here. You will be worlds away when it arrives."
David looked beyond the pool, beyond the flowers, to the sea down below. He couldn’t. "Do not take offence, my brother. I cannot come to you."