The Palace of Heavenly Pleasure by Adam Williams Page B

Mongolian regions. There’s a tomb there.’
    â€˜I know where Fuxin is. Go on.’
    â€˜Well, sir, our agent writes that there was a Boxer disturbance there, apparently after the arrival of a mendicant priest. It’s not the first time we’ve heard of this priest, sir—’
    â€˜Or others like him. There are thousands of mountebanks in China, all rabble-rousing in one way or another.’
    â€˜Yes, sir. Whether or not it’s the same priest may not be important. What distinguishes this incident was that there was a death, a murder, sir.’
    â€˜A murder? Of a missionary? Of a white man?’
    â€˜No, sir. There were missionaries there, Dr and Mrs Henderson, of the Scottish Missionary Society. They were terrorised, surrounded in their house by a mob, but not hurt in any way. They were very frightened, of course. They’ve left Fuxin, I gather, and are on their way back to Peking now.’
    â€˜That could start a panic. We’d better get to them before they start talking to the papers. But you said somebody was murdered?’
    â€˜Yes, sir. A Chinese Christian. A well-known merchant who had trading dealings with several of our companies. He was … hacked to death, sir.’
    â€˜By the Boxers?’
    â€˜Yes, sir.’
    â€˜You have that on good account? He was murdered by the Boxers because he was a Christian and consorted with foreigners?’
    â€˜It doesn’t say, sir.’
    â€˜But you presume it? Your agent presumes it?’
    â€˜Yes, sir.’
    â€˜What’s the situation there now? In Fuxin?’
    â€˜The local authorities sent in soldiers, and dispersed the riot. Several ringleaders were arrested, including the murderers of the merchant. The mendicant priest disappeared. Things seem to be back to normal now. There’s going to be a trial at the local yamen and probably some executions.’
    â€˜Well, in that case it seems to be an internal Chinese affair.’
    â€˜I beg your pardon, sir?’
    â€˜A law-and-order issue, man. Townsfolk riot, whatever the reason, and the authorities reassert control. How do you know this merchant was not a corrupt, unpopular person in his town and a natural object of mob violence, maybe the cause of it?’
    â€˜He was a Christian.’
    â€˜That’s no guarantee of anything. I’ve known some pretty corrupt Christians in my time. This merchant might have been storing grain. Anything. No, there’s nothing to be read into this. It’s a common riot. Happens all the time.’
    â€˜My agent talks of Boxers. And there was a killing. The first, sir.’
    â€˜Everybody talks of Boxers nowadays. No, Pritchett, it seems to me that we would be irresponsible if we overreacted to this. Forget it, man. Have your weekend. What’s left of it. We’ll talk about this again on Monday.’
    â€˜Sir, could we not investigate this incident further? It may be important.’
    â€˜Oh, Pritchett, you have Boxers on the brain. What are you suggesting?’
    â€˜Well, sir, Manners is passing in that direction on his way to Shishan. It’s not too far out of the way, sir. Perhaps we could ask him for an independent report.’
    â€˜I don’t share your trust in young Manners. He’s much too much in bed with the Japanese for my liking, and anything else with two legs for that matter. He’s disreputable, Pritchett. I’ve helped him because his father asked me to, and you seemed to think it was a good idea, but I really have my reservations. I don’t approve either of this extraordinary gunrunning scheme that you and London have concocted behind my back. It’ll explode in your faces, you mark my words.’
    â€˜But to counter Russian influence in Manchuria…?’
    â€˜Yes, yes, I’ve read your report. I still don’t like it, and when I think that you will be relying on young Manners of all people…’
    â€˜We