Zero Minus Ten

The Rolls-Royce drove south to Boundary Street and then east across the peninsula. The road soon merged with Prince Edward Road West and the Rolls turned off into the area known as Kowloon, not far from Kai Tak Airport. It pulled into a narrow, dingy alley and stopped. James Bond told the taxi driver to let him off at the corner, and he managed to get out without being seen.

It was not a well-lit or inviting neighborhood. In fact, if Bond's memory served him correctly, he was near where the infamous Walled City used to be. This notorious pocket of vice and squalor had always been an embarrassment. A park was now being developed on the site. But to Bond, the absence of the Walled City didn't make the neighborhood seem any friendlier. The side streets south of the proposed park were just as sinister. It was a good place for Triads to operate, and it was precisely where James Bond now found himself.

Bond watched the men get out of the Rolls. They entered a shabby building, and the Rolls drove away. He waited a minute, then stealthily crept toward the middle of the alley. Li Xu Nan and Scarface had entered what appeared to be an abandoned building. The door was loose on its hinges, and the windows were either broken or completely missing.

Bond decided to climb up to the second floor and slip through one of the windows. It wasn't difficult to get a foothold. Once inside, he found himself in a dark room with a wooden floor. The slats in the floor were loose, allowing light from the level below to seep through. If he wasn't careful, the floor would creak. He got down on his stomach and snaked along the floor, distributing his weight so the noise would be minimal. Through the slats, he could see several men milling around, preparing for some kind of meeting. They were dressed in black robes resembling those worn by Buddhist monks, with white sashes serving as belts. They also wore strange headbands made of red cloth, with the free ends hanging over the front of their bodies. There were a number of large loops, or knots, in the headbands. Bond searched his memory for what he knew about Triads and their initiation ceremonies. If they were about to perform a rite, he could very possibly be the only Westerner ever to witness it. He had to make sure he was silent, as they would surely kill him if they found him.

An altar stood at the west end of the room, illuminated solely by candlelight. A large red wooden bucket filled with rice was in front of the altar. Four Chinese characters adorned the outside of the bucket; Bond translated them as "pine," "cedar" (both of which signify longevity to the Chinese), "peach" and "plum" (both of which denote loyalty).

He remembered that the bucket was called the Tau and that it contained various precious objects of the society, including five sets of four triangular flags, or pennants, which represented the names of legendary ancestors of the five Lodges of Triad societies.

The altar had a number of peculiar items on and around it. Above the Tau hung a sheet of red paper. It bore characters indicating the hope that the society would flourish throughout the country. Among the other items were brass lamps, a pot of wine and five wine bowls, an incense pot for holding joss sticks, dishes of fresh fruit and flowers and a large mixing bowl. A sheet of yellow paper bearing the names of the Triad's recruits hung above the altar. Written on five small triangular flags were characters meaning wood, fire, metal, earth and water.

Bond heard a drumbeat and the room became silent. Li Xu Nan, dressed in a red robe, entered the room and sat to the left of the altar. As he was Cho Kun, the Dragon Head, his was the only robe decorated with characters. On his left arm was a white circle containing the Chinese character meaning heaven. On his right arm was the character meaning earth. On his back were two distinct characters meaning sun and moon. When combined they meant Ming. On the front of the robe was an octagonal symbol of the Pat Kwa, or Eight Diagrams. In the center of the octagon was the yin and yang symbol of opposing yet complementary forces, upon which a major portion of Chinese philosophical thought was based. Magical powers were ascribed to this venerated emblem, and for this reason the symbol was frequently employed by priests, necromancers, geomancers and ordinary people as a good-luck or protective charm.

The man Bond referred to as Scarface entered the room and sat to the right of the altar. He was wearing a white robe and was the only man with a string of prayer beads around his neck. Bond knew Triad ceremonies were usually led by an official known as the Heung Chu, or Incense Master, who acted as a spiritual leader and was sometimes second-in-command of the society. Scarface was obviously the Incense Master.

Two men in black robes stood at the extreme east end of the room, holding swords to block the entrance to the Lodge. Four Chinese teenagers stood outside the swords. They were dressed in simple white shirts and trousers. These were the recruits. Another official in a black robe, the recruiting officer, moved from the altar down to the east, end and began the ceremony.

The recruiting officer turned his right shoulder to the guards and called out in Cantonese, "Lower the net!" He made a sign with his left hand, denoting his rank within the organization. The guards then performed the secret handshake of the society.

The officer addressed the recruits in Cantonese, "Why do you come here?"

The recruits replied in unison, "We come to enlist and obtain rations."

"There are no rations for our army."

"We bring our own."

"The red rice of our army contains sand and stones. Can you eat it?"

"If our brothers can eat it, so can we."

"When you see the beauty of our sworn sisters and sisters-in-law, will you have adulterous ideas?"

"No," the recruits replied emphatically. "We would not dare to."

"If offered a reward by the government, even as much as 10,000 taels of gold, to arrest your brothers, would you do so?"

"No. We would not dare to."

"If you have spoken truly, you are loyal and righteous and may enter the city to swear allegiance and protect the country with your concerted efforts."

The recruits each handed the officer some money and in return received a joss stick, which they held in both hands. The recruits then crawled under the raised swords, symbolizing that they were passing through a mountain of knives.

Scarface, the Incense Master, took the warrant flag of the leader from the Tau and displayed it to everyone in the room.

"The Five Founders bestow on me the banner of authority." he said. "With it I will bring fresh troops into the city. We will pledge fraternity according to the will of heaven. None must reveal the secrets that may be disclosed to him. The brethren have elected me to take charge of the Lodge, and have entrusted the seal of authority to my care. I am determined to exercise my authority."

The Incense Master turned to three minor officials near the altar, who were next in the chain of command. They were known as the White Paper Fan, who acted as an advisor or counselor; the Red Pole, who was a fighter and trainer; and the Straw Sandal, who acted as a messenger and as communications officer.

The Incense Master said to the Straw Sandal, "An order has been issued from the Five Ancestors' Altar. Investigation must be made around the Lodge. If police are present to spy on us, they must be relentlessly washed." With that, he handed the Straw Sandal a warrant flag and a sword.

Bond knew that "washed" meant killed. The Straw Sandal went around the room, checking the identities and hand signs of everyone present. When he was finished, he handed back the flag and sword, saying, "I now return the warrant flag in front of the Five Ancestors' Altar. Thorough search has been made of the Lodge. Everywhere was searched. All are surnamed Hung."

This confused Bond until he remembered that Hung Mun was a universal surname meaning Triad Society.

The Incense Master lit the two tall brass lamps on the altar, saying, "Two old trees, one on either side, will bring stability to the nation. Heroes are recruited from all parts of the country. Tonight we pledge fraternity in the Red Flower Pavilion." Next he lit five joss sticks, then held them in both hands. He began to recite a lengthy poem.

"We worship heaven and earth by the three lights. Our ancestors arose to support the Ming. The Hung door is open wide and our brothers are many. Hung children are taught to remember the oaths and rules. Politeness, righteousness, wisdom, faithfulness and virtue are our fundamental rules. The three talents--heaven, earth and man--combine to establish the nation. We dedicate ourselves by the drawing of blood. Our ancestors showed their loyalty by sacrificing themselves for the emperor."

Scarface placed the five joss sticks in the main incense pot on the altar at the five cardinal points--north, east, south, west and center. As he did this, he said, "The smoke of the incense sticks reaches the Heavenly Court, penetrates the earth, rises to the center, rises to the Flower Pavilion and reaches the City of Willows. We pledge (continued on page 128)Zero Minus Ten(continued from page 66) fraternity in a union to overthrow Ching--to bring an end to the decadent Ching Dynasty and restore the rivers and mountains to Ming."

Next, the Incense Master placed the dishes of fruit and flowers and a cup of wine in front of the memorial tablet on the wall. He recited a similar poem, then poured the cup of wine onto the floor.

The recruits knelt before the Incense Master and rolled up their trouser legs. The left trouser leg was rolled three times outward to signify the resurgence of Ming, and the right was rolled three times inward to signify the disappearance of Ching. Then each removed his shoes and put a straw sandal on his left foot. The Incense Master said, "Straw sandals were originally of five strands. In a battle at Wu Lung River they were lost. Only one was saved and retrieved at Chung Chau."

He poured more wine into cups and emptied these onto the floor. "Wine is offered to the souls of our ancestors and to those who died for our cause. Our fraternal spirit will last forever. The heroes in heaven will protect us. We swear we will kill all traitors so that Hung brothers can enjoy happiness and peace."

At this point, two officials in black robes brought in three life-size paper figures, which were in a kneeling position. They were placed on the floor, and a label bearing one of the names of three historical Triad traitors was attached to each figure. An official known as the Sin Fung, or Vanguard, took a long sword from the Tau and approached the figures. He placed the five elemental flags around them and said, "A big flag is erected in the Lodge. All heroes come here to worship. When our troops move out onto the plain, this sword will first stab Ma Ning Yee." With that, he swiftly cut off the head of the first figure.

"When the sword is turned back, it is used to stab Chan Man Yiu." He then cut off the head of the second figure.

"On the third occasion, it stabs the bad emperor of Ching." He then cut off the head of the third figure and called out, "Brothers assembled here, will you give help when the need arises?"

Everyone in the room shouted "We will!" so loudly that it startled Bond.

At this point, the Incense Master took each item in the Tau and recited a short poem about it. Following this was a long question-and-answer session between the Incense Master and the Vanguard, to "prove" the identity and validity of the Vanguard and his role in the ceremony.

It was time for the initiation of the recruits. The Vanguard asked, "Which is harder, the sword or your neck?"

The recruits answered, "My neck." Bond deduced that this was an indication that even the threat of death would not cause them to reveal society secrets. Then the Vanguard began to read the 36 Oaths of the Society. As each oath was proclaimed, a new joss stick was snuffed out on the ground in front of the recruits, symbolizing that they would be similarly extinguished if they broke the oath.

"When Hung brothers visit my house, I shall provide them with board and lodging. I shall be killed by myriads of swords if I treat them as strangers.

"I will always acknowledge my Hung brothers when they identify themselves. If I ignore them I will be killed by myriads of swords.

"I shall never betray my sworn brothers. If, through a misunderstanding, I have caused the arrest of one of my brothers, I must release him immediately. If I break this oath I will be killed by five thunderbolts."

The oaths continued in this fashion, most dealing with honor, betrayal, loyalty and defending fellow members. Several of the oaths were promises not to commit adultery or harm the brothers' family members. Finally, the Vanguard reached the last two oaths.

"I must never reveal Hung secrets or signs when speaking to outsiders. If I do so, I will be killed by myriads of swords.

"After entering the Hung gates I shall be loyal and faithful and shall endeavor to overthrow Ching and restore Ming by coordinating my efforts with those of my sworn brethren, even though my brethren and I may not be in the same profession. Our common aim is to avenge our Five Ancestors."

The Vanguard called out, "Will you swear to obey the oath?"

"We swear to obey!" the recruits replied.

"Those who obey will be prosperous to the end. Those who do not will die as laid down in the oaths."

During this recitation, the large piece of yellow paper above the altar was set on fire. The ashes were placed in the large bowl, to which was added rice wine, sugar and cinnabar.

An official entered the room carrying a live chicken and a china bowl. He passed in front of each recruit, allowing them to touch the chicken's head and the bowl. The Vanguard, who was holding the long sword from the Tau, said, "The lotus flower signifies wealth and nobility. Loyally and faithfully we perpetuate the Hung family. The wicked and treacherous will be broken into pieces, in the same manner as this lotus flower." That said, the Vanguard tossed the china bowl into the air and deftly smashed it to pieces with the sword. The official handed the chicken to the Vanguard and helped him tie its legs together. They placed the chicken on a chopping block, and the bowl of ashes, wine, sugar and cinnabar on the floor, next to the block.

"The chicken's head sheds fresh blood. Here there is loyalty and righteousness. We will all live long lives."

With great show, the Vanguard cut off the chicken's head with one swift blow of the sword. There was an immense amount of blood, and the headless body jerked grotesquely, as if it were struggling to get away. The Vanguard took the head and dipped it into the bowl, mixing the blood with the other ingredients. The carcass was taken away, and the recruits held up their left hands, palms out. The Incense Master approached them, holding a needle and red thread.

He said, "The silver needle brings blood from the finger. Do not reveal our secrets to others. If any secrets are disclosed, blood will be shed from the five holes of your body."

The Incense Master pricked the middle finger of each recruit's left hand and added their blood to the bowl's mixture. Each recruit touched the mixture with the pricked finger, then placed the finger in his mouth to taste the substance. "It is sweet," they said, one by one. Next, the Incense Master poured the mixture into cups and handed one to each recruit.

"After drinking the Red Flower wine, you will live for 99 years."

Bond's stomach turned as the recruits drank from their cups.

The Incense Master formed a signal with his left hand, designating the recruits' rank in the society. The recruits stood and bowed to the Incense Master, to the Dragon Head, to the Vanguard and to one another.

The entire assembly stood and recited, "Old and new brothers gather here tonight. Loyalty and faithfulness will ensure us longevity. The wicked and the treacherous will perish like joss (continued on page 168)Zero Minus Ten(continued from page 128) sticks." The ceremony was over. The entire rite had taken a little over two hours. The recruits joined the ranks of the other members as Li Xu Nan, the Dragon Head, stood and addressed the society.

"We will gather again in three days to perform the final phase of the initiation ceremony--in which your faces shall be cleansed. We welcome our new brothers to the Dragon Wing. We have one more piece of business to conduct tonight. One of our Blue Lanterns has broken her oaths. We must decide her fate." He turned to the Vanguard. "Bring out the traitor."

The Vanguard motioned toward a door. Two officials brought out a girl. She was blindfolded, and her hands were tied behind her back.

Bond's heart jumped into his throat. It was Sunni!

"Our sister here has betrayed the society, not only to a stranger but to a gweilo. She has sought refuge with the enemy. She has sought to leave the fraternity. What must we do with her?"

The group shouted, "She must die!"

Li stood for a moment in silence. He walked around Sunni, who was now on her knees. He inspected her as if he were evaluating prized livestock.

"I agree with my younger brothers," he said, "but we shall wait. The traitor may be useful in an enterprise valuable to the society. For the time being, she will be kept in isolation." He nodded to the two guards, who pulled the girl up and led her out of the room.

Li Xu Nan and Scarface stood side by side in front of the Triad and offered the hand signs for their ranks. Scarface said a final prayer and dismissed the group. The members left silently and, after a few minutes, Li, Scarface and the Vanguard were alone. They took off their robes.

Scarface took a metal briefcase from behind the altar and handed it to the Vanguard, who was also the Chan So, or treasurer, of the organization.

Li said, "This month's earnings. Make sure they are properly distributed. The families of our brothers who were killed at the girl's residence must receive special consideration."

The Vanguard bowed. "Yes, Cho Kun." He took the case and left. Scarface extinguished the rest of the lights and walked out of the Lodge with Li.

Bond waited a full ten minutes before moving. He had to find Sunni. He crawled forward so that he was directly above where the altar had been. There he found a loose board through which he could drop. He pulled it up, then jumped down to the floor below. He moved toward the door and stepped through it.

He was met by myriads of swords, all pointing at his chest.

•

The speed with which Bond was disarmed was startling. He felt as if he were moving in slow motion and that everything else was happening too fast. The Triads marched him to an adjacent office building that was obviously still in use. He was taken upstairs, down a hall and up another flight of stairs. They passed open offices containing expensive black and white leather furniture.

He was finally led into a large, plush office and left alone. It was decorated like the other rooms but with a distinctive Chinese flavor. Along with the modern furniture, there was a bamboo screen against one wall, painted brightly with a scene of Chinese fishermen snaring a dragon. A small Buddhist altar was in a corner, with an idol of the god Kwan Ti, or Mo, on it. Bond recalled that Mo was the god of policemen and the favored deity of the underworld. Nothing else suggested that the office belonged to the Dragon Head of a Triad. It must have been Li Xu Nan's legitimate office.

Before Bond could sit down, Li entered the room and shut the door behind him. They were alone.

"We meet again, Mr. Bond," Li said in Cantonese. "I am sorry it is under unfortunate circumstances."

"You can't hold me, Mr. Li," Bond said. "I'm a British citizen. My newspaper will be trying to find me."

"Oh, dispense with the crap, Mr. Bond," he said. "You are no journalist. I know who you are."

"I work for the Daily Gleaner----"

"Please, Mr. Bond! I am no fool!" Li walked to his large oak desk and took a cigarette from a gunmetal case not unlike Bond's own. He lit it without offering one to his captive. "You are James Bond, an agent with the British Secret Service. It was not difficult to ascertain this. Let me make this perfectly clear, Mr. Bond. You are a gweilo. We don't like you. You are not welcome here. Our ceremonies are sacred and secret. You are a dead man, Mr. Bond. If I had not stopped them, my brothers would have killed you."

"Why did you stop them, then?"

Li paused a moment, walked to a cupboard and removed a couple of glasses. "Drink, Mr. Bond?"

He wanted to refuse, but a drink would actually do him good. "Bourbon, straight."

Li filled the glasses and handed one to Bond. "Do you remember the other day when you interviewed me? I told you that you were in my debt."

"I remember."

"The time has come for you to repay the debt."

"Why should I?"

"Hear me out, Mr. Bond. You have no choice."

Bond settled onto the couch. "All right, Li, I'll listen."

"Now we come to the task I must ask you to do, Mr. Bond," Li said. "If you perform this task successfully, I will release you from your debt and spare your life."

"I don't know what you want me to do, Li," Bond said, "but I don't work for criminals."

Li nodded. "Why don't you hear me out first?"

Bond sighed. "What is it you want?"

"I want you to go to Guangzhou and pay a visit to General Wong."

"And then what?"

"Steal a document. Wong keeps it in a safe in his office. Bring it back to me. If you have to eliminate the general in the process. . . ." Li shrugged his shoulders.

Bond laughed. "You must be joking, Li! How do you think a gweilo like me could get anywhere near this general, much less break into his bloody safe?"

"Hear me out, Mr. Bond. I have a plan." Bond gestured for Li to continue, but he knew the very thought was absurd. "You are skeptical, Mr. Bond, I see that, but listen to me. We have learned that a new lawyer from London will be arriving in Hong Kong later this morning. He has an appointment in Guangzhou tomorrow with General Wong. I propose that you go to Guangzhou in his place. My organization has contacts at the airport. We can do a switch before the man enters immigration. You will be hand-delivered to General Wong by executives of Eurasia Enterprises. You will meet with him privately. He will most certainly show you the document. You will have the perfect, and probably the only, chance to get it. Then my brothers will help you get out of Guangzhou and back to Hong Kong."

"Not on your life, Li."

"I'm afraid you'll have to die, then."

"I've heard worse threats."

Li said, "Very well, I will offer you another incentive--the life of that girl, the traitor. She can leave with you, and I will call off the death warrant on her head."

Bond closed his eyes. The man had played the trump card.

(To be continued in the May 1997 issue.)

The Vanguard took the head and dipped it into the bowl, mixing the blood with the other ingredients.

She was blindfolded, and her hands were tied behind her back. Bond's heart jumped into his throat.