White Ghosts

23. THE RUSSIAN MERCENARY

Daniel didn’t send Edna a single letter, and gradually Ada realized that he wouldn’t be returning to Shanghai. She found herself in a preposterous situation: on paper, she was filthy rich, with a real airplane to her name, but in reality, she had to scrimp and save for several months just to buy herself a new winter coat.

Edna had a radio in her living room, and Ada was surprised to hear Klim broadcasting over the airwaves. Soon he was famous throughout Shanghai with his funny comments on political issues and reviews of the latest record releases. Ada was so disappointed that she hadn’t been able to win his affections that she began to lose faith in her feminine charms. She regarded her future and could only see herself becoming a dried-out, poor, old maid.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Bernard had gone quite crazy.

It all started when the Chinese actress Hua Binbin brought two teenage girls to see Edna. Sam and Ada were standing at the door and overheard their conversation. The girls were prostitutes who had escaped from a brothel. Binbin had met them in the temple, learned that they wanted to commit suicide, and had decided to save them.

She told Edna that she too had been contemplating suicide. She had lost her job, and during the strike, thieves had broken into her film studio and stolen all the equipment. So her dream of making a movie was also in ruins.

“But we have no right to complain,” Binbin said to Edna. “These children’s lot is a thousand times worse than ours, and they have no means of escaping their tormentors, while you and I have never experienced true poverty or starvation.”

From that day, Edna and Binbin started a campaign raiding brothels that used underage prostitutes. With an ax in her hand and police officers behind her, Mrs. Bernard would break into the brothels, shattering the doors to the rooms where the children were imprisoned and frightening them to death in the process. Binbin would persuade them to go to a shelter at the church, where the girls were taught crafts and English. A few months later the former prostitutes would be able to earn their living with a respectable trade.

On more than one occasion, dogs’ heads and threatening notes appeared on the porch outside the Bernards’ front door.

“The Green Gang is behind child trafficking in Shanghai,” said Yun with a sigh. “They are not to be trifled with.”

Convinced that the gangsters would kill them all, he bought himself a coffin—just in case. Meanwhile, Sam bought an amulet from a traveling monk and gave it to Ada.

“I pray for you every day,” he said in a serious tone, but it didn’t make her feel any safer.

On her way home, Ada noticed a rough-looking man tailing her. She stopped at a shop window to peer carefully behind her. He looked very suspicious with his cap pulled rakishly over one eye, his gray coat, and a map-case hanging from his shoulder.

Ada began to tremble like a rabbit. There was no doubt about it; he must be an assassin from the Green Gang. She increased her pace, but he kept up with her. She felt for her mother’s manicure scissors in her pocket—recently she had made it a habit to never leave her apartment without a “weapon.” Betty had told her that if someone is trying to attack you, you should hit his arm, leg, or butt with something sharp. This way you wouldn’t kill him, but you’d have time to make your escape.

The man caught up with Ada when she was almost at her gate. She noticed his shadow on the wall, shrieked, and turned around.

“What do you want from me?”

The assassin took off his cap, gave a curt bow, and said: “Good evening! Do you remember me?”

He was skinny, wide-shouldered, and a good head taller than Ada.

“I’m Felix Rodionov,” the man said, sniffling.

Ada flinched. That was the name of one of Klim’s friends; he’d mentioned Felix in his diary.

“Do I know you?” she asked cautiously.

“I first noticed you in Vladivostok,” Felix said, “when we were boarding the steamer. I helped you with your suitcase, and later we stood together in the queue for the field kitchen. You said that you came from Izhevsk, and your late father was an American.”

“Oh yes, I remember now,” Ada lied.

“Klim told me about you,” Felix continued and fell silent, embarrassed. “Here, I have something for you.”

He handed Ada an envelope with the rather grand inscription: “An Invitation to the Annual Shanghai Cadet Society Ball.”

Ada was puzzled. “What is this?”

“The Corps graduates have clubbed together, rented a hall, and hired an orchestra.”

“Are you asking me to go with you?”

“Will you?” Felix asked hopefully. “To be honest, I thought that you’d think I was completely mad and tell me to get lost.”

They ended up standing at the gate for two hours, reminiscing about Russia and their journey to Shanghai.

Back in her room, Ada sat on her bed, unable to believe what had happened. Had Felix really taken a fancy to her? What if he were to court her, fall in love with her, and even propose to her?

Thinking about this made Ada giggle. Felix had only invited her to a dance, and here she was planning a wedding.

She took out the old creased paper icon and, with a sigh, kneeled in front of it.

“Holy Mother of God,” Ada prayed, “please let me find someone who can love me.”

At the Cadet Ball, Felix watched enviously as Ada waltzed with the other men.

“Why didn’t you ask me for a dance?” she asked when they went outside.

Felix blushed and looked down at his feet in embarrassment. “I don’t know how to dance. The teacher at the Corps died of cholera, and there was no money to hire a new one.”

“But the other graduates can dance.”

“They have a natural talent for it. I only bought the tickets for you. I know that you women like that kind of stuff.”

Whenever Felix was not on duty, he would meet Ada at the gates of the Bernards’ house after work. It felt strange to be treated like a princess. Since her mother’s death, no one had cared for her in this way, and she wasn’t used to it.

“Why don’t you tell me a bit more about yourself?” Ada asked Felix. “What’s on your mind most of the time?”

“Well, all sorts of stuff… Politics.”

“What about your personal life?”

Will he confess that he wants to kiss me? Ada thought.

“Will you promise not to laugh at me if I tell you?” Felix said, blushing.

“Of course not.”

“When I was a kid I read a book,” he started. “It was about a seaman called Robinson Crusoe who ended up getting shipwrecked on a deserted island. I would like to do the same—as a way of testing myself. If I’m resourceful enough I’ll find food and survive, if not, I’ll die. I think I would be able to do it. I could get by on mice and lizards if I had to.”

Ada looked at him, dumbstruck. A desert island? Mice? But what about kissing her?

Felix was a natural soldier, and his world was straightforward and down to earth. As he had been taught in the Cadet Corps, he saw everything in life in terms of good and evil.

Ada was not terribly pleased that he was working in a jail but he was an honest man who did good for others without demanding anything in return. When Father Seraphim was nearly beaten to death in the ring, Felix helped him get a job as a prison guard so that he would be able to recuperate.

Felix couldn’t stand preening, materialistic women who could only think about themselves and their appearance. He had chosen Ada because he sincerely believed she was a modest and respectable girl, and now she recalled with horror how she had tried to seduce Klim and Daniel. Heaven forbid that Felix might ever suspect her of such depravity!

Ada was dying for him to propose. Felix was an ideal match. He would be able to support and protect her from any adversity.

He would even be able to deal with Daniel Bernard, Ada thought proudly.

Ada came up with a plan: she would convince Felix to emigrate with her to the United States. Betty had told her where she could get hold of a couple of U.S. passports stolen by stewards working on the cruise ships. With these, it would be easy for them to sail to Mexico, where nobody checked documents very carefully. After that, it would just be a question of starting a business in a frontier town, which would then give her and Felix the right to cross the U.S. border and settle wherever they wanted.

Ada decided to find and sell the Avro and use the money to buy their passage to America. She was sure Felix would agree to her idea, but couldn’t think how she would explain to him her property rights on the airplane. What if Felix became jealous of Daniel Bernard? Or even worse, began to suspect that she was involved in her master’s crimes?

She couldn’t put things off any longer, and one day when Felix was walking her back to the House of Hope, she asked him what his plans for the future were.

His silence and hesitation were so long that Ada began to fear that he didn’t want to marry her at all.

“I didn’t want to scare you but I must tell you the truth,” he said. “Very soon there’s going to be a war here, in China.”

Ada looked at him dumbfounded. “Why?”

“In the south, the Kuomintang nationalists are conspiring with the Russian Bolsheviks and Chinese communists. They have joined forces to create the NRA, the National Revolutionary Army, and this summer they are planning to advance north to take over China and destroy the foreign concessions.”

“Shanghai is much too big for them to handle—” Ada began, but Felix raised his hand to stop her.

“Here in Shanghai, the local people are waiting for the NRA in the hope that they will free them from the evil ‘white ghosts’ for good. As soon as the army approaches the city, there will be an uprising and that will be the end of all of us.”

“Emigrate with me to America!” Ada exclaimed.

Felix shook his head. “America isn’t my home, Russia is. A lot of us Russian White soldiers have joined the army of Zhang Zongchang, the Dogmeat General, and we intend to fight the southerners. We have combat experience, and we’ll show them what for. First we’ll destroy Bolshevism in China, and then we’ll take the fight to the Soviets. I resigned from the prison, and today I came here specially to say goodbye to you. Father Seraphim is also going to join up with me.”

Felix had obviously gone completely mad, but Ada saw that it was useless to dissuade him.

“You have to understand,” he simmered, “this is our big chance to rebuild the White Army. There is nothing for me to do in America. Do you want to condemn me to work as a jailer for the rest of my life?”

“We could start a hotel—” Ada protested.

“I’m not an innkeeper. I’m a soldier! I couldn’t respect myself if I were to do anything else.”

Ada didn’t mention the airplane. Her dream of escaping to America had gone up in smoke.

Felix promised to send her a letter as soon as he joined his new detachment, and she promised to pray for him. It all happened very simply, almost casually.

“Well, good-bye then,” Ada said as they reached the House of Hope.

She shook his hand and headed to the gate. Her head was buzzing, her eyes full of tears. It was all over.

“Ada, wait!” Felix caught up with her. “If you have any kind of problem, promise me you’ll get in touch with my friend, Johnny Collor. He works at the International Settlement Police. His station is on Nanking Road.”

“I will,” she nodded.

“Ada… Sweetheart…” Suddenly Felix grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her awkwardly and passionately. “Please don’t be angry with me! You must remember that I have loved you from the moment I first set eyes on you.”

“Me too!” Ada whispered.

She released herself from his arms and ran to the porch, sobbing.