I Never Dreamed of Shanghai

By William R. Luse

In the ordinary course of his work Mr. Montgomery is sent to deal with the mysterious Chinese woman who has appeared at the Shanghai police station with the Japanese on her heels and an amazing story to tell. Over the next 48 hours he learns the startling details of her life of adventure, tragedy and fortitude in the face of the Japanese invasion. Who is this woman and what has she done to survive? "I Never Dreamed of Shanghai" is a story told with impressive attention to detail, written with historical and technical precision and deep sympathy for its heroine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: William R. Luse
• Release date: Feb 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310353611

William R. Luse

William R. Luse was born in 1946 and raised in Kansas City, a self-taught, mixed-media illustrator and muralist. He has published and illustrated two books concerning railroads in Kansas City and written and illustrated six novels.His most admired artists are Reginald Marsh, Thomas Hart Benton, Chas. Dana Gibson (inventor of the Gibson Girl) and James Montgomery Flagg.Mr. Luse has traveled much of the world through his service in the United States Navy, and thereafter for his own pleasure.

Book preview

I NEVER DREAMED OF SHANGHAI

By William R. Luse

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2006 William R. Luse

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE SMALL WOMAN IN THE VESTIBULE

THE DEVILS

HAN HWA

TRAVELLER

DEAD

THE GRAND HOTEL

MY MOTHER’S GHOST

DOGFIGHT

BUTTERFLY

USELESS PEOPLE

COCKROACH

THE LOVER

MISTY MOUNTAIN CITY

THAT CHINESE BOY

HIGH PALE MOON

A BANQUET IN THE MIDST OF CORPSES

BADLANDS

SHINING SUN

I

THE SMALL WOMAN IN THE VESTIBULE

Now see here, Monty. We’re not opening up the Settlement to every bloody Chink trying to evade the authorities. What’s her name, anyway?

Well, she calls herself Peach.

What?

She calls herself Peach, sir.

Oh for goodness sake! Get right over there and be done with her immediately, I’ve had enough of this.

Silence. Mr. Montgomery did not move.

Sir . . . he began. I really have no notion who she is but she has the Japs pacing at the gate like rabid wolves. They are quite upset, sir."

Oh…the bloody Japs? Well, then. Keep her around and spend a day or two interviewing her. If the damn Japs don’t like it, look at them and smile.

Well, who’s to interview her sir?

You are. Get cracking, will you. Peach indeed.

Right.

And so Mr. Montgomery left Captain Johnston, walked to the police substation on Bubbling Well Road, entered the sooty brick building, looked around, stepped into the street once more, then reentered. And then he spotted her. She was standing between two red turbaned Sikh traffic police. She was rather average sized for a northern Chinese woman, but made to look dwarfish beside the huge policemen. She was pale, very thin and totally unremarkable. Montgomery realized he must have walked past her at least twice without having even noticed the woman. She stood bolt upright holding a cigarette in the air. She threw him a quizzical look impossible to interpret.

Madam, said Monty. You wish to be arrested?

Yep. Sure.

Very well. On what charges, madam?

Charges? Oh . . . go make something up.

Madam, see here. That will not fly. We are right now on the verge of booting you back to whence you came.

Well . . . if I were a man I could stand and urinate in your Public Garden at the bridge.

Montgomery repressed a chuckle.

Well . . . yes. That might do the trick. Anything else?

I once had possession of contraband dynamite from the Hong Kong mines.

Where is it now?

Well . . . it exploded.

Enough of this. Now see here . . . Peach? I do enjoy the conversation, but you must provide us with a reason to arrest you –– if you expect to get arrested. I am being quite serious.

Oh . . . I was always serious.

Montgomery! a voice came from behind. It was Captain Johnston who had just entered from the street. We shall hold onto her. The oil companies know who she is. The blasted Japs know who she is. Even the bloody American Navy. The only ones not knowing who she is, apparently, is the Shanghai Municipal Police, and we are about to find out. Stay with her as long as it takes to get to the bottom of this. And with that, Captain Johnston turned and strode out.

Well then madam, I assure you that you have now captured our notice, said Montgomery. But I must request that you tell us everything about yourself.

Everything?

It would be best.

Yep. Okey doke. Peach smiled.

I was born in the year of the Rat, which was 1888.

I see. Then you are 51, 52, something like that.

If you say so. Peach smiled pleasantly. "My father was a great scholar who administered examinations in Tientsin. He was also a diplomat assigned to the foreign delegation. But from the beginning –– I made trouble.

"I would wander the market and visit all the shops. My grandmother –– father’s mother –– was disgusted with me. She would say that small girl children should never leave the home compound and that I was disgraceful. When she was a child, she would not dare!

Still I went. I loved the smell of the food vendors and it seemed in those days that the sun always shone. I went everywhere. Do you understand? Everywhere.

Montgomery nodded.

"I would not have my feet bound. I kicked and wailed until mother relented. Mother was very patient and gentle, but grandmother wanted to throw me into the street and said I did not belong in that family. She told everyone that as a child she would not dare behave as I had done. Grandmother was very angry with me.

Eventually my feet were bound, of course. With yellow ribbons, I think. Very beautiful.

Madam, you speak English very well, I should say. How did that come about?

I was made to attend the English speaking school of the missionaries because of father’s position. It made them happy. The missionaries were ridiculous, but I did well in school. Much better than all my brothers and sisters who did not wish to go. Sending me off to school was very diplomatic of father who was considerate of the White Foreign Devils –– even the stupid missionaries. But grandmother was even more disgusted and angry with everyone.

Remarkable, though. Is that really how you learned English?

Ohhh . . . I read a lot of Punch! Also Huck Bee Fin by that person Mark Twain who could not write English at all. Mark Twain’s book was strange. A waste of time.

Well, perhaps so, madam. Tell me more if you please, said Montgomery.

Really? Peach looked incredulous. Ohhh . . . at that time everyone was angry at father, but father was trapped by his station. Father would receive communication from old Empress Tsu Hsi. Little boards from the Imperial Palace, but I never got to look at one.

Tsu Hsi? You mean the dowager empress?

Huhhh . . . ? Oh –– some kind of empress.

It really doesn’t matter, madam. Please go on.

"Really? Everyone knew that the devils were trying to divide China up. My father became hated, and once I was spat on. Old Tsu Hsi was being lied to by the half-men so they could steal jade. So People took things in hand and made the fists! They rioted to chase off the devils –– and especially the missionaries. I remember as a little girl