Prologue

Simtlack’s sector representative had found her on Earth in a place called Hong Kong. She sounded entirely appropriate. Simtlack had made a study of Earth since he had acquired Chiang as his assistant. He admired Queen Victoria. She had longevity —unusual in an Earth ruler. She also had self-discipline and a very strong sense of right and wrong. Just the things his son most needed to learn. This young lady came from the England of Victoria. But because she was in Hong Kong, Simtlack deduced she was intrepid. Young women of Victoria’s time did not often travel so widely. She was also alone and penniless, and therefore desperate. But she was attempting to find work, and therefore unbeaten. Simtlack’s tentacles wove thoughtfully. Yes, she sounded quite smooth. He directed the Captain to set course for Earth, then oozed his way out of the communications center. The slimer had to clean up after him.

Chapter 1

The young woman mincing along the dusty track that passed for a street in the Hong Kong of 1884 did not look like an adventurer. From her dirt-covered button shoes to the parasol tipped over her head, she looked like what she was: a Victorian lady. But in one gloved hand she clutched a newspaper with three advertisements circled, and in her heart she clutched an unladylike determination.

She entered the doorway of the business that had placed the third of the advertisements she had noted in the paper. Less than five minutes later she emerged, the proprietor’s laughter following her into the street. “No woman’ll clerk for this business this day, lassy — or next year or next century!”

“Bloody fool,” she muttered to herself. At least he hadn’t suggested that she apply to a saloon as her previous prospect had done. But to suggest that she could only be a governess! Did she truly look such a milksop as that? Pausing to consider her reflection in a shop window, she supposed that she did indeed. Her perfectly piled chestnut hair and her carefully tended hands indicated that she should be sitting in her mother’s parlor. Her mother, however, was long gone. She dismissed her unlamented

mother from her thoughts. Perhaps her need for a life beyond the norm showed in her mouth — her wide, easily laughing mouth which she had inherited from her father. Her very much lamented father … She hastily dismissed this thought also as tears threatened. What was she to do now?

She was startled from her dilemma by garbled speaking nearby. Looking around, she saw a Chinese gentleman dressed in a red silk robe who appeared to be addressing her. “I am so sorry, I am afraid I have no Chinese.”

The gentleman was fiddling with a strange pendant that hung around his neck. She was shocked when a clear voice speaking unaccented English snapped, “This cursed thing! May the gods piss on it!”

Susannah took a hasty step back and debated whether to run. The gentleman straightened up, then bowed. “Excuse me, I have a proposition for you.”

Susannah looked around. No one else seemed to have noticed the strange behavior of the odd little man. She knew she ought to walk briskly and firmly away (she could hear her mother’s voice telling her so), but she was intrigued.

“You are Miss Susannah Maureen Chambers McKay, aren’t you?”

“How do you know my name?”

“I represent someone who wishes to hire you.”

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“Hire me? What can you mean?”

“You are looking for a job, aren’t you? Almost out of money? No way to get back to England?”

Susannah gasped. This was too frightening. “Excuse me!” She tried to push past him, but he didn’t move, and she found that she couldn’t push him aside. He was much stronger than he looked. At any rate, the curiosity which her mother had considered her most reprehensible trait drained her resolution.

The Chinese gentleman continued: “My employers are willing to pay you 10,000 fenigs a year, and, of course, include room and board. After one year they would deliver you to the destination of your choice. In return, you will instruct Intlack, the Eldest, in the customs and culture of the British Empire.” The small man seemed to relax a bit. “That’s what they want, although I did my best to talk them out of it. The job isn’t an easy one, but you certainly won’t be bored. You could say it will be an adventure, should you choose to accept.”

The word caught her. The whole situation was unreal, but … Adventure. “What are fenigs?”

When he explained that “the major portion of a fenig is gold” because “they like the shine,” Susannah’s fears washed away in a tide of greed. “I’m sure they could be exchanged in England, if that’s what you have in mind,” he assured her.

A fenig must be some Chinese coin she had never heard of, she thought with wonder — 10,000 pieces of gold! She would be set for life — and never have to listen to the laughter of a shopkeeper again. “Who is Intlack?”

“The son of the house. He’s about twelve, the way you’d reckon it.”

“Where do they live?”

“On a ship. We’ll be traveling a lot.”

Susannah smiled. She loved to travel. Living on board ship with her father had been the happiest years of her life. This must be a very rich Chinese family! No doubt they had made their fortune in opium. Her father had said that many had. She looked at the tall ships docked in the harbor, weighing her options. They were pitifully few. The man shuffled uncomfortably. “Look, you’re not seriously considering this are you? I thought you’d turn right around and run away from me. I was counting on it, actually. You can’t conceive of — these are aliens, you understand? They’re from out of this world! The ship is in space!”

 “I understand,” murmured Susannah, although she had barely heard him. Her mind was full of adventure. Governess to a Chinese child. An alien indeed, but what a challenge! Living on a Chinese ship, worlds away from the English parlor she had hated. Perhaps the first European ever to experience the private life of a Chinese family — and the opportunity to teach them the civilized ways of England. No businessman in Hong Kong was going to hire her. She had clerked for her father, but no other man was going to give a woman such a job. She would have to hire herself out to an English family as a nanny or a governess — or do this. She looked down at the Chinese man.

“When do we leave?”

“Are you serious?”

She nodded.

“You’re out of your head.” He handed her a contract. “You sign this, we leave

now.”

“Now?”

“Now. My employers don’t waste time.”

Susannah began reading through the contract, while the Chinese man tapped his foot impatiently. Susannah glanced down at him. “Sir, what is your name?”

“Chiang.”

“Just Chiang?”

“That’s it.”

“Well, Chiang, what is a Shill?”

“It’s what they call themselves.”

“Hmm.” It must be another Chinese word I’ve never heard of, Susannah thought. What a great deal I have to learn! Growing impatient with the foreign terminology, she skimmed the rest of the contract. She found the reference to the 10,000 fenigs and the guarantee to deliver her to her destination of choice after one year. “Very well,” she said, tilting her chin up with what her father had called her “make full sail face.”

Chiang handed her a writing implement and she signed her name. 

Chiang spoke into the pendant hanging from his neck. “Beam us up, Snotty!” Hong Kong disappeared from Susannah’s sight.