Chapter 29: Good-bye to All That

Claire Dobell-Bull was sitting behind her desk, resting her chin on a hand as she listened. A pall of blue cigar smoke hung over her head. She looked, Florence Daniels thought, as inscrutable as one of the Buddha statues that Madam Chao had in her office.

“So, if I have this straight, you have set things up with Edu & Skills so that the costs of the JUMIST programme are on their budget but it remains a Home Affairs responsibility because of the expected positive impact on offending rates?”

“That’s right,” Florence Daniels responded confidently.

Florence’s opposite number from Edu & Skills nodded. The last thing she wanted was any show of inter-departmental rivalry in front of Dobell-Bull.

Claire turned towards Jackie Maygood. “I imagine you and Takely are happy too?” Jackie nodded. “Though I must admit my idea of inward investment is that overseas companies spend money here, not that we spend money with them.”

“There is an overall net positive impact, I can show you the numbers...”

“Yes, I’m sure you can. Never mind. Johannsen’s given me the nod on this. It’ll go through cabinet all right. Once we get the formalities dealt with you’d better get on with it.” She wasn’t usully happy with this sort of inter-departmental deal. There were too many opportunities to fudge responsibilities, she thought. Still, on this occasion, it looked like Daniels had got things set up sensibly.

“Thank you,” Florence said and got up to leave, tapping Jackie Maygood on the shoulder as she did so. If she had learned one thing in Government, it was that it was a good idea to stop selling once you’d got the order.

...

In a private dining room at Lee Ho Fook’s, as the main course of food was being cleared away, Madam Chao got to her feet. “This is sad day and happy day,” she started. “Sad day because we finish this stage of the JUMIST programme and say goodbyes. Happy day because the work of you all has been so successful.”

Around the table Fara, Daphne, Collette and Anna sat listening with mixed emotions, pleased that they would soon be returning home but sad that their time together was ending. They were each in the qipao they had won as a result of their studies; Fara in blue, Collette, Daphne and Anna all in green.

Tsai Linn, and Wan Yu were there as well as Corey Preston. Mary Tang sat at the end of the table with her usual impassive expression. Her leather clad slave was kneeling beside her. his leash hooked to the back of Mary’s chair.

Even the men had been brought to share in the event, although their participation was limited to waiting at table for the meal and dealing with the plates once they had been cleared away. This had been a treat as far as Bernard was concerned. He had managed to steal a left-over pancake roll while returning some plates to the kitchen and a fork full of noodles and prawns as a half-filled plate was scraped into the waste before washing up. They didn’t really get a chance to listen to Madam Chao’s warm words though; they were working too hard.

“I am pleased that you have progressed so far. At the start of this course I had a bet with Mary Tang. We had different views of how many of you would progress beyond white qipao in these two months. I am happy to say, I lost. Though I don’t think Mary made it easy for you to help her win.”

Fara looked down the table at Mary and thought she detected a hint of a smile in response. Certainly Mary had shown no signs of taking it easy at any of the tests as far as she could tell.

“Government tells us that this programme will continue. We start on new phase tomorrow. We hope you continue your studies but now you must do this on your own. We also hope that you will help us with future courses - maybe come and talk to students, now you are skilled in Kòngzhì Rén?”

The girls smiled at each other, pleased to be thought skilled, even if they all knew they still had much to learn.

Madam Chao sat down and looked around the table. It was true they had a lot to learn but it was also true that they had come a long way. She watched as Collette scolded one of the men for serving from the wrong side and smiled as Anna beckoned a waiter to clear a dish with an imperious finger that was as fine a demonstration of the Path of the Look as could be imagined. Daphne had appropriated one of the men to kneel at her side holding a tray with her glass of wine. Madam Chao smiled, there was plenty of room on the table for the glass but Daphne had chosen this small act as a demonstration of her superiority to the unfortunate servant. Fara sat almost as calmly and impassively as her hero and mentor Mary Tang, waiting for a moment as Bernard stood offering a choice from a plate before waving him away. Madam Chao clapped her hands. “Ha! Very splendid! Ladies, you all have learned well, I can see. Now deserts please!”

As the deserts were served, Madam Chao clapped her hands to summon one of the men. Bernard, the nearest, went across to her. “More tea, round eye!”

Bernard nodded. He knew no answer was needed to a simple command like that. He soon returned with a fresh pot of tea and refilled Madam Chao’s tea bowl.

“Kneel there.” Madam Chao gestured with her chopsticks to a spot beside her. Bernard did as she said. “You are boy from railway station, yes?”

Bernard was surprised, worried and slightly pleased that she remembered him. He nodded again.

“When were you last beaten?”

To Bernard this did not sound like a conversation that was going anywhere happy. “Just before the Minister’s meeting Ma’am. I had the honour to clean your shoes. I needed some correction before they were as you would wish.”