Chapter 10

Rory was seated in the kitchen and sharing a pot of tea with Ling and his Mother.

"Well I must say I feel better for having had a good night's sleep," Rory offered.

"Well I don't think your sister or her friends can say that," Jane commented and then turning to Ling added, "And what time was it when they finally stopped their shenanigans then?"

"A little after four; they were all fast asleep by about twenty past," Ling answered.

Jane then locked eyes both Rory and Ling in turn, before continuing, "Yes, well that's about what I thought, though I'm fairly sure I did hear some activity after that."

Ling gave no indication whatsoever that she was affected by Jane's observation, though Rory went bright red and nearly dropped his mug of tea.

Jane laughed as she quipped: "Don't ever play poker Rory and certainly not with Prissy; I wasn't sure, but now I am and 'no' I'm not cross or worried; you were discreet, that was all I asked."

Rory wasn't quite sure what to say so remedied the situation by just nodding nervously.

"Do we know anything more about our troubles? Oh and before you fob me off again, I was not fooled last night when you shrugged off that phone call as a wrong number," Jane asked, surprising Ling and Rory.

Ling and Rory shared a look, at the end of which Rory gave an almost imperceptibile nod.

"Yes, I have taken steps and the matter is contained." Ling replied.

"Just that, contained?" Jane queried, with concern in her voice and face.

"Just that—the individuals involved are no longer a threat and when I have learnt all that I need, I will make sure that they are never a threat again," Ling replied.

Jane looked worried. "That sounds unpleasantly final; you're not going to kill anyone or anything, are you, dear?"

"It is not my intention to kill and I will only do so if they leave me no alternative," Ling replied.

"Very well; clearly that is all I am going to be told and that's okay. All I need to know is that it has been dealt with and that none of us are in danger anymore, but I do need to be absolutely sure, do you understand?"

"Yes Mother I do understand and 'yes' we are telling you the truth: We are as sure as it is possible to be that we have it under control and we are taking steps to ensure it stays that way" Rory replied carefully.

"All right I can tell that you are being honest; I am satisfied, but if things change I expect to be told; is that clear and I do mean clear, crystal clear, young man?"

"Yes Mother, I promise."

"Well that's good enough for me—the matters closed, then," Jane finished.

The Door bell rang. Rory got up, but Ling stopped him, saying: "I'll go, it's what I am for."

Rory nodded, sitting down again, thinking to himself that someone was in for a treat, since Ling was still wearing her short bathrobe.

A few minutes later Ling returned with a large padded envelope for Rory.

"It was a courier, I think this is from your bank," Ling stated, sitting down.

Rory opened the envelope, which contained some credit-cards, a cheque-book, a small calculator-like machine with a card reader at the top and various documents. A quick look showed that some of the credit cards carried Ling's name.

Rory slid everything across to Ling in one grand gesture.

"Far too much for this early in the morning; you sort this out, please Ling?" Rory asked.

"Yes, Rory," Ling replied as she quickly scanned all the documents and checked through the contents.

"Just like your father: meticulous attention to detail, where money is concerned," Jane commented, wryly.

"Shopping is a sex-linked mutation; I only need to know that I've go money, that it's secure and that I can get it when I need it. For anything more detailed the process is best left to someone with two 'X' chromosomes."

"As I say just like your father and with a similarly enlightened view of female emancipation," Jane responded smiling.

"Well I have never claimed to agree with female equality—you just have to look to realise that some are most definitely more equal than others," Rory quipped back.

Jane groaned, but had too much sense to continue the topic.

"Well I need to shower and dress, I know I'm meant to be taking a week off, but I still feel the need to keep an eye on things at the garden centre, so I am popping in for a couple of hours this morning," Jane said, sighing deeply as she got up and carried her cup over to the sink.

"Rory needs to visit the bank and I need to pay a visit to the Hoytanni embassy, so if you are passing the station, perhaps you might give us a lift," Ling asked, surprising both Rory and Jane.

"Okay, its nine-twenty now, can you both be ready for ten?" Jane replied checking her watch.

"Yes," Ling replied, cutting off Rory before he had a chance to comment.

Rory was poised to speak and raising from his chair, then he seemed to stop, relax and sit down again.

"Thanks, Mum," Rory added just as Jane left the kitchen.

"Why do I need to go to the bank?" Rory asked.

"Unless it has escaped your notice, I am carrying the best part of eight-thousand pounds in cash, and whilst not a security issue, it is inconvenient and plain silly, given that your new bank account is effectively empty." Ling replied.

"Point taken, but why the Hoytanni embassy?"

"Well maybe it won't be the only embassy I visit today, but that one first. Come on, I'll explain on the way up to London," Ling responded more enigmatically that usual.

"So let me get this straight, you are telling me that the embassy in question is in Paris?" Rory asked., showing a little surprise and frustration.

"That's right there is not an actual Lao Embassy in the UK, but from what Aaron told me these two officials are often in the UK since they deal with UK matters; anyway they are in Paris at the moment. We are booked on a 14.30 flight out of London City Airport, but we won't be travelling alone."

Ling was enjoying herself and didn't want to tell Rory anymore. Rory decided not to push it and let Ling have her fun. So very soon they were getting out of the Tube at St. Paul's, prior to visiting the City branch of Davis, Rogers and Bernstein.

"Yes, just sign here and here and then that's it Mr. Jones; this will allow us to deal with closing your existing Bank Account and transferring all existing funds etc."

Rory thanked the young and very pretty bank employee. Just then there was a knock on the meeting-room door and young man entered with the five-hundred euro that he had requested.

And then they were making for the tube again to get to the Hoytanni embassy. Ling was still carrying the majority of their cash, though considerably less of it, in a bum-bag, along with hers and Rory's passports and other documents.

"Come on, keep moving, we need to make the embassy before one, or we are going to be fighting to catch that plane." Ling encouraged.

There it was the Hoytanni embassy. A medium-sized nondescript building just off Park Lane and a little behind Curzon Street. Ling lead them through the public entrance, where they were met by an official, who clearly recognised Ling for what she was and was more than a little surprised.

Ling started talking in rapid-fire Hoytanni. The interchange was quick and concluded with them being shown to a seating area and the official going over to a desk to make a phone call. Almost immediately two very pretty girls in smart-casual dress appeared coming down the staircase, behind the official. Rory did an almost classical double-take as he realised the girls in question were both Ni'ng Wu.

One of the girls spoke briefly with the official who again used the phone, then they both came over towards Ling and Rory.

After a few minutes of excited kissing and hugging, Ling stood back a little and turned to Rory to make introductions.

"Rory, this is Cheng Mai and Ti Ren; Mai, Ren this is my owner."

Both girls bowed low, speaking in unison, "We are honoured Sir." They then came forward and each kissed Rory on the cheek.

For Rory it was a delightful and unexpected happening. The girls were definitely Ni'ng Wu; Cheng Mai was perhaps a couple of inches taller, but still petite, still beautiful. Ti Ren, however, was the real surprise; she was so much like Ling as to be her twin, perhaps a whisper taller, but otherwise identical. Rory, he realised, was staring.

"Pleased to meet you ladies," he finally managed, mentally pulling himself together.

"Did you sort a car?" Ling asked.

"Yes, it should be round the front now," Ren answered.

"Then it's time to leave, sisters." Ling responded as she slipped her arm through Rory's and started to move towards the door.

Quickly Rory found himself sitting on the back seat of a large black Daimler with Ling on one side and Ren on the other and the mini-skirted Mai making a very fetching sight, sitting opposite on one of the fold-down seats with her legs crossed.

"Are they really your sisters?" Rory asked.

"All Ni'ng Wu call each other sisters, though I suppose Ren really is my sister, my older cross-sister," Ling answered.

"Well you are certainly the only one that I could ever call a little sister," Ren offered laughing.

"And then only just," Ling added smiling.

"She was not sure whether to be pleased or sorry when you turned out the smallest; before you were born, Ling, she was the smallest and used it to good effect, especially when it came to getting attention," Mai added.

"What's a cross-sister, or did you just mean she's cross?" Rory enquired.

"No, she's not usually cross and I knew this would come up sooner or later, but now is not the time to go into the parentage of Ni'ng Wu. Suffice to say, for the moment, that Ren and I share the same parents but have different birth mothers," Ling answered.

"Sounds intriguing, but after previous forays into Ni'ng Wu biology I accept that I am going to need time and patience, so 'yes' I will wait." Rory replied and then as an after-thought added: "Oh and perhaps while you are at it you can tell me where you keep the male Ni'ng Wu."

"Sorry to disappoint, but there are none; I promise ... later." Ling replied.

"If I was that pushy with my keeper, let alone my owner, I would expect to have my backside thoroughly warmed and no mistake," Ren observed.

"At the very least," Mai added.

"I am shamed and agree; you do need to deal with me now, Rory. It would not be wise to allow me to get away with too much," Ling agreed.

"Yes and Mai and I should be dealt with for having the presumption to suggest how you treat that which is yours," Ren added with Mai enthusiastically nodding her agreement.

"Enough, are all Ni'ng Wu such wantons?" Rory asked feeling a little out of his depth.

"Pretty much!" Ren responded with Ling and Mai chiming in their laughing agreement.

"It is only when we are in private with an owner that we can be so unconstrained, forgive us, please; for it is fun to play—we mean no disrespect, how could we? For you are Ling's owner and temporarily Mine and Ren's keeper." Mai added by way of explanation.

"Y-your keeper?" Rory stuttered.

"Yes, we are attached to the embassy, the Ambassador is normally our keeper, but for now we have been tasked to assist Ling. You are Ling's owner, that means you are our keeper, Sir" Mai replied.

"So you see it would be quite proper for you to punish us and it is surely your duty given the trouble we have been," Ren added.

"Enough wenches, if there is any punishing to be done it will be in a more private place and because I decide it's necessary."

"Yes, Sir," Was answered submissively, from three still smiling Ni'ng Wu.

"He likes it when I am demonstrative, perhaps we should buy him a quirt for a present?" Ling suggested

"Ling!" Rory uttered in a firm and he hoped commanding voice.

"Sorry, I was just playing with my sisters," Ling responded, realising that this game had perhaps ended.

"So play and with my blessings, just don't make me the toy unless we are some place where I can act accordingly."

Ling repeated her 'sorry', somewhat more contritely, echoed by the other two. The girls, then armed with Rory's permission, happily went into full gossip-mode.

Rory may not have been part of the conversation, but the way these girls were displaying, leaning into him and seeming to randomly touch or brush against him, he certainly felt to be the centre of their attention. He sat back and enjoyed the view and sensations as the car smoothly and silently carried them through the streets of London. He was relaxed and feeling like a middle-eastern potentate, by the time they smoothly drew up in front of the airport terminal.

As they alighted the driver popped the boot and got out and opened the passenger door for them to exit; then as they stood waiting he carefully handed each girl a medium-sized locked hold-all. Rory could tell from the way he carried them that they were not exactly weightless, though from the way the girls swung them onto their backs using the shoulder straps, you would swear they were full of cotton-wool.

Rory had to ask: "If you are so strong, why carry them on your backs and not at your side?"

"Because we are not that massive; they are far too heavy to carry easily at our side, since we would have to lean impossibly to maintain our centre of gravities. I did mention that we aren't some TV heroines, but real people needing to obey real world physics," Ling replied.

Rory, then feeling rather stupid, forged ahead and found a luggage-trolley; the girls gratefully placed their bags on it and graciously allowed Rory to push it, after Ling explained male pride to her sisters.

A policeman had been watching and sauntered over. He was holding his gun in a business-like way across his front as he asked: "Excuse me Ladies, Sir, would you mind showing me what's in those bags?"

Rory had more than just a feeling that to do so wouldn't be a good idea and went to put his hand inside his pocket to find his wallet.

The policeman stopped him with a gesture, saying, "Please keep your hands where I can see them, Sir"

"Sorry, Constable, I have some special identification here that might help," Rory replied.

"All right then, very carefully, Sir"

But before Rory could move, Mai spoke up: "I am Cheng Mai and this is Ti Ren and we have diplomatic immunity and those bags are diplomatic bags under the seal of the Hoytanni embassy; please check the labels and then allow us to show you our passports."

Things quickly sorted themselves out after that, though the policeman did insist on checking both Rory's and Ling's credentials, which after a quick radio conversation obviously provided more than enough reason to be very obsequious.

Still though, the authorities were clearly not overly satisfied regarding the bags and two policewomen, both of whom were helpful and polite, were finally assigned to escort them to the check-in; officially, of course, for their protection.

The lady at the check-in was obviously expecting them and quickly processed their bags and assigned their seats. The two policewomen then escorted them to the security check area and were clearly pleased when Mai and Ren made it clear that they were happy to be checked as ordinary passengers. Once through and clear they were then left to their own devices.

Interested, Rory asked Mai and Ren how it was that they were able to claim diplomatic immunity for a trip to France. This was easily explained: there was no Hoytanni embassy in France and the London embassy was accredited for France as well. It was, therefore, not at all unusual for there to be Hoytanni diplomatic travel in both directions.

Rory theatrically hit his forehead with his palm. "Of course, I'm and idiot. That's what those Laotian guys are doing as well, isn't it? The fact that they have diplomatic immunity and are based in France actually makes it easier for them, doesn't it?"

"Well from a secrecy point-of-view, certainly and it also helps them stay off the radar, police-wise," Ling answered.

"And, of course, now I understand the need for your sisters and the trip to the Hoytanni embassy," Rory finished.

"As humans go, he's not entirely stupid, is he?" Ren offered over a slight giggle to take any sting out of her observation.

"Careful there, he's my owner and currently your keeper," Ling responded.

"And very handsome he is too," Ren finished.

"Well that just about buys your way out of trouble," Rory added laughing.

"And easily manipulated as well, I see," Mai added in a stage whisper.

Continuing the gentle banter and enjoying the camaraderie, the group stopped briefly at a Costa Coffee clone and purchased four coffees to-go, along with some pastries. Then they made their way to their gate, sipping their coffees and nibbling at the pastries.

"Come on you're all a lot smaller than I am, I want the aisle seat, that way I get some leg room," Rory almost pleaded.