Chapter 4

Interlude — The Agents again

"Well it's official; Moytokk did it! He's given the kid a Ni'ng Wu." The boss agent said, after closing his mobile phone.

"A what Sir?"

"Stay with the program man. That girl, that left with the kid, she's a Ni'ng Wu and Moytokk's given her to the kid."

"I thought this girl was some sort of hyper-trained body guard for the Hoytann royal family."

"She is and they are called Ni'ng Wu and that one's been given to that limey kid."

"You mean the King has assigned her to protect the kid, but why? Is he in danger?

"Well not now and probably not before."

The junior agent, was obviously out of his depth. "And this is a problem for us?"

"No not for us, but it will be for the Brits, our opposite numbers are going mad. Though even still I wish she had been given to a US citizen, instead. Anyway we should be able to get a blood sample when she leaves the country and that'll be a first under clean conditions."

"Well if we need to study her, why don't we just take her into custody for a few days?"

"Because there's a good chance that she might not want to let us."

Back to the Story

There was a noise; Rory fought his way to wakefulness; it was the phone, but before he could answer it, it stopped, Ling must have picked it up.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and Ling entered, looking a vision of loveliness, dressed only in a floaty soft pink baby-doll nightdress and carrying a tray with a cup of tea and the morning paper.

"Good morning Sir. Sorry to wake you, but there was a gentleman from the British Consul on the phone. He's in the hotel lobby at the moment and will be coming up in half an hour."

"Uh, thanks Ling. I'd better get up."

"That won't be necessary Sir. Enjoy your tea. I have taken the liberty of ordering a breakfast to be sent up, it will be with us in about ten minutes. I have explained to the gentleman, a Mr. Prentice, that we will be having breakfast and he has assured me that he quite understands. I will let you know when the breakfast arrives."

Rory, leaving the tea beside his bed and the paper unopened, quickly scooted out to the en-suite to deal with his immediate need and then got back under the covers opened the paper and sipped his tea. 'This was the life!' He couldn't help thinking rather smugly.

He had just finished reading the rather sketchy report about yesterday's incident, when Ling again knocked on the door. She entered the room and picked up his bath robe from the floor, where he had thrown it last night and was holding it ready to help him put it on.

Somewhat diffidently Rory got out of bed aware that he was not wearing anything and let Ling slip the robe on to him. She then deftly closed it and loosely tied the belt so that it would stay closed and modest. Her robe, which she was now wearing, was somewhat less modest, barely reaching a third of the way down her thigh. Mind it did look awfully nice and it wasn't as if she seemed to mind, he told himself, guiltily.

Rory allowed Ling to lead him to the dining table where a full English breakfast had been laid out, well at least an American idea of what a full English breakfast ought to be. There were no black-pudding, mushrooms or kedgeree, but instead there were pancakes with maple-syrup and the ubiquitous hash-browns, neither of which he felt belonged on a breakfast plate. However, the sausages where thick, the bacon looked crispy and the eggs were his favourite scrambled, so all in all he could hardly complain.

Ling sat him down and took a plate and proceeded to serve him each item after enquiring what he wanted. She then poured him a glass of grapefruit juice and poured a cup of tea for him. Having done so she gracefully sank to her knees besides his chair and sat back on her feet japanese-style.

"Ling what are you doing?" Rory asked, nonplussed by her actions.

"I am waiting to serve you, Sir."

"Breakfast would be much more enjoyable for me if you would eat with me." Rory replied having begun to accept that it was better to suggest something else, rather than attempt to discourage a certain course of action, where Ling was concerned.

"If that is your wish, Sir, I would enjoy it too," Ling replied with that fleeting half-smile, that Rory was beginning to interpret as a sign that Ling was actually happy about something.

"Oh and Ling I might have to put you across my lap again if you don't start calling me Rory rather than Sir," Rory stated smiling.

"Please Sir, don't to that Sir. Please Sir, I beg you Sir." Ling replied with a little smile of her own.

"Wanton! Okay, Ling I wish you to call me Rory, rather than Sir. You may call me Sir when you are serving me and occasionally, since I know I agreed to not stop you being what you are, but for the most part I wish, no — order you to call me Rory," Rory said, still amused by her previous answer.

"Yes Sir," Ling replied and then realising, added "I will, Rory, it was just that it is hard to do so when responding to a direct order."

Ling poured herself a grapefruit juice and then helped herself to a large pile of pancakes and literally smothered them in masses of maple syrup.

"Someone's got a sweet tooth," Rory observed.

"Ni'ng Wu, burn a lot of energy and a high sugar diet helps. We can get the energy from other sources, but sugars are the best." Ling responded, between dainty mouthfuls, which for all her delicate and seemingly graceful way of eating was still serving to dispose of a vast amount of food.

Something told Rory, that Ni'ng Wu probably were very fond of chocolate; again he reflected on the fact that there were a lot of girlie qualities to the Ni'ng Wu.

Ling saw Rory smiling away to himself and asked, "What amuses you Rory?"

"Nothing really, I was just wondering how much Ni'ng Wu like chocolate?" He replied.

"Oh very much, it is always a treat when we are given chocolate." Ling replied longingly.

"I shall remember that for when you are good," Rory responded.

"Oh I will be good, I promise, Rory."

"Okay, Okay, I'll make sure you get some chocolate today." Rory answered laughing.

Just then there was a knock on the door and Ling got up to answer it. Standing on tiptoe she peered through the peep-hole and and then opened the door.

"Mr. Prentice?" She asked.

"Yes that's right, sorry to turn up unannounced as it were."

"Please come in."

Rory got up, wiping his mouth with his serviette. "Mr Prentice, please join us have a cup of Tea."

"Well if it's not too much trouble," Mr Prentice replied.

Ling immediately showed him to an empty chair and proceeded to pour him a cup of tea, then came over beside Rory and started to kneel, but even before she had a chance to move more than a little, Rory said: "Thank you Ling, please sit down?"

Ling seamlessly stopped and returned to her seat.

"Thank you, my dear a lovely cup of Tea." Mr. Prentice offered.

"You're welcome Mr. Prentice." Ling replied.

Rory sensed it was one of those awkward moments, when no one really knew what to say and felt that if he didn't do something quick this Prentice chap was going to start talking about the weather.

"Look I don't mean to be rude, but I take it you have called for a reason?" Rory asked.

"Oh yes indeed, if you don't mind me talking whilst you finish your breakfast, I would be happy to explain," Mr. Prentice answered.

"Please, do and if you are feeling hungry, feel free to help yourself," Rory replied.

"Thank you, no. I have to watch the old midriff, don't you know," Mr. Prentice replied, looking somewhat fondly at the food. "Anyway to business: His Majesty King Moytokk the third of Hoytann has been in touch with the British Authorities and explained that he has bestowed upon you a certain gift and has personally asked Her Majesty that Ti Ling be given leave to stay in Britain and that the existence of the gift and its ramifications, be dealt with sympathetically and discreetly. It would appear that Her Majesty and perhaps more importantly the relevant areas of her government are in complete agreement with this request."

Prentice looked around and realising he still had the floor, continued. "Now we come to the difficult part. Apparently according to Hoytann law, Miss Ti is no longer entitled to a Hoytann Document of Ownership, which looks like and was for all intents and purposes a valid passport. I have here documents including a photocopy of Miss Ti's most recent Document of Ownership, together with papers stating that ownership now rests with Mr. Rory Seamus Jones a subject of Her Majesty in right of the United Kingdom or if you prefer as it is more usually rendered a British Citizen. Her Majesty has following advice from her ministers, exercised her Royal Prerogative and granted British Protected Person status to Miss Ti. Copies of the documents that confer this will be passed to you at a later time. I have with me a valid BPP Passport for you Miss Ti and must inform you that though you are not a British Citizen, you are afforded all the rights and protections of a British Citizen and are not considered an Alien when on British soil. You do not, however, have the right to vote, though you may hold high office and some elected positions are open to you."

"So we don't have to apply for a visa or residence rights for Ling?" Rory asked, somewhat bemused. The business of getting Ling to England had been something of a source of worry.

"No. As I have said she..."

"Please don't feel you have to say it again," Rory cut in quickly. "Is this really a special issue as the result of a royal command, or is that just diplomatic-speak for some sort of fiddle?" Rory continued.

"Miss Ti, does not really qualify, since Hoytann has never been a British Protectorate, so the only way this could be sorted was for it to be done by Royal Prerogative, so yes Her Majesty has really signed a special document to allow this. This is not a unique case, still today a very few BPP's are conferred by Royal Prerogative." Mr. Prentice answered somewhat didactically.

"I guess the question is not what has been done, or what an honour it is, but why has it been done at all?" Rory asked.

"Sir, Madam, Surely you cannot expect me to comment on the decisions or intentions of my Political Masters." Mr. Prentice replied somewhat ingenuously.

"No I suppose that was too much to hope for," Rory replied knowingly.

Mr Prentice handed over a pile of documents that included an old-style blue British Passport.

Now that Prentice had left breakfast seemed to have become irrelevant and it was clear that both Rory and Ling had effectively finished.

Ling phoned to have the breakfast cleared away and then followed Rory towards his shower.

Rory cleaned his teeth and was just preparing his brush and soap, for a shave when he became aware of Ling behind him.

"Please Rory sit and let me do that for you." Ling asked.

Rory sat on the covered toilet and allowed Ling to lather his face and then to give him a very comfortable shave. She then efficiently started the shower and adjusted the temperature. Rory allowed her to take his robe and entered the shower ling took off her robe and her nightdress and underwear and entered behind him. He was about to say something when he remembered that he had told her she could wash his back this morning. So for a second he just looked. Ling wasn't just pretty, she was perfection he felt. Slim and athletic, but not sinewy or overtly muscled: as a girl should be; and that unbelievable waist; he was sure he could probably circle it with his hands. She was revelling in his looking at her and gave a quick twirl, before she stepped fully in to the shower.

It was so pleasant and so intimate that quickly Rory found himself kissing and caressing a very beautiful and caressable Ni'ng Wu. With some difficulty Rory reminded himself that Ling was still a virgin and that a quicky in the shower was not suitable for a first time. However Ling did insist on kneeling and pleasuring him; well it would have been churlish to refuse.

Once out of the shower Ling disappeared to dry her hair and Rory got dressed. He then went and sat on the couch and turned on the TV to a news channel and watched whilst waiting for Ling to emerge.

A little later Ling appeared looking very pretty in a short denim skirt a T-shirt and some strappy sandals with a moderate heel. She came over to where Rory was sitting and knelt at his feet. Rory didn't object this time, and anyway, in his experience, girls often liked to kneel on the floor and watch TV. Instead he found himself absently stroking Ling's hair. She seemed to enjoy this and was, cat-like, moving her head back to meet his hand and increase the pressure of each stroke.

It seemed that they had only been enjoying the calm for a few minutes when there was another knock on the door. Ling got up quickly and walked to the door, checked the peep-hole and opened the door.

"Yes, can I help you Ma'am?" Ling asked someone Rory could not see.

"My name is Ms. Lang and I am an employee of the federal government and am here to talk to a Ms. Ti regarding her visa status."

Rory had heard the exchange and called to Ling, "She had better come in then."

"Please come in and sit down? I am Miss Ti," Ling asked stressing the 'Miss'.

Rory stood politely as an ascetically thin and austere looking middle-aged woman in a dark tailored trouser suit marched into the room. She was led across to the lounge area and sat opposite the couch in one of the armchairs. Ling gave Rory a 'don't you dare stop me' look and knelt japanese-style at Rory's feet. Ms. Lang looked very disapproving.

Interlude — The Agents Listen in.

"I'm going to have the ass-wipe who assigned that bitch strung up by his cajones, this was meant to be a subtle selling job. I could see when we briefed him, he didn't get it," The boss agent complained with feeling.

"Yeah he kept going on about the third world and sex-slavery, but I thought we had him convinced not to go there."

"Well it was a long shot anyway. It's just that this looks so fucking amateur."

"I guess it's just one more thing to go wrong, it was bad luck she found the bugs when they got back from dinner last night," The junior agent added in a conciliatory tone.

"Bad luck my ass, we knew she would find anything we planted; that wasn't why we left them. The plus point was that she left the ones in the main room and if you add that to the fact that she waved to us from the window this morning, we know that she has decided to play nice and believe me that's good news."

The boss agent took another look through the scope pointed at Rory and Ling's suite. "She don't look happy. Jeez I hope that bitch followed orders and isn't packing, though it would serve her right if she was."

Back to the Story

Rory could see that it was dislike at first sight as far as Ling was concerned regarding Ms. Lang, but he was not too worried, because UK citizens were normally treated very fairly regarding US visas and Ling now had a valid British Passport.

"What can we do for you, Ms. Lang?" Rory asked politely.

Ms. Lang looked at Rory as if he was something she had just stepped in and then began: "With the withdrawal of Ms Ti's travel papers, we realised that she was rendered effectively stateless and in the spirit of America's welcoming approach to refugees we have decided to issue permanent resident status for both of you and by Executive Decree I have also been instructed to inform you, that both of you can be afforded US citizenship should you want it."