Chapter 6

Rory wasn't exactly feeling apprehensive and he was pleased to see his mother and sister, but he just knew that there were going to be issues. He smiled and waved. Prissy had certainly seen him and was pulling at his mother's sleeve and pointing. He turned to Ling and pointed out his mother and sister to her.

Ling looked towards these people, whom she now expected to feature large in her life. She could see some of Rory's features in his mother. She had that same determined expression and the same piercing eyes. She was quite tall, maybe five nine and, though no longer in her first flowering, she still had a reasonably trim figure. Prissy looked very different from both Rory and his mother. She was smaller and less angular in the face. She was probably about five six, with long rich Irish red hair, flashing blue eyes and a smile to light up the most Stygian dark. She had maybe a little puppy fat but on her it looked good.

Quickly they approached the curve of waiting people and Prissy and his mother shouted their hellos. He hugged his mother and kissed her and then did the same somewhat more robustly with Prissy. Then he stood back to let Ling into the group.

"Mother, Prissy, this is Ti Ling." Then he turned to Ling and said, "Ling this is my mother and my sister, Prissy—that's short for Priscilla."

"Hello Mrs. Jones, Prissy," Ling said tentatively.

"Hello Ling, is it?" Rory's mother responded. Ling nodded and Rory's mother continued, "Please call me Jane; my parents obviously hadn't allowed for me to marry a Jones when they named me."

"Which makes me wonder why you called me Priscilla Martha, then?" Prissy cut in. "Obviously you intended that I should never marry a 'Smith'!"

Ling looked awkward, she wasn't sure how to respond, or what her status was in this group. Rory could tell that he needed to get them passed this first meeting point.

"Yes we've all heard the PMS initials joke, before—well okay, it's Ling's first time, but she's bound to hear it again." Rory said to Prissy whilst less than subtly signalling he wanted to move away from where they were standing. His mother was so busy staring at Ling, that she missed this entire interchange.

Prissy wanted details and to find out all the gossip, so was very much on-board with the idea of getting out of the crush.

"Hey I bet you guys could do with a tea or coffee or something before we head out for the car?" Prissy asked in a larger than normal voice.

"Mother—Mother," Rory said getting his mother's attention eventually, "Prissy's right. A cup of tea and a few quiet minutes would be a good idea."

"Yes, you're right. It's too busy here."

The café area was barely a third full when they got there so they were able to pick a quite table at the edge.

Prissy didn't sit down, but spoke up: "Okay I'll get the drinks, you can pay, Brother dear and perhaps you would help me, Ling?"

Ling nodded Rory's Mother was still looking dazed and Rory looked up towards Prissy gratefully, "Thanks Prissy, Ling's carrying most of my money, we just changed it to sterling. Mother and I will have tea and cake or something."

Ling followed Prissy towards the counter.

"Sorry about Mum, Ling, but she sort of gets these things a bit out of proportion. All she knows is that Rory's just met you and now you're coming over with him and sort of cohabiting. I mean, she does know that Rory's had girl friends before and slept with them, it's just that she's a bit more old fashioned than she admits and this has all happened too quickly for her." Prissy said whilst grabbing two trays and passing one back to Ling.

"I do not mean to cause trouble Miss. Prissy, it's just that I must remain with Rory." Ling replied.

Prissy completely misunderstood Ling's tentative reply. "Oh you're nervous and I can see why. Don't be and anyway, you're older than me, so I don't think you need to call me Miss Prissy. Oh and don't let Rory hear you say you need to remain with him. Make him sweat a bit—you can't afford to make it too easy for him, you know."

"Yes, Prissy—Sorry. I'm not nervous, though I think Rory is. Oh and I do have to stay with Rory. He knows this now and we will explain; you will understand also."

"Ooh goody! I think there's going to be some fun. This sounds interesting. Anyway what do you want to drink?" Prissy asked.

Back at the table there was still silence. Rory could see that his mother wanted to say something, and was hoping he would give her an in; some way to speak her mind for a second.

"Look Mother, sorry to spring this on you, but really I had no choice. As soon as Ling and Prissy get back I'll tell you everything, I promise." Rory offered quietly.

"She's very beautiful, I can see that and you know I don't have a problem with her being ethnically Chinese or whatever she is, your father, God rest his soul, and I taught you years ago that racists have to be stupid, ignorant or mad—usually all three—and hopefully you don't think me any of those. It's just that, well, isn't this all a bit sudden?"

"Yes, Mother. Very Sudden. I mean, I fancied her the first time I saw her, but all this has happened amazingly quickly and I have not been in control more than the slightest little bit. Wait, but a moment more and all will be revealed." Rory answered, somewhat more mysteriously than was absolutely necessary.

"All right then, but just one thing. What about her parents? "What do they think? Do they know? Where are they? She's only eighteen, are you sure it's fair bringing her here away from her people and things she knows?"

"That's a bit complicated and I am not clear on all the details regarding parents myself. One thing I am sure of is that she is where she has to be and her people do know and support this." Rory answered, trying not to be too cryptic.

"Well I am still concerned, my lad. She looks a very young eighteen and I will not have any mistreatment or bamboozling going on under my roof. You'll be treating her like a lady and I'll be watching that you do." His mother replied, with some of her brogue leaking into her voice as she became more insistent.

"She's small and from a different culture and she's anything but weak. Anyway, look there's Prissy and Ling coming now." Rory replied with evident relief.

The girls manoeuvred their purchases onto the table. Prissy had gone for a coke and Ling a hot chocolate. They had also bought enormous chocolate and cream gateau slices for themselves and a jam doughnut each for Rory and his mother. Neither of whom could resist a smile when they noticed the disparity in the purchased comestibles.

"Okay," Rory started, "Here goes. Right! Three days ago, Saturday, I witnessed and inadvertently stopped and attempted kidnapping of a King and his accompanying nurse."

Prissy was about to say something, but Rory cut her off. "This is for real—I am not joking, so if this becomes unbelievable just wait and you can ask your questions." Rory looked at his Mother and Prissy who both nodded. "Okay, so I stopped these guys shooting this nurse with some poison or drug or something and then the King asked me to go and see him.

"Okay. So the police and agent types have let me go and off I set to see the King. I know his name now, but not where he was King of. Anyway this fellow, King Moytokk the third of Hoytann, tells me that he is going to reward me. I did point out that I had only done what I had done by accident, but apparently he doesn't believe in accidents, so he gives me some documents and tells one of his handmaid-cum-concubines, as I thought they were, to accompany me.

"Well it turns out the nurse from earlier was the one to accompany me. Anyway we go to this bank and it turns out that I am now to receive twelve-thousand pounds tax free every month from a trust set up to look after me.

"Anyway I get outside and sort out my priorities and decide to try and chat-up the nurse, who is quite frankly probably the prettiest girl I have ever seen."

Rory looked at Ling and saw that fleeting half smile at being so described. Inwardly pleased, he continued, "This is where I think I walked into a parallel universe. From that moment on, things started getting strange. The girl is not exactly easy to chat-up, so I eventually try a more direct approach and she accepts immediately. I then ask her when she has to be back with the King and she tells me that she doesn't and that it is up to me what she does." Rory paused and coughed.

"I ask her why and she tells me this is because she belongs to me and is in fact my personal property. We haven't moved beyond that point, by the way, and she still thinks of me as her owner." Rory stopped here because he just knew that there were going to be questions.

Prissy and his Mother both started to talk.

"Quiet Prissy, I'll handle this." Jane Jones said firmly.

"Are you saying this girl is a concubine or a slave and that she thinks you own her, Rory?"

"Yes. Ask her." Rory answered calmly.

"Very well. Ling do you believe you are Rory's slave?"

"Certainly not, Jane," Ling answered truthfully and with feeling. "Rory is my owner, but I am not a slave."

"Okay I get it, this is some special term for saying that you are betrothed or something, is it?"

"No, I am Rory's property. Before Rory I belonged to the King. I have always been owned."

"You think of yourself as property, but you're not a slave. Hmph! This stops now. Rory, tell her she is free and we can have an end to it. How dare you abuse this poor girl by letting her believe she has to belong to you." Jane Jones stated, a little angry and very disappointed in Rory.

"Have some faith in me; don't you think I have been down this route. Ask her what freedom means to her?"

"Very well. Young lady, what would happen if Rory were to free you?"

"As I told Rory, I do not believe I am ready for freedom yet, but it is of course his choice, not mine. If he were to free me I would immediately kill myself."

"Oh and the great lunk believed you. Well I am not so stupid young lady. You will be freed and if there is any talk of or attempt at killing yourself I will deal with you."

"If I am free, I may do what I please." Ling replied.

Rory interposed, "This is genuine, Mother. She will kill herself if freed. Look, listen a bit longer and I think you will be more accepting."

"Okay."

"As a result of Ling's change of ownership she lost her Hoytann citizenship, but get this: within twenty-four hours she had been given a British passport as a result or the Queen exercising her royal prerogative and we had both been offered American citizenship. Both governments consider Ling to be a very desirable alien and are well aware that she considers herself my property and are prepared to tacitly accept this."

"You must be very special, Ling." Prissy commented.

"Prissy's seen it." Rory added.

"Okay what are you Ling?" Jane Jones asked.

"I am a Ni'ng Wu," Ling answered proudly.

"And just what is a Ning whatever you said?"

Rory interposed, "I am going to cut to the chase here: Ling is not human, she and her sister Ni'ng Wu are all the result of genetic engineering a long long time ago, by a group and methods unknown. The Ni'ng Wu are normally owned by the Hoytann crown and serve and guard their charges or owners. They are, I am told, faster, smarter and stronger than we normal humans. Oh and Ling is even a qualified Doctor and consultant level trauma surgeon and at eighteen."

Rory could see that it was beginning to sink in that something very different was happening here and that normal morality, probably did not apply.

"Is this all true?" Jane Jones asked.

"Yes." It was Ling who had replied and somehow the simple honesty of this answer could not be denied.

Prissy seemed troubled. "For how long do you have to be owned?" she asked Ling.

"Ni'ng Wu must always be owned. No other state is acceptable to us, but don't pity me I am happy being owned. It is how I am made."

For a second there was silence. Ling's last remark was unexpected for Prissy and her mother and needed a second to digest. Meanwhile Rory remembered the cards that the MI5 fellow had given him.

"Oh Mother, Prissy, there is one more thing. You need to take these and carry them with you, he said giving them the credit sized cards with their names and photographs and bearing the title 'Special Emergency Identification' and under the photograph a sequence of numbers and a bar code, along with a smart chip embedded in the back.

"And what are these for?" Jane Jones asked.

"It was a fellow from MI5 that gave them to me. I think the point is, that if you are stopped by the Police or are somehow involved with the emergency services, this will warn them that they have to be careful, since you may be under the direct protection of a Ni'ng Wu."

Rory wanted a private word with his mother and looking around he noticed a mobile phone shop across the concourse from where they were sitting.

"Prissy, Ling really needs a mobile phone. I know that as a bona-fide teenage girl, what you don't know about mobile phones isn't worth knowing. So do me a favour and go with Ling and help her pick out a top of the range phone to suit her needs. As a thank you I'll buy you a new handset of your choice, if you do this now. Oh and make sure its pay-as-you-go, less traceable and I think that might be an advantage."

"Really?" Prissy asked with obvious excitement.

"Yes really, so long as I'm not paying for gold plating or something equally unnecessary." Rory answered.

Prissy almost pulled Ling out of her chair and the two girls headed off towards the phone shop.

"Nicely done and I guess you can afford it," Rory's mother opined.

"Well she does need a phone and it won't hurt to keep Prissy on side and, as you say, I can afford it."

"So what haven't you said?"

"Ling will live for at least three hundred years and she won't age beyond about twenty two physically. I have to keep her all my life, I can't give her away and when I die I am meant to bequeath her to a successor. This is one hell of a responsibility."

"I glad you recognise that, because if what Prissy relayed to me is true, you have already begun to take advantage of some of the compensations."

"Mother, I think I am falling in love with her and I am already in lust with her and, anyway, she expects and wants the compensations at least as much as I do."

"Well it looks like she's family now, so we will work this out together. You get separate rooms, I don't expect you not to get together, just be discreet Prissy is not as old or worldly-wise as she pretends and I don't want my seventeen year old daughter getting ideas."

"Thanks Mother. And I will be careful. You know my feelings about Prissy; we should have put her in a chastity belt at fourteen. It's still not too late now, I hope."

"Feel better, now you've aired your normal male double-standards?"

"Only if you let me apply them. I do know what I'm talking about—I used to go out with girls Prissy's age." Rory said with a grin, but part of him meant what he was saying.

"Oh and be warned, it is only a matter of time until I am thinking of Ling as one of mine so you better treat her well, or it will take an army to protect you."

"I promise." Rory answered, knowing that he meant it.

It was good to know his family supported him. He was no nearer getting a grip on what was happening, but he still had one stable point in his existence and that was pretty important now. In one sense all he could think to do now, was to start living his normal life again, but with Ling. Trouble was it all seemed so anticlimactic and anyway there was still this strange feeling that this was the start of something very big. Absently, he swirled the now cold dregs of tea in his cup as he considered the future and wondered what it might bring. His mother was watching him; he realised that he had certainly given her food for thought and wondered just what was her big concern.

"A penny for them," He asked.

"I wasn't thinking so much as drifting. I was looking at you and wondering where all this was going to take you and, to a lesser extent, us. I am a bit like this King you met, I don't trust chance or serendipity, I kind of believe that everything happens for a reason; trouble is that most of it is someone else's reason. I think you are going to be living through an ancient Chinese curse; you know the one: 'May you live in interesting times?'."

"That's never sounded like much of a curse to me."

"Depends on your point of view. From the perspective of the young, interesting means opportunity and danger means excitement, but from the perspective of age, it means change and changes, even good changes, usually mean loss and the older you get the more you stand to lose and the less you want to lose it. Think of it as a curse you grow into."

"It's strange, but my thoughts are towards the morbid and melancholy too. I can't put my finger on it, but something is not quite right. Don't get me wrong I don't doubt Ling for even a yoctosecond—ah it's just jet lag talking. Give me a few days when I am not talking to Kings special agents MI5 or God knows who and I will probably stop looking for a conspiracy theory to fit the lack of facts." Rory finished trying to sound a little more optimistic.

Rory checked his watch it had nearly been half-a-hour since the girls had gone phone shopping.

"Perhaps I didn't think this through: two teenage girls in a phone shop and permission to spend someone else's money—we're not going to see them again this side of Christmas are we?"

"Well be fair, you can't just look at the technical specification, there are other more important issues such as colour and feel and of course the biggie: style." His mother replied with a smile.

"Okay, I'll give them another fifteen minutes then I going in to get them."