When she hesitated he barked at her. "Just do it! I'll go and see how the boy is and sort out things that end. But Director Andersen must be contacted. The whole Project's in jeopardy unless you can get him here."
The firmness of his instructions seemed to calm her and she bowed and went inside, to do as she'd been told.
T'ai Cho found Nung slumped over his desk, OD'd. He had been ready to lay hands on him to get at the truth of things but it seemed too late for that now. The message to Andersen must have been the last thing he managed to do in his worthless life.
He shivered and looked about him, then noticed one of the boys hanging about at the far end of the Casting Shop. He ran across to him, grabbing the boy by the arm so that he could not make off.
"Where did they take Kim? You know, the Clayborn boy? Where did they take him?"
He noticed the strange look of revulsion the boy gave him at the mention of Kim, but held on, shaking the boy until he got some sense from him. Then he threw him aside and ran on, toward the elevators.
They had taken him to the local Security post. Of course! Where else? But he was not thinking straight, he was just acting now, following his instincts, trying to get to Kim before they hurt him any more.
The soldier at the desk told him to sit and wait. He lifted up the barrier and went through anyway, ignoring the shout from behind him. Then, when the soldier laid hands on him from behind, he whirled about and shouted at the man.
"Do you realize who I am, soldier?"
The tone of absolute authority in his voice—a tone he had once used to cower unruly boys fresh from the Clay—worked perfectly. The soldier backed off a pace and began to incline his head. T'ai Cho pressed the advantage before the soldier could begin to think again.
"My uncle is the Junior Minister T'ai Feng, responsible for Security subsidies. Lay a finger on me and he'll break you, understand me, soldier?"
This time the soldier bowed fully and brought his hand up to his chest in salute.
"Good! Now lead me through to your commanding officer at once. This is a matter of the utmost urgency both to myself and to my uncle, the Junior Minister."
As the soldier bowed again and moved past him, T'ai Cho realized fleetingly that it was his robes which had helped create the right impression. He was wearing his lecturer's pau with the bright blue patch, in many ways reminiscent of the sort of gown worn by a high official.
The soldier barely had time to announce him—and no time to turn and query his name—before he burst in behind him and took a chair in front of the Security officer.
This officer was less impressed by tones and gowns and talk of uncles. He asked immediately to see T'ai Cho's permit card. T'ai Cho threw it across the desk at him, then leaned across almost threateningly.
"Where's the boy? The boy from the Clay?"
The officer looked up at him, then down at the permit card. Then he threw the card back at T'ai Cho.
"If I were you, Shih T'ai, I'd leave here at once, before you get into any more trouble."
T'ai Cho ignored the card. He glared at the officer. "Where's the boy? I'm not leaving until I've seen the boy!"
The officer began to get up from his chair, but T'ai Cho leaned right across and pulled him down.
"Sit down, for the gods' sake and hear me out!"
Tai Cho shivered. He had never felt such anger or fear or urgency before. They shaped his every action now.
"Where is the boy?" he demanded fiercely.
The officer moved his hand slightly and pressed a pad on the desk, summoning help. He was certain nOw he had another madman on his hands.
"Understand me, Shih T'ai. The boy is in safe hands. We're seeing to the matter. It's a simple case of assault of a citizen by a nonregistered being. We'll be terminating the NRB in about an hour or so, once authorization has come down from above."
"You're doing what?" Pai Cho screamed. He stood up violently, making the officer do the same; his hands out defensively, expecting attack.
"Please, Shih T'ai. Sit down and calm down."
The door slid open quietly behind T'ai Cho, but he heard it even so and moved around the desk, so that his back was against the wall.
"You have no jurisdiction here," the officer said, his voice calmer now that he had assistance. "Whatever your relationship to the boy, I'm afraid the matter is out of your hands."
T'ai Cho answered him at once. "It's you who doesn't understand. Kim Ward is not an NRB, as you so ridiculously put it, but one of the most brilliant and important scientific minds in the whole of Chung Kuo. SimFic have negotiated a contract for his services for ten million yuan."
He had said the last three words slowly and clearly and with maximum emphasis and saw the effect the fantastic sum had on them.
"Ten million?" The officer gave a brief, thoughtful laugh. Then he shook his head. "Oh no. I don't believe you, Shih T'ai. This is just more of your talk of important uncles!"
T'ai Cho shook his head, then spoke again, his voice ringing with firmness and determination. "There's one more thing you don't understand. I don't care what happens to me. But you do. That makes me stronger than you. Oh, you can think me a liar or a madman, but just consider—if you ignore my warning and go ahead without checking up, then you'll be liable directly to SimFic for unauthorized destruction of their property." He laughed, suddenly horrified by this nightmare, sickened that he should even need to do this. Couldn't they see he was only a little boy—a frightened little boy who'd been savagely attacked?
Still the officer hesitated. "There are certain procedures. I—"
T'ai Cho yelled at the man; using language he had never before in his life used. "Fuck your procedures! Get on to Director Andersen at once. Unless you really want to be sued for ten million yuanl"
The officer blanched, then consulted his compatriot a second. Swallowing, he turned back to T'ai Cho. "Would you be willing to wait in a cell for half an hour while we make checks?"
T'ai Cho bowed. "Of course. That's all I want you to do. Here." he took a notepad from the pocket of his robe and, with the stylus from the officer's desk, wrote Andersen's office contact number and his name on the tiny screen. "You'll find they'll switch you through twice, so hold on. It's a discrete service, you see."
The officer hesitated, then gave the smallest bow, half convinced now that T'ai Cho had calmed.
"Andersen?"
"That's right. He might not be there at once, but keep trying. IVe asked his secretary to get him back there as soon as possible. He was . . . on business."
An hour later T'ai Cho and four soldiers were taking Kim back to the Project. Kim was heavily sedated and secured in a special carrying harness. It was hard to see what injuries, if any, he had received in the fight with the other boys. His face seemed unmarked. But he was alive and he was not going to be "terminated," as that bastard in the Security Post had termed it.
Now it was up to Andersen.
Director Andersen met him at the top gate. "I owe you, T'ai Cho," he said, slapping the tutor's back. But T'ai Cho turned on him angrily.
"I didn't do it to save your hide, Andersen. Where were you?"
Andersen swallowed, noting the open disrespect. "I— I—" he blustered, then he bowed. "I'm sorry, T'ai Cho. I know you didn't. Even so, I'm indebted. If there's anything—"
But T'ai Cho simply strode past him, disgusted, thinking of Nung and what had been allowed to happen to Kim. All of it was indirectly Andersen's fault. For not making all the right checks beforehand. And if there was any justice, Berdichev would have his hide for it!
Half an hour later he was back in Andersen's office.