Deceived Read Free Page A

plate
and banged it against the side of the cage .
    The snake's
coils tightened slightly, the only movement .
    The waiter's
lips trembled as Pu-Yi raised his eyes and glared — the instructions had
been clear: price was no object, but quality was.
    Pu-Yi lifted a
chop stick from the table and poked it through the half-inch mesh, prodding the
snake. It unwound quickly, fluidly. Against the far side of the cage the snake
reared up and revealed itself. Its hood flared, four inches or more across — a
cobra.
    Pu-Yi looked
again at the girl beside him. She shivered, but also grinned crookedly, both
apprehensive and fascinated, it seemed. Pu-Yi gently intertwined his hand with
hers. His fingers caressed for a moment, then found and encircled her index
finger, and suddenly, like a different type of snake, constricted sharply,
clamping vice-like .
    The girl's eyes
widened in surprise, but just as quickly relaxed as Pu-Yi drew her finger to
his lips. Gently, he kissed its tip — so delicate and pink.
    Pu-Yi's eyes
jumped, from snake, to woman, and back, as he turned the girl's finger from his
lips and redirected it to the cage. He monitored her expression closely as he
forced her finger forward .
    The girl's
smile held steady for a moment, and Pu-Yi imagined her thoughts: a game; a
joke to make me squeal like a school girl, but I will do nothing and call his
bluff.
    Another foot
forward and the girl's smile broke. It turned flat — a sharp red gash — as
her face grew taught. Then, when her fingertip was but a few inches from the
cage, the girl screamed. "Bu shi. Bu shi ." No, no . She
turned her free hand to a fist and thumbed it against Pu-Yi's shoulder .
    As if gnat
bites, Pu-Yi ignored the blows; he poked the girl's fingertip through the mesh
of the cage .
    The tongue of
the cobra shot out, three times in quick succession. With a hiss its hood
flared wider, a final warning before it launched itself forward, mouth gaping,
led by the fangs of its upper jaw. In that instant Pu-Yi jerked back the girl's
finger.
    The snake hit
steel mesh, nothing more .
    Pu-Yi returned
the girl's finger to his mouth, again kissed its tip gently. He laughed then,
loudly. Amused and pleased. The waiter joined him after a moment, nervously. The
girl, her face white, eyes completely taken by fear, did not.
    Pu-Yi looked to
the waiter. "The snake will do," he said in Cantonese .
    The waiter
nodded and produced a y-shaped utensil from his cadre jacket. He fit it between
the mesh of the cage and, expertly, pinned the head of the cobra to the cage
floor. He then opened a trap door on the top of the cage, reached in, and took
hold of the snake just behind its head. He released the y-shaped utensil, and
lifted the snake from the cage, his other, now free hand, stretching the snake
its full length, almost three feet.
    One outside
corner of the cage hosted a short, razor-sharp blade. The waiter turned the
snake upside down and with a quick motion sliced open the snake's underside
just below its head. From the horizontal wound the blood of the snake flowed
freely into a waiting bowl.
    When the last
drops had fallen from the snake's now limp body, Pu-Yi pulled the bowl toward
him. The drink would make him strong, and hard, ensuring a lengthy and
enjoyable night .
    Pu-Yi stared at
the girl. She lowered her eyes; her cheeks still white. It was good to be home
where the women knew their place, not like the American cows who so often had
to be reminded.
    He lifted the
bowl in two hands, prepared to raise it to his lips, when the curtains again
parted and another waiter entered carrying a telephone. The waiter bowed low
and held the phone out to Pu-Yi.
    "Who is
it?" Pu-Yi barked angrily.
    "Mr. John
Li," the waiter said, and Pu-Yi's annoyance left him instantly .
    "Bring the
phone here," Pu-Yi demanded, and then, after the waiter had set the phone
on the table: "Out." He looked at the girl and pointed to the exit. " All
of you. "
    All three
scrambled for the exit.