Chapter 21
YAO Bang lived on the first floor of the house where he worked. This was an old house, that had once belonged to Tsarong, the famous minister, dating from the days of the thirteenth Dalai Lama. It was an elegant double story mansion, built in the traditional Tibetan style, painted white and red with black window surrounds. It was almost dark when Mary Joe arrived at the house in the Barkhor in answer to Yao's summons. Evening prayers were being said in the Jokhang and the chanting of monks, the blare of trumpets and the clash of cymbals came to her dimly, mingled with the sound of evening crowds.
A servant opened the doors and ushered her in. Mary Joe found herself in a richly furnished room. Yao was lolling on a sofa, a decanter of wine beside him. An old record player played Chinese music in one comer, the plaintive notes of the melody filling the room. The servant left after showing her into the room. Yao refilled his crystal goblet before looking up at her. "So, it appears my suspicions were right after all. Could it be, my dear, that you are not what you seem to be."
Mary Joe knew that Yao was bluffing about his suspicions. He really had no firm grounds for suspecting her. Very likely, all that he wanted was her body, using pressure tactics to break down her resistance. "Indeed, and what did you suspect Comrade Yao," said Mary Joe innocently.
"What were you doing in the White Palace? You know that it is strictly off limits."
"I had no idea, honestly Comrade Yao, or else I wouldn't have ventured within a mile of it."
"Have you seen the Public Security Bureau building as you came in.
"You mean the ugly building that stands on one comer of the Barkhor, overlooking the Jokhang."
Yes, the same ugly building has a beautiful basement furnished with all kinds of gadgets. Do you know what happens to people who snoop around. They are taken to the basement. I won't tell you what they do to them in the basement, but I can tell you this, if they survive their reception, they are left looking much uglier than the building. You don't want that to happen to you, do you?. You are a pretty woman my dear, a very pretty woman actually."
"Thank you Comrade Yao. I really have nothing to add to what I have just told you."
"Come, come that isn't good enough. You have to satisfy me otherwise it is going to be the PSB interrogation centre for you, and we don't want that to happen, do we.
"I have told you the truth Comrade Yao, I hope that will satisfy you."
Mary Joe had a fair idea of what would actually satisfy Yao. She had already devised a plan in her head about dealing with what was coming.
"Bolt the door and then come here. Good, now do you want to know what will satisfy me, nothing but the naked truth. Understand."
"The naked truth. Understood Comrade."
The phonograph record had come to its end and the room was strangely quiet. Mary Joe reversed the black shellac disc and turned the music on again, raising the volume. It was a strangely pure melody, the crystalline notes of a single flute filled the room like the sound of a tiny brook cascading over rocks. Then the flute was joined by strings, by tubas, by tinkling cymbals and the high pitched keening of clarinets and oboes, rising and falling like the ebb and flow of waves on a windswept shore. Mary Joe refilled Yao's glass to the brim and then took off her Mao jacket and regulation trousers. Underneath she wore a green silk top and harem pants slit provocatively on the side. She had come prepared for the night.
She began dancing slowly, swaying and pirouetting in tune with the music. Yao watched, fascinated. You want the naked truth comrade Yao, well you shall have it, she said to herself, but then you shall be in no position to see it. Yao had drained his glass in one gulp and without breaking her dance Mary Joe filled his goblet. Then she unzipped her pants letting them fall to the floor. Underneath she wore a slip of diaphanous silk and sheer stockings. "Help me remove these stockings, Comrade, will you," she said to Yao.
"Ah, yes, indeed, " said Yao, licking his lips. By now he was visibly drunk and his movements were clumsy. He fumbled with the stockings, pawing at her legs.
"Gently comrade, you are hurting me. Just roll them down slowly. Yes, that's better, but wait, let me get you a drink first."
She refilled his glass and let Yao fumble on with his clumsy fingers running all over the backs of her legs and thighs. He was getting increasingly worked up at the sight of the long, slender legs. The music played on, yearning and moaning like a 'god in pain'. Once her stockings were off, Mary Joe broke free from Yao's fumbling embrace and danced away to the far side of the room. She judged that he was so drunk that another glass would probably knock him out completely. She handed him another goblet of wine and then removed her slip, standing before Yao, in her. undergarments. "You wanted the naked truth, Comrade, well you can have it now."
Yao, made a grab at her but Mary Joe slipped away. He fallowed her around the room, trying ineffectually to embrace her. Finally he fell heavily and being unable to stand, crawled around on all fours before passing out. The music had stopped. It was very quiet again, the last worshippers having departed from the Jokhang. Mary Joe made a quick search of the room. She went thorough the chest of drawers that stood in one corner, rummaging through piles of clothing. There was a stack of girlie magazines at the bottom. Playboy and Hustler and a host of others whose names Mary Joe had never known before. There were bottles of aftershave, colognes and other perfumes. There was a small bar in one corner stocked with imported liquor. Yao lived in style, scorning frugality like a true communist commissar. At last she found what she was looking for. Hanging from a nail was a large bunch of keys, old and rusted and obviously of Tibetan design. These keys had to be the keys of the shut-off portions of the Potala. Mary Joe put on her clothes again and after making a quick reccee of the room to see that she had left nothing incriminating behind, softly stepped over the insensate form of yao Bang and went out of the room.
