May 15, 1935:

        “Why they always schedule things like this for the middle of the week, I’ll never know,” Jian grumbled half to himself as he arrived for work that day.  The Governor’s reception for the new Japanese Ambassador was scheduled for late afternoon and all of the staff were expected to be there, dressed formally.  The best suit he had was draped over his back, neatly arranged on its hanger as he entered his office.
        The suit was hung up so it could stay neatly pressed and clean for the meeting.  He opened up his office window and his ears flicked at the sound of sirens.  Curious, he stuck his head out and saw one of the Wangchung provincial police’s antiquated Ford cars go careening down the street with a blithe disregard for anyone who might be in their way.  The siren receded, leaving furs to shake their fists at the car before going about their business.
        He briefly wondered where they were going in such a hurry.  The police weren’t much of a presence in Kuo Han, attending to security matters and doing actual police work only for murders or bank robberies – at least, so it appeared.  Some policing, he knew, was done by local block committees or by business protective associations (that usually had ties to criminal organizations).  It sometimes made for a confusing set of conflicts of interest.
        Jian shrugged and started in on his paperwork.  Because of the reception, all the work needed to be completed before lunch.
        Midway through his first report he stood and bowed politely as Lee came in.  “Good morning, sir.”
        “Good morning, Jian.”  The musk deer seemed a bit preoccupied today.  “No calls for now, please,” and with that he swept into his office and closed the door.  Jian’s ears flicked as the door locked.
        The feline briefly wondered what was bothering his superior, and he ran a paw over his brown headfur.  He guessed it was none of his business, so he returned to his paperwork.
        Shortly before lunchtime the inner office door unlocked and the musk deer opened it.  “Jian,” Lee said, “come in please.”  He still looked a bit apprehensive about something.
        “Yes, sir,” Jian said as he stood and walked into the office, silently dreading the possibility that it would be one of those lunches.  Several folders were open on Lee’s desk, and the door to his safe was unlocked.  That was a bit unusual, as the musk deer was very careful about security when it came to his private papers.
        “I want you to call up the kitchen and have them bring something up here for me.  Are you almost done with your work for the day?”
        “Nearly, sir.”
        “Good.  Finish up, then get some lunch and get back here.  I’ll have something for you to type up.”
        Jian tried not to let his relief show too clearly.  “Of course, sir,” he said and left the office to make the call.
        After a quick lunch of fried rice and beef, Jian returned to his office to find a folder on his desk.  Lee’s initials confirmed that it was the material he was to type up for his boss, and the cervine’s office door was closed again.
        The feline opened the folder and scanned the contents, then he stopped and started reading more closely.  His tail slowly bottled out as he reread one passage.
        Knowing that he was supposed to have the three paw-written pages typed up before returning it to Lee, he fed a blank sheet of paper into his typewriter and started transcribing the document.  When he was finished he picked up the folder as if it were a small but dangerous animal, walked to the inner office door and knocked softly.
        “Come in.”
        He opened the door and found Lee diligently working on something, writing notes in a clothbound ledger.  He looked up and closed the ledger as Jian approached.  “Ah, you’ve finished typing that up?  Excellent.”  He noticed the look on his aide’s face and asked, “Yes?”
        “Sir, are you sure you wanted this?”
        The buck looked amused.  “If I hadn’t, Jian, I wouldn’t have written it down.”  He held out a paw for the folder, and signed the cover sheet with a flourish.  “Congratulations, Jian.  You are now a special assistant, attached to my office.  With higher pay,” he added with a grin.
        “Thank you, sir, but – I’ve only been here three years now – “
        “So?”  The smile twisted into something uglier that fit the musk deer’s face all too well.  “None of those senior to you work as hard.”
        “But – but what will the others say?”
        “You think they’ll think I’m rewarding you for sharing my bed, Jian?”
        The feline’s ears laid back as Lee’s words hung in the air.
        It felt like a punch in the stomach. 
        His eyes lowered.
        “Yes.”
        Lee sat back in his chair, lacing his fingers together across his belly while he gazed up at Jian.  “You shouldn’t care what anyone else might think or say,” he declared after a few moments, his voice soft.  “The only person you should worry about is me, Jian – and if you don’t do a good job, I’ll be sure to let you know.”  His muzzle contorted again into a wintry smile.  “Now, get that down to Personnel and get changed.  The reception will start around three.”
        “Yes, sir,” and Jian bowed himself out of the office, feeling uncomfortably warm as he flushed in embarrassment.  Mentally he berated himself for crossing Lee.  He’d still be a low-level clerk in the secretarial pool, living in a rat-infested godown, had it not been for Lee’s notice.


        “His Excellency, Huang Chan, Governor of Kuo Han!” the uniformed majordomo cried and everyone in the Palace’s main reception hall bowed as the man walked in, flanked by bodyguards and two especially esteemed advisers.  The giant panda, his white headfur and black eyepatches brushed until they shone, favored the crowd of ministers and their aides with a smile before stepping aside. 
        “His Excellency, Ambassador of the Imperial Japanese Court, Masamune Reiki,” the majordomo announced, and everyone except Governor Huang bowed as a fox stepped into the room, followed by his staff.  The vulpine was dressed in formal diplomatic uniform stiff with gold brocade and a ceremonial sword was belted at his hip.  He had already presented his credentials to the Governor.
        The Governor walked up to the Ambassador and the two bowed to each other, then Huang moved to stand beside Masamune as a band in a corner of the cavernous room began playing the Kimigayo.  All the furs in uniform saluted while everyone else bowed out of respect.
        The ancient tune ended and press photographers stepped up to take pictures of the two furs shaking paws and putting on their best smiles for the cameras.  Questions would likely be asked later, but for now images would suffice.  As the last reporter was gently escorted away, the Governor and his guest started to walk down the receiving line, followed by their retinues.
        Lee and Jian bowed as a protocol officer introduced them, and the Japanese fox acknowledged them with a correct nod.  Huang, on the other paw, smiled and shook paws with Lee.  “Piao, I’m glad to see you,” Huang said with an air of forced bonhomie.  “Is everything ready?”
        The musk deer smiled.  “Of course, sir.  May I introduce my principal aide, Chen Jian,” and Jian bowed again.
        The gaunt panda nodded absently.  Huang gave the lie to the old tales that members of his species were always fat.  His fur seemed stretched over an almost-skeletal frame, and many whispered rumors offered various reasons why.
        Of course, it might have had something to do with the two feline women who were part of his official retinue.  Their markings indicated that they came from Siam and they resembled each other well enough to be mistaken for twins.  They wore matching cheongsams in watered black silk.  They nodded demurely to Lee as they passed, their tails tracing sinuous S-curves as they walked.
        The Japanese envoy and the Governor sat at a long table while attendants placed large leather-bound portfolios before them, bearing heavy official seals.  The portfolios contained the elements of a trade agreement that would enable Japan to purchase chromium ore from Kuo Han’s mines.
        Jian watched the ceremony as flashbulbs popped when Huang and Masamune signed the documents, then stood and shook paws.  Everyone in the room applauded politely before going in to the state dinner that had been prepared for the Japanese delegation.
        Lee’s position in the government required him to take a seat at the head table next to the Governor.  As they sat down, Huang murmured to the musk deer behind one paw, “Quite the little bedwarmer you have there, Piao.”
        The musk deer whispered back, “Oh, he’s useful as well as decorative – he’s the best assistant I’ve had in a while.  Why the sudden interest?  Are Ruby and Opal not enough for you, Chan?”
        Being called by his first name caused a momentary flicker of anger to cross the panda’s features.  He glanced quickly at the two women before replying, “No, they suit my needs very well.  I was just making an observation.”
        Lee lowered his voice further as the first course was presented.  “Being observant is not your job.  Your job is to look good for the cameras,” and both of them were all smiles as they waved to the press photographers, “so do your job and leave being observant to me.”  The cervine nodded graciously as one of the foreign delegation made a complimentary remark. 
        “One can’t help being observant when things are being done in his name,” Huang said, keeping his voice down.  “How much did this little trade deal cost?”
        “Oh, not enough to anger your other masters in Nanking, never fear,” Lee said with a smile.  Fear of being recalled and executed for peculation was one of the things that kept Huang in line.  Kou Han was semiautonomous, but the KMT – and Marshall Chiang – had a long reach.  “Rest assured, there’s enough squeeze for you to continue to live comfortably.”
        The giant panda shifted in his seat.  He smiled at an acquaintance at another table even as he hissed, “Damn you.  One of these days you’ll go too far, Piao.  I’ll take great pleasure in seeing you dead.”
        The musk deer’s smile faded slightly and he turned to face the Governor.  His eyes were blank and cold, his expression carefully bland as he replied, “You forget yourself, you incompetent pervert.  You enjoy your place simply because I wish it so.  A single word, a small gesture, and you die.  Without even the pleasure of enjoying Ruby and Opal’s ministrations one last time.”  Lee turned back to his dinner, enjoying the savory filling of the dim sum on his plate.
        Huang Chan swallowed hard and swiftly lowered his gaze to his plate.  He tried to eat, but his chopsticks felt like they were telegraph poles and the food, although lovingly prepared and delicately spiced, tasted like ashes in his mouth.

        From his place at a lower table, Jian watched as Lee and Governor Huang shared a conversation.  He wondered absently what it was they might be talking about as Huang started eating again, his nosepad looking a bit pale.  His superior, on the other paw, seemed to be enjoying his food.
        His thoughts turned back to earlier in the day, and he suddenly smiled at the thought that his new position, in addition to giving him a slightly fatter paycheck, also allowed him to have the entire weekend off.
        Two whole days off each week.
        He could scarcely credit his good fortune, and the thought helped to momentarily ease his misgivings about being promoted over other furs.


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