“There are other ways to assure your safety,” said Mai Lo, as the doctor rose as if to go.
Then he turned his face toward me and asked:
“Cannot the friend of Prince Kai trust the promises of his friend’s servant?”
“No,” I replied. “The Prince himself told me to trust no one.”
“You have his letter of authority and his ring.”
“He is dead,” I answered, with a shrug. “I am not sure the commands of the dead Prince are as powerful as those of his living servant. I am told you are all-powerful in Kai-Nong, Mai Lo.”
“We who worship our ancestors obey the commands of the dead without question, even if it costs us our lives,” said the mandarin.
This might be true, but I had little faith in Mai Lo being influenced by the traditions of his people. Prince Kai had distrusted the man and warned me to look out for any treachery from him. But it was not my purpose to antagonize the mandarin at this juncture.
“Satisfy the doctor, and you satisfy me,” I declared, with assumed indifference.
“I will write an agreement,” said Mai Lo, “in which I promise you safe conduct to Kai-Nong and back to Shanghai. This you will deposit with the American Consul at Shanghai. If I fail in my agreement he will send the paper to the Emperor, who will at once order me beheaded.”