A Gentleman's Prerogative (Unedited Version)

Chapter 29

Aung began to explain everything once  Sean managed to lift his chin up off the floor.  It was a sad tale, and one he and his sister's could relate to.  A good, honest man accused of something he didn't do, by an unscrupulous associate. Apparently,  Sean thought , it was a little more common than he had ever imagined.  Only difference being that Aung was imprisoned and alive, and Sean's father had committed suicide.  Same story, different outcomes, with the same components, the innocent children.  The children suffered for the sins of the father, even when the father never truly sinned. 

As Aung had told it, he had been an officer in the Chinese Imperial army.  He had given four long years to his country, the entirty spent away from his family.  He had been eager to go home.  He missed his family, his wife and his daughters.  His sweet little Li had only been five years old when he left.  As for his daughtera Mei, he hadn't even known she existed until the night Ian told him about her. 

Sadly, he had never made it home.  A week before he was scheduled to leave, one of his men had implecated him of treatury.  His crime, protecting an enemy prisoner.  The officer under his command had nearly beaten the English soldier to death.  Aung having empathy for the poor man had stopped the officer and had him punished accordingly.   Out of retaliation, the officer had accused him of disloyalty to China. The charge, insurgency. 

The court found him guilty, and sentenced him to ten years of hard labor in a Chinese prison.  He was placed in a cell alongside the English soldier whose life he had saved. Sadly the young man had died from his wounds three days later.

Aung would have died there as well.  However, since he had showed compassion for the young soldier, his life had been spared.  Aung would find out later that the soldier had been Ian's cousin. 

The Eclipse had sailed to China to negotiate a trade. English goods were hard to come by, and would make a handsome profit.  Therefore, many of the officers traded goods for slaves.   Aung didn't like it, but he minded his own business.  Besides, nobody would notice one less prisoner. Unfortunately they hadn't made the journey in time.  However, the kind captain hadn't left empty handed.  Although, saddened by the news of his cousin's death, he had traded the his ship full of goods for one old and broken Chinaman.

Ian had saved his life, however Aung hadn't known that until the ship was far away from shore.   He thought he had been sold onto a slave ship.  Instead the vessel had been his passage to freedom.

It turned out that Aungs superior had felt sorry for him.  When they informed Ian that his cousin had passed, he had turned to leave but the Lieutenant had stopped him.  He told him of Aung's sacrifice and in gratitude Ian had bought his release.  The only stipulation was that he remove Aung from China immediately. It was after all illegal to sell one's own countrymen, even those imprisoned for treason.

Aung, of course not knowing this had fought them all.  He wanted to be left alone; to stay in prison where he could serve his time and return home.  He wasn't going to leave his homeland. At least, not without his family.  In the end, after leaving several of Ians crewmen bloodied and broken, he lost the fight.  They had finally bested him and placed him in the hold.  He had felt defeated, until the captain who had sustained a broken arm during the fight came to his cell door.  What he had told him next left him sorrowful, yet determined.

It would seem, as Aung had told it, that the lieutenant had received news from the mainland several years before. He had told Ian of the death of Aungs wife,  and the disappearance of his daughter's.  Sadly, their mother died of grief a year after they were taken.  Nobody knew anything more than that.  Area gossip had claimed a French trading vessel took the girls and several others from their village.  They said they were slave traders who had paid off the local authorities to raid their homes and steal their daughters.  They had been helpless.   The younger men had been enlisted years ago so the tiny village had been comprised of mainly old men, women, and children. There had been no one left to protect them. They didn't have the strength to fight against the armed men.  So they stood silent and did nothing. They knew they would never see their girls again, and as sad as it was, some folks were fine with it. To them it was one less mouth to feed.  However, others like Aungs beautiful wife, Soon Li, were left feeling  alone in their grief.  Aung had felt those same emotions.

"So, as you can see, since that day I have been searching for my daughters, and now it would seem I have found them."

Aung then turned to the drivers wife.  "Thank you, dear woman for confirming my suspicions.  It brings me great honor that my daughter resembles her father.  Also, I must thank you for being so kind to her when others were not."

"Non! Monsieur.  It was 'er who 'as been kind to us.  She 'as been like a daughter to me and my 'usband. We were not blessed with any of our own children, you see?"

Sean decided it was time to interject.  He had questions of his own, and he was truly happy for Aung, but time was ticking by and they needed to get moving.

"Aung, I am truly excited for you.  However, if we don't leave soon we will never find the girls in time."

"Excusez-moi!" Intoned the driver who had been listening to Aungs story with teary eyes.  "I believe, Monsieur that I may 'ave a plan.  On y va?"

"We shall, dear man.  Lead on," answered Sean.

As they proceeded out the door, Sean noticed the drivers wife cross her chest and lift her eyes to heaven in prayer. Why not? He thought.  So he stopped for a moment and did the same.  They could use all the help they could get.  Hopefully, God was listening.