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Chapter 6 - The City of Yin and Yang

To say I was nervous when I started at the shipyard was an understatement. I had never done any kind of construction or ship work outside of repairs while at sea. I had a lot to learn and I was worried my inexperience would be a sore point for my new coworkers. I imagined being yelled at and hammers being thrown at me and all kinds of dark moments. It took Tin half the night to help me relax before my first day on the job.

Thankfully I had worried about nothing.

The foreman knew that a newbie like me was as green as they came, so he paired me with skilled laborers who had done this for years. I told them the truth that I didn't know much beyond basic maintenance on ships. But I was a quick learner, and heights didn't bother me. That earned me a whole day up in the rigging of one of the large sailing ships. We replaced some of the lines and sails while also giving the mast a good once over. I impressed one or two people by just casually walking along the top of the ship without a second glance. My partner said he was shocked I was just so comfortable up high. I told him the truth: when I was up high I felt like I was king of the world.

The day started with a soupy fog that would have made London proud, but as the hours ticked by the sunlight broke it up. It then became warm, if not windy. I took off my coat and shirt and stood there on the rigging feeling the salty air blow across my chest. I smiled and took it all in. It was nice to be doing some kind work that felt familiar.

When I came down the lines, I had lunch with Lucas who came by to say hello. I told him he needed to be careful here as things could fall and hit him on his head.

"My mama says no brains no headaches," Lucas stuck his tongue out at me. I bapped him one between his ears and laughed. After lunch he said he was going to go back to St. Andrews, and I told him to say hi to Tri for me.

As the sun began to sink beneath the horizon, the whistle blew to tell us we were done for the day. One of my coworkers walked up to me. His name was Lau, a clouded leopard from the China mainland who didn't speak much but was always curious and thoughtful.

"Simon," he said with a warm smile. "Want to go get a drink with us?" He jerked over his shoulder with a thumb.

"Sure!" I said and finished buttoning up my shirt. I was glad to meet new people in the city. It was starting to feel more like home than New York City ever did. I still missed Fiz and Rut, don't get me wrong, but part of me was already planning on trying to convince them to move out here. New York City, while lovely, just didn't feel like the place for me.

But that was in the future. Tonight, I was set to have some drinks!

The tavern I was taken to was the Jade Wind. Nothing fancy like the old pubs you'd see in London or the classy kind of bars you'd see in New York. No, this place was built by the people and for the people. The wood and brick were mismatched in places, some even water damaged. The furniture was also a collection, but it was a nice two-story place with a large fire to warm the bones. We were right near the wharf and could see the ships and the bay through the windows.

It was also busy! I saw so many people from the docks I instantly knew this was the place a lot of them came to unwind. We found a table in the back near the fire, and Lau came back with three large mugs of ale. He slid me one and smiled. "Drink here is good. You should like it."

"I've yet to find an ale I didn't like!" I took a mouthful of the cold liquid and sighed. I put the mug down and wiped the foam from my lips with a grin. "Thank you, Lau, for inviting me."

"Of course! You are friend of Tristan, you friend to us all."

"Though some are wary of the royal fox," the cat to my left, named Shu, said. He was smaller than the rest of us. He was apparently a leopard cat, I learned--I've never seen one of his kind before. He was also from China and seemed to know Lau from the trip over to America. "But you do not act like king, you are good people."

I laughed. I let my accent come back out. "Oy, I gave up my claim t' the crown when I decided to come over 'ere. Queen Victoria, may God rest her soul, she knew I was trouble with a capital T." I laughed. The very idea I was familiar with the Queen was hilarious to me.

The accent got a laugh all around. Our fourth was, believe it or not, a large panda. I've never seen one before either, but I knew about the Chinese bears. They weren't very common here in America, and he looked utterly adorable, but he was stronger than even Tin. I even saw him move heavy beams all by himself. While he didn't say much, he always had a smile on his face. His name was Xing and one of the gentlest people I've ever met.

"I'm glad you guys find me good company, I think you all are swell," I said before I took another hefty drink of my ale.

"English, and Americans, they are hit or miss," Shu said with a frown. "Some are like you, good people who don't see anything but what is there in front of them. Others see what they want to see and it is never nice."

I frowned and put my mug down on the table. "I've heard some things about that. Was it rough when they assumed the plague outbreak was due to the people in Chinatown?"

Xing lowered his head. "We had lots of people get sick, some die. We were not allowed to leave the district to get medicine or doctors for days."

There was a solemn silence as we drank. It was Shu who looked up and waved his hands dismissively. "No! No sadness after work, I am already tired. Let us enjoy and relax."

I lifted my mug and nodded in agreement. "To the end of a hard day's work then."

They lifted their mugs and clanked them together with my own. At that sound we had all agreed to only keep the conversation lively and happy.

I've met people from all over the world who spoke languages from countries I had never heard of. But the Chinese here in San Francisco were unlike anything that came before. They were always in high spirits. They were always smiling and worked so hard. I couldn't believe how much effort they put into their jobs, and they never complained once. I realized that for all my travels, I still knew so little about the world.

Not that it was all awe and alcohol! No, what good is time in a bar without some tricks? I fished out a coin from my pocket and held it in a hand, holding both out to Shu.

"Okay Shu, which hand is the coin in?"

"Games, Simon?" the leopard cat grinned and scooted closer to me. He tapped my right fist. "This one."

I opened my hand and there was the coin. I rubbed my hands together and then clenched fists again, holding them out to Xing. The large panda looked between my closed fists and then slowly, very gently, tapped my left fist. I opened it up and revealed nothing.

"Surprise," Shu said with a grin. "Let's see the other hand, Simon."

I opened my other fist and there was the coin. Shu looked at me curiously then and quirked a brow. "You did not make the coin vanish?"

"Why would I do that? It's a game of chance!" I smiled and then rubbed my hands together again. And then quickly pulled them apart but kept my hands open, showing my palms.

No coin.

Xing laughed a little bit and Shu pointed at me. "I knew you were going to be tricky eventually! Sleight of hands...that's what they call it in English, yeah?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Shu, it's magic."

"Magic does not work like that," Lau said softly, finishing his ale and putting the heavy mug down on the table. "Magic is less...spectacle."

"And how would you know, Lau?" Shu asked his friend, prying. I could tell Shu was a little drunk but then I was also feeling a bit buzzed myself.

"Back in the homeland, my family had a temple. My grandfather was said to wield magic. He said it was not something mortals could just...wield like a sword or a gun. It was special, unique."

"So are you saying Simon is a trickster?" Shu pushed.

Lau looked at me with a frown and then back to Shu. "Simon is exactly what he says he is, a good man."

"He just plays tricks," again from Shu.

"Foxes are known to be tricksters," Xing said with a quiet hum.

"Hey, that's a stereotype!" I countered and leaned over the table and flicked my fingers, pulling out the 'coin' from behind Xing's ear. I sat back in my chair and flipped it into the air, catching it lazily. "And I don't think I can use magic. It's just something I learned as a kid."

"You learned to do tricks like that as a boy? Why?"

"I grew up poor. Sometimes I needed to pinch some food here and there. Nothing big, an apple or some bread. I got really good at it. I also was really good at charming generous old ladies out of a pence here and there."

"Devious," Lau said with a grin. "Should we keep an eye on you?"

"My friend," I said as I stood up to get another round of drinks for us all, "if you're watching me that's exactly what I want you to do."

The bar was crowded, but that was fine. The popularity of the bar said a lot about the place--it was cheap and good. I waited my turn and wiggled my way to the bar, putting the mugs down on the bar and lifted a hand to get the barkeep's attention.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" The voice to my right was raised. Loud. Angry.

I looked over and was surprised to see a couple of men in military uniforms standing around a table where two tired looking men were sitting. They were hunched over their drinks and trying not to look at the soldiers who had a third walk up carrying drinks.

"I said, what do you think you're doing, chinaman?" the soldier said. He was a young-looking bobcat. Younger than me but he was wearing a clean uniform. Probably went to his head.

"We're just drinking..." one of the men at the table muttered without looking up. "We didn't even see you come in."

"Well ain't that the problem? When a soldier walks in, shouldn't you be a little more respectful?"

"I don't..."

"Shhhh," the bobcat said and put his hand on the back of the sitting feline's head. "I'll let you know when you can speak. For now--" The bobcat shoved the other's head firmly down onto the table so hard the drinks fell to the floor and the man's nose was bleeding.

I looked around and saw, sadly, people trying not to watch. Shu and Lau were looking at their hands, and Xing was watching but passively. I saw people slowly try to get up and leave. Even the barkeep was keeping his head down, trying to act like nothing was happening.

"Now, the proper thing to do when you see gentlemen walking in wearing uniforms of the United States military, is that you should be grateful for our protection and get up and outta our way. Bad enough y'all are here, but you don't even respect our men in uniform."

"I'm so sorry, sir. Please..."

"Oy!" I said as I stepped over and crossed my arms over my chest. "Yankee Doodles, sod off before ye end up buggered and bleedin' in an ally." I was surprised at myself. One, I was going to get into a fight. And two, I wasn't sounding American.

The men in uniform turned to me and I saw the bobcat sneer. "What's this? A Brit all the way here? You're a long way from home, Your Highness."

I smiled broadly. "Aye mate, I may be, but you're in the wrong part of town if you want to be startin' trouble. So why don't you go on back to the Presidio where ye belong and we can forget this whole affair, eh?"

"I have a better idea," the soldier said, and his swing was so wide and so slow that, even when drunk, I could see it coming a mile away. I stepped to the side and watched the bobcat swing wide. My foot came up and I tripped the man down onto the floor. I stepped over and slammed my foot down onto the man's back, pushing down.

"I didn't catch that, mate."

By now his friends snapped out of their surprise and came at me. I took my foot off the back of the bobcat and ducked, feeling one punch over my head. I stood up and grinned.

"Come on mates, I thought--"

And that was when one of them hit me right across the jaw. I fell back and onto the table, sending cups rolling to the ground and crashing.

"Ow..."

The bobcat was up and glaring at me. He stepped over and grabbed me by the shirt and lifted me up off the table, only to slug me right in the eye and onto the table.

"You little shit!" he shouted. "You know I could have you arrested for assaulting a soldier? You fucking piece of shit! What is with you foreigners and disrespect?"

My head was ringing and I was starting to sit up, watching as the bobcat was pulling his arm back for another whammy of a punch. I was moving so slowly I didn't know if I could get out of the way in time.

Thankfully I didn't have to.

I watched as a white arm streaked in front of me and slammed into the bobcat's muzzle. The feline whirled but the assailant was moving with him, grabbing him by the shoulder and righting him only to slam another fist into his face. The soldier staggered backwards and was grabbed, again, by this unknown hero. I winced when the man's hands linked behind the soldier's head and brought it down as he lifted a knee, crushing his muzzle against it. The bobcat groaned as blood trickled out of his face and fell to the ground.

One of the bobcat's friends was going for his sidearm.

It was then that I saw who had turned the bobcat' slights out.

It was Tri.

And boy, was he fast!

The man moved swiftly and was on the other soldier before half a breath was taken. He grabbed that wrist and twisted so hard I heard bone snap. The man screamed and was dragged to the door and shoved out, his gun lying on the floor of the bar.

The third soldier was standing there with his eyes wide as saucers and his muzzle hanging open. His hands were up as Tri advanced on him, his eyes bright and sharp and full of anger that I had never seen on him.

"Get your friend and go," Tri said, "and never, ever, come back here. I know your faces and I'll know if you ever disobey. Try me. Find out what happens when you don't listen. Now get out of my sight!"

He shoved the final man to the downed bobcat. It took a minute of quiet shuffling before the soldiers were outside. Inside, a cheer went up.

Tri looked serious as ever as the music started playing and a beer was put in his hands. He came over to me and looked at my face, grasping my chin as he turned my head left and right.

"That's going to leave a mark," he said softly. "You didn't need to do that, you know."

"Always stand up to bullies, friend," I said with a half drunken stupor and a ringing headache. "Now...can the three of you merge into one, you're all hard to keep track of."

That earned me a rare laugh from Tri who helped me up to my feet. "Come, Simon, let's get you to my shop. I'll get you cleaned up."

"Okay, but again, pull yourself together, man. I don't know which you is the real you!"

"Maybe I'm not real at all," he chuckled and put my arm over his shoulder. "But let this figment of your imagination take care of you, unless you want to wake up in the ally with a pounding headache."

"I'd rather wake up next to a handsome, sexy man, all things considered," I joked, my speech becoming more slurred as the world spun around me.

"Maybe that can be arranged," came the reply.