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Corean Dawn excerpt (Page 3)
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of Tubert’s chin.
“Barley tea. Boiling it rids it of all impurities. It’s delicious, and safe.”
The American naval officer accepted the cup and gamely sipped, staring sideways at the outrageous caucasian in the ornate garb of a minor Corean official, outline of a six-shot revolver in a leather pouch suspended from his shoulder at his side. Through a horse hair hat, he saw the man wore his hair in a top knot, an indication that he was married and, Corean officals hoped, projected an air of maturity. The Chinese inter¬preters and translators were incensed to discover Tubert spoke fluent Chinese and Corean.
“Hmm. Not bad. Listen, son, I have a reception for the prefect and his staff aboard ship tonight,” said Schufelt, standing next to Jewell. “Beer, whiskey, wine, bread, roast beef, potatoes and Marine band music. Evidently the quaran¬tine they’ve slapped on us does not prevent us from inviting them aboard ship. Why don’t I send a boat for you? Join us. You seem free to move around between all parties. About time you got back with your own kind.”
“Coreans are my own kind, commodore.”
“So it appears, Tubert,” said the commodore in a low voice. “You've been out here nearly ten years.”
Rowboats took them to the American warship. After a half hour of a translated overview of points to be covered they took a break.
“Must have been horrid, being left behind here,” Schufeld said. “Turned out that Kangwha was an unneces¬sary battle. Even before Low and Belo sailed their task force that stranded you on these shores, an earlier American shipwrecked crew and cargo had been courteously transported to China from Korea. And Berson, commander of the General Sherman, was an irresponsi¬ble damned adventurer with one Englishman and a crew of Chinese and Malays, their cargo contraband guns.
Unfortunate that the letter King Kojong wrote reached me two years later, back in the states, and more unfortunate that I was not in Asia, to prevent your task force from attacking Kangwha. But I swear to you, Mister Tubert, my dream of opening Chaoshien ever since I sailed from Hong Kong to investigate the Gen¬eral Sherman disaster will come to pass now. I have exclusive authority from the secre¬tary of the Navy and the State Department to make this happen. Meanwhile, son, it might serve you better if you at least dress like a Westerner. Where’s your family at in America?”
“No one knows, and I could care less. No kin has ever showed to find me. I was born in Asia, sir. Shanghai as a street boy, then the American ships. Here, they made me a ward of their kingdom. I’ll never serve on your ships again, admiral.”
“Relax, son,” said Shufeldt reassuringly, feeling his blood pressure rise, sensing that he had discovered a fear and weakness in this unbalanced misfit. “No one will ever expect you to. But I want to hear anything you’re comfortable telling me about this land. I’ve got to deal indirectly with Corean officials through the manipulating Chinese officials in the court in Tienstin, which is bewildering. Whenever there is an unfavorable incident, China has sworn it has no influence or interest in Corea, yet now they suddenly insist that Corea is subordinate to China, and we’ve got our hands full trying to prevent them from forcing a treaty favorable only to China. Murky relationships, Tubert, but I’m going to carve a treaty that recognizes the sovereignty
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