9

IV

A week later Namura wrote a corny poem apologizing to the unconquerable Madame Moonlight.

Sitting in respectful silence Major Fulvio Gallipoli quickly mounted his defense. He had an appointment with Namura.

Italy did have a consulate in Shanghai. Tientsin was an Italian protectorate. Italian cargo submarines were already in Singapore with equipment for the Japanese military industry. .Amen Fulvio did know that in July '43 the Americans, British and Canadians had invaded Italy through Sicily. Very soon the country would fall. That is why if Namura put his feet on the ground for a second, he would be a little bit beyond death.

Fulvio saw the methodical Japanese reports that explained the battles in the Pacific, Fulvio even knew that the Italian military that occupied Tientsin were openly in favor of the Americans and that he should be actively working with the guerrillas, he was half Canadian because of his grandfather...but if he wanted to save Madame Moonlight he should be smarter and play a very good chess. In the meantime that same morning a group of Mitchel B-24s made a bombing raid on the Shanghai docks. But General Namura was only looking forward to that terrible tango of Madame Moonlight.

--Major Gallipoli. The situation is serious. I need everyone's help. I understand that the Italian consulate in Shanghai has been destroyed by a rebel attack. If there were any survivors, they were kidnapped by the communists, said the General, staring at him from behind his imposing desk.

--How opportune --thought Gallipoli.

--Then you are under my jurisdiction. I should put you in a concentration camp, for Italy is now an ally of the English and the cowardly Americans. But you have been more than loyal to us. I would like your collaboration. I want you to go to Tientsin and convince the Italian garrison to abandon their irresponsible attitude and understand what their duties are.

--This one sends me straight to my death. He wants no rivals,-- thought Gallipoli, looking at the inscrutable commander, who deigned to give him the order directly, not through subordinates. They were in the middle of a war. But now they were starting another. That was why the inaccessible commander always wanted to see him directly. The fight was for the girl. They both understood it that way.

--The trip has to be by land. I cannot send it by plane or by sea,-- Namura explained, lighting a long English cigarette.

--It will be a pleasure, --replied Gallipolli, not knowing who these Italians were and what they were doing in China.

--That is all. It is needless to say that you will receive all my help in the accomplishment of your mission. Then I will see how to send him to Italy or attach him to the Imperial army. We need officers in the interior of China.....

Fulvio stood up and saluted militarily, turning to leave.

--Another thing,-- Namura said to him. --Do you know Enrico Zannoni?

--No sir,-- said Fulvio. Turning to look at Namura again.

--That's my problem with you,-- said Namura, looking directly at him, --I was about to accomplish something, but you just happened to stand in my way. .... Enrico Zannoni is the Italian military attaché at the consulate in Shanghai. He died along with the other diplomats in the Kuomintang and Communist attack. But it seems to me that it did not hurt him much. Don't abuse his triumphs in the battles of the Pacific...I have a very bad memory for remembering war heroes.

Fulvio saluted firmly. It was better not to explain. He went out and walked knowing what it felt like one minute before being decapitated, while driving through the deserted streets, he congratulated himself. --You did it. That's just what you always do. That's just what you always know how to do--he said to himself bitterly, for from now on he had all, but all of General Namura's attention to himself.

V

Shamelessly, the doctor began to meet with the conspirators in Fulvio's own house. She introduced them all to his admiration as cousins, nephews, uncles, brothers; making the Doctor one of the most prolific beings in all of Shanghai.

The headache was still to get the map into the prison, to deliver it to the commanding officer of the prisoners. It would be a suicide mission. The idea was to deliver the escape map and commit suicide so as not to leave any loose ends along the way. The Americans were in the military prison that was in the center of a Japanese military airfield, which was defending the whole sector from the B-24 Liberators that were bombing the entire coast of China.

Everyone knew that the camp's few Mitsubishi Zeros and their pilots were engaged in bombing Chinese rebel guerrilla camps and intercepting American bombers as much as possible. These two things they did very badly, but what they did do very well was to guard the American prisoners jealously, to prevent them from escaping .

How to get in, how to do the suicide without leaving any loose ends, everyone in the meeting remained in tense silence and decided to leave it to chance. They put down an empty beer bottle and swirled it around. It inevitably stopped and pointed at the one who would do the mission. It pointed directly at Madame Moonlight.

--I will do it,-- said the young woman firmly, looking at the bottle that sealed her fate.

--No,--ordered the doctor, --you are very valuable in the work with Namura. That line of work will not be lost.

--When we accept challenges, they come with all the risks. I will hand over the map,-- said the young woman finally, covering the meeting with a heavy silence.