Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station

line there’s usually one rebellious new
employee in a kitchen who just can’t understand why the water has to be boiled
for foreigners, and so they don’t. One has to count on that, it’s human
nature.”
    He looked amused. ”Very experienced of you—about human nature, I mean.
And since Jenny’s been drinking nothing but boiled water—”
    ”So-called.”
    ”—it’s a very rational explanation. If somewhat alarming,” he added, his
glance moving to Iris, who was walking toward them looking excited, with George
following behind her, smiling.
    ”Look,” she cried, holding out a hand, ”just see what George insisted on
buying for me!” In her palm lay a disc of antique white jade, intricately
carved by hand. She was radiant as she displayed it.
    ”How exquisite,” breathed Mrs. Pollifax, bending over it.
    ”Lovely,” said Malcolm, giving it a brief glance and then looking at
Iris.
    Iris turned pink. ”It’s very old,” she said almost defiantly.
    Jenny called from the hallway, ”Any suitcases yet?”
    ”How are you feeling?” called Malcolm.
    Jenny walked over to join them and he made room for her on the wall of
the fishpond. ”Better, thanks, but I should never have stashed those pills in
my suitcase, we don’t see our luggage that often. Thanks for bailing me out,
Malcolm. What’s that?” she asked Iris.
    ”White jade, isn’t it gorgeous?”
    The wide glass doors swung open now, and Mr. Li, Mr. Kan , two
hotel workers, and Joe Forbes appeared with their luggage.
    Iris said, ”That’s what I’ve been waiting for—good night everyone, see
you in the morning! George, thanks so very much—see you!”
    George Westrum, looking somewhat startled, tugged at his baseball cap,
lingered a minute, and then drifted away, too.
    Jenny said, ”Excuse me,” and followed the men and the luggage down the
hall.
    Mrs. Pollifax, leaning comfortably against the fishpond, said, ”I’m so
glad to see Iris given a present, wasn’t she excited? I have the impression
that she’s not received many gifts in her life.’’
    Malcolm said calmly, ”She’ll be receiving a good many of them in the
future.”
    Startled, Mrs. Pollifax said, ”From George, do you mean?”
    ”No, not George,” he said, and then, aware of her scrutiny he added, ”or
didn’t I mention that I’m psychic at times?”
    ”No, you didn’t,” she told him sternly. ”You only said that you live
with talking mice.”
    ”The two are not synonymous,” he said dryly, ”but I can be quite psychic
at times. It comes in flashes, and I frequently get very clear intuitions about
people. How are you on the subject?”
    ”Oh, a believer of course,” she said. ”How can one be otherwise? As a
matter of fact I once spent several days with a Rumanian gypsy—a queen of the
gypsies, actually—who had the gift of second sight, and who—” She stopped,
aware that Innocent Tourists did not usually have their lives saved by gypsy
queens when being pursued by the police through Turkey. She added lamely, ”But
we all have the gift, haven’t we, simply covered over by rationalism and
disbelief?”
    He had been smiling at her discomfiture. ”You must tell me more sometime
about your friend the gypsy but I think I’ll say good night now. Hi, Jenny,” he
said, as Jenny reappeared.
    Jenny gave him a bright but abstracted smile, and at his departure
walked over to the fishpond to sit beside Mrs. Pollifax. She said in a
strangled voice, ”That white jade. Did George give it to Iris?”
    ”Yes,” said Mrs. Pollifax calmly. ”Why?”
    Jenny pushed out her legs and stared angrily at her blue and white
sneakers. There was a long silence while she examined her shoes, scowled at
them, pushed back a lock of hair, and picked a piece of lint from her skirt. ”I
hate that woman, I just hate her,” she said furiously.
    ”Iris?” said Mrs. Pollifax, startled. ”Why?”
    Jenny turned and glared at her. ”She’s so bloody happy all the time, and
everyone—oh, I should never never have come on this trip,” she cried,
and burst into tears.
    A hotel worker, passing through the lobby to the dining hall, glanced
curiously at Jenny. Mrs. Pollifax said, ”Come outside a moment until you feel
better.” She led Jenny through the glass doors to the front of the Yannan, where the bus had been unloaded and was just driving away, leaving the velvety
darkness bisected only by splash patterns from the lighted guest rooms. Mrs.
Pollifax identified her