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The Laughing Man
Fourblindlyloyalconfederateslivedwithhim:aglibtimberwolfnamedBlackWing,alovabledwarfnamedOmba,agiantMongoliannamedHong,whosetonguehadbeenburnedoutbywhitemen,andagorgeousEurasiangirl,who,outofunrequitedlovefortheLaughingMananddeepconcernforhispersonalsafety,sometimeshadaprettystickyattitudetowardcrime.TheLaughingManissuedhisorderstothecrewthroughablacksilkscreen.NotevenOmba,thelovabledwarf,waspermittedtoseehisface.
I’mnotsayingIwill,butIcouldgoonforhoursescortingthereader—forcibly,ifnecessary—backandforthacrosstheParis-Chineseborder.IhappentoregardtheLaughingManassomekindofsuper-distinguishedancestorofmine—asortofRobertE.Lee,say,withtheascribedvirtuesheldunderwaterorblood.AndthisillusionisonlyamoderateonecomparedtotheoneIhadin1928,whenIregardedmyselfnotonlyastheLaughingMan’sdirectdescendantbutashisonlylegitimatelivingone.Iwasnotevenmyparents’sonin1928butadevilishlysmoothimpostor,awaitingtheirslightestblunderasanexcusetomovein—preferablywithoutviolence,butnotnecessarily—toassertmytrueidentity.Asaprecautionagainstbreakingmybogusmother’sheart,Iplannedtotakeherintomyunderworldemployinsomeundefinedbutappropriatelyregalcapacity.ButthemainthingIhadtodoin1928waswatchmystep.Playalongwiththefarce.Brushmyteeth.Combmyhair.Atallcosts,stiflemynaturalhideouslaughter.
