Free Flags of Sin by J. Robert Kennedy Page B

the show. There’s no point
speculating right now, and this entire thing is a co-sponsor event—we have a
responsibility to not have this turn into a PR nightmare for them, before we
know all the facts.”
    Snow
nodded and their producer stepped in front of the table they were sitting at,
the station’s call-sign emblazoned across the front.
    “We’re
back in five, four, three...” He finished with hand signals, and Madely took a
deep breath.
    “Well
folks, you’re not going to believe what’s going on here. It looks like they
missed their flight!” He chuckled, giving Shelley a look, his eyes widening
slightly as if searching for something else to say.
    “That’s
live radio for you, Steve,” said Shelley, jumping to the rescue. “You don’t get
this type of stuff happening on reality TV. Only here on the radio can you have
the stars of your show just not show up.”
    “Well,
it was one fabulous package Middle Earth Vacations put together for them, so I
guess they just didn’t want it to end,” laughed Madely. “Let’s run through once
again what they’ve been doing, then we’ll hand it over to our news department
at the top of the hour.”
    Shelley
began running down the list of vacation features as Madely leaned back in his
chair, a pit forming in his stomach.
    They’re
definitely dead.
    He
looked over at the kids and could tell by the expressions on their faces they
were worried.
    Madely
looked at the floor, his chin resting in his hands as he tried to get a hold of
the situation. He had picked the name out of the proverbial hat, had made the
phone call, had rejoiced with them, had met them personally before they had
left, and seen them off at the airport. The excited couple, down on their luck,
had been in his mind two of the most deserving winners he had ever seen in his
nearly fifty years of broadcasting.
    And he
felt responsible for whatever might have happened to them.
     
     

 
     
     
    Shaoshan, Hunan Province, China
    October 2, 1908
     
    “So, mother, what do you think?”
    Mei
stood beside her adopted son, her Little Emperor, Shun-sheng, and smiled as she
looked out over the vast fields he now owned. He had ambition, of that there
was no doubt. And what did you expect, the son of an emperor? Through
his boldness, and lack of fear, he had built the largest farm in the region by
purchasing the produce of the local farmers too intimidated to sell it in the
cities, then doing just that. And he was now very wealthy compared to his
counterparts.
    “You
have done well, your father would have been proud.”
    But
your true father would have demanded more.
    With her
beloved Jun gone over fifteen years now, she had been forced to keep the secret
herself, and it was getting more and more difficult as she felt herself aging.
But it was something her and her dear husband had decided was for the best, and
she agreed, but the promise she had made to her late Emperor still gnawed at
her from time to time, especially when she would hear news of the Empress
Dowager Cixi and the puppets she used to replace the true heir to the throne.
    “Mother,
may I ask you something?”
    “When
have you ever needed my permission?”
    He
pointed at one of the chairs that occupied the porch of his estate. Mei lowered
her tiny, creaking frame into the chair. Shun-sheng sat beside her, but didn’t
look at her.
    “I need
you to tell me the truth, no matter how painful. Do not worry, it won’t affect
how I feel about you or Dad, but I need to know.”
    Her
stomach suddenly felt hollowed out, and her heart beat a little faster.
    “Very well.”
    He gave
her a quick glance, then looked away again, across the fields.
    “I heard
you talking in your sleep last night.”
    The pit
in her stomach got a little deeper.
    She said
nothing.
    “Who are
my real parents?”
    She knew
if she could see herself, she’d be ghostly pale, as she felt herself almost
become faint. She gripped the arms of the chair she sat in, and