Day of Rebellion by Johnny O'Brien Page A

Usually only women attend the Heavenly King in the Inner Palace. You are privileged indeed,” Backhouse said with an excited smile.
    “Where are we going?” Jack asked.
    “We have an audience with the Heavenly King, the leader of the Taiping. You bow and you say nothing, of course. You will be in the presence of the divine. The brother of Jesus Christ, he is not of this earth.” Backhouse said the words with a quiet intensity. Jack gave Angus a sidelong glance. Jack had seen and experienced many extraordinary things over the last few months, but the idea that they were about to meet the brother of Christ stretched the bounds of reason. It was becoming increasingly clear to Jack that Josiah Backhouse was completely unhinged.
    They were left to wait for some time in an anteroom, where there was a heavy smell of incense. By the time they were summoned again, both boys ached with tiredness, but on entering the chamber their eyes widened in amazement. The room was brightly decorated in gold and red silk and lit by flickering lanterns. Ahead, was a large bed upon which reclined a figure in magnificent white and gold robes. In the shadows, Jack discerned several figures – all women – dressed in silk robes and wearing high head-dresses. One of the women stepped forward in front of the bed, dropped to her knees and kowtowed several times, addressing the prostrate figure on the couch.
    Then there was silence in the chamber. The incense was thick in the air and Jack’s eyes watered. They waited for a few more minutes but still there was no movement from the figure lying on the bed. When he started snoring, loudly, the young woman moved closer to the bed and cleared her throat. Finally, the man awoke and pulled himself up onto his elbow. His eyes flickered and opened and then, raised from his slumber, the HeavenlyKing, one of the most powerful men on earth and supposed brother of Jesus Christ – was staring at Jack with big, brown, hypnotic eyes. Jack was mesmerised. He felt as though he was being held in a helpless trance. He remembered the line drawing he had seen in the Edinburgh museum and the portrait on the oil rig of Hong Xiuquan. Jack knew it was the same man. It felt extraordinary to see him in the flesh.
    Suddenly, a hand pushed him forward, and Jack realised he should be touching his nose to the ground. He looked around. Backhouse was already kowtowing and Angus began copying him. Jack joined them both on the floor.
    “These are the westerners from Shanghai?” the Heavenly King asked. The voice seemed disinterested – as if he couldn’t be bothered with earthly matters. He gave a giant yawn.
    Backhouse did not raise his head, but spoke into the floor, “Yes, Heavenly Father… they bring the Babbage ‘Seeing Engine’ and with it great knowledge which we will use in our sacred struggle…”
    The Heavenly Father yawned again… and said nothing.
    Backhouse pressed on, “The First Lord Rengan, General Xiucheng and myself have discussed the matter. We shall take the westerners and the Babbage ‘Seeing Engine’ to the south… where our great factories are. We shall use their secrets to make new war machines to help in our sacred struggle against the Imperialists.”
    There was no response from the Heavenly King and then they heard a third giant yawn. Jack looked up. The Heavenly King waved his hand and a bowing girl held out a large pipe.He took a giant suck on the end of the pipe and exhaled black smoke which swirled up to the ceiling. For a moment, his eyes glazed over… then he became cross-eyed and his head fell back onto the bed and he started snoring again.
    Backhouse turned to Jack and Angus, clearly embarrassed and said, “I think our audience is over.” He kowtowed a final time, and they exited from the fog-filled chamber leaving the Heavenly King, brother of Christ and leader of the Taiping Rebellion, to his own heavenly world.

The Yangtze Princess
    T he Yangtze Princess belched black smoke from