The Spoilers by Matt Braun Page A

widely practiced, and the trade in gow pills, pipe-size balls of opium, had evolved
into a thriving industry. There were even exclusive establishments for white gentlemen and their ladies. Unlike common opium dens, the service there was discreet and costly, the gow pills of superb quality.
    Still another misconception, May Ling went on, was the belief by whites that Orientals were sexually backward. To the contrary, the Chinese were a very sensual people, connoisseurs of the flesh. A Chinese man seldom limited himself to one woman, even if he was married and had a family. Nor was it considered shameful for a Chinese woman to enjoy the act, and express that joy through inventive byplay passed down from mother to daughter. In fact, the Oriental preoccupation with sex manifested itself in many forms. The most widely known was the flourishing trade in slave girls. Nowhere else on earth was the appreciation of eroticism so vividly demonstrated.
    May Ling suddenly stopped. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with secret amusement. “Would you care to attend a slave-girl auction?”
    â€œWould I!” Starbuck said, astonished. “I’d like nothing better.”
    â€œI believe one is being held this morning.”
    â€œYou really think they’d let us watch? I’ve heard these things are sort of private, invitation only.”
    â€œOh, yes,” May Ling trilled happily. “You are with me, which means you are a very special friend of the master. We would not be turned away.”
    â€œWell, what are we waiting for? Hot damn, a real
live slave-girl auction! You’re just a sackful of surprises.”
    â€œPerhaps we shouldn’t.” May Ling mocked him with a tiny smile. “These girls are not virgins, and much older than those you wish to purchase. You might be disappointed.”
    Starbuck laughed. “Don’t worry your pretty head about that. C’mon, chop, chop! Let’s go!”
    With a minxish giggle, May Ling took his arm and led him to the corner. There they turned onto a side-street, then walked toward a warehouse halfway down the block. A squad of hatchet men, uniformed in the regulation pajama suits and black hats, stood guard outside. Approaching them, May Ling let go a volley of Chinese, her tone gracious, yet somehow imperious. The men bowed respectfully, and one of them rushed to open the door. She stepped through, followed closely by Starbuck, and directed him to a vantage point along the wall. From there, they had an unobstructed view of the entire warehouse.
    Starbuck was reminded of a livestock auction. A large crowd of men, both Chinese and white, were ganged around a wooden platform. The auctioneer, a jolly-eyed Chinaman with a loud mouth and a winning smile, walked the platform like a captain commanding the bridge of a ship. Beyond the platform, huddled together in a forlorn group, were a hundred or more Chinese girls. One at a time, they were brought forward by the auctioneer’s assistants and stripped naked. Shoved onto the platform, they were then forced to parade before the crowd like prize
broodmares. The prospective buyers were allowed to examine each girl before the bidding began.
    May Ling briefly explained the complex system underlying the slave-girl trade. Her master placed an order with procurers in China for delivery in San Francisco on a certain date. Upon arrival, the girls were secreted in padded crates, invoiced as dishware, and American customs agents were bribed to pass the bales without inspection. While special orders were often filled for wealthy whites and prosperous Chinese tradesmen, the cargo was generally sold at open auction. The choicest girls, selected for their youth and attractiveness, were auctioned off to men looking for a concubine and jobbers who resold to smaller, inland markets. Prices varied from girl to girl, but usually started with a minimum bid of $200 and climbed to $500 or higher. The refuse, those unsuitable for