The children, whose nerves were already shot to pieces, jumped. They stood rooted to the spot as a Japanese soldier, wielding a scary-looking rifle, ran over to them from where he had been standing guard behind a pillar.
"He said to stop," Emma whispered urgently to the other children.
"Thanks, Em, but we didn't need you to tell us that!" said Brandon nervously.
"What are you children doing here? This is not Great World Amusement Park. Scram!" The soldier shouted in Japanese. The bayonet on his rifle glinted as he pointed the firearm at them warningly.
"Emma, my Japanese is not good. Can you please translate for me?" implored Tian Wen.
Emma's eyes opened wide in fear and she shook her head violently. Moving a step closer to Brandon, she tugged at his sleeve urgently. "You told me I wouldn't have to speak," she protested.
"Emma, we need your help. You're the only one who can speak Japanese well enough to communicate with the soldier," Brandon pleaded. "You wouldn't want Tian Wen and Tian Ya to become orphans, would you? What if your father was the one who's in this predicament? Wouldn't you want your friends to help you if they could?"
Scenes of weekend outings with her family flashed before Emma's eyes. Tears pricked the back of her eyelids as she imagined life without her father. She blinked rapidly as the tears threatened to overflow.
"What a coward she is," muttered Chong Kun, appalled at Emma's refusal to help.
"Quiet!" Brandon shot in return.
Meanwhile, the Japanese solider had been looking at them suspiciously. Brandon prodded Emma gently to bring her out of the trance she had sunk into.
Emma came to with a start, squared her shoulders and smiled at Tian Wen. "It's wrong of me to even entertain the thought of not helping you. Please say what you need to, and I'll be happy to translate."
His face brightening upon Emma's acquiescence, Tian Wen continued. "Please, kind sir, we're here to show you this certificate," he began timidly. "My father had already been cleared during the Sook Ching exercise in 1942. When I heard that he had been taken here earlier today, I decided to come and show you esteemed gentlemen the certificate."
As Emma translated Tian Wen's speech, they watched the soldier warily.
The soldier looked Emma over. Uneasy under the scrutiny of the Japanese soldier's stare, Emma gave a lopsided smile in an effort to disarm their enemy.
"How come you speak such fluent Japanese?" the soldier questioned Emma gruffly in Japanese.
"I pay close attention during Japanese lessons, sir," answered Emma in the same language. And that in itself was not a lie, thought Emma, assuaging her conscience. The soldier had not asked her where she attended her Japanese lessons.
"Good! Keep it up and you will become an asset to your Japanese masters when you grow up," commended the soldier.
"What's going on here?" a new voice hollered in Japanese.
Turning to the source of the roar, the children saw that unbeknownst to them, another Japanese soldier had appeared behind them. From the deference which the first soldier showed to the newcomer, it was evident that the latter was of a much more senior rank.
"I was just about to chase these children off our premises, sir. This boy wants to show us his father's certificate," said the guard.
Spinning round to face the children, the senior officer barked, "What do you think this is? A hotel where you can come and collect guests? Many people have come and tried to fool us with fake certificates. Do you think we Japanese are stupid?"
"No, sir, not at all," cried Emma, quaking in trepidation.
"Deal with it, corporal," said the senior officer, striding towards the back of the building without a backward glance.
"Yes, major!" said the young soldier, clicking his heels smartly.
All of a sudden, a child came hurtling across the lobby like a missile and launched herself at the senior officer.
"Father! I've found you!" she exclaimed happily in Japanese as she wrapped her arms around the major's waist.
"It's the little girl from the market," said Brandon in amazement. "She called that man 'Father'! What is she doing here?"
"Nanako! Where have you been?" The major embraced his daughter in a bear hug which lifted her off the ground. As she squealed in delight, he put her down gently. "Your mother called me earlier today when she discovered you were missing. I've been searching everywhere for you!"
"I was so bored at home, Father. Mother says I cannot leave the house but when Mother went to the kitchen, I crept out of the house," she grinned cheekily. "Now Mother can't ask me to practise my calligraphy!"
"I'm so glad you're safe, Nanako," said the major, hugging his daughter tightly and caressing her face affectionately.
"It's all thanks to these children, Father," she went on, gesticulating at the youngsters excitedly. "Some naughty boys were chasing me and these kind children helped me to escape. They hid me under a vegetable basket until the naughty boys got tired and went away," she ended.
"Here's something which belongs to you," smiled Emma, holding out the doll which she had held onto for safe-keeping.
"Misaki! Oh, I've missed you!" Nanako grabbed the doll from Emma's outstretched hand and clasped it lovingly to her chest.
Tian Wen hoped that the reappearance of the major's daughter had put him in a jovial mood. He decided to strike while the iron was hot.
"Kind sir, since we saved your daughter, would you please in turn save my father and return him to me?" Tian Wen proffered an impassioned plea.
Hastily, Emma translated. Brandon found that he was holding his breath; he was so worried about the fate that could befall Tian Wen's father.
In an instant, the friendly eyes of the major turned cold. He turned an unsmiling face towards them. The lobby of the detention centre was bathed in twilight, and the gloomy lighting served to underscore the bleakness of the prospects of Tian Wen's father.
"Of course, I'm not going to release your father," he declared with terrible finality. "For all I know, he could be inciting the Chinese to defy us. He will have to stay here and be thoroughly interrogated. We must do things by the book. You children forget yourselves," he said. "Corporal," the major continued, "I believe you were about to throw these brats out."
"Come, Nanako, let's leave the corporal to do his job. I want to call your mother and tell her the good news that you've been found!" The major took his daughter's hand tenderly, and they began walking away from the group. Nanako twisted around and looked apologetically at the children but her father jerked her arm sharply, causing her to yelp in pain as she followed her father reluctantly.
However, before the major and his daughter had taken more than a few steps, Tian Wen suddenly let out a bloodcurdling yell and made a grab for Nanako's arm. Wrenching the little girl out of her surprised father's grasp, Tian Wen pulled Nanako close to him and whipped out his switchblade. Flicking it open, he held it next to Nanako's bare throat. Misaki fell to the floor, forgotten.
"You Japanese ungrateful and cruel. I tell everyone this! You have no heart, only have stone there!" Tian Wen proclaimed bravely in broken Japanese over Nanako's petrified screams.
Emma rapidly translated Tian Wen's remarks in an undertone to Brandon. Oh no! Brandon thought. What a silly thing to do. Please don't let me die here. He averted his eyes from Nanako's tear-stained face and stole a glance at the major. The man was apoplectic with rage and his uniform buttons looked fit to burst, so puffed up with anger was he. He glowered at Tian Wen balefully, his nostrils flaring and chest heaving.
The corporal cocked the rifle and took aim at Tian Wen.
"Stop that!" The major slapped the rifle away so that it was no longer trained on Tian Wen. "Are you out of your mind? You could hit Nanako! If you hurt a hair on her head, I will personally chop off every one of your fingers and toes before beheading you," the major vowed.
The corporal pushed the safety catch back to its rightful place and pointed the rifle away from Tian Wen and Nanako. Everyone heaved a collective sigh of relief.
The major looked daggers at Tian Wen.
Tian Wen stared back unflinchingly.