CHAPTER XIV

LOUIS EXPLAINS

Louis returned of his own accord before long.

"Monsieur has been well served?" he asked genially.

"Excellently, Louis," I answered, "so far as the mere question of food goes. You have not, however, managed to satisfy my curiosity."

"Monsieur?" he asked interrogatively.

"Concerning the Deloras," I answered.

Louis shrugged his shoulders.

"But what should I know?" he asked. "Mr. Delora, he has come here last year and the year before. He has stayed for a month or so. He understands what he eats. That is all. Mademoiselle comes for the first time. I know her not at all."

"What do you think of his disappearance, Louis?" I asked.

"What should I think of it, monsieur? I know nothing."

"Mr. Delora, I am told," I continued, "is a coffee planter in South America."

"I, too," Louis admitted, "have heard so much."

"How came he to have the _entree_ to the Cafe des Deux Epingles?" I asked.

Louis smiled.

"I myself," he remarked, "am but a rare visitor there. How should I tell?"

"Louis," said I, "why not be honest with me? I am certainly not a person to be afraid of. I am very largely in your hands over the Tapilow affair, and, as you know, I have seen too much of the world to consider trifles. I do not believe that Mr. Delora came to London to sell his crop of coffee. I do not believe that you are ignorant of his affairs. I do not believe that his disappearance is so much a mystery to you as it is to the rest of us--say to me and to mademoiselle his niece." What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who arrives?
2. Was he forced?
3. What did he ask when he got back?
4. Did he say this nicely?
5. Had they been?
6. What was he actually wanting to hear about?
7. Did he know much?
8. When was he there?
9. How long does he stay?
10. How is he with food?
11. Who else arrives?
12. Does he know her?
13. What is he asked about?
14. What did the other man say?
15. Where is he from?
16. What does he do there?
17. What does he have that is peculiar?
18. To what?
19. Does the man explain why?
20. Does the other man think he knows?
Answer: 1. Louis
2. no
3. Monsieur has been well served
4. yes
5. as far as food
6. the Deloras
7. no
8. last year
9. a month or so
10. He understands it
11. Mademoiselle
12. no
13. his disappearance
14. "What should I think of it, monsieur? I know nothing."
15. South America
16. he's a coffee planter
17. the entree
18. the Cafe des Deux Epingles
19. no
20. yes

Xu Caihou, a retired PLA general and former vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), was taken from his sick bed at 301 Military Hospital in Beijing on Saturday by dozens of armed policemen, the South China Morning Post reported, quoting unidentified sources.

Xu was detained the same day President Xi Jinping chaired a steering group tasked with reforming the military, the Post said.

If confirmed, Xu would become the highest-ranking military officer to be detained on suspicion of corruption.

Xu's critics claim that during his tenure, the buying and selling of military ranks was widespread in the defense establishment.

"I was told by an ex-PLA man I met on the train travelling to Guangzhou that he quit the military because so many people were buying positions and he did not want to play that game," said David Zweig, professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

"Telling me, a foreign professor, such dirt suggests that it is widespread and the anger that exists about this is also widespread."

Bribery scandal

Xu's detention may be connected with the corruption probe of Gu Junshan, the army's former deputy logistics chief and one of Xu's closest subordinates. Gu, who was in charge of the military's massive procurement and property portfolio, reportedly received bribes in cash and gifts. He has been under investigation since early 2012.

Xu, 71, was promoted to the CMC in 1999 and became its vice-chairman in 2004. He retired in March last year.

He has not been seen in public for several months until January 20, when the Chinese media showed him with President Xi greeting a group of retired military officials on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Was Xu promoted?
2. What age?
3. When?
4. Was he liked?
5. Was he arrested?
6. When?
7. How?
8. For what?
9. Who bribed him?
10. Is he still working?
11. Did he resurface?
12. When?
13. Where?
14. For what?
15. Celebrating what?
16. What was bought?
17. By whom?
18. Was a game played?
19. Where?
20. Did he have people beneath him?
Answer: 1. yes
2. 71
3. in 1999
4. no
5. yes
6. Saturday
7. taken from bed by policemen
8. suspicion of corruption
9. Gu Junshan
10. no
11. yes
12. January 20
13. with President Xi
14. greeting military officials
15. Chinese Lunar New Year
16. military ranks
17. the defense
18. yes
19. the military
20. yes

Anne and Joseph are talking about an interesting question. Why do some people change their names? There can be many reasons. Hanna changed her name to Anne because she thought it would be easier for people to remember. On the other hand, Joseph is thinking about changing his name to an unusual name because he wants to be different.

People have a lot of reasons for changing their names. Film stars, singers, sportsmen and some other famous people often change their names because they want names that are not ordinary, or that have special sound. They chose the "new name" for themselves instead of the name their parents gave them when they were born.

Some people have another reason for changing their names. They have moved to a new country and want to use a name that is usual there. For example, Li Kaiming changed his name to Ken Lee when he moved to the United States. He uses the name Ken at his job and at school. But with his family and Chinese friends, he uses Li Kaiming. For some people, using different names makes life easier in their new country.

In many countries, a woman changes her family name to her husband's after she gets married. But today, many women are keeping their own family name and not using their husband's. Sometimes, women use their own name in some situations and their husband's in other situations. And some use both their own name and their husband's. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who is a person who might change their name?
2. Why would he consider it?
3. What is an example of a famous person who might change their name?
4. What might be their reasoning?
5. Why did Li Kaiming change his name?
6. Where did he move?
7. What name did he choose?
8. Does he use the same name at home and at school?
9. What name does he use at school?
10. What name does he use at home with relatives?
11. Why might a woman change her name?
12. Whose name is traditionally taken?
13. Why did Hanna change her name?
14. What new name did she choose?
Answer:
1. Joseph
2. He wants to be different
3. singers
4. They want names that are not ordinary
5. He wanted a normal name
6. United States
7. Ken Lee
8. Yes
9. Li Kaiming
10. Li Kaiming
11. Marriage
12. Husband's
13. Easier to remember
14. Anne