Timothy Hallinan - The Queen of Patpong

Rafferty hears half a dozen languages: English, Thai, Mandarin, what may be Swedish from Siri's parents, who are trying to elbow their way through the boys, Italian from somewhere, and a few he doesn't recognize.

"She's over there," Rose says.

Rafferty looks and sees first a bulky cape wrapped around one of the scrawniest little boys he's ever seen, a kid whose shoulders are barely wider than his neck and whose thick glasses, which he hadn't worn on the stage, are the size of silver dollars. His parents, not much bigger than he is but just as studious-looking, flank him proudly, and in the middle, her back turned to Rafferty and Rose, is Miaow, still wearing her mirrors.

"Trink-something," Rose says.

Rafferty says, "Wait a minute." He opens the program and runs his finger down the cast list. He comes to Trinculo and follows the line of dots to the actor's name: Andrew Nguyen.

He starts to laugh.

"What is it?" Rose says.

"Nothing." Miaow has heard his laugh and turned, and she waves them to her, her face incandescent with happiness. When they reach her, she hugs Rose and then Rafferty.

"Where's Pim?" Miaow asks.

"At Arthit's," Rose says. "Learning to be a maid. You were wonderful."

"Thank you," Miaow says politely, but it's clear she has something else on her mind. She steps to one side, inhales, breathes out, and inhales again. "Mom," she says. "Dad." She swallows and turns to the kid drowning in the yellow cape. "This is Andy."