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But the fire hoses weren't necessary。 At the first violent charge of the riot squad the front of the mob had wilted and now the rest had retreated to a safe distance and stood there watching sullenly； some of them still shouting obscenities。 Smyth grabbed the bullhorn。 In Cantonese he said； 〃If anyone es within twenty yards； he'll be arrested and deported！〃 He tried to catch his breath。 〃If anyone wants to visit the Ho…Pak； line up a hundred yards away。〃
The scowling crowd hesitated； then as Mok and the riot squad came forward fast； they retreated hastily and began to move away； treading on each other。
〃I think my bloody shoulder's dislocated；〃 Smyth said and cursed obscenely。
〃What do we do about those bastards； sir？〃 Mok asked； in great pain； breathing hard； his cheek raw and bleeding； his uniform ripped。
Smyth held his arm to take the growing pain away and looked across the street at the sullen； gawking crowd。 〃Keep the riot squad here。 Get another from West Aberdeen； inform Central。 Where's my bloody hat？ If I catch the bas… 〃
〃Sir！〃 one of his men called out。 He was kneeling beside the girl who had been trampled on。 She was a bar girl or a dance hall girl： she had that sad； sweet oh so hard； young…old look。 Blood was dribbling from her mouth； her breathing ing in hacking gasps。
〃Christ； get an ambulance！〃
As Smyth watched helplessly； the girl choked in her own blood and died。
Christian Toxe； editor of the Guardian； was scribbling notes； the phone jammed against his ear。 〃What was her name； Dan？〃 he asked over the hubbub of the newsroom。
〃I'm not sure。 One savings book said Su Tzee…Ian；〃 Dan Yap the reporter on the other end of the phone at Aberdeen told him。 〃There was 4；360 in it … the other was in the name 。。。 Hang on a second； the ambulance's just leaving now。 Can you hear all right； Chris； the traffic's heavy here。〃
〃Yes。 Go on。 The second savings book？〃
〃The second book was in the name of Tak H'eung fah。 Exactly 3；000 in that one。〃
Tak H'eung fah seemed to touch a memory。 〃Do any of the names mean anything？〃 Toxe asked。 He was a tall rumpled man in his untidy cubbyhole of an office。
〃No。 Except one means Wisteria Su and the other Fragrant Flower Tak。 She was pretty； Chris。 Might have been Eurasian。 。。。〃
Toxe felt a sudden ice shaft in his stomach as he remembered his own three daughters； six and seven and eight； and his lovely Chinese wife。 He tried to push that perpetual cross back into the recess of his mind； the secret worry of was it right to mix East and West； and what does the future hold for them； my darlings； in this lousy rotten bigoted world？
With an effort he concentrated again。 〃That's quite a lot of money for a dance hall girl； isn't it？〃
〃Yes。 I'd say she had a patron。 One interesting bit： in her purse was a crumpled envelope dated a couple of weeks ago with a mushy love letter in it。 It was addressed to 。。。 hang on 。。。 to Tak H'eung fah； apartment 14； Fifth Alley； Tsung…pan Street in Aberdeen。 It was soppy； swearing eternal love。 Educated writing though。〃
〃English？〃 Toxe asked surprised； writing swiftly。
〃No。 Characters。 There was something about the writing … could be a quai loh。〃
〃Did you get a copy？〃
〃The police wouldn't le… 〃
〃Get a photocopy。 Beg borrow or steal a photocopy in time for the afternoon edition。 A week's bonus if you do it。〃
〃Cash this afternoon？〃
〃All right。〃
〃You have it。〃
〃Any signature？〃
〃 'Your only love。' The love was in English。〃
〃Mr。 Toxe！ Mrs。 Publisher's on line two！〃 The English secretary called out through the open door； her desk just outside the glass partition。
〃Oh Christ； I'll 。。。 I'll call her back。 Tell her I've got a big story breaking。〃 Then into the phone again； 〃Dan； keep on this story … keep close to the police； go with them to the dead girl's flat … if it's her flat。 Find out who owns it … who her people are； where they live。 Call me back！〃 Toxe hung up and called out to his assistant editor； 〃Hey； Mac！〃
The lean； dour； gray…haired man got up from his desk and wandered in。 〃Aye？〃
〃I think we should put out an extra。 Headline 。。。〃 He scrawled on a piece of paper； 〃Mob Kills Fragrant Flower！〃
〃How about 'Mob Murders Fragrant Flower' ？〃
〃Or； 'First Death at Aberdeen' ？〃
〃 'Mob Murders' is better。〃
〃That's it then。 Martin！〃 Toxe called out。 Martin Haply looked up from his desk and came over。 Toxe ran his fingers through his hair as he told them both what Dan Yap had related。 〃Martin； do a follow…up： 'The beautiful young girl was crushed by the feet of the mob … but who were the real killers？ Is it an inpetent government who refuses to regulate our outdated banking system？ Are the killers those who started the rumors？ Is the run on the Ho…Pak as simple as it sounds 。。。 ' etcetera。〃
〃Got it。〃 Haply grinned and went back to his desk in the main office。 He gulped a cold cup of coffee out of a plastic cup and started to type； his desk piled high with reference books； Chinese newspapers and stock market reports。 Teletypes chattered in the background。 A few silent copy boys and trainees delivered or picked up copy。
〃Hey； Martin！ What's the latest from the stock market？〃
Martin Haply dialed a number without looking at the phone； then called back to the editor。 〃Ho…Pak's down to 24。60； four points from yesterday。 Struan's are down a point though there's been some heavy buying。 Hong Kong Lan Tao up three points … the story's just been confirmed。 Dunstan Barre took their money out yesterday。〃
〃They did？ Then you were right again！ Shit！〃
〃Victoria's off half a point … all banks are edgy and no buyers。 There's a rumor a line's forming outside Blacs and the Victoria's head office in Central。〃 Both men gasped。
〃Send someone to check the Vic！〃 Mac hurried out。 Jesus Christ； Toxe thought； his stomach churning； Jesus Christ if a run starts on the Vic the whole sodding island'll collapse and my sodding savings with it。
He leaned back in his old chair and put his feet on the desk； loving his job； loving the pressure and immediacy。
〃Do you want me to call her？〃 his secretary asked。 She was round and unflappable。
〃Who？ Oh shit； Peg； I'd forgotten。 Yes … call the Dragon。〃
The Dragon was the wife of the publisher； Mong Pa…tok； the present head of the sprawling Mong family who owned this paper and three Chinese newspapers and five magazines； whose antecedents went back to the earliest days。 The Mongs were supposed to have descended from the first editor…owner…publisher of the paper； Morley Skinner。 The story was that Dirk Struan had given Skinner control of the paper in return for helping him against Tyler Brock and his son Gorth by hushing up the killing of Gorth in Macao。 It was said Dirk Struan had provoked the duel。 Both men had used fighting irons。 Once； some years ago； Toxe had heard old Sarah Chen in her cups relate that when the Brocks came to collect Gorth's body they did not recognize him。 The old woman had added that her father； Sir Gordon Chen； had had to mobilize most of Chinatown to prevent the Brocks from setting afire the Struan warehouses。 Tyler Brock had set Tai…ping Shan alight instead。 Only the great typhoon that came that night stopped the whole city from going up in flames … the same holocaust that had destroyed Dirk Struan's Great House and him and his secret Chinese wife； May…may。
〃She's on line two。〃
〃Eh？ Oh！ All right； Peg。〃 Toxe sighed。
〃Ah Mr。 Toxe； I was waiting your call； heya？〃
〃What can I do for you； or Mr。 Mong？〃
〃Your pieces on the Ho…Pak Bank； yesterday and today； that the adverse rumors about the Ho…Pak are untrue and started by tai…pans and another big bank。 I see more today。〃
〃Yes。 Haply's quite sure。〃
〃My husband and I hear this not true。 No tai…pans or banks are putting out rumors or have put out rumors。 Perhaps wise to drop this attack。〃
〃It's not an attack； Mrs。 Mong； just an attitude。 You know how susceptible Chinese are to rumors。 The Ho…Pak's as strong as any bank in the Colony。 We feel sure the rumors were started by a bi… 〃
〃Not by tai…pans and not big bank。 My husband and I not like this attitude never mind。 Please to change；〃 she said and he heard the granite in her voice。
〃That's editorial policy and I have control over editorial policy；〃 he said grimly。
〃We are publisher。 It is our newspaper。 We tell you to stop so you will stop。〃
〃You're ordering me to stop？〃
〃Of course it is order。〃
〃Very well。 As you order it； it's stopped。〃
〃Good！〃 The phone went dead。 Christian Toxe snapped his pencil and threw it against the wall and began to curse。 His secretary sighed and discreetly closed the door and when he was done Toxe opened the door。 〃Peg； how about some coffee？ Mac！ Martin！〃
Toxe sat back at his desk。 The chair creaked。 He mopped the sweat off his cheeks and lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply。
〃Yes； Chris？〃 Haply asked。
〃Martin； cancel the piece I asked for and do another on Hong Kong banking and the need to have some form of banking insurance。 。。。〃
Both men gaped at him。
〃Our publisher doesn't like the rumors approach。〃
Martin Haply flushed。 〃Well screw him！ You heard the guys yourself at the tai…pan's party！〃
〃That proves nothing。 You've no proof。 We're