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Chinese greens and peapods and broccoli and fifty other vegetables with crab meat； the skin of roast Peking duck with plum sauce and sliced spring onions and paper…thin pancakes； double…boiled mushrooms and fish maw； smoked pomfret fish with salad； rice Yangchow style； home sweet home noodles … then happiness dessert； sweetened lotus seeds and lily in rice gruel。 And tea continuously。
Mata and Orlanda helped Casey and Bartlett。 Fleur and Peter Marlowe were the only other Europeans at their table。 The Chinese presented their visiting cards and received others in exchange。 〃Oh you can eat with chopsticks！〃 All the Chinese were openly astonished； then slid fortably back into Cantonese； the bejeweled women clearly discussing Casey and Bartlett and the Marlowes。 Their ments were slightly guarded only because of Lando Mata and Orlanda。
〃What're they saying； Orlanda？〃 Bartlett asked quietly amid the noisy exuberance particularly of the Chinese。
〃They're just wondering about you and Miss Casey；〃 she said as cautiously； not translating the lewd remarks about the size of Casey's chest； the wondering where her clothes came from； how much they cost； why she didn't wear any jewelry； and what it must be like to be so tall。 They were saying little about Bartlett other than wondering out loud if he was really Mafia as one of the Chinese papers had suggested。
Orlanda was sure he wasn't。 But she was sure also that she would have to be very circumspect in front of Casey； neither too forward nor too slow； and never to touch him。 And to be sweet to her； to try to throw her off her stride。
Fresh plates for each course were laid with a clatter； the used ones whisked away。 Waiters hurried to the dumbwaiters in the central section by the staircase to dispose of the old and grab steaming platters of the new。
The kitchens； three decks below； were an inferno with the huge four…feet…wide iron woks fired with gas that was piped aboard。 Some woks for steaming； some for quick frying； some for deep frying； some for stewing； and many for the pure white rice。 An open； wood…fired barbecue。 An army of helpers for the twenty…eight cooks were preparing the meats and vegetables； plucking chickens； killing fresh fish and lobsters and crabs and cleaning them； doing the thousand tasks that Chinese food requires … as each dish is cooked fleshly for each customer。
The restaurant opened at 10：00 a。m。 and the kitchen closed at 10：45 p。m。 … sometimes later when a special party was arranged。 There could be dancing and a floor show if the host was rich enough。 Tonight； though there was no late shift or floor show or dancing； they all knew that their share of the tip from Shitee T'Chung's banquet would be very good。 Shitee T'Chung was an expansive host； though most of them believed that much of the charity money he collected went into his stomach or those of his guests or onto the backs of his lady friends。 He also had the reputation of being ruthless to his detractors； a miser to his family； and vengeful to his enemies。
Never mind； the head chef thought。 A man needs soft lips and hard teeth in this world and everyone knows which will last the longer。 〃Hurry up！〃 he shouted。 〃Can I wait all manure…infested night？ Prawns！ Bring the prawns！〃 A sweating helper in ragged pants and ancient； sweaty undershirt rushed up with a bamboo platter of the freshly caught and freshly peeled prawns。 The chef cast them into the vast wok； added a handful of monosodium glutamate； whisked them twice and scooped them out； put a handful of steaming peapods on two platters and divided up the pink； glistening succulent prawns on top equally。
〃All gods urinate on all prawns！〃 he said sourly； his stomach ulcer paining him； his feet and calves leaden from his ten…hour shift。 〃Send those upstairs before they spoil！ Dew neh loh moh hurry 。。。 that's my last order。 It's time to go home！〃
Other cooks were shouting last orders and cursing as they cooked。 They were all impatient to be gone。 〃Hurry it up！〃 Then one young helper carrying a pot of used fat stumbled and the fat sprayed onto one of the gas fires； caught with a whoosh and there was sudden pandemonium。 A cook screamed as the fire surrounded him and he beat at it； his face and hair singed。 Someone threw a bucket of water on the fire and spread it violently。 Flames soared to the rafters； billowing smoke。 Shouting； shoving cooks moving out of the fire were causing a bottleneck。 The acrid； black； oil smoke began to fill the air。
The man nearest the single narrow staircase to the first deck grabbed one of the two fire extinguishers and slammed the plunger down and pointed the nozzle at the fire。 Nothing happened。 He did it again then someone else grabbed it from him with a curse； tried unsuccessfully to make it work； and cast it aside。 The other extinguisher was also a dud。 The staff had never bothered to test them。
〃All gods defecate on these motherless foreign devil inventions！〃 a cook wailed and prepared to flee if the fire approached him。 A frightened coolie choking on the smoke at the other end of the kitchen backed away from a shaft of flame into some jars and toppled them。 Some contained thousand…year…old eggs and others sesame oil。 The oil flooded the floor and caught fire。 The coolie vanished in the sudden sheet of flame。 Now the fire owned half the kitchen。
It was well past eleven o'clock and most diners had already left。 The top deck of the Floating Dragon was still partially filled。 Most of the Chinese； Four Finger Wu and Venus Poon among them； were walking out or had already left as the last course had already been served long since and it was polite Chinese custom to leave as soon as the last dish was finished； table by table。 Only the Europeans were lingering over Cognac or port； and cigars。
Throughout the boat； tables of mah…jong were being set up by Chinese； and the clitter…clatter of the ivory tiles banging on the tables began to dominate。
〃Do you play mah…jong； Mr。 Bartlett？〃 Mata asked。
〃No。 Please call me Linc。〃
〃You should learn … it's better than bridge。 Do you play bridge； Casey？〃
Linc Bartlett laughed。 〃She's a wiz； Lando。 Don't play her for money。〃
〃Perhaps we can have a game sometime。 You play； don't you； Orlanda？〃 Mata said； remembering Gornt was an acplished player。
〃Yes； a little；〃 Orlanda said softly and Casey thought grimly； I'll bet the bitch's a wiz too。
〃I'd love a game；〃 Casey said sweetly。
〃Good；〃 Mata said。 〃One day next week 。。。 oh； hello； tai…pan！〃
Dunross greeted them all with his smile。 〃How did you enjoy the food？〃
〃It was fantastic！〃 Casey said； happy to see him and greatly aware of how handsome he looked in his tuxedo。 〃Would you like to join us？〃
〃Thanks bu… 〃
〃Good night； tai…pan；〃 Dianne Chen said； ing up to him； her son Kevin … a short； heavyset youth with dark curly hair and full lips … in tow。
Dunross introduced them。 〃Where's Phillip？〃
〃He was going to e but he phoned to say he was delayed。 Well； good night 。。。〃 Dianne smiled and so did Kevin and they headed for the door； Casey and Orlanda wide…eyed at Dianne's jewelry。
〃Well； I must be off too；〃 Dunross said。
〃How was your table？〃
〃Rather trying；〃 Dunross said with his infectious laugh。 He had eaten with the MPs … with Gornt； Shi…teh and his wife at the Number One table … and there had been sporadic angry outbursts above the clatter of plates。 〃Robin Grey's rather outspoken； and ill…informed； and some of us were having at him。 For once Gornt and I were on the same side。 I must confess our table got served first so poor old Shi…teh and his wife could flee。 He took off like a dose of salts fifteen minutes ago。〃
They all laughed with him。 Dunross was watching Marlowe。 He wondered if Marlowe knew that Grey was his brother…in…law。 〃Grey seems to know you quite well； Mr。 Marlowe。〃
〃He has a good memory； tai…pan； though his manners are off。〃
〃I don't know about that； but if he has his way in Parliament God help Hong Kong。 Well； I just wanted to say hello to all of you。〃 He smiled at Bartlett and Casey。 〃How about lunch tomorrow？〃
〃Fine；〃 Casey said。 〃How about ing to the V and A？〃 She noticed Gornt get up to leave on the opposite side of the room and she wondered again who would win。 〃Just before dinner Andrew was say… 〃
Then； with all of them； she heard faint screams。 There was a sudden hush； everyone listening。
〃Fire！〃
〃Christ； look！〃 They all stared at the dumbwaiter。 Smoke was pouring out。 Then a small tongue of flame。
A split second of disbelief； then everyone jumped up。 Those nearest the main staircase rushed for the doorway； crowding it； as others took up the shout。 Bartlett leapt to his feet and dragged Casey with him。 Mata and some of the guests began to run for the bottleneck。
〃Hold it！〃 Dunross roared above the noise。 Everyone stopped。 〃There's plenty of time。 Don't hurry！〃 he ordered。 〃There's no need to run； take your time！ There's no danger yet！〃 His admonition helped those who were overly frightened。 They started easing out of the crammed doorway。 But below； on the staircases； the shouts and hysteria had increased。
Not everyone had run at the first cry of danger。 Gornt hadn't moved。 He puffed his cigar； all his senses concentrated。 Have