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'll see you shortly。〃
〃Yes； thanks。 See you。〃
〃Please follow me； Miss Tchuluck；〃 Mary Li said and started down the hall； her chong…sam tight and slit high on her thighs； long silk…stockinged legs and saucy walk。 Casey watched her for a moment。 It must be the cut that makes their walk so blatantly sexual； she thought； amused by such obviousness。 She glanced at Dunross and raised an eyebrow。
He grinned。 〃See you later； Miss Tcholok。〃
〃Please call me Casey。〃
〃Perhaps I'd prefer Kamalian Ciranoush。〃
She gaped at him。 〃How do you know my names？ I doubt if even Linc remembers。〃
〃Ah； it pays to have friends in high places； doesn't it？〃 he said with a smile。 〃à bient？t。〃
〃Oui； merci；〃 she replied automatically。
He strode for the elevator opposite and pressed the button。 The doors opened instantly and closed after him。
Thoughtfully Casey walked after Mary Li who was waiting； ears still tuned for every nuance。
Inside the elevator Dunross took out a key and inserted it into the lock and twisted it。 Now the elevator was activated。 It serviced the top two floors only。 He pressed the lower button。 Only three other persons had similar keys： Claudia Chen； his executive secretary； his personal secretary； Sandra Yi； and his Number One Houseboy； Lim Chu。
The twenty…first floor contained his private offices； and the Inner Court boardroom。 The twenty…second； the penthouse； was the tai…pan's personal suite。 And he alone had the key to the last private elevator that connected the basement garage directly with the penthouse。
〃Ian；〃 his predecessor tai…pan； Alastair Struan； had said when he handed over the keys after Phillip Chen had left them； 〃your privacy's the most valuable thing you have。 That too Dirk Struan laid down in his legacy and how wise he was！ Never forget； the private lifts aren't for luxury or ostentation； any more than the tai…pan's suite is。 They're there just to give you the measure of secrecy you'll need； perhaps even a place to hide yourself。 You'll understand better after you've read the legacy and been through the tai…pan's safe。 Guard that safe with all you've got。 You can't be too careful； there's lots of secrets there … too many I think sometimes … and some are not so pretty。〃
〃I hope I won't fail；〃 he had said politely； detesting his cousin； his excitement huge that at long last he had the prize he had worked so hard to achieve and gambled so much for。
〃You won't。 Not you；〃 the old man had said tautly。 〃You've been tested； and you've wanted the job ever since you could think。 Eh？〃
〃Yes；〃 Dunross had said。 〃I've tried to train for it。 Yes。 I'm only surprised you've given it to me。〃
〃You're being given the ultimate in Struan's not because of your birthright … that only made you eligible for the Inner Court … but because I think you're the best we've got to follow me； and you've been conniving and pushing and shoving for years。 That's the truth； isn't it？〃
〃Struan's needs changing。 Let's have more truth： The Noble House is in a mess。 It's not all your fault； there was the war； then Korea； then Suez … you've had bad joss for several years。 It'll take years to make us safe。 If Quillan Gornt … or any one of twenty enemies … knew half the truth； knew how far we're overextended； we'd be drowned in our own useless paper within the week。〃
〃Our paper's good … it's not useless！ You're exaggerating … as usual！〃
〃It's worth twenty cents on the dollar because we've insufficient capital； not enough cash flow and we're absolutely in mortal danger。〃
〃Rubbish！〃
〃Is it？〃 Dunross's voice had sharpened for the first time。 〃Rothwell…Gornt could swallow us in a month if they knew the value of our present accounts receivable； against our pressing liabilities。〃
The old man had just stared at him without answering。 Then he said； 〃It's a temporary condition。 Seasonable and temporary。〃
〃Rubbish！ You know very well you're giving me the job because I'm the only man who can clean up the mess you leave； you； my father； and your brother。〃
〃Aye； I'm gambling you can。 That's true enough；〃 Alastair had flared at him。 〃Aye。 You've surely got the right amount of Devil Struan in your blood to serve that master if you've a mind。〃
〃Thank you。 I admit I'll let nothing stand in my way。 And since this is a night for truth； I can tell you why you've always hated me； why my own father has also hated me。〃
〃Can you now？〃
〃Yes。 It's because I survived the war and your son didn't and your nephew； Linbar； the last of your branch of the Struan's； is a nice lad but useless。 Yes； I survived but my poor brothers didn't； and that's still sending my father around the bend。 It's the truth； isn't it？〃
〃Yes；〃 Alastair Struan had said。 〃Aye； I'm afraid it is。〃
〃I'm not afraid it is。 I'm not afraid of anything。 Granny Dunross saw to that。〃
〃Heya； tai…pan；〃 Claudia Chen said brightly as the elevator door opened。 She was a jolly； gray…haired Eurasian woman in her mid…sixties； and she sat behind a huge desk that dominated the twenty…first…floor foyer。 She had served the Noble House for forty…two years and succeeding tai…pans； exclusively； for twenty…five of them。 〃Neh hoh mah？〃 How're you？
〃Ho ho；〃 he replied absently。 Good。 Then in English； 〃Did Bartlett call？〃
〃No。〃 She frowned。 〃He's not expected until lunch。 Do you want me to try to reach him？〃
〃No； never mind。 What about my call to Foster in Sydney？〃
〃That's not through either。 Or your call to Mr。 MacStruan in Edinburgh。 Something's troubling you？〃 she asked； having instantly sensed his mood。
〃What？ Oh； no； nothing。〃 He threw off his tension and walked past her desk into his office that overlooked the harbor and sat in an easy chair beside the phone。 She closed the door and sat down nearby； her notepad ready。
〃I was just remembering my D Day；〃 he said。 〃The day I took over。〃
〃Oh。 Joss； tai…pan。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Joss；〃 she repeated； 〃and a long time ago。〃
He laughed。 〃Long time？ It's forty lifetimes。 It's barely three years but the whole world's changed and it's going so fast。 What's the next couple of years going to be like？〃
〃More of the same； tai…pan。 I hear you met Miss Casey Tcholok at our front door。〃
〃Eh； who told you that？〃 he asked sharply。
〃Great good God； tai…pan； I can't reveal my sources。 But I heard you stared at her and she stared at you。 Heya？〃
〃Nonsense！ Who told you about her？〃
〃Last night I called the hotel to see that everything was all right。 The manager told me。 Do you know that silly man was going to be 'overbooked'？ Huh； if they share a suite or a bed or don't； never mind I told him。 This is 1963 and the modern age with lots of liberations； and anyway it's a fine suite with two entrances and separate rooms and most important they're our guests。〃 She chortled。 〃I pulled a little rank。 。。。 Ayeeyah； power is a pretty toy。〃
〃Did you tell young Linbar or the others； about K。 C。 being female？〃
〃No。 No one。 I knew you knew。 Barbara Chen told me Master John had already phoned you about Casey Tcholok。 What's she like？〃
〃Beddable would be one word；〃 he said and grinned。
〃Yes … but what else？〃
Dunross thought a moment。 〃She's very attractive； very well dressed … though subdued today； for our benefit I imagine。 Very confident and very observant … she noticed the front door was out of whack and asked about it。〃 He picked up an ivory paper knife and toyed with it。 〃John didn't like her at all。 He said he'd bet she was one of those pathetic American women who're like California fruit： great to look at； with plenty of body； but no taste whatsoever！〃
〃Poor Master John； much as he likes America； he does prefer certain； er； aspects of Asia！〃
Dunross laughed。 〃How clever a negotiator she is we'll soon find out。〃 He smiled。 〃I sent her in unannounced。〃
〃I'll wager 50 HK at least one of them knew in advance she was a she。〃
〃Phillip Chen of course … but that old fox wouldn't tell the others。 A hundred says neither Linbar； Jacques or Andrew Gavallan knew。〃
〃Done；〃 Claudia said happily。 〃You can pay me now； tai…pan。 I checked very discreetly； this morning。〃
〃Take it out of petty cash；〃 he told her sourly。
〃So sorry。〃 She held out her hand。 〃A bet is a bet； tai…pan。〃
Reluctantly he gave her the red one…hundred…dollar note。
〃Thank you。 Now； a hundred says Casey Tcholok will walk all over Master Linbar； Master Jacques and Andrew Gavallan。〃
〃What do you know？〃 he asked her suspiciously。 〃Eh？〃
〃A hundred？〃
〃All right。〃
〃Excellent！〃 she said briskly； changing the subject。 〃What about the dinners for Mr。 Bartlett？ The golf match and the trip to Taipei？ Of course； you can't take a woman along on those。 Shall I cancel them？〃
〃No。 I'll talk to Bartlett … he'll understand。 I did invite her to Saturday's races though； with him。〃
〃Oh； that's two too many。 I'll cancel the Pangs； they won't mind。 Do you want to sit them together at your table？〃
Dunross frowned。 〃She should be at my table； guest of honor； and sit him next to Penelope； guest of honor。〃
〃Very well。 I'll call Mrs。 Dunross and tell her。 Oh and Barbara … Master John's wife … wants to talk with you。〃 Claudia sighed and smoothed a crease in her neat dark blue chong…sam。 〃Master John didn't e back last nigh