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udia？〃
〃Superintendent Kwok on line two。 He says it's important。〃
〃All right。 Sorry； Penn； got to go； I'll pick you up in good time for your flight。 'Bye； darling。 。。。 Anything else； Claudia？〃
〃Bill Foster's plane from Sydney's delayed another hour。 Mr。 Havergill and Johnjohn will see you at 9：30。 I called to confirm。 I hear they've been at the bank since six this morning。〃
Dunross's uneasiness grew。 He had been trying to talk to Havergill since 3：00 p。m。 yesterday but the deputy chairman had not been available and last night was not the time。 〃That's not good。 There was a crowd already outside the bank when I came in at 7：30。〃
〃The Vic won't fail； will it？〃
He heard the anxiety in her voice。 〃If they do we're all up the spout。〃 He stabbed line two。 〃Hi； Brian； what's up？〃 Brian Kwok told him about John Chen。
〃Jesus Christ； poor John！ After giving them the ransom money last night I thought 。。。 what bastards！ He's been dead some days？〃
〃Yes。 At least three。〃
〃The bastards！ Have you told Phillip or Dianne？〃
〃No； not yet。 I wanted to tell you first。〃
〃You want me to call them？ Phillip's at home now。 After the payoff last night I told him to miss the eight o'clock morning meeting。 I'll call him now。〃
〃No； Ian； that's my job。 Sorry to bring bad news but I thought you should know about John。〃
〃Yes 。。。 yes； old chum； thanks。 Listen； I've a do at the governor's around seven but that'll be through by 10：30。 Would you like a drink or a late snack？〃
〃Yes。 Good idea。 How about the Quance Bar at the Mandarin？〃
〃10：45？〃
〃Good。 By the way； I've left word for your tai…tai to go straight through Immigration。 Sorry to bring bad news。 'Bye。〃
Dunross put down the phone； got up and stared out of the window。 The inter buzzed but he did not hear it。 〃Poor bugger！〃 he muttered。 〃What a bloody waste！〃
There was a discreet knock； then the door opened a fraction。 Claudia said； 〃Excuse me； tai…pan； Lando Mata on line two。〃
Dunross sat on the edge of his desk。 〃Hello Lando； can we meet at 10：20？〃
〃Yes； yes of course。 I heard about Zeppelin。 Awful！ I just got out with my own life！ Damned fire！ Still； we got out； eh？ Joss！〃
〃Have you been in touch with Tightfist yet？〃
〃Yes。 He's arriving on the next ferry。〃
〃Good。 Lando； I may need you to back me today。〃
〃But Ian； we went through that last night。 I thought I ma… 〃
〃Yes。 But I want your backing today。〃 Dunross's voice had hardened。
There was a long pause。 〃I'll 。。。 I'll talk to Tightfist。〃
〃I'll talk to Tightfist too。 Meanwhile I'd like to know I have your backing now。〃
〃You've reconsidered our offer？〃
〃Do I have your backing； Lando？ Or not。〃
Another pause。 Mata's voice was more nervous。 〃I'll 。。。 I'll tell you when I see you at 10：20。 Sorry； Ian； but I really must talk to Tightfist first。 See you for coffee。 'Bye！〃
The phone clicked off。 Dunross replaced his receiver gently and muttered sweetly； 〃Dew neh loh moh； Lando old friend。〃
He thought a moment then dialed。 〃Mr。 Bartlett please。〃
〃No answer his phone。 You want message？〃 the operator said。
〃Please transfer me to Miss K。 C。 Tcholok。〃
〃Wat？〃
〃Casey 。。。 Miss Casey！〃
The call tone rang and Casey answered sleepily； 〃Hello？〃
〃Oh sorry； I'll call you back later。 。。。〃
〃Oh； Ian？ No 。。。 no； that's all right； I should 。。。 should have been up hours ago 。。。〃 He heard her stifle a yawn。 〃。。。 Jesus； I'm tired。 I didn't dream that fire did I？〃
〃No。 Ciranoush； I just wanted to make sure you were both all right。 How're you feeling？〃
〃Not so hot。 I think I must have stretched a few muscles 。。。 don't know if it was the laughing or throwing up。 You all right？〃
〃Yes。 So far。 You haven't a temperature or anything？ That's what Doc Tooley said to watch out for。〃
〃Don't think so。 I haven't seen Linc yet。 Did you talk to him？〃
〃No … there's no reply。 Listen； I wanted to ask you two to cocktails； at six。〃
〃That's lovely with me。〃 Another yawn。 〃I'm glad you're okay。〃
〃I'll call you back later to 。。。〃
Again the inter。 〃The governor's on line two； tai…pan。 I told him you'd be at the morning meeting。〃
〃All right。 Listen； Ciranoush； cocktails at six； if not cocktails maybe late supper。 I'll call later to confirm。〃
〃Sure； Ian。 And Ian； thanks for calling。〃
〃Nothing。 'Bye。〃 Dunross stabbed line two。 〃Morning； sir。〃
〃Sorry to disturb you； Ian； but I need to talk to you about that awful fire；〃 Sir Geoffrey said。 〃It's a miracle that more weren't lost； the minister's hopping mad about poor Sir Charles Pennyworth's death and quite furious that our security procedures allowed that to happen。 The Cabinet have been informed so we can expect high…level repercussions。〃
Dunross told him his idea about the kitchens for Aberdeen； pretending it was Shi…teh T'Chung's。
〃Excellent。 Shitee's clever！ That's a start。 Meanwhile Robin Grey and Julian Broadhurst and the other MPs have already phoned for a meeting to protest our inpetent fire regulations。 My aide said Grey was quite incensed。〃 Sir Geoffrey sighed。 〃Rightly so； perhaps。 In any event that gentleman's going to stir things up nastily； if he can。 I hear he's scheduled a press conference for tomorrow with Broadhurst。 Now that poor Sir Charles's dead Broadhurst bees the senior member and God only knows what'll happen if those two get on their high horse about China。〃
〃Ask the minister to muzzle them； sir。〃
〃I did and he said； 'Good God； Geoffrey； muzzle an MP？ That'd be worse than trying to set fire to Parliament itself。' It's all really very trying。 My thought was that you might be able to cool Mr。 Grey down。 I'll seat him next to you tonight。〃
〃I don't think that's a good idea at all； sir。 The man's a lunatic。〃
〃I quite agree； Ian； but I really would appreciate it if you tried。 You're the only one I'd trust。 Quillan would hit him。 Quillan's already phoned in a formal refusal purely because of Grey。 Perhaps you could invite the fellow to the races on Saturday also？〃
Dunross remembered Peter Marlowe。 〃Why not invite Grey and the others to your box and I'll take him over part of the time。〃 Thank God Penn won't be here； he thought。
〃Very well。 Next： Roger asked me to meet you at the bank at six o'clock tomorrow。〃
Dunross let the silence hang。
〃Ian？〃
〃Yes sir？〃
〃At six。 Sinders should be there by then。〃
〃Do you know him； sir？ Personally？〃
〃Yes。 Why？〃
〃I just wanted to be sure。〃 Dunross heard the governor's silence。 His tension increased。
〃Good。 At six。 Next： Did you hear about poor John Chen？〃
〃Yes sir； just a few minutes ago。 Rotten luck。〃
〃I agree。 Poor fellow！ This Werewolf mess couldn't've e at a worse time。 It will surely bee a cause célèbre for all opponents of Hong Kong。 Damned nuisance； apart from the tragedy so far。 Dear me； well； at least we live in interesting times with nothing but problems。〃
〃Yes sir。 Is the Victoria in trouble？〃 Dunross asked the question casually but he was listening intently and he heard the slightest hesitation before Sir Geoffrey said lightly； 〃Good Lord no！ My dear fellow； what an astonishing idea！ Well； thank you； Ian； everything else can wait till our meeting at noon。〃
〃Yes sir。〃 Dunross put the phone down and mopped his brow。 That hesitation was bloody ominous； he told himself。 If anyone'd know how bad things are it'd be Sir Geoffrey。
A rain squall battered the windows。 So much to do。 His eyes went to the clock。 Linbar due now； then Sir Luis。 He already decided what he wanted from the head of the stock exchange； what he must have from him。 He had not mentioned it at the meeting of the Inner Court this morning。 The others had soured him。 All of them … Jacques； Gavallan； Linbar … were convinced the Victoria would support Struan's to the limit。 〃And if they don't？〃 he had asked。
〃We've the Par…Con deal。 It's inconceivable the Victoria won't help！〃
〃If they don't？〃
〃Perhaps after last night Gornt won't continue to sell。〃
〃He'll sell。 What do we do？〃
〃Unless we can stop him or put off the Toda and Orlin payments we're in very great trouble。〃
We can't put off the payments； he thought again。 Without the bank or Mata or Tightfist … even the Par…Con deal won't stop Quillan。 Quillan knows he's got all day today and all Friday to sell and sell and sell and I can't buy ev…
〃Master Linbar； tai…pan。〃
〃Show him in； please。〃 He glanced at the clock。 The younger man came in and closed the door。 〃You're almost two minutes late。〃
〃Oh？ Sorry。〃
〃I don't seem to be able to get through to you about punctuality。 It's impossible to run sixty…three panies without executive punctuality。 If it happens one more time you lose your yearly bonus。〃
Linbar flushed。 〃Sorry。〃
〃I want you to take over our Sydney operation from Bill Foster。〃
Linbar Struan brightened。 〃Yes certainly。 I'd like that。 I've wanted an operation of my own for some time。〃
〃Good。 I'd like you to be on the Qantas flight tomorrow an… 〃
〃Tomorrow？ Impossible！〃 Linbar burst out； his happiness evaporating。 〃It'll take me a couple of weeks to get ev… 〃
Dunross's voice became so gentle but so slashing that Linbar Struan blanched。 〃I realize that； Linbar。 But I want you to go there tomorrow。 Stay two weeks and then e back and report