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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 to me。 Understand？〃
〃Yes； I understand。 But 。。。 but what about Saturday？ What about the races？ I want to watch Noble Star run。〃
Dunross just looked at him。 〃I want you in Australia。 Tomorrow。 Foster's failed to get possession of Woolara Properties。 Without Woolara we've no charterer for our ships。 Without the charterer our present banking arrangements are null and void。 You've two weeks to correct that fiasco and report back。〃
〃And if I don't？〃 Linbar said； enraged。
〃For chrissake don't waste time！ You know the answer to that。 If you fail you'll no longer be in the Inner Court。 And if you're not on that plane tomorrow you're out of Struan's as long as I'm tai…pan。〃
Linbar Struan started to say something but changed his mind。
〃Good；〃 Dunross said。 〃If you succeed with Woolara your salary's doubled。〃
Linbar Struan just stared back at him。 〃Anything else？ Sir？〃
〃No。 Good morning； Linbar。〃
Linbar nodded and strode out。 When the door was closed Dunross allowed himself the shadow of a smile。 〃Cocky young bastard；〃 he muttered and got up and went to the window again； feeling closed in； wanting to be out in a speedboat or； better； in his car； racing the corners just too fast； pushing the car and himself just a little harder each lap to cleanse his head。 Absently he straightened a picture and watched the raindrops； deep in thought； saddened by John Chen。
A globulet fell a wet obstacle course and vanished to be replaced by another and another。 There was still no view and the rain pelted down。
His private phone jangled into life。
〃Yes； Penn？〃 he said。
A strange voice said； 〃Mr。 Dunross？〃
〃Yes。 Who's this？〃 he asked； startled； unable to place the man's voice or his accent。
〃My name is Kirk； Jamie Kirk； Mr。 Dunross。 I'm； er； I'm a friend of Mr。 Grant； Mr。 Alan Medford Grant。 。。。〃 Dunross almost dropped the phone。 〃。。。 Hello？ Mr。 Dunross？〃
〃Yes； please go on。〃 Dunross was over his shock now。 AMG was one of the few who had been given this number and he had known it was to be used only in emergencies and never passed on except for a very special reason。 〃What can I do for you？〃
〃I'm； er； from London； Scotland actually。 Alan told me to call you as soon as I got to Hong Kong。 He； er； gave me your number。 I hope I'm not disturbing you？〃
〃No； not at all； Mr。 Kirk。〃
〃Alan gave me a package for you； and he also wanted me to talk to you。 My； er； my wife and I are in Hong Kong for three days so I； er； I wondered if we could meet。〃
〃Of course。 Where are you staying？〃 he asked calmly； though his heart was racing。
〃At the Nine Dragons in Kowloon； room 455。〃
〃When did you last see Alan； Mr。 Kirk？〃
〃When we left London。 That was； er； two weeks ago now。 Yes； two weeks to the day。 We've； er； we've been to Singapore and Indonesia。 Why？〃
〃Would after lunch be convenient？ Sorry but I'm jammed till 3：20。 I could see you then if that would be satisfactory。〃
〃3：20 will be fine。〃
〃I'll send a car for you an… 〃
〃Oh there's； er； there's no need for that。 We can find our way to your office。〃
〃It's no trouble。 A car will call for you at 2：30。〃
Dunross replaced the phone； lost in thought。
The clock chimed 8：45。 A knock。 Claudia opened the door。 〃Sir Luis Basilio； tai…pan。〃
Johnjohn at the Victoria Bank was shouting into the phone。 〃。。。 I don't give a sod what you bastards in London think； I'm telling you we've got the beginnings of a run here and it looks very smelly indeed。 I 。。。 What？ Speak up； man！ We've got a rotten connection。 。。。 What？ 。。。 I couldn't care less that it's 1：30 in the morning … where the hell were you anyway … I've been trying to get you for four hours！ 。。。 What？ 。。。 Whose birthday？ Christ almighty 。。。〃 His sandy eyebrows soared and he held on to his temper。 〃Listen； just get down to the City and the Mint very first bloody thing and tell them 。。。 Hello？ 。。。 Yes； tell them this whole bloody island may run out of money and 。。。 Hello？ 。。。 Hello？ 。。。 Oh for chrissake！〃 He started jiggling the plunger up and down。 〃Hello！〃 Then he slammed the receiver onto its cradle； cursed for a moment； then prodded the inter button。 〃Miss Mills； I was cut off； please get him back quickly as you can。〃
〃Certainly；〃 the cool； very English voice said。 〃Mr。 Dunross's here。〃
Johnjohn glanced at his watch and whitened。 It was 9：33。 〃Oh Christ！ Hold 。。。 yes； hold the call。 I'll 。。。〃 Hurriedly he put the phone down； rushed to the door； posed himself and opened it with forced nonchalance。 〃My dear Ian； so sorry to keep you waiting。 How're things？〃
〃Fine。 And with you？〃
〃Marvelous！〃
〃Marvelous？ That's interesting。 There must be six or seven hundred impatient customers queuing up outside already and you're half an hour to opening time。 There're even a few outside Blacs。〃
〃More than a few 。。。〃 Johnjohn just caught himself in time。 〃Nothing to worry about； Ian。 Would you like coffee or shall we go straight up to Paul's office。〃
〃Paul's office。〃
〃Good。〃 Johnjohn led the way along the thickly carpeted corridor。 〃No； there's no problem at all； just a few superstitious Chinese … you know how they are； rumors and all that。 Rotten about the fire。 I hear Casey stripped and dived to the rescue。 Were you at the track this morning？ This rain's grand； isn't it？〃
Dunross's unease increased。 〃Yes。 I hear there're queues outside almost every bank in the Colony。 Except the Bank of China。〃
Johnjohn's laugh sounded hollow。 〃Our munist friends wouldn't take kindly to a run on them at all。 They'd send in the troops！〃
〃So the run's on？〃
〃On the Ho…Pak； yes。 On us？ No。 In any event we're nowhere near as extended as Richard Kwang。 I understand he really has made some very dangerous loans。 I'm afraid the Ching Prosperity's not in good shape either。 Still； Smiler Ching deserves to take a drubbing after all his fiddling over the years in such dubious enterprises。〃
〃Drugs？〃
〃I really couldn't say； Ian。 Not officially。 But the rumor's strong。〃
〃But you say the run won't spread to you？〃
〃Not really。 If it does 。。。 well I'm sure everything will be quite all right。〃 Johnjohn went on down the wide paneled corridor； everything rich； solid and safe。 He nodded at the elderly English secretary； went past her and opened the door marked PAUL HAVERGILL； DEPUTY CHAIRMAN。 The office was large； oak paneled； the desk huge and clear of papers。 The windows faced the square。
〃Ian； my dear fellow。〃 Havergill got up and extended his hand。 〃So sorry I couldn't see you yesterday； and the party last night was hardly the place for business； eh？ How're you feeling？〃
〃All right。 I think。 So far。 You？〃
〃I've got the trots slightly but Constance's fine； thank God。 Soon as we got home I gave us both a good dollop of good old Dr。 Colicos's Remedy。〃 It was an elixir invented during the Crimean War by Dr。 Colicos to cure stomach disorders when tens of thousands of British soldiers were dying of typhoid and cholera and dysentery。 The formula was still a guarded secret。
〃Terrific stuff！ Dr。 Tooley gave us some too。〃
〃Damnable about the others； what？ Toxe's wife； eh？〃
Johnjohn said gravely； 〃I heard they found her body under some pilings this morning。 If I hadn't had a pink ticket Mary and I'd've been there too。〃 A pink ticket meant that you had your wife's permission to be out in the evening without her； out playing cards with friends； or at the Club； or on the town with visiting guests or wherever … but with her benevolent permission。
〃Oh？〃 Havergill smiled。 〃Who was the lucky lady？〃
〃I was playing bridge with McBride at the Club。〃
Havergill laughed。 〃Well； discretion's the better part of valor and we have the reputation of the bank to think of。〃
Dunross felt the tension in the room between the two men。 He smiled politely； waiting。
〃What can I do for you； Ian？〃 Havergill asked。
〃I want an extra 100 million credit for thirty days。〃
There was a dead silence。 Both men stared at him。 Dunross thought he saw the flicker of a smile rush behind Havergill's eyes。 〃Impossible！〃 he heard him say。
〃Gornt's mounting an attack on us； that's clear to anyone。 You both know we're solid； safe and in good shape。 I need your open； massive backing； then he won't dare proceed and I won't actually need the money。 But I do need the mitment。 Now。〃
Another silence。 Johnjohn waited and watched。 Havergill lit a cigarette。 〃What's the situation with the Par…Con deal； Ian？〃
Dunross told them。 〃Tuesday we sign。〃
〃Can you trust the American？〃
〃We've made a deal。〃
Another silence。 Uneasily； Johnjohn broke it。 〃It's a very good deal； Ian。〃
〃Yes。 With your open backing； Gornt and Blacs will withdraw their attack。〃
〃But 100 million？〃 Havergill said。 〃That's beyond possibility。〃
〃I said I won't need the full amount。〃
〃That's surmise； my dear fellow。 We could bee involved in a very big power play against our wish。 I've heard rumors Quillan has outside financing； German backing。 We couldn't risk getting into a fight with a consortium of German banks。 You are already over the limit of your revolving c