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easily be persuaded。 That'd be a small price to pay … to save our dollar。 Once an official Soviet bank's here what other devilment could they get up to； eh？〃
〃You're worse than bloody Havergill！〃
〃No old chum； better！〃 The jesting left the banker's face。 〃Any major change and we bee the Noble House； like it or not。 Many of our directors would prefer you gone； at any price。 I'm just asking you to do Hong Kong and therefore yourself a favor。 Don't forget； Ian； the Victoria won't go under； we'll be hurt but not ruined。〃 He touched a bead of sweat away。 〃No threats； Ian； but I'm asking for a favor。 One day I may be chairman and I won't forget。〃
〃Either way。〃
〃Of course； old chum；〃 Johnjohn said sweetly and went to the sideboard。 〃How about one for the road now？ Brandy？〃
Robin Grey was seated in the back of Dunross's Rolls with Hugh Guthrie and Julian Broadhurst； Dunross in the front beside his uniformed chauffeur。 The windows were fogged。 Idly Grey streaked the mist away； enjoying the deep luxury of the sweet…smelling leather。
Soon I'm going to have one of these； he thought。 A Rolls of my very own。 With a chauffeur。 And soon all these bastards'll be crawling； Ian bloody Dunross included。 And Penn！ Oh yes； my dear sweet sneering sister's going to see the mighty humbled。
〃Is it going to rain again？〃 Broadhurst was asking。
〃Yes；〃 Dunross replied。 〃They think this storm's developing into a full…scale typhoon … at least that's what the Met Office said。 This evening I got a report from Eastern Cloud； one of our inbound freighters just off Singapore。 She said that the seas were heavy even that far south。〃
〃Will the typhoon hit here； tai…pan？〃 Guthrie； the Liberal MP asked。
〃You never know for certain。 They can head for you then veer off at the last minute。 Or the reverse。〃
〃I remember reading about Wanda； Typhoon Wanda last year。 That was a dilly； wasn't it？〃
〃The worst I've been in。 Over two hundred dead； thousands injured； tens of thousands made homeless。〃 Dunross had his arm across the seat and he was half turned around。 〃Tai…fun； the Supreme Winds； were gusting to 170 mph at the Royal Observatory； 190 at Tate's Cairn。 The eye of the storm came over us at high tide so our tides in places were twenty…three feet over normal。〃
〃Christ！〃
〃Yes。 At Sha Tin in the New Territories these gusts blew the tidal surge up the channel and breached the storm shelter and shoved fishing boats half a mile inland onto the main street and drowned most of the village。 A thousand known fishing boats vanished； eight freighters aground； millions of dollars in damage； most of our squatters' areas blown into the sea。〃 Dunross shrugged。 〃Joss！ But considering the enormity of the storm； the seaborne damage here was incredibly small。〃 His fingers touched the leather seat。 Grey noticed the heavy gold and bloodstone signet ring with the Dunross crest。 〃A real typhoon shows you how really insignificant you are；〃 Dunross said。
〃Pity we don't have typhoons every day in that case；〃 Grey said before he could stop himself。 〃We could use having the mighty in Whitehall humbled twice a day。〃
〃You really are a bore； Robin；〃 Guthrie said。 〃Do you have to make a sour remark every time？〃
Grey went back to his brooding and shut his ears to their conversation。 To hell with all of them； he thought。
Soon the car pulled up outside the Mandarin。 Dunross got out。 〃The car'll take you home to the V and A。 See you all Saturday if not before。 Night。〃
The car drove off。 It circled the huge hotel then headed for the car ferry which was slightly east of the Golden Ferry Terminal along Connaught Road。 At the terminal a haphazard line of cars and trucks waited。 Grey got out。 〃I think I'll stretch my legs； walk back to the Golden Ferry and go across in one of them；〃 he said with forced bonhomie。 〃I need the exercise。 Night。〃
He walked along the Connaught Road waterfront； quickly； relieved that it had been so easy to get away from them。 Bloody fools； he thought； his excitement rising。 Well； it won't be long before they all get their euppance； Broadhurst particularly。
When he was sure he was clear he stopped under a streetlamp； creating an eddy in the massed stream of pedestrians hurrying both ways； and flagged a taxi。 〃Here；〃 he said and gave the driver a typed address on a piece of paper。
The driver took it； stared at it and scratched his head sullenly。
〃It's in Chinese。 It's in Chinese on the back；〃 Grey said helpfully。
The driver paid him no attention； just stared blankly at the English address。 Grey reached over and turned the characters toward him。 〃Here！〃
At once the driver insolently turned the paper back and glared at the English again。 Then he belched； let in his clutch with a jerk and eased into the honking traffic。
Rude sod； Grey thought； suddenly enraged。
The cab ground its gears continually as it went into the city； doubling back down one…way streets and narrow alleys to get back into Connaught Road。
At length they stopped outside a dingy old apartment building on a dingy street。 The pavement was broken and narrow and puddled； the traffic honking irritably at the parked cab。 There was no number that Grey could see。 He got out and told the driver to wait and walked back a little to what seemed to be a side door。 An old man was sitting on a battered chair； smoking and reading a racing paper under a bare bulb。
〃Is this 68 Kwan Yik Street in Kennedy Town？〃 Grey asked politely。
The old man stared at him as though he was a monster from outer space； then let out a stream of querulous Cantonese。
〃68 Kwan Yik Street；〃 Grey repeated； slower and louder； 〃Ken…ned…dy Town？〃
Another flood of guttural Cantonese and an insolent wave toward a small door。 The old man hawked and spat and went back to his paper with a yawn。
〃Sodding bastard；〃 Grey muttered； his temperature soaring。 He opened the door。 Inside was a tiny； grimy foyer with peeling paint； a sorry row of mailboxes with names on the boxes。 With great relief he saw the name he sought。
At the cab he took out his wallet and carefully looked at the amount on the meter twice before he paid the man。
The elevator was tiny； claustrophobic； filthy and it squeaked as it rose。 At the fourth floor he got off and pressed the button of number 44。 The door opened。
〃Mr。 Grey； sir； this's an honor！ Molly； his nibs's arrived！〃 Sam Finn beamed at him。 He was a big beefy Yorkshireman； florid； with pale blue eyes； an ex…coal miner and shop steward with important friends in the Labour Party and Trades Union Council。 His face was deeply lined and pitted； the pores ingrained with specks of coal dust。 〃By gum； 'tis a pleasure！〃
〃Thank you； Mr。 Finn。 I'm glad to meet you too。 I've heard a lot about you。〃 Grey took off his raincoat and gratefully accepted a beer。
〃Sit thee down。〃
The apartment was small； spotlessly clean； the furniture inexpensive。 It smelt of fried sausages and fried potatoes and fried bread。 Molly Finn came out of the kitchen； her hands and arms red from years of scrubbing and washing up。 She was short and rotund； from the same mining town as her husband； the same age； sixty…five； and just as strong。 〃By Harry；〃 she said warmly； 〃thee could've knocked us'n down with feather when we heard thee'd be a…visiting us'n。〃
〃Our mutual friends wanted to hear firsthand how you were doing。〃
〃Grand。 We're doing grand；〃 Finn said。 〃 'Course it's not like home in Yorkshire and we miss our friends and the Union Hall but we've a bed and a bit of board。〃 There was the sound of a toilet flushing。 〃We've a friend we thought thee'd like to meet；〃 Finn said and smiled again。
〃Oh？〃
〃Aye。〃 Finn said。
The toilet door opened。 The big bearded man stuck out his hand warmly。 〃Sam's told me a lot about you； Mr。 Grey。 I'm Captain Gregor Suslev of the Soviet Marine。 My ship's the Ivanov … we're having a small refit in this capitalist haven。〃
Grey shook his hand formally。 〃Pleased to meet you。〃
〃We have some mutual friends； Mr。 Grey。〃
〃Oh？〃
〃Yes； Zdenek Hanzolova of Prague。〃
〃Oh！ Oh yes！〃 Grey smiled。 〃I met him on a Parliamentary Trade Delegation to Czechoslovakia last year。〃
〃How did you like Prague？〃
〃Very interesting。 Very。 I didn't like the repression though 。。。 or the Soviet presence。〃
Suslev laughed。 〃We're invited there； by them。 We like to look after our friends。 But much goes on I don't approve of either。 There； in Europe。 Even in Mother Russia。〃
Sam Finn said； 〃Sit thee down； please sit thee down。〃
They sat around the dining room table in the living room that now had a neat white tablecloth with a potted aspidistra on it。
〃Of course； you know I'm not a munist； and never have been one；〃 Grey said。 〃I don't approve of a police state。 I'm totally convinced our British democratic socialism's the way of the future … Parliament； elected officials and all that it stands for … though a lot of Marxist…Leninist ideas are very worthwhile。〃
〃Politics！〃 Gregor Suslev said deprecatingly。 〃We should leave politics to politics。〃
〃Mr。 Grey's one of our best spokesmen in Parliament； Gregor。〃
Molly Finn turned to Grey。 〃Gregor's a good lad too； Mr。 Grey。 He's not one of them nasties。〃 She sipped her tea。 〃Gregor's a good lad。