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her decks floodlit； her flag fluttering bravely。 A jet shrieked into the night sky from Kai Tak and ining jets approaching Kowloon were stacked up。
He could not see the airport or his own airplane from this angle but he knew where it was parked。 This afternoon he had visited it with police permission to check and fetch some papers and provisions。
Orlanda； beside him； touched him casually and he looked at her。 She smiled back and he was warmed。
〃Great； isn't it？〃
Happily she nodded。 There was no need to answer。 Both knew。
〃It is；〃 Gornt said； thinking that Bartlett was talking to him and looked around at him。 〃It's grand to be afloat at night； master of your own craft。 We go west； then almost due south around Hong Kong … about three quarters of an hour。〃 He beckoned his captain who was nearby； a silent lithe Shanghainese wearing neat； starched white ducks。
〃Shey…shey；〃 thank you； the man said taking the helm。
Gornt waved to the chairs aft around a table。 〃Shall we？〃 He glanced at Orlanda。 〃You're looking very pretty； Orlanda。〃
〃Thank you；〃 she said。
〃You're not too cold？〃
〃Oh no； Quillan； thank you。〃
A liveried steward came from below。 On his tray were hot and cold canapés。 In the ice bucket beside the table was an opened bottle of white wine； four glasses； two cans of American beer and some soft drinks。 〃What can I offer you； Mr。 Bartlett？〃 Gornt asked。 〃The wine's Frascati but I hear you prefer iced cold beer out of the can？〃
〃Tonight Frascati … beer later； if I may？〃
〃Orlanda？〃
〃Wine please； Quillan；〃 she said calmly； knowing that he knew she preferred Frascati to any other wine。 I'll have to be very wise tonight； she thought； very strong and very wise and very clever。 She had agreed to Gornt's suggestion at once for she； too； loved the water at night and the restaurant was a favorite though she would have preferred to have been alone with Linc Bartlett。 But it was clearly an 。。。 No； she thought； correcting herself。 It wasn't an order； it was a request。 Quillan's on my side。 And in this； my side and his side have the same aim in mon： Linc。 Oh how I enjoy Linc！
When she looked at him she saw he was watching Gornt。 Her heart quickened。 It was like once when Gornt had taken her to Spain and she had seen a mano a mano。 Yes； these two men are like matadors tonight。 I know Quillan still desires me whatever he says。 She smiled back at him； her excitement in place。 〃Wine would be fine for me。〃
It was dark on deck； the lighting fortable and intimate。 The steward poured； this wine as always very good； delicate； dry and enticing。 Bartlett opened an air carry bag that he had brought with him。 〃It's an old American custom to bring a gift the first time you go to a home … I guess this is a home。〃 He put the wine bottle on the table。
〃Oh that's very kind of 。。。〃 Gornt stopped。 Delicately he picked up the bottle and stared at it； then got up and looked at it under the binnacle light。 He sat down again。 〃That's not a gift； Mr。 Bartlett； that's bottled magic。 I thought my eyes were deceiving me。〃 It was a Chateau Margaux； one of the great premier cru clarets from the Médoc in the province of Bordeaux。 〃I've never had the '49。 That was a dream year for clarets。 Thank you。 Thank you very much。〃
〃Orlanda said you liked red better than white but I guessed we might have some fish。〃 Casually he put the second bottle beside the first。
Gornt stared at it。 It was a Chateau Haut…Brion。 In good years Chateau Haut…Brion red pared with all the great Médocs； but the white … dry； delicate and little known because it was so scarce … was considered one of the finest of all the great Bordeaux whites。 The year was '55。
Gornt sighed。 〃If you know so much about wines； Mr。 Bartlett； why do you drink beer？〃
〃I like beer with pasta； Mr。 Gornt； … and beer before lunch。 But wine with food。〃 Bartlett grinned。 〃e Tuesday； we'll have beer with the pasta； then Frascati or Verdicchio or the Umbrian Casale with 。。。 with what？〃
〃Piccata？〃
〃Great；〃 Bartlett said； not wanting any piccata other than Orlanda's。 〃That's just about my favorite。〃 He kept his attention on Gornt and did not glance at Orlanda but he knew she knew what he meant。 I'm glad I tested her。
〃Oh did you have a good time？〃 she had said when she had called for him this morning at the small hotel on Sunning Road。 〃Oh I do hope so； Linc； darling。〃
The other girl had been beautiful but there had been no feeling other than lust； the satisfaction of the joining minimal。 He had told her。
〃Oh then that's my fault。 We chose wrong；〃 she had said unhappily。 〃Tonight we'll have dinner and we'll try somewhere else。〃
Involuntarily he smiled and looked at her。 The sea breeze was making her more beautiful。 Then he noticed Gornt watching them。 〃Are we eating fish tonight？〃
〃Oh yes。 Orlanda； did you tell Mr。 Bartlett about Pok Liu Chau？〃
〃No； Quillan； just that we've been invited for a sail。〃
〃Good。 It won't be a banquet but the seafood there's excellent； Mr。 Bartlett。 You pi… 〃
〃Why don't you call me Linc and let me call you Quillan？ The 'mister' bit gives me indigestion。〃
They all laughed。 Gornt said； 〃Linc； with your permission we'll not open your gift tonight。 Chinese food's not for these great wines； they wouldn't plement each other。 I'll keep them； if I may； for our dinner Tuesday？〃
〃Of course。〃
There was a small silence within the muted thunder of the diesel engines below。 Immediately sensing Gornt wanted privacy； Orlanda got up with a smile。 〃Excuse me a second； I just want to powder my nose。〃
〃Use the forward cabins； the forward gangway； Orlanda；〃 Gornt said； watching her。
〃Thank you；〃 she said and walked off； in one way glad； in another hurt。 The forward cabins were for guests。 She would have automatically gone down this gangway to the main cabin； to the toilet off the master suite … the suite that once was theirs。 Never mind。 The past is the past and now there's Linc； she thought； going forward。
Bartlett sipped his wine； wondering why Orlanda had seemed to hesitate。 He concentrated on Gornt。 〃How many does this boat sleep？〃
〃Ten fortably。 There's a regular crew of four … captain…engineer； a deckhand； cook and steward。 I'll show you around later if you like。〃 Gornt lit a cigarette。 〃You don't smoke？〃
〃No； no thanks。〃
〃We can cruise for a week without refueling。 If necessary。 We still conclude our deal on Tuesday？〃
〃That's still D Day。〃
〃Have you changed your mind？ About Struan's？〃
〃Monday'll still decide the battle。 Monday at 3：00 p。m。 When the market closes； you've got Ian or you haven't and it's a standoff again。〃
〃This time it won't be a standoff。 He's ruined。〃
〃It sure as hell looks that way。〃
〃Are you still going to Taipei with him？〃
〃That's still the plan。〃
Gornt took a deep drag of his cigarette。 His eyes checked the lie of his ship。 They were well out into the main channel。 Gornt got up and stood beside the captain a moment but the captain had also seen the small unlit junk ahead and he skirted it without danger。 〃Full ahead；〃 Gornt said and came back。 He refilled the glasses； chose one of the deep…fried dim sum and looked at the American。 〃Linc； may I be blunt？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃Orlanda。〃
Bartlett's eyes narrowed。 〃What about her？〃
〃As you probably know； she and I were very good friends once。 Very good。 Hong Kong's a very gossipy place and you'll hear all sorts of rumors； but we're still friends though we haven't been together for three years。〃 Gornt looked at him under his shaggy black…gray eyebrows。 〃I just wanted to say that I wouldn't want her harmed。〃 His teeth glinted with his smile in the gimbaled light over the table。 〃And she's as fine a person and panion as you could find。〃
〃I agree。〃
〃Sorry； don't want to belabor anything； just wanted to make three points； one man to another。 That was the first。 The second's that she's as closed…mouthed as any woman I've ever known。 The third's that she's nothing to do with business … I'm not using her； she's not a prize； or bait or anything like that。〃
Bartlett let the silence hang。 Then he nodded。 〃Sure。〃
〃You don't believe me？〃
Bartlett laughed。 It was a good laugh。 〃Hell； Quillan； this's Hong Kong！ I'm out of my depth in more ways than you can shake a stick at。 I don't even know if Pok Liu Chau's the name of the restaurant； a part of Hong Kong or in Red China。〃 He drank the wine； enjoying it。 〃As to Orlanda； she's great and you've no need to worry。 I got the message。〃
〃I hope you don't mind my mentioning it。〃
Bartlett shook his head。 〃I'm glad you did。〃 He hesitated； then because the other man was open he decided to get everything into the open。 〃She told me about the child。〃
〃Good。〃
〃Why the frown？〃
〃I'm just surprised she'd mention her now。 Orlanda must like you very much。〃
Bartlett felt the power of the eyes watching him and he tried to read if there was envy there。 〃I hope she does。 She said you'd been great to her since you split。 And to her folks。〃
〃They're nice people。 It's rough in Asia to raise five children； raise them well。 It was always our pany policy to help families where we could。〃 Gornt sipped his wine。 〃The first time I saw Orlanda was when she was ten。 It was a Saturday