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〃You … will … leave … now。''
Equally enraged； Sun cursed them in Russian and shouted back； 〃We're ing out of the East like locusts。 。。。〃 Then there was a sudden noisy altercation outside on deck and a slight dull boom。 At once he turned and went for the door； the other two rushing after him。
Appalled； Suslev saw that now Armstrong was standing at the doorway of the radio room which was next to his cabin。 The door was burst open； the two frightened operators staring at the Englishman； aghast； paralyzed deckhand guards nearby。 Already the beginning of smoke was welling from the innards of the radio equipment。 Red One ordered the senior radio man to trigger the destruct on the secret scrambling device the instant a hostile opened the door or tried to break the lock。
Armstrong turned to face Suslev。 〃Ah； Captain； so sorry； I stumbled。 So sorry；〃 he said innocently。 〃I thought this was the loo。〃
〃What？〃
〃The toilet。 I stumbled and the door burst open。 So sorry。〃 The policeman glanced back into the radio room。 〃Good God！ It seems there's a fire。 I'll call the fire brigade at once。 Malcolm； get th… 〃
〃No 。。。 no！〃 Suslev said； then snarled in Russian to Boradinov and the deck crew； 〃Get the fire out！〃 He jerked a fist out of his pocket and shoved Boradinov into motion。 Unnoticed by him his cuff caught one of his decoded cables and it fell onto the deck。 Smoke was pouring out from behind one of the plex radio panels。 Already one of the deckhands had a fire extinguisher。
〃Dear oh dear！ What could have happened？ You're sure you don't want assistance？〃 Armstrong asked。
〃No； no thank you；〃 Suslev said； his face mottled with rage； 〃thank you； Superintendent。 I'll 。。。 I'll see you Sunday。〃
〃Good night； sir。 e along； Malcolm。〃 In the growing confusion Armstrong headed for the gangway but stooped and before Suslev realized what was happening picked up the piece of paper and was halfway down the gangway； Malcolm Sun following him。
Appalled； Suslev's hand went to his pocket。 Forgetting the fire he rushed into his cabin to check which cable was missing。
Below on the wharf； uniformed police had long since fanned out； covering both gangways。 Armstrong was getting into the back of the car beside Sinders。 The eyes of the chief of MI…6 were dark…rimmed and his suit a little rumpled but he was icily alert。 〃Well done； you two！ Yes。 I imagine that'll interrupt their munications for a day or so。〃
〃Yes sir。〃 Armstrong began rummaging in his pocket for his lighter； his heart pounding。 Sinders watched Malcolm Sun get into the driver's seat。
〃What's the matter？〃 he asked thoughtfully； seeing his face。
〃Nothing； nothing really； sir。〃 Malcolm Sun craned around； the sweat on his back； his heart hurting and the sick…sweet excitement rage…fear taste still in his mouth。 〃When 。。。 when I was conducting delaying tactics for the superintendent I 。。。 they got me going； those two bastards。〃
〃Oh？ How？〃
〃Just 。。。 they started cursing； so I 。。。 I just cursed them back。〃 Sun faced the front； settled himself； not wanting Sinders's penetrating eyes on his。 〃Just cursing；〃 he added； trying to sound light。
〃Pity one of them didn't hit you。〃
〃Yes； yes I was ready。〃
Sinders glanced at Armstrong briefly as the big man clicked the lighter on； lit a cigarette and； under the light of the flame； peered at the paper。 Sinders glanced up at the ship above。 Once more Suslev was standing at the head of the gangway staring down at them。 〃He looks very angry indeed。 Good。〃 The flicker of a smile went over him。 〃Very good。〃 With Sir Geoffrey's approval he had ordered the sudden arrival and attempt to disrupt the Ivanov's munications … and placency … to put pressure on Arthur and the Sevrin moles； hoping to flush them out。 〃And our police mole；〃 Sir Geoffrey had added grimly。 〃It's impossible that Brian Kwok's the spy mentioned in the AMG papers。 Eh？〃
〃I agree；〃 he had said。
Armstrong clicked the lighter off。 In the semidarkness of the car he hesitated。 〃You'd better get the detail organized； Malcolm。 No need to waste any more time here。 All right； Mr。 Sinders？〃
〃Yes。 Yes we can go now。〃
Obediently Malcolm Sun left。 Armstrong was watching Suslev on the deck。 〃You； er； you read Russian； don't you sir？〃
〃Yes； yes I do。 Why？〃
Carefully Armstrong passed over the paper； holding it by the edges。 〃This fell out of Suslev's pocket。〃
Equally carefully Sinders took the paper but his eyes never left Armstrong's。 〃You don't trust senior agent； Sun？〃 he asked softly。
〃Yes。 Oh yes。 But Chinese are Chinese and it's in Russian。 I don't read Russian。〃
Sinders frowned。 After a moment he nodded。 Armstrong lit the flame for him。 The older man scanned the paper twice and sighed。 〃It's a weather report； Robert。 Sorry。 Unless it's in code； it's just a meteorological report。〃 Carefully he folded the paper in its original creases。 〃The fingerprints might be valuable。 Perhaps it's code。 Just for safety I'll pass it on to our cipher fellows。〃
Sinders settled back more fortably in the car。 The paper had read： 〃Advise Arthur that； following his request for a Priority One on the traitor Metkin； an immediate intercept was ordered for Bombay。 Second； the meeting with the American is brought forward to Sunday。 Third and final； the AMG files continue to be Priority One。 Maximum effort must be made by Sevrin to achieve success。 Center。〃
Now which American！ Sinders asked himself patiently； and is it Arthur's meeting or whose？ Captain Suslev？ Is he as innocent as he appears？ Which American？ Bartlett； Tcholok； Banastasio or who？ Peter Marlowe … Anglo…American…Know…all writer with his curious theories？
Did Bartlett or Tcholok make contact with Center in June in Moscow when they were there； with or without Peter Marlowe； who also happened to be there when a highly secret meeting of foreign agents was taking place？
Or is the American not a visitor at all but someone who lives here in Hong Kong？
Is it Rosemont？ Or Langan？ Both would be perfect。
So much to wonder about。
Like who's the fourth man？ Who's the VVIP above Philby？ Where will those threads lead？ Into Burke's Peerage？ Perhaps to some castle； or even a palace？
Who's this mysterious Mrs。 Gresserhoff who took Kiernan's second call and then vanished like a smoke ring？
And what about those bloody files？ What about bloody AMG and bloody Dunross trying to be so bloody clever。 。。。
It was getting toward midnight and Dunross and Casey were sitting happily side…by…side in the glassed…in forward section of one of the Golden Ferries； which swerved confidently toward its berth Kowloon side。 It was a good night though the clouds still scudded low。 Canvas storm panels still closed in and protected the open part of the decks； but here where they were； the view was good and a fine sea…salt breeze came through one of the open windows。
〃It is going to rain again？〃 she asked； breaking their fortable silence。
〃Oh yes。 But I certainly hope the heavy stuff stays away till late tomorrow afternoon。〃
〃You and your races！ Are they that important？〃
〃To all Hong Kong yan； oh yes。 To me； yes and no。〃
〃I'll put my entire fortune on your Noble Star。〃
〃I wouldn't do that；〃 he said。 〃You should always hedge a bet。〃
Casey glanced across at him。 〃Some bets you don't hedge。〃
〃Some bets you can't hedge；〃 he said； correcting her with a smile。 Casually he lifted her arm and linked his with hers and settled his hand back in his lap。 The contact pleased both of them。 It was their first real touch。 All during their stroll from the Mandarin Hotel to the ferry Casey had wanted to take his arm。 But she had fought back the impulse and now she pretended not to notice their interlinking though； instinctively； she had moved a fraction closer。
〃Casey； you never finished your story of George Toffer … did you fire him？〃
〃No； no I never did； not as I thought I would。 When we'd won control I went to his boardroom。 Of course he was fit to be tied but by that time I'd found out he wasn't the hero he claimed to be and a few other things。 He just waved one of my letters about the money he owed me in my face and shouted that I'd never get that back； never。〃 She shrugged。 〃I never did； but I got his pany。〃
〃What happened to him？〃
〃He's still around； still cheating someone。 Say； can we stop talking about him； it gives me indigestion。〃
He laughed。 〃Perish that thought！ Terrific night； isn't it？〃
〃Yes。〃 They had dined impeccably in the Dragon Room atop the skyscraper hotel。 Chateaubriand； a few thread…thin French fries； salad and crème br？lée。 The wine was Chateau Lafite。
〃Celebration？〃 she had asked。
〃Just a thank you for the First Central New York。〃
〃Oh； Ian！ They agreed？〃
〃Murtagh agreed to try。〃
It had taken just a few seconds to fix the terms based on the bank's agreeing to the financing that Casey had laid out as possible： 120 percent of the cost of both ships； a 50 million revolving fund。 〃Everything covered by your personal guarantee？〃 Murtagh had asked。
〃Yes；〃 he had said； mitting his future and his family's future。
〃We； er； I figure with Struan's great management you'll make a profit so our money's secure and 。。。 but Mr。 Dunross； sir； we gotta keep this se