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errible waste！
〃The joint venture should be set up under Hong Kong law；〃 he said。
〃Yes of course。 There's … 〃
〃Sims； Dawson and Dick can advise us how。 I'll arrange an appointment for tomorrow or the day after。〃
〃No need for that； Mr。 Gavallan。 I already got their tentative proposals； hypothetical and confidential； of course； just in case we decided to conclude。〃
〃What？〃 They gaped at her as she took out five copies of a short form； legal contract and handed one to each of them。
〃I found out they were your attorneys；〃 she said brightly。 〃I had our people check them out and I was advised they're the best so they were fine with us。 I asked them to consider our joint hypothetical needs … yours as well as ours。 Is anything the matter？〃
〃No；〃 Gavallan said； suddenly furious that their own firm had not told them of Par…Con's inquiries。 He began to scan the letter。
Dew neh loh moh on Casey bloody whatever her names are； Phillip Chen was thinking； enraged at the loss of face。 May your Golden Gulley wither and be ever dry and dust…filled for your foul manners and your fresh； filthy； unfeminine habits！
God protect us from American women！
Ayeeyah； it is going to cost Lincoln Bartlett a pretty penny for daring to stick this 。。。 this creature upon us； he promised himself。 How dare he！
Nevertheless； his mind was estimating the staggering value of the deal they were being offered。 It has to be at least 100 million U。S。； potentially； over the next few years； he told himself； his head reeling。 This will give the Noble House the stability it needs。
Oh happy day； he gloated。 And co…financing dollar for dollar！ Unbelievable！ Stupid to give us that so quickly without even a tiny concession in return。 Stupid； but what can you expect from a stupid woman？ Ayeeyah； the Pacific Rim will gorge on all the polyurethane foam products we can make … for packaging； building； bedding and insulating。 One factory here； one in Taiwan； one in Singapore； one in Kuala Lumpur and a last； initially； in Jakarta。 We'll make millions； tens of millions。 And as to the puter…leasing agency； why at the rental these fools are offering us； 10 percent less than IBM's list price； less our 71/2 percent mission … with just a little haggling we would have been delighted to agree to 5 percent … by next weekend I can sell three in Singapore； one here； one in Kuala Lumpur and one to that shipping pirate in Indonesia for a clear profit of 67；500 each； or 405；000 for six phone calls。 And as to China 。。。
And as to China 。。。
Oh all gods great and small and very small； help this deal to go through and I will endow a new temple； a cathedral； in Tai…ping Shan； he promised； consumed with fervor。 If China will drop some controls； or even ease them just a fraction； we can fertilize the paddy fields of Kwantung Province and then of all China and over the next twelve years this deal will mean tens of hundreds of millions of dollars； U。S。 dollars not Hong Kong dollars！
The thought of all this profit mollified his rage considerably。 〃I think this proposal can form the basis for further discussion；〃 he said； finishing reading。 〃Don't you； Andrew？〃
〃Yes。〃 Gavallan put the letter down。 〃I'll call them after lunch。 When would it be convenient for Mr。 Bartlett 。。。 and you of course 。。。 to meet？〃
〃This afternoon … the sooner the better … or anytime tomorrow but Linc won't e。 I handle all the details； that's my job；〃 Casey said crisply。 〃He sets policy … and will formally sign the final documents … after I've approved them。 That's the function of the mander…in…chief； isn't it？〃 She beamed at them。
〃I'll make an appointment and leave a message at your hotel；〃 Gavallan was saying。
〃Perhaps we could set it up now … then that's out of the way？〃
Sourly Gavallan glanced at his watch。 Almost lunch； thank God。 〃Jacques … how're you fixed tomorrow？〃
〃Morning's better than the afternoon。〃
〃And for John too；〃 Phillip Chen said。
Gavallan picked up the phone and dialed。 〃Mary？ Call Dawson and make an appointment for eleven tomorrow to include Mr。 deVille and Mr。 John Chen and Miss Casey。 At their offices。〃 He put the phone down。 〃Jacques and John Chen handle all our corporate matters。 John's sophisticated on American problems and Dawson's the expert。 I'll send the car for you at 10：30。〃
〃Thanks； but there's no need for you to trouble。〃
〃Just as you wish；〃 he said politely。 〃Perhaps this is a good time to break for lunch。〃
Casey said； 〃We've a quarter of an hour yet。 Shall we start on how you'd like our financing？ Or if you wish we can send out for a sandwich and work on through。〃
They stared at her； appalled。 〃Work through lunch？〃
〃Why not？ It's an old American custom。〃
〃Thank God it's not a custom here；〃 Gavallan said。
〃Yes；〃 Phillip Chen snapped。
She felt their disapproval descend like a pall but she did not care。 Shit on all of you； she thought irritably； then forced herself to put that attitude away。 Listen； idiot； don't let these sons of bitches get you！ She smiled sweetly。 〃If you want to stop now for lunch； that's fine with me。〃
〃Good；〃 Gavallan said at once and the others breathed a sigh of relief。 〃We begin lunch at 12：40。 You'll probably want to powder your nose first。〃
〃Yes； thank you；〃 she said； knowing they wanted her gone so they could discuss her … and then the deal。 It should be the other way around； she thought； but it won't be。 No。 It'll be the same as always： they'll lay bets as to who'll be the first to score。 But it'll be none of them； because I don't want any of them at the moment； however attractive they are in their way。 These men are like all the others I've met： they don't want love； they just want sex。
Except Linc。
Don't think about Linc and how much you love him and how rotten these years have been。 Rotten and wonderful。
Remember your promise。
I won't think about Linc and love。
Not until my birthday which is ninety…eight days from now。 The ninety…eighth day ends the seventh year and because of my darling by then I'll have my drop dead money and really be equal； and； God willing； we'll have the Noble House。 Will that be my wedding present to him？ Or his to me？
Or a good…bye present。
〃Where's the ladies' room？〃 she asked； getting up； and they all stood and towered over her； except Phillip Chen whom she topped by an inch； and Gavallan directed her。
Linbar Struan opened the door for her and closed it behind her。 Then he grinned。 〃A thousand says you'll never make it； Jacques。〃
〃Another thousand；〃 Gavallan said。 〃And ten that you won't； Linbar。〃
〃You're on；〃 Linbar replied； 〃provided she's here a month。〃
〃You're slowing up； aren't you； old chap？〃 Gavallan said； then to Jacques； 〃Well？〃
The Frenchman smiled。 〃Twenty that you； Andrew； will never charm such a lady into bed … and as to you； poor young Linbar。 Fifty against your racehorse says the same。〃
〃I like my filly for God's sake。 Noble Star's got a great chance of being a winner。 She's the best in our stable。〃
〃Fifty。〃
〃A hundred and I'll consider it。〃
〃I don't want any horse that much。〃 Jacques smiled at Phillip Chen。 〃What do you think； Phillip？〃
Phillip Chen got up。 〃I think I'll go home to lunch and leave you stallions to your dreams。 It's curious though that you're all betting the others won't … not that any of you could。〃 Again they laughed。
〃Stupid to give us the extra； eh？〃 Gavallan said。
〃The deal's fantastic；〃 Linbar Struan said。 〃Christ； Uncle Phillip； fantastic！〃
〃Like her derrière；〃 deVille said as a connoisseur would。 〃Eh； Phillip？〃
Good…naturedly Phillip Chen nodded and walked out； but as he saw Casey disappearing into the ladies' room； he thought； Ayeeyah； who'd want the big lump anyway？
Inside the ladies' room； Casey looked around； appalled。 It was clean but smelled of old drains and there were pails piled one on top of another and some were filled with water。 The floor was tiled but water…spotted and messy。 I've heard the English are not very hygienic； she thought disgustedly； but here in the Noble House？ Ugh！ Astonishing！
She went into one of the cubicles； its floor wet and slippery； and after she had finished she pulled the handle and nothing happened。 She tried it again； and again； and still nothing happened so she cursed and lifted off the top of the cistern。 The cistern was dry and rusty。 Irritably she unbolted the door and went to the basin and turned on the water but none came out。
What's the matter with this place？ I'll bet those bastards sent me here deliberately！
There were clean hand towels so she poured a pail of water into the basin awkwardly； spilling some； washed her hands； then dried them； furious that her shoes had got splashed。 At a sudden thought； she took another pail and flushed the toilet； then used still another bucket to clean her hands again。 When she left； she felt very soiled。
I suppose the goddamn pipe's broken somewhere and the plumber won't e until tomorrow。 Goddamn all water systems！
Calm down； she told herself。 You'll start making mistakes。
The corridor was covered with fine Chinese silk carpet； and the walls were lined with oil paintings of clipper ships and Chinese landscapes。 As she approached she could hear the muted vo