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n pressed the button for the elevator to the vaults； stifling a nervous yawn。 〃Christ； I'm bushed。〃
〃You architected the Ho…Pak takeover； didn't you？〃
〃Yes； yes I did； but if it hadn't been for your smashing coup with General Stores； I don't think Paul'd 。。。 well； that certainly helped。 Smashing coup； Ian； if you can pull it off。〃
〃It's in the bag。〃
〃What Japanese bank's backing you with the 2 million？〃
〃Why did you force Richard Kwang's advance resignation？〃
〃Eh？〃 Johnjohn stared at him blankly。 The elevator arrived。 They got into it。 〃What？〃
Dunross explained what Phillip Chen had told him。 〃That's not exactly cricket。 A director of the Victoria being made to sign an undated resignation like a two…cent operation？ Eh？〃
Johnjohn shook his head slowly。 〃No； that wasn't part of my plan。〃 His tiredness had vanished。 〃I can see why you'd be concerned。〃
〃Pissed off would be the correct words。〃
〃Paul must have planned just a holding situation till the chief es back。 This whole operation's precedent…setting so you c… 〃
〃If I get Tiptop's money for you； I want that torn up and a free vote guaranteed to Richard Kwang。〃
After a pause； Johnjohn said； 〃I'll support you on everything reasonable … till the chief es back。 Then he can decide。〃
〃Fair enough。〃
〃How much is the Royal Belgium…First Central backing you for？〃
〃I thought you said a Japanese bank？〃
〃Oh e on； old chum； everyone knows。 How much？〃
〃Enough； enough for everything。〃
〃We still own most of your paper； Ian。〃
Dunross shrugged。 〃It makes no difference。 We still have a major say in the Victoria。〃
〃If we don't get China's money； First Central won't save you from a crash。〃
Again Dunross shrugged。
The elevator doors opened。 Dim lights in the vaults cast hard shadows。 The huge grille in front of them seemed like a cell door to Dunross。 Johnjohn unlocked it。
〃I'll be about ten minutes；〃 Dunross said； a sheen to his forehead。 〃I've got to find a particular paper。〃
〃All right。 I'll unlock your box for y… 〃 Johnjohn stopped； his face etched in the overhead light。 〃Oh； I forgot； you've your own master key。〃
〃I'll be as quick as I can。 Thanks。〃 Dunross walked into the gloom； turned the corner and went unerringly to the far bank of boxes。 Once there he made sure he was not being followed。 All his senses were honed now。 He put the two keys into their locks。 The locks clicked back。
His fingers reached into his pocket and he took out AMG's letter that gave the numbers of the special pages spread throughout the files； then a flashlight； scissors and a butane Dunhill cigarette lighter that Penelope had given him when he still smoked。 Quickly he lifted the false bottom of the box away and slid out the files。
I wish to Christ there was some way I could destroy them now and have done with it； he thought。 I know everything that's in them； everything important； but I have to be patient and wait。 Sometime soon； they … whoever they are； along with SI； the CIA and the PRC … they won't be following me。 Then I can safely fetch the files and destroy them。
Following AMG's instructions with great care； he flicked the lighter and waved it back and forth just under the bottom right quadrant of the first special page。 In a moment； a meaningless jumble of symbols； letters and numbers began to appear。 As the heat brought them forth； the type in this quadrant began to vanish。 Soon all the lettering had gone； leaving just the code。 With the scissors he cut off this quarter neatly and put that file aside。 AMG had written： 〃The paper cannot be traced to the files； tai…pan； nor I believe； the information read by any but the highest in the land。〃
A slight noise startled him and he looked off。 His heart was thumping in his ears。 A rat scurried around a wall of boxes and vanished。 He waited but there was no more danger。
In a moment he was calm again。 Now the next file。 Again ciphers appeared and the lettering vanished。
Dunross worked steadily and efficiently。 When the flame began to fade he was prepared。 He refilled the lighter and continued。 Now the last file。 He cut out the quarter carefully and pocketed the eleven pieces of paper； then slid the files back into their hiding place。
Before he relocked the box he took out a deed for camouflage and laid it beside AMG's letter。 Another hesitation； then； shielding AMG's letter with his body； he put the flame to it。 The paper twisted as it flared and burned。
〃What're you doing？〃
Dunross jerked around and stared at the silhouette。 〃Oh； it's you。〃 He began breathing again。 〃Nothing； Bruce。 Actually it's just an ancient love letter that shouldn't have been kept。〃 The flame died and Dunross pounded the ash to dust and scattered the remains。
〃Ian； are you in trouble？ Bad trouble？〃 Johnjohn asked gently。
〃No； old chum。 It's just the Tiptop mess。〃
〃You're sure？〃
〃Oh yes。〃 Wearily Dunross smiled back and took out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead and hands。 〃Sorry to put you to all this trouble。〃
He walked off firmly； Johnjohn following。 The gate clanged after them。 In a moment the elevator sighed open and sighed closed and now there was silence but for the scurry of the rats and the slight hiss of the air conditioner。 A shadow moved。 Silently Roger Crosse came from behind a tall bank of boxes and stood in front of the tai…pan's section。 Unhurried； he took out a tiny Minox camera； a flashlight and a bunch of skeleton keys。 In a moment； Dunross's box was open。 His long fingers reached into it； found the false partment and brought out the files。 Very satisfied he put them in a tidy pile； clipped the flashlight into its socket and； with practiced skill； began to photograph the files； page by page。 When he came to one of the special pages he peered at it and the missing section。 A grim smile flickered over him。 Then he continued； making no sound。
SUNDAY
71
6：30 A。M。：
Koronski came out of the foyer of the Nine Dragons Hotel and hailed a taxi； giving the driver directions in passable Cantonese。 He lit a cigarette and slouched back in the seat； keeping a professional watch behind him in the unlikely chance that he was being followed。 There was no real risk。 His papers as Hans Meikker were flawless； his cover as a sporadic foreign journalist for a West German magazine syndicate real； and he visited Hong Kong frequently as a routine。 His eyes reassured him； then he turned to watch the multitudes； wondering who was to be chemically debriefed； and where。 He was a short； well…fed； nondescript man； his glasses rimless。
Behind him； fifty yards or so； ducking in and out of the traffic was a small； battered Mini。 Tom Connochie； the senior CIA agent； was in the back； one of his assistants； Roy Wong； driving。
〃He's going left。〃
〃Sure。 I see him。 Relax； Tom； you're making me nervous for chrissake。〃 Roy Wong was third…generation American； a B。A。 Lit。； and CIA for four years； assigned to Hong Kong。 He drove expertly； Connochie watching carefully … crumpled and very tired。 He had been up most of the night with Rosemont trying to sort out the flood of top…secret instructions； requests and orders that the intercepted Thomas K。 K。 Lim's letters had generated。 Just after midnight they'd been tipped by one of their hotel informants that Hans Meikker had just checked in for two days from Bangkok。 He had been on their list for years as a possible security risk。
〃Son of a bitch！〃 Roy Wong said as a traffic jam blossomed in the narrow； screeching street near the bustling intersections of Mong Kok。
Connochie craned out of the side window。 〃He's screwed too； Roy。 About twenty cars ahead。〃
In a moment the jam began to ease； then closed in again as an overladen truck stalled。 By the time it had cranked up again； their prey had vanished。
〃Shit！〃
〃Cruise。 Maybe we'll get lucky and pick him up。〃
Two blocks ahead； Koronski got out of the taxi and went down a swarming alley； heading for another swarming road and another alley and Ginny Fu's tenement。 He went up the soiled stairs to the top floor。 He knocked three times on a drab door。 Suslev beckoned him in and locked the door behind him。 〃Wele；〃 he said quietly in Russian。 〃Good trip？〃
〃Yes； rade Captain； very good；〃 Koronski replied； also keeping his voice down by habit。
〃e and sit down。〃 Suslev waved at the table that had coffee and two cups。 The room was drab with little furniture。 Dirty blinds covered the windows。
〃Coffee's good；〃 Koronski said politely； thinking it was hideous； nothing to pare with the French…style coffee of exquisite Bangkok； Saigon and Phnom Penh。
〃It's the whiskey；〃 Suslev said； his face hard。
〃Center said I was to put myself at your disposal； rade Captain。 What is it you want me to do？〃
〃A man here has a photographic memory。 We need to know what's in it。〃
〃Where is the client to be interrogated？ Here？〃
Suslev shook his head。 〃Aboard my ship。〃
〃How much time do we have？〃
〃All the time you need。 We will take him with us to Vladivostok。〃
〃How important is it to get quality information？〃
〃Very。〃
〃In that case I would prefer to do the investigation in Vladivostok … I can give you special sedatives and instructions that will keep the client docile during