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〃He es from Edward Gornt all right。 But Sir Morgan Brock was really Edward's father and Kristian Gornt his mother。 She was an American from Virginia。 Of course it was kept secret … society wasn't any more forgiving then than now。 When Sir Morgan became tai…pan of Brock's in 1859； he fetched this illegitimate son of his out of Virginia； bought him a partnership in the old American trading firm of Rothwell and pany in Shanghai； and then he and Edward bided their time to destroy us。 They almost did … certainly they caused the death of Culum Struan。 But then Lochlin and Hag Struan broke Sir Morgan and smashed Brock and Sons。 Edward Gornt never forgave us； his descendents never will either … I'd wager they too have a pact with their founder。〃
〃Does he know we know？〃
〃I don't know。 But he's enemy。 His genealogy's in the safe； with all the others。 My grandfather was the one who discovered it； quite by chance； during the Boxer Rebellion in '99。 The list is interesting； Ian； very。 One particular person for you。 The head of… 〃
A sudden violent gust shook the building。 One of the ivory bric…a…brac on the marble table toppled over。 Nervously Phillip Chen stood it up。 They all stared at the windows； watching their reflections twist nauseatingly as the gusts stretched the huge panes of glass。
〃Tai…fun！〃 Phillip muttered； sweat beading him。
〃Yes。〃 They waited breathlessly for the 〃Devil Wind〃 to cease。 These sudden squalls came haphazardly from all points of the pass； sometimes gusting to a hundred and fifty knots。 In their wake was always devastation。
The violence passed。 Dunross went over to the barometer； checked it and tapped it。 980。3。
〃Still falling；〃 he said。
〃Christ！〃
Dunross squinted at the windows。 Now the rain streaks were almost horizontal。 〃Lasting Cloud is due to dock tomorrow night。〃
〃Yes； but now she'll be hove to somewhere off the Philippines。 Captain Moffatt's too canny to get caught；〃 Struan said。
〃I don't agree。 Moffatt likes hitting schedules。 This typhoon's unscheduled。 You 。。。 he should have been ordered。〃 Dunross sipped his wine thoughtfully。 〃Lasting Cloud better not get caught。〃
Phillip Chen heard the undercurrent of fury。 〃Why？〃
〃We've our new puter aboard and two million pounds worth of jet engines。 Uninsured … at least the engines are。〃 Dunross glanced at Alastair Struan。
Defensively the old man said； 〃It was that or lose the contract。 The engines are consigned to Canton。 You know we can't insure them； Phillip； since they're going to Red China。〃 Then he added irritably； 〃They're； er； they're South American owned and there're no export restrictions from South America to China。 Even so； no one's willing to insure them。〃
After a pause Phillip Chen said； 〃I thought the new puter was ing in March。〃
〃It was but I managed to jump it forward；〃 Alastair said。
〃Who's carrying the paper on the engines？〃 Phillip Chen asked。
〃We are。〃
〃That's a lot of risk。〃 Phillip Chen was very uneasy。 〃Don't you agree； Ian？〃
Dunross said nothing。
〃It was that or lose the contract；〃 Alastair Struan said； even more irritably。 〃We stand to double our money； Phillip。 We need the money。 But more than that the Chinese need the engines； they made that more than clear when I was in Canton last month。 And we need China … they made that clear too。〃
〃Yes； but 12 million； that's 。。。 a lot of risk in one ship；〃 Phillip Chen insisted。
Dunross said； 〃Anything we can do to take business away from the Soviets is to our advantage。 Besides； it's done。 You were saying； Alastair； there's someone on the list I should know about？ The head of？〃
〃Marlborough Motors。〃
〃Ah；〃 Dunross said with sudden grim delight。 〃I've detested those sods for years。 Father and son。〃
〃I know。〃
〃So the Nikklins're descendents of Tyler Brock？ Well it won't be long before we can wipe them off the list。 Good； very good。 Do they know they're on Dirk Struan's oblit list？〃
〃I don't think so。〃
〃That's even better。〃
〃I don't agree！ You hate young Nikklin because he beat you。〃 Angrily Alastair Struan stabbed a finger at Dunross。 〃It's time you gave up car racing。 Leave all the hill climbs and Macao Grand Prix to the semiprofessionals。 The Nikklins have more time to spend on their cars； it's their life； and now you've other races to run； more important ones。〃
〃Macao's amateur and those bastards cheated last year。〃
〃That was never proved … your engine blew up。 A lot of engines blow up； Ian。 That was just joss！〃
〃My car was tampered with。〃
〃And that was never proved either！ For Christ's sake； you talk about bad blood？ You're as stupid about some things as Devil Struan himself！〃
〃Oh？〃
〃Yes； and… 〃
Phillip Chen interrupted quickly； wanting an end to the violence in the room。 〃If it's so important； please let me see if I can find out the truth。 I've sources not available to either of you。 My Chinese friends will know； should know； if either Tom or young Donald Nikklin were involved。 Of course；〃 he added delicately； 〃if the tai…pan wishes to race； then that's up to the tai…pan。 Isn't it； Alastair？〃
The older man controlled his rage though his neck was still choleric。 〃Yes； yes you're right。 Still； Ian； my advice is you cease。 They'll be after you even more because they detest you equally。〃
〃Are there others I should know about … on the list？〃
After a pause； Struan said； 〃No； not now。〃 He opened the second bottle and poured as he talked。 〃Well； now it's all yours … all the fun and all the sweat。 I'm glad to pass everything over to you。 After you've been through the safe you'll know the best； and the worst。〃 He gave them each a glass and sipped his。 〃By the Lord Jesus； that's as fine a wine as ever came out of France。〃
〃Yes；〃 Phillip Chen said。
Dunross thought Dom Pérignon overpriced and overrated and knew the year； '54； was not a particularly good one。 But he held his peace。
Struan went over to the barometer。 It read 979。2。 〃We're in for a bad one。 Well； never mind that。 Ian； Claudia Chen has a file for you on important matters； and a plete list of our stockholdings … with names of the nominees。 Any questions； have them for me before the day after tomorrow … I'm booked for London then。 You'll keep Claudia on； of course。〃
〃Of course。〃 Claudia Chen was the second link from tai…pan to tai…pan after Phillip Chen。 She was executive secretary to the tai…pan； a distant cousin to Phillip Chen。
〃What about our bank … the Victoria Bank of Hong Kong and China？〃 Dunross asked； savoring the question。 〃I don't know our exact holdings。〃
〃That's always been tai…pan knowledge only。〃
Dunross turned to Phillip Chen。 〃What's your holding； openly or through nominees？〃
The pradore hesitated； shocked。
〃In future I'm going to vote your holdings as a block with ours。〃 Dunross kept his eyes on the pradore's。 〃I want to know now and I'll expect a formal transfer of perpetual voting power； in writing； to me and following tai…pans； tomorrow by noon； and first refusal on the shares should you ever decide to sell。〃
The silence grew。
〃Ian；〃 Phillip Chen began； 〃those shares 。。。〃 But his resolve wavered under the power of Dunross's will。 〃6 percent 。。。 a little over 6 percent。 I 。。。 you'll have it as you wish。〃
〃You won't regret it。〃 Dunross put his attention on Alastair Struan and the older man's heart missed a beat。 〃How much stock have we？ How much's held by nominees？〃
Alastair hesitated。 〃That's tai…pan knowledge only。〃
〃Of course。 But our pradore is to be trusted； absolutely；〃 Dunross said； giving the old man face； knowing how much it had hurt to be dominated in front of Alastair Struan。 〃How much？〃
Struan said； 〃15 percent。〃
Dunross gasped and so did Phillip Chen and he wanted to shout； Jesus bloody Christ； we have 15 percent and Phillip another 6 percent and you haven't had the sodding intelligence to use what's got to be a major interest to get us major funding when we're almost bankrupt？
But instead he reached forward and poured the remains of the bottle into the three glasses and this gave him time to stop the pounding of his heart。
〃Good；〃 he said with his flat unemotional voice。 〃I was hoping together we'd make it better than ever。〃 He sipped his wine。 〃I'm bringing forward the Special Meeting。 To next week。〃
Both men looked up sharply。 Since 1880； the tai…pans of Struan's； Rothwell…Gornt and the Victoria Bank had； despite their rivalry； met annually in secret to discuss matters that affected the future of Hong Kong and Asia。
〃They may not agree to bring the meeting forward；〃 Alastair said。
〃I phoned everyone this morning。 It's set for Monday next at 9 a。m。 here。〃
〃Who's ing from the bank？〃
〃Deputy Chief Manager Havergill … the old man's in Japan then England on leave。〃 Dunross's face hardened。 〃I'll have to make do。〃
〃Paul's all right；〃 Alastair said。 〃He'll be the next chief。〃
〃Not if I can help it；〃 Dunross said。
〃You've never liked Paul Havergill； have you； Ian？〃 Phillip Chen said。
〃No。 He's too insular； too Hong Kong； too out of date and too pompous。〃
〃And he supported your father against you。〃
〃Yes。 But that's not the reason he should go； Phillip。 He should go because he's in the way of the Noble House。 He's too conservat