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re two phones on it。 He picked up the phone that he knew had no other extensions within the house and dialed。
The ringing tone went on monotonously； then stopped。 〃Yes？〃 a man's voice said in English。
〃Mr。 Lop…sing please；〃 he said softly； beginning the code。
〃There's no Lop…ting here。 Sorry； you have a wrong number。〃
This code response was what he wanted to hear。 He continued； 〃I want to leave a message。〃
〃Sorry； you have a wrong number。 Look in your phone book。〃
Again the correct response； the final one。 〃This is Lim；〃 he whispered； using his cover name。 〃Arthur please。 Urgent。〃
〃Just a moment。〃
He heard the phone being passed and the dry cough he recognized at once。 〃Yes； Lim？ Did you find the safe？〃
〃Yes；〃 he said。 〃It's behind the painting over the fireplace but none of the keys fit。 I'll need special equip… 〃 He stopped suddenly。 Voices were approaching。 He hung up gently。 A quick； nervous check that everything was in place and he switched off the flashlight and hurried for the balcony that ran the length of the north face。 The moonlight illuminated him for an instant。 It was Wine Waiter Feng。 Then he vanished； his black waiter's clothes melding perfectly with the darkness。
The door opened。 Dunross came in followed by Brian Kwok。 He switched on the lights。 At once the room became warm and friendly。 〃We won't be disturbed here；〃 he said。 〃Make yourself at home。〃
〃Thanks。〃 This was the first time Brian Kwok had been invited upstairs。
Both men were carrying brandy snifters and they went over to the cool of the windows； the slight breeze moving the gossamer curtains； and sat in the high…backed easy chairs facing one another。 Brian Kwok was looking at the painting； its own light perfectly placed。 〃Smashing portrait。〃
〃Yes。〃 Dunross glanced over and froze。 The painting was imperceptibly out of place。 No one else would have noticed it。
〃Something's the matter； Ian？〃
〃No。 No nothing；〃 Dunross said； recovering his senses that had instinctively reached out； probing the room for an alien presence。 Now he turned his full attention back to the Chinese superintendent； but he wondered deeply who had touched the painting and why。 〃What's on your mind？〃
〃Two things。 First； your freighter； Eastern Cloud。〃
Dunross was startled。 〃Oh？〃 This was one of Struan's many coastal tramps that plied the trade routes of Asia。 Eastern Cloud was a ten thousand tonner on the highly lucrative Hong Kong； Bangkok； Singapore； Calcutta； Madras； Bombay route； with a sometimes stop at Rangoon in Burma … all manner of Hong Kong manufactured goods outward bound； and all manner of Indian； Malayan； Thai and Burmese raw materials； silks； gems； teak； jute； foodstuffs； inbound。 Six months ago she had been impounded by Indian authorities in Calcutta after a sudden customs search had discovered 36；000 taels of smugglers' gold in one of the bunkers。 A little over one ton。
〃The gold's one thing； your Excellency； that's nothing to do with us；〃 Dunross had said to the consul general of India in Hong Kong； 〃but to impound our ship's something else！〃
〃Ah； very so sorry； Mr。 Dunross sah。 The law is the law and the smuggling of gold into India very serious indeed sah and the law says any ship with smuggled goods aboard may be impounded and sold。〃
〃Yes； may be。 Perhaps； Excellency； in this instance you could prevail on the authorities 。。。〃 But all of his entreaties had been shuttled aside and attempted high…level intercessions over the months； here； in India； even in London； had not helped。 Indian and Hong Kong police inquiries had produced no evidence against any member of his crew but； even so； Eastern Cloud was still tied up in Calcutta harbor。
〃What about Eastern Cloud？〃 he asked。
〃We think we can persuade the Indian authorities to let her go。〃
〃In return for what？〃 Dunross asked suspiciously。
Brian Kwok laughed。 〃Nothing。 We don't know who the smugglers are； but we know who did the informing。〃
〃Who？〃
〃Seven odd months ago you changed your crewing policy。 Up to that time Struan's had used exclusively Cantonese crew on their ships； then； for some reason you decided to employ Shanghainese。 Right？〃
〃Yes。〃 Dunross remembered that Tsu…yan； also Shanghainese； had suggested it； saying that it would do Struan's a lot of good to extend help to some of their northern refugees。 〃After all； tai…pan； they're just as good mariners；〃 Tsu…yan had said； 〃and their wages are very petitive。〃
〃So Struan's signed on a Shanghainese crew into Eastern Cloud … this was the first I believe … and the Cantonese crew that wasn't hired lost all face so they plained to their triad Red Rod leader wh… 〃
〃e off it for God's sake； our crews aren't triads！〃
〃I've said many times the Chinese are great joiners； Ian。 All right； let's call the triad with Red Rod rank their union representative … though I know you don't have unions either … but this bugger said in no uncertain terms； oh ko we really have lost face because of those northern louts； I'll fix the bastards； and he tipped an Indian informer here who； for a large part of the reward； agreed of course in advance； and passed on the info to the Indian consulate。〃
〃What？〃
Brian Kwok beamed。 〃Yes。 The reward was split twenty…eighty between the Indian and the Cantonese crew of the Eastern Cloud that should have been … Cantonese face was regained and the despised Shanghainese northern trash put into a stinking Indian pokey and their face lost instead。〃
〃Oh Christ！〃
〃Yes。〃
〃You have proof？〃
〃Oh yes！ But let's just say that our Indian friend is helping us with future inquiries； in return for； er； services rendered； so we'd prefer not to name him。 Your 'union shop steward'？ Ah； one of his names was Big Mouth Tuk and he was a stoker on Eastern Cloud for three odd years。 Was because； alas； we won't see him again。 We caught him in full 14K regalia last week … in very senior Red Rod regalia … courtesy of a friendly Shanghainese informer； the brother of one of your crew that languished in said stinky Indian pokey。〃
〃He's been deported？〃
〃Oh yes； quick as a wink。 We really don't approve of triads。 They are criminal gangs nowadays and into all sorts of vile occupations。 He was off to Taiwan where I believe he won't be wele at all … seeing as how the northern Shanghainese Green Pang triad society and the southern Cantonese 14K triad society are still fighting for control of Hong Kong。 Big Mouth Tuk was a 426 all right… 〃
〃What's a 426？〃
〃Oh； thought you might know。 All officials of triads are known by numbers as well as symbolic titles … the numbers always divisible by the mystical number three。 A leader's a 489； which also adds up to twenty…one； which adds up to three； and twenty…one's also a multiple of three； representing creation； times seven； death； signifying rebirth。 A second rank's a White Fan； 438； a Red Rod's a 426。 The lowest's a 49。〃
〃That's not divisible by three； for God's sake！〃
〃Yes。 But four times nine is thirty…six； the number of the secret blood oaths。〃 Brian Kwok shrugged。 〃You know how potty we Chinese are over numbers and numerology。 He was a Red Rod； a 426； Ian。 We caught him。 So triads exist； or existed； on one of your ships at least。 Didn't they？〃
〃So it seems。〃 Dunross was cursing himself for not prethinking that of course Shanghainese and Cantonese face would be involved so of course there'd be trouble。 And now he knew he was in another trap。 Now he had seven ships with Shanghainese crews against fifty…odd Cantonese。
〃Christ； I can't fire the Shanghainese crews I've already hired and if I don't there'll be more of the same and loss of face on both sides。 What's the solution to that one？〃 he asked。
〃Assign certain routes exclusively to the Shanghainese； but only after consulting with their 426 Red Rod 。。。 sorry； with their shop stewards； and of course their Cantonese counterparts … only after consulting with a well…known soothsayer who suggested to you it would be fantastic joss to both sides to do this。 How about Old Blind Tung？〃
〃Old Blind Tung？〃 Dunross laughed。 〃Perfect！ Brian you're a genius！ One good turn deserves another。 For your ears only？〃
〃All right。〃
〃Guaranteed？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Buy Struan's first thing tomorrow morning。〃
〃How many shares？〃
〃As many as you can afford。〃
〃How long do I hold them？〃
〃How are your cojones？〃
Brian whistled tonelessly。 〃Thanks。〃 He thought a moment； then forced his mind once more onto the matters in hand。 〃Back to Eastern Cloud。 Now we e to one of the interesting bits； Ian。 36；000 taels of gold is legally worth 1；514；520 U。S。 But melted down into the smugglers' five…tael bars and secretly delivered on shore in Calcutta； that shipment'd be worth two； perhaps three times that amount to private buyers … say 4。5 million U。S。； right？〃
〃I don't know。 Exactly。〃
〃Oh； but I do。 The lost profit's over 3 million … the lost investment about one and a half。〃
〃So？〃
〃So we all know Shanghainese are as secretive and cliquey as Cantonese； or Chu Chow or Fukenese or any other tiny groupings of Chinese。 So of course the Shanghainese crew were the smugglers … have to be； Ian； though we can't prove it； yet。 So you can bet your bottom dollar that Shanghainese also smuggled th