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〃Eastern Cloud's a gift。 The information was also a gift。 Nelson Trading is no concern of ours； except for passing interest。 Everything said was confidential。 To my knowledge； we have no records。〃
Dunross studied his friend； the high cheekbones and wide； heavy…lidded eyes； straight and unblinking； the face good…looking and well proportioned with thick black eyebrows。
〃Did you read this report； Brian？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Then you'll understand my dilemma；〃 he said； testing him。
〃Ah； you mean the bit about a police traitor？〃
〃What was that？〃
〃You're right to be cautious。 Yes； very correct。 You're referring to the bit about a hostile being possibly at superintendent level？〃
〃Yes。 Do you know who he is？〃
〃No。 Not yet。〃
〃Do you suspect anyone？〃
〃Yes。 He's under surveillance now。 There's no need to worry about that； Ian； the back copies'll just be seen by me and Mr。 Crosse。 They'll have top classification never mind。〃
〃Just a moment； Brian … I haven't said they exist；〃 Dunross told him； pretending irritation； and at once he noticed a flash in the eyes that could have been anger or could have been disappointment。 The face had remained impassive。 〃Put yourself in my position； a layman；〃 he said； his senses fine…honed； continuing the same line； 〃I'd be pretty bloody foolish to keep such info around； wouldn't I？ Much wiser to destroy it … once the pertinent bits have been acted on。 Wouldn't I？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Let's leave it at that for tonight。 Until say ten in the morning。〃
Brian Kwok hesitated。 Then his face hardened。 〃We're not playing parlor games； Ian。 It's not for a few tons of gold； or some stock market shenanigans or a few gray area deals with the PRC however many millions're involved。 This game's deadly and the millions involved are people and unborn generations and the munist plague。 Sevrin's bad news。 The KGB's very bad news … and even our friends in the CIA and KMT can be equally vicious if need be。 You'd better put a heavy guard on your files here tonight。〃
Dunross stared at his friend impassively。 〃Then your official position is that this report's accurate？〃
〃Crosse thinks it could be。 Might be wise for us to have a man here just in case； don't you think？〃
〃Please yourself； Brian。〃
〃Should we put a man out at Shek…O？〃
〃Please yourself； Brian。〃
〃You're not being very cooperative； are you？〃
〃You're wrong； old chum。 I'm taking your points very seriously；〃 Dunross said sharply。 〃When did you get the copy and how？〃
Brian Kwok hesitated。 〃I don't know； and if I knew I don't know if I should tell you。〃
Dunross got up。 〃e on then； let's go and find Crosse。〃
〃But why do the Gornts and the Rothwells hate the Struans and Dunrosses so much； Peter？〃 Casey asked。 She and Bartlett were strolling the beautiful gardens in the cool of the evening with Peter Marlowe and his wife； Fleur。
〃I don't know all the reasons yet；〃 the Englishman said。 He was a tall man of thirty…nine with fair hair； a patrician accent and a strange intensity behind his blue…gray eyes。 〃The rumor is that it goes back to the Brocks … that there's some connection； some family connection between the Gornt family and the Brock family。 Perhaps to old Tyler Brock himself。 You've heard of him？〃
〃Sure；〃 Bartlett said。 〃How did it start； the feud？〃
〃When Dirk Struan was a boy he'd been an apprentice seaman on one of Tyler Brock's armed merchantmen。 Life at sea was pretty brutal then； life anywhere really； but my God in those days at sea 。。。 Anyway； Tyler Brock flogged young Struan unmercifully for an imagined slight； then left him for dead somewhere on the China coast。 Dirk Struan was fourteen then； and he swore before God and the devil that when he was a man he'd smash the House of Brock and Sons and e after Tyler with a cat…o'…nine…tails。 As far as I know he never did though there's a story he beat Tyler's eldest son to death with a Chinese fighting iron。〃
〃What's that？〃 Casey asked uneasily。
〃It's like a mace； Casey； three or four short links of iron with a spiked ball on one end and a handle on the other。〃
〃He killed him for revenge on his father？〃 she said； shocked。
〃That's another bit I don't know yet； but I'll bet he had a good reason。〃 Peter Marlowe smiled strangely。 〃Dirk Struan； old Tyler and all the other men who made the British Empire； conquered India； opened up China。 Christ； they were giants！ Did I mention Tyler was one…eyed？ One of his eyes was torn out by a whipping halyard in a storm in the 1830's when he was racing his three…masted clipper； the White Witch； after Struan with a full cargo of opium aboard。 Struan was a day ahead in his clipper； China Cloud； in the race from the British opium fields of India to the markets of China。 They say Tyler just poured brandy into the socket and cursed his sailors aloft to put on more canvas。〃 Peter Marlowe hesitated； then he continued； 〃Dirk was killed in a typhoon in Happy Valley in 1841 and Tyler died penniless； bankrupt； in '63。〃
〃Why penniless； Peter？〃 Casey asked。
〃The legend is that Tess； his eldest daughter … Hag Struan to be … had plotted her father's downfall for years … you know she married Culum； Dirk's only son？ Well； Hag Struan secretly plotted with the Victoria Bank； which Tyler had started in the 1840's and with Cooper…Tillman； Tyler's partners in the States。 They trapped him and brought down the great house of Brock and Sons in one gigantic crash。 He lost everything … his shipping line； opium hulks； property； warehouses； stocks； everything。 He was wiped out。〃
〃What happened to him？〃
〃I don't know； no one does for certain； but the story is that that same night； October thirty…first； 1863； old Tyler went to Aberdeen … that's a harbor on the other side of Hong Kong … with his grandson； Tom； who was then twenty…five； and six sailors； and they pirated an oceangoing lorcha … that's a ship with a Chinese hull but European rigged … and put out to sea。 He was mad with rage； so they say； and he hauled up the Brock pennant to the masthead and he had pistols in his belt and a bloody cutlass in his hand … they'd killed four men to pirate the ship。 At the neck of the harbor a cutter came after him and he blew it out of the water … in those days almost all boats were armed with cannon because of pirates … these seas have always been infested with pirates since time immemorial。 So old Tyler put to sea； a good wind blowing from the east and a storm ing。 At the mouth of Aberdeen he started bellowing out curses。 He cursed Hag Struan and cursed the island； and cursed the Victoria Bank that had betrayed him； and the Coopers of Cooper…Tillman； but most of all he cursed the tai…pan who'd been dead more than twenty years。 And old Tyler Brock swore revenge。 They say he screamed out that he was going north to plunder and he was going to start again。 He was going to build his House again and then； '。。。 and then I be back by God 。。。 I be back and I be venged and then I be Noble House by God。 。。。 I be back。 。。。' 〃
Bartlett and Casey felt a chill go down their backs as Peter Marlowe coarsened his voice。 Then he continued； 〃Tyler went north and was never heard of again； no trace of him or the lorcha or his crew； ever。 Even so； his presence is still here … like Dirk Struan's。 You'd better remember； in any dealing with the Noble House you've got to deal with those two as well； or their ghosts。 The night Ian Dunross took over as tai…pan； Struan's lost their freighter flagship； Lasting Cloud； in a typhoon。 It was a gigantic financial disaster。 She foundered off Formosa … Taiwan … and was lost with all hands except one seaman； a young English deckhand。 He'd been on the bridge and he swore that they'd been lured onto the rocks by false lights and that he heard a maniac laughing as they went down。〃
Casey shivered involuntarily。
Bartlett noticed it and slipped his arm casually through hers and she smiled at him。
He said； 〃Peter； people here talk about people who've been dead a hundred years as though they're in the next room。〃
〃Old Chinese habit；〃 Peter Marlowe replied at once。 〃Chinese believe the past controls the future and explains the present。 Of course Hong Kong's only a hundred and twenty years old so a man of eighty today'd 。。。 Take Phillip Chen； the present pradore； for example。 He's sixty…five now … his grandfather was the famous Sir Gordon Chen； Dirk Struan's illegitimate son who died in 1907 at the age of eighty…six。 So Phillip Chen would have been nine then。 A sharp boy of nine'd remember all sorts of stories his revered grandfather would have told him about his father； the tai…pan； and May…may； his famous mistress。 The story is that old Sir Gordon Chen was one hell of a character； truly an ancestor。 He had two official wives； eight concubines of various ages； and left the sprawling Chen family rich； powerful and into everything。 Ask Dunross to show you his portraits … I've only seen copies but； my； he was a handsome man。 There're dozens of people alive here today who knew him … one of the original great founders。 And my God； Hag Struan died only forty…six years ago。 Look over there。 。。。〃 He nodded at a wizened little man； thin as a bamboo and just as strong； talking volubly to a young woman。 〃That's Vincent McGore； tai…pan of the f