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mother's maiden name on the birth certificate； added Paul and got one of his cousins to pose as the real father。
〃Listen； my son；〃 Four Finger Wu had said； as soon as Paul could understand； 〃when speaking Haklo aboard my ship； you can call me Father … but never in front of a foreign devil； even in Haklo。 All other times I'm 'Uncle；' just one of many uncles。 Understand？〃
〃Yes。 But why； Father？ Have I done something wrong？ I'm sorry if I've offended you。〃
〃You haven't。 You're a good boy and you work hard。 It's just better for the family for you to have another name。〃
〃But why； Father？〃
〃When it's time you will be told。〃 Then； when he was twelve and trained and had proved his value； his father had sent him to the States。 〃Now you're to learn the ways of the foreign devil。 You must begin to speak like one； sleep like one； bee one outwardly but never forget who you are； who your people are； or that all foreign devils are inferior； hardly human beings； and certainly not fornicating civilized。〃
Paul Choy laughed to himself。 If Americans only knew … from tai…pan to meathead … and British； Iranians； Germans； Russians； every race and color； if they all really knew what even the lousiest coolie thought of them； they'd hemorrhage； he told himself for the millionth time。 It's not that all the races of China despise foreigners； it's just that foreigners're just beneath any consideration。 Of course we're wrong； he told himself。 Foreigners are human and some are civilized … in their way … and far ahead of us technically。 But we are better。 。。。
〃Why the smile？〃 Gornt asked； ducking under ropes； avoiding rubbish that scattered all the decks。
〃Oh； I was just thinking how crazy life is。 This time last month I was surfing at Malibu Colony； California。 Boy； Aberdeen's something else； isn't it？〃
〃You mean the smell？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃Yes it is。〃
〃It's not much better at high tide。 No one but me seems to smell the stench！〃
〃When were you last here？〃
〃Couple of years back … for ten days … after I graduated； B。A。 in business； but I never seem to get used to it。〃 Choy laughed。 〃New England it ain't！〃
〃Where did you go to school？〃
〃Seattle first。 Then undergraduate school； University of Washington at Seattle。 Then I got a master's at Harvard； Harvard Business School。〃
Gornt stopped。 〃Harvard？〃
〃Sure。 I got an assist； a scholarship。〃
〃That's very good。 When did you graduate？〃
〃June last year。 It was like getting out of prison！ Boy； they really put your ass on the block if you don't keep up your grades。 Two years of hell！ After I got out I headed for California with a buddy； doing odd jobs here and there to make enough to keep surfing； having ourselves a time after sweating out so much school。 Then 。。。〃 Choy grinned。 〃 。。。 then a couple of months back Uncle Wu caught up with me and said it's time you went to work so here I am！ After all； he paid for my education。 My parents died years ago。〃
〃Were you top of your class at Harvard？〃
〃Third。〃
〃That's very good。〃
〃Thank you。 It's not far now； ours is the end junk。〃
They negotiated a precarious gangway； Gornt watched suspiciously by silent boat dwellers as they crossed from floating home to floating home； the families dozing or cooking or eating or playing mah…jong； some still repairing fishing nets； some children night fishing。
〃This bit's slippery； Mr。 Gornt。〃 He jumped onto the tacky deck。 〃We made it！ Home sweet home！〃 He tousled the hair of the sleepy little boy who was the lookout and said in Haklo； which he knew Gornt did not understand； 〃Keep awake； Little Brother； or the devils will get us。〃
〃Yes； yes I will；〃 the boy piped； his suspicious eyes on Gornt。 Paul Choy led the way below。 The old junk smelled of tar and teak； rotting fish and sea salt and a thousand storms。 Below decks the midship gangway opened on to the normal single large cabin for'ard that went the breadth of the ship and the length to the bow。 An open charcoal fire burned in a careless brick fireplace with a sooty kettle singing over it。 Smoke curled upward and found its way to the outside through a rough flue cut in the deck。 A few old rattan chairs； tables and tiers of rough bunks lined one side。
Four Finger Wu was alone and he waved at one of the chairs and beamed。 〃Heya； good see；〃 he said in halting； hardly understandable English。 〃Whiskey？〃
〃Thanks；〃 Gornt said。 〃Good to see you too。〃
Paul Choy poured the good Scotch into two semiclean glasses。
〃You want water； Mr。 Gornt？〃 he asked。
〃No； straight's fine。 Not too much please。〃
〃Sure。〃
Wu accepted his glass and toasted Gornt。 〃Good see you； heya？〃
〃Yes。 Health！〃
They watched Gornt sip his whiskey。
〃Good；〃 Gornt said。 〃Very good whiskey。〃
Wu beamed again and motioned at Paul。 〃Him sister son。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Good school … Golden Country。〃
〃Yes。 Yes； he told me。 You should be very proud。〃
〃Wat？〃
Paul Choy translated for the old man。 〃Ah thank； thank you。 He talk good； heya？〃
〃Yes。〃 Gornt smiled。 〃Very good。〃
〃Ah； good never mind。 Smoke？〃
〃Thank you。〃 They watched Gornt take a cigarette。 Then Wu took one and Paul Choy lit both of them。 Another silence。
〃Good with old frien'？〃
〃Yes。 And you？〃
〃Good。〃 Another silence。 〃Him sister son；〃 the old seaman said again and saw Gornt nod and say nothing； waiting。 It pleased him that Gornt just sat there； waiting patiently for him to e to the point as a civilized person should。
Some of these pink devils are learning at long last。 Yes； but some have learned too fornicating well … the tai…pan for instance； him with those cold； ugly blue fish…eyes that most foreign devils have； that stare at you like a dead shark … the one who can even speak a little Haklo dialect。 Yes； the tai…pan's too cunning and too civilized； but then he's had generations before him and his ancestors had the Evil Eye before him。 Yes； but old Devil Green Eyes； the first of his line； who made a pact with my ancestor the great sea warlord； Wu Fang Choi and his son； Wu Kwok； and kept it； and saw that his sons kept it … and their sons。 So this present tai…pan must be considered an old friend even though he's the most deadly of the line。
The old man suppressed a shudder and hawked and spat to scare away the evil spit god that lurked in all men's throats。 He studied Gornt。 Eeeee； he told himself； it must be vile to have to look at that pink face in every mirror … all that face hair like a monkey and a pallid white toad's belly skin elsewhere！ Ugh！
He put a smile on his face to cover his embarrassment and tried to read Gornt's face； what was beneath it； but he could not。 Never mind； he told himself gleefully； that's why all the time and money's been spent to prepare Number Seven Son … he'll know。
〃Maybe ask favor？〃 he said tentatively。
The beams of the ship creaked pleasantly as she wallowed at her moorings。
〃Yes。 What favor； old friend？〃
〃Sister son … time go work … give job？〃 He saw astonishment on Gornt's face and this annoyed him but he hid it。 〃 'Splain；〃 he said in English then added to Paul Choy in guttural Haklo； 〃Explain to this Eater of Turtle Shit what I want。 Just as I told you。〃
〃My uncle apologizes that he can't speak directly to you so he's asked me to explain； Mr。 Gornt；〃 Paul Choy said politely。 〃He wants to ask if you'd give me a job … as a sort of trainee … in your airplane and shipping division。〃
Gornt sipped his whiskey。 〃Why those； Mr。 Choy？〃
〃My uncle has substantial shipping interests； as you know； and he wants me to modernize his operation。 I can give you chapter and verse on my background； if you'd consider me； sir … my second year at Harvard was directed to those areas … my major interest was transportation of all types。 I'd been accepted in the International Division of the Bank of Ohio before my uncle jer… pulled me back。〃 Paul Choy hesitated。 〃Anyway that's what he asks。〃
〃What dialects do you speak； other than Haklo？〃
〃Mandarin。〃
〃How many characters can you write？〃
〃About four thousand。〃
〃Can you take shorthand？〃
〃Speedwriting only； sir。 I can type about eighty words a minute but not clean。〃
〃Wat？〃 Wu asked。
Gornt watched Paul Choy as the young man translated what had been said for his uncle； weighing him … and Four Finger Wu。 Then he said； 〃What sort of trainee do you want to be？〃
〃He wants me to learn all there is to know about running shipping and airlines； the broking and freighting business also； the practical operation； and of course to be a profitable cog for you in your machine。 Maybe my Yankee expertise； theoretical expertise； could help you somehow。 I'm twenty…six。 I've a master's。 I'm into all the new puter theory。 Of course I can program one。 At Harvard I backgrounded in conglomerates； cash flows。〃
〃And if you don't perform； or there's； how would you put it； a personality conflict？〃
The young man said firmly； 〃There won't be； Mr。 Gornt … least…ways I'll work my can off to prevent that。〃
〃Wat？ What did he say？ Exactly？〃 Four Fingers asked sharply in Haklo； noticing a change in inflection； his eyes and ears highly tuned。
His son explained； exactly。
〃Good；〃 Wu said； his voice a rasp。 〃Tell him exactly； if you don't do all your tasks to his satisfaction you'l