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〃You'll find him … or we will … or the Taiwan boys will。〃
〃Roger； did Voranski lead you anywhere？〃 Langan asked。
〃No。 Nowhere； even though we've had tabs on him for years。 He's been attached to the Soviet Trade mission in Bangkok； he spent time in Hanoi； and Seoul； but no covert activities we know of。 Once the cheeky bugger even applied for a British passport and almost got one。 Luckily our fellows vet all applications and spotted flaws in his cover。 I'm sorry he's dead … you know how hard it is to identify nasties。 Waste of a lot of time and effort。〃 Crosse paused and lit a cigarette。 〃His major's rank is quite senior which suggests something very smelly。 Perhaps he was just another of their specials who was ordered to cruise Asia and get into deep cover for twenty or thirty years。〃
〃Those bastards have had their game plan set for so long it stinks！〃 Rosemont sighed。 〃What're you going to do with the corpse？〃
Crosse smiled。 〃I got one of my Russian…speaking fellows to call the captain of the ship … Gregor Suslev。 He's a Party member； of course； but fairly harmless。 Has a sporadic girl friend with a flat in Mong Kok … a bar girl who gets a modest allowance from him and entertains him when he's here。 He goes to the races； theater； Macao gambling a couple of times； speaks good English。 Suslev's under surveillance。 I don't want any of your hotshots ponging on one of our known hostiles。〃
〃So Suslev's regular here then？〃
〃Yes； he's been plying these waters for years； based out of Vladivostok … he's an ex…submarine mander by the way。 He wanders around the fringe here； mostly under the weather。〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃Drunk； but not badly so。 Cavorts with a few of our British pinkos like Sam and Molly Finn。〃
〃The ones who're always writing letters to the papers？〃
〃Yes。 They're more of a nuisance than a security risk。 Anyway； under instructions； my Russian…speaking fellow told Captain Suslev we were frightfully sorry but it seemed that one of his seamen had had a heart attack in a phone booth at Golden Ferry Terminal。 Suslev was suitably shocked and quite reasonable。 In Voranski's pocket there 'happened' to be an accurate； verbatim report of the assassin's phone conversation。 We put it in Russian as a further sign of our displeasure。 They're all professionals aboard that ship； and sophisticated enough to know we don't remove their agents without very great cause and provocation。 They know we just watch the ones we know about and； if we're really very irritated； we deport them。〃 Crosse looked across at Rosemont； his eyes hard though his voice stayed matter…of…fact。 〃We find our methods more effective than the knife； garrotte； poison or bullet。〃
The CIA man nodded。 〃But who would want to kill him？〃
Crosse glanced at the photos again。 He did not recognize the two Chinese； but their faces were clear and the body in the background unbelievable evidence。 〃We'll find them。 Whoever they are。 The one who phoned our police station claimed they were 14K。 But he only spoke Shanghainese with a Ningpo dialect； so that's unlikely。 Probably he was a triad of some sort。 He could be Green Pang。 He was certainly a trained professional … the knife was used perfectly； with great precision … one moment alive； the next dead and no sound。 Could be one of your CIA's trainees in Chiang Kai…shek's intelligence agency。 Or perhaps the Korean CIA； more of your trainees … they're anti…Soviet too； aren't they？ Possibly PRC agents； but that's improbable。 Their agents don't usually go in for quai loh murder； and certainly not in Hong Kong。〃
Rosemont nodded and let the censure pass。 He gave Crosse the remaining photos； wanting the Englishman's cooperation and needing it。 〃These're shots of the house they went into。 And the street sign。 Our guy couldn't read characters but it translates； 'Street of the First Season； Number 14。' It's a rotten little alley in back of the bus depot in North Point。〃
Crosse began to examine them with equal care。 Rosemont glanced at his watch； then got up and went to the single window that faced part of the harbor。 〃Look！〃 he said proudly。
The other two went over to him。 The great nuclear carrier was just rounding North Point heading for the navy yard。 Hong Kong side。 She was dressed overall； all her obligatory flags stiff in the breeze； crowds of white…clothed sailors on her vast deck； with neat lines of her vicious fighter jet airplanes。 Almost 84；000 tons。 No smokestack； just a vast； ominous bridge plex； with an eleven…hundred…foot angled runway that could retrieve and launch jets simultaneously。 The first of a generation。
〃That's some ship；〃 Crosse said enviously。 This was the first time the colossus had entered Hong Kong since her missioning in 1960。 〃Pretty；〃 he said； hating the fact she was American and not British。 〃What's her top speed？〃
〃I don't know … that's classified along with most everything else。〃 Rosemont turned to watch him。 〃Can't you send that goddamn Soviet spy ship to hell out of port？〃
〃Yes； and we could blow it up； but that would be equally foolish。 Stanley； relax； you have to be a little civilized about these things。 Repairing their ships … and some of them really do need it … is a good source of revenue； and intelligence； and they pay their bills promptly。 Our ways have been tried and tested over the years。〃
Yes； Rosemont was thinking without rancor； but your ways don't work anymore。 The British Empire's no more； the British raj no more and we've a different enemy now； smarter rougher dedicated totalitarian fanatic； with no Queensberry rules and a worldwide plan that's lavishly funded by whatever it takes。 You British've no dough now； no clout； no navy； no army； no air force； and your goddamn government's filled with socialist and enemy pus； and we think they sold you out。 You've been screwed from within； your security's the pits from Klaus Fuchs and Philby on down。 Jesus； we won both goddamn wars for you； paid for most of it and both times you've screwed up the peace。 And if it wasn't for our Strategic Air mand； our missiles； our nuclear strike force； our navy； our army； our air force our taxpayers our dough； you'd all be dead or in goddamn Siberia。 Meanwhile； like it or not I got to deal with you。 We need Hong Kong as a window and right now your cops to guard the carrier。
〃Rog； thanks for the extra men；〃 he said。 〃We sure appreciate it。〃
〃We wouldn't want any trouble while she's here either。 Pretty ship。 I envy you having her。〃
〃Her captain'll have the ship and crew under tight wraps … the shore parties'll all be briefed； and warned； and we'll cooperate a hundred percent。〃
〃I'll see you get a copy of the list of bars I've suggested your sailors stay out of … some're known munist hangouts； and some are frequented by our lads off H。M。S。 Dart。〃 Crosse smiled。 〃There'll still be the odd brawl。〃
〃Sure。 Rog； this Voranski killing's too much of a coincidence。 Can I send a Shanghai speaker to assist the interrogation？〃
〃I'll let you know if we need help。〃
〃Can we have our copies of the tai…pan's other AMG reports now？ Then we can get out of your hair。〃
Crosse stared back at him twisting uneasily； even though he was prepared for the question。 〃I'll have to get approval from Whitehall。〃
Rosemont was surprised。 〃Our top man in England's been on to your Great White Father and it's approved。 You should have had it an hour ago。〃
〃Oh？〃
〃Sure。 Hell； we'd no idea AMG was on the tai…pan's payroll let alone passing classified stuff for chrissake！ The wires've been red hot since Ed got the top copy of AMG's last will and testament。 We got an all…points from Washington on getting copies of the other reports and we're trying to trace the call to Switzerland but … 〃
〃Say again？〃
〃Kiernan's call。 The second call he made。〃
〃I don't follow you。〃
Rosemont explained。
Crosse frowned。 〃My people didn't tell me about that。 Nor did Dunross。 Now why should Dunross lie … or avoid telling me that？〃 He related to them exactly what Dunross had told him。 〃There was no reason for him to hide that； was there？〃
〃No。 All right； Rog： Is the tai…pan kosher？〃
Crosse laughed。 〃If you mean is he a one hundred percent British Royalist freebooter whose allegiance is to his House； himself and the Queen … not necessarily in that order … the answer's an emphatic yes。〃
〃Then if we can have our copies now； Rog； we'll be on our way。〃
〃When I've got Whitehall's approval。〃
〃If you'll check your decoding room … it's a Priority l…4a。 It says to let us have copies on receipt。〃
1…4a's were very rare。 They called for immediate clearance and immediate action。
Crosse hesitated； wanting to avoid the trap he was in。 He dared not tell them he did not yet have possession of the AMG reports。 He picked up the phone and dialed。 〃This is Mr。 Crosse。 Is their anything for me from Source？ A 1…4a？〃
〃No sir。 Other than the one we sent up an hour ago … that you signed for；〃 the SI woman said。
〃Thank you。〃 Crosse put the phone down。 〃Nothing yet；〃 he said。
〃Shit；〃 Rosemont muttered； then added； 〃They swore they'd already beamed it out and you'd have it before we got here。 It's got to be here any second。 If you don't mind we'll wait。〃
〃I've an appointment in Central sh