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ogether later。〃
She sipped her drink and kept her face clear。 So I'm not invited； huh？ she thought with a flash of irritation。 〃You're off Sunday？〃
〃Yes；〃 Dunross said； sure that the finesse had worked； detecting no change in her。 〃Sunday afternoon I may be doing a hill climb in the morning； so that's the earliest I can make it。〃
〃Hill climb？ Mountain climbing； tai…pan？〃
〃Oh no。 Just with a motorcar … in the New Territories。 You're both wele if you're interested。〃 He added to Bartlett； 〃We could go directly to the airport。 If I can clear your aircraft； I will。 I'll ask about that tomorrow。〃
〃Linc；〃 Casey said； 〃what about Armstrong and the police？ You're grounded here。〃
〃I arranged that today；〃 Dunross said； 〃he's paroled into my custody。〃
She laughed。 〃Fantastic！ Just don't jump bail！〃
〃I won't。〃
〃You're off Sunday； tai…pan？ Back when？〃
〃Tuesday； in time for dinner。〃
〃Tuesday's when we sign？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Linc； isn't that cutting it tight？〃
〃No。 I'll be in constant touch。 The deal's set。 All we need is to put it on paper。〃
〃Whatever you say； Linc。 Everything will be ready for signature when you two get back。 Tai…pan； I'm to deal with Andrew if there's any problem？〃
〃Yes。 Or Jacques。〃 Dunross glanced at the far corner。 Now their table was occupied by others。 Never mind； he told himself。 Everything was done that could be done。 〃The phone service is good to Taipei so there's no need to worry。 Now； are you free for dinner？〃
〃We certainly are；〃 Bartlett said。
〃What sort of food would you like？〃
〃How about Chinese？〃
〃Sorry； but you've got to be more specific；〃 Dunross said。 〃That's like saying you want European cooking … which could run the gamut from Italian to boiled English。〃
〃Linc； shouldn't we leave it to the tai…pan？〃 Casey said； and added； 〃Tai…pan； I have to confess； I like sweet and sour； egg rolls； chop suey and fried rice。 I'm not much on anything far out。〃
〃Nor am I；〃 Bartlett agreed。 〃No snake； dog or anything exotic。〃
〃Snake's very good in season；〃 Dunross said。 〃Especially the bile … mixed with tea。 It's very invigorating； a great pick…me…up！ And little young chow dog stewed in oyster sauce is just perfect。〃
〃You've tried it？ You've tried dog？〃 She was shocked。
〃I was told it was chicken。 It tasted a lot like chicken。 But never eat dog and drink whiskey at the same time； Casey。 They say it turns the meat into lumps of iron that'll give you a very hard time indeed。 。。。〃
He was listening to himself make jokes and inconsequential small talk while he was watching Jacques and Susanne getting into a taxi。 His heart went out to them and to Kathy and to all the others and he wanted to get on the plane himself； to rush there and bring Avril back safely … such a nice girl； part of his family。 。。。
How in the name of Christ do you live as a man； rule the Noble House and stay sane？ How do you help the family and make deals and live with all the rest of it？
〃That's the joy and the hurt of being tai…pan；〃 Dirk Struan had said to him in his dreams； many times。
Yes； but there's very little joy。
You're wrong and Dirk's right and you're being far too serious； he told himself。 The only serious problems are Par…Con； the boom； Kathy； AMG's papers； Crosse； John Chen； Toda Shipping； and the fact that you turned down Lando Mata's offer； not necessarily in that order。 So much money。
What is it I want out of life？ Money？ Power？ Or all China？
He saw Casey and Bartlett watching him。 Since these two've arrived； he thought； I've had nothing but trouble。 He looked back at them。 She was certainly worth looking at with her tight pants and clinging blouse。 〃Leave it to me；〃 he said； deciding that tonight he would like some Cantonese food。
They heard the page bell and saw the paging board and the name was 〃Miss K。 C。 Shuluk。〃 Dunross beckoned the youth。 〃He'll show you to the phone； Casey。〃
〃Thanks。〃 She got up。 Eyes followed the long； elegant legs and her sensuous walk … the women jealous； hating her。
〃You're a son of a bitch；〃 Bartlett said calmly。
〃Oh？〃
〃Yes。〃 He grinned and that took the curse off everything。 〃20 to 1 says Taipei was a probe … but I'm not calling you on it； Ian。 No。 I was rough last night … had to be； so maybe I deserved a roasting。 But don't do that a second time with Casey or I'll hand you your head。〃
〃Will you now？〃
〃Yes。 She's off limits。〃 Bartlett's eyes went back to Casey。 He saw her pass the Marlowe table； stop a second and greet them and their children； then go on again。 〃She knows she wasn't invited。〃
Dunross was perturbed。 〃Are you sure？ I thought 。。。 I didn't cover properly？ The moment I realized you hadn't told her yet 。。。 Sorry； thought I'd covered。〃
〃Hell； you were perfect！ But five'll still get you ten she knows she wasn't invited。〃 Bartlett smiled again； and； once more； Dunross wondered what was under the smile。 I'll have to watch this bugger more closely； he thought。 So Casey's off limits； is she？ I wonder what he really meant by that？
Dunross had chosen the foyer deliberately； wanting to be seen with the now famous … or infamous Bartlett and his lady。 He knew it would fuel rumors of their impending deal and that would further agitate the stock market and put the punters off balance。 If the Ho…Pak crashed； provided it did not bring other banks down with it； the boom could still happen。 If Bartlett and Casey would bend a little； he thought； and if I could really trust them； I could make a killing of killings。 So many ifs。 Too many。 I'm out of control of this battle at the moment。 Bartlett and Casey have all the momentum。 How far will they cooperate？
Then something Superintendent Armstrong and Brian Kwok had said triggered a vagrant thought and his anxiety increased。
〃What do you think of that fellow Banastasio？〃 he asked； keeping his voice matter…of…fact。
〃Vincenzo？〃 Bartlett said at once。 〃Interesting guy。 Why？〃
〃Just wondering；〃 Dunross said； outwardly calm but inwardly shocked that he had been right。 〃Have you known him long？〃
〃Three or four years。 Casey an' I have gone to the track with him a few times … to Del Mar。 He's a big…time gambler there and in Vegas。 He'll bet 50；000 on a race … so he told us。 He and John Chen are quite friendly。 Is he a friend of yours？〃
〃No。 I've never met him but I heard John mention him once or twice；〃 he said； 〃and Tsu…yan。〃
〃How is Tsu…yan？ He's another gambler。 When I saw him in L。A。； he couldn't wait to get to Vegas。 He was at the track the last time we were there with John Chen。 Nothing yet on John or the kidnappers？〃
〃No。〃
〃Rotten luck。〃
Dunross was hardly listening。 The dossier he had had prepared on Bartlett had given no indication of any Mafia connections … but Banastasio linked everything。 The guns； John Chen； Tsu…yan and Bartlett。
Mafia meant dirty money and narcotics； with a constant search for legitimate fronts for the laundering of money。 Tsu…yan used to deal heavily in medical supplies during Korea … and now； so the story went； he was heavily into gold smuggling in Taipei； Indonesia and Malaya with Four Finger Wu。 Could Banastasio be shipping guns to 。。。 to whom？ Had poor John Chen stumbled onto something and was he kidnapped for that reason？
Does that mean part of Par…Con's money is Mafia money … is Par…Con Mafia…dominated or controlled by Mafia？
〃I seem to remember John saying Banastasio was one of your major stockholders；〃 he said； stabbing into the dark again。
〃Vincenzo's got a big chunk of stock。 But he's not an officer or director。 Why？〃
Dunross saw that now Bartlett's blue eyes were concentrated and he could almost feel the mind waves reaching out； wondering about this line of questioning。 So he ended it。 〃It's curious how small the world really is； isn't it？〃
* * *
Casey picked up the phone； inwardly seething。 〃Operator； this is Miss Tcholok。 You've a call for me？〃
〃Ah one moment plees。〃
So I'm not invited to Taipei； she was thinking furiously。 Why didn't the tai…pan just e out and say it and not twist things around and why didn't Linc tell me about it too？ Jesus； is he under the tai…pan's spell like I was last night？ Why the secret？ What else are they cooking？
Taipei； eh？ Well I've heard it's a man's place so if all they're after's a dirty weekend it's fine with me。 But not if it's business。 Why didn't Linc say？ What's there to hide？
Casey's fury began to grow； then she remembered what the Frenchwoman had said about beautiful Chinoise so readily available and her fury turned to an untoward anxiety for Linc。
Goddamn men！
Goddamn men and the world they've made exclusively to fit themselves。 And it's worse here than anywhere I've ever been。
Goddamn the English！ They're all so smooth and smart and their manners great and they say please and thank you and get up when you e in and hold your chair for you but； just under the surface； they're just as rotten as any others。 They're worse。 They're hypocrites； that's what they are！ Well I'll get even。 One day we'll play golf； Mr。 Tai…pan Dunross and you'd better be good because I can play down to ten on a good day … I learned about golf in a man's world early … so I'll rub your nose in it。 Yes。 Or maybe a game of pool … or billiards。 S