"It's only a couple of minutes. Actually I was told sunset." Smyth squinted westward. The sun was not yet down. He turned his attention back to Brian Kwok. It was hard to keep the contempt out of his face.

The tall, handsome Chinese took out a pack of cigarettes. His fingers trembled as he offered it to Smyth.

"No thanks," Smyth said coldly. Armstrong took one. "I thought you'd given up smoking?"

"I did. I started again."

Brian Kwok laughed nervously. "Afraid it's me. Robert's been trying to keepa to keep Crosse and his angels off my back."

Neither man laughed.

"Is anyone coming? Anyone else?" Smyth asked.

"I don't think so. Not officially." Armstrong looked around. There were the usual gaping bystanders but they appeared haphaz arc. "They're here though. Somewhere." Both men felt the hackles on their necks rising. "You can get on with it."

Smyth took out a formal document. "WuChu-toy, alias Brian Kar-shun Kwok, you are formally charged with espionage against Her Majesty's Government on behalf of a foreign power. Under the authority of the Deportation Order of Hong Kong you are formally ordered out of the Crown Colony. If you return you are formally warned you do so at your peril and are liable for arraignment and imprisonment at Her Majesty's pleasure." Grimly Smyth handed him the paper.

Brian Kwok took it. It seemed to take him time to see and to hear, his senses dulled. "Nowa now what happens?"

Smyth said, "You walk over that bloody bridge and go back to your pals."

"Eh? You think I'm a fool? You think I believe you're, you're letting me go?" Brian Kwok spun on Armstrong. "Robert, I keep telling you they're playing with me, with you, they'll never let me go free! You know that!"

"You're free, Brian."

"Noa no, I know what's happening. The moment I, the moment I'm almost there they'll pull me back, the torture of hope, that's it, isn't it?" There was a shrillness creeping into his voice, a fleck of foam at the corner of his lips. "Of course! The torture of hope."

"For chrissake, I've told you you're free! You're free to go," Armstrong said, his voice hard, wanting to end it. "Go for chrissake! Don't ask me why they're letting you go but they are. Go!"

Filled with disbelief, Brian Kwok wiped his mouth, started to speak, stopped. "You'rea it's aa it's a lie, has to be!"

"Got"

"All right, I'lla" Brian Kwok went off a pace then stopped. They had not moved. "You're, you really mean it?"

"Yes."

Shakily Brian Kwok put out his hand to Smyth. Smyth looked at it, then into his face. "If it was up to me I'd have you shot."

A flash of hatred went over Kwok's face. "What about you and graft? What about you selling police pro"

"Don't let's get into that! H'eung yams part of China!" Smyth snarled and Armstrong nodded uneasily, remembering the first 40,000 gambled on Saturday.

"A little feathering's an old Chinese custom," Smyth continued, shaking with rage. "Treason isn't. Fong-fong was one of my lads before he went to SI. Go get stuffed and get the hell across the bridge or I'll whip you across it!"

Brian Kwok began to speak, stopped. Bleakly he offered his hand to Armstrong. Armstrong shook it without friendship. "That's just for old times' sake, for the Brian I used to know. I don't approve of traitors either."

"I, I know I was drugged but thanks." Brian Kwok backed away, still suspecting a trick, then turned. Every few seconds he looked back, petrified that they were coming after him. When his halting feet reached the bridge he broke into a frantic run. Tension skyrocketed. Police at the barrier did not stop him. Neither did the soldiers. Both sides, forewarned, pretended not to notice him. The crowds streaming across either side of the tracks, bicycles, pedestrians, carts, mostly laden, paid him no attention at all. At the other side of the barrier, Brian Kwok skidded to a stop and turned back.

"We'll win, we'll, we'll win you know," he called back to them, his chest heaving. "We will!" Then still suspecting a trick, he hunched down and fled into China. Near the train they saw a nondescript group of people intercept him but now it was too far away to see clearly. Tension on the bridge subsided. The sun began to set.

In the small observation tower atop the police station, Roger Crosse watched with high-powered binoculars. He was well con- cealed. Beside him was an SI operator with a telescopic camera, equally concealed. His face closed. One of the men meeting Brian Kwok was Tsu-yan, the missing millionaire.

The sun was almost under the western seas. Casey was at the Peak lookout, all Hong Kong spread below, lights on in the gloaming, part of the city and Kowloon blood-colored, part already dark with deep shadows and blazing highlights. The sun vanished and night, true night, began.

But she saw none of the beauty of it. Her face was wet with the tears that still coursed. She was leaning on the railing at a far corner, oblivious. The other sightseers and people waiting at the nearby bus stops left her alone too interested in their own affairs.

"By all the gods I made a fortune todaya"

"I bought in first thing and doubled my fornicating moneya"

"Ayeeyah so did I, and I spent most of the day negotiating a loan from Best Bank against my portfolioa"

"Thank all gods the Middle Kingdom bailed out those stupid foreign devilsa"

"I bought Noble House at 20a"

"Did you hear they dug out two more bodies at Kotewall and now the count's sixty-seven deada"

"Joss! Isn't it wonderful about the market! Old Blind Tung's prediction came true againa"

"Did you hear about my sister, Third Toiletmaid Fung from Great Hotel? She and her syndicate bought at the darkest time and now she's a millionairea"

Casey heard nothing, saw nothing, misery overwhelming her. People came and went, a few lovers. The only Europeans were tourists with their cameras. Casey hid from them as best she could.

"Say, can I help?" one of them said.

"No, no thank you," she replied, her voice flat, not looking at him, helpless to stop the tears.

I have to stop, she thought. I have to stop. I have to begin again. I have to begin again and be strong and live, for me and for Linc. I've got to guard him and his, I've got to be strong, be strong.

But how?

"I won't let go," she told herself aloud. I won't. I have to think.

I have to think about what the tai-pan said. Not about marriage, oh Linc, not about that. I have to think about Orlanda.

"Is it too much to hope they'd be friends?" Did he really say that?

What to do about her?

Bury her. She took Linc away from me. Yes. But that was within my rules, the rules I set down. Ian's right. She's not like Quillan and it was Linc he fell for her, he went out with her. She's not like Quillan Gornt.

Quillan. What about him? He had come to the hotel this afternoon, again offering her whatever help she needed. She had thanked him and refused. "I'm okay, Quillan. I have to work this out myself. No, please don't see me off. Please. I'll be back in thirty days, maybe. Then I'll be more sensible."

"You're signing with Struan's?"

"Yes. Yes, that's what I want to do. Sorry."

"No need to be sorry. You've been warned. But that doesn't preclude dinner the first night you're back. Yes?"

"Yes"

Oh Quillan,whatto do about you?

Nothing for thirty days. Linc must have the next thirty days. Totally. I have to protect him against the vultures.

Seymour Steigler for one. This morning he had come to her suite. "Hey Casey, I'll get the coffin arranged and"

"It's done, everything's done."

"That a fact? Great. Listen, I'm all packed. Jannelli can take my bags and I'll be at the airplane in good time so we con"

"No. I'm taking Linc home alone."

"But hell, Casey, we've got a lot to talk about. There's his will, there's the Par-Con deal, we got time now to figure it good. We can delay and maybe get us a few extra points. We"

"It can all wait. I'll see you back in L.A. Take offa couple of days, Seymour. Be back next Monday."

"Monday? For chrissake there's a million things to do! Linc's affairstll take a year to untangle. We gotta get counsel fast. Sure, the best in town. I'll do that first thing, the best. Don't forget there's his widow and his kids. She'll sue on their behalf, of course she'll sue and then there's you! For chrissake you're entitled to a fat share. We'll sue too, haven't you been like a wife to him for seven ye"

"Seymour, you're fired! Get your ass out of here an"

"What the hell's with you? I'm only thinking of your legal rights an"

"Don't you hear, Seymour? You're fired!"

"You can't fire me. I've got rights. I got a contract!"

"You're a son of a bitch. You'll get top dollar to settle your contract but if you take after me or Linc or Linc's affairs I'll see to it you get nothing. Nothing. Now get the hell out of here!"

Casey wiped away her tears, remembering her exploding rage. Well he is a son of a bitch. I was never sure before but I am now. I'm glad I fired him. I'll bet any money he'll come sniffing around like a hyena. Sure. I'll bet he'll go see the ex-Mrs. Bartlett if he hasn't already called her and work her into a frenzy, to represent her brood to attack Par-Con and Linc. Sure, I'll bet any money till see him in court, one way or another.

Well, God help me, I swear he won't beat me. I'll protect Linc whatever.

Forget that bastard, Casey. Forget the battles you're going to fight, concentrate on the now. What about Orlanda? Linc, Linc liked her loved her maybe. Did he? I don't know for sure. And never will, not now.

Orlanda.

Should I go see her?

91 - 8:05 P.M.:.

Orlanda was sitting in the dark of her room at the Mandarin Hotel staring out at the night. Her grief was spent.

Joss about Line, she told herself for the ten thousandth time. Joss. Now everything's as before. Everything has to start again. The gods laughed at me again. Perhaps there'll be another chance of course there'll be another chance. There are other mena Oh God! Don't worry, everything will be as it was. Quillan said not to worry, my allowance would contin The phone jangled, startling her. "Hello?"

"Orlanda? It's Casey." Orlanda sat bolt upright, astonished. "I'm leaving tonight but I wanted to see you before I go. Is that possible? I'm downstairs."

Her enemy calling her? Why? To gloat? But they'd both lost. "Yes, Casey," she said hesitantly. "Would you like to come up? It's more private here. 363."

"Sure. 363."

Orlanda switched on a light and hurried to the bathroom to check her face. She saw sadness and recent tears but no age. Not yet. But age is coming, she thought, a shiver of apprehension taking her. A comb to her hair and a tattle makeup on her eyes. Nothing else needed. Not yet.

Stop it! Age is inevitable. Be Asian! Be aware.

She slipped on her shoes. The waiting seemed long. Her heart was grinding. The bell rang. The door opened. Each saw the desolation of the other.

"Come in, Casey."

"Thanks."

The room was small. Casey noticed two small cases standing neatly beside the bed. "You leaving too?" Her voice sounded far away to her.

"Yes. Yes I'm moving in with friends of my parents. The hotel's a, it's a bit expensive. My friends said I could stay with them until I can find another apartment. Please sit down."

"But you're covered by insurance?"

Orlanda blinked. "Insurance? No, no I don't think so. I nevera no, I don't think so."

Casey sighed. "So you've lost everything?"

"Joss." Orlanda half-shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I have a little money in the bank anda I'm fine." She saw the misery in Casey's face, and her compassion reached out. "Casey," she said quickly, "about Linc. I wasn't trying to trap him, not for anything bad. Oh yes, I loved him and yes, I'dtve done anything to marry him, but that's only fair, and honestly I believe I'dtve been a wonderful wife for him, I'dtve tried so very hard to be the best, honestly. I did love him anda" Again Orlanda shrugged her tiny shrug. "You know. Sorry."

"Yes, yes I know. No need to be sorry."

"The first time I met you at Aberdeen, the night of the fire," Orlanda said, rushing on, "I thought how foolish Linc was, perhaps you were for nota" She sighed. "Perhaps it's as you said, Casey, there's nothing to talk about. Now most of all." The tears began again. And her tears, the reality of them, brought tears from Casey.

For a moment they sat there, the two women. Then Casey found a tissue, dried her eyes, feeling awful, nothing resolved, wanting now to finish quickly what she had begun. She took out an envelope. "Here's a check. It's for $10,000 U.S. I th"

Orlando gasped. "I don't want your money! I don't want anything fr"

"It's not from me. It's Linc's. Listen a moment." Casey told her what Dunross had said about Bartlett. All of it. The repeating of it tearing her anew. "That's what Linc said. I think it was you he wanted to marry. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't know. Even so, he'd want you to have some dropa some protection."

Orlanda felt her heart about to burst at the irony of it all. "Line said 'best man'? Truly?"

"Yes."

"And to be friends? He wanted us to be friends?"

"Yes," Casey told her, not knowing if she was doing the right thing, what Linc would have wanted. But sitting here now, seeing the tender youthful beauty, the wide eyes, exquisite skin that needed no makeup, perfect figure, again she could not blame her or blame Linc. It was my fault, not his and not hers. And I know Linc wouldn't have left her destitute. So I can't. For him. He wanted us to be friends. Maybe we can be. "Why don't we try?" she said. "Listen, Hong Kong's no place for you. Why not try some other place?"

"I can't. I'm locked in here, Casey. I've no training. I'm nothing. My B.S. means nothing." The tears began again. "I'm justa I'd go mad punching a clock."