"Yes. I'll do what I can. Is John's wife here?"

"Eh? Who? Speak up, boy!"

"Is Barbara Chen here?"

"No. She came earlier but as soon as that woman arrived she 'got a headache' end left. Huh, I don't blame her at all!" Her old rheumy eyes were watching Dianne Chen across the room. "Huh, that woman! Did you see her entrance?"

"No, Great Lady."

"Huh, like Dame Nellie Melba herself. She swept in, handkerchief to her eyes, her eldest son Kevin in tow I don't like that boy and my poor nephew Phillip like a second-class cook boy in the rear. Huh! The only time Dianne Chen ever wept was in the crash of '56 when her stocks went down and she lost a fortune and wet her drawers. Ha! Look at her now, preening herself Pretending to be upset when everyone knows she's acting as though she's already Dowager Empress! I could pinch her cheeks! Disgusting!" She looked back at Brian Kwok. "You find my grand-nephew John I don't want that woman or her brat loh-pan of our house."

"But he can be tai-panI"

They laughed together. Very few Europeans knew that though tai-pan meant great leader, in the old days in China a tai-pan was the colloquial title of a man in charge of a whorehouse or public toilet. So no Chinese would ever call himself tai-pan, only loh-pan which also meant great leader or head leader. Chinese and Eurasians were greatly amused that Europeans enjoyed calling themselves tai-pan, stupidly passing over the correct title.

"Yes. If he's the rightpan, " the old woman said and they chuckled. "You find my John Chen, young Brian Kwok!"

"Yes. Yes we'll find him."

"Good. Now, what do you think of Golden Lady's chances on Saturday?"

"Good, if the going's dry. At three to one she's worth a bundle. Watch Noble Star she's got a chance too."

"Good. After dinner come and find me. I want to talk to you."

"Yes, Great Lady." He smiled and watched her go off and knew that all she wanted was to try to act the marriage broker for some great-niece. Ayeeyah, I'll have to do something about that soon, he thought.

His eyes strayed back to Casey. He was delighted by the disapproving looks from all the women and the cautious covert admiration from all their escorts. Then Casey glanced up and saw him watching her across the room and she stared back at him briefly with equal frank appraisal.

Dew neh lob mob, he thought uneasily, feeling somehow undressed. I'd like to possess that one. Then he noticed Roger Crosse with Armstrong beside him. He put his mind together and headed for them.

"Evening, sir."

"Evening, Brian. You're looking very distinguished."

"Thank you, sir." He knew better than to volunteer anything pleasant in return. "I'm seeing the tai-pan after dinner."

"Good. As soon as you've seen him, find me."

"Yes sir."

"So you think the American girl stunning?"

"Yes sir." Brian sighed inwardly. He had forgotten that Crosse could lip-read English, French and some Arabic he spoke no Chinese dialects and that his eyesight was exceptional.

"Actually she's rather obvious," Crosse said.

"Yes sir." He saw Crosse concentrating on her lips and knew that he was overhearing her conversation from across the room and he was furious with himself that he had not developed the talent.

"She seems to have a passion for computers." Crosse turned his eyes back on them. "Curious, what?"

"Yes sir."

"What did Wine Waiter Feng say?"

Brian told him.

"Good. I'll see Peng gets a bonus. I didn't expect to see Langan and Rosemont here."

"It could be a coincidence, sir," Brian Kwok volunteered.

"They're both keen punters. They've both been to the tai-pan's box."

"I don't trust coincidences," Crosse said. "As far as Langan's concerned, of course you know nothing, either of you."

"Yes sir."

"Good. Perhaps you'd both better be about our business."

"Yes sir." Thankfully the two men turned to leave but stopped as there was a sudden hush. All eyes went to the doorway. Quillan Gornt stood there, black-browed, black-bearded, conscious that he had been noticed. The other guests hastily picked up their conversations and kept their eyes averted but their ears concentrated.

Crosse whistled softly. "Now why is he here?"

"Fifty to one says he's up to no good," Brian Kwok said, equally astounded.

They watched Gornt come into the ballroom and put out his hand to Dunross and Penelope beside him. Claudia Chen who was nearby was in shock, wondering how she could reorganize Dunross's table at such short notice because of course Gornt would have to be seated there.

"I hope you don't mind my changing my mind at the last moment," Gornt was saying, his mouth smiling.

"Not at all," Dunross replied, his mouth smiling.

"Good evening, Penelope. I felt I had to give you my congratulations personally."

"Oh, thank you," she said. Her smile was intact but her heart was beating very fast now. "I, I was sorry to hear about your wife."

"Thank you." Emelda Gornt had been arthritic and confined to a wheelchair for some years. Early in the year she had caught pneumonia and had died. "She was very unlucky," Gornt said. He looked at Dunross. "Bad loss about John Chen too."

"Very."

"I suppose you read the afternoon Gazettel"

Dunross nodded and Penelope said, "Enough to frighten everyone out of their wits." All the afternoon papers had had huge headlines and dwelt at length on the mutilated ear and the Werewolves. There was a slight pause. She rushed to fill it. "Your children are well?"

"Yes. Annagrey's going to the University of California in Septem- ber Michael is here on his summer holiday. They're all in very good shape I'm glad to say. And yours?"

"They're fine. I do wish Adryon would go to university though. Dear me, children are very difficult these days, aren't they?"

"I think they always were." Gornt smiled thinly. "My father was always pointing out how difficult I was." He looked at Dunross again.

"Yes. How is your father?"

"Hale and hearty I'm glad to say. The English climate suits him he says. He's coming out for Christmas." Gornt accepted a proffered glass of champagne. The waiter quailed under his look, and fled. He raised his glass. "A happy life and many congratulations."

Dunross toasted him in return, still astonished that Gornt had arrived. It was only for politeness and for face that Gornt and other enemies had been sent formal invitations. A polite refusal was all that was expected and Gornt had already refused.

Why's he here?

He's come to gloat, Dunross thought. Like his bloody father. That must be the reason. But why? What devilment has he done to us? Bartlett? Is it through Bartlett?

"This's a lovely room, beautiful proportions," Gornt was saying. "And a lovely house. I've always envied you this house."

Yes, you bastard, I know, Dunross thought furiously, remember- ing the last time any of the Gornts had been in the Great House. Ten years ago, in 1953, when lan's father, Colin Dunross, was still the tai-pan. It was during Struan's Christmas party, traditionally the biggest of the season, and Quillan Gornt had arrived with his father, William, then tai-pan of Rothwell-Gornt, again unexpectedly. After dinner there had been a bitter, public clash between the two tai-pans in the billiard room where a dozen or so of the men had gathered for a game. That was when Struan's had just been blocked by the Gornts and their Shanghainese friends in their attempt to take over South Orient Airways, which, because of the Communist conquest of the Mainland, had just become available. This feeder airline monopolized all air traffic in and out of Shanghai from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo and Bangkok, and if merged with Air Struan, their fledgling airline, Struan's would have virtual feeder monopoly in the Far East based out of Hong Kong. Both men had accused the other of underhand practices both accusations were true.

Yes, Ian Dunross told himself, both men went to the brink that time. William Gornt had tried every way to become established in Hong Kong after Rothwell-Gornt's huge losses in Shanghai. And when Colin Dunross knew Struan's could not prevail, he had snatched South Orient out of William Gornt's grasp by throwing his weight to a safe Cantonese group.

"And so you did, Colin Dunross, so you did. You fell into the trap and you'll never stop us now," William Gornt had gloated. "We're here to stay. We'll hound you out of Asia, you and your god-cursed Noble House. South Orient's just the beginning. We've won!"

"The hell you have! The Yan-Wong-Sun group's associated with us. We have a contract."

"It's hereby canceled." William Gornt had motioned to Quillan, his eldest son and heir apparent, who took out the copy of an agreement. "This contract's between the Yan-Wong-Sun group who're nominees of the Tso-Wa-Feng group," he said happily, "whotre nominees of Ta-Weng-Sap who sells control of South Orient to Rothwell-Gornt for one dollar more than the original cost!" Quillan Gornt had laid it on the billiard table with a flourish. "South Orient's ours!"

"I don't believe it!"

"You can. Happy Christmas!" William Gornt had given a great, scorn-filled laugh, and walked out. Quillan had replaced his billiard cue, laughing too. Ian Dunross had been near the door.

"One day I'll own this house," Quillan Gornt had hissed at him, then turned and called out to the others, "If any of you want pubs, come to us. Soon you'll all be out of work. Your Noble House won't be~noble much longer." Andrew Gavallan had been there, Jacques deVille, Alastair Struan, Lechie and David MacStruan, Phillip Chen, even John Chen.

Dunross remembered how his father had raged that night, and blamed treachery and nominees and bad joss, knowing all the time that he himself had warned him, many times, and that his warnings had been shoved aside. Christ, how we lost facet All Hong Kong laughed at us that time the Noble House peed on from a great height by the Gornts and their Shanghainese interlopers.

Yes. But that night finalized Colin Dunross's downfall. That was the night I decided that he had to go before the Noble House was lost forever. I used Alastair Struan. I helped him to shove my father aside. Alastair Struan had to become tai-pan. Until I was wise enough and strong enough to shove him aside.

Am I wise enough now?

I don't know, Dunross thought, concentrating on Quillan Gornt now, listening to his pleasantries, hearing himself react with equal charm, while his mind said, I haven't forgotten South Orient, or that we had to merge our airline with yours at a fire-sale price and lose control of the new line renamed All Asia Airways. Nothing's forgotten. We lost that time but this time we'll win. We'll win everything, by God.

Casey was watching both men with fascination. She had noticed Quillan Gornt from the first moment, recognizing him from the photographs of the dossier. She had sensed his strength and masculinity even from across the room and had been uneasily excited by him. As she watched, she could almost touch the tension between the two men squaring off two bulls in challenge.

Andrew Gavallan had told her at once who Gornt was. She had volunteered nothing, just asked Gavallan and Linbar Struan why they were so shocked at Gornt's arrival. And then, as they were alone now, the four of them~asey, Gavallan, deVille and Linbar Struan they told her about the "Happy Christmas" and "One day I'll own this house."

"What did the tai-pana what did Ian do?" she asked.

Gavallan said, "He just looked at Gornt. You knew if he had a gun or a knife or a cudgel he'd've used it, you just knew it, and as he hadn't a weapon you knew any moment he was going to use his hands or teetha He just stood rock still and looked at Gornt and Gornt went back a pace, out of range literally. But that bugger Gornt's got coroner He sort of gathered himself together and stared back at Ian for a moment. Then, without saying a word he went around him slowly, very cautiously, his eyes never leaving Ian, and he left."

"What's that bastard doing here tonight?" Linbar muttered.

Gavallan said, "It's got to be important."

"Which one?" Linbar asked. "Which important?"

Casey looked at him and at the edge of her peripheral vision she saw Jacques deVille shake his head warningly and at once the shades came down on Linbar and on Gavallan. Even so she asked, "What is Gornt doing here?"

"I don't know," Gavallan told her, and she believed him.

"Have they met since that Christmas?"

"Oh yes, many times, all the time," Gavallan told her. "Socially of course. Then, too, they're on the boards of companies, committees, councils together." Uneasily he added, "Buta well I'm sure they're both just waiting."

She saw their eyes wander back to the two enemies and her eyes followed. Her heart was beating strongly. They saw Penelope move away to talk to Claudia Chen. In a moment, Dunross glanced across at them. She knew he was signaling Gavallan in some way. Then his eyes were on her. Gornt followed his glance. Now both men were looking at her. She felt their magnetism. It intoxicated her. A devil in her pushed her feet toward them. She was glad now that she had dressed as she had, more provocatively than she had planned, but Linc had told her this was a night to be less businesslike.

As she walked she felt the brush of the silk, and her nipples hardened. She felt their eyes flow over her, undressing her, and this time, strangely, she did not mind. Her walk became imperceptibly more feline.

"Hello, tai-pan," she said with pretended innocence. "You wanted me to join you?"

"Yes," he replied at once. "I believe you two know each other."

She shook her head and smiled at both of them, not noticing the trap. "No. We've never met. But of course I know who Mr. Gornt is. Andrew told me."

"Ah, then let me introduce you formally. Mr. Quillan Gornt, tai-pan of Rothwell-Gornt. Miss Tcholok~iranoush Tcholok from America."

She held out her hand, knowing the danger of getting between the two men, half her mind warmed by the danger, the other half shouting, Jesus, whattre you doing here.

"I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Gornt," she said, pleased that her voice was controlled, pleased by the touch of his hand different from Dunross's, rougher and not as strong. "I believe the rivalry of your firms goes back generations?"

"Only three. It was my grandfather who first felt the not so tender mercies of the Struans," Gornt said easily. "One day I'd enjoy telling you our side of the legends."

"Perhaps you two should smoke a pipe of peace," she said. "Surely Asia's wide enough for both of you."

"The whole world isn't," Dunross said affably.

"No," Gornt agreed, and if she had not heard the real story she would have presumed from their tone and manner they were just friendly rivals.

"In the States we've many huge companies and they live together peacefully. In competition."

"This isn't America," Gornt said calmly. "How long will you be here, Miss Tcholok?"

"That depends on Linc Line Bartlett I'm with Par-Con Industries."

"Yes, yes I know. Didn't he tell you we're having dinner on Tuesday?"

The danger signals poured through her. "Tuesday?"

"Yes. We arranged it this morning. At our meeting. Didn't he mention it?"

"No," she said, momentarily in shock. Both men were watching her intently and she wished she could hack offend come back in five minutes when she had thought this through. Jesus, she thought and fought to retain her poise as all the implications swamped her. "No," she said again, "Line didn't mention any meeting. What did you arrange?"

Gornt glanced at Dunross who still listened expressionlessly. "Just to have dinner next Tuesday. Mr. Bartlett and yourself if you're free."

"That would be nice thank you."