"Hang on, Christiana you're okay now."

Desperately Toxe tried to talk through his retching. "Mya my wife'sa she's down tha down therea downa"

The sailor swam over. "I've got him, sir, you all right?"

"Yesa yesa he says his wife was sucked down."

"Christ! I didn't see anyonea I'll get some help!" The sailor turned and shouted at the police launch for assistance. At once several sailors dived overboard and began the search. Dunross looked for Gornt and could not see him. Casey came up panting and held onto the upturned cutter to catch her breath.

"You all right?"

"Yesa yesa thank God you're okaya" she gasped, her chest heaving. "There's a woman down there, Chinese I think, I saw her sucked down."

"Have you seen Gornt?"

"Noa Maybe he'sa" She motioned at the launch People were clambering up the gangway, others huddling on the deck. Bartlett surfaced for an instant and dived again. Casey took another great breath and slid into the depths. Dunross went after her slightly to her right.

They searched, the three of them, until everyone else was safe on the launch or in sampans. They never found the woman.

When Dunross had got home Penelope was deep asleep. She awoke momentarily. "Ian?"

"Yes. Go back to sleep, darling."

"Did you have a nice time?" she asked, not really awake.

"Yes, go back to sleep."

This morning, an hour ago, he had not awakened her when he left the Great House.

"You heard that Gorntmade it, Alexi?" he said.

"Yes, yes I did, tai-pan. As God wills."

"Meaning?"

"After yesterday's stock market it would have been very convenient if he hadn't made it."

Dunross grinned and eased an ache in his back. "Ah, but then I would have been very put out, very put out indeed, for I'd not have had the pleasure of smashing Rothwell-Gornt myself, eh?"

After a pause deVille said, "It's astonishing more didn't die." They watched Pilot Fish as the stallion cantered past looking very good. DeVille's eyes ranged the course.

"Is it true that Bartlett saved Peter Marlowe's wife?" Travkin asked.

"He jumped with her. Yes. Both Linc and Casey did a great job. Wonderful."

"Will you excuse me, tai-pan?" Jacques deVille nodded at the stands. "There's Jason Plumm I'm supposed to be playing bridge with him tonight."

"See you at Prayers, Jacques." Dunross smiled at him and deVille walked off. He sighed, sad for his friend. "I'm offto the office, Alexi. Call me at six."

"Tai-pana"

"What?"

Travkin hesitated. Then he said simply, "I just want you to know Ia I admire you greatly."

Dunross was nonplussed at the suddenness and at the open, curious melancholy that emanated from the other man. "Thanks," he said warmly and clapped him on the shoulder. He had never touched him as a friend before. "You're not so bad yourself"

Travkin watched him walk off, his chest hurting him, tears of shame adding to the rain. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and went back to watching Noble Star, trying to concentrate.

In the periphery of his vision he saw someone and he turned, startled. The KGB man was in a corner of the stands, another man joining him now. The man was old and gnarled and well known as a punter in Hong Kong. Travkin searched his mind for the name. Clinker. That's it! Clinker!

He watched them blankly for a moment. Jason Plumm was in the stands just behind the KGB man and he saw Plumm get Up to return Jacques deVille's wave and walk down the steps to meet him. Just then the KGB man glanced in his direction and he turned carefully, trying not to be sudden again. The KGB man had lifted binoculars to his eyes and Travkin did not know if he had been noticed or not. His skin crawled at the thought of those high-powered binoculars focused on him. Perhaps the man can lip-read, he thought, aghast. Christ Jesus and Mother of God, thank God I didn't blurt out the truth to the tai-pan.

His heart was grinding nastily and he felt sick. A flicker of lightning went across the eastern sky. Rain was puddling the concrete and the open, lower section of the stands. He tried to calm himself and looked around helplessly not knowing what to do, wanting very much to find out who the KGB man was. Absently he noticed Pilot Fish was finishing his workout in fine form. Beyond him Richard Kwang was talking intently to a group of other Chinese he did not know. Linbar Struan and Andrew Gavallan were leaning on the rails with the American Rosemont and others from the consulate he knew by sight. They were watching the horses, oblivious of the rain. Near the changing rooms, under cover, Donald McBride was talking to other stewards, Sir Shi-teh T'chung, Pugmire and Roger Crosse among them. He saw McBride glance over to Dunross, wave and beckon him to join thern. Brian Kwok was waiting for Roger Crosse on the outskirts of the stewards. Travkin knew both of them but not that they were in SI.

Involuntarily his feet began to move toward them. The foul taste of bile rose into his mouth. He dominated his urge to rush up to them and blurt out the truth. Instead he called over his chief major. "Send our string home. All of them. Make sure they're dry before they're fed."

"Yes sir."

Unhappily Travkin trudged for the changing rooms. From the corner of his eye he saw that the KGB man had his binoculars trained on him. Rain trickled down his neck and mixed with the fear-sweat.

"Ah, Ian, we were thinking that if it rains tomorrow, we'd better cancel the meet. Say at 6:00 P.M. tomorrow," McBride said. "Don't you agree?"

"No, actually I don't. I suggest we make a final decision at ten Saturday morning."

"Isn't that a little late, old boy?" Pugmire asked.

"Not if the stewards alert the wireless and television fellows. It'll add to the excitement. Particularly if you release that news today."

"Good idea," Crosse said.

"Then that's settled," Dunross said. "Was there anything else?"

"Don't you thinka it's a matter of the turf," McBride said. "We don't want to ruin it."

"I quite agree, Donald. We'll make a final decision Saturday at ten. All in favor?" There were no dissenters. "Good! Nothing else? Sorry, but I've got a meeting in half an hour."

Shi-teh said uncomfortably, "Oh, tai-pan, I was terribly sorry about last nighta terrible."

"Yes. Shitee, when we meet the governor in Council at noon we should suggest he implants new, very severe fire regulations on Aberdeen."

"Agreed," Crosse said. "It's a miracle more weren't lost."

"You mean close the restaurants down, old boy?" Pugmire was shocked. His company had an interest in two of them. "That'll hurt the tourist business badly. You can't put in more exitsa You'd have to start from scratch!"

Dunross glanced back at Shi-teh. "Why don't you suggest to the governor that he order all kitchens at once be put on barges that can be moored alongside their mother ship? He could order that fire trucks be kept nearby until the changes have been made. The cost'd be modest, it would be easy to operate and the fire hazard would be solved once and for all."

They all stared at him. Shi-teh beamed. "Ian, you're a genius!"

"No. I'm only sorry we didn't think of it before. Never occurred to me. Rotten about Zepa and Christian's wife, isn't it? Have they found her body yet?"

"I don't think so."

"God knows how many others went. Did the MPs get out, Pug?"

"Yes, old chap. Except Sir Charles Pennyworth. Poor sod got his head bashed in on a sampan when he fell."

Dunross was shocked. "I liked him! What bloody bad joss!"

"There were a couple of the others near me at one stage. That bloody radical bastard, what's his name? Grey, ah yes, Grey that's it. And the other one, the other bloody Socialist berk, Broadhurst. Both behaved rather well I thought."

"I hear your Superfoods got out too, Pug. Wasn't our 'Call me Chuck' first ashore?"

Pugmire shrugged uneasily. "I really don't know." Then he beamed. "Ia era I hear Casey and Bartlett did a very good job, what? Perhaps they should have a medal."

"Why don't you suggest it?" Dunross said, anxious to leave. 6'If there's nothing elsea"

Crosse said, "Ian, if I were you I'd get a shot. There must be bugs in that bay that haven't been invented yet."

They all laughed with him.

"Actually I've done better than that. After we got out of the water I grabbed Linc Bartlett and Casey and we fled to Doc Tooley." Dunross smiled faintly. "When we told him we'd been swimming in Aberdeen Harbor he almost had a hemorrhage. He said, 'Drink this,' and like bloody berks we did and before we knew what was happening we were retching our hearts out. If I'd had any strength I'd've belted him but we were all on our hands and knees fighting for the loo not knowing which end was first. Then Casey started laughing between heaves and then we were rolling on the bloody floor!" He added with pretended sadness, "Then, before we knew what was happening, Old Sawbones was shoving pills down our throats by the barrel and Bartlett said, 'For chrissake, Doc, how about a suppository and then you've a hole in one!' " They laughed again.

"Is it true about Casey? That she stripped and dived like an Olympic star?" Pugmire asked.

"Better! Stark bollock naked, old boy," Dunross exaggerated airily. "Like Venus de Milo! Probably the besta everythinga I've ever seen."

"Oh?" Their eyes popped.

"Yes."

"My God, but swimming in Aberdeen Harbor! That sewer!" McBride said, eyebrows soaring. "If you all live it'll be a miracle!"

"Doe Tooley said the very least'll be gastroenteritis, dysentery or the plague." Dunross rolled his eyes. "Well, here today gone tomorrow. Anything else?"

"Tai-pan," Shi-teh said, "Ia hope you don't mind but I'vea I'd like to start a fund for the victims' families."

"Good idea! The Turf Club should contribute too. Donald, would you canvass the other stewards today and get their approval? How about 100,000?"

"That's a bit generous, isn't it?" Pugmire said.

Dunross's chin jutted. "No. Then let's make it 150,000 instead. The Noble House will contribute the same." Pugmire flushed. No one said anything. "Meeting adjourned? Good. Morning." Dunross raised his hat politely and walked off.

"Excuse me a moment." Crosse motioned Brian Kwok to follow him. "Ian!"

"Yes, Roger?"

When Crosse came up to Dunross he said quietly, "Ian, we've a report that Sinders is confirmed on the BOAC flight tomorrow. We'll go straight to the bank from the airport if that's convenient."

"The governor will be there too?"

"I'll ask him. We should be there about six."

"If the plane's on time." Dunross smiled.

"Did you get Eastern Cloud's formal release yet?"

"Yes, thanks. It was telexed yesterday from Delhi. I ordered her back here at once and she sailed on the tide. Brian, you remember the bet you wanted the one about Casey. About her knockers fifty dollars to a copper cash they're the best in Hong Kong?"

Brian Kwok reddened, conscious of Crosse's bleak stare. "Er, yes, why?"

"I don't know about the best, but like the judgment of Paris, you'd have one helluva problem if it they were put to the test!"

"Then it's true, she was stackers?"

"She was Lady Godiva to the rescue." Dunross nodded to both of them pleasantly and walked off with, "See you tomorrow."

They watched him go. At the exit an SI agent was waiting to follow him.

Crosse said, "He's got something cooking."

"I agree, sir."

Crosse tore his eyes off Dunross and looked at Brian Kowk. "Do you usually bet on a lady's mammary glands?"

"No sir, sorry sir."

"Good. Fortunately women aren't the only source of beauty, are they?"

"No sir."

"There're hounds, paintings, music, even a killing. Eh?"

"Yes sir."

"Wait here please." Crosse went back to the other stewards.

Brian Kwok sighed. He was bored and tired. The team of frogmen had met him at Aberdeen and though he had found out almost at once that Dunross was safe and had already gone home, he had had to wait most of the night helping to organize the search for bodies. It had been a ghoulish task. Then when he was about to go home Crosse had called him to be at Happy Valley at dawn so there had been no point in going to bed. Instead he had gone to the Para Restaurant and glowered at the triads and One Foot Ko.

Now he was watching Dunross. What's that bugger got in the reaches of his mind? he asked himself, a twinge of envy soaring through him. What couldn't I do with his power and his money!

He saw Dunross change direction for the nearby stand, then noticed Adryon sitting beside Martin Haply, both staring at the horses, oblivious of Dunross. Dew neh lob mob, he thought, surprised. Curious that they'd be together. Christ, what a beautyl Thank God I'm not father to that one. I'd-go out of my mind.

Crosse and the others had also noticed Adryon and Martin Haply with astonishment. "What's that bastard doing with the tai-pan's daughter?" Pugmire asked, his voice sour.

"No good, that's certain," someone said.

"Blasted fellow creates nothing but troublel" Pugmire muttered and the others nodded agreement. "Can't understand why Toxe keeps him on!"