"Poor Master John, much as he likes America, he does prefer certain, er, aspects of Asia!"

Dunross laughed. "How clever a negotiator she is we'll soon find out." He smiled. "I sent her in unannounced."

"I'll wager 50 HK at least one of them knew in advance she was a she."

"Phillip Chen of course but that old fox wouldn't tell the others. A hundred says neither Linbar, Jacques or Andrew Gavallan knew."

"Done," Claudia said happily. "You can pay me now, tai-pan. I checked very discreetly, this morning."

"Take it out of petty cash," he told her sourly.

"So sorry." She held out her hand. "A bet is a bet, tai-pan."

Reluctantly he gave her the red one-hundred-dollar note.

"Thank you. Now, a hundred says Casey Tcholok will walk all over Master Linbar, Master Jacques and Andrew Gavallan."

"What do you know?" he asked her suspiciously. "Eh?"

"A hundred?"

"All right."

"Excellent!" she said briskly, changing the subject. "What about the dinners for Mr. Bartlett? The golf match and the trip to Taipei? Of course, you can't take a woman along on those. Shall I cancel them?"

"No. I'll talk to Bartlett he'll understand. I did invite her to Saturday's races though, with him."

"Oh, that's two too many. I'll cancel the Pangs, they won't mind. Do you want to sit them together at your table?"

Dunross frowned. "She should be at my table, guest of honor, and sit him next to Penelope, guest of honor."

"Very well. I'll call Mrs. Dunross and tell her. Oh and Barbara Master John's wife wants to talk with you." Claudia sighed and smoothed a crease in her neat dark blue chong-sam. "Master John didn't come back last night not that that's anything out of the ordinary. But it's 10:10 now and I can't find him either. It seems he wasn't at Morning Prayers."

"Yes, I know. Since he dealt with Bartlett last night I told him to skip them." Morning Prayers was the jocular way that insiders in Struan's referred to the daily obligatory 8:00 A.M. meeting with the tai-pan of all managing directors of all Struan's subsidiaries. "No need for him to come today, there's nothing for him to do until lunch." Dunross pointed out of the window at the harbor. "He's probably on his boat. It's a great day for a sail."

"Her temperature's very high, tai-pan, even for her."

"Her temperature's always high, poor bugger! John's on his boat or at Ming-li's flat. Did you try her flat?"

She sniffed. "Your father used to say a closed mouth catches no wee beasties. Even so, I suppose I can tell you now, Ming-li's been Number Two Girl Friend for almost two months. The new favorite calls herself Fragrant Flower, and she occupies one of his 'private flats' off Aberdeen Main Road."

"Ah, conveniently near his mooring!"

"Oh very yes. She's a flower all right, a Fallen Flower from the Good Luck Dragon Dance Hall in Wanchai. But she doesn't know where Master John is either. He didn't visit either of them though he had a date with Miss Fallen Flower, so she says, at midnight"

"How did you find out all this?" he asked, filled with admiration.

"Power, tai-pan and a network of relations built up over five generations. How else do we survive, heya7" She chuckled. ''Of course if you want a little real scandal, John Chen doesn't know she wasn't the virgin she and the broker claimed she was when he first pillowed her."

"Eh?"

"No. He paid the brokera" One of the phones rang and she picked it up and said "Please hold one moment," clicked on the hold button and continued happily in the same breath, "a 500 cash, U.S. dollars, but all her tears and all the, er, evidence, was a pretend. Poor fellow, but it serves him right, eh, tai-pan? What should a man like him at his age want virginity to nourish the yang for he's only forty-two, heya7" She pressed the on connection. "Tai-pan's office, good morning," she said attentively.

He watched her. He was amused and bemused, astounded as always at her sources of information, pithy and otherwise, and her delight in knowing secrets. And passing them on. But only to clan members and special insiders.

"Just one moment please." She clicked the hold button. "Superintendent Armstrong would like to see you. He's downstairs with Superintendent Kwok. He's sorry to come without an appointment but could you spare them a moment?"

"Ah, the guns. Our police're getting more efficient every day," he said with a grim smile. "I didn't expect them till after lunch."

At seven this morning he had had a detailed report from Phillip Chen who had been called by one of the police sergeants who made the raid and was a relation of the Chens.

"You'd better put all our private sources on finding out the who and the why, Phillip," he had said, very concerned.

"I already have. It's too much of a coincidence that guns should be on Bartlett's plane."

"It could be highly embarrassing if we're found to be connected with it in any way."

"Yes."

He saw Claudia waiting patiently. "Ask Armstrong to give me ten minutes. Bring them up then."

She dealt with that, then said, "If Superintendent Kwok's been brought in so soon, it must be more serious than we thought, heya, tai-pan?"

"Special Branch or Special Intelligence has to be involved at once. I'll bet the FBI and CIA have already been contacted. Brian Kwok's logical because he's an old mate of Armstrong's and one of the best they've got."

"Yes," Claudia agreed proudly. "Eeeee what a lovely husband he'd make for someone."

"Provided she's a Chen all that extra power, heyat" It was common knowledge that Brian Kwok was being groomed to be the first Chinese assistant commissioner.

"Of course such power has to be kept in the family." The phone rang. She answered it. "Yes, I'll tell him, thank you." She replaced the phone huffily. "The governor's equerry he called to remind you about cocktails at 6:00 P.M. huh, as if I'd forgetl"

Dunross picked up one of the phones and dialed.

"Weyyyy?" came the coarse voice of the amah, the Chinese ser- vant. Hello?

"Chen tai-tai," he said into the phone, his Cantonese perfect. "Mrs. Chen please, this is Mr. Dunross."

He waited. "Ah, Barbara, good morning."

"Oh hello, Ian. Have you heard from John yet? Sorry to bother you," she said.

"No bother. No, not yet. But the moment I do I'll get him to call you. He might have gone down to the track early to watch Golden Lady work out. Have you tried the Turf Club?"

"Yes, but they don't remember him breakfasting there, and the workout's between 5:00 and 6:00. Damn him! He's so inconsiderate. Ayeeyah, men!"

"He's probably out on his boat. He's got nothing here until lunch and it's a great day for a sail. You know how he is have you checked the mooring?"

"I can't, Ian, not without going there, there's no phone. I have a hairdressing appointment which I simply can't break all Hong Kong will be at your party tonight I simply can't go rushing off to Aberdeen."

"Send one of your chauffeurs," Dunross said dryly.

"Tang's off today and I need Wu-chat to drive me around, Ian. I simply can't send him over to Aberdeen that could take an hour and I've a mabjong game from two till four."

"I'll get John to call you. It'll be around lunch."

"I won't be back till five at the earliest. When I catch up with him he's going to get what for never mind. Oh well, thanks, sorry to bother you. 'Bye."

"'Bye." Dunross put the phone down and sighed. "I feel like a bloody nursemaid."

"Talk to lohn's father, tai-pan," Claudia Chen said.

"I have. Once. And that's enough. It's not all John's fault. That lady's enough to drive anyone honkers." He grinned. "But I agree her temperature's gone to the moon this time it's going to cost John an emerald ring or at least a mink coat."

The phone rang again. Claudia picked it up. "Hello, the tai-pan's office! Yes? OhI" Her happiness vanished and she hardened. "Just a moment, please." She punched the hold button. "It's a person to person from Hiro Toda in Yokohama."

Dunross knew how she felt about him, knew she hated the Japanese and loathed the Noble House's connection with them. He could never forgive the Japanese either for what they had done to Asia during the war. To those they had conquered. To the defenseless. Men, women and children. The prison camps and unnecessary deaths. Soldier to soldier he had no quarrel with them. None. War was war.

His own war had been against the Germans. But Claudia's war had been here in Hong Kong. During the Japanese Occupation, because she was Eurasian, she had not been put into Stanley Prison with all European civilians. She and her sister and brother had tried to help the POWs with food and drugs and money, smuggling it into the camp. The Kampeitai, the Japanese military police, had caught her. Now she could have no children.

"Shall I say you're out?" she asked.

"No." Two years before Dunross had committed an enormous amount of capital to Toda Shipping Industries of Yokohama for two giant bulk ships to build up the Struan fleet that had been decimated in the war. He had chosen this Japanese shipyard because their product was the finest, their terms the best, they guaranteed delivery and all the things the British shipyards would not, and because he knew it was time to forget. "Hello, Hiro," he said, liking the man personally. "Nice to hear from you. How's Japan?"

"Please excuse me for interrupting you, tai-pan. Japan's fine though hot and humid. No change."

"How're my ships coming along?"

"Perfectly, tai-pan. Everything is as we arranged. I just wanted to advise you that I will be coming to Hong Kong on Saturday morning for a business trip. I will be staying for the weekend, then on to Singapore and Sydney, back in time for our closing in Hong Kong. You'll still be coming to Yokohama for both launchings?"

"Oh yes. Yes, absolutely. What time do you arrive Saturday?"

"At 11:10, Japan Air Lines."

"I'll send a car to meet you. What about coming directly to Happy Valley to the races? You could join us for lunch, then my car will take you to the hotel. You're staying at the Victoria and Alberta"

"This time at the Hilton, Hong Kong side. Tai-pan, please excuse me, I do not wish to put you to any trouble, so sorry."

"It's nothing. I'll have one of my people meet you. Probably Andrew Gavallan."

"Ah, very good. Then thank you, tai-pan. I look forward to seeing you, so sorry to inconvenience you."

Dunross put the phone down. I wonder why he called, the real reason? he asked himself. Hiro Toda, managing director of the most go-ahead shipbuilding complex in Japan, never does anything suddenly or unpremeditated.

Dunross thought about the closing of their ship deal and the three payments of 2 million each that were due imminently on September 1, 11 and 15, the balance in ninety days. $12 million U.S. in all that he didn't have at the moment. Or the charterer's signed contract that was necessary to support the bank loan that he did not have, yet. "Never mind," he said easily, "everything's going to be fine."

"For them, yes," Claudia said. "You know I don't trust them, tai-pan. Any of them."

"You can't fault them, Claudia. They're only trying to do economically what they failed to do militarily."

"By pricing everyone out of the world markets."

"They're working hard, they're making profits and they'll bury us, if we let them." His eyes hardened too. "But after all, Claudia, scratch an Englishman or a Scot and find a pirate. If we're such bloody fools to allow it we deserve to go under isn't that what Hong Kong's all about?"

"Why help the enemy?"

"They were the enemy," he said kindly. "But that was only for twenty-odd years and our connections there go back a hundred. Weren't we the first traders into Japan? Didn't Hag Struan buy us the first plot offered for sale in Yokohama in 1860? Didn't she order that it be a cornerstone of Struan's policy to have the China-JapanHong Kong triangle?"

"Yes, tai-pan, but don't you thi"

"No, Claudia, we've dealt with the Todas, the Kasigis, the Toranagas for a hundred years, and right now Toda Shipping's very important to us."

The phone rang again. She answered it. "Yes, I'll phone him back." Then to Dunross. "It's the caterers about your party tonight."

"What's the problem?"

"None, tai-pan they're moaning. After all, it's the tai-pan's twentieth wedding anniversary. All Hong Kong will be there and all Hong Kong better be impressed." Again the phone rang. She picked it up. "Ahh good! Put him througha It's Bill Foster from Sydney."

Dunross took the phone. "Billa no, you were top of the list. Have you closed on the Woolara Properties deal yet?a What's the holdup?a I don't care about that." He glanced at his watch. "It's just past noon your time. Call them right now and offer them fifty cents Australian more a share, the offer good till the close of business today. Get on to the bank in Sydney at once and tell them to demand full repayment of all their loans at the close of business todaya I couldn't care less; they're thirty days overdue already. I want control of that company now. Without it our new bulk- carrier charter deal will fall apart and we'll have to begin all over again. And catch the Qantas Flight 543 on Thursday. I'd like you here for a conference." He put the phone down. "Get Linbar up here as soon as the Tcholok meeting's over. Book him on Qantas 716 for Sydney on Friday morning."

"Yes, tai-pan." She made a note and handed him a list. "Here're your appointments for today."

He glanced at it. Four board meetings of some subsidiary companies this morning: Golden Ferry at 10:30, Struan's Motor Imports of Hong Kong at 11:00, Chong-Li Foods at 11:15 and Kowloon Investments at 11:30. Lunch with Lincoln Bartlett and Miss Casey Tcholok 12:40 to 2:00 P.M. More board meetings this afternoon, Peter Marlowe at 4:00 P.M., Phillip Chen at 4:20, cocktails at 6:00 with the governor, his anniversary party beginning at 8:00, a reminder to call Alastair Struan in Scotland at 11:00, and at least fifteen other people to phone throughout Asia during the day.

"Marlowe?" he asked.

"He's a writer, staying at the Vic remember, he wrote for an appointment a week ago. He's researching a book on Hong Kong."

"Oh yes the ex-RAF type."

"Yes. Would you like him put off?"

"No. Keep everything as arranged, Claudia." He took out a thin black leather memo-card case from his back pocket and gave her a dozen cards covered with his shorthand. "Here're some cables and telexes to send off et once and notes for the various board meetings. Get me Jen in Taipei, then Havergill at the bank, then run down the list."

"Yes, tai-pan. I hear Havergill's going to retire."

"Marvelous. Who's taking over?"

"No one knows yet."

"Let's hope it's Johnjohn. Put your spies to work. A hundred says I find out before you do!"

"Done!"

"Good." Dunross held out his hand and said sweetly, "You can pay me now. It's Johnjohn."

"Eh?" She stared at him.

"We decided it last night all the directors. I asked them to tell no one until eleven today."