Very concerned； he walked off down the hill。 Rain began to splatter him。 His footsteps quickened。
Suslev took an ice…cold beer from the modern refrigerator and opened it。 He drank gratefully。 32 Sinclair Towers was spacious； rich； clean and well furnished； with three bedrooms and a large living room。 It was on the eleventh floor。 There were three apartments to each floor around two cramped elevators and exit steps。 Mr。 and Mrs。 John Chen owned 31。 33 belonged to a Mr。 K。 V。 Lee。 Arthur had told Suslev that K。 V。 Lee was a cover name for Ian Dunross who； following the pattern of his predecessors； had sole access to three or four private apartments spread around the Colony。 Suslev had never met either John Chen or Dunross though he had seen them at the races and elsewhere many times。
If we have to interview the tai…pan what could be more convenient？ he thought grimly。 And with Travkin as an alternate bait。 。。。
A sudden squall whipped the curtains that were drawn over open windows and he heard the rain。 He shut the windows carefully and looked out。 Great drops were streaking the windows。 Streets and rooftops were already wet。 Lightning went across the sky。 The rumble of thunder followed。 Already the temperature had dropped a few degrees。 This'll be a good storm； he told himself gratefully； pleased to be out of Ginny Fu's tiny； sleazy fifth…floor walkup in Mong Kok； and equally happy not to be at Clinker's。
Arthur had arranged everything： Clinker； Ginny Fu； this safe house； the tunnel； certainly as well as he himself could have done in Vladivostok。 Clinker was a submariner and cockney and everything he was supposed to be except that he had always detested the officer class。 Arthur had said it had been easy to subvert Clinker to the cause； using the man's built…in suspicions； hatreds and secretiveness。 〃Ugly Ernie knows only a little about you； Gregor … of course that you're Russian and captain of the Ivanov。 As to the tunnel； I told him you're having an affair with a married woman in Sinclair Towers； the wife of one of the Establishment tai…pans。 I told him the tape…recorded snores and secrecy are because the rotten Peelers are after you and they've sneaked in and bugged his flat。〃
〃Peelers？〃
〃That's the cockney nickname for police。 It came from Sir Robert Peel； Prime Minister of England； who founded the first police force。 Cockneys've always hated Peelers and Ugly Ernie would delight in outwitting them。 Just be pro…Royal Navy and he's your dog until death。 。。。〃
Suslev smiled。 Clinker's not a bad man； he thought； just a bore。
He sipped his beer as he wandered back into the living room。 The afternoon paper was there。 It was the Guardian Extra； the headlines screaming； MOB MURDERS FRAGRANT FLOWER； and a good photograph of the riot。 He sat in an armchair and read quickly。
Then his sharp ears heard the elevator stop。 He went to the table beside the door and slid the loaded automatic with its silencer from under it。 He pocketed the gun and peered through the spy hole。
The doorbell was muted。 He opened it and smiled。 〃e in； old friend。〃 He embraced Jacques deVille warmly。 〃It's been a long time。〃
〃Yes； yes it has； rade；〃 deVille said as warmly。 The last time he had seen Suslev was in Singapore； five years before； at a secret meeting arranged by Arthur just after deVille had been induced to join Sevrin。 He and Suslev had met just as secretly the first time in the great port of Lyons in France in June '41； just days before Nazi Germany invaded Soviet Russia when the two countries were outwardly still allies。 At that time deVille was in the Maquis and Suslev second…in…mand and secret political missar of a Soviet submarine that was ostensibly in for a refit from patrol in the Atlantic； It was then that deVille was asked if he would like to carry on the real war； the war against the capitalist enemy as a secret agent after the fascists had been destroyed。
He had agreed with all his heart。
It had been easy for Suslev to subvert him。 Because of deVille's potential after the war； the KGB had secretly had him betrayed to the Gestapo； then rescued from a Gestapo prison death by munist guerrillas。 The guerrillas had given him false proof that he had been betrayed by one of his own men for money。 DeVille was thirty…two then and； like many； infatuated with socialism and with some of the teachings of Marx and Lenin。 He had never joined the French munist Party but now； because of Sevrin； he was an honorary captain in the KGB Soviet Security Force。
〃You seem tired； Frederick；〃 Suslev said； using deVille's cover name。 〃Tell me what's wrong。〃
〃Just a family problem。〃
〃Tell me。〃
Suslev listened intently to deVille's sad story about his son…in…law and daughter。 Since their meeting in 1941 Suslev had been deVille's controller。 In 1947 he had ordered him out to Hong Kong to join Struan's。 Before the war deVille and his father had owned a highly successful import…export business with close ties to Struan's … as well as family ties … so the change had been easy and wele。 DeVille's secret assignment was to bee a member of the Inner Court and； at length； tai…pan。
〃Where's your daughter now？〃 he asked passionately。
DeVille told him。
〃And the driver of the other car？〃 Suslev mitted the name and address to memory。 〃I'll see that he's dealt with。〃
〃No；〃 deVille said at once。 〃It 。。。 it was an accident。 We cannot punish a man for an accident。〃
〃He was drunk。 There is no excuse for drunk driving。 In any event you are important to us。 We take care of our own。 I will deal with him。〃
DeVille knew there was no point in arguing。 A gust of rain battered the windows。 〃Merde； but the rain's good。 The temperature must be down five degrees。 Will it last？〃
〃The storm front's reported to be big。〃
DeVille watched globules running down the pane； wondering why he had been summoned。 〃How are things with you？〃
〃Very good。 Drink？〃 Suslev went to the mirrored bar。 〃There's good vodka。〃
〃Vodka's fine； please。 But a short one。〃
〃If Dunross retired are you the next tai…pan？〃
〃I would think it's between four of us： Gavallan； David Mac…Struan； myself and Linbar Struan。〃
〃In that order？〃
〃I don't know。 Except Linbar's probably last。 Thanks。〃 DeVille accepted his drink。 They toasted each other。 〃I'd bet on Gavallan。〃
〃Who's this MacStruan？〃
〃A distant cousin。 He's done his five years as a China Trader。 At the moment he's heading up our expansion into Canada … we're trying to diversify and get into wood fibers； copper； all the Canadian minerals； mostly out of British Columbia。〃
〃How good is he？〃
〃Very good。 Very tough。 A very dirty fighter。 Thirty…eight； ex…lieutenant； Paratroopers。 His left hand was almost ripped off over Burma by a tangle in the shrouds of his parachute。 He just tied a tourniquet around it and carried on fighting。 That earned him a Military Cross。 If I was tai…pan I'd choose him。〃 DeVille shrugged。 〃By our pany law only the tai…pan can appoint his successor。 He can do it anytime； even in his will if he wants。 Whatever way it's done it's binding on the Noble House。〃
Suslev watched him。 〃Has Dunross made a will？〃
〃Ian's very efficient。〃
A silence gathered。
〃Another vodka？〃
〃Non； merci。 I'll stay with this one。 Is Arthur joining us？〃
〃Yes。 How could we tip the scales for you？〃
DeVille hesitated； then shrugged。
Suslev poured himself another drink。 〃It would be easy to discredit this MacStruan and the others。 Yes。 Easy to eliminate them。〃 Suslev turned and looked at him。 〃Even Dunross。〃
〃No。 That's not the solution。〃
〃Is there another one？〃
〃Being patient。〃 DeVille smiled but his eyes were very tired and shadows lurked there。 〃I would not like to be the cause of 。。。 of his removal or that of the others。〃
Suslev laughed。 〃It's not necessary to kill to eliminate！ Are we barbarians？ Of course not。〃 He was watching his protégé closely。 DeVille needs toughening； he was thinking。 〃Tell me about the American； Bartlett； and the Struan…Par…Con deal。〃
DeVille told him all he knew。 〃Bartlett's money will give us everything we need。〃
〃Can this Gornt effect a takeover？〃
〃Yes and no。 And possibly。 He's tough and he truly hates us。 It's a long…term