A soft knock。 〃Honored Lady？〃
〃Ah Chun？〃
〃Yes。〃 The door opened and the old woman padded in。 She brought clean towels。 〃How long will you be here？〃
Lily Su hesitated。 By custom the client in this place of assignation paid for the room for the whole night。 Also by custom； if the room was vacated early； the management returned part of the fee to the girl。 〃All night；〃 she said wanting to enjoy the luxury； not knowing when she would have the opportunity again。 Perhaps this client will have lost his bank and everything by next week。
〃Joss；〃 she said； then。 〃Please put on the bath。〃
Grumbling the old woman did as she was told then went away。 Again Lily Su yawned； happily listening to the water gurgling。 She was tired too。 The day had been exhausting。 And tonight her client had talked more than usual as she had rested against him； trying to sleep； not listening； understanding only a word here and there but quite content for him to talk。 She knew from long experience that this was a form of release； particularly for an old barbarian。 Very odd； she thought； all that work and noise and tears and money to achieve nothing but more pain； more talk and more tears。 〃Never mind if the yang is weak or if they talk or mumble or mutter their foul…sounding language or weep in your arms。 Barbarians do that；〃 her mama…san had explained。 〃Close your ears。 And close your nostrils to the foreign devil smell and the old man smell and help this one enjoy a moment of pleasure。 He's Hong Kong yan； an old friend； also he pays well； promptly； he's getting you quickly out of debt； and it's good face to have such a pillow patron。 So be enthusiastic； pretend that he's virile and give value for his money。〃
Lily Su knew she gave value for money received。 Yes； my joss is very good and oh so much better than my poor sister and her patron。 Poor Fragrant Flower and Noble House Chen Number One Son。 What tragedy！ What cruelty！
She shivered。 Oh those terrible Werewolves！ Terrible to cut off his ear； terrible to murder him and threaten all Hong Kong； terrible for my poor elder sister to be crushed to death by those smelly rotten dogmeat fishermen at Aberdeen。 Oh what joss！
It was only this morning that she had seen a newspaper that had printed a copy of John Chen's love letter； recognizing it at once。 For weeks they had laughed over it； she and Fragrant Flower； that and the other two letters that Fragrant Flower had left with her for safekeeping。 〃Such a funny man； with almost no yang at all and almost never even a little upstanding；〃 her elder sister had told her。 〃He pays me just to lie there for him to kiss； sometimes to dance without clothes； and always promise to tell others how strong he is！ Eeeee； he gives me money like water！ For eleven weeks I have been his 'own true love'！ If this continues for another eleven weeks 。。。 perhaps an apartment bought and paid for！〃
This afternoon； fearfully； she had gone with her father to East Aberdeen Police Station to identify the body。 They said nothing about knowing who the patron was。 Wisely her father had said to keep that secret。 〃Noble House Chen will surely prefer that secret。 His face is involved too … and the face of the new heir； what's his name； the young one with the foreign devil name。 In a day or two I'll phone Noble House Chen and sound him out。 We must wait a little。 After today's news of what the Werewolves've done to Number One Son； no father'd want to negotiate。〃
Yes； Father's smart； she thought。 It isn't for nothing that his fellow workers call him Nine Carat Chu。 Thank all gods I have those other two letters。
After they had identified her sister's body； they had filled out forms with their real names and real family name Chu to claim her money； 4；360 HK in the name of Wisteria Su； 3；000 HK under Fragrant Flower Tak； all money earned outside the Good Luck Dance Hall。 But the police sergeant had been inflexible。 〃Sorry； but now that we know her real name we have to announce it so that all her debtors can claim against her estate。〃 Even a very generous offer of 25 percent of the money for immediate possession could not get through his rough manner。 So they had left。
The rotten dogmeat foreign devil slave； she thought disgustedly。 Nothing will be left after the dance hall collects their debts。 Nothing。 Ayeeyah！
But never mind； she told herself as she lay down in the bath with glorious contentment。 Never mind； the secret of the letters will be worth a fortune to Noble House Chen。
And Noble House Chen has more red notes than a cat has hairs。
Casey was curled up in the window of her bedroom； the lights out except for a small reading lamp over the bed。 She was staring gloomily down at the street five stories below。 Even this late； almost 1：30 a。m。； the street was still snarled with traffic。 The sky was low and misty； no moon； making the lights from the huge neon signs and columns of Chinese characters more dazzling； reds and blues and greens that reflected in the puddles and turned ugliness into fairyland。 The window was open； the air cool and she could see couples darting between buses and trucks and taxis。 Many of the couples were heading for the foyer of the new Royal Netherlands Hotel and a late…night snack at the European coffee shop where she had had a nightcap coffee with Captain Jannelli； their pilot。
Everyone eats so much here； she thought idly。 Jesus； and so many people here； so much work to provide； so few jobs； so few at the top； one at the top of each pile； always a man； everyone struggling to get there； to stay there 。。。 but for what？ The new car the new house the new ensemble the new refrigerator the new gimmick or whatever。
Life's one long bill。 Never enough of the green stuff to cope with the everyday bills let alone a private yacht or private condo on the shores of Acapulco or the C？te d'Azur； and the means to get there … even tourist。
I hate going tourist。 First's worth it； worth it to me。 Private jet's better； much better but I won't think about Linc。 。。。
She had taken Seymour Steigler to dinner upstairs and they had settled all the business problems； most of them legal problems he kept bringing up。
〃We gotta make it watertight。 Can't be too cautious with foreigners； Casey；〃 he kept on saying。 〃They don't play the game according to good old Yankee rules。〃
As soon as dinner was finished she had feigned a load of work and left him。 Her work was all done so she curled up in a chair and began to read； speed…read。 Fortune； Business Week； The Wall Street Journal and several specialized business magazines。 Then she had studied another Cantonese lesson； leaving the book till last。 The book was Peter Marlowe's novel； Changi。 She had found the dog…eared paperback in one of the dozens of street bookstalls in an alley just north of the hotel yesterday morning。 It had given her great pleasure bargaining for it。 The first asking price was 22 HK。 Casey had bargained her down to 7。55 HK； barely 1。50 U。S。 Delighted with herself and with her find she had continued window…shopping。 Nearby was a modern bookshop； the windows stuffed with picture books on Hong Kong and China。 Inside on a rack were three more paperbacks of Changi。 New； they cost 5。75 HK。
At once Casey had cursed the old woman street seller for cheating her。 But then the old hag wasn't cheating you at all； she had reminded herself。 She outtraded you。 After all； only a moment ago you were chortling because you'd trimmed her profit to nothing and God knows these people need profit。
Casey watched the street and the traffic on Nathan Road below。 This morning she had walked up Nathan Road to Boundary Road； a mile and a half or so。 It was on her list of things to see。 It was a road like any other； snarled； busy； gaudy with street signs； except that everything north of Boundary Road to the border would revert to China in 1997。 Everything。 In 1898 the British had taken a ninety…nine…year lease on the land that extended from Boundary Road to the Sham Chun River where the new border was to be； along with a number of nearby islands。 〃Wasn't that stupid； Peter？〃 she had asked Marlowe； meeting him by chance in the hotel foyer at teatime。
〃Now it is；〃 he said thoughtfully。 〃Then？ Well； who knows