〃I'm so tired of face； Peter。 In the future 。。。〃 Her smile was equally warm。 〃From here on in； in my book； a person's going to gain ass … or arse as you call it … or lose it。〃
He laughed with her。 〃The way you say it sounds more ladylike。〃
〃I'm no lady。〃
〃Oh but you are。〃 He added more gently； 〃I saw the way Linc looked at you at Dunross's party too。 He loves you。 And he'd be a fool to swap you for her。〃
〃Thank you； Peter。〃 She got up and kissed him and left； at peace。 When she got out of the elevator on her floor； Nighttime Song was there。 He padded ahead of her and opened her door with a flourish。 He saw her eyes go to the door at the end of the corridor。
〃Master not home；〃 he volunteered grandly。 〃Not yet e back。〃
Casey sighed。 〃You've just lost more ass； old friend。〃
〃Eh？〃
She shut the door； feeling pleased with herself。 In bed； she began to read again。 With the dawn she finished the book。 Then she slept。
58
9：25 A。M。：
Dunross came around the corner in his Jaguar fast； climbing the winding road easily； then turned into a driveway and stopped an inch from the tall gates。 The gates were set into high walls。 In a moment a Chinese porter peered through the side door。 When he recognized the tai…pan he opened the gates wide and waved him through。
The driveway curled and stopped outside an ornate Chinese mansion。 Dunross got out。 Another servant greeted him silently。 The grounds were well kept and down a slope was a tennis court where four Chinese； two men and two women； were playing mixed doubles。 They paid no attention to him and Dunross did not recognize any of them。
〃Please follow me； tai…pan；〃 the servant said。
Dunross hid his curiosity as he was shown into an anteroom。 This was the first time he or anyone that he knew had ever been invited into Tiptop's home。 The interior was clean and busy with the strange； careless but usual Chinese mixture of good lacquer antiques and ugly modern bric…a…brac。 Walls were paneled and ornate with a few bad prints hanging on them。 He sat down。 Another servant brought tea and poured。
Dunross could feel that he was being observed but this too was usual。 Most of these old houses had spyholes in the walls and doors … there were many even in the Great House。
When he had got back to the Great House this morning near 4：00 a。m。 he had gone straight to his study and opened the safe。 There was no doubt； with even a cursory glance； that one of the two remaining coins fitted the imprints that were in Four Finger Wu's beeswax matrix。 No doubt at all。 His fingers were trembling when he broke the half…coin from its restraining sealing wax in Dirk Struan's Bible and cleaned it。 It fitted the indentations perfectly。
〃Christ；〃 he had muttered。 〃Now what？〃 Then he had put the matrix and the coin back into the safe。 His eyes saw the loaded automatic and the empty space where AMG's files had been。 Uneasily he had relocked the safe and went to bed。 There was a message on his pillow： 〃Father dear： Will you wake me when you leave？ We want to watch the tryouts。 Love； Adryon。 P。S。 Can I invite Martin to the races Saturday please please please？ P。P。S。 I think he's super。 P。P。P。S。 You're super too。 P。P。P。P。S。 You're out late； aren't you？ Now it's 3：16！！！！〃
He had tiptoed to her room and opened her door but she was fast asleep。 When he had left this morning he had had to knock twice to awaken her。 〃Adryon！ It's 6：30。〃
〃Oh！ Is it raining？〃 she said sleepily。
〃No。 Soon will be。 Shall I open the blinds？〃
〃No； Father dear； thank you 。。。 doesn't matter； Martin won't 。。。 won't mind。〃 She had stifled a yawn。 Her eyes had closed and； almost instantly； she was deep asleep again。
Amused； he had shaken her lightly but she had not e out of sleep。 〃Doesn't matter； Father。 Martin won't 。。。〃 And now； remembering how lovely she was and what his wife had said about the pill； he decided to make a very serious check on Martin Haply。 Just in case。
〃Ah； tai…pan； sorry to keep you waiting。〃
Dunross got up and shook the outstretched hand。 〃It's good of you to see me； Mr。 Tip。 Sorry to hear about your cold。〃
Tip Tok…toh was in his sixties； graying； with a round nice face。 He wore a dressing gown and his eyes were red and his nose stuffed； his voice a little hoarse。 〃It's this rotten climate。 Last weekend I went sailing with Shitee T'Chung and I must've caught a chill。〃 His English accent was slightly American； perhaps Canadian。 Neither Dunross nor Alastair Struan had ever been able to draw him out about his past； nor had Johnjohn or the other bankers any knowledge of him in banking circles in Nationalist China days； pre…1949。 Even Shitee T'Chung and Phillip Chen who entertained him lavishly could not pry anything out of him。 The Chinese had nicknamed him the Oyster。
〃The weather has been bad；〃 Dunross agreed pleasantly。 〃Thank God for the rain。〃
Tiptop motioned to the man beside him。 〃This is an associate； Mr。 L'eung。〃
The man was nondescript。 He wore a drab Maoist jacket and drab trousers。 His face was set and cold and guarded。 He nodded。 Dunross nodded back。 〃Associate〃 could cover a multitude of positions； from boss to interpreter； from missar to guard。
〃Would you like coffee？〃
〃Thank you。 Have you tried vitamin C to cure your cold？〃 Patiently Dunross began the formal chitchat that would precede the real reason for the meeting。 Last night while he was waiting for Brian Kwok in the Quance Bar he had thought Johnjohn's proposal was worth a try so he had phoned Phillip Chen then and asked him to request an appointment early today。 It would have been just as easy to have called Tiptop direct but that was not correct Chinese protocol。 The civilized way was to go through a mutually friendly intermediary。 Then； if the request was refused； you would not lose face； nor would the other person； nor would the intermediary。
He was listening to Tiptop with only half his head； making polite conversation； surprised they were still speaking English； because of L'eung。 This could only mean the man's English was also perfect； and； possibly； that he did not understand either Cantonese or Shanghainese which Tiptop spoke and Dunross was fluent in。 He fenced with Tiptop； waiting for the opening that at length the banker would give him。 Then it came。
〃This stock market crash on your stock must be very worrying for you； tai…pan。〃
〃Yes； yes it is； but it's not a crash； Mr。 Tip； just a readjustment。 The market ebbs and flows。〃
〃And Mr。 Gornt？〃
〃Quillan Gornt is Quillan Gornt and always snapping at our heels。 All crows under heaven are black。〃 Dunross kept his voice matter…of…fact； wondering how much the man knew。
〃And the Ho…Pak mess？ That's a readjustment too？〃
〃No； no that's bad。 I'm afraid the Ho…Pak's out of luck。〃
〃Yes； Mr。 Dunross； but luck hasn't much to do with it。 It's the capitalistic system； that and ineptness by Banker Kwang。〃
Dunross said nothing。 His eyes flicked momentarily to L'eung who sat stiffly； immobile and very attentive。 His ears were concentrated and so was his mind； seeking the oblique currents under what was said。 〃I'm not party to Mr。 Kwang's business； Mr。 Tip。 Unfortunately the run on the Ho…Pak's spilling over to other banks and that's very bad for Hong Kong and also； I think； bad for the People's Republic of China。〃
〃Not bad for the People's Republic of China。 How can it be bad for us？〃
〃China is China； the Middle Kingdom。 We of the Noble House have always considered China to be the mother and father of our house。 Now our base in Hong Kong's under siege； a siege that's actually meaningless … just a temporary lack of confidence and a week or so of cash。 Our banks have all the reserves and all of the wealth and strength they need to perform 。。。 for old friends； old customers and ourselves。〃
〃Then why don't they print more money if the currency's so strong？〃
〃It's a matter of time； Mr。 Tip。 It's not possible for the mint to print enough Hong Kong money。〃 Even more patiently； Dunross answered the questions； knowing now that most were for the benefit of L'eung； which suggested L'eung was senior to Tiptop； a more senior Party member； a nonbanker。 〃Our interim solution would be to bring in； at once； a few aircraft l