Johnjohn shook his head。 〃I doubt it。 If I ever bee tai…pan of the bank I'm going to see it's wholly owned by its stockholders and controlled by directors appointed by them。〃
〃It is now。 We just own 21 percent of the bank。〃
〃You used to own 21 percent。 That stock's pledged against your revolving fund which you can't and probably never will repay。 Besides； 21 percent is not control； thank God。〃
〃It very nearly is。〃
〃My whole point。〃 Johnjohn's voice was metallic。 〃That's dangerous for the bank； very dangerous。〃
〃I don't think so。〃
〃I do。 I want 11 percent back。〃
〃No sale； old lad。〃
〃When I'm tai…pan； old lad； I'll get it by hook or by crook。〃
〃We'll see。〃
〃When I'm tai…pan I'm going to make lots of changes。 All these locks for example。 No master keys； privately owned。〃
〃We'll see。〃 Dunross smiled。
On Kowloon side； Bartlett jumped from the wharf to the pitching boat； helped Orlanda aboard。 Automatically she kicked off her high heels to protect the fine teak deck。
〃Wele aboard the Sea Witch； Mr。 Bartlett。 Evening； Orlanda；〃 Gornt said with a smile。 He was at the helm and at once he motioned to his deckhand who cast off from the wharf that was near the Kowloon ferry terminal。 〃I'm delighted you accepted my invitation to dinner； Mr。 Bartlett。〃
〃I didn't know I had one until Orlanda told me half an hour ago 。。。 hey； this's a great boat！〃
Gornt jovially put the engines into slow astern。 〃Until an hour ago I didn't know you two were going to dinner by yourselves。 I presumed you'd never seen Hong Kong harbor by night so I thought it'd make a change for you。 There were a couple of things I wanted to discuss privately so I asked Orlanda if she'd mind if I invited you aboard。〃
〃I hope it was no trouble to e Kowloon side。〃
〃No trouble； Mr。 Bartlett。 It's routine to pick up guests here。〃 Gornt smiled a secret smile； thinking about Orlanda and all the other guests he had fetched from this Kowloon wharf over the years。 Deftly Gornt backed the motor cruiser away from the Kowloon dock near Golden Ferry where the waves slapped the quay dangerously。 He put the engine levers into half ahead and swung the tiller starboard to get out into the roads and set a westerly course。
The boat was seventy feet； trim； elegant； sparkling and she handled like a speedboat。 They were on the bridge deck； glass…sided； open to the air aft； awnings overhead tight and crackling in the breeze； the wake churning。 Gornt wore rough； casual sea clothes； a light reefer jacket and a jaunty peaked cap sporting the Yacht Club emblem。 The clothes and his trimmed black； gray…flecked beard suited him。 He swayed easily with the motion of the boat； very much at home。
Bartlett was watching him； at home too in sneakers and casual sweat shirt。 Orlanda was beside him and he could feel her though they were not touching。 She wore a dark evening pants suit and a shawl against the sea cold and she stood swaying easily； the wind in her hair； tiny without shoes。
He looked aft across the harbor at the ferries； junks； liners and the immense bulk of the battle…gray nuclear carrier； her decks floodlit； her flag fluttering bravely。 A jet shrieked into the night sky from Kai Tak and ining jets approaching Kowloon were stacked up。
He could not see the airport or his own airplane from this angle but he knew where it was parked。 This afternoon he had visited it with police permission to check and fetch some papers and provisions。
Orlanda； beside him； touched him casually and he looked at her。 She smiled back and he was warmed。
〃Great； isn't it？〃
Happily she nodded。 There was no need to answer。 Both knew。
〃It is；〃 Gornt said； thinking that Bartlett was talking to him and looked around at him。 〃It's grand to be afloat at night； master of your own craft。 We go west； then almost due south around Hong Kong … about three quarters of an hour。〃 He beckoned his captain who was nearby； a silent lithe Shanghainese wearing neat； starched white ducks。
〃Shey…shey；〃 thank you； the man said taking the helm。
Gornt waved to the chairs aft around a table。 〃Shall we？〃 He glanced at Orlanda。 〃You're looking very pretty； Orlanda。〃
〃Thank you；〃 she said。
〃You're not too cold？〃
〃Oh no； Quillan； thank you。〃
A liveried steward came from below。 On his tray were hot and cold canapés。 In the ice bucket beside the table was an opened bottle of white wine； four glasses； two cans of American beer and some soft drinks。 〃What can I offer you； Mr。 Bartlett？〃 Gornt asked。 〃The wine's Frascati but I hear you prefer iced cold beer out of the can？〃
〃Tonight Frascati … beer later； if I may？〃
〃Orlanda？〃
〃Wine please； Quillan；〃 she said calmly； knowing that he knew she preferred Frascati to any other wine。 I'll have to be very wise tonight； she thought； very strong and very wise and very clever。 She had agreed to Gornt's suggestion at once for she； too； loved the water at night and the restaurant was a favorite though she would have preferred to have been alone with Linc Bartlett。 But it was clearly an 。。。 No； she thought； correcting herself。 It wasn't an order； it was a request。 Quillan's on my side。 And in this； my side and his side have the same aim in mon： Linc。 Oh how I enjoy Linc！
When she looked at him she saw he was watching Gornt。 Her heart quickened。 It was like once when Gornt had taken her to Spain and she had seen a mano a mano。 Yes； these two men are like matadors tonight。 I know Quillan still desires me whatever he says。 She smiled back at him； her excitement in place。 〃Wine would be fine for me。〃
It was dark on deck； the lighting fortable and intimate。 The steward poured； this wine as always very good； delicate； dry and enticing。 Bartlett opened an air carry bag that he had brought with him。 〃It's an old American custom to bring a gift the first time you go to a home … I guess this is a home。〃 He put the wine bottle on the table。
〃Oh that's very kind of 。。。〃 Gornt stopped。 Delicately he picked up the bottle and stared at it； then got up and looked at it under the binnacle light。 He sat down again。 〃That's not a gift； Mr。 Bartlett； that's bottled magic。 I thought my eyes were deceiving me。〃 It was a Chateau Margaux； one of the great premier cru clarets from the Médoc in the province of Bordeaux。 〃I've never had the '49。 That was a dream year for clarets。 Thank you。 Thank you very much。〃
〃Orlanda said you liked red better than white but I guessed we might have some fish。〃 Casually he put the second bottle beside the first。
Gornt stared at it。 It was a Chateau Haut…Brion。 In good years Chateau Haut…Brion red pared with all the great Médocs； but the white … dry； delicate and little known because it was so scarce … was considered one of the finest of all the great Bordeaux whites。 The year was '55。
Gornt sighed。 〃If you know so much about wines； Mr。 Bartlett； why do you drink beer？〃
〃I like beer with pasta； Mr。 Gornt； … and beer before lunch。 But wine with food。〃 Bartlett grinned。 〃e Tuesday； we'll have beer with the pasta； then Frascati or Verdicchio or the Umbrian Casale with 。。。 with what？〃
〃Piccata？〃
〃Great；〃 Bartlett said； not wanting any piccata other than Orlanda's。 〃That's just about my favorite。〃 He kept his attention on Gornt and did not glance at Orlanda but he knew she knew what he meant。 I'm glad I tested her。
〃Oh did you have a good time？〃 she had said when she had called for him this morning at the small hotel on Sunning Road。 〃Oh I do hope so； Linc； darling。〃
The other girl had been beautiful but there had been no feeling other than lust； the satisfaction of the joining minimal。 He had told her。
〃Oh then that's my fault。 We chose wrong；〃 she had said unhappily。 〃Tonight we'll have dinner and we'll try somewhere else。〃
Involuntarily he smiled and looked at her。 The sea breeze was making her more beautiful。 Then he noticed Gornt watching them。 〃Are we eating fish tonight？〃
〃Oh yes。 Orlanda； did you tell Mr。 Bartlett about Pok Liu Chau？〃
〃No； Quillan； just that we've been invited for a sail。〃
〃Good。 It won't be a banquet but the seafood there's excellent； Mr。 Bartlett。 You pi… 〃
〃Why don't you call me Linc and let me call you Quillan？ The 'mister' bit gives me indiges