now she married Culum； Dirk's only son？ Well； Hag Struan secretly plotted with the Victoria Bank； which Tyler had started in the 1840's and with Cooper…Tillman； Tyler's partners in the States。 They trapped him and brought down the great house of Brock and Sons in one gigantic crash。 He lost everything … his shipping line； opium hulks； property； warehouses； stocks； everything。 He was wiped out。〃
〃What happened to him？〃
〃I don't know； no one does for certain； but the story is that that same night； October thirty…first； 1863； old Tyler went to Aberdeen … that's a harbor on the other side of Hong Kong … with his grandson； Tom； who was then twenty…five； and six sailors； and they pirated an oceangoing lorcha … that's a ship with a Chinese hull but European rigged … and put out to sea。 He was mad with rage； so they say； and he hauled up the Brock pennant to the masthead and he had pistols in his belt and a bloody cutlass in his hand … they'd killed four men to pirate the ship。 At the neck of the harbor a cutter came after him and he blew it out of the water … in those days almost all boats were armed with cannon because of pirates … these seas have always been infested with pirates since time immemorial。 So old Tyler put to sea； a good wind blowing from the east and a storm ing。 At the mouth of Aberdeen he started bellowing out curses。 He cursed Hag Struan and cursed the island； and cursed the Victoria Bank that had betrayed him； and the Coopers of Cooper…Tillman； but most of all he cursed the tai…pan who'd been dead more than twenty years。 And old Tyler Brock swore revenge。 They say he screamed out that he was going north to plunder and he was going to start again。 He was going to build his House again and then； '。。。 and then I be back by God 。。。 I be back and I be venged and then I be Noble House by God。 。。。 I be back。 。。。' 〃
Bartlett and Casey felt a chill go down their backs as Peter Marlowe coarsened his voice。 Then he continued； 〃Tyler went north and was never heard of again； no trace of him or the lorcha or his crew； ever。 Even so； his presence is still here … like Dirk Struan's。 You'd better remember； in any dealing with the Noble House you've got to deal with those two as well； or their ghosts。 The night Ian Dunross took over as tai…pan； Struan's lost their freighter flagship； Lasting Cloud； in a typhoon。 It was a gigantic financial disaster。 She foundered off Formosa … Taiwan … and was lost with all hands except one seaman； a young English deckhand。 He'd been on the bridge and he swore that they'd been lured onto the rocks by false lights and that he heard a maniac laughing as they went down。〃
Casey shivered involuntarily。
Bartlett noticed it and slipped his arm casually through hers and she smiled at him。
He said； 〃Peter； people here talk about people who've been dead a hundred years as though they're in the next room。〃
〃Old Chinese habit；〃 Peter Marlowe replied at once。 〃Chinese believe the past controls the future and explains the present。 Of course Hong Kong's only a hundred and twenty years old so a man of eighty today'd 。。。 Take Phillip Chen； the present pradore； for example。 He's sixty…five now … his grandfather was the famous Sir Gordon Chen； Dirk Struan's illegitimate son who died in 1907 at the age of eighty…six。 So Phillip Chen would have been nine then。 A sharp boy of nine'd remember all sorts of stories his revered grandfather would have told him about his father； the tai…pan； and May…may； his famous mistress。 The story is that old Sir Gordon Chen was one hell of a character； truly an ancestor。 He had two official wives； eight concubines of various ages； and left the sprawling Chen family rich； powerful and into everything。 Ask Dunross to show you his portraits … I've only seen copies but； my； he was a handsome man。 There're dozens of people alive here today who knew him … one of the original great founders。 And my God； Hag Struan died only forty…six years ago。 Look over there。 。。。〃 He nodded at a wizened little man； thin as a bamboo and just as strong； talking volubly to a young woman。 〃That's Vincent McGore； tai…pan of the fifth great hong； International Asian Trading。 He worked for Sir Gordon for years and then the Noble House。〃 He grinned suddenly。 〃Legend says he was Hag Struan's lover when he was eighteen and just off the cattle boat from some Middle Eastern port … he's not really Scots at all。〃
〃e off it； Peter；〃 Fleur said。 〃You just made that up！〃
〃Do you mind；〃 he said； but his grin never left him。 〃She was only seventy…five at the time。〃
They all laughed。
〃That's the truth？〃 Casey asked。 〃For real？〃
〃Who knows what's truth and what's fiction； Casey？ That's what I was told。〃
〃I don't believe it；〃 Fleur said confidently。 〃Peter makes up stories。〃
〃Where'd you find out all this； Peter？〃 Bartlett asked。
〃I read some of it。 There are copies of newspapers that go back to 1870 in the Law Court library。 Then there's the History of the Law Courts of Hong Kong。 It's as seamy a great book as you'll ever want if you're interested in Hong Kong。 Christ； the things they used to get up to； so…called judges and colonial secretaries； governors and policemen； and the tai…pans； the highborn and the lowborn。 Graft； murder； corruption； adultery； piracy； bribery 。。。 it's all there！
〃And I asked questions。 There are dozens of old China hands who love to reminisce about the old days and who know a huge amount about Asia and Shanghai。 Then there are lots of people who hate； or are jealous and can't wait to pour a little poison on a good reputation or a bad one。 Of course； you sift； you try to sift the true from the false and that's very hard； if not impossible。〃
For a moment Casey was lost in thought。 Then she said； 〃Peter； what was Changi like？ Really like？〃
His face did not change but his eyes did。 〃Changi was genesis； the place of beginning again。〃 His tone made them all chilled and she saw Fleur slip her hand into his and in a moment he came back。 〃I'm fine； darling；〃 he said。 Silently； somewhat embarrassed； they walked out of the path onto the lower terrace； Casey knowing she had intruded。 〃We should have a drink。 Eh； Casey？〃 Peter Marlowe said kindly and made it all right again。
〃Yes。 Thank you； Peter。〃
〃Linc；〃 Peter Marlowe said； 〃there's a marvelous strain of violence that passes from generation to generation in these buccaneers … because that's what they are。 This is a very special place … it breeds very special people。〃 After a pause； he added thoughtfully； 〃I understand you may be going into business here。 If I were you I'd be very； very careful。〃
15
11：05 P。M。：
Dunross； with Brian Kwok in tow； was heading for Roger Crosse； chief of Special Intelligence； who was on the terrace chatting amiably with Armstrong and the three Americans； Ed Langan； mander John Mishauer the uniformed naval officer； and Stanley Rosemont； a tall man in his fifties。 Dunross did not know that Langan was FBI； or that Mishauer was U。S。 Naval Intelligence； only that they were at the consulate。 But he did know that Rosemont was CIA though not his seniority。 Ladies were still drifting back to their tables； or chattering away on the terraces and in the garden。 Men were lounging over drinks； and the party was mellow like the night。 Some couples were dancing in the ballroom to sweet and slow music。 Adryon was among them； and he saw Penelope stoically coping with Havergill。 He noticed Casey and Bartlett in deep conversation with Peter and Fleur Marlowe； and he would have dearly loved to be overhearing what was being said。 That fellow Marlowe could easily bee a bloody nuisance； he thought in passing。 He knows too many secrets already and if he was to read our book 。。。 No way； he thought。 Not till hell freezes！ That's one book he'll never read。 How Alastair could be so stupid！
Some years ago Alastair Struan had missioned a well…known writer to write the history of Struan's to celebrate their 125 years of trading and had passed over old ledgers and trunks of old papers to him unread and unsifted。 Within the year the writer had produced an inflammatory tapestry that documented many happenings and transactions that were thought to have been buried forever。 In shock they had thanked th