REMEMBER?"' "But, don't y--"' "Who're you going to obey, Jamie? Me or my mother?"' There had been a vast chasm between them and more anger and more words, but he had prevailed. This battle was no contest. The stipulation was written into every document of appointment, to be signed and settled under God's oath in accordance with their founder's instructions.

"All right, I agree!" McFay had said through his teeth. "But I dem--sorry I ask the right to write to her and tell her my new orders."

"Do that, by the mail ship, and while you're about it, tell her the tai-pan orders you to stay here, that only I can fire you, as I will by God if I have any trouble--and that if I want to get engaged, minor or no, that's up to me." Then he had groped back to his chair, almost doubled up with pain.

"My God, Tai-pan," McFay said weakly, "she'll dismiss me whether you like it or not. I'm finished."

"No. Not without my say-so, it's in our bylaws."

"Maybe. But like it or not, she can make my life and yours a misery, like it or not."

"No, you're only doing what I want.

You're within Dirk's law--and that's what governs her above all else," he said, remembering the times without number she had invoked the name of Dirk Struan to his father, or to him, or his brothers and sisters, on a point of business or morality or on life itself. And didn't Father and Mother both say a thousand times that I was to be tai-pan after him, everyone, particularly Uncle Gordon accepting that. Any formalities can wait, she's just using that as an additional excuse to curb me-- Christ I've trained all my life for the job, I know how to deal with her and I know what's wrong here. "I'm tai-pan by God, and now... now if you'll excuse me, I, I've work to do."

The moment he was alone he had shouted for Ah Tok.

Ayeeyah, that was one time I really needed the medicine, it works so well and saved me all that pain and anguish and gave me courage again and, later, such a happy time with Angelique. Ah my angel, back again in her suite next door thank God, so near and delectable and warm and near but oh and Christ, I wish when I thought of her the ache wouldn't begin, and that ache would not lead to the other pain and it's not yet midmorning with a boring sermon and lunch to endure--and more than eight hours until the next...

"Sorry about yesterday," McFay was saying.

"Very sorry."

"I'm not, it brought matters out in the open and settled them," he said with a curious strength.

"Now there's a real head to the company--I agree my Father wasn't effective and spent most of the last few years drunk, with Mother doing the best she could which hasn't kept us ahead of Brock's--again let's be honest they're stronger and richer and more sound than we are and we'll be lucky to weather the current storm. Take Japan--Japan's hardly paying expenses."

"Yes, short term, but long term it will be profitable."

"Not the way you've been running it so far.

Jappos are not buying any profitable goods from us.

We buy silk cloth and silkworms, a few lacquer trinkets, what else? Nothing of value. They've no industry and don't seem to want any."

"True, but then China took time to open up, years. And there we've the opium, tea, silver triangle."

"True but China's different. China's a cultured, ancient civilization. We've friends there and, as you say, a trading pattern. My point is we've got to hurry things up here to survive, or we close it down."

"As soon as Sir William sorts out the Bakufu--"

"The pox on that!" Struan's voice sharpened.

"I'm tired of being stuck in a chair and sick of hearing people say we have to wait until Sir William orders the fleet and army to do its job. The next time there's a meeting with the Bakufu I want to be there--or better still you arrange a private one for me first."

"But, Tai-pan..."

"Do it Jamie. That's what I want. And do it quickly."

"I don't know how that's possible."

"Ask Phillip Tyrer's tame samurai, Nakama. Better still arrange a secret meeting then Phillip won't be compromised."

McFay had given him the information that "Nakama" had provided. "That's a good idea," he said, meaning it, and, seeing the jutting jaw and the fire he was warmed. Perhaps at long last, he thought, here's someone who can make things happen. "I'll see Phillip after church."

"When's the next ship scheduled for San Francisco?"

"In a week, the Confederate merchantman, Savannah Lady." McFay dropped his voice cautiously, a group of other traders passing by. "Our Choshu order goes with her."

"Who could we trust to go with her for a special mission?" Struan asked, putting his plan into operation.

"Vargas."

"Not him, he's needed here." Again Struan stopped, his legs aching, then hobbled to the side of the promenade where there was a low wall, mostly to rest but also to keep their conversation private. "Who else? Has to be good."

"His nephew, Pedrito--he's a sharp lad, looks more Portugee than Vargas, hardly any Chinese in his face, speaks Portuguese, Spanish, English and Cantonese--good at figures. He'd be acceptable in either the North or the Confederacy.

What had you in mind?"

"Book passage for him on that ship. I want him to go with the order which we're going to quadruple, also to ord--"

"Four thousand rifles?" McFay gaped at him.

"Yes, also send a letter to the factory via tomorrow's mail ship telling them to expect him.

She'll connect with the California steamer out of Hong Kong."

McFay said uneasily, "But we only got a down payment of gold to cover two hundred-- we'll have to cover the whole order, that's factory policy. Don't you think we'd be overextending ourselves?"

"Some people might think so. I don't."

"Even with a shipment of two thousand--the Admiral's hysterical against importation of all arms and opium... I know he can't by law," McFay said hastily, "but if he wants he can still seize a cargo on the grounds of national emergency."

"He won't find them or hear about them until it's too late--you'll be too clever.

Meanwhile draft a letter to go with the order, and a copy by the mail ship--do it yourself Jamie, privately--asking the factory for special service on this consignment, but also to make us their exclusive agents for Asia."

"That's a fine idea, Tai-pan, but I strongly advise against upping the order."

"Make it five thousand rifles, and emphasize we'll negotiate a most attractive deal. I don't want Norbert to steal a march on us." Struan began walking again, the pain worse now. Without looking at McFay he knew what he was thinking and said, edged, "There's no need to check with Hong Kong first. Do it. I'll sign the order and the letter."

After a pause McFay nodded. "Just as you say."

"Good." He heard the reluctance in McFay's voice and decided that now was the time.

"We're changing our policy in Japan. They like killing here, eh? According to this Nakama many of their kings are ready to revolt against the Bakufu who certainly aren't our friends. Good, we'll help them do what they want. We'll sell them what they want: armaments, some ships, even a gun factory or two, in ever-increasing amounts--for gold and silver."

"And what if they turn these guns on us?"

"Once will be enough to teach them a lesson, like everywhere else on earth. We'll sell them muskets, some breech-loaders, but no machine guns, no big cannon or modern fighting ships. We're going to give the customer what he wants to buy."

Angelique knelt and settled herself in the tiny screened confessional, as best her voluminous skirts would allow, and began the ritual, the Latin words running together as was normal for those who did not read or write the language but had learned the obligatory prayers and responses from childhood by constant repetition. "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned..."