England is the richest and most prosperous country on earth and you're beautiful."

"Thank you kind sir! Je t'aime--I really do love you, Malcolm, I know I'm very difficult but I do and I'll make you a wonderful wife I promise an--"

He had heaved himself out of his chair and stopped her with a kiss--his strong cigar smell and pomade manly and pleasant. His arms embracing her were muscular and strong, one hand straying to her breast and she felt its heavy roughness, his lips hard with the faintest taste of brandy. Just the opposite to him.

Forget him, the voices whispered.

I can't, not yet.

Bending over her like this was a dreadful strain on his wounded back and stomach muscles so he straightened with an effort though he would have gladly taken her now--had he her acquiescence--whatever the pain. "The sooner we're married, the better," he said, sure that he had felt her lips and breast and body respond.

"Oh yes, please yes."

"Christmas. That's only next month."

"Do you think... sit down, my darling, and rest a moment. Should we discuss... when should we return to Hong Kong?"

"I, I haven't decided." Much of his bonhomie went at the thought of having to face his mother.

"Perhaps we should go back next week an--"

"Not till I'm fit." And off the painkiller, he thought, his insides grinding, then I can deal with her and Brock and the bloody bank.

Just before coming here he had had the second dose of the day, earlier than usual.

I'll have a last one before sleeping, then tomorrow start fresh. Once a day from now on. Couldn't start today--last night and the problem with Norbert and ... well, yesterday was especially rotten.

"Don't trouble your lovely head."

"But I worry over you very much. Malcolm, I'd never want to interfere with anything, but I do worry about you. And there is something that I feel I must mention," she said carefully. "The trouble between you and Jamie. Isn't there anything I--"

His sudden smile stopped her. "Jamie's all right now, my darling. That's today's good news.

This evening I sent for him and he apologized for being difficult. He even renewed his oath to support me in everything. Everything."

"Oh, that's wonderful, I'm so pleased."

Just before coming here Jamie McFay had asked to see him. "Sorry to interrupt you, but I wanted to clear the air and try to make a peace and try, a last time, to dissuade you from the duel: Norbert will surely try to kill you."

"Sorry, but it's none of your affair, and I'll certainly try to kill him. I agree it's a good idea to clear the air, once and for all: Jamie, will you obey me as tai-pan or are you going back on your holy oath?"' "Yes, I will obey the tai-pan as I swore."

"Good. After we see Sir William tomorrow, secretly ask Norbert if next Wednesday suits him--yes, Jamie, I know it's his birthday. The racecourse, behind the stands, first light. On your head keep it secret, don't even tell Dmitri."

"If you kill him you'll have to leave Japan quickly."

"I've thought about that. Our clipper Storming Cloud will be in the roads. We'll board her and go to Hong Kong. There I can, well, arrange matters whatever happens."

"I hate this whole idea."

"Yes, but never mind. You remember your oath and will stick by it?"' "Yes."

"Thank you, Jamie. Let's be friends again ..."

Through his haze of excitement, he heard Angelique saying, "Oh how happy that makes me," and had to make an effort not to burst out with the news that he had set a date for the duel, when his own revenge on the House of Brocks, at long last, would begin. Angel will know soon enough and be proud of me, he thought confidently. "No need to worry about Jamie, my darling, or about Hong Kong. Anything."

"Malcolm, dear, may I please write to your Mama?" she asked, knowing that she must begin to bring the enemy to battle. Andr`e had warned her that Tess Struan's power within the company was immense, and influence over Malcolm, his brother and sisters, equally vast, reminding her that he was a minor, therefore without her approval the marriage could not take place for months, and without her benevolence might never happen. As if I needed reminding, she thought. "I want to assure her of my undying affection and my promise to become the best daughter-in-law in the whole wide world."

He beamed at the idea. "Excellent!

I'll write one too and we'll send them off together." He took her hand. "No woman so stunning as you, should also be so thoughtful and kind. I know she's going to love you as much as I do."

Again Hiraga said, "When gai-jin run away, shoya say me to go quick'ry--he very 'fraid of the samurai, very 'fraid."

"I can believe that." Tyrer shifted in his chair, Hiraga opposite him, uncomfortable too. The sitting room of the small bungalow in the Legation grounds that Tyrer shared with Dr.Babcott was sparsely furnished, with a few chairs, two desks and the smell of ointments and salves from pots of medicaments on shelves lining one wall. Windows were open to the night and though it was not cold Hiraga shivered, still unsettled by his near capture. The moment the rioters had rushed away and he could escape the back way he had told the shoya and ashigari, "You know what'll happen if I'm caught here!

Better silence, better silence and a quick beating that will soon be forgotten than a trek to prison which none of us--or your wife and children--will survive.

Sonno-joi!"

Tyrer was saying, "But I don't understand why one moment that officer was sane, the next a brute, and the next sane again with everyone pretending nothing had happened."

Hiraga sighed. "All so simp're, Taira-san. The captain sure ashigari 'ried ... sure not say truth, and shoya not say truth, and men not say truth so he beat them to save face--not say truth to samurai is very bad, against 'raw, so very bad. Punishment correct so everyone happy, no more prob'rem."

"Maybe for them," Tyrer said gloomily, "but we have lots of problems. Sir William isn't at all happy, either with the rotter who was killed--or with you."

"I no prob'rem, I not attack, men attack me."

"Sorry, Nakama, that's not the point. He says you are an irritant, an unnecessary complication, sorry, but he's right. The authorities will soon know you're here, if they don't already. Then they'll demand that we hand you over--we can't avoid that and eventually we'll have to comply."

"P'rease? Not understand."

It took Tyrer several attempts with simpler words to make his meaning clear, then he added, "Sir William told me to tell you it's best you sneak off, disappear while you can."

Hiraga's heart almost stopped. Ever since he had escaped the trap in the village he had been frantically trying to devise a way to negate the inevitable results of the riot, and of being seen--the samurai officer would surely realize a shishi was loose in the Settlement.

No solution had occurred except that he must remain in hiding here. To attempt flight now was even more dangerous. Samurai vigilance would be vastly increased, and if they realized he was Hiraga of the poster...

He wanted to scream aloud, his mind disarrayed by the rushing events and the depths of the panic and fear he had endured since Ori's betrayal. Then his ears focused and he heard a key word in Tyrer's rambling on about "how sorry he was to lose such a valuable ally in his search for Japanese knowledge but there seems to be no way of avoiding it..."

His head cleared. "Have idea, Taira-san," he said softly. "Bad for me go now, I sure die. Want he'rp Ing'erish friends, want to be va'ru'ber a'rry, very va'ru'ber friend. I know about Satsuma daimyo, know Satsuma secrets. Shoya give me mandy... sorry, give me many informations. I can exp'rain how make Satsuma obey, perhaps even Bakufu obey. I want to he'rp. Ask Sir W'rum: I give informations to keep gai-jin safe, you keep me safe and give me informations, fair exchange. Friends, neh?"