Now the last guest had gone. Only Angelique, Jamie McFay, and Malcolm remained. The embers in the huge inglenook fireplace glowed as drafts came down the chimney and went away. Silently Malcolm was frowning at the fire, watching pictures in the coals. She sat on the arm of his chair, unsettled. McFay was leaning against the table.

"I'll say good night, Tai-pan," he said.

Malcolm came out of his reverie. "Oh...

Hang on a moment." He smiled up at Angelique. "Sorry, Angel, I've a few things to discuss with Jamie, do you mind?"

"Of course not. 'night, Jamie." She bent and kissed Struan affectionately. "Good night, Malcolm, sleep well."

"Good night, darling, we should leave early."

"Yes... but Malcolm, please can I ask, what was all the shouting about? I didn't understand, could you explain?"

"It was jealousy. Nothing more."

"Oh! Of course, how strong you were and how modern! How right you are about guns and opium... oh la la, cheri, and wise. Thank you. Of course." She kissed him again. "What time do we leave in the morning? I'm so excited, the voyage will be such a change superbe."

"Just after dawn. I'll see you're awakened in good time, but, but don't be surprised if... if there's a change of plan--Marlowe said the weather might change."

"But he swore the wind would drop and it would be a grand day for a voyage."

"I said, "might change," Angel." He gave her a hug. "If not tomorrow the earliest possible day, he promised."

"I do hope it's tomorrow. Je t'aime, cheri."

"Je t'aime."

When she was gone the silence in the room congealed.

Chen peered around the door again. Malcolm said, "Close the bloody door and don't come back." It closed with alacrity. Jamie began to talk but he held up his hand.

"Don't say a thing about ships or cannon or opium. Please."

"Very well."

"Sit down, Jamie." Malcolm had thought all around the corners of the Admiral and devised a plan for each of the various possibilities: if the Admiral decided they could make the trip with his blessing, or if they could make the trip but Marlowe was forbidden to perform the ceremony, or if the trip was postponed till sometime in the future.

For the moment he put countermeasures aside.

"Would you have our steam cutter alongside Pearl just before dawn, the Bosun to find out from Marlowe if our trip's on or not. If it is or if it isn't, tell the Bosun to report to me here with the answer. All right?"

"Of course."

"I wrote the letter for Norbert and gave it to Gornt tonight, so that's done. Have I forgotten anything?"

"About Wednesday?"

"Yes."

"Nothing I know of. Routes and times you know about, the pistols are standard, no doctors will be present as both Babcott and Hoag are considered unsafe. The letters are your only defense. No witnesses except Gornt and me."

"Good. You're ready to leave with Prancing Cloud?"

"I'll send a valise aboard with our mails tomorrow, no one should notice. What about your trunks?"

"I'm only taking one. Sneak it aboard tomorrow --if anyone says anything it's some clothes I'm sending on ahead, pending my move back to Hong Kong for Christmas."

"Chen will pack for you?"

"He'll have to, I'll swear him to secrecy but that'll only work with our society, not with the Chinese. I'll have to take him with me. Ah Tok's a problem but she can stay here pending our "real move." I'll have to let Ah Soh into the secret. She'll come with us to Hong Kong."

"Angelique?"

"No need to tell her. If we go aboard Pearl, Ah Soh can pack a trunk of clothes and send that aboard with the same excuse, after nightfall tomorrow for safety. All right?"

"Yes."

"Wednesday morning we, you and I, will sneak out the back way as planned. A little later Chen, Ah Soh and Angelique, well cloaked, will go across the road to our wharf where you'll have the steam cutter waiting to take them to the clipper--"

"Excuse me butting in but if this is the final plan, better to use an oared cutter, less noise. For safety, the steam cutter should be waiting for us at Drunk Town wharf."

"That's better, Jamie. Thank you. An oared cutter then. After dealing with Norbert, we get aboard as fast as we can. Tomorrow tell Vargas to organize a meeting with our Japanese silk dealers for Friday, make it look as if we've a heavy schedule for the rest of this week and next, all right?"

"Yes."

"Anything else, Jamie?"

"May I make a suggestion?"

"Of course."

"After tomorrow's trip in Pearl..." McFay hesitated. "You said there might be a change of plan--because of weather? Weather's forecast as good, isn't it?"

"Yes. That was just in case Marlowe has to stay in port," he said easily. "With all the fleet preparations to savage Yedo, or threaten it, you never know what Ketterer or Sir William might decide. What's your suggestion, Jamie?"

"Actually I've a couple. After you come back tomorrow--Marlowe said you'd be back by sunset --why don't you and Angelique go aboard Prancing Cloud for dinner with Captain Strongbow, even stay aboard overnight. At dawn you and I could come ashore an--"

"That's a much better plan," Struan said at once, jumping ahead with a beam, "much better.

Then Angelique's already aboard, so's her luggage, so we don't have to worry about her, and after Norbert we can come straight back. Great thinking, Jamie. Our stuff can be sent aboard with Chen and Ah Soh, no reason why they shouldn't stay aboard too, no one should suspect anything." His smile was fine and genuine. "You're very clever to think of that, you're very clever, which is why I don't want you to leave Struan's."

Jamie smiled ruefully. "We'll see."

"By the way, in case there's an accident,"

Malcolm said calmly, eyes level and without fear. "If I'm wounded but mobile enough to get aboard, that's what I want to do. If there's a real emergency, well, just fetch either Babcott or Hoag. Plan to bring Hoag aboard anyway, we'll take him back to Hong Kong."

"I checked their Kanagawa clinic but that's on Thursday so they'll both be here."

"You think of everything."

"No. Wish I could, and wish you'd cancel the duel."

"There won't be any accident."

"I pray you're right. But whatever happens it's better that I stay here until you get back, or you send for me."

"But Mother said in her letter th--"

"I know. Let's be honest, Tai-pan.

I'm out, one way or another. It's best I'm here to cover your tail, if Norbert's all right or if he isn't, and to keep an eye on Gornt. Sorry I still don't trust that fellow. My job's here not in Hong Kong. In the spring I'll quit. That's best, and we should agree it now--but not before your twenty-first."

The two men looked at each other, eyes locked. Both broke off sharply as coals fell onto the hearth. The coals flickered and died without danger. "You're a wonderful friend,"

Malcolm said quietly. "Truly."

"No, just trying to keep my oath--to the tai-pan of the Noble House."

Andr`e and Phillip Tyrer were outside the British Legation. "Malcolm's idea of an embargo, however moral, would be a disaster for every trading company in Asia," Tyrer said, "including yours, not that you'd follow suit or the Germans or Russians or Yanks." The wind ruffled his hair but he was not cold, with all the alcohol he had consumed and the excitement.

"Sir William doubts if the Governor in Hong Kong will approve, could approve whatever Parliament orders, he'd prevaricate, not that I can officially speak for either of them.

Parliament's a law unto itself," he added with a yawn. "I'm beat, aren't you?"

"I have a date."

"Ah!" Tyrer had seen the flash of expectation. "Lucky man! You've certainly seemed a lot happier recently, a very lot happier. We were all quite worried."