Yesterday's meeting had of course been cancelled. He had considered putting it off until next week, but had decided to meet the man tonight --it might divert him for a moment or two from the tragedy.

It's none of Phillip's business--and don't forget Phillip and Wee Willie have been hiding all sorts of information when the arrangement was for everything to be shared. "See you later, Phillip. And thanks for these."

"See you later, Jamie."

The death certificates were signed by Babcott and Hoag. The autopsy confirmed what had already been said about death being caused by internal bleeding of a damaged artery that had ceased to function correctly, its weakened condition being directly attributable to wounds sustained during the unprovoked Tokaido incident.

Jamie nodded to himself. The doctors had skirted the matter of what had caused the rupture. No reason to be more specific, unless someone required a specific answer. Like Tess Struan, he thought, a twinge in his stomach. She's bound to ask and then what will Hoag say? The same he told me this morning: "In Malcolm's condition, Jamie, such a rupture could be caused by any one of a dozen sudden motions, like sleeping awkwardly, then turning suddenly because of a bad dream, even the strain of a constipated bowel."

"Or particularly during intercourse?"' "Yes, that's only one of many possibilities, why?"' "You know Tess Struan, for God's sake."

"I'm not going to damn Angelique if that's what you're asking, it takes two to bed, we both know he went out of his way to marry her and was madly in love."

"I'm not asking anything, Doc. Tess will damn her whatever the certificate says."

"I agree, Jamie, but she will get no help from me. Nor from George. That a violent climax caused the fracture, and their subsequent euphoric sleep masked the fault for both of them is logical, but not provable, and even if it did, she is in no way to blame, no way, dammit..."

Poor Angelique, she'll be blamed, like I'll be blamed. Doesn't matter in my case. "Yes? Come in? Oh hello, Edward!"

"Do you have a second?" Gornt asked.

"Come in, of course." Since yesterday his relationship with Gornt was different. He had insisted being on first-name basis. My God, he thought, how wrong I was about him. "Sit down.

Listen, I've said it a dozen times but thanks again--you certainly saved my life."

"Nothing, I was only doing my duty."

"Thank God you did. What can I do for you?"

"The rumor is that you'll be sending Malcolm's remains back to Hong Kong for burial, and I wondered if I could have passage on your ship?"

"Of course." Jamie hesitated.

"To report to Tyler Brock and Morgan?"

Gornt smiled. "We can't avoid the truth, Jamie. I'll take the result of the inquest with me but it's up to me to tell them direct, man to man."

"Yes, you're right." Jamie's sadness swooped down again. "I'm sorry Malcolm's not alive to know what you did for me, sorry that he won't be around to be friends with you, I know he admired you greatly, sorry too that you work for them."

"After I see them I probably won't, I was only loaned by Rothwell's, so it's of no consequence. I'll go back to Shanghai after Hong Kong."

"You know, if I can help in any way, I will."

"You owe me nothing, I was just doing my duty but a man always needs a real friend. Thanks, if I get lost I'll ask. A cabin's all right then on Prancing Cloud?"

"She'll leave tomorrow evening."

"I suppose Mrs. Struan will accompany him? Difficult to think of him as dead, isn't it?"

"Yes. Dr. Hoag says she'll be fit to travel then."

"Rotten luck. Terrible. Thanks. See you later."

Jamie watched him leave, curiously unsettled. Nothing he could articulate.

Guess I'm just so disoriented that anything and everything seems odd. My God, even Hoag acted peculiar, again nothing in particular.

He forced himself to work for a while, then, needing some documents from Malcolm's desk, got up and went out along the corridor to the tai-pan's office, automatically raised his hand to knock.

Grimly, he didn't, and opened the door to stop in midstride. Angelique was sitting in Malcolm's chair, behind Malcolm's desk.

Seated in front of her Heavenly Skye was saying, "as far as I know and..." He looked around.

"Hello, Jamie," Angelique said quietly. Her dark dress set off the alabaster texture of her skin, hair up off the nape of her long neck, eyes clear, the faintest natural color to her lips. "How are you?"

"Oh, er, fine," Jamie said, nonplussed by her poise and new beauty--different than before, now somehow distant, unattainable but even more attractive. "Sorry, I didn't expect ... Dr. Hoag told me not to disturb you until you called me. How are you?"

"I asked him to do that. I'm... I'm fine, thank you. There were some things I wanted to arrange this morning. I was sorry to hear about your, your ill luck with Norbert Greyforth. Poor Jamie, you're very bruised, are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you," Jamie said, even more off balance. Her voice was calm, too calm, and there was a dignity about her that he could not for the moment isolate. "Edward Gornt saved my life, did you hear that?"

"Yes, he told me about it a few minutes ago--actually that's not right, he came here a few moments ago to add his condolences and I saw him.

Mr. Skye told me about his bravery. And about the duel."

"Oh." Jamie wanted to curse Skye for his interference.

"Poor Malcolm," she said, "I'm awfully glad I didn't know about that foolishness. If I had I would somehow have stopped it. But Edward, how lucky he was there, but how awful, how awful some people are."

"Yes, but more important how are you really?"

"Not good and not bad. I'm nothing, and, well, empty."

"That's the right word, empty. Me too."

Jamie looked at Heavenly who smiled noncommittally. The silence gathered.

Discomforted, he knew they both wanted him to leave. "Anything I can do for you?"

"Not at the moment, thank you, Jamie."

Jamie nodded thoughtfully. "I need a few papers."

"Please help yourself." She sat back in the chair that dwarfed her, composed and in control.

Uncomfortably, he began to sift through the ladened In and Out trays, decided to take them as they were and put one on top of the other. "If there's anything... just call."

"After Mr. Skye and I are through, perhaps a few minutes if you're free."

"Whenever, of course. Just ring that bell."

Skye said, "Jamie, did you get the death certificates yet, by chance?"

"Yes I did."

"Could I see a copy, please?"

Jamie stared at him. "For what purpose?"

"To check it."

Angelique said, "Mal... my husband had retained the services of Mr. Skye--I believe you knew that, Jamie?"

"Yes I did." Jamie had noticed the way she had changed Malcolm to my husband and saw Heavenly nod approvingly and a danger signal went through him. "So?"

Skye said smoothly, "When I heard the disastrous news I felt beholden to offer my services to his widow..." The word was imperceptibly accented. "... which she has kindly accepted. The tai-pan had asked me to undertake certain research for him which I thought Mrs. Struan might wish to continue."

"Good." Jamie nodded politely and began to leave.

"The death certificate, Jamie?"

"What's your pleasure, Angelique-- Mrs. Struan?"

"Mr. Skye is my solicitor now, Jamie. He understands these things, which I don't, and he has agreed to act for me," she said clearly in the same unemotional way. "I would like you, please, to give him whatever help he needs."

"Of course. If you'll follow me, Heavenly." Jamie walked out and went into his office and stood behind his desk, pretending to look for the papers that he had put into his drawer for safety. "Would you shut the door, there's a terrible draft." The small man obeyed.