Knowing Kyle would have no chance if Scouse reached the keep window, Troth scrambled to her feet and raced recklessly toward the sea captain, praying that she could get down to the wall-walk and catch up with him before it was too late. The swift squall abated to a spattering of drops, which helped a little with the footing, but she guessed this was only a lull, with more rain coming.

Kyle yelled, "Maybe I'll cooperate in my own murder, but with one condition."

"Aye?"

"Spare Troth Montgomery's life. She's no part of this."

Another chilling laugh from Logan. "Ah, but she is. She'll be royally pissed to know I got her sent to Canton after her father's death rather than back to Scotland."

After a startled moment, Kyle said, "So you were behind that. Did you have something to do with Hugh Montgomery's death?"

"I didn't cause the typhoon that sank his ship, but when his comprador told me the girl had a bit of fever, the letter I sent to Hugh in Singapore implied that his precious daughter might be deathly ill." Logan laughed. "That maybe brought him back to Macao faster than was wise during the storm season."

The shock was so intense that Troth skidded on the wet stones and started to fall. She managed to twist and come down belly-first onto the stone, knocking the breath from her body. She clung there, stunned at the knowledge that Logan had orchestrated her father's death. There had been no risk to Logan. If her father had reached Macao safely, his partner could have said innocently that he'd misunderstood the severity of Troth's illness, but God be praised, the lassie was all right now. He was a devil!

"Why did you do that?" Kyle called, his voice shaken.

"Hugh was pleasant enough, but a fool. Like you, he didn't believe in opium trading. With him dead, I took the money and bought five hundred chests of the best Indian opium. That day was the beginning of my fortune."

So that was why her father had apparently died penniless. Logan must have also spread the rumors that had tarnished her father's name, since discrediting Hugh Montgomery had made his swinish partner look better.

Cold with rage, Troth rose and closed the dozen feet to the end of the building, then swung around and started to feel her way down toward the wall-walk. It was several feet wide, so when she finally reached it she'd be able to catch up with Scouse in seconds.

"You're a clever man, Logan," Kyle said, a good imitation of reluctant admiration in his voice. "You also know China. Montgomery's daughter is more Chinese than European now. If you spare her, she'll go with you willingly to Macao."

"She wants to return to the East? "

"Can't wait to leave-she's badly disappointed in Scotland and has made me promise to send her back. Britain is too damned cold, and she's angry because her father apparently claimed his family was wealthy. You saw them-they're only a couple of steps up from crofters, and she wants better than that. If you take her as a concubine, I guarantee you'll not regret it. She was one of Chenqua's women, and she's the best in bed I've ever known-and believe me, I've had more than my share of women. It would be a pity to waste such talent by killing her."

As Troth blinked at Kyle's lies, she saw Logan stiffen with interest, but his reply was wary. "How can I be sure she won't slit my throat for revenge?"

"Logan, she's Chinese,'" Kyle said with elaborate patience. "She's been trained to submit completely to her master. Once you kill me, it will be obvious to her that you're a superior master. She'll do anything you want in return for some jewelry now and then and maybe a slave girl to beat. Understand what I mean when I say she'll do anything?"

From Logan's posture, Troth guessed that Kyle's suggestive tone had released a flood of fevered imaginings. "So she was one of Chenqua's whores," the trader said hoarsely. "No wonder he was so quick to take her back to Canton even though she was just a child. Disgusting lecher."

A good thing Kyle had warned her not to be surprised at anything he said! She jumped the last several feet onto the wall-walk and raced after Scouse at full speed. Since he was taking his time, she should catch up with him just before he reached the intersection with the south wall.

"He might have been a lecher, but he trained her very well. If you ever tire of the girl, you'll get a good price selling her to another Fan-qui."

"Very well, I'll take her. If she's as good as you say, I'll make her my tai-tai in Macao." Logan's voice roughened. "You've got your bargain, so come on out. Keep me out here any longer in this weather and I may change my mind."

Troth was almost within touching distance of Scouse's broad back when the sea captain pivoted, alerted by the sound of her footfalls. He had his gun in his hands, but for a critical instant, he simply stared, apparently unable to believe she was a threat.

She knocked the rifle from his hands with a vicious kick. It clattered onto stone before spinning outward over the abyss. As he shouted, she punched his throat but did little damage-his neck was a rock-hard column of beefy muscle.

"You little Chink bitch!" Murder in his eyes, he stalked forward.

As she waited for his attack, she prayed to all the gods of East and West for the strength to win the most difficult fight of her life.

Chapter 44

Hearing shouts, Kyle dropped to his knees and peered out the door, hoping that keeping his head low would spare his brains from being blown out if Logan and Scouse had their rifles trained on the door.

The first thing he saw was the barrel of Logan's gun. His second sight was Troth in a life-or-death struggle with Scouse up on the wall-walk. Kyle's heart seemed to stop. She looked like a child next to the raging sea captain. Though she was evading his blows deftly, Scouse would break her in half if he managed to connect.

As she danced backward, Scouse dived forward with a bellow, counting on his weight to pin her helplessly beneath him. She leaped up into a crenellation and kicked him, using his momentum to smash him down on the narrow stone walkway.

But the sea captain had learned to brawl in the world's most dangerous ports, and he knew his share of dirty tricks. He lunged for her ankle and yanked her from her feet. Kyle could hear the impact when she slammed onto the wall-walk, critically close to falling a dozen feet into the courtyard.

Troth flipped backward out of his grip, then scrambled to her feet as Scouse did the same. Belatedly hearing the commotion, Logan whirled to investigate what was happening above him. His rifle turned with him, and he immediately aimed it at Troth. Understanding the danger, she closed with Scouse so Logan would have to hold his shots, or risk hurting his captain.

But Logan fired anyhow. As Kyle started to sprint across the courtyard, Scouse jerked from the impact of a bullet. A second bullet slammed into his body. Troth flattened herself on the stone walkway as Scouse pitched backward over the wall, his long, drawn-out scream ending with sickening abruptness.

But the battlement gave Troth no protection from Logan. As he trained his rifle on her, she dived from the walkway into the courtyard, dropping into the narrow area between the guardhouse and the south wall.

Instantly, Logan was rushing to block her exit from the trap she'd landed in. It took him only a few strides to have her in his sights again.

Troth rushed forward in a doomed attempt to reach Logan before he could fire. Kyle shouted desperately, "Logan, you're a dead man!"

As he'd hoped, Logan spun about to face the new threat. The barrel of his rifle looked enormous as he raised the gun and pulled the trigger. Kyle dived to one side, firing his pistol when he was in midair.