note 14They went up the stairs into the foyer, crowded even this late. At once he felt many eyes and recognition which was why he had not left her on the steps. Every little helps, he thought. I must seem calm and confident. The Noble House is inviolate! I will not and cannot allow myself the luxury of normal fear—it would spill over and wreck others and do untold damage."Would you like a nightcap?" she asked. "I'm not sleepy. Maybe Linc'll join us if he's in.""Good idea. Tea with lemon would be fine." The smiling head-waiter appeared miraculously. And an empty table. "Evening, tai-pan.""Evening, Nighttime Gup.""Tea and lemon's fine with me too," she said. A waiter scurried away. "I'll just check my messages.""Of course." Dunross watched her walk away. Tonight, from the first moment in the Mandarin foyer, he had noticed how much more feminine she had seemed, nothing discernible, just a subtle change. Interesting woman. A sexuality that's waiting to explode. How the devil can I help her to get her drop dead money quickly?Nighttime Gup was bustling around and he said quietly in Cantonese, "Tai-pan, we certainly hope you can deal with the stock market and Second Great House.""Thank you." Dunross chatted awhile, exuding confidence, then his eyes strayed back to Casey at the front desk.Nighttime Gup's shrewd old eyes twinkled. "The gun-runner's not in the hotel, tai-pan.""Eh?""No. He left early with a girl. Around 7:00 P.M., I'd just come on duty," the neat old man said airily. "The gun-runner was dressed very casually. For a sail I imagine. A girl was with him."Dunross concentrated now. "There are many girls in Hong Kong, Nighttime Gup.""Not like this one, tai-pan." The old man guffawed carefully. "Once she was the mistress of Black Beard.""Eeeee, old man, you have sharp eyes and a long memory. Are you sure?""Oh very sure!" Nighttime Gup was delighted with the way his news was received. "Yes," he added loftily, "since we hear the Americans may be joining the Noble House if you can extricate yourself from all those other fornicators it might be good for you to know that. Also that Golden Pubics has moved her ro—""Who?"Nighttime Gup explained the reason for the nickname. "Can you imagine, tai-pan?"Dunross sighed, astounded as always at how fast gossip traveled. "She's changed her room?""Oh yes, it's along the corridor, 276, on the same floor. Eeeee, tai-pan, I heard she was weeping in the night, two nights ago, and again this evening before she left. Yes. Third Toiletmaid Fung saw her crying tonight.""They had a row? She and the gun-runner?""Oh no, not a row, no shoutings. But, oh ko, if Golden Pubics knows about the Orlanda flower that's cause enough for dragons to belch." Nighttime Gup smiled toothily at Casey as she came back, a sheaf of cables and messages in her hand. Dunross noticed that now there was a shadow in her eyes. No message from Line Bartlett, he surmised, getting up. Nighttime Gup solicitously pulled a chair away for her, poured her tea, continuing in his gutter Cantonese, "Never mind, tai-pan, Golden Pubics or not it's all the same in the dark, heya?" The old man chuckled and left. Dunross glanced at her papers. "Trouble?""Oh no, just more of the same." She looked at him directly, "I've got them all compartmentalized for tomorrow. Tonight's mine. Line's not back yet." She sipped her tea, enjoying it. "So I can monopolize you.""I thought I was doing the monopolizing. Isn't—" He stopped as he noticed Robert Armstrong and Sinders come in through the swing doors. The two men stood at the entrance, looking for a table."Your police work overtime," Casey said, and, as the men's gaze fell on them, waved back half-heartedly. The two men hesitated, then went to a vacant table at the other end of the room. "I like Armstrong," she said. "Is the other man police?""I imagine so. Where did you meet Robert?"She told him. "Still nothing on the smuggled guns. Where they came from or whatever.""Rotten business.""Would you like a brandy?""Why not? One for the road, then I must be going. Waiter!" He ordered the drinks. "The car'll be here tomorrow at twelve sharp to pick you up,""Thank you. Ian, the invitation read, 'Ladies Hats and Gloves.' Do you really mean that?""Of course." He frowned. "Ladies have always worn hats and gloves at the races. Why?""I'll have to buy a hat. I haven't worn one in years.""Actually, I like ladies in hats." Dunross glanced around the room. Armstrong and Sinders were watching him covertly. Is it a coincidence they're here? he wondered."You feel the eyes too, tai-pan? Everyone here seems to know you.""It's not me, it's just the Noble House and what I represent."The brandy came. "Healthl" They touched glasses."Will you answer my question now?""The answer's yes." He swirled the brandy in the glass and inhaled it."Yes what?"Abruptly he grinned. "Yes nothing, yes it's not fair but yes it happens all the time and I'm not going to get into one of those lovely self-analyzing 'Have you stopped beating your wife recently?' things, though I do hear that most ladies like being beaten occasionally but with great care, with or without hats!"She laughed and most of her shadows vanished. "It depends, does it?""It depends!" He watched her, his calm, easy smile on his face and he was thinking and she was thinking it depends on who and when and where and timing, circumstance and need, and right now it would be grand.