Go home and enjoy what you’ve sweated and sacrificed for. Release Culum from his five-year servitude; there’s more than enough to last you and him and his children’s children. Let Culum decide if he wants to stay or does na want to stay. Go home and forget. You’re rich and powerful and you can sit in the courts of kings if you wish. Aye. You’re
the Tai-Pan. Leave as
the Tai-Pan, and to the devil with China. Give up China—she’s a vampire mistress.
“More bad news?”
“Oh, sorry, Culum lad, I’d forgotten about you. What did you say?”
“More bad news?”
“Nay, but important.” Struan noticed that the last seven days had taken their toll on Culum. Nae youth to your face now, laddie. You’re a man. Then he remembered Gorth and he knew that he could not leave Asia without a reckoning—with Gorth and with Brock.
“Today’s your seventh day, lad, the last, is it na?”
“Yes,” Culum said. Oh God, he thought, protect me from such a week again. Twice he had been frightened to death. Once it had hurt to pass water and once it seemed that there had been a swelling and rash. But the Tai-Pan had succored him and father and son had grown closer together. Struan had told him about May-may.
And in the watches of the night Struan had talked to his son as a father can sometimes talk, when grief—or sometimes happiness—has unlocked the doors. Plans for the future, problems of the past. How very difficult it is to love someone and live with someone over years.
Struan got up. “I want you to go to Hong Kong at once,” he told Culum. “You’ll go in
China Cloud, with the tide. I’ll put Captain Orlov officially under your orders. For this voyage you’ll be master of
China Cloud.”
Culum liked the idea of being master of a real clipper. Yes.
“As soon as you get to Hong Kong, have Captain Orlov fetch Skinner aboard. Deliver to him personally a letter I’ll give you. Then do the same with another for Gordon. Under no circumstances go ashore yoursel’ or allow anyone else aboard. As soon as Skinner and Gordon have written their replies, send them back ashore and return here immediately. You should be back tomorrow night. Leave on the noon tide.”
“Very well. I can’t thank you enough for—well, for everything.”
“Who knows, lad? Mayhaps you never were within a league of the pox.”
“Yes. Even so—well, thanks.”
“I’ll see you in the office in an hour.”
“Good. That’ll give me time to say goodbye to Tess.”
“Have you ever considered taking your lives into your own hands? Na waiting for three months?”
“You mean, elope?”
“I asked if you’ve ever considered it, that’s all. I’m na saying you should.”
“I wish I could—we could. That would solve . . . it’s not possible, or I would. No one’d marry us.”
“Brock’d certainly be furious. And Gorth. I would na recommend that course. Is Gorth back yet?” he asked, knowing he was not.
“No. He’s due tonight.”
“Send word to Cap’n Orlov to meet us in my office, in an hour.”
“You’ll put him under my absolute orders?” Culum asked.
“Na as far as seamanship is concerned. But in all other matters, aye. Why?”
“Nothing, Tai-Pan,” Culum said. “See you in an hour.”
“Evening, Dirk,” Liza said, striding into the residence dining room. “Sorry to interrupt thy supper.”
“That’s all right, Liza,” Struan said, getting up. “Please sit down. Would you join me?”
“No, thank you. Be the youngsters here?”
“Eh? How could they be here?”
“I be waiting more’n hour with their supper,” Liza said irritably. “I thort they be dawdling again.” She turned for the door. “Sorry to interrupt your supper.”
“I dinna understand. Culum left in
China Cloud on the noon tide. How could you be expecting him for supper?”
“Wot?”
“He left Macao on the noon tide,” Struan repeated patiently.
“But Tess—I thort she were with him. At cricket match all afternoon.”
“I had to send him suddenly. This morning. The last I heard was that he was going to say goodbye to Tess. Oh, it must’ve been just before noon.”
“They never sayed he were leaving today, only that they’d be aseeing me later. Yes, it were afore noon! Then where be Tess? She baint been back all day.”
“That’s nothing to worry about. She’s probably wi’ friends—you know how young people dinna notice the passing of time.”
Liza bit her lip anxiously. “She never beed late afore. Not this late. She be a homebody, none of that there galavantin’ around. Anything’s happened to her, Tyler’ll . . . If she went with Culum on’t ship, there’ll be the devil to pay.”
“Why should they do that, Mrs. Brock?” Struan asked.
“God help ’em if they has. An’ you if you’ve ahelped ’em.”
After Liza had gone, Struan poured himself a glass of brandy, and went to the window to watch the
pra
ça and the harbor. When he saw the
White Witch almost at her moorings, he went downstairs.
“I go-ah Club, Lo Chum.”
“Yes, Mass’er.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Gorth came charging into the foyer of the Club like a wild bull, a cat-o’-nine-tails in his hands. He shoved startled servants and guests out of the way and crashed into the gaming room.
“Where be Struan?”
“I believe he’s in the bar, Gorth,” Horatio said, shocked by Gorth’s face and the cat that twitched maliciously.
Gorth whirled around and bolted across the foyer and into the bar. He saw Struan at a table with a group of traders. Everyone moved out of the way as Gorth strode up to Struan. “Where be Tess, you son of a bitch?”
There was dead silence in the room. Horatio and the others crowded the doorway.
“I dinna ken, and if you call me that again I’ll kill you.”
Gorth jerked Struan to his feet. “Be she on
China Cloud?”
Struan freed himself from Gorth’s grip. “I dinna ken. And if she is, what does it matter? Nae harm in a couple of youngsters—”
“You be planning it! You planned it, you scum! You tol’ Orlov t’marry ’em!”
“If they’ve eloped, what does it matter? If they’re married now, what does it matter?”
Gorth slashed at Struan with the cat. One of the iron-tipped tails sliced Struan’s face neatly. “Our Tess wedded to that pox-ridden rake?” he shouted. “You stinking son of a bitch!”