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e it's found … and pan tun tse； the so…called little white blocks。 Chinese call these the flesh and the bones of porcelain。〃 Sir Geoffrey walked over to the ornate leather…topped table that served as a bar and brought back the decanter。 It was about eight inches high and quite translucent； almost transparent。 〃The blue's remarkable too。 When the body's quite dry； cobalt in powder form's blown onto the porcelain with a bamboo pipe。 Actually the color's thousands of individual tiny specks of blue。 Then it's glazed and fired … at about 1300 degrees。〃 He put it back on the bar； the touch of the workmanship and the sight of it pleasing him。
〃Remarkable。〃
〃There was always an Imperial Edict against their export。 We quai loh were only entitled to articles made out of hua shih； slippery stone； or tun ni … brick mud。〃 He looked at his cup again； as a connoisseur。 〃The genius who made this probably earned 100 dollars a year。〃
〃Perhaps he was overpaid；〃 Crosse said and the two men smiled with one another。
〃Perhaps。〃
〃I'll find Arthur； sir； and the others。 You can depend on it。〃
〃I'm afraid I have to； Roger。 Both the minister and I agree。 He will have to inform the Prime Minister … and the Chiefs of Staff。〃
〃Then the information has to go through all sorts of hands and tongues and the enemy'll be bound to find out that we may be on to them。〃
〃Yes。 So we'll have to work fast。 I bought you four days' grace； Roger。 The minister won't pass anything on for that time。〃
〃Bought； sir？〃
〃Figuratively speaking。 In life one acquires and gives IOUs … even in the Diplomatic Corps。〃
〃Yes sir。 Thank you。〃
〃Nothing on Bartlett and Miss Casey？〃
〃No sir。 Rosemont and Langan have asked for up…to…date dossiers。 There seems to be some connection between Bartlett and Banastasio … we're not sure yet what it is。 Both he and Miss Tcholok were in Moscow last month。〃
〃Ah！〃 Sir Geoffrey replenished the cups。 〃What did you do about that poor fellow Voranski？〃
〃I sent the body back to his ship； sir。〃 Crosse told him the gist of his meeting with Rosemont and Langan and about the photographs。
〃That's a stroke of luck！ Our cousins are getting quite smart；〃 the governor said。 〃You'd better find those assassins before the KGB do … or the CIA； eh？〃
〃I have teams around the house now。 As soon as they appear we'll grab them。 We'll hold them inmunicado of course。 I've tightened security all around the Ivanov。 No one else'll slip through the net； I promise you。 No one。〃
〃Good。 The police missioner said he'd ordered CID to be more alert too。〃 Sir Geoffrey thought a moment。 〃I'll send a minute to the secretary about your not plying with the 1…4a。 American liaison in London's sure to be very upset； but under the circumstances； how could you obey？〃
〃If I might suggest； it might be better to ask him not to mention we haven't got the files yet； sir。 That information might also get into the wrong hands。 Leave well alone； as long as we can。〃
〃Yes； I agree。〃 The governor sipped his sherry。 〃There's lots of wisdom in laissez…faire； isn't there？〃
〃Yes sir。〃
Sir Geoffrey glanced at his watch。 〃I'll phone him in a few minutes； catch him before lunch。 Good。 But there's one problem I can't leave alone： the Ivanov。 This morning I heard from our unofficial intermediary that Peking views that ship's presence here with the greatest concern。〃 The quite unofficial spokesman for the PRC in Hong Kong and the ranking munist appointment was believed to be； presently； one of the deputy chairmen of the Bank of China； China's central bank through which passed all foreign exchange and all the billion U。S。 dollars earned by supplying consumer goods and almost all Hong Kong's food and water。 Britain had always maintained； bluntly； that Hong Kong was British soil； a Crown Colony。 In all of Hong Kong's history； since 1841； Britain had never allowed any official Chinese representative to reside in the Colony。 None。
〃He went out of his way to jiggle me about the Ivanov；〃 Sir Geoffrey continued； 〃and he wanted to register Peking's extreme displeasure that a Soviet spy ship was here。 He even suggested I might think it wise to expel it。 。。。 After all； he said； we hear one of the Soviet KGB spies posing as a seaman had actually got himself killed on our soil。 I thanked him for his interest and told him I'd advise my superiors … in due course。〃 Sir Geoffrey sipped some sherry。 〃Curiously； he didn't appear irritated that the nuclear carrier was here。〃
〃That's strange！〃 Crosse was equally surprised。 〃Does that indicate another policy shift … a distinct significant foreign…policy change； a desire for peace with the U。S。？ I can't believe that。 Everything indicates pathological hatred of the U。S。A。〃
The governor sighed and refilled the cups。 〃If it leaked that Sevrin's in existence； that we're undermined here 。。。 God almighty； they'd go into convulsions； and rightly so！〃
〃We'll find the traitors； sir； don't worry。 We'll find them！〃
〃Will we？ I wonder。〃 Sir Geoffrey sat down at the window seat and stared out at the manicured lawns and English garden； shrubs； flower beds surrounded by the high white wall； the sunset good。 His wife was cutting flowers； wandering among the beds at the far end of the gardens； followed by a sour…faced； disapproving Chinese gardener。 Sir Geoffrey watched her a moment。 They had been married thirty years and had three children； all married now； and they were content and at peace with each other。 〃Always traitors；〃 he said sadly。 〃The Soviets are past masters in their use。 So easy for the Sevrin traitors to agitate； to spread a little poison here and there； so easy to get China upset； poor China who's xenophobic anyway！ Oh how easy it is to rock our boat here！ Worst of all； who's your spy？ The police spy？ He must be at least a chief inspector to have access to that information。〃
〃I've no idea。 If I had； he'd've been neutralized long since。〃
〃What are you going to do about General Jen and his Nationalist undercover agents？〃
〃I'm going to leave them alone … they've been pegged for months。 Much better to leave known enemy agents in situ than to have to ferret out their replacements。〃
〃I agree … they'd certainly all be replaced。 Theirs； and ours。 Sad； so sad！ We do it and they do it。 So sad and so stupid … this world's such a paradise； could be such a paradise。〃
A bee hummed in the bay windows then flew back to the garden again as Sir Geoffrey eased the curtain aside。 〃The minister asked me to make sure our visiting MPs … our trade delegation to China that returns tomorrow … to make sure their security was optimum； judicious； though totally discreet。〃
〃Yes sir。 I understand。〃
〃It appears that one or two of them might be future cabinet ministers if the Labour Party get in。 It'd be good for the Colony to create a fine impression on them。〃
〃Do you think they've a chance next time？ The Labour Party？〃
〃I don't ment on those sort of questions； Roger。〃 The governor's voice was flat； and reproving。 〃I'm not concerned with party politics … I represent Her Majesty the Queen … but personally I really do wish some of their extremists would go away and leave us to our own devices for clearly much of their left wi