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〃Why not？〃 Dim sum … small chow or small foods … were bite…sized dough envelopes packed with minced shrimps or vegetables or various meats then steamed or deep…fried and eaten with a touch of soya； or saucers of chicken and other meats in various sauces or pastries of all kinds。
〃Your Worships are going to the track？〃
Brian Kwok nodded； sipping his jasmine tea； his eyes roving the diners； making many of them very nervous。 〃Who's going to win the fifth？〃 he asked。
The restaurateur hesitated； knowing he'd better tell the truth。 He said carefully in Cantonese； 〃They say that neither Golden Lady； Noble Star； Pilot Fish or Butterscotch Lass has 。。。 has yet been touted as having an edge。〃 He saw the cold black…brown eyes e to rest on him and he tried not to shudder。 〃By all the gods； that's what they say。〃
〃Good。 I'll e here Saturday morning。 Or I'll send my sergeant。 Then you can whisper in his ear if some foul play's contemplated。 Yes。 And if it turns out one of those are doped or cut and I don't know about it on Saturday morning 。。。 perhaps your soups will addle for fifty years。〃
One Foot smiled nervously。 〃Yes； Lord。 Let me see to your food no… 〃
〃Before you go； what's the latest gossip on John Chen？〃
〃None。 Oh very none； Honored Lord；〃 the man said； a little perspiration on his upper lip。 〃Fragrant Harbor's as clean of information on him as a virgin's treasure。 Nothing； Lord。 Not a dog's fart of a real rumor though everyone's looking。 I hear there's an extra great reward。〃
〃What？ How much？〃
〃100；000 extra dollars if within three days。〃
Both policemen whistled。 〃Offered by whom？〃 Armstrong asked。
One Foot shrugged； his eyes hard。 〃No one knows； Sire。 They say by one of the Dragons … or all the Dragons。 100；000 and promotion if within three days … if he's recovered alive。 Please； now let me see about your food。〃
They watched him go。 〃Why did you lean on One Foot？〃 Armstrong asked。
〃I'm tired of his mealy…mouthed hypocrisy … and all these rotten little thugs。 The cat…o'…nine…tails'd solve our triad problems。〃
Armstrong called for a beer。 〃When I leaned on Sergeant Tang…po I didn't think I'd get such action so fast。 100；000's a lot of money！ This can't be just a simple kidnapping。 Jesus Christ that's a lot of reward！ There's got to be something special about John。〃
〃Yes。 If it's true。〃
But they had arrived at no conclusions and when they came to the track； Brian Kwok had gone to check in with HQ and now Armstrong had his binoculars trained on the mare。 Butterscotch Lass was leaving the track to walk back up the hill to the stables。 She looks in great fettle； he thought。 They all do。 Shit； which one？
〃Robert？〃
〃Oh hello； Peter。〃
Peter Marlowe smiled at him。 〃Are you up early or going to bed late？〃
〃Late。〃
〃Did you notice the way Noble Star charged without her jockey doing a thing？〃
〃You've sharp eyes。〃
Peter Marlowe smiled and shook his head。 He pointed at a group of men around one of the horses。 〃Donald McBride told me。〃
〃Ah！〃 McBride was an immensely popular racing steward； a Eurasian property developer who had e to Hong Kong from Shanghai in '49。 〃Has he given you the winner？ He'll know if anyone does。〃
〃No； but he invited me to his box on Saturday。 Are you racing？〃
〃Do you mind！ I'll see you in the members' box … I don't cavort with the nobs！〃
They both watched the horses for a while。 〃Golden Lady looks good。〃
〃They all do。〃
〃Nothing on John Chen yet？〃
〃Nothing。〃 Armstrong caught sight of Dunross in his binoculars； talking to some stewards。 Not far away was the SI guard that Crosse had assigned to him。 Roll on Friday； the policeman thought。 The sooner we see those AMG files the better。 He felt slightly sick and he could not decide if it was apprehension about the papers； or Sevrin； or if it was just fatigue。 He began to reach for a cigarette … stopped。 You don't need a smoke； he ordered himself。 〃You should give up smoking； Peter。 It's very bad for you。〃
〃Yes。 Yes I should。 How's it going with you？〃
〃No trouble。 Which reminds me； Peter； the Old Man approved your trip around the border road。 Day after tomorrow； Friday； 6：00 a。m。 on the dot at Kowloon HQ。 That all right？〃
Peter Marlowe's heart leaped。 At long last he could look into Mainland China； into the unknown。 In all the borderland of the New Territories there was only one accessible lookout that tourists could use to see into China； but the hill was so far away you could not see much at all。 Even with binoculars。 〃How terrific！〃 he said； elated。 At Armstrong's suggestion he had written to the missioner and applied for this permission。 The border road meandered from shore to shore。 It was forbidden to all traffic and all persons … except locals in certain areas。 It ran in a wide stretch of no…man's…land between the Colony and China。 Once a day it was patrolled under very controlled circumstances。 The Hong Kong Government had no wish to rock any PRC boats。
〃One condition； Peter： You don't mention it or talk about it for a year or so。〃
〃My word on it。〃
Armstrong suppressed another yawn。 〃You'll be the only Yank who's ever gone along it； perhaps ever will。〃
〃Terrific！ Thanks。〃
〃Why did you bee a citizen？〃
After a pause Peter Marlowe said； 〃I'm a writer。 All my ine es from there； almost all of it。 Now people are beginning to read what I write。 Perhaps I'd like the right to criticize。〃
〃Have you ever been to any Iron Curtain countries？〃
〃Oh yes。 I went to Moscow in July for the film festival。 One of the films I wrote was the American entry。 Why？〃
〃Nothing；〃 Armstrong said； remembering Bartlett's and Casey's Moscow franks。 He smiled。 〃No reason。〃
〃One good turn deserves another。 I heard a buzz about Bartlett's guns。〃
〃Oh？〃 Armstrong was instantly attentive。 Peter Marlowe was very rare in Hong Kong inasmuch as he crossed social strata and was accepted as a friend by many normally hostile groups。
〃It's just talk probably but some friends have a theory … 〃
〃Chinese friends？〃
〃Yes。 They think the guns were a sample shipment； bound for one of our piratical Chinese citizens … at least； one with a history of smuggling … for shipment to one of the guerrilla bands operating in South Vietnam； called Viet Cong。〃
Armstrong grunted。 〃That's farfetched； Peter； Hong Kong's not the place to transit guns。〃
〃Yes。 But this shipment was special； the first； and it was asked for in a hurry and was to be delivered in a hurry。 You've heard of Delta Force？〃
〃No；〃 Armstrong said； staggered that Peter Marlowe had already heard of what Rosemont； CIA； had assured them in great secrecy was a very classified operation。
〃I understand it's a group of specially trained U。S。 bat soldiers； Robert； a special force who're operating in Vietnam in small units under the control of the American Technical Group； which's a cover name for the CIA。 It seems they're succeeding so well that the Viet Cong need modern weapons fast and in great quantity and are prepared to pay handsomely。 So these were rushed here on Bartlett's plane。〃
〃Is he involved？〃
〃My friends doubt it；〃 he said after a pause。 〃Anyway； the guns're U。S。 Army issue； Robert； right？ Well； once this shipment