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〃English？〃 Toxe asked surprised； writing swiftly。
〃No。 Characters。 There was something about the writing … could be a quai loh。〃
〃Did you get a copy？〃
〃The police wouldn't le… 〃
〃Get a photocopy。 Beg borrow or steal a photocopy in time for the afternoon edition。 A week's bonus if you do it。〃
〃Cash this afternoon？〃
〃All right。〃
〃You have it。〃
〃Any signature？〃
〃 'Your only love。' The love was in English。〃
〃Mr。 Toxe！ Mrs。 Publisher's on line two！〃 The English secretary called out through the open door； her desk just outside the glass partition。
〃Oh Christ； I'll 。。。 I'll call her back。 Tell her I've got a big story breaking。〃 Then into the phone again； 〃Dan； keep on this story … keep close to the police； go with them to the dead girl's flat … if it's her flat。 Find out who owns it … who her people are； where they live。 Call me back！〃 Toxe hung up and called out to his assistant editor； 〃Hey； Mac！〃
The lean； dour； gray…haired man got up from his desk and wandered in。 〃Aye？〃
〃I think we should put out an extra。 Headline 。。。〃 He scrawled on a piece of paper； 〃Mob Kills Fragrant Flower！〃
〃How about 'Mob Murders Fragrant Flower' ？〃
〃Or； 'First Death at Aberdeen' ？〃
〃 'Mob Murders' is better。〃
〃That's it then。 Martin！〃 Toxe called out。 Martin Haply looked up from his desk and came over。 Toxe ran his fingers through his hair as he told them both what Dan Yap had related。 〃Martin； do a follow…up： 'The beautiful young girl was crushed by the feet of the mob … but who were the real killers？ Is it an inpetent government who refuses to regulate our outdated banking system？ Are the killers those who started the rumors？ Is the run on the Ho…Pak as simple as it sounds 。。。 ' etcetera。〃
〃Got it。〃 Haply grinned and went back to his desk in the main office。 He gulped a cold cup of coffee out of a plastic cup and started to type； his desk piled high with reference books； Chinese newspapers and stock market reports。 Teletypes chattered in the background。 A few silent copy boys and trainees delivered or picked up copy。
〃Hey； Martin！ What's the latest from the stock market？〃
Martin Haply dialed a number without looking at the phone； then called back to the editor。 〃Ho…Pak's down to 24。60； four points from yesterday。 Struan's are down a point though there's been some heavy buying。 Hong Kong Lan Tao up three points … the story's just been confirmed。 Dunstan Barre took their money out yesterday。〃
〃They did？ Then you were right again！ Shit！〃
〃Victoria's off half a point … all banks are edgy and no buyers。 There's a rumor a line's forming outside Blacs and the Victoria's head office in Central。〃 Both men gasped。
〃Send someone to check the Vic！〃 Mac hurried out。 Jesus Christ； Toxe thought； his stomach churning； Jesus Christ if a run starts on the Vic the whole sodding island'll collapse and my sodding savings with it。
He leaned back in his old chair and put his feet on the desk； loving his job； loving the pressure and immediacy。
〃Do you want me to call her？〃 his secretary asked。 She was round and unflappable。
〃Who？ Oh shit； Peg； I'd forgotten。 Yes … call the Dragon。〃
The Dragon was the wife of the publisher； Mong Pa…tok； the present head of the sprawling Mong family who owned this paper and three Chinese newspapers and five magazines； whose antecedents went back to the earliest days。 The Mongs were supposed to have descended from the first editor…owner…publisher of the paper； Morley Skinner。 The story was that Dirk Struan had given Skinner control of the paper in return for helping him against Tyler Brock and his son Gorth by hushing up the killing of Gorth in Macao。 It was said Dirk Struan had provoked the duel。 Both men had used fighting irons。 Once； some years ago； Toxe had heard old Sarah Chen in her cups relate that when the Brocks came to collect Gorth's body they did not recognize him。 The old woman had added that her father； Sir Gordon Chen； had had to mobilize most of Chinatown to prevent the Brocks from setting afire the Struan warehouses。 Tyler Brock had set Tai…ping Shan alight instead。 Only the great typhoon that came that night stopped the whole city from going up in flames … the same holocaust that had destroyed Dirk Struan's Great House and him and his secret Chinese wife； May…may。
〃She's on line two。〃
〃Eh？ Oh！ All right； Peg。〃 Toxe sighed。
〃Ah Mr。 Toxe； I was waiting your call； heya？〃
〃What can I do for you； or Mr。 Mong？〃
〃Your pieces on the Ho…Pak Bank； yesterday and today； that the adverse rumors about the Ho…Pak are untrue and started by tai…pans and another big bank。 I see more today。〃
〃Yes。 Haply's quite sure。〃
〃My husband and I hear this not true。 No tai…pans or banks are putting out rumors or have put out rumors。 Perhaps wise to drop this attack。〃
〃It's not an attack； Mrs。 Mong； just an attitude。 You know how susceptible Chinese are to rumors。 The Ho…Pak's as strong as any bank in the Colony。 We feel sure the rumors were started by a bi… 〃
〃Not by tai…pans and not big bank。 My husband and I not like this attitude never mind。 Please to change；〃 she said and he heard the granite in her voice。
〃That's editorial policy and I have control over editorial policy；〃 he said grimly。
〃We are publisher。 It is our newspaper。 We tell you to stop so you will stop。〃
〃You're ordering me to stop？〃
〃Of course it is order。〃
〃Very well。 As you order it； it's stopped。〃
〃Good！〃 The phone went dead。 Christian Toxe snapped his pencil and threw it against the wall and began to curse。 His secretary sighed and discreetly closed the door and when he was done Toxe opened the door。 〃Peg； how about some coffee？ Mac！ Martin！〃
Toxe sat back at his desk。 The chair creaked。 He mopped the sweat off his cheeks and lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply。
〃Yes； Chris？〃 Haply asked。
〃Martin； cancel the piece I asked for and do another on Hong Kong banking and the need to have some form of banking insurance。 。。。〃
Both men gaped at him。
〃Our publisher doesn't like the rumors approach。〃
Martin Haply flushed。 〃Well screw him！ You heard the guys yourself at the tai…pan's party！〃
〃That proves nothing。 You've no proof。 We're stopping that approach。 It's not proven so I can't take a stand。〃
〃But； lo… 〃
Toxe's neck went purple。 〃It's bloody well stopped；〃 he roared。 〃Understand？〃
Haply began to say something but changed his mind。 Choked with rage he turned on his heel and left。 He walked across the big room and jerked the front door open and slammed it behind him。
Christian Toxe exhaled。 〃He's got a lousy bloody temper that lad！〃
He stubbed his cigarette out and lit another。 〃Christ； I'm smoking too much！〃 Still seething； his brown eyes watched the older man。 〃Someone must have called her； Mac。 Now what would you like as a return favor if you were Mrs。 Dragon Mong？〃
Suddenly Mac beamed。 〃Na a voting membership of the Turf Club！〃
〃Go to the head of the class！〃
Singh； the Indian reporter； came in with a foot of teletype。 〃You might need this for the extra； Chris。〃
It was a series of Reuters reports from the Middle East。 〃Teheran 0832 hours： High…level diplomatic sources in Iran report sudden extensive Soviet military mane