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〃My thought too。 Do you recognize him？〃
Armstrong peered at the face； trying to clear his head。 〃No。〃
〃Voranski？ Our dead Soviet friend？〃
〃Perhaps。 No； no I don't think so。〃
〃How about Dunross； Ian Dunross？〃
More shaken； Armstrong took it to the light。 〃Possible but 。。。 improbable。 If 。。。 if it's Dunross then 。。。 you think he's the Sevrin plant？ Impossible。〃
〃Improbable； not impossible。 He's very good friends with Brian。〃 Crosse took the photo back and looked at it。 〃Whoever he is he's familiar； what you can see of him； but I can't place the man or where I've seen him。 Yet。 Well； never mind。 Brian will remember。 Yes。〃 His voice became silky。 〃Oh； don't worry； Robert； I'll set Brian up for you but you're the one for the coup de grace。 I want to know who this fellow is very quickly； in fact I want to know everything Brian knows very； very quickly。〃
〃No。 Get someone els… 〃
〃Oh Robert； don't be so bloody boring！ Chu…toy Wu； alias Brian Kar…shun Kwok； is an enemy mole who's eluded us for years； that's all。〃 Crosse's voice cut into Armstrong。 〃By the way； you're on the 16/2 tonight at 6 30 and you're also seconded to SI。 I've already talked to the missioner。〃
〃No； and I can't interrog… 〃
〃Oh but my dear fellow you can and you will。 You're the only one who can； Brian's far too clever to be caught like an amateur。 Of course I'm as astounded he's the mole as you are； as the governor was！〃
〃Please。 I don… 〃
〃He betrayed Fong…fong； another friend of yours； eh？ He must have leaked the AMG papers。 It must be he who's furnished all our dossiers to the enemy and all the other information。 God knows what knowledge he's had access to on the General Staff Course and all the other courses。〃 Crosse puffed his cigarette； his face ordinary。 〃In SI he has the highest security clearances and I certainly agree he was being groomed for high office … I was even going to make him my number two！ So we'd better find out very quickly everything about him。 Curious； we were looking for a Soviet mole and it turns out we have a PRC one instead。〃 He stubbed out the cigarette。 〃I've ordered a Classification One interrogation on him to begin at once。〃
The color drained out of Armstrong's face and he stared at Crosse； hating him openly。 〃You're a bastard； a fucking rotten bastard。〃
Crosse laughed gently。 〃True。〃
〃Are you a fag too？〃
〃Perhaps。 Perhaps only occasionally and only when it pleases me。 Perhaps。〃 Crosse watched him calmly。 〃e now； Robert； do you really think I could be blackmailed？ Me？ Blackmailed？ Really； Robert； don't you understand life？ I hear homosexuality is quite normal； even in high places。〃
〃Is it？〃
〃Nowadays； yes； quite normal； almost fashionable； for some。 Oh yes； yes it is； my dear fellow； and it's practiced； from time to time； by a most catholic grouping of VIPs everywhere。 Even in Moscow。〃 Crosse lit another cigarette。 〃Of course； one should be discreet； selective and preferably unmitted； but a penchant for the peculiar could have all sorts of advantages in our profession。 Couldn't it？〃
〃So you justify any sort of evil； any sort of shit； murder； cheating； lying in the name of the bloody SI … is that it？〃
〃Robert； I justify nothing； I know you're distraught but I think that's enough of that。〃
〃You can't force me into SI。 I'll resign。〃
Crosse laughed scornfully。 〃But my dear fellow； what about all your debts？ What about the 40；000 by Monday？〃 He got up； his eyes granite。 His voice was hardly changed but now there was a vicious edge to it。 〃We're both over twenty…one； Robert。 Break him； and do it very quickly。〃
45
3：00 P。M。：
The closing bell of the Stock Exchange rang but the sound was drowned in the fetid pandemonium of massed brokers desperately trying to plete their final transactions。
For Struan's； the day had been disastrous。 Huge amounts of stock had been shoved onto the market to be bought tentatively； then hurled back again as rumors fed on more rumors and more stock was offered。 The share price plummeted from 24。70 to 17。50 and there were still 300；000 shares on offer in the sell column。 All bank shares were down； the market was reeling。 Everyone expected the Ho…Pak to fail tomorrow … only Sir Luis Basilio suspending trading in bank shares at noon had saved the bank from going under then。
〃Jesus Christ； what a stinker！〃 someone said。 〃Screwed by the sodding bell。〃
〃Look at the tai…pan！〃 another burst out。 〃Christ almighty； you'd think it was just another day and not the death knell of the Noble House！〃
〃He's got balls has our Ian； no doubt about that。 Look at that smile on him。 Christ； his stock goes from 24。70 to 17。50 in one day when it's never been below 25 since the poor bugger went public and it's as though nothing's happened。 Tomorrow Gornt has to get control！〃
〃I agree … or the bank。〃
〃The Vic？ No； they've troubles of their own；〃 another said； joining the excited； sweating group。
〃Holy mackerel； you really think Gornt will do it？ Gornt tai…pan of the new Noble House？〃
〃Can't imagine it！〃 another shouted over the din。
〃Better get used to it； old boy。 But I agree； you'd never know Ian's world's crashing about his testicles 。。。〃
〃About bloody time！〃 someone else called out。
〃Oh e on； the tai…pan's a good fellow； Gornt's an arrogant bastard。〃
〃They're both bastards！〃 another said。
〃Oh I don't know。 But I agree Ian's cold all right。 Ian's as cold as charity and that's pretty chilly。 。。。 〃
〃But not as cold as poor old Willy； he's dead poor bastard！〃
〃Willy？ Willy who？〃 someone asked amid the laughter。 〃Eh？〃
〃Oh for chrissake； Charlie； it's just a ditty； a poem！ Willy rhymes with chilly； that's all。 How did you do on the day？〃
〃I made a pile in missions。〃
〃I made a pile too。〃
〃Fantastic。 I unloaded 100 percent of all my own shares。 I'm liquid now； thank God！ It'll be tough on some of my clients but easy e easy go and they can afford it！〃
〃I'm still holding 58；000 Struan's and no takers 。。。〃
〃Jesusschriiist！〃
〃What's up？〃
〃The Ho…Pak's finished！ They've closed their doors。〃
〃What！〃
〃Every last bloody branch！〃
〃Christ almighty are you sure？〃
〃Of course I'm sure and they say the Vic won't open tomorrow either； that the governor'll declare tomorrow a bank holiday！ I have it on the highest authority； old boy！〃
〃Good sweet Christ； the Vic's closing？〃
〃Oh Christ we're all ruined。 。。。 〃
〃Listen； I've just talked to Johnjohn。 The run's spread to them but he says they'll be all right … not to worry。 。。。 〃
〃Thank God！〃
〃He says there was a riot at Aberdeen half an hour ago when the Ho…Pak branch there failed but Richard Kwang's just put out a press release。 He's 'temporarily closed' all their branches except Head Office in Central。 There's no need to worry； he's got plenty of money and 。。。 〃
〃Lying bastard！〃
〃 。。。 and anyone with Ho…Pak funds has to go there with their passbook and they'll get paid。〃
〃What about their shares？ When they liquidate how much do you think they'll pay？ Ten cents on the dollar？〃
〃God knows！ But thousands are going to lose their knickers in this crash！〃
〃Hey； tai…pan！ Are you going to let your stock plummet or are you going to buy？〃