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〃I wish it。〃
75
2：30 P。M。：
The Sea Witch was tied just offshore beside Sha Tin boat harbor where they had moored for lunch。 As soon as they had arrived； the cook； Casey and Peter Marlowe； had gone ashore with Gornt in mand to select the prawns and shrimps and fish that were still swimming in sea tanks； then on to the bustling market for morning…fresh vegetables。 Lunch had been quick…fried prawns with crunchy broccoli； then fish rubbed with garlic and pan…fried； served with mixed Chinese greens； again al dente。
The lunch had been laughter filled； the Chinese girls entertaining and happy； all of them speaking varying degrees of salty English； Dunstan Barre choleric and outrageously funny； the others joining in； and Casey thought how different the men were。 How much more unrestrained and boyish； and she thought that sad。 The talk had turned to business； and in the few short hours she had learned more about Hong Kong techniques than through all the reading she had done。 More and more it was clear that unless you were on the inside； real power and real riches would escape you。
〃Oh； you'll do very well here； Casey； you and Bartlett；〃 Barre had said。 〃If you play the game according to Hong Kong rules； Hong Kong tax structures and not U。S。 rules； right； Quillan？〃
〃Up to a point。 If you go with Dunross and Struan's … if Struan's and Dunross exist as an entity by next Friday … you'll get some milk but none of the cream。〃
〃With you we'll do better？〃 she had asked。
Barre had laughed。 〃Very much better； Casey； but it'll still be milk and very little cream！〃
〃Let's say； Casey； with us the milk'll be homogenized；〃 Gornt had said amiably。
Now the wonderful smell of freshly roasted coffee； freshly ground； was wafting up from the galley。 Conversation was general around the table； banter back and forth； mostly for her benefit； about trading in Asia； supply and demand and the Asian attitude to smuggling； the Chinese girls chattering among themselves。
Abruptly； Grey's voice； a biting rasp to it； cut through。 〃You'd better ask Marlowe about that； Mr。 Gornt。 He knows everything about smuggling and blackmailing from our Changi days。〃
〃e on； Grey；〃 Peter Marlowe said in the sudden silence。 〃Give over！〃
〃I thought you were proud of it； you and your Yankee blackmailer mate。 Weren't you？〃
〃Let's leave it； Grey；〃 Marlowe said； his face set。
〃Whatever you say； old lad。〃 Grey turned to Casey。 〃Ask him。〃
Gornt said； 〃This is hardly the time to rehash old quarrels； Mr。 Grey。〃 He kept his voice calm and the enjoyment off his face； outwardly the perfect host。
〃Oh； I wasn't； Mr。 Gornt。 You were talking about smuggling and black marketeering。 Marlowe's an expert； that's all。〃
〃Shall we have coffee on deck？〃 Gornt got up。
〃Good idea。 A cuppa coffee's ever so good after grub。〃 Grey used the word deliberately； knowing it would offend them； not caring now； suddenly tired of the banter； hating them and what they represented； hating being the odd…man out here； wanting one of the girls； any one。 〃Marlowe and his Yankee friend used to roast beans in the camp when the rest of us were starving；〃 he said； his face stark。 〃Used to drive us mad。〃 He looked at Peter Marlowe； his hate open now。 〃Didn't you？〃
After a pause； Peter Marlowe said； 〃Everyone had coffee some of the time。 Everyone roasted coffee beans。〃
〃Not like you two。〃 Grey turned to Casey。 〃They had coffee every day； him and his Yankee friend。 Me； I was provost marshal and I had it once a month if I was lucky。〃 He glanced back。 〃How did you get coffee and food while the rest of us starved？〃
Casey noticed the vein in Peter Marlowe's forehead knotting and she realized； aghast； that no answer was also an answer。 〃Robin 。。。〃 she began； but Grey overrode her； his voice taunting。 〃Why don't you answer； Marlowe？〃 In the silence they all looked from Grey to Peter Marlowe； staring at each other； even the girls tense and on guard； feeling the sudden violence in the cabin。
〃My dear fellow；〃 Gornt interrupted； deliberately using that slight nuance of accent he knew would goad Grey； 〃surely those are ancient times and rather unimportant now。 It is Sunday afternoon and we're all friends。〃
〃I think 'em rather important； Sunday afternoon or not and Marlowe and I aren't friends； never have been！ He's a toff； I'm not。〃 Grey aped the long a he loathed and broadened his accent。 〃Yes。 But the war changed everything and us workers'll never forget！〃
〃You consider yourself a worker and me not？〃 Peter Marlowe asked； his voice grating。
〃We're the exploited； you're the exploiters。 Like in Changi。〃
〃Get off that old broken record； Grey！ Changi was another world； another place and other time an… 〃
〃It was the same as everywhere。 There was bosses and the bossed； workers and them that fed off the workers。 Like you and the King。〃
〃Stuff and nonsense！〃
Casey was near to Grey and she reached out and took his arm。 〃Let's have coffee； okay？〃
〃Of course；〃 Grey said。 〃But first ask him； Casey。〃 Grimly Grey stood his ground； well aware he had； at long last； brought his enemy to bay in front of his peers。 〃Mr。 Gornt； ask him； eh？ Any of you 。。。〃
They all stood there in silence； embarrassed for Peter Marlowe and shocked with the implied accusations … Gornt and Plumm privately amused and fascinated。 Then one of the girls turned for the gangway and left quietly； the others following。 Casey would have liked to have gone too but she did not。
〃Now is not the time； Mr。 Grey；〃 she heard Gornt say gently and she was glad he was there to break it up。 〃Would you kindly leave this matter alone。 Please？〃
Grey looked at them all； his eyes ending up on his adversary。 〃You see； Casey； not one's got the guts to ask … they're all his class； so…called upper class and they look after their own。〃
Barre flushed。 〃I say； old chap； don't you th… 〃
Peter Marlowe said； his voice flat； 〃It's easy to stop this nonsense。 You can't equate Changi … or Dachau or Buchenwald with normality。 You just can't。 There were different rules； different patterns。 We were soldiers； war prisoners； teen…agers most of us。 Changi was genesis； everything new； upside down； ev… 〃
〃Were you a black marketeer？〃
〃No。 I was an interpreter in Malay for a friend who was a trader and there's a lot of difference between trading and black marketing an…
〃But it was against camp rules； camp law； and that makes it black marketing； right？〃
〃Trading with the guards was against enemy rules； Japanese rules。〃
〃And tell them how the King'd buy some poor bugger's watch or ring or fountain pen for a pittance； the last bloody thing he had in the world； and sell it high and never tell and cheat on the price； cheat； always cheat。 Eh？〃
Peter Marlowe stared back。 〃Read my book。 In it th… 〃
〃Book？〃 Again Grey laughed； goading him。 〃Tell 'em on your honor as a gent； your father's honor and your family's honor you're so bloody proud of … did the King cheat or didn't he？ On your honor！ Eh？〃
Almost paralyzed； Casey saw Peter Marlowe make a fist。 〃If we weren't guests here；〃 he hissed； 〃I'd tell them what a shower you really were！〃
〃You can rot in hell。 。。。〃
〃Now that's enough；〃 Gornt said as