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of business Monday； I'll announce the whole deal's confirmed。 Then； e Tuesday 。。。〃
〃The boom's on！〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Oh happy day；〃 Dianne croaked delightedly。 〃And every amah； houseboy； coolie； businessman； will decide their joss is perfect and out will e their savings and everything gets fed； all stocks will rocket。 What a pity there won't be an editorial tomorrow 。。。 even better； an astrologer in one of the papers 。。。 say Hundred Year Fong 。。。 or 。。。〃 Her eyes almost crossed with excitement。 〃What about the astrologer； Phillip？〃
He stared at her； shocked。 〃Old Blind Tung？〃
〃Why not？ Some h'eung yau in his palm 。。。 or the promise of a few shares of whatever stock you name。 Heya？〃
〃Well； I… 〃
〃Leave that one to me。 Old Blind Tung owes me a favor or two； I've sent him enough clients！ Yes。 And he won't be far wrong announcing heavenly portents that herald the greatest boom in Hong Kong's history； will he？〃
9
5：25 P。M。 ：
The police pathologist； Dr。 Meng； adjusted the focus of the microscope and studied the sliver of flesh that he had cut from the ear。 Brian Kwok watched him impatiently。 The doctor was a small pedantic little Cantonese with thick…lensed glasses perched on his forehead。 At length he looked up and his glasses fell conveniently onto his nose。 〃Well； Brian； it could have been sliced from a living person and not a corpse 。。。 possibly。 Possibly within the last eight or ten hours。 The bruising 。。。 here； look at the back〃 … Dr。 Meng motioned delicately at the discoloration at the back and at the top … 〃。。。 that certainly indicates to me that the person was alive at the time。〃
〃Why bruising； Dr。 Meng？ What caused it？ The slash？〃
〃It could have been caused by someone holding the specimen tightly；〃 Dr。 Meng said cautiously； 〃while it was being removed。〃
〃By what … knife； razor； zip knife； or Chinese chopper … cooking chopper？〃
〃By a sharp instrument。〃
Brian Kwok sighed。 〃Would that kill someone？ The shock？ Someone like John Chen？〃
Dr。 Meng steepled his fingers。 〃It could； possibly。 Possibly not。 Does he have a history of a weak heart？〃
〃His father said he hadn't … I haven't checked with his own doctor yet … the bugger's on holiday but John's never given any indication of being anything but healthy。〃
〃This mutilation probably shouldn't kill a healthy man but he'd be very unfortable for a week or two。〃 The doctor beamed。 〃Very unfortable indeed。〃
〃Jesus！〃 Brian said。 〃Isn't there anything you can give me that'll help？〃
〃I'm a forensic pathologist； Brian； not a seer。〃
〃Can you tell if the ear's Eurasian … or pure Chinese？〃
〃No。 No； with this specimen that'd be almost impossible。 But it's certainly not Anglo…Saxon； or Indian or Negroid。〃 Dr。 Meng took off his glasses and stared myopically up at the tall superintendent。 〃This could possibly cause quite a ripple in the House of Chen； heya？〃
〃Yes。 And the Noble House。〃 Brian Kwok thought a moment。 〃In your opinion； this Werewolf； this maniac； would you say he's Chinese？〃
〃The writing could have been a civilized person's； yes … equally it could have been done by a quai loh pretending to be a civilized person。 But if he or she was a civilized person that doesn't necessarily mean that the same person who did the act wrote the letter。〃
〃I know that。 What are the odds that John Chen's dead？〃
〃From the mutilation？〃
〃From the fact that the Werewolf； or more probably Werewolves； sent the ear even before starting negotiations。〃
The little man smiled and said dryly； 〃You mean old Sun Tzu's 'kill one to terrorize ten thousand'？ I don't know。 I don't speculate on such imponderables。 I only estimate odds on horses； Brian； or the stock market。 What about John Chen's Golden Lady on Saturday？〃
〃She's got a great chance。 Definitely。 And Struan's Noble Star … Gornt's Pilot Fish and even more； Richard Kwang's Butterscotch Lass。 She'll be the favorite I'll bet。 But Golden Lady's a real goer。 She'll start about three to one。 She's a flier and the going'll be good for her。 Dry。 She's useless in the wet。〃
〃Ah； any sign of rain？〃
〃Possible。 They say there's a storm ing。 Even a sprinkle could make all the difference。〃
〃Then it better not rain till Sunday； heya？〃
〃It won't rain this month … not unless we're enormously lucky。〃
〃Well if it rains it rains and if it doesn't it doesn't never mind！ Winter's ing … then this cursed humidity will go away。〃 Dr。 Meng glanced at the wall clock。 It was 5：35 p。m。 〃How about a quick one before we go home？〃
〃No thanks。 I've still got a few things to do。 Bloody nuisance this。〃
〃Tomorrow I'll see what clues I can e up with from the cloth； or the wrapping paper or the other things。 Perhaps fingerprinting will help you；〃 the doctor added。
〃I wouldn't bet on that。 This whole operation is very smelly。 Very smelly indeed。〃
Dr。 Meng nodded and his voice lost its gentleness。 〃Anything to do with the Noble House and their puppet House of Chen's smelly。 Isn't it？〃
Brian Kwok switched to sei yap； one of the main dialects of the Kwantung Province； spoken by many Hong Kong Cantonese。 〃Eh； Brother； don't you mean any and all capitalist running dogs are smelly； of which the Noble House and the House of Chen are chief and dung heavy？〃 he said banteringly。
〃Ah； Brother； don't you know yet； deep in your head； that the winds of change are whirling throughout the world？ And China under the immortal guidance of Chairman Mao； and Mao Thought； is the lead … 〃
〃Keep your proselytizing to yourself；〃 Brian Kwok said coldly； switching back to English。 〃Most of the thoughts of Mao are out of the writings of Sun Tzu； Confucius； Marx； Lao Tsu and others。 I know he's a poet … a great one … but he's usurped China and there's no freedom there now。 None。〃
〃Freedom？〃 the little man said defiantly。 〃What's freedom for a few years when； under the guidance of Chairman Mao； China's once more China and has taken back her rightful place in the world。 Now China is feared by all filthy capitalists！ Even by revisionist Russia。〃
〃Yes。 I agree。 For that I thank him。 Meanwhile if you don't like it here go home to Canton and sweat your balls off in your munist paradise and dew neh loh moh on all munists … and their fellow travelers！〃
〃You should go there； see for yourself。 It's propaganda that munism's bad for China。 Don't you read the newspapers？ No one's starving now。〃
〃What about the twenty…odd million who were murdered after the takeover？ What about all the brainwashing？〃
〃More propaganda！ Just because you've been to English and Canadian public schools and talk like a capitalist swine doesn't mean you're one of them。 Remember your heritage。〃
〃I do。 I remember it very well。〃
〃Your father was mistaken to send you away！〃 It was mon knowledge that Brian Kwok had been born in Canton and； at the age of six； sent to school in Hong Kong。 He was such a good student that in '37； when he was twelve； he had won a scholarship to a fine public school in England and had gone there； and then in '39； with the beginning of World War II； the whole school was evacuated to Canada。 In '42； at eighteen； he had graduated top of his class； senior prefect； and had joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police