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…one which is three again。 Will typhoon e on the third day of the Ninth Month this year？ It never has before； never in all memory； but will it this year？ Sixty…three is also nine。 Will it e on the ninth day？
He tasted the wind again。 There was more moisture in it。 Rain was ing。 The wind had freshened slightly。 It came from north/northeast now。
The old seaman hawked and spat。 Joss！ If it's the third or ninth or second it's joss never mind。 The only certain thing is that typhoon will e from some quarter or other and it will e in the Ninth Month … or this month which is equally bad。
He was watching the sampan now and he could see his son sitting amidships； alongside the barbarian； and he wondered how far he could trust him。 The lad's smart and knows the foreign devil ways very well； he thought； filled with pride。 Yes； but how far has he been converted to their evils？ I'll soon find out never mind。 Once the lad's part of the chain he'll be obedient。 Or dead。 In the past the House of Wu always traded in opium with or for the Noble House； and sometimes for ourselves。 Once opium was honorable。
It still is for some。 Me； Smuggler Mo； White Powder Lee； ah； what about them？ Should we join into a Brotherhood； or not？
But the White Powders？ Are they so different？ Aren't they just stronger opium … like spirit is to beer？
What's the trading difference between the White Powders and salt？ None。 Except that now stupid foreign devil law says one's contraband and the other isn't！ Ayeeyah； up to twenty…odd years ago when the barbarians lost their fornicating war to the fiends from the Eastern Sea； the government monopolized the trade here。
Wasn't Hong Kong trade with China built on opium； greased only by opium grown in barbarian India？
But now that they've destroyed their own producing fields； they're trying to pretend the trade never happened； that it's immoral and a terrible crime worth twenty years in prison！
Ayeeyah； how can a civilized person understand a barbarian？
Disgustedly he went below。
Eeeee； he thought wearily。 This has been a difficult day。 First John Chen vanishes。 Then those two Cantonese dogmeat fornicaters are caught at the airport and my shipment of guns is stolen by the fornicating police。 Then this afternoon the tai…pan's letter arrived by hand： 〃Greetings Honored Old Friend。 On reflection I suggest you put Number Seven Son with the enemy … better for him； better for us。 Ask Black Beard to see you tonight。 Telephone me afterwards。〃 It was signed with the tai…pan's chop and 〃Old Friend。〃
〃Old Friend〃 to a Chinese was a particular person or pany who had done you an extreme favor in the past； or someone in business who had proved trustworthy and profitable over the years。 Sometimes the years went over generations。
Yes； Wu thought； this tai…pan's an old friend。 It was he who had suggested the birth certificate and the new name for his Seventh Son； who suggested sending him to the Golden Country and had smoothed the waters there and the waters into the great university； and had watched over him there without his knowledge … the subterfuge solving his dilemma of how to have one of his sons trained in America without the taint of the opium connection。
What fools barbarians are！ Yes； but even so； this tai…pan is not。 He's truly an old friend … and so is the Noble House。
Wu remembered all the profits he and his family had made secretly over the generations； with or without the help of the Noble House； in peace and war； trading where barbarian ships could not： contraband； gold； gasoline； opium； rubber； machinery； medical drugs； anything and everything in short supply。 Even people； helping them escape from the Mainland or to the Mainland； their passage money considerable。 With and without but mostly with the assistance of the Noble House； with this tai…pan and before him Old Hawk Nose； his old cousin； and before him； Mad Dog； his father； and before him the cousin's father； the Wu clan had prospered。
Now Four Finger Wu had 6 percent of the Noble House； purchased over the years and hidden with their help in a maze of nominees but still in his sole control； the largest share of their gold transmittal business； along with heavy investments here； in Macao； Singapore and Indonesia and in property； shipping； banking。
Banking； he thought grimly。 I'll cut my nephew's throat after I've fed him his Secret Sack if I lose one copper cash！
He was below now and he went into the seamy； littered main cabin where he and his wife slept。 She was in the big straw…filled bunk and she turned over in half…sleep。 〃Are you finished now？ Are you ing to bed？〃
〃No。 Go to sleep；〃 he said kindly。 〃I've work to do。〃
Obediently she did as she was told。 She was his tai…tai； his chief wife； and they had been married for forty…seven years。
He took off his clothes and changed。 He put on a clean white shirt and clean socks and shoes； and the creases of his gray trousers were sharp。 He closed the cabin door quietly behind him and came nimbly on deck feeling very unfortable and tied in by the clothes。 〃I'll be back before dawn； Fourth Grandson；〃 he said。
〃Yes； Grandfather。〃
〃You stay awake now！〃
〃Yes； Grandfather。〃
He cuffed the boy gently then went across the gangways and stopped at the third junk。
〃Goodweather Poon？〃 he called out。
〃Yes 。。。 yes？〃 the sleepy voice said。 The old man was curled up on old sacking； dozing。
〃Assemble all the captains。 I'll be back within two hours。〃
Poon was immediately alert。 〃We sail？〃 he asked。
〃No。 I'll be back in two hours。 Assemble the captains！〃
Wu continued on his way and was bowed into his personal ferry sampan。 He peered at the shore。 His son was standing beside his big black Rolls with the good luck number plate … the single number 8 … that he had purchased for 150；000 HK in the government auction； his uniformed chauffeur and his bodyguard； Two Hatchet Tok； waiting deferentially beside him。 As always he felt pleasure seeing his great machine and this overrode his growing concern。 Of course； he was not the only dweller in the sea villages who owned a Rolls。 But； by custom； his was always the largest and the newest。 8； baat； was the luckiest number because it rhymed with faat which meant 〃expanding prosperity。〃
He felt the wind shift a point and his anxiety increased。 Eeeee； this has been a bad day but tomorrow will be worse。
Has that lump of dogmeat John Chen escaped to the Golden Country or is he truly kidnapped？ Without that piece of dung I'm still the tai…pan's running dog。 I'm tired of being a running dog。 The 100；000 reward for John Chen is money well invested。 I'd pay twelve times that for John Chen and his fornicating coin。 Thank all gods I put spies in Noble House Chen's household。
He stabbed his hand shoreward。 〃Be quick； old man；〃 he ordered the boatman； his face grim。 〃I've a lot to do before dawn！〃
19
2：23 P。M。：
The day was hot and very humid； the sky sultry； clouds beginning a buildup。 Since the opening this morning there had been no letup in the milling； noisy； sweating crowds inside and outside the small Aberdeen branch of the Ho…Pak Bank。
〃I've no more money to pay out； Honorable Sung；〃 the frightened tell