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thought, "I'm taking this much too calmly." He thought, "This can't be real."
    It was. He thought, "I wonder what's going to happen tomorrow." He thought, "I don't know what it is I'm waiting for to come to an end, but it seems to be going on for such a long time." He felt a little sad. He thought, " I wonder why that is." He thought, "There's an odd smell in here." He thought, "It must be the explosive." He thought—
    His body stopped oozing its life and he died.
    *
    Auden said, They've dropped the load on the crane!' Dust still continued to fall down from the ceiling of the Detectives' Room. He wrenched open a window and looked out at the crane. The load was intact.
    Spencer said, 'What the hell was it?'
    All the phones in the Station began ringing simultaneously.

2
    As the crowd began to gather outside what was left: of Mr Leung's ivory shop in Yellowthread Street, Detective Senior Inspector Christopher Kwan O'Yee was savouring the delights of the good life two miles away at the Hong Bay Millionaires' Club. O'Yee was enjoying it. He sat back in his heavy black lacquered carved wooden chair and said to Conway Kan, one of the selfsame millionaires, 'Thank you very much.'
    Conway Kan sat back in his heavy black lacquered chair (the carving just a little richer and the lacquer just a little heavier) and nodded. He was a very urbane fellow. He said urbanely, 'I'm just delighted you could make the time to see me.' He nodded in the direction of a series of paintings on the wall depicting the Imperial Court during the Fifty Thousand Hong Kong Dollars A Picture Dynasty and said, 'The pictures are always worth a visit even if the members of the Club aren't.'
    O'Yee smiled. He thought, "I'll bring my kids and have them eat ice cream on the antiques." He said, 'I've never been here before.'
    'No?' Conway Kan looked surprised. He was a very urbane fellow. He made a surprised motion with his head, 'I suppose the members aren't really very social.' He said, 'As one gets older one appreciates solitude.' He looked like the eternal Chinese, anywhere between fifty and seventy years old, portly, prosperous and balding, a pleasant-faced version of Mao Tse Tung without the warts. He touched absently at the lapel of his English lightweight suit and said, 'Is your family well? Your wife, Emily, and your children, Patrick, Penelope and Mary?' Conway Kan added, 'Shall I have tea brought?'
    O'Yee shook his head. 'How did you—'
    Conway Kan smiled. It was the sort of smile that meant you were either going to get a tip on the stockmarket that would make you a multi-millionaire overnight or the sort of smile that meant you had disappointed someone and consequently you might as well go out and slit your wrists because, oh boy, no one in the civilised world was ever going to have anything to do with you ever again because the word was out. Conway Kan said, 'Mr Ho was kind enough to advise me that you were a man one could discuss things with. Naturally, I enquired about your family.'
    'Mr Ho?'
    'I believe his first name is Humphrey. Is he in—Special Branch?'
    'So I hear.' Ho was one of those famous Hong Bay characters one heard about but never actually met. O'Yee said, 'I've never actually met him.'
    'He knows your senior officer, Mr Feiffer, and, of course, Mr Feiffer knows you.' Conway Kan flicked an invisible speck (gold dust) from the bridge of his nose, 'One proceeds discreetly when seeking men of discretion.'
    O'Yee said, 'I have no intention of doing anything illegal.' He waited for Conway Kan to be offended.
    Conway Kan was not offended. He smiled again. 'Precisely why you were recommended to me.' He said, 'Being a Eurasian has its advantages. For you.'
    O'Yee waited.
    'You combine the patience of your Chinese father with the efficiency of the Western influences in your life.' Conway Kan said, 'Your father is very highly respected in the community.'
    'My father lives in San Francisco.'
    Conway Kan said, 'So do many of my friends and business