mention business.
After lunch, the car dropped him back at his office, which was in a modern, American-style building, and then the Filipino driver took them on a tour of the city. When they returned to the office Mr. Tan's secretary informed them that he had had to go out, but that he hoped Mr. and Mrs. Nilsen and Miss Drecker would dine with him that evening. The car would call for them at seven. Mr. Tan would wear a white tuxedo.
Dorothy glanced at Arlene with a smile of triumph. "We're certainly getting the full treatment," she said. "He must want those die-castings pretty badly, eh, darling?"
Even Arlene was looking at him with approval.
Greg mumbled something non-committal. He was feeling thoroughly confused. His neglecting to tell Dorothy about the conversation with Jimmy Khoo in Hong Kong had been natural enough, he assured himself. The commercial technicalities about nominees, manifests and shipping in bond would only have bored her; and, besides, they had agreed from the start that business talk was to be taboo on the trip. The last thing he had been prepared for was having to account for Mr. Tan in the role of a generous host. When he had first reported the invitation to lunch, Arlene had been there, and it had been impossible to go into long explanations. "He's in the import-export business," had been all he had said; but Dorothy had jumped to the conclusion that the man wanted to buy die-castings.
He had not realised it until later, or he could have said something to her in time. As it was, the first he had heard about it had been during the afternoon's sight-seeing. He had been listening to the driver talking about the village he came from, when a fragment of conversation from the back seat had caught his attention.
"You see," Dorothy had been saying, "Greg's plant only does this special precision work. Most of his contracts are with the Government, or people like airplane manufacturers, or those other people who develop the missiles. He's never had much time for export business before."
Now, he was almost sorry that he had not taken the risk. He had manoeuvred himself into a false position where Dorothy was concerned; and it looked very much as if Mr. Tan had manoeuvred him into another. It was going to be embarrassing now to say 'no' to Mr. Tan or even to question him closely, when the questions could only imply doubt of his good faith. The fact that Mr. Tan's hospitality had a clear purpose was beside the point. Wisely or unwisely, the hospitality had been accepted; and so, an obligation, of courtesy at least, had been incurred.
Dinner was at a country club just outside the city, and had been specially ordered by Mr. Tan. The rum drinks were innocent-tasting but very potent. Towards the end of the evening, Arlene became emotional and, in trying to express her gratitude for the wonderful day she had had, was moved to tears of joy. Her mascara ran and she was forced to retire to the powder room. Mrs Tan and Dorothy decided to join her there. Greg and Mr. Tan were alone.
There was a pause.
"This has been a very enjoyable day," Greg said.
Mr. Tan smiled. "For me, too, Mr. Nilsen. Although—" he smiled again—"it would have been more enjoyable if you had not been so troubled by your suspicions."
"Suspicions?"
"My son-in-law in Hong Kong is a very praiseworthy young man. He is not a man of great substance as yet, but he is honest and hard-working. Otherwise, I would not have allowed my daughter to marry him. But he has a weakness."
"Oh yes?"
"A taste for melodrama. Did he mention piracy, Mr. Nilsen?"
"He did, yes."
"I was afraid so. He lives in the richly flavoured past of lions and dragons. It is an engaging weakness, but embarrassing in business."
"I guess it would be."
"You know, Mr. Nilsen, this small parcel of arms was acquired by accident, but, as far as I am concerned, perfectly legally. I will confess to you that its existence is inconvenient, and I would like to disembarrass myself. A
After lunch, the car dropped him back at his office, which was in a modern, American-style building, and then the Filipino driver took them on a tour of the city. When they returned to the office Mr. Tan's secretary informed them that he had had to go out, but that he hoped Mr. and Mrs. Nilsen and Miss Drecker would dine with him that evening. The car would call for them at seven. Mr. Tan would wear a white tuxedo.
Dorothy glanced at Arlene with a smile of triumph. "We're certainly getting the full treatment," she said. "He must want those die-castings pretty badly, eh, darling?"
Even Arlene was looking at him with approval.
Greg mumbled something non-committal. He was feeling thoroughly confused. His neglecting to tell Dorothy about the conversation with Jimmy Khoo in Hong Kong had been natural enough, he assured himself. The commercial technicalities about nominees, manifests and shipping in bond would only have bored her; and, besides, they had agreed from the start that business talk was to be taboo on the trip. The last thing he had been prepared for was having to account for Mr. Tan in the role of a generous host. When he had first reported the invitation to lunch, Arlene had been there, and it had been impossible to go into long explanations. "He's in the import-export business," had been all he had said; but Dorothy had jumped to the conclusion that the man wanted to buy die-castings.
He had not realised it until later, or he could have said something to her in time. As it was, the first he had heard about it had been during the afternoon's sight-seeing. He had been listening to the driver talking about the village he came from, when a fragment of conversation from the back seat had caught his attention.
"You see," Dorothy had been saying, "Greg's plant only does this special precision work. Most of his contracts are with the Government, or people like airplane manufacturers, or those other people who develop the missiles. He's never had much time for export business before."
Now, he was almost sorry that he had not taken the risk. He had manoeuvred himself into a false position where Dorothy was concerned; and it looked very much as if Mr. Tan had manoeuvred him into another. It was going to be embarrassing now to say 'no' to Mr. Tan or even to question him closely, when the questions could only imply doubt of his good faith. The fact that Mr. Tan's hospitality had a clear purpose was beside the point. Wisely or unwisely, the hospitality had been accepted; and so, an obligation, of courtesy at least, had been incurred.
Dinner was at a country club just outside the city, and had been specially ordered by Mr. Tan. The rum drinks were innocent-tasting but very potent. Towards the end of the evening, Arlene became emotional and, in trying to express her gratitude for the wonderful day she had had, was moved to tears of joy. Her mascara ran and she was forced to retire to the powder room. Mrs Tan and Dorothy decided to join her there. Greg and Mr. Tan were alone.
There was a pause.
"This has been a very enjoyable day," Greg said.
Mr. Tan smiled. "For me, too, Mr. Nilsen. Although—" he smiled again—"it would have been more enjoyable if you had not been so troubled by your suspicions."
"Suspicions?"
"My son-in-law in Hong Kong is a very praiseworthy young man. He is not a man of great substance as yet, but he is honest and hard-working. Otherwise, I would not have allowed my daughter to marry him. But he has a weakness."
"Oh yes?"
"A taste for melodrama. Did he mention piracy, Mr. Nilsen?"
"He did, yes."
"I was afraid so. He lives in the richly flavoured past of lions and dragons. It is an engaging weakness, but embarrassing in business."
"I guess it would be."
"You know, Mr. Nilsen, this small parcel of arms was acquired by accident, but, as far as I am concerned, perfectly legally. I will confess to you that its existence is inconvenient, and I would like to disembarrass myself. A
Similar Books
