respectable?"
"There must be an intermediary, someone who will sign papers, admit ownership if necessary, and take perhaps five per cent for his trouble."
"What sort of person? An Englishman?"
"It would be better if he were not a subject of the Federation or of Singapore. I am thinking of the emergency regulations."
"A Frenchman or an American, perhaps?"
"There are Americans doing such business."
"Could you approach one of them?"
Yam Heng pursed his lips. "This would be too small for those men, I think. Besides, they would want too much for themselves. We do not need an experienced man."
Siow Mong thought for a moment. Then he asked: "Have you met Khoo Ah Au?"
"Who is he?"
"I was forgetting that you have been out of touch with family affairs. He married our niece in Manila last year. They live in Hong Kong now. Perhaps he would know of a suitable American. I shall be going there next month. I might discuss the requirements with him. Possibly ..." He broke off. "But this is all talk. You say that to ship the goods is only a matter of organisation. How would you do it?"
Yam Heng told him.
His brother listened and was impressed. "It might be done," he admitted grudgingly at last.
They discussed some details and, later that day, Siow Mong telephoned Girija. He referred to their recent conversation and then said that although he, Mr. Tan, could do nothing in the matter, he had heard of a Mr. Lee who might be able to give useful advice. A meeting was arranged.
III
Girija never guessed that 'Mr. Lee' was Mr. Tan's brother. Mr. Tan was refined. Mr. Lee had coarse, heavy features, a sullen expression and a hectoring, impatient way of speaking that bordered on rudeness. Girija did not like him.
They met at a rest house not far from the estate. Mr. Lee had taken a room there for the night and they identified one another without difficulty.
The first meeting was brief. Mr. Lee produced Girija's list and asked him if he were prepared to prove the existence of the items listed by producing a sample of any one of them that Mr. Lee himself selected.
Girija nodded. "I have already said that my friend could give a sample if required. I ask only that the item chosen should be small and light."
"How small? How light?"
"Small and light enough to be carried in the pocket. You would not ask me to cycle along the road with a rifle on my back."
"Is a machine pistol loading clip small enough?"
"Yes. And I will bring a few rounds of ammunition with it."
"When?"
"Monday."
"Today is Thursday. Why not tomorrow?"
"It cannot be arranged before Monday."
"Very well. But I have no time to waste."
On Sunday, Girija went out to Awang and made his way up to the dump. It was several months since he had last repaired the shelter and the screens were in a bad state. The termites were back again, too. He hoped that Mr. Lee was in as much of a hurry as he professed to be.
On Monday, he met Mr. Lee again and showed him some ammunition and a clip.
Mr. Lee wiped the grease off the clip and examined the German markings carefully. Finally, he put the clip in his pocket.
"That would seem to be in order," he said. "Naturally, I will have to check these marks. In the meantime I must have some information. Where would delivery take place?"
"In this area."
"What do you consider would be needed to transport the goods?"
"One thirty hundredweight truck."
"Are the goods near a road?"
"Not at present. They can be brought to a loading point fifty yards from a road, but that operation will require three days' advance notice."
"That may be difficult."
"It must be allowed for." Girija spoke with assurance. He had had three years to solve this problem in logistics, and knew that there was only one answer to it.
"You say fifty yards from a road. Would you and your friend be there to help with the loading? It would have to be done at night."
"I or my friend would be there. Two men could do the loading in less than an hour. The
"There must be an intermediary, someone who will sign papers, admit ownership if necessary, and take perhaps five per cent for his trouble."
"What sort of person? An Englishman?"
"It would be better if he were not a subject of the Federation or of Singapore. I am thinking of the emergency regulations."
"A Frenchman or an American, perhaps?"
"There are Americans doing such business."
"Could you approach one of them?"
Yam Heng pursed his lips. "This would be too small for those men, I think. Besides, they would want too much for themselves. We do not need an experienced man."
Siow Mong thought for a moment. Then he asked: "Have you met Khoo Ah Au?"
"Who is he?"
"I was forgetting that you have been out of touch with family affairs. He married our niece in Manila last year. They live in Hong Kong now. Perhaps he would know of a suitable American. I shall be going there next month. I might discuss the requirements with him. Possibly ..." He broke off. "But this is all talk. You say that to ship the goods is only a matter of organisation. How would you do it?"
Yam Heng told him.
His brother listened and was impressed. "It might be done," he admitted grudgingly at last.
They discussed some details and, later that day, Siow Mong telephoned Girija. He referred to their recent conversation and then said that although he, Mr. Tan, could do nothing in the matter, he had heard of a Mr. Lee who might be able to give useful advice. A meeting was arranged.
III
Girija never guessed that 'Mr. Lee' was Mr. Tan's brother. Mr. Tan was refined. Mr. Lee had coarse, heavy features, a sullen expression and a hectoring, impatient way of speaking that bordered on rudeness. Girija did not like him.
They met at a rest house not far from the estate. Mr. Lee had taken a room there for the night and they identified one another without difficulty.
The first meeting was brief. Mr. Lee produced Girija's list and asked him if he were prepared to prove the existence of the items listed by producing a sample of any one of them that Mr. Lee himself selected.
Girija nodded. "I have already said that my friend could give a sample if required. I ask only that the item chosen should be small and light."
"How small? How light?"
"Small and light enough to be carried in the pocket. You would not ask me to cycle along the road with a rifle on my back."
"Is a machine pistol loading clip small enough?"
"Yes. And I will bring a few rounds of ammunition with it."
"When?"
"Monday."
"Today is Thursday. Why not tomorrow?"
"It cannot be arranged before Monday."
"Very well. But I have no time to waste."
On Sunday, Girija went out to Awang and made his way up to the dump. It was several months since he had last repaired the shelter and the screens were in a bad state. The termites were back again, too. He hoped that Mr. Lee was in as much of a hurry as he professed to be.
On Monday, he met Mr. Lee again and showed him some ammunition and a clip.
Mr. Lee wiped the grease off the clip and examined the German markings carefully. Finally, he put the clip in his pocket.
"That would seem to be in order," he said. "Naturally, I will have to check these marks. In the meantime I must have some information. Where would delivery take place?"
"In this area."
"What do you consider would be needed to transport the goods?"
"One thirty hundredweight truck."
"Are the goods near a road?"
"Not at present. They can be brought to a loading point fifty yards from a road, but that operation will require three days' advance notice."
"That may be difficult."
"It must be allowed for." Girija spoke with assurance. He had had three years to solve this problem in logistics, and knew that there was only one answer to it.
"You say fifty yards from a road. Would you and your friend be there to help with the loading? It would have to be done at night."
"I or my friend would be there. Two men could do the loading in less than an hour. The
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