Necropolis

King of the Old Ones, or whatever he calls himself. They want to make me pay."
    There was a long silence.
    "What do you want to do, Matt?" Susan Ashwood asked. And that made a change. Normally the Nexus told him what they wanted him to do.
    "I still have to go to Hong Kong," Matt said.
    "Matt —" Richard began.

    Matt stopped him. "What Miss Ashwood said was right. They're not going to let any of you get anywhere near Scarlett. It has to be the two of us, Jamie and me. And you too, Richard, if you want to come. But maybe we can use this situation to our advantage. The Old Ones expect us to turn up in the Temple of Tai Shan. That's how they've arranged the trap. But suppose we arrive another way? We could still take them by surprise."
    "You could go in by sea," Foster said. "There are cruise ships going in and out of Hong Kong all the time."
    "May I suggest something?" Mr. Lee interrupted, asking permission again. "The best way to enter Hong Kong might be through Macao.- It is part of China, a small stub of land on the South China Sea — and like Hong Kong, it is a Special Administrative Region, which is to say, it is — at least in part —
    independent. You can fly from one to the other in a very short time. Helicopters make the journey several times a day."
    "And how do we get to Macao?" Richard asked.
    "You cannot fly there direct. I believe you will have to go via Singapore. But it is, if you like, a back door into Hong Kong — and one that the Old Ones may have overlooked." He took out a handkerchief and polished the lenses of his glasses. "More than that, I have a connection in Macao who may agree to help you. He has many resources. In fact, if anyone knows the truth about what is going on in that part of the world, it will be him."
    "Wait a minute…" Richard was worried and he didn't try to hide it. He was wishing he'd never mentioned the diary in the first place. "Matt, are you really sure you have to go there?" he asked. 'You've already said that it's you that they want. You say it's a trap. Now you're walking straight into it."
    "We need Scarlett," Matt replied simply. "They have her. We can't win without her." He looked round.
    "Jamie, will you come with me?"
    Jamie shrugged. "I've always wanted to see Hong Kong."
    "Then it's agreed." Matt turned back to Mr. Lee. "How quickly can you get in touch with your friend?"
    "His name is Han Shan-tung," Lee replied. "He is a man with great influence. He has many friends inside Hong Kong. But it may not be easy to find him. He travels a great deal. You may have to wait."
    "We can't wait."
    "It will just be a few days. But trust me. It would be foolish to enter the city without his support."

    A few days. More waiting. Matt thought about Scarlett. In a few hours' time, she would be landing in Hong Kong. What would she find when she got there? How would she manage on her own?
    But there was no other way. Somehow she would have to survive until he got there. He just hoped it wouldn't be too long.
    FIFTEEN
    Wisdom Court
    The nightmare started almost from the moment Scarlett arrived at Hong Kong Airport.
    She was still a Skyflyer Solo, and the airline had arranged for an escort to meet her at the plane and take her through immigration and customs. His name was Justin, and he was dark-haired, in his early twenties, dressed like a member of the cabin crew.
    "Did you have a good flight?" He spoke with an Australian accent and seemed friendly enough.
    "It was okay."
    'You must be tired. Never mind — I'll see you through to the other side. Is this your first time in Hong Kong?"
    ''Yes."
    'You're going to love it here!"
    He prattled on as Scarlett followed him to passport control. It would have been easy to find her own way
    — there were signs written in English as well as Chinese — but she was glad to have company after eleven hours of sitting on her own in what had felt like outer space. The worst thing about the flight hadn't been the length or the boredom — it had been the sense of disconnection. She was going somewhere she didn't want to go, not even knowing why she was going there. What could be so urgent that her father had made her travel all this way? And why hadn't he been able to tell her on the phone?
    The airport was surprisingly quiet, but then, it was only six o'clock in the morning and perhaps there hadn't been that many international flights. Even so, Scarlett felt uneasy. She examined the people around her as they stood on the travelator, being