Free Passage of Arms by Eric Ambler Page B
Authors: Eric Ambler
Jimmy, is the view better from up top?"
"There is a fine view there, too, sir, which I will show you in a minute, but this is better for photography. From the Peak there is more haze."
"I see." He was winding the camera.
"Are you using Kodachrome, sir?"
"Yes. Why?"
"From here, sir, at f 8 with a haze filter you will get a very good picture."
"Thanks. You take many pictures?"
"No, sir, but I have such information for my clients."
The camera whirred. As they were walking back to the car, the American said: "Is this your car or do you just drive for someone else?"
"It is my car, sir. I like to give personal service to clients."
"I expect you make more money working for yourself, too."
Ah Au smiled. "There is also that, sir."
The American smiled back.
Ah Au drove on up to the peak. Some progress had been made, he thought. They had established a personal relationship.
The tour continued. His passengers had tea at the Repulse Bay Hotel. Then, he drove them on to the fishing village of Aberdeen and showed them the floating Chinese restaurants. At the Arlene woman's suggestion, it was decided that he should drive them out there to dine the following night. It was on the way back to the ferry that Jimmy had the glimpse of his client's mind that he had been hoping for.
He was driving along Connaught Road, by the long quay where the junks tied up for unloading, when the American turned to him.
"Jimmy, what are all those barges lined up along there? I mean the green painted ones with the yellow stars on them."
"They are junks from Canton, sir."
"But that's in Red China."
"Yes, sir. Canton is only ninety miles away."
"Stop the car. I've got to have some shots of this."
Ah Au parked the car, and, leaving the women sitting in it, walked back along the quay with the American. The man seemed curiously excited and was almost tripping over himself in his eagerness to get a closer look at the junks.
"What are they doing here?" he asked.
"They come and go all the time, sir."
"Doing what?"
"Carrying cargo." Ah Au was puzzled. He could not understand why the man was so interested.
"What sort of cargo?"
"Any sort of cargo, sir. That is rattan cane they are unloading. It is made into chairs and baskets here."
"But I don't see any police about. Do you mean they're allowed just to come and go as they please?"
"They are ordinary people. They make no trouble, sir."
"Well, I'll be . . ."
He began to take pictures. When they got back to the car, Ah Au listened thoughtfully as the American told his wife and her friend what he had found out.
The women were interested, and the Arlene one said that it showed what the British had come to when they didn't worry about Communists going in and out of one of their colonies; but they were not interested the way the man was. As they drove on towards the ferry, Ah Au saw him looking about him intently, as if he were discovering a new meaning in everything he saw.
By the time they reached the mainland Ah Au had decided to take matters a stage further. As he drove them back along the Canton Road to the ship, he asked a question.
"Tomorrow morning, sir, for your tour of the New Territories, do you wish me to go to the Peninsular Hotel, or shall I take the car to the ship?"
"Can you do that?"
"Oh yes, sir. If I have your name to give at the dock gate."
"My name's Nilsen. Would ten o'clock be okay?"
"Perfectly, sir." He frowned as if making an effort of memory. "Mr. Nilsen, there was another Mr. Nilsen here last year. He was in the textile business. He had a big plant at a place called Dayton, I think. Perhaps you know him."
Mr. Nilsen smiled tolerantly. "No, Jimmy, I don't. I'm an engineer and I have a small die-casting plant at a place called Wilmington. Nilsen's a pretty common name in the United States."
"I beg your pardon. I did not know that. Some day, perhaps, I will be able to go to America."
He congratulated himself. The chances of his being caught out in the
"There is a fine view there, too, sir, which I will show you in a minute, but this is better for photography. From the Peak there is more haze."
"I see." He was winding the camera.
"Are you using Kodachrome, sir?"
"Yes. Why?"
"From here, sir, at f 8 with a haze filter you will get a very good picture."
"Thanks. You take many pictures?"
"No, sir, but I have such information for my clients."
The camera whirred. As they were walking back to the car, the American said: "Is this your car or do you just drive for someone else?"
"It is my car, sir. I like to give personal service to clients."
"I expect you make more money working for yourself, too."
Ah Au smiled. "There is also that, sir."
The American smiled back.
Ah Au drove on up to the peak. Some progress had been made, he thought. They had established a personal relationship.
The tour continued. His passengers had tea at the Repulse Bay Hotel. Then, he drove them on to the fishing village of Aberdeen and showed them the floating Chinese restaurants. At the Arlene woman's suggestion, it was decided that he should drive them out there to dine the following night. It was on the way back to the ferry that Jimmy had the glimpse of his client's mind that he had been hoping for.
He was driving along Connaught Road, by the long quay where the junks tied up for unloading, when the American turned to him.
"Jimmy, what are all those barges lined up along there? I mean the green painted ones with the yellow stars on them."
"They are junks from Canton, sir."
"But that's in Red China."
"Yes, sir. Canton is only ninety miles away."
"Stop the car. I've got to have some shots of this."
Ah Au parked the car, and, leaving the women sitting in it, walked back along the quay with the American. The man seemed curiously excited and was almost tripping over himself in his eagerness to get a closer look at the junks.
"What are they doing here?" he asked.
"They come and go all the time, sir."
"Doing what?"
"Carrying cargo." Ah Au was puzzled. He could not understand why the man was so interested.
"What sort of cargo?"
"Any sort of cargo, sir. That is rattan cane they are unloading. It is made into chairs and baskets here."
"But I don't see any police about. Do you mean they're allowed just to come and go as they please?"
"They are ordinary people. They make no trouble, sir."
"Well, I'll be . . ."
He began to take pictures. When they got back to the car, Ah Au listened thoughtfully as the American told his wife and her friend what he had found out.
The women were interested, and the Arlene one said that it showed what the British had come to when they didn't worry about Communists going in and out of one of their colonies; but they were not interested the way the man was. As they drove on towards the ferry, Ah Au saw him looking about him intently, as if he were discovering a new meaning in everything he saw.
By the time they reached the mainland Ah Au had decided to take matters a stage further. As he drove them back along the Canton Road to the ship, he asked a question.
"Tomorrow morning, sir, for your tour of the New Territories, do you wish me to go to the Peninsular Hotel, or shall I take the car to the ship?"
"Can you do that?"
"Oh yes, sir. If I have your name to give at the dock gate."
"My name's Nilsen. Would ten o'clock be okay?"
"Perfectly, sir." He frowned as if making an effort of memory. "Mr. Nilsen, there was another Mr. Nilsen here last year. He was in the textile business. He had a big plant at a place called Dayton, I think. Perhaps you know him."
Mr. Nilsen smiled tolerantly. "No, Jimmy, I don't. I'm an engineer and I have a small die-casting plant at a place called Wilmington. Nilsen's a pretty common name in the United States."
"I beg your pardon. I did not know that. Some day, perhaps, I will be able to go to America."
He congratulated himself. The chances of his being caught out in the