But the beauty was lost on Marissa. She sat by the railing with her eyes closed and held tight. She was glad for the strong sea breeze; it dried the tears from her cheeks before anyone could see them. And on top of everything else, she was beginning to feel a little seasick as the boat began to pitch.

Ned Kelly swore as only an Australian can swear when he found himself looking at the empty space where he’d hoped Fa-Huang’s junk would be moored.

“Couldn’t we have gotten here faster?” he steamed. Coming from Australia, he had trouble understanding how people could conduct their lives with so much traffic. “Ask the neighbors if Williams and Blumenthal were on the boat!”

“I am not your servant,” Mr. Yip said. Ned was irritating him more than usual.

“Stone the crows!” Ned exclaimed, peering heavenward to muster some patience. He well knew Yip was a character to be reckoned with, particularly on his home turf. “Please ask them,” he said. “I’m sorry if I insulted you.”

Mr. Yip spoke to the family on one of the junks that had been next to Fa-Huang’s. He spoke to them in Tanka, a language Ned did not understand.

Turning back to Ned, Mr. Yip said: “There were two white devils on board. That is a literal translation.”

“It must be them,” Ned said. “Can we go after them?”

“Of course,” Mr. Yip said.

Ordering the sampan operator back to the quay, Mr. Yip had one of his henchmen bring around a sleek speedboat. Ned climbed in the front seat with Willy and the driver. Mr. Yip and two of his men got in the back. Both the men were armed with machine pistols.

With a roar, they left the quay and raced down the length of the harbor. Ned was encouraged by the boat’s speed. But when they reached open water, his mood soured. The ocean was dotted with junks. They all looked alike. After cruising by a handful with no luck, they gave up.

“This American is living a charmed life,” Ned complained.

He twisted in his seat and yelled to Mr. Yip over the sound of the powerful engine: “What should we do? Wait for them to come back, or what?”

“It’s not necessary to wait,” Mr. Yip called out. “Enjoy the boat ride. We will talk when we get to the restaurant.”

“What restaurant?” Ned asked.

Mr. Yip pointed. Ahead was one of Aberdeen’s enormous floating restaurants with gold dragons and crimson banners. Among the throng of dilapidated junks, it was an improbable oasis.

Fifteen minutes later Ned found himself dining in style. The sun had set and the lights of Aberdeen were blinking across the harbor. Mr. Yip took it on himself to order a lavish feast. It was enough for Ned to forget his anger.