It was a new experience for him, a good experience. He had the sudden conviction that at last he'd found his place in the world. It made him feel warm. The Chinese was saying: "You're a violent man, Vickers, a dangerous man. We were afraid that you might not see eye to eye with us in our aims." "No," Vickers protested, really shocked. "No, I'm not a violent man. I do what I must and do it as quickly and effectively as I can. But I'm not violent." Thorpe's eyes twinkled. Seizing a pencil he wrote something, held it up for them all to see, at the same time tapping the cast on his jaw. Vickers couldn't repress his grin. Tani squeezed his hand. Thorpe had written: "The gods help us all, if he ever does get violent!"