Harry is American but has grown up in Japan, among the floating brothels and street gangs of 'The Floating World', a neighbourhood of geisha houses, dance halls and 'licensed women'. Now Harry has a thriving business helping the Japanese to seize foreign assets. He plays unscrupulous poker, enjoys a certain way with women and mingles with friends in criminal circles. What Harry is hiding is that he is also a spy.Four years earlier, the Japanese army had invaded China and Harry had followed to survey possible Chinese oil fields. Two photos appeared in the Japanese newspaper at the time - one of Harry with Nazia, another of Major Kobodaishi who had beheaded a hundred Chinese. The paper did not mention that the rescue of other Chinese from the Major caused Kobodaishi such loss of face that only Harry's death could atone for it . . .