jamesclavell.noblehouse-第109节

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　Martin　Haply　flushed。　〃Well　screw　him！　You　heard　the　guys　yourself　at　the　tai…pan's　party！〃
　〃That　proves　nothing。　You've　no　proof。　We're　stopping　that　approach。　It's　not　proven　so　I　can't　take　a　stand。〃
　〃But；　lo…　〃
　Toxe's　neck　went　purple。　〃It's　bloody　well　stopped；〃　he　roared。　〃Understand？〃
　Haply　began　to　say　something　but　changed　his　mind。　Choked　with　rage　he　turned　on　his　heel　and　left。　He　walked　across　the　big　room　and　jerked　the　front　door　open　and　slammed　it　behind　him。
　Christian　Toxe　exhaled。　〃He's　got　a　lousy　bloody　temper　that　lad！〃
　He　stubbed　his　cigarette　out　and　lit　another。　〃Christ；　I'm　smoking　too　much！〃　Still　seething；　his　brown　eyes　watched　the　older　man。　〃Someone　must　have　called　her；　Mac。　Now　what　would　you　like　as　a　return　favor　if　you　were　Mrs。　Dragon　Mong？〃
　Suddenly　Mac　beamed。　〃Na　a　voting　membership　of　the　Turf　Club！〃
　〃Go　to　the　head　of　the　class！〃
　Singh；　the　Indian　reporter；　came　in　with　a　foot　of　teletype。　〃You　might　need　this　for　the　extra；　Chris。〃
　It　was　a　series　of　Reuters　reports　from　the　Middle　East。　〃Teheran　0832　hours：　High…level　diplomatic　sources　in　Iran　report　sudden　extensive　Soviet　military　maneuvers　have　begun　close　to　their　north　border　near　the　oil…rich　border　area　of　Azerbaijan　where　more　rioting　took　place。　Washington　is　reported　to　have　asked　permission　to　send　observers　to　the　area。〃
　The　next　paragraph　was：　〃Tel　Aviv　0600　hours：　The　Knesset　confirmed　late　last　night　that　another　huge　irrigation　project　had　been　funded　to　further　divert　the　waters　of　the　River　Jordan　into　the　southern　Negev　Desert。　There　was　immediate　adverse　and　hostile　reaction　from　Jordan；　Egypt　and　Syria。〃
　〃Negev？　Isn't　Israel's　brand　spanking　new　atomic　plant　in　the　Negev？〃　Toxe　asked。
　〃Aye。　Now　there's　another　splendid　addition　to　the　peace　conference　tables。　Would　the　water　be　for　that？〃
　〃I　don't　know　Mac；　but　this's　certainly　going　to　parch　a　few　Jordanian　and　Palestinian　throats。　Water　water　everywhere　but　not　a　drop　to　shower　in。　I　wish　to　Christ　it　would　rain。　Singh；　tidy　up　these　reports　and　we'll　put　them　on　the　back　page。　They　won't　sell　a　single　bloody　paper。　Do　a　follow…up　piece　on　the　Werewolves　for　the　front　page：　The　police　have　a　vast　dragnet　out　but　the　vicious　kidnappers　of　Mr。　John　Chen　continue　to　elude　them。　According　to　sources　close　to　the　family　of　his　father；　pradore　of　Struan's；　no　ransom　note　has　yet　been　received　but　one　is　expected　imminently。　The　China　Guardian　asks　all　its　readers　to　assist　in　the　capture　of　these　fiends　。。。　'　That　sort　of　thing。〃
　
　At　Aberdeen　Spectacles　Wu　saw　the　old　woman　e　out　of　the　tenement　building；　a　shopping　basket　in　her　hand；　and　join　the　noisy　crowds　in　the　narrow　alley。　He　followed　cautiously　feeling　very　pleased　with　himself。　While　he　had　waited　for　her　to　reappear　he　had　struck　up　a　conversation　with　a　street　hawker　whose　permanent　place　of　business　was　a　patch　of　broken　pavement　opposite。　The　hawker　sold　tea　and　small　bowls　of　hot　congee　…　rice　gruel。　Wu　had　ordered　a　bowl；　and　during　his　meal；　the　hawker　had　told　him　about　the　old　woman；　Ah　Tam；　who　had　been　in　the　neighborhood　since　last　year。　She'd　e　to　the　Colony　from　a　village　near　Canton　with　the　huge　waves　of　immigrants　who　had　flooded　over　the　border　last　summer。　She　didn't　have　any　family　of　her　own　and　the　people　she　worked　for　had　no　sons　around　twenty；　though　he　had　seen　her　with　a　young　man　early　this　morning。　〃She　says　her　village　was　Ning…tok。　。。。〃
　It　was　then　that　Wu　had　felt　a　glow　at　this　stroke　of　luck。　Ning…tok　was　the　same　village　his　own　parents　had　e　from　and　he　spoke　that　dialect。
　Now　he　was　twenty　paces　behind　her　and　he　watched　her　haggle　brilliantly　for　vegetables；　selecting　only　the　very　best　onions　and　greens；　all　just　a　few　hours　fresh　from　the　fields　in　the　New　Territories。　She　bought　very　little　so　he　knew　that　the　family　she　worked　for　was　poor。　Then　she　was　standing　in　front　of　the　poultry　stall　with　its　layers　of　barely　alive；　scrawny　chickens　crammed　helplessly　into　cages；　their　legs　tied。　The　rotund　stall　owner　bartered　with　her；　both　sides　enjoying　the　foul　language；　insults；　choosing　this　bird；　then　that；　then　another；　prodding　them；　discarding　them；　until　the　bargain　was　made。　Because　she　was　a　good；　salty　trader；　the　man　allowed　his　profit　to　be　shaved。　Then　he　strangled　the　bird　deftly　without　thought；　tossing　the　carcass　to　his　five…year…old　daughter；　who　squatted　in　a　pile　of　feathers　and　offal；　for　plucking　and　cleaning。
　〃Hey；　Mr。　Poultryman；〃　Wu　called　out；　〃I'd　like　a　bird　at　the　same　price。　That　one！〃　He　pointed　at　a　good　choice　and　paid　no　attention　to　the　man's　grumbling。　〃Elder　Sister；〃　he　said　to　her　politely；　〃clearly　you　have　saved　me　a　great　deal　of　cash。　Would　you　like　to　have　a　cup　of　tea　while　we　wait　for　our　birds　to　be　cleaned？〃
　〃Ah　thank　you；　yes；　these　old　bones　are　tired。　We'll　go　there！〃　Her　gnarled　finger　pointed　to　a　stall　opposite。　〃Then　we　can　watch　to　make　sure　we　get　what　we　paid　for。〃　The　poultry　man　muttered　an　obscenity　and　they　laughed。
　She　shoved　her　way　across　the　street；　sat　down　on　a　bench；　ordered　tea　and　a　cake　and　was　soon　telling　Wu　how　she　hated　Hong　Kong　and　living　among　strangers。　It　was　easy　for　him　to　butter　her　up　by　using　the　odd　word　of　Ning…tok　patois；　then　pretending　to　be　equally　surprised　when　she　switched　to　that　dialect　and　told　him　she　came　from　the　same　village　and　oh　how　wonderful　it　was　to　find　a　neighbor　after　all　these　months　among　foreigners！　She　told　him　that　she　had　worked　for　the　same　family　in　Ning…tok　ever　since　she　was　seven。　But；　sadly；　three　years　ago　her　mistress　…　the　child　that　she　had　brought　up；　now　an　old　lady　like　herself　…　had　died。　〃I　stayed　in　the　house　but　it　had　fallen　on　hard　times。　Then　last　year　the　famine　was　bad。　Many　in　the　village　decided　to　e　to　this　place。　Chairman　Mao's　people　didn't　mind；　in　fact　they　encouraged　us　…　'Useless　Mouths'　as　they　called　us。　Somehow　we　got　split　up　and　I　managed　to　get　over　the　border　and　found　my　way　to　this　place　here；　penniless；　hungry；　with　no　family；　no　friends；　nowhere　to　turn。　At　length　I　got　a　job　and　now　I　work　as　a　cock…amah　for　the　family　Ch'ung　who're　street　cleaners。　The　dog　bones　pay　me　nothing　but　my　keep　and　my　food　and　chief　wife　Ch'ung's　a　maggot…mouthed　hag　but　soon　I'll　be　rid　of　all　of　them！　You　said　your　father　came　here　with　his　family　ten　years　ago？〃
　〃Yes。　We　owned　a　field　near　the　bamboo　glade　beside　the　river。　His　name　was　Wu　Cho…tam　an　…　〃
　〃Ah；　yes　I　think　I　remember　the　family。　Yes；　I　think　so。　Yes；　and　I　know　the　field。　My　family　was　Wu　Ting…top　and　their　family　owned　the　pharmacy　at　the　crossroads　for　more　than　a　hundred　years。〃
　〃Ah；　Honorable　Pharmacy　Wu？　Oh　yes　of　course！〃　Spectacles　Wu　did　remember　the　family　well。　Pharmacy　Wu　had　always　been　a　Maoist　sympathizer。　Once　he　had　had　to　flee　the　Nationalists。　In　this　village　of　a　thousand　souls　he　had　been　well　liked　and　trusted　and　he　had　kept　life　in　the　village　as　calm　and　as　protected　from　outsiders　as　he　could。
　〃So；　you're　one　of　Wu　Cho…tam's　sons；　Younger　Brother！〃　Ah　Tam　was　saying。　〃Eeeee；　in　the　early　days　it　was　so　wonderful　in　Ning…tok　but　for　the　last　years　。。。　terrible。〃
　〃Yes。　We　were　lucky。　Our　field　was　fertile　and　we　tilled　the　soil　like　always　but　after　a　few　years　outsiders　came　and　accused　all　the　landowners　…　as　if　we　were　exploiters！　We　only　tilled　our　own　field。　Even　so；　from　time　to　time　some　landowners　were　taken　away；　some　shot；　so　one　night　ten　years　ago　my　father　fled　with　all　of　us。　Now　my　father　is　dead　but　I　live　with　my　mother　not　far　away。〃
　〃There　were　many　fleeings　and　famines　in　the　early　days。　I　hear　that　now　it　is　better。　Did　you　hear　too？　Outsiders　came；　wasn't　it？　They　would　e　and　they　would　leave。　The　village　is　not　so　bad　again；　Younger　Brother；　oh　no！　Outsiders　leave　us　alone。　Yes；　they　left　my　mistress　and　us　alone　because　Father　was　important　and　one　of　Chairman　Mao's　supporters　from　the　beginning。　My　mistress's　name　was　Fang…ling；　she's　dead　now。　There's　no　collective　near　us　so　life　is　like　it's　always　been；　though　we　all　have　to　study　Chairman　Mao's　Red　Book。　The　village　isn't　so　bad；　all　my　friends　are　there。　。。。　Hong　Kong　is　a　foul　place　and　my　village　is　home。　Life　without　family　is　nothing。　But　now　。。。〃　Then　the　old　woman　dropped　her　voice　and　chortled；　carried　away　with　pleasure。　〃But　now　the　gods　have　favored　me。　In　a　month　or　two　I'm　going　home；　home　forever。　I'll　have　enough　money　to　retire　on　and　I'll　buy　the　small　house　at　the　end　of　my　street　and　perhaps　a　little　field　and　。。。〃
　〃Retire？〃　Wu　said；　leading　her　on。　〃Who　has　that　sort　of　money；　Elder　Sister？　You　said　you　were　paid　nothing　th…　〃
　〃Ah；〃　the　old　woman　replied；　puffed　up。　〃I've　an　important　friend。〃
　〃What　sort　of　friend？〃
　〃A　very　important　business　friend　who　needs　my　help！　Because　I've　been　so　useful　he's　promised　to　give　me　a　huge　amount　of　money　…　〃
　〃You're　making　this　all　up；　Elder　Sister；〃　he　scoffed。　〃Am　I　a　foolish　stranger　wh…　〃
　〃I　tell　you　my　friend's　so　important　he　can　hold　the　whole　island　in　thrall！〃
　〃There　are　no　such　persons！〃
　〃Oh　yes　there　are！〃　She　dropped　her　voice　and　whispered　hoarsely；　〃What　about　the　Werewolves！〃
　Spectacles　Wu　gaped