jamesclavell.noblehouse-第146节

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　〃Send　a　car　for　me　at　once。〃
　Armstrong　hung　up　and　rubbed　the　tiredness　out　of　his　eyes。　He　wore　a　sarong　and　it　looked　well　on　his　muscular　body。
　〃Trouble？〃　Mary　stifled　a　yawn　and　stretched。　She　was　just　forty；　two　years　younger　than　he；　brown…haired；　taut；　her　face　friendly　though　lined。
　He　told　her；　watching　her。
　〃Oh。〃　The　color　had　left　her　face；　〃How　terrible。　Oh；　how　terrible。　Poor　John！〃
　〃I'll　make　the　tea；〃　Armstrong　said。
　〃No；　no　I'll　do　that。〃　She　got　out　of　bed；　her　body　firm。　〃Will　you　have　time？〃
　〃Just　a　cuppa。　Listen　to　the　rain　。。。　about　bloody　time！〃　Thoughtfully　Armstrong　went　off　to　the　bathroom　and　shaved　and　dressed　quickly　as　only　a　policeman　or　doctor　can。　Two　gulps　of　the　hot　sweet　tea　and　just　before　the　toast　the　doorbell　rang。　〃I'll　call　you　later。　How　about　curry　tonight？　We　can　go　to　Singh's。〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃Yes；　if　you'd　like。〃
　The　door　closed　behind　him。
　Mary　Armstrong　stared　at　the　door。　Tomorrow　is　our　fifteenth　anniversary；　she　thought。　I　wonder　if　he'll　remember。　Probably　not。　In　fourteen　times；　he's　been　out　on　a　case　eight；　once　I　was　in　hospital　and　the　rest　。。。　the　rest；　were　all　right；　I　suppose。
　She　went　to　the　window　and　pulled　the　curtains　back。　Torrents　of　rain　streaked　the　windows　in　the　half…light；　but　now　it　was　cool　and　pleasant。　The　apartment　had　two　bedrooms　and　it　was　their　furniture　though　the　apartment　belonged　to　the　government　and　went　with　the　job。
　Christ；　what　a　job！
　Rotten　for　a　policeman's　wife。　You　spend　your　life　waiting　for　him　to　e　home；　waiting　for　some　rotten　villain　to　knife　him；　or　shoot　him　or　hurt　him　…　most　nights　you　sleep　alone　or　you're　being　woken　up　at　all　rotten　hours　with　some　more　rotten　disasters　and　off　he　goes　again。　Overworked　and　underpaid。　Or　you　go　to　the　Police　Club　and　sit　around　with　other　wives　while　the　men　get　smashed　and　you　swap　lies　with　the　wives　and　drink　too　many　pink　gins。　At　least　they　have　children。
　Children！　Oh　God　。。。　I　wish　we　had　children。
　But　then；　most　of　the　wives　plain　about　how　tired　they　are；　how　exhausting　children　are；　and　about　amahs　and　school　and　the　expense　。。。　and　everything。　What　the　hell　does　this　life　mean？　What　a　rotten　waste！　What　a　perfectly　rotten　…　
　The　phone　rang。　〃Shut　up！〃　she　shrieked　at　it；　then　laughed　nervously。　〃Mary　Mary　quite　contrary　where　did　your　temper　go？〃　she　chided　herself　and　picked　the　phone　up。　〃Hello？〃
　〃Mary；　Brian　Kwok；　sorry　to　wake　you　but　is　Rob…　〃
　〃Oh　hello；　dear。　No；　sorry；　he's　just　left。　Something　about　the　Werewolves。〃
　〃Yes；　I　just　heard；　that's　what　I　was　calling　about。　He's　gone　to　Sha　Tin？〃
　〃Yes。　Are　you　going　too？〃
　〃No。　I'm　with　the　Old　Man。〃
　〃Poor　you。〃　She　heard　him　laugh。　They　chatted　for　a　moment　then　he　rang　off。
　She　sighed　and　poured　herself　another　cup　of　tea；　added　milk　and　sugar　and　thought　about　John　Chen。　Once　upon　a　time　she　had　been　madly　in　love　with　him。　They　had　been　lovers　for　more　than　two　years　and　he　had　been　her　first。　This　was　in　the　Japanese　Internment　Camp　in　Stanley　Prison　on　the　south　part　of　the　island。
　In　1940　she　had　passed　the　Civil　Service　exam　in　England　with　honors　and　after　a　few　months　had　been　sent　out　to　Hong　Kong；　around　the　Cape。　She　had　arrived　late　in　'41；　just　nineteen；　and　just　in　time　to　be　interned　with　all　European　civilians；　there　to　stay　until　1945。
　I　was　twenty…two　when　I　got　out　and　the　last　two　years；　we　were　lovers；　John　and　I。　Poor　John；　nagged　constantly　by　his　rotten　father；　and　his　sick　mother；　with　no　way　to　escape　them　and　almost　no　privacy　in　the　camp；　cooped　up　with　families；　children；　babes；　husbands；　wives；　hatred　hunger　envy　and　little　laughter　all　those　years。　Loving　him　made　the　camp　bearable。　。。。
　I　don't　want　to　think　about　those　rotten　times。
　Or　the　rotten　time　after　the　camp　when　he　married　his　father's　choice；　a　rotten　little　harpy　but　someone　with　money　and　influence　and　Hong　Kong　family　connections。　I　had　none。　I　should　have　gone　home　but　I　didn't　want　home　…　what　was　there　to　go　home　to？　So　I　stayed　and　worked　in　the　Colonial　Office　and　had　a　good　time；　good　enough。　And　then　I　met　Robert。
　Ah；　Robert。　You　were　a　good　man　and　good　to　me　and　we　had　fun　and　I　was　a　good　wife　to　you；　still　try　to　be。　But　I　can't　have　children　and　you　。。。　we　both　want　children　and　one　day　a　few　years　ago；　you　found　out　about　John　Chen。　You　never　asked　me　about　him　but　I　know　you　know　and　ever　since　then　you've　hated　him。　It　all　happened　long　before　I　met　you　and　you　knew　about　the　camp　but　not　about　my　lover。　Remember　how　before　we　got　married　I　said；　Do　you　want　to　know　about　the　past；　my　darling？　And　you　said；　No；　old　girl。
　You　used　to　call　me　old　girl　all　the　time。　Now　you　don't　call　me　anything。　Just　Mary　sometimes。
　Poor　Robert！　How　I　must　have　disappointed　you！
　Poor　John！　How　you　disappointed　me；　once　upon　a　time　so　fine；　now　so　very　dead。
　I　wish　I　was　dead　too。
　She　began　to　cry。
　
　40
　
　7：15　A。M。：
　〃It's　going　to　continue　to　rain；　Alexi；〃　Dunross　said；　the　track　already　sodden；　heavy　overcast　and　the　day　gloomy。
　〃I　agree；　tai…pan。　If　it　rains　even　part　of　tomorrow　too；　the　going　will　be　foul　on　Saturday。〃
　〃Jacques？　What　do　you　think？〃
　〃I　agree；〃　deVille　said。　〃Thank　God　for　the　rain　but　merde　it　would　be　a　pity　if　the　races　were　canceled。〃
　Dunross　nodded。
　They　were　standing　on　the　grass　near　the　winner's　circle　at　the　Happy　Valley　Racecourse；　the　three　men　dressed　in　raincoats　and　hats。　There　was　a　bad　weal　across　Dunross's　face；　and　bruises；　but　his　eyes　were　steady　and　clear　and　he　stood　with　his　easy　confidence；　watching　the　cloud　cover；　the　rain　still　falling　but　not　as　strongly　as　in　the　night；　other　trainers　and　owners　and　bystanders　scattered　about　the　paddock　and　stands；　equally　pensive。　A　few　horses　were　exercising；　among　them　Noble　Star；　Buccaneer　Lass　with　a　stable　jockey　up　and　Gornt's　Pilot　Fish。　All　of　the　horses　were　being　exercised　gingerly　with　very　tight　reins：　the　track　and　the　approach　to　the　track　were　very　slippery。　But　Pilot　Fish　was　prancing；　enjoying　the　rain。
　〃This　morning's　weather　report　said　the　storm　was　huge。〃　Travkin's　sloe　eyes　were　red…rimmed　with　tiredness　and　he　watched　Dunross。　〃If　the　rain　stops　tomorrow；　the　going'll　still　be　soft　on　Saturday。〃
　〃Does　that　help　or　hurt　Noble　Star's　chances；　Alexi？〃　Jacques　asked。
　〃As　God　wills；　Jacques。　She's　never　run　in　the　wet。〃　It　was　hard　for　Travkin　to　concentrate。　Last　evening　the　phone　had　rung　and　it　was　the　KGB　stranger　again　and　the　man　had　rudely　cut　through　his　questions　of　why　he　had　vanished　so　suddenly。　〃It's　not　your　privilege　to　question；　Prince　Kurgan。　Just　tell　me　everything　you　know　about　Dunross。　Now。　Everything。　His　habits；　rumors　about　him；　everything。〃
　Travkin　had　obeyed。　He　knew　that　he　was　in　a　vise；　knew　that　the　stranger　who　must　be　KGB　would　be　taping　what　he　said　to　check　the　truth　of　what　he　related；　the　slightest　variation　of　the　truth　perhaps　a　death　knell　for　his　wife　or　son　or　his　son's　wife　or　son's　children　…　if　they　truly　existed。
　Do　they？　he　asked　himself　again；　agonized。
　〃What's　the　matter；　Alexi？〃
　〃Nothing；　tai…pan；〃　Travkin　replied；　feeling　unclean。　〃I　was　thinking　of　what　you　went　through　last　night。〃　The　news　of　the　fire　at　Aberdeen　had　flooded　the　airwaves；　particularly　Venus　Poon's　harrowing　eyewitness　account　which　had　been　the　focus　of　the　reports。　〃Terrible　about　the　others；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃Yes。〃　So　far　the　known　death　count　was　fifteen　burned　and　drowned；　including　two　children。　〃It'll　take　days　to　find　out　really　how　many　were　lost。〃
　〃Terrible；〃　Jacques　said。　〃When　I　heard　about　it　。。。　if　Susanne　had　been　here　we　would　have　been　caught　in　it。　She　。。。　Curious　how　life　is　sometimes。〃
　〃Bloody　firetrap！　Never　occurred　to　me　before；〃　Dunross　said。　〃We've　all　eaten　there　dozens　of　times　…　I'm　going　to　talk　to　the　governor　this　morning　about　all　those　floating　restaurants。〃
　〃But　you're　all　right；　you　yourself？〃　Travkin　asked。
　〃Oh　yes。　No　problem。〃　Dunross　smiled　grimly。　〃Not　unless　we　all　get　the　croup　from　swimming　in　that　cesspit。〃
　When　the　Floating　Dragon　had　suddenly　capsized；　Dunross；　Gornt　and　Peter　Marlowe　had　been　in　the　water　right　below。　The　megaphone　on　the　police　launch　had　shouted　a　frantic　warning　and　they　had　all　kicked　out　desperately。　Dunross　was　a　strong　swimmer　and　he　and　Gornt　had　just　got　clear　though　the　surge　of　water　sucked　them　backward。　As　his　head　went　under　he　saw　the　half…full　cutter　pulled　into　the　maelstrom　and　capsized　and　Marlowe　in　trouble。　He　let　himself　go　with　the　boiling　torrent　as　the　ship　settled　onto　her　side　and　lunged　for　Marlowe。　His　fingers　found　his　shirt　and　held　on　and　they　swirled　together　for　a　moment；　drawn　a　few　fathoms　down；　smashing　against　the　deck。　The　blow　almost　stunned　him　but　he　held　onto　Marlowe　and　when　the　drag　lessened　he　kicked　for　the　surface。　Their　heads　came　out　of　the　water　together。　Marlowe　gasped　his　thanks　and　struck　out　for　Fleur　who　was　hanging　onto　the　side　of　the　overturned　cutter　with　others。　Around　them…was　chaos；　people　gasping　and　drowning　and　being　rescued　by　sailors　and　by　the　strong。　Dunross　saw　Casey　diving　for　someone。　Gornt　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　Bartlett　came　up　wi