jamesclavell.noblehouse-第193节

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ected　men　and　women；　eh？　For　cabinet　rank　you　need　connections；　you　said　so　yourself。　You'll　be　the　Hong　Kong　expert；　with　special　connections。　You　can　help　us　tremendously　to　contain　China；　put　her　back　on　the　right　track；　and　put　Hong　Kong　and　all　Hong　Kong　people　where　they　belong　…　in　the　sewer。　Eh？〃
　Grey　thought　about　that；　his　heart　thumping。　〃We　could　obliterate　Hong　Kong？〃
　〃Oh　yes。〃　Suslev　smiled。　The　smile　broadened。　〃There　is　no　need　to　worry；　you　wouldn't　have　to　volunteer　anything　about　the　tai…pan　or　break　your　word　to　your　sister。　I　can　arrange　for　you　to　be　asked　a　question。　Eh？〃
　
　54
　
　11：05　P。M。：
　Dunross　was　waiting　for　Brian　Kwok　in　the　Quance　Bar　of　the　Mandarin；　sipping　a　long　brandy　and　Perrier。　The　bar　was　men　only　and　almost　empty。　Brian　Kwok　had　never　been　late　before　but　he　was　late　now。
　Too　easy　to　have　an　emergency　in　his　job；　Dunross　thought；　unperturbed。　I'll　give　him　a　couple　more　minutes。
　Tonight　Dunross　did　not　mind　waiting。　He　had　plenty　of　time　to　get　to　Aberdeen　and　Four　Finger　Wu　and　as　Penn　was　safely　en　route　to　England；　there　was　no　pressure　to　get　back。
　The　trip　will　be　good　for　her；　he　told　himself。　London；　the　theater；　and　then　Castle　Avisyard。　It　will　be　grand　there。　Soon　autumn　and　crisp　mornings；　your　breath　visible；　the　grouse　season；　and　then　Christmas。　It　will　be　grand　to　be　home　for　Christmas　in　the　snow。　I　wonder　what　this　Christmas　will　bring　and　what　I'll　think　when　looking　back　to　this　time；　this　bad　time。　Too　many　problems　now。　The　plan　working　but　creaking　already；　everything　bad　and　not　in　control；　my　control。　Bartlett；　Casey；　Gornt；　Four　Fingers；　Mata；　Tightfist；　Havergill；　Johnjohn；　Kirk；　Crosse；　Sinders；　AMG；　his　Riko；　all　moths　around　the　flame　…　and　now　a　new　one；　Tiptop；　and　Hiro　Toda　arriving　tomorrow　instead　of　Saturday。
　This　afternoon　he　had　talked　at　length　to　his　Japanese　friend　and　shipbuilding　partner。　Toda　had　asked　about　the　stock　market　and　about　Struan's；　not　directly　English　style　but　obliquely；　politely　Japanese　style。　Even　so；　he　had　asked。　Dunross　had　heard　the　gravity　under　the　smooth；　American…tinged　voice　…　the　product　of　two　years　postgraduate　school　at　Harvard。
　〃Everything's　going　to　be　fine；　Hiro；〃　Dunross　had　told　him。　〃It's　a　temporary　attack。　We　take　delivery　of　the　ships　as　planned。〃
　Will　we？
　Yes。　Some　way　or　another。　Linbar　goes　to　Sydney　tomorrow　to　try　to　resurrect　the　Woolara　deal　and　renegotiate　the　charter。　A　long　shot。
　Inexorably　his　mind　turned　back　to　Jacques。　Is　Jacques　truly　a　munist　traitor？　And　Jason　Plumm　and　Tuke？　And　R。　Is　he　Roger　Crosse　or　Robert　Armstrong？　Surely　neither　of　them　and　surely　not　Jacques！　For　God's　sake　I've　known　Jacques　most　of　my　life　…　I've　known　the　deVilles　for　most　of　my　life。　It's　true　Jacques　could　have　given　Bartlett　some　of　the　information　about　our　inner　workings；　but　not　all　of　it。　Not　the　pany　part；　that's　tai…pan　knowledge　only。　That　means　Alastair；　Father；　me　or　old　Sir　Ross。　All　unthinkable。
　Yes。
　But　someone's　a　traitor　and　it　isn't　me。　And　then　there's　Sevrin。
　Dunross　looked　around。　The　bar　was　still　almost　empty。　It　was　a　small；　pleasing；　fortable　room　with　dark…green　leather　chairs　and　old　polished　oak　tables；　the　walls　lined　with　Quance　paintings。　They　were　all　prints。　Many　of　the　originals　were　in　the　long　gallery　in　the　Great　House；　most　of　the　remainder　in　the　corridors　of　the　Victoria　and　Blacs　banks。　A　few　were　privately　owned　elsewhere。　He　leaned　back　in　the　alcove；　at　ease；　glad　to　be　surrounded　by　so　much　of　his　own　past；　feeling　protected　by　it。　Just　above　his　head　was　a　portrait　of　a　Haklo　boat…girl　with　a　fair…haired　boy　in　her　arms；　his　hair　in　a　queue。　Quance　was　supposed　to　have　painted　this　as　a　birthday　present　for　Dirk　Struan　from　the　girl　in　the　picture；　May…may　T'Chung；　the　child　in　her　arms　supposed　to　be　their　son；　Duncan。
　His　eyes　went　across　the　room　to　the　portraits　of　Dirk　and　his　half…brother　Robb　beside　another　painting　of　the　American　trader　Jeff　Cooper；　and　landscapes　of　the　Peak　and　the　praya　in　1841。　I　wonder　what　Dirk　would　say　if　he　could　see　his　creation　now。　Thriving；　building；　reclaiming；　still　the　center　of　the　world；　the　Asian　world　which　is　the　only　world。
　〃Another；　tai…pan？〃
　〃No　thanks；　Feng；〃　he　said　to　the　Chinese　barman。　〃Just　a　Perrier；　please。〃
　A　phone　was　nearby。　He　dialed。
　〃Police　headquarters；〃　the　woman's　voice　said。
　〃Superintendent　Kwok　please。〃
　〃Just　a　moment；　sir。〃
　As　Dunross　waited　he　tried　to　decide　about　Jacques。　Impossible；　he　thought　achingly；　not　without　help。　Sending　him　to　France　to　pick　up　Susanne　and　Avril　isolates　him　for　a　week　or　so。　Perhaps　I'll　talk　to　Sinders；　perhaps　they　already　know。　Christ　almighty；　if　AMG　hadn't　put　the　R　down　I'd've　gone　directly　to　Crosse。　Is　it　possible　that　he　could　be　Arthur？
　Remember　Philby　of　the　Foreign　Office；　he　told　himself；　revolted　that　an　Englishman　of　that　background　and　in　such　a　high　position　of　trust　could　be　a　traitor。　And　the　other　two　equally；　Burgess　and　Maclean。　And　Blake。　How　far　to　believe　AMG？　Poor　bugger。　How　far　to　trust　Jamie　Kirk？
　〃Who's　calling　Superintendent　Kwok　please？〃　a　man's　voice　asked　on　the　phone。
　〃Mr。　Dunross　of　Struan's。〃
　〃Just　a　moment　please。〃　A　short　wait　then　a　man's　voice　that　he　recognized　at　once。　〃Evening；　tai…pan。　Robert　Armstrong　。。。　sorry　but　Brian's　not　available。　Was　it　anything　important？〃
　〃No。　We　just　had　a　date　for　a　drink　now　and　he's　late。〃
　〃Oh；　he　never　mentioned　it　…　he's　usually　spot　on　about　something　like　that。　When　did　you　make　the　date？〃
　〃This　morning。　He　called　to　tell　me　about　John　Chen。　Anything　new　on　those　bastards？〃
　〃No。　Sorry。　Brian　had　to　go　out　of　town　…　a　quick　trip；　you　know　how　it　is。〃
　〃Oh　of　course。　If　you　talk　to　him　tell　him　I'll　see　him　Sunday　at　the　hill　climb；　if　not　before。〃
　〃Do　you　still　intend　to　go　to　Taiwan？〃
　〃Yes。　With　Bartlett。　Sunday；　back　Tuesday。　I　hear　we　can　use　his　plane。〃
　〃Yes。　Please　make　sure　he　es　back　on　Tuesday。〃
　〃If　not　before。〃
　〃Nothing　I　can　do　for　you？〃
　〃No　thank　you；　Robert。〃
　〃Tai…pan；　we've；　we've　had　another　rather　disturbing　encounter；　here　in　Hong　Kong。　Not　to　worry　you　but　take　it　easy　until　tomorrow　with　Sinders；　eh？〃
　〃Of　course。　Brian　said　the　same。　And　Roger。　Thanks；　Robert。　Night。〃　Dunross　hung　up。　He　had　forgotten　that　he　had　an　SI　bodyguard　following　him。　The　fellow　must　be　better　than　the　others。　I　didn't　notice　him　at　all。　Now　what　to　do　about　him？　He's　certainly　unwele　with　Four　Fingers。
　〃I'll　be　back　in　a　moment；〃　he　said。
　〃Yes；　tai…pan；〃　the　barman　said。
　Dunross　went　out　and　strolled　to　the　men's　room；　watching　without　watching。　No　one　followed　him。　When　he　had　finished　he　went　into　the　noisy　crowded　mezzanine；　across　and　down　the　main　staircase　to　the　newsstand　in　the　foyer　to　buy　an　evening　paper。　There　were　crowds　everywhere。　ing　back；　he　zeroed　in　on　a　slight；　bespectacled　Chinese　who　was　watching　him　over　a　magazine　from　a　chair　in　the　foyer。　Dunross　hesitated；　went　back　to　the　foyer　and　saw　the　eyes　following　him。　Satisfied；　he　went　back　up　the　crowded　stairs。　〃Oh　hello；　Marlowe；〃　he　said；　almost　bumping　into　him。
　〃Oh　hello；　tai…pan。〃
　At　once　Dunross　saw　the　great　weariness　in　the　other　man's　face。　〃What's　up？〃　he　asked；　instantly　sensing　trouble；　stepping　out　of　the　way　of　the　crowds。
　〃Oh　nothing　。。。　nothing　at　all。〃
　〃Something's　up。〃　Dunross　smiled　gently。
　Peter　Marlowe　hesitated。　〃It's；　it's　Fleur。〃　He　told　him　about　her。
　Dunross　was　greatly　concerned。　〃Old　Tooley's　a　good　doctor　so　that's　one　thing。〃　He　related　to　Marlowe　how　Tooley　had　filled　him；　Bartlett　and　Casey　full　of　antibiotics。　〃Are　you　all　right？〃
　〃Yes。　Just　a　touch　of　the　runs。　Nothing　to　worry　about　for　a　month　or　so。〃　Peter　Marlowe　told　him　what　Tooley　had　said　about　hepatitis。　〃That　doesn't　worry　me；　it's　Fleur　and　the　baby；　that's　the　worry。〃
　〃Do　you　have　an　amah？〃
　〃Oh　yes。　And　the　hotel's　marvelous；　the　room　boys　are　all　pitching　in。〃
　〃Have　you　time　for　a　drink？〃
　〃No；　no　thanks；　I'd　better　be　getting　back。　The　amah's　not　。。。　there's　no　room　for　her　so　she's　just　baby…sitting。　I've　got　to　drop　by　the　nursing　home　on　the　way　back；　just　to　check。〃
　〃Oh；　then　another　time。　Please　give　your　wife　my　regards。　How's　the　research　going？〃
　〃Fine；　thank　you。〃
　〃How　many　more　of　our　skeletons　have　you　wheedled　out　of　our　Hong　Kong　yan？〃
　〃Lots。　But　they're　all　good。〃　Peter　Marlowe　smiled　faintly。　〃Dirk　Struan　was　one　helluva　man。　Everyone　says　you　are　too　and　they　all　hope　you'll　best　Gornt；　that　you'll　win　again。〃
　Dunross　looked　at　him；　liking　him。　〃Do　you　mind　questions　about　Changi？〃　He　saw　the　shadow　pass　across　the　rugged　used　face　that　was　young…old。
　〃That　depends。〃
　〃Robin　Grey　said　you　were　a　black　marketeer　in　the　camp。　With　an　American。　A　corporal。〃
　There　was　a　long　pause　and　Peter　Marlowe's　face　did　not　change。　〃I　was　a　trader；　Mr。　Dunross；　or　actually；　an　interpreter　for　my　friend　who　was　a　trader。　He　was　an　American　corporal。　He　saved　my　life　and　the　life　of　my　friends。　There　were　four　of　us；　a　major；　a　group　captain；　a　rubber　planter　and　me。　He　saved　dozens　of　others　too。　His　name　was　King　and　he　was　a　king；　King　of　Changi　in