jamesclavell.noblehouse-第270节

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　Equally　politely　Dunross　turned　and　opened　the　door。　〃Sorry；　I've　got　to　get　back　to　work。　Thank　you　for　ing。〃
　Crosse　let　Sinders　go　first　and　followed　him　to　the　elevator。　Sandra　Yi；　at　the　reception　desk；　had　already　pressed　the　button　for　them。
　〃Oh　excuse　me；　sir；〃　she　said　to　Crosse；　〃do　you　know　when　Superintendent　Kwok　will　be　back　in　the　Colony？〃
　Crosse　stared　at　her。　〃I'm　not　sure。　I　could　inquire　if　you　like。　Why？〃
　〃We　were　going　to　have　dinner　Friday　evening　and　neither　his　housekeeper　nor　his　office　seems　to　know。〃
　〃I'd　be　glad　to　inquire。〃
　The　phone　buzzer　on　the　switchboard　went。　〃Oh；　thank　you；　sir。　Hello；　Struan's；〃　she　said　into　the　phone。　〃Just　a　moment。〃　She　began　to　make　the　connection。　Crosse　offered　a　cigarette　to　Sinders　as　they　waited；　watching　the　elevator　numbers　approaching。　〃Your　call　to　Mr。　Alastair；　tai…pan；〃　Sandra　Yi　said　into　the　phone。　Again　the　phone　buzzer　on　the　switchboard　went。
　〃Hello；〃　Sandra　Yi　said。　〃Just　a　moment；　madam；　I'll　check。〃　She　referred　to　a　typed　appointment　list　as　the　elevator　doors　opened。　Sinders　went　in　and　Crosse　began　to　follow。
　〃It's　for　1：00　p。m。；　Mrs。　Gresserhoff。〃
　At　once　Crosse　stopped　and　bent　down　as　though　to　tie　his　shoelace　and　Sinders；　as　efficiently　and　as　casually；　held　the　door。
　〃Oh　that's　all　right；　madam；　it's　easy　to　mistake　a　time。　The　table's　booked　in　the　tai…pan's　name。　The　Skyline　at　the　Mandarin　at　1：00　p。m。〃
　Crosse　got　up。
　〃All　right？〃　Sinders　asked。
　〃Oh　yes。〃　The　doors　closed　on　them。　Both　smiled。
　〃Everything　es　to　him　who　waits；〃　Crosse　said。
　〃Yes。　We'll　have　fish　and　chips　for　dinner　instead。〃
　〃No。　You　can　have　them　for　lunch。　We　shouldn't　eat　at　the　Mandarin。　I　suggest　we　just　peg　her　secretly　ourselves。　Meanwhile；　I'll　assign　surveillance　to　find　out　where　she's　staying；　eh？〃
　〃Excellent。〃　Sinders's　face　hardened。　〃Gresserhoff；　eh？　Hans　Gresserhoff　was　the　cover　name　of　an　East　German　spy　we've　been　trying　to　catch　for　years。〃
　〃Oh？〃　Crosse　kept　his　interest　off　his　face。
　〃Yes。　He　was　partners　with　another　right　rotten　bastard；　a　trained　assassin。　One　of　his　names　was　Viktor　Grunwald；　another　Simeon　Tzerak。　Gresserhoff；　eh？〃　Sinders　was　silent　a　moment。　〃Roger；　that　publishing　business；　Dunross's　threat。　That　could　be　very　dicey。〃
　〃Can　you　read　the　code？〃
　〃Good　God；　no。〃
　〃What　could　it　be？〃
　〃Anything。　The　pages　are　for　me　or　the　P。M。　so　they're　probably　names　and　addresses　of　contacts。〃　Sinders　added　gravely；　〃I　daren't　trust　them　to　cables；　however　coded。　I　think　I'd　better　return　to　London　at　once。〃
　〃Today？〃
　〃Tomorrow。　I　should　finish　this　business　first　and　I'd　very　much　like　to　identify　this　Mrs。　Gresserhoff。　Will　Dunross　do　what　he　said？〃
　〃Absolutely。〃
　Sinders　pulled　at　his　eyebrows；　his　washed…out　blue　eyes　even　more　colorless　than　usual。　〃What　about　the　client？〃
　〃I'd　say　。。。〃　The　elevator　door　opened。　They　got　out　and　walked　across　the　foyer。　The　uniformed　doorman　opened　the　door　of　Crosse's　car　for　him。
　Crosse　cut　into　the　snarled　traffic；　the　harbor　misted　and　the　rain　stopped　for　a　moment。　〃I'd　say　one　more　session；　then　Armstrong　can　begin　rebuilding。　Monday　sunset　is　too　fast　but　。。。〃　He　shrugged。　〃I　wouldn't　suggest　any　more　of　the　Red　Room。〃
　〃No。　I　agree；　Roger。　Thank　God　the　fellow's　got　a　strong　constitution。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃I　think　Armstrong's　ready　to　crack；　poor　fellow。〃
　〃He　can　conduct　one　more。　Safely。〃
　〃I　hope　so。　My　God　we've　been　very　lucky。　Unbelievable！〃　The　session；　at　6：00　this　morning；　had　brought　forth　nothing。　But　just　as　they　were　about　to　quit；　Armstrong's　probing　produced　gold：　at　long　last；　the　who　and　the　why　and　the　what　of　Professor　Joseph　Yu。　Of　Cal　Tech；　Princeton；　Stanford。　Rocket　expert　par　excellence　and　NASA　consultant。
　〃When's　he　due　in　Hong　Kong；　Brian？〃　Armstrong　had　asked；　the　whole　SI　team　in　the　control　room　breathless。
　〃I　。。。　I　don't　。。。　let　me　think；　let　me　think　。。。　ah；　I　can't　remember　。。。　ah　yes；　it；　it's　in　a　we　。。。　at　the　end　of　。。。　of　this　month　。。。　what　is　this　month？　I　can't　rem　。。。　remember　。。。　which　day　it　is。　He　was　to　arrive　。。。　and　then　go　on。〃
　〃Where　from　and　where　to？〃
　〃Oh　I　don't　know；　oh　no　they　didn't　tell　me　。。。　except　。。。　except　someone　said　he　。。。　he　was　sailing　in　Guam　on　holiday　from　Hawaii　and　due　here　ten　days　。。。　I　think　it's　ten　days　after　。。。　after　Race　Day。〃
　And　when　Crosse　had　called　in　Rosemont　and　told　him　…　though　not　where　the　information　had　e　from　…　the　American　was　speechless　and　in　panic。　At　once　he　had　ordered　the　Guam　area　scoured　to　prevent　the　defection。
　〃I　wonder　if　they'll　catch　him；〃　Crosse　muttered。
　〃Who？〃
　〃Joseph　Yu。〃
　〃I　jolly　well　hope　so；〃　Sinders　said。　〃Why　the　devil　do　these　scientists　defect？　Damnable！　The　only　good　point　is　he'll　launch　China's　rocketry　into　the　stratosphere　and　send　shivers　of　horror　down　all　Soviet　spines。　Bloody　good　if　you　ask　me。　If　those　two　fall　out　it　could　help　us　all　immensely。〃　He　eased　more　fortably　in　the　seat　of　the　car；　his　back　aching。　〃Roger；　I　can't　risk　Dunross　publishing　those　ciphers　or　keeping　a　copy。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃He's　too　damned　clever　for　his　own　boots　is　your　tai…pan。　If　it　leaks　that　AMG　sent　us　a　ciphered　message　and　if　Dunross　has　the　memory　he's　supposed　to　have；　he's　a　marked　man。　Eh？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　They　reached　the　Skyline　penthouse　restaurant　in　good　time。　Crosse　was　instantly　recognized　and　at　once　a　discreet　table　was　empty　at　the　bar。　As　Sinders　ordered　a　drink　and　more　coffee　Crosse　phoned　for　two　agents；　one　British　and　one　Chinese。　They　arrived　very　fast。
　At　a　few　minutes　to　one　o'clock　Dunross　walked　in　and　they　watched　him　go　to　the　best　table；　maitre　d'　in　advance；　waiters　in　tow；　champagne　already　in　a　silver　bucket；
　〃The　bugger's　got　everyone　well　trained；　eh？〃
　〃Wouldn't　you？〃　Crosse　said。　His　eyes　ranged　the　room；　then　stopped。　〃There's　Rosemont！　Is　that　a　coincidence？〃
　〃What　do　you　think？〃
　〃Ah；　look　over　there。　In　the　far　corner。　That's　Vincenzo　Banastasio。　The　Chinese　he's　with　is　Vee　Cee　Ng。　Perhaps　that's　who　they're　watching。〃
　〃Perhaps。〃
　〃Rosemont's　clever；〃　Crosse　said。　〃Bartlett　went　to　see　him　too。　It　could　be　Banastasio　they're　watching。〃　Armstrong　had　reported　Bartlett's　conversation　about　Banastasio　to　them。　Surveillance　on　the　man　had　been　increased。　〃By　the　way；　I　heard　he's　chartered　a　helicopter　for　Macao　on　Monday。〃
　〃We　should　cancel　that。〃
　〃It's　already　done。　Engine　trouble。〃
　〃Good。　I　suppose　Bartlett　reporting　Banastasio　rather　clears　him；　what？〃
　〃Perhaps。〃
　〃I　still　think　I'd　better　go　Monday。　Yes。　Interesting；　ah；　that　Dunross's　receptionist　had　a　date　with　the　client。　Good　God；　there's　a　smasher；〃　Sinders　said。
　The　girl　was　following　the　ma？tre　d'。　Both　men　were　taken　by　surprise　when　she　stopped　at　the　tai…pan's　table；　smiled；　bowed　and　sat　down。　〃Christ！　Mrs。　Gresserhoff's　Chinese？〃　Sinders　gasped。
　Crosse　was　concentrating　on　their　lips。　〃No　Chinese'd　bow　like　that。　She's　Japanese。〃
　〃How　in　the　hell　does　she　fit？〃
　〃Perhaps　there's　more　than　one　guest。　Per…　oh　Christ！〃
　〃What？〃
　〃They're　not　speaking　English。　Must　be　Japanese。〃
　〃Dunross　speaks　Jap？〃
　Crosse　looked　at　him。　〃Yes；　Japanese。　And　German；　French；　three　dialects　of　Chinese　and　passable　Italian。〃
　Sinders　stared　back。　〃You　needn't　be　so　disapproving；　Roger。　I　lost　a　son　on　HMS　Prince　of　Wales；　my　brother　starved　to　death　on　the　Burma　Road；　so　don't　give　me　any　sanctimonious　bullshit；　though　I　still　think　she's　a　smasher。〃
　〃At　least　that　shows　a　certain　amount　of　tolerance。〃　Crosse　turned　back　to　study　Dunross　and　the　girl。
　〃Your　war　was　in　Europe；　eh？〃
　〃My　war；　Edward；　is　never　ending。〃　Crosse　smiled；　liking　the　sound　of　that。　〃World　War　Two's　ancient　history。　Sorry　about　your　kin　but　now　Japan's　not　the　enemy；　they're　our　allies；　the　only　real　ones　we've　got　in　Asia。〃
　For　half　an　hour　they　waited。　He　could　not　read　their　lips　at　all。
　〃She　must　be　Gresserhoff；〃　Sinders　said。
　Crosse　nodded。　〃Then　shall　we　go？　No　point　in　waiting。　Shall　we　fish　and　chip？〃
　They　went　out。　The　British　and　Chinese　SI　agents　stayed；　waiting　patiently；　unable　to　overhear　what　was　being　said；　envying　Dunross；　as　many　did　in　the　room　…　because　he　was　the　tai…pan　and　because　of　her。
　〃Gehen　Sie？〃　she　asked　in　German。　Are　you　going？
　〃To　Japan；　Riko…san？　Oh　yes；〃　he　answered　in　the　same　language；　〃the　week　after　next。　We　take　delivery　of　a　new　super…cargo　ship　from　Toda　Shipping。　Did　you　chat　with　Hiro　Toda　yesterday？〃
　〃Yes；　yes　I　had　that　honor。　The　Toda　family　is　famous　in　Japan。　Before　the　Restoration　when　the　samurai　class　was　abolished；　my　family　served　the　Toda。〃
　〃Your　family　was　samurai？〃
　〃Yes；　but　of　low　degree。　I；　I　did　not　mention　about　my　family　to　him。　Those　were　ancient　days。　I　would　not　like　him　to　know。〃
　〃As　you　wish；〃　he　said；　his　curiosity　piqued。　〃Hiro　Toda's　an　interesting　man；〃　he　added；　leading　her　on。
　〃Toda…sama　is　very　wise；　very　strong；　very　famous。〃　The　waiter　brought　their　salad　and　when　he　had　left　she　said；　〃Struan's　are　famous　in　Japan　too。〃
　〃Not　really。〃
　〃Oh　yes。　We　remember　Prince　Yoshi。〃
　〃Ah。　I　didn't　know　you　knew。〃
　In　1854　when　Perry　forced　the　Shōgun　Yoshimitsu　Toranaga　to