jamesclavell.noblehouse-第119节

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e　farthest　from　him；　and　lifted　it。　〃Health！〃
　Without　hesitation　Suslev　picked　up　the　other；　touched　glasses；　drained　it　and　poured　again。　〃Health！〃
　〃You're　the　man　who　wrote　to　me？〃
　〃I　have　news　of　your　wife。〃
　〃I　have　no　wife。　What　do　you　want　from　me；　friend？〃　The　way　Travkin　used　the　word　it　was　an　insult。　He　saw　the　flash　of　anger　as　Suslev　looked　up　from　his　glass　and　he　readied。
　〃I　excuse　your　rudeness　this　once；　Alexi　Ivanovitch；〃　Suslev　said　with　dignity。　〃You've　no　cause　to　be　rude　to　me。　None。　Have　I　insulted　you？〃
　〃Who　are　you？〃
　〃Your　wife's　name　is　Nestorova　Mikail　and　her　father　was　Prince　Anotoli　Zergeyev　whose　lands　straddle　Karaganda；　which　is　not　so　far　away　from　your　own　family　lands　east　of　the　Urals。　He　was　a　Kazaki；　wasn't　he；　a　great　prince　of　the　Kazaki；　whom　some　people　call　Cossacks？〃
　Travkin　kept　his　gnarled　hands　still　and　his　face　impassive；　but　he　could　not　keep　the　blood　from　draining　from　his　face。　He　reached　out　and　poured　two　more　glasses；　the　bottle　still　half　full。　He　sipped　the　spirit。　〃This's　good　vodka；　not　like　the　piss　in　Hong　Kong。　Where　did　you　get　it？〃
　〃Vladivostok。〃
　〃Ah。　Once　I　was　there。　It's　a　flat　dirty　town　but　the　vodka's　good。　Now；　what's　your　real　name　and　what　do　you　want？〃
　〃You　know　Ian　Dunross　well？〃
　Travkin　was　startled。　〃I　train　his　horses　。。。　I've　。。。　this　is　my　third　year；　why？〃
　〃Would　you　like　to　see　the　Princess　Nestor…　〃
　〃Good　sweet　Christ　Jesus　whoever　you　are；　I　told　you　I　have　no　wife。　Now；　for　the　last　time；　what　do　you　want　from　me？〃
　Suslev　filled　his　glass　and　his　voice　was　even　more　kindly。　〃Alexi　Ivanovitch　Travkin；　your　wife　the　princess　today　is　sixty…three。　She　lives　in　Yakutsk　on　th…　〃
　〃On　the　Lena？　In　Siberia？〃　Travkin　felt　his　heart　about　to　explode。　〃What　gulag　is　that；　you　turd？〃
　Through　the　archway　in　the　other　room；　which　was　empty　now；　the　waiter　looked　up　momentarily；　then　yawned　and　went　on　reading。
　〃It's　not　a　gulag；　why　should　it　be　a　gulag？〃　Suslev　said；　his　voice　hardening。　〃The　princess　went　there　of　her　own　accord。　She's　lived　there　since　she　left　Kurgan。　Her　。。。〃　Suslev's　hand　went　into　his　pocket　and　he　brought　out　his　wallet。　〃This　is　her　dacha　in　Yakutsk；〃　he　said；　putting　down　a　photograph。　〃It　belonged　to　her　family；　I　believe。〃　The　cottage　was　snowbound；　within　a　nice　glade　of　trees；　the　fences　well　kept；　and　it　was　pretty　with　good　smoke　ing　out　of　the　chimney。　A　tiny　bundled…up　figure　waved　gaily　at　the　camera　…　too　far　away　for　the　face　to　be　seen　clearly。
　〃And　that's　my　wife？〃　Travkin　said；　his　voice　raw。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃I　don't　believe　you！〃
　Suslev　put　down　a　new　snapshot。　A　portrait。　The　lady　was　white…haired　and　in　her　fifties　or　sixties　and　though　the　cares　of　a　whole　world　marked　her；　her　face　was　still　elegant；　still　patrician。　The　warmth　of　her　smile　reached　out　and　broke　him。
　〃You　。。。　you　KGB　turd；〃　he　said　hoarsely；　sure　that　he　recognized　her。　〃You　filthy　rotten　mother…eating　。。。〃
　〃To　have　found　her？〃　Suslev　said　angrily。　〃To　have　seen　that　she　was　looked　after　and　left　in　peace　and　not　troubled　and　not　sent　to　。。。　to　the　correction　places　she　and　your　whole　class　deserved？〃　Irritably　he　poured　himself　another　drink。　〃I'm　Russian　and　proud　of　it　…　you're　émigré　and　you　left。　My　father　and　his　were　owned　by　one　of　your　class。　My　father　died　at　the　barricades　in　1916；　and　my　mother　…　and　before　they　died　they　were　starving。　They　。。。〃　With　an　effort　he　stopped。　Then　he　said　in　a　different　voice；　〃I　agree　there's　much　to　forgive　and　much　to　forget　on　both　sides；　and　that's　all　past　now　but　I　tell　you　we　Soviets；　we're　not　all　animals　…　not　all　of　us。　We're　not　all　like　Bloody　Beria　and　the　murdering　archfiend　Stalin。　。。。　Not　everyone。〃　He　found　his　pack　of　cigarettes。　〃Do　you　smoke？〃
　〃No。　Are　you　KGB　or　GRU？〃　KGB　stood　for　the　mittee　for　State　Security；　GRU　for　the　Chief　Intelligence　Directorate　of　the　General　Staff。　This　was　not　the　first　time　Travkin　had　been　approached　by　one　of　them。　Before；　he　had　always　been　able　to　slough　them　off　with　his　drab；　unimportant　cover　story。　But　now　he　was　trapped。　This　one　knew　too　much　about　him；　too　much　truth。　Who　are　you；　bastard？　And　what　do　you　really　want？　he　thought　as　he　watched　Suslev　light　a　cigarette。
　〃Your　wife　knows　you're　alive。〃
　〃Impossible。　She's　dead。　She　was　murdered　by　mobs　when　our　pal…　when　our　house　in　Kurgan　was　sacked；　put　to　the　torch；　torn　apart　…　the　prettiest；　most　unarmed　mansion　within　a　hundred　miles。〃
　〃The　masses　had　the　right　t…　〃
　〃Those　weren't　my　people　and　they　were　led　by　imported　Trotskyites　who　afterwards　murdered　my　peasants　by　the　thousands　…　until　they　themselves　were　all　purged　by　more　of　their　own　vermin。〃
　〃Perhaps；　perhaps　not；〃　Suslev　said　coldly。　〃Even　so；　Prince　of　Kurgan　and　Tobol；　she　escaped　with　one　old　servant　and　fled　east　thinking　she　could　find　you；　could　escape　after　you　through　Siberia　to　Manchuria。　The　servant　came　originally　from　Austria。　Pavchen　was　her　name。〃
　The　breath　seemed　to　have　vanished　from　Travkin's　lungs。　〃More　lies；〃　he　heard　himself　say；　no　longer　believing　it；　his　spirit　ripped　apart　by　her　lovely　smile。　〃My　wife's　dead。　She'd　never　go　so　far　north。〃
　〃Ah　but　she　did。　Her　escape　train　was　diverted　northwards。　It　was　autumn。　Already　the　first　snows　had　e　so　she　decided　to　wait　the　winter　out　in　Yakutsk。　She　had　to。　。。。〃　Suslev　put　down　another　snapshot。　〃。。。　she　was　with　child。　This　is　your　son　and　his　family。　It　was　taken　last　year。〃　The　man　was　good…looking；　in　his　forties；　wearing　a　Soviet　major's　air　force　uniform；　self…consciously　smiling　at　the　camera；　his　arm　around　a　fine　woman　in　her　thirties　with　three　happy　children；　a　babe；　a　beaming　girl　of　six　or　seven　missing　front　teeth；　a　boy　of　about　ten　trying　to　be　serious。　〃Your　wife　called　him　Pietor　Ivanovitch　after　your　grandfather。〃
　Travkin　did　not　touch　the　photo。　He　just　stared　at　it；　his　face　chalky。　Then　he　pried　his　eyes　away　and　poured　a　drink　for　himself；　and　as　an　afterthought；　one　for　Suslev。　〃It's　。。。　it's　all　a　brilliant　reconstruction；〃　he　said；　trying　to　sound　convincing。　〃Brilliant。〃
　〃The　child's　name　is　Victoria；　the　girl　is　Nichola　after　your　grandmother。　The　boy　is　Alexi。　Major　Ivanovitch　is　a　bomber　pilot。〃
　Travkin　said　nothing。　His　eyes　went　back　to　the　portrait　of　the　beautiful　old　lady　and　he　was　near　tears　but　his　voice　was　still　controlled。　〃She　knows　I'm　alive；　eh？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃For　how　long？〃
　〃Three　months。　About　three　months　ago。　One　of　our　people　told　her。〃
　〃Who're　they？〃
　〃Do　you　want　to　see　her？〃
　〃Why　only　three　months　…　why　not　a　year　…　three　years？〃
　〃It　was　only　six　months　ago　we　discovered　who　you　were。〃
　〃How　did　you　do　that？〃
　〃Did　you　expect　to　remain　anonymous　forever？〃
　〃If　she　knows　I'm　alive　and　one　of　your　people　told　her　then　she'd've　written。　。。。　Yes。　They　would　have　asked　her　to　do　that　if　。。。〃　Travkin's　voice　was　strange。　He　felt　out　of　himself；　in　a　nightmare；　as　he　tried　to　think　clearly。　〃She　would　have　written　a　letter。〃
　〃She　has。　I　will　give　it　to　you　within　the　next　few　days。　Do　you　want　to　see　her？〃
　Travkin　forced　his　agony　down。　He　motioned　at　the　family　portrait。　〃And　。。。　and　he　knows　I'm　alive　too？〃
　〃No。　None　of　them　do。　That　was　not　at　our　suggestion；　Alexi　Ivanovitch。　It　was　your　wife's　idea。　For　safety　…　to　protect　him；　she　thought。　As　if　we　would　wreak　vengeance　for　the　sins　of　the　fathers　on　the　sons！　She　waited　out　two　winters　in　Yakutsk。　By　that　time　peace　had　e　to　Russia　so　she　stayed。　By　that　time　she　presumed　you　dead；　though　she　hoped　you　were　alive。　The　boy　was　brought　up　believing　you　dead；　and　knew　nothing　of　you。　He　still　doesn't。　As　you　can　see；　he's　a　credit　to　you　both。　He　was　head　of　his　local　school；　then　went　ю　university　as　all　gifted　children　do　nowadays。　。。。　Do　you　know；　Alexi　Ivanovitch；　in　my　day　I　was　the　first　of　my　whole　province　ever　to　get　to　a　university；　the　very　first；　ever　from　a　peasant　family。　We're　fair　in　Russia　today。〃
　〃How　many　corpses　have　you　made　to　bee　what　you　are　now？〃
　〃A　few；〃　Suslev　said　darkly；　〃all　of　them　criminals　or　enemies　of　Russia。〃
　〃Tell　me　about　them。〃
　〃I　will。　One　day。〃
　〃Did　you　fight　the　last　war　…　or　were　you　a　missar？〃
　〃Sixteenth　Tank　Corp；　Forty…fifth　Army。　I　was　at　Sebastopol　。。。　and　at　Berlin。　Tank　mander。　Do　you　want　to　see　your　wife？〃
　〃More　than　my　whole　life　is　worth；　if　this　really　is　my　wife　and　if　she's　alive。〃
　〃She　is。　I　can　arrange　it。〃
　〃Where？〃
　〃Vladivostok。〃
　〃No；　here　in　Hong　Kong。〃
　〃Sorry；　that's　impossible。〃
　〃Of　course。〃　Travkin　laughed　without　mirth。　〃Of　course；　friend。　Drink？〃　He　poured　the　last　of　the　vodka；　splitting　it　equally。　〃Health！〃
　Suslev　stared　at　him。　Then　he　looked　down　at　the　portrait　and　the　snapshot　of　the　air　force　major　and　his　family　and　picked　them　up；　lost　in　thought。　The　silence　grew。　He　scratched　his　beard。　Then　he　said　decisively；　〃All　right。　Here　in　Hong　Kong；〃　and　Travkin's　heart　leapt。
　〃In　return　for　what？〃
　Suslev　stubbed　his　cigarette　out。　〃Information。　And　cooperation。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃I　want　to　know　everything　you　know　about　the　tai…pan　of　the　Noble　House；　everything　you　did　in　China；　who　you　know；　who　you　met。〃
　〃And　the　cooperation