jamesclavell.noblehouse-第159节
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uilding site and excavations for a high rise。 Beside that was another apartment block that vanished into the overcast。
So much building； Bartlett told himself critically。 Maybe we should get into construction here。 Too many people chasing too little land means profit； huge profit。 And amortized over three years … Jesus！
A taxi swirled up； careless of the puddles。 Passengers got out and others； grumbling； got in。 A Chinese couple came out of the entrance； shoved past him and the others to the head of the line … a loud chattering matron with a huge umbrella； an expensive raincoat over her chong…sam； her husband meek and mild alongside her。 Screw you； baby； Bartlett thought； you're not going to take my turn。 He moved into a better position。 His watch read 10：35。
What next； he asked himself。 Don't let Orlanda distract you！
Struan's or Gornt？
Today's skirmish day； tomorrow … Friday … tomorrow's the ball…breaker； the weekend's for regrouping； Monday's the final assault and by 3：00 p。m。 we should have a victor。
Whom do I want to win？ Dunross or Gornt？
That Gornt's a lucky man … was a lucky man； he thought； bemused。 Jesus； Orlanda's something else。 Would I have quit her if I'd been him？ Sure。 Sure I would。 Well maybe not … nothing happened。 But I'd've married her the moment I could and not sent our child packing to Portugal … that Gornt's a no…good son of a bitch。 Or goddamn clever。 Which？
She laid it out nice and clean … just like Casey did but different though the result's the same。 Now everything's plicated； or simple。 Which？
Do I want to marry her？ No。
Do I want to let her drop？ No。
Do I want to bed her？ Sure。 So mount a campaign； maneuver her into bed without mitments。 Don't play the game of life according to female rules； all's fair in war and war。 What's love anyway？ It's like Casey said； sex's only a part of it。
Casey。 What about her？ Not long to wait for Casey now。 And then； is it bed or marriage bells or good…bye or what？ Goddamned if I want to get married again。 The one time turned out lousy。 That's strange； I haven't thought about her in a long time。
When Bartlett had returned from the Pacific in '45 he had met her in San Diego and married within a week； full of love and ambition and had hurled himself into beginning a construction business in southern California。 The time was ripe in California； all forms of building booming。 The first child had arrived within ten months and the second a year later and a third ten months after that； and all the while working Saturdays and Sundays； enjoying the work and being young and strong and succeeding hugely； but drifting apart。 Then the quarreling began and the whining and the 〃you never spend any time with us anymore and screw the business I don't care about the business I want to go to France and Rome and why don't you e home early have you a girl friend I know you have a girl friend。 。。。〃
But there was no girl friend； just work。 Then one day the attorney's letter。 Just through the mail。
Shit； Bartlett thought angrily； it still hurting。 But then I'm only one of millions and it's happened before and it'll happen again。 Even so your letter or your phone call hurts。 It hurts and it costs you。 It costs you plenty and the attorneys get most； get a good part and they cleverly fan the fire between you for their own goddamn gain。 Sure。 You're their meal ticket； we all are！ From the cradle to the goddamn grave； attorneys kite trouble and feed off your blood。 Shit。 Attorneys're the real plague of the good old U。S。 of A。 I've only met four good ones in all my life； but the rest？ They parasite all of us。 Not one of us's safe！
Yes。 That bastard Stone！ He made a killing out of me； turned her into a goddamn fiend； put her and the kids against me forever and nearly broke me and the business。 I hope the bastard rots for all eternity！
With an effort Bartlett took his mind off that gaping sore and looked at the rain and remembered that it was only money and that he was free； free and that made him feel marvelous。
Jesus！ I'm free and there's Casey and Orlanda。
Orlanda。
Jesus； he thought； the ache still in his loins； I was really going back there。 So was Orlanda。 Goddamn； it's bad enough with Casey but now I've two of them。
He had not been with a girl for a couple of months。 The last time was in London； a casual meeting and casual dinner then into bed。 She was staying at the same hotel； divorced and no trouble。 What was it Orlanda said？ A friendly tumble and a shy good…bye？ Yes。 That's it。 But that one wasn't shy。
He stood in line happily； feeling greatly alive and watching the torrents； the smell of the rain on the earth grand； the road messed with stones and mud； the flood swirling over a long wide crack in the tarmac to dance into the air like rapids of a stream。
The rain's going to bring lots of trouble； he thought。 And Orlanda's lots of trouble； old buddy。 Sure。 Even so； there must be a way to bed her。 What is it about her that blows your mind？ Part's her face； part's her figure； part's the look in her eye； part's 。。。 Jesus； face it； she's all woman and all trouble。 Better forget Orlanda。 Be wise； be wise； old buddy。 As Casey said； that broad's dynamite！
43
10：50 A。M。：
It had been raining now for almost twelve hours and the surface of the Colony was soaked though the empty reservoirs were barely touched。 The parched earth weled the wet。 Most of the rain ran off the baked surface to flood the lower levels； turning dirt roads into morasses； and building sites into lakes。 Some of the water went deep。 In the resettlement areas that dotted the mountainsides the downpour was a disaster。
Shantytowns of rickety hovels built of any scraps； cardboard； planks； corrugated iron； fencing； canvas； sidings； three…ply walls and roofs for the well…to…do； all leaning against one another； attached to one another； on top of one another； layer on layer； up and down the mountains … all with dirt floors and dark alleys that were now awash and mucked and puddled and potholed and dangerous。 Rain pouring through roofs soaking bedding； clothes and the other remnants of a lifetime； people packed on people surrounded by people who stoically shrugged and waited for the rain to stop。 Tin alleys wandered higgledy…piggledy with no plan except to squeeze another space for another family of refugees and illegal aliens but not really aliens for this was China and； once past the border； any Chinese became legal settlers to stay as long as they wanted by ancient Hong Kong Government approval。
The strength of the Colony had always been its cheap； abundant and strife…free labor force。 The Colony provided a permanent sanctuary and asked only peaceful labor in return at whatever the going rate of the day was。 Hong Kong never sought immigrants but the people of China always came。 They came by day and by night； by ship； by foot； by stretcher。 They came across the border whenever famine or a convulsion racked China； families of men； women and children came to stay； to be absorbed； in time to go back home because China was always home； even after ten generations。
But refugees were not always weled。 Last year the Colony was almost swamped by a human flood。 For some still unknown reason and without warning； the PRC border guards relaxed the tight control of their side and within a week thousands were pouring across daily。 Mostly they came by night； over and through the token； single six…strand fence that separated the New Territories from the Kwantung； the neighboring province。 The police were powerless to stem the tide。 The army had to be called out。 In one night in May almost six thousand of the illegal horde were arrested； fed and the next day sent back over the border … but more thousands had escaped the border net to bee legal。 The catastrophe went on night after night； day after day。 Tens of thousands of newers。 Soon mobs of angry sympathetic Chinese were at the border trying to disrupt the deportations。 The deportations were necessary because the Colony was being buried in illegals and it was impossible to feed； house and absorb such a sudden； vast increase in new population。 Already there were the four…plus million to worry about； all but a tiny percent illegals at one time。
Then； as suddenly as it had begun； the human gusher ceased and the border closed。 Again for no apparent reason。
In the six…week period almost 70；000 had been arrested and returned。 Between 100；000 and 200；000 escaped the net to stay； no one knew for certain how many。 Spectacles Wu's grandparents and four uncles and their families were some of these； seventeen souls in all； and since they had arrived they had been living in a resettlement area high above Aberdeen。 Spectacles Wu had arranged everything for them。 This was more of the land that the Noble House Chen family had owned since the beginning that； until recently； had been without value。 Now it had value。 The Chens rented it； foot by foot； to any who wished to pay。 Spectacles Wu had gratefully rented twenty feet by twelve feet at 1。00 HK per foot per month and； over the months； had helped the family scavenge the makings for two dwellings that； until this rain； were dry。 There was one water tap per hundred families； no sewer
