jamesclavell.noblehouse-第164节

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　〃I　feel　rotten。〃　Armstrong　hesitated。　〃I　sent　for　a　couple　of　beers；　then　we'll　have　lunch。　How　about　a　curry？　All　right？〃
　〃Fine；　but　if　you're　feeling　rotten　let's　skip　lunch。〃
　〃No；　it's　not　that　sort　of　rotten。　I　。。。　I　just　hate　doing　white　interrogations　。。。　gives　me　the　creeps。〃
　Brian　Kwok　stared　at　him。　〃You　did　the　old　amah　there？　What　the　hell　for？〃
　〃It　was　Crosse's　order。　He's　a　bastard！〃
　Brian　Kwok　put　his　paper　down。　〃Yes　he　is；　and　I'm　sure　I'm　right　about　him；〃　he　said　softly。
　〃Not　now；　Brian；　over　lunch　maybe　but　not　now。　Christ；　I　need　a　drink！　Bloody　Crosse；　and　bloody　SI！　I'm　not　SI　and　yet　he　acts　like　I'm　one　of　his。〃
　〃Oh？　But　you're　ing　on　the　16/2　this　evening。　I　thought　you'd　been　seconded。〃
　〃He　didn't　mention　it。　What's　on？〃
　〃If　he　didn't　mention　it；　I'd　better　not。〃
　〃Of　course。〃　It　was　normal　SI　procedure；　for　security；　to　minimize　the　spread　of　information　so　that　even　highly　trustworthy　agents　working　on　the　same　case　might　not　be　given　all　the　facts。　〃I'm　bloody　not　going　to　be　seconded；〃　Armstrong　said　grimly；　knowing　that　if　Crosse　ordered　it　there　was　nothing　he　could　do　to　prevent　it。　〃Is　the　intercept　to　do　with　Sevrin？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　hope　so。〃　Brian　Kwok　studied　him　then　smiled。　〃Cheer　up；　Robert；　I've　some　good　news　for　you；〃　he　said　and　Armstrong　noticed　again　how　handsome　his　friend　was；　strong　white　teeth；　golden　skin；　firm　jaw；　dancing　eyes　with　that　devil…may…care　confidence　about　him。
　〃You're　a　good…looking　sod；〃　he　said。　〃What　good　news？　You　leaned　on　friend　One　Foot　at　the　Para　Restaurant　and　he's　given　you　the　first　four　winners　for　Saturday？〃
　〃Dreamer！　No；　it's　about　those　files　you　snatched　yesterday　at　Bucktooth　Lo's　and　passed　over　to　Anti…Corruption。　Remember？　From　Photographer　Ng？〃
　〃Oh？　Oh　yes。〃
　〃It　seems　our　fair…weather　American…Chinese　guest；　Thomas　K。　K。　Lim；　who's　'somewhere　in　Brazil；'　is　quite　a　character。　His　files　were　golden。　Very　golden　indeed！　And　in　English；　so　our　Anti…Corruption　fellows　went　through　them　like　a　dose　of　salts。　You　came　up　with　treasure！〃
　〃He's　connected　with　Tsu…yan？〃　Armstrong　asked；　his　mind　diverted　immediately。
　〃Yes。　And　a　lot　of　other　people。　Very　important　people；　ve…　〃
　〃Banastasio？〃
　Brian　Kwok　smiled　with　his　mouth。　〃Vincenzo　Banastasio　himself。　That　ties　John　Chen；　the　guns；　Tsu…yan；　Banastasio　and　Peter　Marlowe's　theory　nicely。〃
　〃Bartlett？〃
　〃Not　yet。　But　Marlowe　knows　someone　who　knows　too　much　that　we　don't　know。　I　think　we　should　investigate　him。　Will　you？〃
　〃Oh　yes。　What　else　about　the　papers？〃
　〃Thomas　K。　K。　Lim's　a　Catholic；　a　third…generation　American…Chinese　who's　a　magpie。　He　collects　all　sorts　of　inflammatory　correspondence；　letters；　notes；　memos；　etcetera。〃　Brian　Kwok　smiled　his　humorless　smile　again。　〃Our　Yankee　friends　are　worse　than　we　thought。〃
　〃For　instance？〃
　〃For　instance；　a　certain　well…known；　well…connected　New　England　family's　involved　with　certain　generals；　U。S。　and　Vietnamese；　in　building　several　very　large；　very　unnecessary　U。S。A。F。　bases　in　Vietnam　…　very　profitably　…　for　them。〃
　〃Hallelujah！　Names？〃
　〃Names；　ranks　and　serial　numbers。　If　the　principals　knew　friend　Thomas　had　it　documented；　it　would　send　a　shudder　of　horror　down　the　Hallowed　Halls　of　Fame；　the　Pentagon　and　various　expensive　smoke…filled　rooms。〃
　Armstrong　grunted。　〃He's　the　middle　man？〃
　〃Entrepreneur　he　calls　himself。　Oh　he's　on　very　good　terms　with　lots　of　notables。　American；　Italian；　Vietnamese；　Chinese；　both　sides　of　the　fence。　The　papers　document　the　whole　fraud。　Another　scheme's　to　channel　millions　of　U。S。　funds　into　another　phony　Vietnam　aid　program。　8　million　to　be　exact　…　one　is　already　paid　over　to　them。　Friend　Lim　even　discussed　how　the　one　million　h'eung　yau's　to　be　diverted　to　Switzerland。〃
　〃Could　we　make　it　stick？〃
　〃Oh　yes；　if　we　catch　Thomas　K。　K。　Lim　and　if　we　wanted　to　make　it　stick。　I　asked　Crosse　but　he　just　shrugged　and　said　it　wasn't　our　affair；　that　if　Yanks　wanted　to　cheat　their　government；　that's　up　to　them。〃　Brian　Kwok　smiled　but　his　eyes　didn't。　〃It's　powerful　info；　Robert。　If　even　part　became　mon　knowledge　it'd　create　one　helluva　stinky　stink　right　up　to　the　top。〃
　〃Is　he　going　to　pass　it　on　to　Rosemont？　Leak　it？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　don't　think　so。　In　one　way　he's　right。　It's　nothing　to　do　with　us。　Bloody　stupid　to　put　it　all　down！　Stupid！　They　deserve　to　get　chopped！　When　you've　a　minute　read　the　papers；　they're　juicy。〃
　〃Any　connection　between　Lim　and　those　other　villains？　Bucktooth　Lo　and　the　other　man？　Are　they　stealing　CARE　funds？〃
　〃Oh　yes；　must　be；　but　all　their　files're　in　Chinese　so　it'll　take　longer　to　pin　them。〃　Brian　Kwok　added　strangely；　〃Curious　that　Crosse　sniffed　that　one　out；　almost　as　though　he　knew　there'd　be　a　connection。〃　He　dropped　his　voice。　〃I　know　I'm　right　about　him。〃
　The　silence　gathered。　Armstrong's　mouth　felt　parched　and　tasted　bad。　He　pried　his　eyes　off　the　rain　and　looked　at　Brian　Kwok。
　〃What've　you　got？〃
　〃You　know　that　vice…consul　in　the　U　S　Consulate　…　the　homo；　the　one　who's　selling　visas？〃
　〃What　about　him？〃
　〃Last　month　Crosse　had　dinner　with　him。　In　his　flat。〃
　Armstrong　rubbed　his　face　nervously。　〃That　proves　nothing。　Listen；　tomorrow；　tomorrow　we　get　the　files。　Tomorrow　Sind…　〃
　〃Perhaps　we　won't　get　to　read　them。〃
　〃Personally　I　don't　give　a　shit。　That's　SI　business　and　I'm　CID　and　that's　wh…　〃
　A　knock　stopped　him。　The　door　opened。　A　Chinese　waiter　came　in　with　a　tray　and　two　tankards　of　cold　beer　and　beamed　toothily。　〃Afternoon；　sah；〃　he　said；　offering　one　to　Brian　Kwok。　He　gave　the　other　to　Armstrong　and　went　out。
　〃Good　luck；〃　Armstrong　said；　hating　himself。　He　drank　deeply　then　went　to　his　safe　to　lock　the　tape　away。
　Brian　Kwok　studied　him。　〃You　sure　you're　all　right；　old　chum？〃
　〃Yes；　yes　of　course。〃
　〃What　did　the　old　woman　say？〃
　〃In　the　beginning　she　told　lots　of　lies；　lots　of　them。　And　then　the　truth。　All　of　it。　I'll　tell　you　over　lunch；　Brian。　You　know　how　it　is　…　you　catch　the　lies　eventually；　if　you're　patient。　I'm　fed　up　with　lies。〃　Armstrong　finished　his　beer。　〃Christ；　I　needed　that。〃
　〃Do　you　want　mine　too？　Here。〃
　〃No；　no　thanks；　but　it's　me　for　a　whiskey　and　soda　before　curry　and　maybe　another　one。　Drink　up　and　let's　get　the　show　on　the　road。〃
　Brian　Kwok　put　his　half…empty　tankard　down。　〃That's　enough　for　me。〃　He　lit　a　cigarette。　〃How's　the　nonsmoking　going？〃
　〃Rough。〃　Armstrong　watched　him　inhale　deeply。　〃Anything　on　Voranski？　Or　his　assassins？〃
　〃They　vanished　into　thin　air。　We've　got　their　photos　so　we'll　catch　them；　unless　they're　over　the　border。〃
　〃Or　in　Taiwan。〃
　After　a　pause；　Brian　Kwok　nodded。　〃Or　Macao　or　North　Korea；　Vietnam　or　wherever。　The　minister's　hopping　mad　with　Crosse　over　Voranski；　so's　MI…6；　so's　the　CIA。　The　CIA　top　echelon　in　London　have　been　chewing　the　minister's　tail　so　he's　passing　it　on。　We'd　better　get　those　buggers　before　Rosemont　or　we'll　lose　all　face。　Rosemont's　under　fire　too　to　e　up　with　their　heads。　I　hear　he's　got　every　man　out　looking；　thinking　it's　to　do　with　Sevrin；　and　the　carrier。　He's　petrified　there's　going　to　be　an　incident　involving　the　nuclear　carrier。〃　Brian　Kwok　added；　his　voice　hardening；　〃Bloody　stupid　to　offend　the　PRC　by　bringing　her　here。　That　monster's　an　open　invitation　to　every　agent　in　Asia。〃
　〃If　I　was　Soviet　I'd　try　to　infiltrate　her。　SI's　probably　trying　right　now。　Crosse'd　love　to　have　a　plant　aboard。　Why　not？〃　The　big　man　watched　the　smoke　curling。　〃If　I　was　Nationalist　perhaps　I'd　plant　a　few　mines　and　blame　the　PRC　…　or　vice　versa　and　blame　Chiang　Kai…shek。〃
　〃That's　what　the　CIA'd　do　to　get　everyone　hopping　mad　at　China。〃
　〃e　off　it；　Brian！〃
　Brian　Kwok　took　a　last　sip　then　got　up。　〃That's　enough　for　me。　e　on。〃
　〃Just　a　moment。〃　Armstrong　dialed。　〃This's　Armstrong；　set　up　another　session　at　1700　hours　for　V…11…3。　I'll　want　。。。〃　He　stopped；　seeing　his　friend's　eyes　flutter；　then　glaze　and　he　caught　him　easily　as　he　fell　and　let　him　slump　back　in　the　chair。　Out　of　himself；　almost　watching　himself；　he　put　the　phone　back　on　its　cradle。　Now　there　was　nothing　for　him　to　do　but　wait。
　I've　done　my　job；　he　thought。
　The　door　opened。　Crosse　came　in。　Behind　him　were　three　plain…clothed　SI　agents；　all　British；　all　senior　agents；　all　taut…faced　and　tense。　Quickly　one　of　the　men　put　a　thick　black　hood　over　Brian　Kwok's　head；　picked　him　up　easily　and　went　out；　the　others　following。
　Now　that　it　was　done　Robert　Armstrong　felt　nothing；　no　remorse　or　shock　or　anger。　Nothing。　His　head　told　him　that　there　was　no　mistake　though　his　head　still　told　him　equally　that　his　friend　of　almost　twenty　years　could　not　possibly　be　a　munist　mole。　But　he　was。　The　proof　was　irrefutable。　The　evidence　he　had　found　proved　conclusively　that　Brian　Kwok　was　the　son　of　Fang…ling　Wu；　Ah　Tam's　old　employer；　when　according　to　his　birth　certificate　and　personal　records　his　mother　and　father　were　supposed　to　have　been　surnamed　Kwok　and　murdered　by　munists　in　Canton　in　'43。　One　of　the　photographs　had　showed　Brian　Kwok　standing　beside　a　tiny　Chinese　lady　in　front　of　a　pharmacy　at　a　crossroads　in　a　village。　The　quality　was　poor　but　more　than　good　enough　to　read　the　characters　of　the　shop　sign　and　to　recog