jamesclavell.noblehouse-第171节

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　The　case　had　filled　the　newspapers。　Six　months　before；　in　March；　the　Secretary　of　State　for　War；　John　Profumo；　had　formally　denied　that　he　had　ever　had　an　affair　with　a　notorious　call　girl；　Christine　Keeler；　one　of　several　girls　who　had　suddenly　sprung　to　international　prominence　with　their　procurer；　Stephen　Ward　…　up　to　that　time　just　a　well…known　osteopath　in　London's　high　society。　Unsubstantiated　rumors　began　to　circulate　that　the　girl　had　also　been　having　an　affair　with　one　of　the　Soviet　attachés；　a　well…known　KGB　agent；　mander　Yevgeny　Ivanov；　who　had　been　recalled　to　Russia　the　previous　December。　In　the　uproar　that　followed；　Profumo　resigned；　and　Stephen　Ward　mitted　suicide。
　〃It　is　curious　that　the　affair　was　revealed　to　the　press　at　the　perfect　time　for　the　Soviets；〃　Grant　continued。　〃I　have　no　proof；　yet；　but　it's　not　just　a　coincidence　in　my　opinion。　Remember　it　is　Soviet　doctrine　to　fragment　countries　…　North　Korea　and　South；　East　Germany　and　West；　and　so　on　…　then　to　let　their　indoctrinated　underlings　do　their　work　for　them。　So　I　think　the　pro…Soviet　Socialists　will　help　fragment　Britain　into　England；　Scotland；　Wales　and　south　and　north　Ireland　（watch　Eire　and　Northern　Ireland　which　is　a　ready…made　arena　for　Soviet　merrymaking）。
　〃Now　for　my　suggested　Contingency　Plan　One　for　the　Noble　House：　To　be　circumspect　about　England　and　to　concentrate　on　Scotland　as　a　base。　North　Sea　oil　would　make　Scotland　abundantly　self…sufficient。　The　population　is　small；　hardy　and　nationalistic。　As　an　entity；　Scotland　would　be　practical　now；　and　defensible　…　with　an　abundant　exportable　oil　supply。　A　strong　Scotland　could　perhaps　help　tip　the　scales　and　help　a　tottering　England　。。。　our　poor　country；　Mr。　Dunross！　I　fear　greatly　for　England。
　〃Perhaps　this　is　another　of　my　farfetched　theories。　But　reconsider　Scotland；　Aberdeen；　in　the　light　of　a　new　North　Sea。〃
　〃Ridiculous！〃　Dunross　exploded　and　he　stopped　reading　for　a　moment；　his　mind　swept；　then　cautioned　himself；　don't　go　off　at　half　cock！　AMG's　farfetched　sometimes；　given　to　exaggeration；　he's　a　right…wing　imperialist　who　sees　fifteen　Reds　under　every　bed。　But　what　he　says　could　be　possible。　If　it's　possible；　then　it　must　be　considered。　If　there　were　a　vast　worldwide　oil　shortage　and　we　were　prepared；　we　could　make　a　fortune；　he　told　himself；　his　excitement　growing。　It'd　be　easy　to　buy　into　Aberdeen　now；　easy　to　begin　a　calculated　retreat　from　London　without　hurting　anything　…　Edinburgh　has　all　the　modern　amenities　of　banking；　munications；　ports；　airfields；　that　we'd　need　to　operate　efficiently。　Scotland　for　the　Scots；　with　abundant　oil　for　export？　pletely　viable；　but　not　separate；　somehow　within　a　strong　Britain。　But　if　the　city　of　London；　Parliament　and　Threadneedle　Street　bee　left…wing　choked　。。。
　The　hair　on　the　nape　of　his　neck　twisted　at　the　thought　of　Britain　being　buried　under　a　shroud　of　left…wing　socialism。　What　about　Robin　Grey？　Or　Julian　Broadhurst？　he　asked　himself；　chilled。　Certainly　they'd　nationalize　everything；　they'd　grab　North　Sea　oil；　if　any；　and　put　Hong　Kong　on　the　block　…　they've　already　said　they　would。
　With　an　effort　he　tabled　that　thought　for　later；　turned　the　page　and　read　on。　〃Next；　I　think　I've　identified　three　of　your　Sevrin　moles。　The　information　was　expensive　…　I　may　need　extra　money　before　Christmas　…　and　I　am　not　certain　of　the　accuracy　（I'm　trying　to　cross…check　at　once；　realizing　the　importance　to　you）。　The　moles　are　believed　to　be：　Jason　Plumm　of　a　pany　called　Asian　Properties；　Lionel　Tuke　in　the　telephone　pany；　and　Jacques　deVille　in　Struan's　。。。〃
　〃Impossible！〃　Dunross　burst　out　loud。　〃AMG's　gone　mad！　Plumm's　as　impossible　as　Jacques；　totally　absolutely　impossible。　There's　no　way　they　co…　〃
　His　private　phone　began　ringing。　Automatically　he　picked　it　up。　〃Yes？〃
　〃This　is　the　overseas　operator　calling　Mr。　Dunross。〃
　〃Who's　calling　him　please？〃　he　snapped。
　〃Will　Mr。　Dunross　accept　a　collect　call　from　Sydney；　Australia；　from　a　Mr。　Duncan　Dunross？〃
　The　tai…pan's　heart　missed　a　beat。　〃Of　course！　Hello；　Duncan　。。。　Duncan？〃
　〃Father？〃
　〃Hello；　my　son；　are　you　all　right？〃
　〃Oh　yes；　sir；　absolutely！〃　he　heard　his　son　say　and　his　anxiety　fled。　〃I'm　sorry　to　call　you　during　the　working　day；　Father；　but　my　Monday　flight's　overbooked　an…　〃
　〃Damnit；　you　have　a　confirmed　booking；　laddie。　I'll　get　p…　〃
　〃No；　Father；　thank　you；　that's　perfectly　all　right。　Now　I'm　on　an　earlier　one。　I'm　on　Singapore　Airlines　Flight　6　which　arrives　Hong　Kong　at　noon。　Don't　bother　to　meet　me；　I'll　get　a　taxi　an…　〃
　〃Look　for　the　car；　Duncan。　Lee　Choy　will　be　there。　But　e　to　the　office　before　you　go　home；　eh？〃
　〃All　right。　I've　validated　my　tickets　and　everything。〃
　Dunross　heard　the　pride　in　his　son's　voice　and　it　warmed　him。　〃Good。　Well　done。　By　the　way；　cousin　Linbar　will　be　arriving　tomorrow　on　Qantas　at　8：00　p。m。　your　time。　He'll　be　staying　at　the　house　too。〃　Struan's　had　had　a　pany　house　in　Sydney　since　1900　and　a　permanent　office　there　since　the　eighties。　Hag　Struan　had　gone　into　partnership　with　an　immensely　wealthy　wheat　farmer　named　Bill　Scragger　and　their　pany　had　flourished　until　the　crash　of　1929。　〃Did　you　have　a　good　holiday？〃
　〃Oh　smashing！　Smashing；　yes；　I　want　to　e　back　next　year。　I　met　a　smashing　girl；　Father。〃
　〃Oh？〃　Half　of　Dunross　wanted　to　smile；　the　other　half　was　still　locked　into　the　nightmare　possibility　that　Jacques　was　a　traitor；　and　if　traitor　and　part　of　Sevrin；　was　he　the　one　who　supplied　some　of　their　innermost　secrets　to　Linc　Bartlett？　No；　Jacques　couldn't　have。　He　couldn't　possibly　have　known　about　our　bank　holdings。　Who　knows　about　those？　Who　wou…　
　〃Father？〃
　〃Yes；　Duncan？〃
　He　heard　the　hesitancy；　then　his　son　said　in　a　run；　trying　to　sound　manly；　〃Is　it　all　right　for　a　fellow　to　have　a　girl　friend　a　little　older　than　himself？〃
　Dunross　smiled　gently　and　started　to　dismiss　the　thought　as　his　son　was　only　just　fifteen；　but　then　he　remembered　Elegant　Jade　when　he　himself　was　not　quite　fifteen；　surely　more　of　a　man　than　Duncan。　Not　necessarily；　he　thought　honestly。　Duncan's　tall　and　growing　and　just　as　much　a　man。　And　didn't　I　love　her　to　madness　that　year　and　the　next　year　and　didn't　I　almost　die　the　next　year　when　she　vanished？　〃Well；〃　he　said　as　an　equal；　〃it　really　depends　on　who　the　girl　is；　how　old　the　man　is　and　how　old　the　girl　is。〃
　〃Oh。〃　There　was　a　long　pause。　〃She's　eighteen。〃
　Dunross　was　greatly　relieved。　That　means　she's　old　enough　to　know　better；　he　thought。　〃I'd　say　that　would　be　perfect；〃　he　told　Duncan　in　the　same　voice；　〃particularly　if　the　fellow　was　about　sixteen；　tall；　strong　and　knew　the　facts　of　life。〃
　〃Oh。　Oh　I　didn't　。。。　oh！　I　wouldn't　。。。〃
　〃I　wasn't　being　critical；　laddie；　just　answering　your　question。　A　man　has　to　be　careful　in　this　world；　and　girl　friends　should　be　chosen　carefully。　Where　did　you　meet　her？〃
　〃She　was　on　the　station。　Her　name's　Sheila。〃
　Duncan　suppressed　a　smile。　Girls　in　Australia　were　referred　to　as　sheilas　just　as　in　England　they　were　called　birds。　〃That's　a　nice　name；〃　he　said。　〃Sheila　what？〃
　〃Sheila　Scragger。　She's　a　niece　of　old　Mr。　Tom　and　she's　on　a　visit　from　England。　She's　training　to　be　a　nurse　at　Guy's　Hospital。　She　was　ever　so　super　to　me　and　Paldoon's　super　too。　I　really　can't　thank　you　enough　for　arranging　such　a　super　holiday；〃　Paldoon；　the　Scragger　ranch；　or　station　as　it　was　called　in　Australia；　was　the　only　property　they　had　managed　to　save　from　the　crash。　Paldoon　was　five　hundred　miles　southwest　of　Sydney　near　the　Murray　River　in　Australia's　rice　lands；　sixty　thousand　acres　…　thirty　thousand　head　of　sheep；　two　thousand　acres　of　wheat　and　a　thousand　head　of　cattle　…　and　the　greatest　place　for　a　youth　to　holiday；　working　all　day　from　dawn　to　dusk；　mustering　the　sheep　or　cattle　on　horseback；　galloping　twenty　miles　in　any　direction　and　still　on　your　own　property。
　〃Give　Tom　Scragger　my　regards　and　make　sure　you　send　him　a　bottle　of　whiskey　before　you　leave。〃
　〃Oh　I　sent　him　a　case；　is　that　all　right？〃
　Dunross　laughed。　〃Well　laddie；　a　bottle　would　have　done　just　as　well；　but　a　case　is　perfect。　Call　me　if　there's　any　change　in　your　flight。　You　did　very　well　to　get　it　organized　yourself；　very　good。　Oh　by　the　way；　Mama　and　Glenna　went　to　London　today；　with　Aunt　Kathy；　so　you'll　have　to　go　back　to　school　alone　an…　〃
　〃Oh　jolly　good；　Father；〃　his　son　said　happily。　〃After　all；　I'm　a　man　now　and　almost　at　university！〃
　〃Yes；　yes　you　are。〃　A　small　sweet　sadness　touched　Dunross　as　he　sat　in　his　high　chair；　AMG's　letter　in　his　hand　but　forgotten。　〃Are　you　all　right　for　money？〃
　〃Oh　yes。　I　hardly　spent　anything　on　the　station　except　for　a　beer　or　two。　Father；　don't　tell　Mother　about　my　girl。〃
　〃All　right。　Or　Adryon；〃　he　said　and　at　once　his　chest　tightened　at　the　thought　of　Martin　Haply　together　with　Adryon　and　how　they　went　off　hand…in…hand。　〃You　should　tell　Adryon　yourself。〃
　〃Oh　super；　I'd　forgotten　her。　How　is　she？〃
　〃She's　in　good　shape；〃　Dunross　said；　ordering　himself　to　be　adult；　wise；　and　not　to　worry　and　it　was　all　quite　normal　for　boys　and　girls　to　be　boys　and　girls。　Yes；　but　Christ　it's　difficult　if　you're　the　father。　〃Well；　Duncan；　see　you　Monday！　Thanks　for　calling。〃
　〃Oh　yes；　and　Father；　Sheila　drove　m