jamesclavell.noblehouse-第183节
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He was deep in dreams now； bad dreams； drug…assisted dreams； and Happy Valley was the Valley of Death。 His eyes did not feel the lights e up gently nor the door swing open。
It was time to begin again。
Armstrong looked down at his friend； pitying him。 The lights were carefully dimmed。 Beside him was Senior Agent Malcolm Sun； an SI guard and the SI doctor。 Dr。 Dorn was a small； dapper； slightly bald specialist with an animated； birdlike intensity。 He took Brian Kwok's pulse and measured his blood pressure and listened to his heartbeat。
〃The client's in fine shape； Superintendent； physically；〃 he said with a faint smile。 〃His blood pressure and heart beat're nicely up but that's to be expected。〃 He noted his readings on the chart； handed it to Armstrong； who glanced at his watch； wrote down the time and signed the chart also。
〃You can carry on；〃 he said。
The doctor filled the syringe carefully。 With great care he gave Brian Kwok the injection in the rump with a new needle。 There was almost no mark； just a tiny spot of blood that he wiped away。 〃Dinner time whenever you want；〃 he said with a smile。
Armstrong just nodded。 The SI guard had added a measure of urine to the pail and that was noted on the chart as well。 〃Very smart of him to measure the level； didn't think he'd do that；〃 Malcolm Sun mented。 Infrared rays made it easy to monitor a client's most tiny movement from spyholes set into the ceiling lights。 〃Dew neh loh moh； who'd've imagined he'd be the mole？ Smart； he always was so fornicating smart。〃
〃Let's hope the poor bugger's not too fornicating smart；〃 Armstrong told him sourly。 〃The sooner he talks the better。 The Old Man won't give up on him。〃
The others looked at him。 The young SI guard shivered。
Dr。 Dorn broke the uneasy silence。 〃Should we still maintain the two…hour cycle； sir？〃
Armstrong glanced at his friend。 The first drug in the beer had been about 1：30 this afternoon。 Since then； Brian Kwok had been on a Classification Two … a chemical sleep…wake…sleep…wake schedule。 Every two hours。 Wake up injections just before 4：30 p。m。； 6：30； 8：30； and this would continue until 6：30 a。m。 when the first serious interrogation would begin。 Within ten minutes of each injection the client would be artificially pulled out of sleep； his thirst and his hunger increased by the drugs。 Food would be wolfed and the cold tea gulped and the drugs therein would quickly take effect。 Deep sleep； very deep very quick assisted by another injection。 Darkness and harsh light alternated； metallic voices and silence alternated。 Then wake…up。 Breakfast。 And two hours later； dinner； and two hours later breakfast。 To an increasingly disoriented mind twelve hours would bee six days … more if the client could stand it； twelve days； every hour on the hour。 No need for physical torture； just darkness and disorientation； enough to discover that which you wish to discover from the enemy client； or to make your enemy client sign what you want him to sign； soon believing your truth to be his truth。
Anyone。
Anyone after a week of sleep…wake…sleep followed by two or three days of no sleep。
Anyone。
Oh Christ almighty； Armstrong thought； you poor bloody bastard； you'll try to hold out and it won't do you a bit of good。 None。
But then most of Armstrong's mind shouted back； but he's not your friend but an enemy agent； just a 〃client〃 and enemy who has betrayed you and everything and everyone for years。 It was probably him who shopped Fong…fong and his lads who're now in some lousy stinking cell having the same but without doctors and monitoring and care。 Still； can you be proud of this type of treatment … can any civilized person？
No。 Is it necessary to stuff lousy chemicals into a helpless body？
No 。。。 yes； yes it is； yes it is sometimes； and killing's necessary sometimes； mad dogs； people … oh yes some people are evil and mad dogs are evil。 Yes。 You've got to use these modern psychic techniques； developed by Pavlov and other Soviets； developed by munists under a KGB regime。 Ah but do you have to follow them？
Christ I don't know but I do know the KGB're trying to destroy us all and bring us all down to their level an…
Armstrong's eyes focused and he saw them all staring at him。 〃What？〃
〃Shall we maintain the two…hour cycle； sir？〃 the doctor repeated； disquieted。
〃Yes。 Yes； and at 6：30 we'll begin the first interview。〃
〃Are you doing that yourself？〃
〃It's on the orders； for chrissake；〃 Armstrong snarled。 〃Can't you bloody read？〃
〃Oh sorry；〃 the doctor replied at once。 They all knew of Armstrong's friendship for the client and of Crosse's ordering him to do the interrogation。 〃Would you like a sedative； old chap？〃 Dr。 Dorn asked solicitously。
Armstrong cursed him obscenely and left； angry that he had allowed the doctor to needle him into losing his temper。 He went to the top floor； to the officers' mess。
〃Barman！〃
〃ing up； sir！〃
His usual tankard of beer came quickly but tonight the smooth dark liquid he loved； malt heavy and bitter； did not quench his thirst or cleanse his mouth。 A thousand times he had worried what he would do if he was caught by them and put naked into such a cell； knowing most techniques and practices and being on guard。 Better than poor bloody Brian； he thought grimly。 Poor bugger knows so little。 Yes； but does more knowledge help when you're the client？
His skin felt clammy with fear…sweat as he thought of what was ahead of Brian Kwok。
〃Barman！〃
〃Yes sir； ing up！〃
〃Evening Robert； can I join you？〃 Chief Inspector Donald C。 C。 Smyth asked。
〃Oh； hello。 Yes 。。。 sit down；〃 he told the younger man unenthusiastically。
Smyth sat on the bar stool beside him and eased his arm that was in a sling more fortably。 〃How's it going？〃
〃Routine。〃 Armstrong saw Smyth nod and he thought how apt his nickname was。 The Snake。 Smyth was good…looking； smooth； sinuous like a snake with the same deadly quality of danger there； and the same habit of licking his lips from time to time with the tip of his tongue。
〃Christ！ It's still impossible to believe it's Brian。〃 Smyth was one of the few in the know about Brian。 〃Shocking。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Robert； I've been ordered by the DCID〃 … Director of Criminal Investigation； Armstrong's ultimate boss … 〃to take over the Werewolf case from you while you're occupied。 And any others you might want me to cover。〃
〃Everything's in the files。 Sergeant Major Tang…po's my Number Two 。。。 he's a good detective； very good in fact。〃 Armstrong quaffed some beer and added cynically； 〃He's well connected。〃
Smyth smiled with his mouth。 〃Good； that's a help。〃
〃Just don't organize my bloody district。〃
〃Perish the thought； old chum。 East Aberdeen takes all of my skill。 Now； what about the Werewolves？ Continue surveillance on Phillip Chen？〃
〃Yes。 And his wife。〃
〃Interesting that before Dianne married that old miser she was Mai…wei T'Chung； eh？ Interesting too that one of her cousins was Hummingbird Sung。〃
Armstrong stared at him。 〃You've been doing your homework。〃
〃All part of the service！〃 Smyth added grimly； 〃I'd like to get those Werewolves right smartly。 We've already had three panic calls in East Aberdeen from people who have had phone calls from the Werewolves demanding h'eung yau； 'velly quicklee' or else a kidnapping。 I hear it's the same all over the Colony。 If three frightened citizens called us； you can bet three hundred haven't had the courage。〃 Smyth sipped his whiskey and soda。 〃That's not good for business； not good at all。 There's only so much fat on the cow。 If we don't get the Werewolves quickly the buggers'll have their own mint … a few quick phone calls and money'll be in the mail； the poor bloody victims happy to pay off to escape their attention … and every other bloody villain here with a sense of larceny will have a field day too。〃
〃I agree。〃 Armstrong finished his beer。 〃You want another？〃
〃Let me。 Barman！〃
Armstrong watched his beer being drawn。 〃You think there's a connection between John Chen and Hummingbird Sung？〃 He remembered Sung； the wealthy shipping magnate with the oral reputation； kidnapped six years ago； and smiled wryly： 〃Christ； I haven't thought about him in years。〃
〃Nor me。 The cases don't parallel and we put his kidnappers into pokey for twenty years and they'll rot there but you never know。 Perhaps there's a connection。〃 Smyth shrugged。 〃Dianne Chen must have hated John Chen and I'm sure he hated her back； everyone knows that。 Same with old Hummingbird。〃 He laughed。 〃Hummingbird's other nickname； in the trade so to speak； is Nosy…nosy。〃
Armstrong grunted。 He rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes。 〃Might be worth going to see John's wife； Barbara。 I was going to do that tomorrow but 。。。 well； it might be worthwhile。〃
〃I've already got an appointment。 And I'm going out to Sha Tin first thing。 Maybe those local buggers missed something in the rain。〃
〃Good idea。〃 Uneasily Armstrong watched the Snake sipping his whiskey。 〃What's on your mind？〃 he asked； knowing there was something。
Smyth looked up at him directly。 〃There're a lot of things I don't understand about this kidnapping。 For instance； why was such a huge reward offered by the High Dragons for John's recap
