jamesclavell.noblehouse-第192节

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　〃Did　you　know　America's　secretly　arming　the　Japanese？〃
　〃Eh？〃　Grey　stared　at　him。
　〃Oh；　didn't　you　know？〃　Suslev　was　well　aware　of　Grey's　three　and　a　half　years　in　Japanese　POW　camps。　〃Didn't　you　know　the　U。S。　has　a　military　mission　there　right　now　asking　them　if　they'd　accept　nuclear　weapons？〃
　〃They'd　never　dare。〃
　〃But　they　have；　Mr。　Grey；〃　Suslev　said；　the　lie　ing　so　easily。　〃Of　course　it's　all　totally　secret。〃
　〃Can　you　give　me　details　I　could　use　in　Parliament？〃
　〃Well；　I'll　certainly　ask　my　superiors　to　furnish　that　to　you　if　you　think　it'd　be　of　value。〃
　〃Please；　as　soon　as　possible。　Nuclear　bombs　。。。　Christ！〃
　〃Are　your　people；　your　trained　experts；　in　British　nuclear　plants　too？〃
　〃Eh？〃　Grey　concentrated　with　an　effort；　heaving　his　mind　off　Japan。　〃Nuclear　plants？〃
　〃Yes。　Are　you　getting　your　Brits？〃
　〃Well；　no；　there's　only　one　or　two　plants　in　the　U。K。　and　they're　unimportant。　The　Yanks're　really　arming　the　Japs？〃
　〃Isn't　Japan　capitalist？　Isn't　Japan　a　U。S。　protégé？　Aren't　they　building　nuclear　plants　too？　If　it　wasn't　for　America　。。。〃
　〃Those　American　sods！　Thank　God　you've　the　bombs　too　or　we'd　all　have　to　kowtow！〃
　〃Perhaps　you　should　concentrate　some　effort　on　your　nuclear　plants；　eh？〃　Suslev　said　smoothly；　astounded　that　Grey　could　be　so　gullible。
　〃Why？〃
　〃There's　a　new　study　out；　by　one　of　your　countrymen。　Philby。'
　〃Philby？〃　Grey　remembered　how　shocked　and　frightened　he　had　been　at　Philby's　discovery　and　flight；　then　how　relieved　he　was　that　Philby　and　the　others　had　escaped　without　giving　lists　of　the　inner　core　of　the　BCP　that　they　must　have　had。　〃How　is　he？〃
　〃I　understand　he's　very　well。　He's　working　in　Moscow。　Did　you　know　him？〃
　〃No。　He　was　Foreign　Office；　stratosphere。　None　of　us　knew　he　was　one　of　us。〃
　〃He　points　out　in　this　study　that　a　nuclear　plant　is　self…sustaining；　that　one　plant　can　generate　fuel　for　itself　and　for　others。　Once　a　nuclear　plant　is　operating；　in　effect　it　is　almost　perpetual；　it　requires　only　a　few　highly　skilled；　highly　educated　technicians　to　operate　it；　no　workers；　unlike　oil　or　coal。　At　the　moment　all　industry　in　the　West's　dependent　on　coal　or　oil。　He　suggests　it　should　be　our　policy　to　encourage　use　of　oil；　not　coal；　and　pletely　discourage　nuclear　power。　Eh？〃
　〃Ah；　I　see　his　point！〃　Grey's　face　hardened。　〃I　shall　get　myself　on　the　parliamentary　mittee　to　study　atomic　energy。〃
　〃Will　that　be　easy？〃
　〃Too　easy；　rade！　Brits　are　lazy；　they　want　no　problems；　they　just　want　to　work　as　little　as　possible　for　as　much　money　as　possible；　to　go　to　the　pub　and　football　on　Saturdays　…　and　no　unpaid　work；　no　tedious　mittees　after　hours；　no　arguments。　It's　too　easy　…　when　we　have　a　plan　and　they　don't。〃
　Suslev　sighed；　very　satisfied；　his　work　almost　done。　〃Another　beer？　No；　let　me　get　it；　it's　my　honor；　Mr。　Grey。　Do　you　happen　to　know　a　writer　who's　here　at　the　moment；　a　U。S。　citizen；　Peter　Marlowe？〃
　Grey's　head　snapped　up。　〃Marlowe？　I　know　him　very　well；　didn't　know　he　was　a　U。S。　citizen　though。　Why？〃
　Suslev　kept　his　interest　hidden　and　shrugged。　〃I　was　just　asked　to　ask　you；　since　you　are　English　and　he　originally　was　English。〃
　〃He's　a　rotten　upper…class　sod　with　the　morals　of　a　barrow　boy。　Hadn't　seen　him　for　years；　not　since　'45；　until　he　turned　up　here。　He　was　in　Changi　too。　I　didn't　know　he　was　a　writer　until　yesterday；　or　one　of　those　film　people。　What's　important　about　him？〃
　〃He's　a　writer；〃　Suslev　said　at　once。　〃He　makes　films。　With　television；　writers　can　reach　millions。　Center　keeps　track　of　Western　writers　as　a　matter　of　policy。　Oh　yes；　we　know　about　writers　in　Mother　Russia；　how　important　they　are。　Our　writers　have　always　pointed　the　way　for　us；　Mr。　Grey；　they've　formed　our　thinking　and　feeling；　Tolstoy；　Dostoevski；　Chekhov；　Bunin　。。。〃　He　added　with　pride；　〃Writers　with　us　are　pathfinders。　That's　why　nowadays　we　must　guide　them　in　their　formation　and　control　their　work　or　bury　it。〃　He　looked　at　Grey。　〃You　should　do　the　same。〃
　〃We　support　friendly　writers；　Captain；　and　damn　the　other　shower　whichever　way　we　can；　publicly　and　privately。　When　I　get　home；　I'll　put　Marlowe　on　our　formal　BCP　media　shit　list。　It'll　be　easy　to　do　him　some　harm　…　we've　lots　of　friends　in　our　media。〃
　Suslev　lit　a　cigarette。　〃Have　you　read　his　book？〃
　〃The　one　about　Changi？　No；　no　I　haven't。　I'd　never　heard　of　it　until　I　got　here。　It　probably　wasn't　published　in　England。　Besides；　I　don't　have　much　time　to　read　fiction　and　if　he　did　it；　it's　got　to　be　upper…class　shit　and　a　penny…dreadful　and　。。。　well　Changi's　Changi　and　best　forgotten。〃　A　shudder　went　through　him　that　he　did　not　notice。　〃Yes；　best　forgotten。〃
　But　I　can't；　he　wanted　to　shout。　I　can't　forget　and　it's　still　a　never…ending　nightmare；　those　days　of　the　camp；　year　after　year；　the　tens　of　thousands　dying；　trying　to　enforce　the　law；　trying　to　protect　the　weak　against　black　market　filth　feeding　off　the　weak；　everyone　starving　and　no　hope　of　ever　getting　out；　my　body　rotting　away　and　only　twenty…one　with　no　women　and　no　laughter　and　no　food　and　no　drink；　twenty…one　when　I　was　caught　in　Singapore　in　1942　and　twenty…four；　almost　twenty…five　when　the　miracle　happened　and　I　survived　and　got　back　to　England　…　home　gone；　parents　gone；　world　gone　and　my　only　sister　sold　out　to　the　enemy；　now　talking　like　the　enemy；　eating　like　them；　living　like　them；　married　to　one；　ashamed　of　our　past；　wanting　the　past　dead；　me　dead；　nobody　caring　and　oh　Christ；　the　change。　ing　back　to　life　after　the　no…life　of　Changi；　all　the　nightmares　and　the　no　sleeping　in　the　night；　terrified　of　life；　unable　to　talk　about　it；　weeping　and　not　knowing　why　I　was　weeping；　trying　to　adjust　to　what　fools　called　normal。　Adjusting　at　length。　But　at　what　cost；　oh　dear　sweet　Jesus　at　what　a　cost　。。。
　Stop　it！
　With　an　effort　Grey　pulled　himself　off　the　descending　spiral　of　Changi。
　Enough　of　Changi！　Changi's　dead。　Let　Changi　stay　dead。　It's　dead　…　Changi's　got　to　stay　dead。　But　Ch…
　〃What？〃　he　said；　jerked　into　the　present　again。
　〃I　just　said；　your　present　government　is　pletely　vulnerable　now。〃
　〃Oh？　Why？〃
　〃You　remember　the　Profumo　scandal？　Your　minister　of　war？〃
　〃Of　course。　Why？〃
　〃Some　months　ago；　MI…5　began　a　very　secret；　very　searching　investigation　into　the　alleged　connection　between　the　now　famous　call　girl；　Christine　Keeler；　and　mander　Yevgeny　Ivanov；　our　naval　attaché；　and　other　London　social　figures。〃
　〃Is　it　finished？〃　Grey　asked；　suddenly　attentive。
　〃Yes。　It　documents　conversations　the　woman　had　with　mander　Ivanov。　Ivanov　had　asked　her　to　find　out　from　Profumo　when　nuclear　weapons　would　be　delivered　to　Germany。　It　claims；〃　Suslev　said；　deliberately　lying　now　to　excite　Grey；　〃that　Profumo　had　been　given　security　warnings　by　MI…5　about　Ivanov　some　months　before　the　scandal　broke　…　that　mander　Ivanov　was　KGB　and　also　her　lover。〃
　〃Oh　Christ！　Will　mander　Ivanov　substantiate　it？〃
　〃Oh　no。　Absolutely　not。　That　would　not　be　correct　…　or　necessary。　But　MI…5's　report　tells　the　facts　accurately；〃　Suslev　lied　smoothly。　〃The　report's　true！〃
　Grey　let　out　a　shout　of　laughter。　〃Oh　Christ；　this'll　blow　the　government　off　the　front　bench　and　bring　about　a　general　election！〃
　〃And　Labour　in！〃
　〃Yes！　For　five　wonderful　years！　Oh　yes　and　once　we're　in　。。。　oh　my　God！〃　Grey　let　out　another　bellow　of　laughter。　〃First　he　lied　about　Keeler！　And　now　you　say　he　knew　about　Ivanov　all　the　time！　Oh　bloody　Christ；　yes；　that'll　cause　the　government　to　fall！　This'll　be　worth　all　the　years　of　taking　the　shit　from　those　middle…class　sods。　You're　sure？〃　he　asked　with　sudden　anxiety。　〃It's　really　true？〃
　〃Would　I　lie　to　you？〃　Suslev　laughed　to　himself。
　〃I'll　use　it。　Oh　God　will　I　use　it。〃　Grey　was　beside　himself　with　joy。　〃You're　absolutely　sure？　But　Ivanov。　What　happened　to　him？〃
　〃Promotion　of　course　for　a　brilliantly　executed　maneuver　to　discredit　an　enemy　government。　If　his　work　helps　to　bring　it　down；　he'll　be　decorated。　He's　presently　in　Moscow　waiting　for　reassignment。　By　the　way；　at　your　press　conference　tomorrow；　do　you　plan　to　mention　your　brother…in…law？〃
　Grey　was　suddenly　on　guard。　〃How　did　you　know　about　him？〃
　Suslev　stared　back　calmly。　〃My　superiors　know　everything。　I　was　told　to　suggest　you　might　consider　mentioning　your　connection　at　the　press　conference；　Mr。　Grey。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃To　enhance　your　position；　Mr。　Grey。　Such　a　close　association　with　the　tai…pan　of　the　Noble　House　would　make　your　words　have　much　greater　impact　here。　Wouldn't　they？〃
　〃But　if　you　know　about　him；〃　Grey　said；　his　voice　hard；　〃you　also　know　about　my　sister　and　me；　that　we've　an　agreement　not　to　mention　it。　It's　a　family　matter。〃
　〃Matters　to　do　with　the　State　take　preference　over　family　matters；　Mr。　Grey。〃
　〃Who　are　you？〃　Grey　was　suddenly　suspicious。　〃Who　are　you　really？〃
　〃Just　a　messenger；　Mr。　Grey；　really。〃　Suslev　put　his　great　hands　on　Grey's　shoulders　and　held　him　warmly。　〃Tovarich；　you　know　how　we　must　use　everything　in　our　power　to　push　the　cause。　I'm　sure　my　superiors　were　only　thinking　of　your　future。　A　close　family　connection　with　such　a　capitalist　family　would　help　you　in　Parliament。　Wouldn't　it？　When　you　and　your　Labour　Party　get　in　next　year　they'll　need　well…connected　men　and　women；　eh？　F