jamesclavell.noblehouse-第199节
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More feet approached。 Awkwardly Paul Choy sat down。 〃Evening； sir。 I'm Paul Choy。〃
〃Are you all right？〃 he asked； sensing great disfort； and fear。
〃Sure； yes； thank you； sir。〃
Dunross frowned。 〃Well this's a pleasure；〃 he said； letting it pass。 〃You're working for your uncle now？〃 he asked； knowing all about Paul Choy； keeping up the pretense he and Four Fingers had agreed to； and very impressed with the young man。 He had heard of his stock market coup through his old friend Soorjani。
〃No sir。 I'm with Rothwell…Gornt's。 I just started a couple of days ago。 I'm here to interpret 。。。 if you need me。〃 Paul Choy turned to his father and explained what had been said。
Four Fingers nodded。 〃Blandeee？〃
〃It's fine； thank you。〃 Dunross raised his glass。 〃Good you see； heya； 〃 he continued in English； waiting for the old man to begin in Haklo。 It was a matter of face and； with the presence of Paul Choy； Dunross's latent caution had increased a thousandfold。
The old seaman chatted inconsequentially for a while； drinking whiskey。 Paul Choy was not offered a drink； nor did he take one。 He sat in the shadows； listening； frightened； not knowing what to expect。 His father had sworn him to perpetual secrecy with hair…raising blood oaths。
Finally Wu gave up waiting the tai…pan out and started in Haklo。 〃Our families have been Old Friends for many years；〃 he said； speaking slowly and carefully； aware that Dunross's Haklo was not perfect。 〃Very many years。〃
〃Yes。 Seaborne Wu and Struan's like brothers；〃 the tai…pan replied cautiously。
Four Fingers grunted。 〃The present is like the past and the past the present。 Heya？〃
〃Old Blind Tung says past and present same。 Heya？〃
〃What does the name Wu Kwok mean to the tai…pan of the Noble House？〃
Dunross's stomach twisted。 〃He your great…grandfather； heya？ Your illustrious forebear。 Son and chief admiral of even more illustrious sea warlord； Wu Fang Choi； whose flag； the Silver Lotus； flew all four seas。〃
〃The very one！〃 Four Fingers leaned closer and Dunross's caution doubled。 〃What was the connection between Green…Eyed Devil 。。。 between the first tai…pan of the Noble House and the illustrious Wu Kwok？〃
〃They meet at sea。 They meet in Pearl River Estuary off Wh… 〃
〃It was near here； off Pok Liu Chau； between Pok Liu Chau and Aplichau。〃 The old man's eyes were slits in his face。
〃Then they meet off Hong Kong。 The tai…pan went aboard Wu Kwok's flagship。 He went alone and 。。。〃 Dunross searched for the word。 〃。。。 and he negotiate a； a bargain with him。〃
〃Was the bargain written onto paper and chopped？〃
〃No。〃
〃Was the bargain honored？〃
〃It is fornicating ill…mannered to ask such question from Old Friend when Old Friend opposite knows answer！〃
Paul Choy jerked involuntarily at the sudden venom and slashing cut of the words。 Neither man paid any attention to him。
〃True； true； tai…pan；〃 the old man said； as unafraid as Dunross。 〃Yes； the bargain was honored； though twisted； part was twisted。 Do you know the bargain？〃
〃No； not all；〃 Dunross said truthfully。 〃Why？〃
〃The bargain was that on each of your twenty clippers we put one man to train as a captain … my grandfather was one of these。 Next； Green…Eyed Devil agreed to take three of Wu Kwok's boys and send them to his land to train them as foreign devils in the best schools； everything like his own sons would be trained。 Next the tai … 〃
Dunross's eyes widened。 〃What？ Who？ Who are these boys？ Who did they bee？〃
Four Finger Wu just smiled crookedly。 〃Next； Green…Eyed Devil agreed to get for the illustrious Wu Fang Choi a foreign devil clipper ship； armed and rigged and beautiful。 Wu Fang Choi paid for her but the tai…pan arranged for her and called her Lotus Cloud。 But when Culum the Weak delivered her； almost two years later； your fornicating chief admiral； Stride Orlov； the Hunchback； came out of the east like an assassin in the night and murdered our ship and Wu Kwok with her。〃
Dunross sipped his brandy； waiting； outwardly at ease； inwardly his brain shocked。 Who could those boys be？ Was that truly part of the bargain？ There's nothing in Dirk's diary or testament about Wu Kwok's sons。 Nothing。 Who co…
〃Heya？〃
〃I know about Lotus Cloud。 Yes。 And about men； captains。 I think it was nineteen and not twenty clippers。 But I know nothing about three boys。 About Lotus Cloud； did my ancestor promise not to fight ship after he had give ship？〃
〃No。 Oh no； tai…pan； no he did not promise that。 Green…Eyed Devil was clever； very clever。 Wu Kwok's death？ Joss。 We must all die。 Joss。 No； Green…Eyed Devil kept his bargain。 Culum the Weak kept the bargain too。 Will you keep his bargain？〃 Four Finger Wu opened his fist。
In it was the half…coin。
Dunross took it carefully； his heart grinding。 They watched him like snakes； both of them； and he felt the strength of their eyes。 His fingers shook imperceptibly。 It was like the other half…coins that were still in Dirk's Bible； in the safe in the Great House； two still left； two gone； already redeemed； Wu Kwok's one of them。 Fighting to control the trembling of his fingers； he handed the coin back。 Wu took it； careless that his hand shook。
〃Perhaps real；〃 Dunross said； his voice sounding strange。 〃Must check。 Where get it？〃
〃It's genuine； of course it's fornicating genuine。 You acknowledge it as genuine？〃
〃No。 Where get it？〃
Four Fingers lit a cigarette and coughed。 He cleared his throat and spat。 〃How many coins were there at first？ How many did the illustrious Mandarin Jin…qua give Green…Eyed Devil？〃
〃I not sure。〃
〃Four。 There were four。〃
〃Ah； one to your illustrious ancestor； Wu Kwok； paid and honored。 Why would great Jin…qua give him two？ Not possible … so this stolen。 From whom？〃
The old man flushed and Dunross wondered if he had gone too far。
〃Stolen or not；〃 the old man spat； 〃you grant favor。 Heya？〃 Dunross just stared at him。 〃Heya？ Or is the face of Green…Eyed Devil no longer the face of the Noble House？〃
〃Where get it？〃
Wu stared at him。 He stubbed out the cigarette on the carpet。 〃Why should Green…Eyed Devil agree to four coins？ Why？ And why would he swear by his gods that he and all his heirs would honor his word； heya？〃
〃For another favor。〃
〃Ah； tai…pan； yes for a favor。 Do you know what favor？〃
Dunross stared back at him。 〃Honorable Jin…qua loaned the tai…pan； my great…great…grandfather； forty lacs of silver。〃
〃Forty lac … 4 million。 One hundred twenty years ago。〃 The old man sighed。 His eyes slitted even more。 Paul Choy was breathless； motionless。 〃Was a paper asked for？ A debt paper chopped by your illustrious forebear … on the chop of the Noble House？〃
〃No。〃
〃Forty lacs of silver。 No paper no chop just trust！ The bargain was just a bargain between Old Friends； no chop； just trust； heya？〃
〃Yes。〃
The old man's thumbless hand snaked out palm upward and held the half…coin under Dunross's face。 〃One coin； grant favor。 Whoever asks。 I ask。〃
Dunross sighed。 At length he broke the silence。 〃First I fit half to half。 Next make sure metal here same metal there。 Then you say favor。〃 He went to pick up the half…coin but the fist snapped closed and withdrew and Four Fingers jerked his good thumb at Paul Choy。 〃Explain；〃 he said。
〃Excuse me； tai…pan；〃 Paul Choy said in English； very uneasily； hating the closeness of the cabin and the devil…borne currents in the cabin； all because of a promise given twelve decades ago by one pirate to another； both murdering cutthroats if half the stories were true； he thought。 〃My uncle wants me to explain how he wants to do this。〃 He tried to keep his voice level。 〃Of course he understands you'll have reservations and want to be a thousand percent sure。 At the same time he doesn't want to give up possession； just at this time。 Until he's sure； one way or the other； he'd pr… 〃
〃You're saying he doesn't trust me？〃
Paul Choy flinched at the viciousness of the words。 〃Oh no； sir；〃 he said quickly and translated what Dunross had said。
〃Of course I trust you；〃 Wu said。 His smile was crooked。 〃But do you trust me？〃
〃Oh yes； Old Friend。 I trust very much。 Give me coin。 If real； I tai…pan of Noble House will grant your ask … if possible。〃
〃Whatever ask； whatever； is granted！〃 the old man flared。
〃If possible。 Yes。 If real coin I grant favor； if not real； I give back the coin。 Finish。〃
〃Not finish。〃 Wu waved his hand at Paul Choy。 〃You finish； quickly！〃
〃My 。。。 my uncle suggests the following promise。 You take this。〃 The young man brought out a flat piece of beeswax。 Three separate imprints of the half…coin had been pressed into it。 〃You'll be able to fit the other half to these； sir。 The edges're sharp enough for you to be sure； almost sure。 This's step one。 If you're reasonably satisfied； step two's we go together to a government assayer or the curator of a museum and get him to test both coins in front of us。 Then we'll both know at the same time。〃 Paul Choy was dripping with sweat。 〃That's what my uncle says。〃
〃One side could easily bribe the assayist。〃
〃Sure。 But before we see him we mix up the two halves。 We'd know ours； you'd know yours … but he wouldn't； huh？〃
〃He could be got at。〃
〃Sure。 But if we 。。。 if we do this t
