jamesclavell.noblehouse-第221节

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could。〃　Gornt　sipped　his　wine。　〃The　first　time　I　saw　Orlanda　was　when　she　was　ten。　It　was　a　Saturday　at　the　races　in　Shanghai。　In　those　days　everyone　would　dress　up　in　their　best　clothes　and　stroll　the　paddocks。　It　was　her　first　formal　ing　out。　Her　father　was　a　manager　in　our　shipping　division　…　a　good　fellow；　Eduardo　Ramos；　third…generation　Macao；　his　wife　pure　Shanghainese。　But　Orlanda　。。。〃　Gornt　sighed。　〃Orlanda　was　the　prettiest　girl　I'd　ever　seen。　Her　dress　was　white　。。。　I　don't　remember　seeing　her　after　that　until　she　came　back　from　school。　She　was　almost　eighteen　then　and；　well；　I　fell　madly　in　love　with　her。〃　Gornt　looked　up　from　his　glass。　〃I　can't　tell　you　how　lucky　I　felt　all　those　years　with　her。〃　His　eyes　hardened。　〃Did　she　tell　you　I　broke　the　man　who　seduced　her？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Good。　Then　you　know　it　all。〃　Gornt　added　with　great　dignity；　〃I　just　wanted　to　mention　my　three　points。〃
　Bartlett　felt　a　sudden　warmth　toward　the　other　man。　〃I　appreciate　them。〃　He　leaned　forward　to　accept　more　wine。　〃Why　don't　we　leave　it　this　way。　e　Tuesday　all　debts　and　friendships　are　canceled　and　we　start　fresh。　All　of　us。〃
　〃Meanwhile；　which　side　are　you　on？〃　Gornt　asked；　the　front　of　his　face　a　smile。
　〃For　the　raid；　yours；　one　hundred　percent！〃　Bartlett　said　at　once。　〃For　Par…Con's　probe　into　Asia？　I'm　in　the　middle。　I　wait　for　the　winner。　I　lean　toward　you　and　I　hope　you're　the　winner；　but　I'm　waiting。〃
　〃The　two　aren't　the　same？〃
　〃No。　I　set　the　ground　rules　of　the　raid　way　back。　I　said　the　raid　was　a　onetime　operation；　a　fool's　mate。〃　Bartlett　smiled。　〃Sure；　Quillan；　I'm　a　hundred　percent　with　you　on　the　raid　…　didn't　I　put　up　the　2　million　with　no　chop；　no　paper；　just　a　handshake？〃
　After　a　pause；　Gornt　said；　〃In　Hong　Kong；　sometimes　that's　more　valuable。　I　haven't　the　exact　figures　but　on　paper　we're　between　24　and　30　million　HK　ahead。〃
　Bartlett　raised　his　glass。　〃Hallelujah！　But　meanwhile　how　about　the　bank　run？　How　will　that　affect　us？〃
　Gornt　frowned。　〃I　don't　think　it　will。　Our　market's　very　volatile　but　Blacs　and　the　Vic　are　solid；　unbreakable；　the　government　has　to　support　both　of　them。　There's　a　rumor　the　governor'll　declare　Monday　a　bank　holiday　and　close　the　banks　for　as　long　as　needed　…　it's　just　a　matter　of　time　before　cash　bees　available　to　stop　the　loss　of　confidence。　Meanwhile；　a　lot　will　get　burned　and　a　lot　of　banks　will　go　to　the　wall　but　that　shouldn't　affect　our　plan。〃
　〃When　do　you　buy　back　in？〃
　〃That　depends　on　when　you　dump　Struan's。〃
　〃How　about　noon　Monday？　That　gives　you　plenty　of　time　before　closing　for　you　and　your　secret　nominees　to　buy　after　the　news　leaks　and　the　shares　go　down　some　more。〃
　〃Excellent。　Chinese　work　on　rumors；　very　much；　so　the　market　can　swing　from　boom　to　bust　or　vice　versa　very　easily。　Noon　is　fine。　You'll　do　that　in　Taipei？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃I'll　need　a　telex　confirmation。〃
　〃Casey'll　give　it　to　you。〃
　〃She　knows？　About　the　plan？〃
　〃Yes。　Now　she　does。　How　many　shares　do　you　need　for　control？〃
　〃You　should　have　that　information。〃
　〃That's　the　only　piece　missing。〃
　〃When　we　buy　in　we'll　have　enough　to　give　us　at　least　three　immediate　seats　on　the　board　and　Ian's　through。　Once　we're　on　the　board　Struan's　is　in　our　power；　and　then；　very　soon；　I　merge　Struan's　with　Rothwell…Gornt。〃
　〃And　you're　tai…pan　of　the　Noble　House。〃
　〃Yes。〃　Gornt's　eyes　glinted。　He　refilled　the　glasses。　〃Health！〃
　〃Health！〃
　They　drank；　content　with　their　deal。　But　in　their　secret　hearts　neither　trusted　the　other；　not　even　a　little。　Both　were　very　glad　they　had　contingency　plans　…　if　need　be。
　
　Grim…faced；　the　three　men　came　out　of　Government　House　and　got　into　Crosse's　car。　Crosse　drove。　Sinders　sat　in　the　front；　Rosemont　in　the　back　and　both　of　them　held　on　tightly　to　their　still　unread　copies　of　the　AMG　files。　The　night　was　dark；　the　sky　scudding　and　the　traffic　heavier　than　usual。
　Rosemont；　sitting　in　the　back；　said；　〃You　think　the　guv'll　read　the　originals　before　he　shreds　them？〃
　〃I　would；〃　Sinders　replied　without　turning　to　look　at　him。
　〃Sir　Geoffrey's　much　too　clever　to　do　that；〃　Crosse　said。　〃He　won't　shred　the　originals　until　your　copy's　safely　in　the　minister's　hands；　just　in　case　you　don't　arrive。　Even　so　he's　far　too　shrewd　to　read　something　that　could　be　an　embarrassment　to　Her　Majesty's　plenipotentiary　and　therefore　Her　Majesty's　Government。〃
　Again　there　was　a　silence。
　Then；　unable　to　hold　back　anymore；　Rosemont　said　coldly；　〃What　about　Metkin？　Eh？　Where　was　the　foul…up；　Rog？〃
　〃Bombay。　The　aircraft　had　to　have　been　sabotaged　there；　if　it　was　sabotage。〃
　〃For　chrissake；　Rog；　gotta　be。　Of　course　someone　was　tipped。　Where　was　the　leak？　Your　goddamn　mole　again？〃　He　waited　but　neither　man　answered　him。　〃What　about　the　Ivanov；　Rog？　You　going　to　impound　her　and　make　a　sudden　search？〃
　〃The　governor　checked　with　London　and　they　thought　it　unwise　to　create　an　incident。〃
　〃What　the　hell　do　those　meatheads　know？〃　Rosemont　said　angrily。　〃She's　a　spy　ship；　for　chrissake！　Betcha　fifty　to　a　bent　hatpin　we'd　get　current　code　books；　a　look　at　the　best　surveillance　gear　in　the　USSR　and　five　or　six　KGB　experts。　Huh？〃
　〃Of　course　you're　right；　Mr。　Rosemont；〃　Sinders　said　thinly。　〃But　we　can't；　not　without　the　necessary　approval。〃
　〃Let　me　and　my　guys　d…　〃
　〃Absolutely　not！〃　Irritably　Sinders　took　out　his　cigarettes。　The　pack　was　empty。　Crosse　offered　his。
　〃So　you're　going　to　let　'em　get　away　with　it？〃
　〃I'm　going　to　invite　the　captain；　Captain　Suslev；　to　HQ　tomorrow　and　ask　him　for　an　explanation；〃　Sinders　said。
　〃I'd　like　to　be　party　to　that。〃
　〃I'll　consider　it。〃
　〃You'll　have　an　official　okay　before　9：00　a。m。〃
　Sinders　snapped；　〃Sorry；　Mr。　Rosemont；　but　if　I　wish　I　can　override　any　directives　from　your　brass　while　I'm　here。〃
　〃We're　allies　for　chrissake！〃
　Crosse　said　sharply；　〃Then　why　did　you　raid　32　Sinclair　Towers；　uninvited？〃
　Rosemont　sighed　and　told　them。
　Thoughtfully　Sinders　glanced　at　Crosse；　then　back　at　Rosemont。　〃Who　told　you　that　it　was　an　enemy　safe　house；　Mr。　Rosemont？〃
　〃We've　a　wide　network　of　informers　here。　It　was　part　of　a　debriefing。　I　can't　tell　you　who　but　I'll　give　you　copies　of　the　sets　of　fingerprints　off　the　glass　we　got　if　you　want　them。〃
　Sinders　said；　〃That　would　be　very　useful。　Thank　you。〃
　〃That　still　doesn't　absolve　you　from　a　fatuous；　unauthorized　raid；〃　Crosse　said　coldly。
　〃I　said　I'm　sorry；　okay？〃　Rosemont　flared　and　his　chin　jutted。　〃We　all　make　mistakes。　Like　Philby；　Burgess　and　Maclean！　London's　so　goddamn　smart；　eh？　We've　a　hot　tip　you've　a　fourth　guy　…　higher　up；　equally　well　placed　and　laughing　at　you。〃
　Crosse　and　Sinders　were　startled。　They　glanced　at　one　another。　Then　Sinders　craned　around。　〃Who？〃
　〃If　I　knew；　he'd　be　jumped。　Philby　got　away　with　so　much　of　our　stuff　it　cost　us　millions　to　regroup　and　recode。〃
　Sinders　said；　〃Sorry　about　Philby。　Yes；　we　all　feel　very　bad　about　him。〃
　〃We　all　make　mistakes　and　the　only　sin's　failure；　right？　If　I'd　caught　a　couple　of　enemy　agents　last　night　you'd　be　cheering。　So　I　failed。　I　said　I'm　sorry；　okay？　I'll　ask　next　time；　okay？〃
　Crosse　said；　〃You　won't　but　it　would　save　us　all　a　lot　of　grief　if　you　did。〃
　〃What　have　you　heard　about　a　fourth　man？〃　Sinders　asked；　his　face　pale；　the　stubble　of　his　beard　making　him　appear　even　more　soiled　than　he　was。
　〃Last　month　we　busted　another　mie　ring；　Stateside。　Shit；　they're　like　roaches。　This　cell　was　four　people；　two　in　New　York；　two　in　Washington。　The　guy　in　New　York　was　Ivan　Egorov；　another　officer　in　the　UN　Secretariat。〃　Rosemont　added　bitterly；　〃Jesus；　why　don't　our　side　wake　up　that　the　goddamn　UN's　riddled　with　plants；　and　the　best　Soviet　weapon　since　they　stole　our　goddamn　bomb！　We　caught　Ivan　Egorov　and　his　wife　Alessandra　passing　industrial　espionage　secrets；　puters。　The　guys　in　Washington；　both'd　taken　American　names　of　real　people　who　were　dead：　a　Roman　Catholic　priest　and　a　woman　from　Connecticut。　The　four　bastards　were　tied　in　with　a　joker　from　the　Soviet　Embassy；　an　attaché　who　was　their　controller。　We　pounced　on　him　trying　to　recruit　one　of　our　CIA　guys　to　spy　for　them。　Sure。　But　before　we　ordered　him　out　of　the　States；　we　frightened　him　enough　to　blow　the　cover　on　the　other　four。　One　of　them　tipped　us　that　Philby　wasn't　kingpin；　that　there　was　a　fourth　man。〃
　Sinders　coughed　and　lit　another　cigarette　from　the　stub　of　the　other。　〃What　did　he　say。　Exactly？〃
　〃Only　that　Philby's　cell　was　four。　The　fourth's　the　guy　who　inducted　the　others；　the　controller　of　the　cell　and　the　main　link　to　the　Soviets。　Rumor　was　he's　up　there。　VVIP。〃
　〃What　sort？　Political？　Foreign　Office？　Gentry？〃
　Rosemont　shrugged。　〃Just　VVIP。〃
　Sinders　stared　at　him；　then　went　back　into　his　shell。　Crosse　swung　into　Sinclair　Road；　and　stopped　at　his　own　apartment　to　let　Sinders　off；　then　drove　to　the　consulate　that　was　near　Government　House。　Rosemont　got　a　copy　of　the　fingerprints　then　guided　Crosse　to　his　office。　The　office　was　large　and　well　stocked　with　liquor。　〃Scotch？〃
　〃Vodka　with　a　dash　of　Rose's　lime　juice；〃　Crosse　said；　eyeing　the　AMG　files　that　Rosemont　had　put　carelessly　on　his　desk。
　〃Health。〃　They　touched　glasses。　Rosemont　drank　his　Scotch　deeply。　〃What's　on　your　mind；