jamesclavell.noblehouse-第252节

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　〃Yes。　20　cents　on　the　dollar。　He　agreed　to　and　signed　the　provisional　papers。　Formal　papers　by　the　end　of　the　week。　Of　course　the　rotter　tried　to　wheedle　but　it's　all　signed。〃
　〃Marvelous。　You　did　a　terrific　deal。〃
　Havergill　nodded。　〃Yes。　Yes；　I　know。〃
　Richard　Kwang　turned　around。　〃Ah；　tai…pan。〃　He　dropped　his　voice　and　whispered；　〃Has　Paul　told　you　about　the　merger？〃
　〃Of　course。　May　I　offer　congratulations。〃
　〃Congratulations？〃　Southerby　echoed；　ing　up　to　them。　〃Damned　bad　luck　if　you　ask　me！　I　had　my　bundle　on　Butterscotch　Lass！〃
　The　tempo　of　the　room　picked　up　as　the　governor　came　in。　Havergill　went　to　meet　him；　Dunross　following。　〃Ah；　Paul；　Ian。　Damned　bad　luck　but　an　excellent　decision！　Both　of　them。〃　His　face　hardened　nicely。　〃Next　Saturday　will　certainly　be　a　needle　match。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃Paul；　you　wanted　to　make　a　formal　announcement？〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃　Havergill　raised　his　voice。　〃May　I　have　your　attention　please　。。。〃　No　one　took　any　notice　until　Dunross　took　a　spoon　and　banged　it　against　a　teapot。　Gradually　there　was　silence。　〃Your　Excellency；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　have　the　honor　to　announce；　on　behalf　of　the　directors　of　the　Victoria　Bank　of　Hong　Kong　and　China；　that　an　immediate　merger　has　been　arranged　with　the　great　Ho…Pak　Bank　of　Hong　Kong　。。。〃　Martin　Haply　dropped　his　glass。　〃。。。　and　that　the　Victoria　totally　guarantees　100　percent　of　all　Ho…Pak　depositors　and　。。。〃
　The　rest　was　drowned　out　with　a　great　cheer。　Guests　in　the　nearby　boxes　craned　over　the　balconies　to　see　what　was　happening。　The　news　was　shouted　across　as　others　came　in　from　the　corridors　and　soon　there　were　more　cheers。
　Havergill　was　besieged　with　questions　and　he　held　up　his　hand；　delighted　with　the　effect　of　his　announcement。　In　the　silence　Sir　Geoffrey　said　quickly；　〃I　must　say；　on　behalf　of　Her　Majesty's　Government；　that　this　is　marvelous　news；　Paul；　good　for　Hong　Kong；　good　for　the　bank；　good　for　you；　Richard；　and　the　Ho…Pak！〃
　〃Oh　yes；　Sir　Geoffrey；〃　Richard　Kwang　said；　jovial　and　loud；　sure　that　now　he　was　a　giant　step　nearer　his　knighthood。　〃I　decided　…　of　course　with　our　directors　…　I　decided　it　would　be　good　for　the　Victoria　to　have　a　major　foothold　in　the　Chinese　munity　an…　〃
　Hastily　Havergill　interrupted　and　overrode　him。　〃Richard；　perhaps　I'd　better　finish　the　formal　announcement　and　leave　the　details　to　our　press　conference。〃　He　glanced　at　Martin　Haply。　〃We　have　scheduled　a　formal　press　conference　for　Monday　at　noon　but　all　details　of　the；　er；　merger　have　been　agreed。　Isn't　that　so；　Richard？〃
　Richard　Kwang　began　to　make　another　variation　but　quickly　changed　his　mind；　seeing　both　Dunross's　and　Havergill's　look。　〃Er；　yes；　yes；〃　he　said　but　could　not　resist　adding；　〃I'm　delighted　to　be　partners　with　the　Victoria。〃
　Haply　called　out　quickly；　〃Excuse　me；　Mr。　Havergill；　may　I　ask　a　question？〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Havergill　said　affably；　well　aware　of　what　he　would　be　asked。　This　bastard　Haply　has　to　go；　he　thought；　one　way　or　another。
　〃May　I　ask；　Mr。　Havergill；　how　you　propose　to　pay　out　all　the　Ho…Pak　customers　and　yours；　Blacs　and　all　the　other　banks　when　there's　a　run　on　all　of　them　and　not　enough　cash　in　the　till？〃
　〃Rumors；　rumors；　Mr。　Haply；〃　Havergill　replied　airily　and　added　to　laughter；　〃Remember：　A　swarm　of　mosquitoes　can　create　a　noise　like　thunder！　Hong　Kong's　economy　has　never　been　stronger。　As　to　the　so…called　run　on　the　Ho…Pak；　that's　over。　The　Victoria　guarantees　the　Ho…Pak's　depositors；　guarantees　the　Struan…General　Stores　takeover　and　guarantees　to　be　in　business　for　the　next　hundred　and　twenty　years。〃
　〃But　Mr。　Havergill；　would　you　ans…　〃
　〃Not　to　worry；　Mr。　Haply。　Let's　leave　the　details　of　our　。。。　our　benevolent　umbrella　for　the　Ho…Pak　till　our　press　conference　on　Monday。〃　At　once　he　turned　to　the　governor。　〃If　you'll　excuse　me；　sir；　I'll　make　it　public。〃　There　were　more　cheers　as　he　started　through　the　crush　toward　the　door。
　Someone　began　singing；　〃For　he's　a　jolly　good　fellow　。。。〃　Everyone　joined　in。　The　noise　became　deafening。　Dunross　said　to　Richard　Kwang　in　Cantonese；　quoting　an　old　expression；　〃　'When　it　is　enough；　stop。'　Heya？〃
　〃Ah；　ah　yes。　Yes；　tai…pan。　Yes　indeed。〃　The　banker　smiled　a　sickly　smile；　understanding　the　threat；　reminding　himself　of　his　good　fortune；　that　Venus　Poon　would　certainly　kowtow　now　that　he　was　an　important　director　on　the　board　of　the　Victoria。　His　smile　broadened。　〃You're　right；　tai…pan。　'Inside　the　red　doors　there　is　much　waste　of　meat　and　wine！'　My　expertise　will　greatly　benefit　our　bank；　heya？〃　He　went　off　importantly。
　〃My　God；　what　a　day！〃　Johnjohn　muttered。
　〃Yes；　yes；　marvelous！　Johnjohn；　old　fellow；〃　McBride　said；　〃you　must　be　very　proud　of　Paul。〃
　〃Yes；　of　course。〃　Johnjohn　was　watching　Havergill　leave。
　〃Are　you　feeling　all　right？〃
　〃Oh　yes；　I　was　just　working　late。〃　Johnjohn　had　been　up　most　of　the　night　estimating　how　they　could　safely　effect　the　takeover；　safely　for　the　bank　and　for　the　Ho…Pak　depositors。　He　had　been　the　architect　and　this　morning　he　had　spent　more　wearisome　hours　trying　to　convince　Havergill　that　now　was　the　time　to　be　innovative。　〃We　can　do　it；　Paul；　and　create　such　a　resurgence　of　confid…　〃
　〃And　a　very　dangerous　precedent！　I　don't　think　your　idea's　as　important　as　you　imagine！〃
　It　was　only　when　Havergill　had　seen　the　enormous　and　immediate　gain　in　confidence　after　Dunross's　dramatic　announcement　that　he　had　reconsidered。　Never　mind；　Johnjohn　thought　wearily；　we're　all　gainers。　The　bank；　Hong　Kong；　the　Ho…Pak。　Certainly　we'll　do　very　well　for　their　investors；　stockholders　and　backers；　far　better　than　Richard！　When　I'm　tai…pan　I'll　use　the　Ho…Pak　as　a　pattern　for　future　bail…outs。　With　our　new　management　the　Ho…Pak　will　be　a　marvelous　asset。　Like　any　one　of　a　dozen　enterprises。　Even　like　Struan's！
　Johnjohn's　tiredness　vanished。　His　smile　broadened。　Oh　hurry　up；　Monday　…　when　the　market　opens！
　
　In　the　Struan　box　Peter　Marlowe　was　gloomily　leaning　on　the　rail；　watching　the　crowds　below。　Rain　cascaded　off　the　jutting　overhang　protecting　the　boxes。　The　three　cantilever　balconies　of　the　members　and　nonvoting　members　were　not　so　protected。　Bedraggled　horses　were　being　led　down　the　ramps；　bedraggled　grooms　joining　the　bedraggled　thousands　streaming　away。
　〃What's　up；　Peter？〃　Casey　asked。
　〃Oh　nothing。〃
　〃Not　Fleur；　no　problem　there　I　hope？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Was　it　Grey？　I　saw　you　both　having　at　it。〃
　〃No；　no　it　wasn't　Grey；　though　he's　a　pain；　ill…mannered　and　stridently　anti…everything　of　value。〃　Marlowe　smiled　curiously。　〃We　were　just　discussing　the　weather。〃
　〃Sure。　You　were　looking　depressed　as　hell　just　then。　You　lost　the　fifth？〃
　〃Yes；　but　it　wasn't　that。　I'm　ahead；　well　ahead　on　the　day。〃　The　tall　man　hesitated　then　motioned　at　the　boxes　and　all　around。　〃It's　just　that　I　was　thinking　that　there're　fifty　thousand…odd　Chinese　here　and　another　three　or　four　million　out　there；　and　each　one's　got　a　vast　heritage；　marvelous　secrets；　and　fantastic　stories　to　tell；　to　say　nothing　of　the　twenty…odd　thousand　Europeans；　high　and　low；　the　tai…pans；　the　pirates；　freebooters；　accountants；　shopkeepers；　government　people　here　…　why　did　they　choose　Hong　Kong　too？　And　I　know　that　however　much　I　try；　however　much　I　read　or　listen　or　ask；　I'll　never　really　know　very　much　about　Hong　Kong　Chinese　or　about　Hong　Kong。　Never。　I'll　only　ever　scratch　the　surface。〃
　She　laughed。　〃It's　the　same　everywhere。〃
　〃Oh　no；　no　it　isn't。　This's　the　potpourri　of　Asia。　Take　that　guy　…　the　one　in　the　third　box　over　…　the　rotund　Chinese。　He's　a　millionaire　many　times　over。　His　wife's　a　kleptomaniac　so　whenever　she　goes　out　he　has　his　people　follow　her　secretly　and　every　time　she　steals　something；　his　fellows　pay　for　it。　All　the　stores　know　her　and　him　and　it's　all　very　civilized　…　where　else　in　the　world　would　you　do　that？　His　father　was　a　coolie　and　his　father　a　highwayman　and　his　a　Mandarin　and　his　a　peasant。　One　of　the　men　near　him's　another　multimillionaire；　opium　and　illegal　stuff　into　China；　and　his　wife's　。。。　ah　well；　that's　another　story。〃
　〃What　story？〃
　He　laughed。　〃Some　wives　have　stories　just　as　fascinating　as　their　husbands；　sometimes　more　so。　One　of　the　wives　you　met　today；　she's　a　nympho　an…　〃
　〃Oh　e　on；　Peter！　It's　like　Fleur　says；　you're　making　it　all　up。〃
　〃Perhaps。　Oh　yes；　but　some　Chinese　ladies　are　just　as　。。。　just　as　predatory　as　any　ladies　on　earth；　on　the　quiet。〃
　〃Chauvinist！　You're　sure？〃
　〃Rumor　has　it　。。。〃　They　laughed　together。　〃Actually　they're　so　much　smarter　than　we　are；　the　Chinese。　I'm　told　the　few　Chinese　married　ladies　here　who　have　a　wandering　eye　usually　prefer　a　European　for　a　lover；　for　safety　…　Chinese　adore　gossip；　love　scandal；　and　it'd　be　rare　to　find　a　Chinese　swinger　who'd　be　able　to　keep　such　a　secret　or　protect　a　lady's　honor。　Rightly；　the　lady　would　be　afraid。　To　be　caught　would　be　very　bad；　very　bad　indeed。　Chinese　law's　quite　strict。〃　He　took　out　a　cigarette。　〃Maybe　that　makes　it　all　the　more　exciting。〃
　〃To　have　a　lover？〃
　He　watched　her；　pondering　what　she　would　say　if　he　told　her　her　nickname　…　whispered　gleefully　to　him　by　four　separate　Chinese　friends。　〃Oh　yes；　ladies　here　get　around；　some　of　them。　Look　over　there；　in　that　box　…　the　fellow　holding　forth　wear