jamesclavell.noblehouse-第277节

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ing　more。　Truly。〃　He　released　her　and　she　scrambled　off　the　bed；　her　breathing　still　heavy。
　Angrily　she　walked　over　to　the　mirror　and　pushed　her　hair　back　into　place；　then　saw　him　in　the　mirror；　still　lying　casually　on　the　bed　watching　her；　and　she　whirled；　〃You're　a　black…eyed　bastard！〃
　Gornt　let　out　a　bellow　of　laughter；　infectious；　belly…shaking；　and；　all　at　once；　seeing　the　foolishness　of　it　all；　she　began　to　laugh　too。　In　a　moment　they　were　both　aching　with　laughter；　he　spread　out　on　the　bed　and　Casey　leaning　against　the　sea　chest。
　On　deck；　as　good　friends；　they　drank　some　champagne　that　was　already　opened　in　a　silver　bucket；　the　silent；　obsequious　steward　serving　them；　then　going　away。
　At　the　dock　in　Kowloon；　she　kissed　him　again。　〃Thanks　for　a　lovely　time。　Tuesday；　if　not　before！〃　She　went　ashore　and　waved　the　ship　good…bye　a　long　time；　then　hurried　home。
　
　Spectacles　Wu　was　also　hurrying　home。　He　was　tired　and　anxious　and　filled　with　dread。　The　way　up　through　the　maze　of　dwellings　and　hovels　in　the　resettlement　area　high　above　Aberdeen　was　difficult；　slippery　and　dangerous；　mud　and　mess　everywhere；　and　he　was　breathing　hard　from　the　climb。　The　runoff　in　the　concrete　storm　drain　had　overflowed　its　banks　many　times　in　many　places；　the　flood　shoving　structures　aside　and　spreading　more　havoc。　Smoke　hung　over　many　of　the　wrecked　dwellings；　some　still　smoldering　from　the　fires　that　had　spread　so　quickly　when　the　slides　began。　He　skirted　the　deep　slide　where　Fifth　Niece　had　almost　perished　the　day　before　yesterday；　a　hundred　or　more　hovels　wrecked　by　new　slides　in　the　same　area。
　The　candy　shop　had　vanished　and　the　old　woman　with　it。　〃Where　is　she？〃　he　asked。
　The　scavenger　shrugged　and　continued　to　sift　through　wreckage；　seeking　good　wood　or　good　cardboard　or　corrugated　iron。
　〃How　is　it　above？〃　he　asked。
　〃As　below；〃　the　man　said　in　halting　Cantonese。　〃Some　good；　some　bad。　Joss。〃
　Wu　thanked　him。　He　was　barefoot；　carrying　his　shoes　to　protect　them　and　now　he　left　the　storm　drain　and　forced　his　way　over　some　of　the　debris　wreckage　to　find　the　path　that　meandered　upward。　From　where　he　was　he　could　not　see　his　area　though　it　seemed　there　were　no　slides　there。　Armstrong　had　allowed　him　to　e　home　to　check　when　the　radio　news　had　again　reported　bad　slides　in　this　part　of　the　resettlement　area。　〃But　be　back　as　quickly　as　you　can。　Another　interrogation's　scheduled　for　seven　o'clock。〃
　〃Oh　yes；　I'll　be　back；〃　he　muttered　out　loud。
　The　sessions　had　been　very　tiring　but　for　him　good；　with　much　praise　from　Armstrong　and　the　chief　of　SI；　his　place　in　SI　assured　now；　transfer　and　training　to　begin　next　week。　He　had　had　little　sleep；　partially　because　the　session　hours　bore　no　relationship　to　day　or　night；　and　partially　because　of　his　wish　to　succeed。　The　client　was　shifting　from　English　to　Ning…tok　dialect　to　Cantonese　and　back　again　and　it　had　been　hard　to　follow　all　the　ramblings。　It　was　only　when　his　fingers　had　touched　the　wonderful；　rare　roll　of　bills　in　his　pocket；　his　winnings　at　the　races；　that　a　lightness　had　taken　hold　and　carried　him　through　the　difficult　hours。　Again　he　touched　them　to　reassure　himself；　blessing　his　joss；　as　he　climbed　the　narrow　pathway；　the　path　at　times　a　rickety　bridge　over　small　ravines；　climbing　steadily。　People　passed　by；　going　down；　and　others　were　following　going　up；　the　noise　of　hammers　and　rebuilding；　reroofing　all　over　the　mountainside。
　His　area　was　a　hundred　yards　ahead　now；　around　this　corner；　and　he　turned　it　and　stopped。　His　area　was　no　more；　just　a　deep　scar　in　the　earth；　the　piled…up　avalanche　of　mud　and　debris　two　hundred　feet　below。　No　dwellings　where　there　had　been　hundreds。
　Numbly　he　climbed；　skirting　the　treacherous　slide；　and　went　to　the　nearest　hovel；　banging　on　the　door。　An　old　woman　opened　it　suspiciously。
　〃Excuse　me；　Honored　Lady；　I'm　Wu　Cho…tam's　son　from　Ning…tok。　。。。〃
　The　woman；　One　Tooth　Yang；　stared　at　him　blankly；　then　started　speaking　but　Wu　did　not　understand　her　language　so　he　thanked　her　and　went　off；　remembering　that　this　was　one　of　the　areas　settled　by　the　Yang；　some　of　the　northern　foreigners　who　came　from　Shanghai。
　Closer　to　the　top　of　the　slide　he　stopped　and　knocked　on　another　door。
　〃Excuse　me；　Honored　Sir；　but　what　happened？　I'm　Wu　Cho…tam's　son　from　Ning…tok　and　my　family　were　there。〃　He　pointed　at　the　scar。
　〃It　happened　in　the　night；　Honorable　Wu；〃　the　man　told　him；　speaking　a　Cantonese　dialect　he　could　understand。　〃It　was　like　the　sound　of　the　old　Canton　express　train　and　then　a　rumbling　from　the　earth；　then　screams　then　some　fires　came。　It　happened　the　same　last　year　over　there。　Ah　yes；　the　fires　began　quickly　but　the　rains　doused　them。　Dew　neh　loh　moh　but　the　night　was　very　bad。〃　The　neighbor　was　an　old　man　with　no　teeth　and　his　mouth　split　into　a　grimace。　〃Bless　all　gods　you　weren't　sleeping　there；　heya？〃　He　shut　the　door。
　Wu　looked　back　at　the　scar；　then　picked　his　way　down　the　hill。　At　length　he　found　one　of　the　elders　of　his　area　who　was　also　from　Ning…tok。
　〃Ah；　Spectacles　Wu；　Policeman　Wu！　Several　of　your　family　are　there。〃　His　gnarled　old　finger　pointed　above。　〃There；　in　the　house　of　your　cousin；　Wu　Wam…pak。〃
　〃How　many　were　lost；　Honorable　Sir？〃
　〃Fornicate　all　mud　slides　how　do　I　know？　Am　I　keeper　of　the　mountainside？　There　are　dozens　missing。〃
　Spectacles　Wu　thanked　him。　When　he　found　the　hut；　Ninth　Uncle　was　there；　Grandmother；　Sixth　Uncle's　wife　and　their　four　children；　Third　Uncle's　wife　and　baby。　Fifth　Uncle　had　a　broken　arm；　now　in　a　crude　splint。
　〃And　the　rest　of　us？〃　he　asked。　Seven　were　missing。
　〃In　the　earth；〃　grandmother　said。　〃Here's　tea；　Spectacles　Wu。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Honored　Grandmother。　And　Grandfather？〃
　〃He　went　to　the　Void　before　the　slide。　He　went　to　the　Void　in　the　night；　before　the　slide。〃
　〃Joss。　And　Fifth　Niece。〃
　〃Gone。　Vanished；　somewhere。〃
　〃Could　she　still　be　alive？〃
　〃Perhaps。　Sixth　Uncle's　searching　for　her　now；　below；　and　the　others；　even　though　she's　a　useless　mouth。　But　what　about　my　sons；　and　their　sons；　and　theirs？〃
　〃Joss；〃　Wu　said　sadly；　not　cursing　the　gods　or　blessing　them。　Gods　make　mistakes。　〃We　will　light　joss　sticks　for　them　that　they　may　be　reborn　safely；　if　there　is　rebirth。　Joss。〃　He　sat　down　on　a　broken　crate。　〃Ninth　Uncle；　our　factory；　was　the　factory　damaged？〃
　〃No；　thank　all　gods。〃　The　man　was　numbed。　He　had　lost　his　wife　and　three　children；　somehow　scrambling　out　of　the　sea　of　mud　that　had　swallowed　them　all。　〃The　factory　is　undamaged。〃
　〃Good。〃　All　the　papers　and　research　materials　for　Freedom　Fighter　were　there　…　along　with　the　old　typewriter　and　ancient　Gestetner　copying　machine。　〃Very　good。　Now；　Fifth　Uncle；　tomorrow　you　will　buy　a　plastic…making　machine。　From　now　on　we'll　make　our　own　flowers。　Sixth　Uncle　will　help　you　and　we　will　begin　again。〃
　The　man　spat　disgustedly；　〃How　can　we　pay；　eh？　How　can　we　start？　How　can　we　。。。〃He　stopped　and　stared。　They　all　gasped。　Spectacles　Wu　had　brought　out　the　roll　of　bills。　〃Ayeeyah；　Honored　Younger　Brother；　I　can　see　that　at　long　last　you　have　seen　the　wisdom　of　joining　the　Snake！〃
　〃How　wise！〃　the　others　chorused　proudly。　〃All　gods　bless　Younger　Brother！〃
　The　young　man　said　nothing。　He　knew　they　would　not　believe　him　if　he　said　otherwise；　so　he　let　them　believe。　〃Tomorrow　begin　looking　for　a　good　secondhand　machine。　You　can　pay　only　900；〃　he　told　the　older　man；　knowing　that　1；500　was　available　if　necessary。　Then　he　went　outside　and　arranged　with　their　cousin；　the　owner　of　this　hut；　to　lease　them　a　corner　until　they　could　rebuild；　haggling　over　the　price　until　it　was　correct。　Satisfied　that　he　had　done　what　he　could　for　the　Wu　clan；　he　left　them　and　plodded　downhill　back　to　headquarters；　his　heart　weeping；　his　whole　soul　wanting　to　shriek　at　the　gods　for　their　unfairness；　or　carelessness；　for　taking　so　many　of　them　away；　taking　Fifth　Niece　who　but　a　day　or　so　ago　was　given　back　her　life　in　another　slide。
　Don't　be　a　fool；　he　ordered　himself。　Joss　is　joss。　You　have　wealth　in　your　pocket；　a　vast　future　with　SI；　Freedom　Fighter　to　manufacture；　and　the　time　of　dying　is　up　to　the　gods。
　Poor　little　Fifth　Niece。　So　pretty；　so　sweet。
　〃Gods　are　gods；〃　he　muttered　wearily；　echoing　the　last　words　he　remembered　her　ever　saying；　then　put　her　out　of　his　mind。
　
　77
　
　6：30　P。M。：
　Ah　Tat　hobbled　up　the　wide　staircase　in　the　Great　House；　her　old　joints　creaking；　muttering　to　herself；　and　went　along　the　Long　Gallery；　hating　the　gallery　and　the　faces　that　seemed　ever　to　be　watching　her。　Too　many　ghosts　here；　she　thought　with　superstitious　dread；　knowing　too　many　of　the　faces　in　life；　growing　up　in　this　house；　born　in　this　house　eighty…five　years　ago。　Uncivilized　to　hold　their　spirits　in　thrall　by　hanging　their　likenesses　on　the　wall。　Better　to　act　civilized　and　cast　them　into　memory　where　spirits　belong。
　As　always　when　she　saw　the　Hag's　knife　stuck　through　the　heart　of　her　father's　portrait　a　shudder　went　through　her。　Dew　neh　loh　moh；　she　thought；　now　there　was　a　wild　one；　her　with　the　unquenchable　demon　in　her　Jade　Gate；　ever　secretly　bemoaning　the　loss　of　the　tai…pan；　her　husband's　father；　bemoaning　her　fate　that　she　had　married　the　weakling　son　and　not　the　father；　never　to