jamesclavell.noblehouse-第29节

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iends　used　to　follow　the　Hag　around　the　streets　and　when　she　got　particularly　angry　she'd　take　out　her　false　teeth　and　chomp　them　at　them。〃　They　all　laughed　with　him　as　he　parodied　her。　〃My　old　man　swore　the　teeth　were　two　feet　tall　and　on　some　form　of　spring　and　they'd　go；　crunch　crunch　crunch！〃
　〃Hey　Andrew；　I'd　forgotten　that；〃　Linbar　broke　in　with　a　grin。　〃My　gan　sun；　old　Ah　Fu；　knew　Hag　Struan　well　and　every　time　you'd　mention　her；　Ah　Fu's　eyes'd　turn　up　and　she'd　petition　the　gods　to　protect　her　from　the　evil　eye　and　magic　teeth。　My　brother　Kyle　and　I　。。。〃　He　stopped；　then　began　again　in　a　different　voice。　〃We　used　to　tease　Ah　Fu　about　her。〃
　Dunross　said　to　Casey；　〃There's　a　portrait　of　her　up　at　the　Great　House　…　two　in　fact。　If　you're　interested；　I'll　show　them　to　you　one　day。〃
　〃Oh　thanks　…　I'd　like　that。　Is　there　one　of　Dirk　Struan？〃
　〃Several。　And　one　of　Robb；　his　half…brother。〃
　〃I'd　love　to　see　them。〃
　〃Me　too；〃　Bartlett　said。　〃Hell；　I've　never　even　seen　a　photo　of　my　grandparents；　let　alone　a　portrait　of　my　great…great…grandfather。　I've　always　wanted　to　know　about　my　forebears；　what　they　were　like；　where　they　came　from。　I　know　nothing　about　them　except　my　grandpa　was　supposed　to　have　run　a　freight　pany　in　the　Old　West　in　a　place　called　Jerrico。　Must　be　great　to　know　where　you're　from。　You're　lucky。〃　He　had　been　sitting　back　listening　to　the　undercurrents；　fascinated　by　them；　seeking　clues　against　the　time　he'd　have　to　decide：　Dunross　or　Gornt。　If　it's　Dunross；　Andrew　Gavallan's　an　enemy　and　will　have　to　go；　he　told　himself。　Young　Struan　hates　Dunross；　the　Frenchman's　an　enigma　and　Dunross　himself　is　nitroglycerine　and　just　as　dangerous。　〃Your　Hag　Struan　sounds　fantastic；〃　he　said。　〃And　Dirk　Struan　too　must　have　been　quite　a　character。〃
　〃Now　that's　a　masterpiece　of　understatement！〃　Jacques　deVille　said；　his　dark　eyes　sparkling。　〃He　was　the　greatest　pirate　in　Asia！　You　wait　…　you　look　at　Dirk's　portrait　and　you'll　see　the　family　resemblance！　Our　tai…pan's　the　spitting　image；　and　ma　foi；　he's　inherited　all　the　worst　parts。〃
　〃Drop　dead；　Jacques；〃　Dunross　said　good…naturedly。　Then　to　Casey；　〃It's　not　true。　Jacques　is　always　ribbing　me。　I'm　nothing　like　him　at　all。〃
　〃But　you're　descended　from　him。〃
　〃Yes。　My　great…grandmother　was　Winifred；　Dirk's　only　legitimate　daughter。　She　married　Lechie　Struan　Dunross；　a　clansman。　They　had　one　son　who　was　my　grandfather。　My　family　…　the　Dunrosses　…　are　Dirk　Struan's　only　direct　descendents；　as　far　as　we　know。〃
　〃You；　you　said　legitimate？〃
　Dunross　smiled。　〃Dirk　had　other　sons　and　daughters。　One　son；　Gordon　Chen；　was　from　a　lady　called　Shen　actually；　that　you　know　of。　That's　the　Chen　line　today。　There's　also　the　T'Chung　line　…　from　Duncan　T'Chung　and　Kate　T'Chung；　his　son　and　daughter　by　the　famous　May…may　T'Chung。　Anyway　that's　the　legend；　they're　accepted　legends　here　though　no　one　can　prove　or　disprove　them。〃　Dunross　hesitated　and　his　eyes　crinkled　with　the　depth　of　his　smile。　〃In　Hong　Kong　and　Shanghai　our　predecessors　were；　well；　friendly；　and　the　Chinese　ladies　beautiful；　then　as　now。　But　they　married　their　ladies　rarely　and　the　pill's　only　a　very　recent　invention　…　so　you　don't　always　know　who　you　might　be　related　to。　We；　ah；　we　don't　discuss　this　sort　of　thing　publicly　…　in　true　British　fashion　we　pretend　it　doesn't　exist　though　we　all　know　it　does；　then　no　one　loses　face。　Eurasian　families　of　Hong　Kong　usually　took　the　name　of　their　mothers；　in　Shanghai　their　fathers。　We　all　seem　to　have　acmodated　the　problem。〃
　〃It's　all　very　friendly；〃　Gavallan　said。
　〃Sometimes；〃　Dunross　said。
　〃Then　John　Chen's　related　to　you？〃　Casey　asked。
　〃If　you　go　back　to　the　garden　of　Eden　everyone's　related　to　everyone　I　suppose。〃　Dunross　was　looking　at　the　empty　place。　Not　like　John　to　run　off；　he　thought　uneasily；　and　he's　not　the　sort　to　get　involved　in　gun　smuggling；　for　any　reason。　Or　be　so　stupid　as　to　get　caught。　Tsu…yan？　Well　he's　Shanghainese　and　he　could　easily　be　panicked　…　if　he's　mixed　up　in　this。　John's　too　easily　recognized　not　to　have　been　seen　getting　on　a　plane　this　morning　so　it's　not　that　way。　It　has　to　be　by　boat　…　if　he　has　run　off。　A　boat　where？　Macao　…　no；　that's　a　dead　end。　Ship？　Too　easy；　he　thought；　if　it　was　planned　or　even　not　planned　and　arranged　at　an　hour's　notice。　Any　day　of　the　year　there'd　be　thirty　or　forty　scheduled　sailings　to　all　parts　of　the　world；　big　ships　and　little　ships；　let　alone　a　thousand　junks　nonscheduled；　and　even　if　on　the　run；　a　few　dollars　here　and　there　and　too　easy　to　smuggle　out　…　out　or　in。　Men；　women；　children。　Drugs。　Anything。　But　no　reason　to　smuggle　inward　except　humans　and　drugs　and　guns　and　liquor　and　cigarettes　and　petrol　…　everything　else　is　duty　free　and　unrestricted。
　Except　gold。
　Dunross　smiled　to　himself。　You　import　gold　legally　under　license　at　thirty…five　dollars　an　ounce　for　transit　to　Macao　and　what　happens　then　is　nobody's　business　but　immensely　profitable。　Yes；　he　thought；　and　our　Nelson　Trading　board　meeting's　this　afternoon。　Good。　That's　one　business　venture　that　never　fails。
　As　he　took　some　of　the　fish　from　the　proffered　silver　tray　he　noticed　Casey　staring　at　him。　〃Yes；　Casey？〃
　〃Oh　I　was　just　wondering　how　you　knew　my　names。〃　She　turned　to　Bartlett。　〃The　tai…pan　surprised　me；　Linc。　Before　we　were　even　introduced　he　called　me　Kamalian　Ciranoush　as　though　it　were　Mary　Jane。〃
　〃That's　Persian？〃　Gavallan　asked　at　once。
　〃Armenian　originally。〃
　〃Kamahly…arn　Cirrrannoooossssh；〃　Jacques　said；　liking　the　sibilance　of　the　names。　〃Très　jolie；　mademoiselle。　Ils　ne　sont　pas　difficiles　sauf　pour　les　cretins。〃
　〃Ou　les　English；〃　Dunross　said　and　they　all　laughed。
　〃How　did　you　know；　tai…pan？〃　Casey　asked　him；　feeling　more　at　home　with　tai…pan　than　with　Ian。　Ian　doesn't　belong；　yet；　she　thought；　swept　by　his　past　and　Hag　Struan　and　the　shadows　that　seemed　to　be　surrounding　him。
　〃I　asked　your　attorney。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃John　Chen　called　me　last　night　around　midnight。　You　hadn't　told　him　what　K。C。　stood　for　and　I　wanted　to　know。　It　was　too　early　to　talk　to　your　office　in　Los　Angeles　…　just　8　A。M。；　L。A。　time　…　so　I　called　your　attorney　in　New　York。　My　father　used　to　say；　when　in　doubt　ask。〃
　〃You　got　Seymour　Steigler　III　on　a　Saturday？〃　Bartlett　asked；　amazed。
　〃Yes。　At　his　home　in　White　Plains。〃
　〃But　his　home　number's　not　in　the　book。〃
　〃I　know。　I　called　a　Chinese　friend　of　mine　in　the　UN。　He　tracked　him　down　for　me。　I　told　Mr。　Steigler　I　wanted　to　know　because　of　invitations　…　which　is；　of　course；　the　truth。　One　should　be　accurate；　shouldn't　one？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Casey　said；　admiring　him　greatly。　〃Yes　one　should。〃
　〃You　knew　Casey　was　。。。　Casey　was　a　woman；　last　night？〃　Gavallan　asked。
　〃Yes。　Actually　I　knew　several　months　ago；　though　not　what　K。C。　stood　for。　Why？〃
　〃Nothing；　tai…pan。　Casey；　you　were　saying　about　Armenia。　Your　family　emigrated　to　the　States　after　the　war？〃
　〃After　the　First　World　War　in　1918；〃　Casey　said；　beginning　the　oft…told　story。　〃Originally　our　surname　was　Tcholokian。　When　my　grandparents　arrived　in　New　York　they　dropped　the　ian　for　simplicity；　to　help　Americans。　I　still　got　Kamalian　Ciranoush　though。　As　you　know；　Armenia　is　the　southern　part　of　Caucasus　…　just　north　of　Iran　and　Turkey　and　south　of　Russian　Georgia。　It　used　to　be　a　free　sovereign　nation　but　now　it's　all　absorbed　by　Soviet　Russia　or　Turkey。　My　grandmother　was　Georgian　…　there　was　lots　of　intermarriage　in　the　old　days。　My　people　were　spread　all　over　the　Ottoman　Empire；　about　two　million；　but　the　massacres；　particularly　in　1915　and　'16　。。。〃　Casey　shivered。　〃It　was　genocide　really。　There're　barely　500；000　of　us　left　and　now　we're　scattered　throughout　the　world。　Armenians　were　traders；　artists；　painters　and　jewelry　makers；　writers；　warriors　too。　There　were　nearly　50；000　Armenians　in　the　Turkish　Army　before　they　were　disarmed；　outcast　and　shot　by　the　Turks　during　World　War　One　…　generals；　officers　and　soldiers。　They　were　an　elite　minority　and　had　been　for　centuries。〃
　〃Is　that　why　the　Turks　hated　them？〃　deVille　asked。
　〃They　were　hardworking　and　clannish　and　very　good　traders　and　businessmen　for　sure　…　they　controlled　lots　of　business　and　trade。　My　granddad　said　trading's　in　our　blood。　But　perhaps　the　main　reason　is　that　Armenians　are　Christian　…　they　were　the　first　Christian　state　in　history　under　the　Romans　…　and　of　course　the　Turks　are　Mohammedan。　The　Turks　conquered　Armenia　in　the　sixteenth　century　and　there　was　always　a　border　war　going　on　between　Christian　Tsarist　Russia　and　the　'Infidel'　Turks。　Up　to　1917　Tsarist　Russia　was　our　real　protector。　。。。　The　Ottoman　Turks　were　always　a　strange　people；　very　cruel；　very　strange。〃
　〃Your　family　got　out　before　the　trouble？〃
　〃No。　My　grandparents　were　quite　rich；　and　like　a　lot　of　people　thought　nothing　could　happen　to　them。　They　escaped　just　ahead　of　the　soldiers；　took　two　sons　and　a　daughter　out　the　back　door　with　just　what　they　could　grab　in　their　dash　for　freedom。　The　rest　of　the　family　never　made　it。　My　grandfather　bribed　his　way　out　of　Istanbul　onto　a　fishing　boat　that　smuggled　him　and　my　grandmother　to　Cyprus　where；　somehow；　they　got　visas　to　the　States。　They　had　a　little　money　and　some　jewelry　…　and　lots　of　talent。　Granny