jamesclavell.noblehouse-第294节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Again　all　his　attention　zeroed。　Faint　voices；　but　nearer　now。　Chinese　voices。
　〃Helllp！〃
　The　voices　stopped。　Then；　〃Where　you　arrrr；　heya？〃　came　back　faintly。
　〃Down　here！　Can　you　hear　meeeeee？〃
　Silence；　then　more　faintly；　〃Where　youuuuarrrrre？〃
　Bartlett　cursed　and　picked　up　the　empty　beer　can　and　began　to　bang　it　against　a　girder。　Again　he　stopped　and　listened。　Nothing。
　He　sat　back。　〃Maybe　they've　gone　for　help。〃　His　fingers　reached　out　and　touched　another　can　of　beer。　He　dominated　his　overpowering　urge　to　break　it　open。　〃Don't　panic　and　be　patient。　Help's　near。　The　best　I　can　do's　wait　an…　〃　At　that　moment　the　whole　earth　twisted　and　rose　up　under　the　strain　with　an　ear…dulling　cacophony　of　noise；　the　protective　girders　above　grinding　out　of　safety；　rubble　avalanching　down。　Protecting　his　head　with　his　arms；　he　cowered　back；　covering　himself　as　best　he　could。　The　shrieking　movement　seemed　to　go　on　for　an　eternity。　Then　it　ceased。　More　or　less。　His　heart　was　thumping　heavily　now；　his　chest　tight　and　dust　bile　in　his　mouth。　He　spat　it　out　and　sought　a　beer　can。　They　had　vanished。　And　all　the　other　cans。　He　cursed；　then；　cautiously；　raised　his　head　and　almost　banged　it　against　the　shifted　ceiling　of　the　tomb。　Now　he　could　touch　the　ceiling　and　the　walls　without　moving。　Easily。
　Then　he　heard　the　hissing　sound。　His　stomach　twisted。　His　hand　reached　out　and　he　felt　the　slight　draft。　Now　he　could　smell　the　gas。　〃You'd　better　get　the　hell　out　of　here；　old　buddy；〃　he　muttered；　aghast。
　Getting　his　bearings　as　best　he　could；　he　eased　out　of　the　space。　Now　that　he　was　on　the　move；　in　action；　he　felt　better。
　The　dark　was　oppressive　and　it　was　very　hard　to　make　progress　upward。　There　was　no　straight　line。　Sometimes　he　had　to　make　a　diversion　and　go　down　again；　left　then　right；　up　a　little；　down　again　under　the　remains　of　a　bathtub；　over　a　body　or　part　of　a　body；　moans　and　one　time　voices　far　away。　〃Whereareyouuuu？〃　he　shouted　and　waited　then　crawled　on；　inch　by　inch；　being　patient；　not　panicking。　After　a　while　he　came　into　a　space　where　he　could　stand。　But　he　did　not　stand；　just　lay　there　for　a　moment；　panting；　exhausted。　There　was　more　light　here。　When　his　breathing　had　slowed　he　looked　at　his　watch。　He　gathered　his　strength　and　continued　but　again　his　upward　path　was　blocked。　Another　way　but　still　blocked。　He　slid　under　a　broken　pier　and；　once　through；　began　to　squirm　onward。　Another　impasse。　With　difficulty　he　retreated　and　tried　another　way。　And　another；　never　enough　space　to　stand；　his　bearings　lost　now；　not　knowing　if　he　was　going　deeper　into　the　wreckage。　Then　he　stopped　to　rest　and　lay　in　the　wet　of　his　tomb；　his　chest　pounding；　head　pounding；　fingers　bleeding；　shins　bleeding；　elbows　bleeding。
　〃No　sweat；　old　buddy；〃　he　said　out　loud。　〃You　rest；　then　you　start　again　。。。〃
　
　
　MONDAY
　
　86
　
　12：45　A。M。：
　Gurkha　soldiers　with　flashlights　were　patiently　picking　their　way　over　this　part　of　the　dangerous；　sloping；　broken　surface　calling　out；　〃Anyone　there？〃　then　listening。　Beyond　and　all　around；　up　and　down　the　slope；　soldiers；　police；　firemen　and　distraught　people　were　doing　the　same。
　It　was　very　dark；　the　arcs　set　up　below　not　touching　this　area　halfway　up　the　wreckage。
　〃Anyone　there？〃　a　soldier　called；　listened　again；　then　moved　on　a　few　feet。　Over　to　the　left　of　the　line　one　of　them　stumbled　and　fell　into　a　crevice。　This　soldier　was　very　tired　but　he　laughed　to　himself　and　lay　there　a　moment；　then　called　down　into　the　earth；　〃Anyone　there？〃　He　began　to　get　up　then　froze；　listening。　Once　more　he　lay　down　and　shouted　into　the　wreckage；　〃Can　you　hear　me？〃　and　listened　intently。
　〃Yesss！　。。。〃　came　back　faintly；　very　faintly。
　Excitedly　the　soldier　scrambled　up。　〃Sergeant！　Sergeant　Sah！〃
　Fifty　yards　away；　on　the　edge　of　the　wreckage；　Gornt　was　with　the　young　lieutenant　who　had　been　directing　rescue　operations　in　this　section。　They　were　listening　to　a　news　broadcast　on　a　small　transistor：　〃。。。　slips　all　over　the　Colony。　And　now　here　is　another　report　direct　from　Kotewall　Road。〃　There　was　a　short　silence　then　the　well…known　voice　came　on　and　the　young　man　smiled　to　himself。　〃Good　evening。　This　is　Venus　Poon　reporting　live　on　the　single　worst　disaster　to　hit　the　Colony。〃　There　was　a　wonderful　throb　to　her　voice；　and；　remembering　the　brave；　harrowing　way　she　had　described　the　Aberdeen　fire　disaster　that　she　also　had　been　involved　in；　his　excitement　quickened。　〃Rose　Court　on　Kotewall　Road　is　no　more。　The　great　twelve…story　tower　of　light　that　all　Hong　Kong　could　see　as　a　landmark　has　vanished　into　an　awesome　pyre　of　rubble。　My　home　is　no　more。　Tonight；　the　finger　of　the　Almighty　struck　down　the　tower　and　those　who　lived　there；　amongst　them　my　devoted　gan　sun　who　raised　me　from　birth。　。。。〃
　〃Sir；〃　the　sergeant　called　out　from　the　middle　of　the　slip；　〃there's　one　over　here！〃
　At　once　the　officer　and　Gornt　began　hurrying　toward　him。　〃Is　it　a　man　or　woman？〃
　〃Man；　sah！　I　think　he　said　his　name　was　Barter　or　something　like　that。　。。。〃
　
　Up　at　the　Kotewall　Road　barrier　Venus　Poon　was　enjoying　herself；　the　center　of　all　attention　in　the　lights　of　mobile　radio　and　television　teams。　She　continued　to　read　the　script　that　had　been　thrust　into　her　hand；　changing　it　here　and　there；　dropping　her　voice　a　little；　raising　it；　letting　the　tears　flow　…　though　not　enough　to　spoil　her　makeup　…　describing　the　holocaust　so　that　all　her　listeners　felt　they　were　there　with　her　on　the　slope；　felt　chills　of　horror；　and　thanked　their　joss　that　death　had　passed　them　by　this　time；　and　that　they　and　theirs　were　safe。
　〃The　rain　is　still　falling；〃　she　whispered　into　the　microphone。　〃Where　Rose　Court　tore　away　part　of　the　upper　stories　of　Sinclair　Towers；　seven　dead　already　counted；　four　children；　three　Chinese；　one　English；　more　still　buried。　。。。〃　The　tears　were　seeping　out　of　her　eyes　now。　She　stopped　and　those　watching　caught　their　breath　too。
　In　the　beginning　she　had　almost　torn　her　hair　out　at　the　thought　of　her　apartment　gone　and　all　her　clothes　and　all　her　jewelry　and　her　new　mink。　But　then　she　had　remembered　that　all　her　real　jewelry　was　safely　in　the　jewelers　being　reset　…　a　present　of　her　old　suitor；　Banker　Kwang　…　and　her　mink　was　being　altered　at　the　tailor's。　And　as　to　her　clothes；　pshaw；　Four　Fingers　will　be　happy　to　replace　them！
　Four　Fingers！　Oh　oh　I　hope　that　old　goat　got　out　and　will　be　saved　like　Smiler　Ching；　she　had　prayed　fervently。　Eeeee；　what　a　miracle！　If　one；　why　not　another？　And　surely　no　building　falling　can　kill　old　Ah　Poo。　She'll　survive！　Of　course　she　will！　And　Banker　Kwang　saved！　Didn't　I　weep　with　happiness　that　he　was　saved？　Oh　lucky　lucky　day！　And　now　Profitable　Choy；　such　a　smart；　good…looking　interesting　fellow。　Now　if　he　had　money；　real　money；　he　would　be　the　one　for　me。　No　more　of　these　old　bags　of　fart　with　their　putty　yangs　for　delectable　yin；　the　most　delectable　。。。
　The　producer　could　not　wait　anymore。　He　leaped　for　the　mike　and　said　urgently；　〃We　will　continue　the　report　as　soon　as　Miss　Ven…　〃
　Instantly　she　came　out　of　her　reverie。　〃No；　no；〃　she　said　bravely；　〃the　show　must　go　on！〃　Dramatically　she　wiped　her　tears　away　and　continued　reading　and　improvising；　〃Down　the　slope　members　of　our　glorious　Gurkha　and　Irish　Guards；　heroically　risking　their　lives；　are　digging　out　our　Brothers　and　Sisters。　。。。〃
　〃My　God；〃　an　Englishman　muttered。　〃What　courage！　She　deserves　a　medal；　don't　you　think　so；　old　boy？〃　He　turned　to　his　neighbor　and　was　embarrassed　to　see　the　man　was　Chinese。　〃Oh；　oh　sorry。〃
　Paul　Choy　hardly　heard　him；　his　attention　on　the　stretchers　that　were　ing　back　from　the　wreckage；　the　bearers　slipping　and　sliding　under　the　arc　lamps　that　had　been　erected　a　few　minutes　ago。　He　had　just　e　back　from　the　aid　station　that　was　set　up　at　the　fork　of　Kotewall　Road　under　a　makeshift　overhang　where　frantic　relations　like　himself　were　trying　to　identify　the　dead　or　injured　or　report　the　names　of　those　who　were　missing　and　believed　still　buried。　All　evening　he　had　been　going　back　and　forth　in　case　Four　Fingers　had　been　found　somewhere　else　and　was　ing　in　from　another　direction。　Half　an　hour　ago　one　of　the　firemen　had　broken　through　a　mass　of　wreckage　to　reach　into　the　area　of　the　collapsed　fifth　floor。　That　was　when　Richard　and　Mai…ling　Kwang　had　been　pulled　out；　then　Jason　Plumm　with　half　his　head　missing；　then　others；　more　dead　than　living。
　Paul　Choy　counted　the　stretchers。　Four　of　them。　Three　had　blankets　covering　the　bodies；　two　very　small。　He　shuddered；　thinking　how　fleeting　life　was；　wondering　again　what　would　now　happen　at　the　stock　exchange　tomorrow。　Would　they　keep　it　closed　as　a　mark　of　respect？　Jesus；　if　they　keep　it　closed　all　Monday；　Struan's　is　sure　to　be　at　30　by　Tuesday　opening　…　gotta　be！　His　stomach　churned　and　he　felt　faint。　Friday；　just　before　closing；　he　had　gambled　five　times　every　penny　that　Four　Fingers　had　reluctantly　loaned　him；　buying　on　margin。　Five　times　2　million　HK。　He　had　bought　Struan's；　Blacs；　Victoria　Bank　and　the　Ho…Pak；　gambling　that　somehow　this　weekend　the　tai…pan　would　turn　disaster　into　victory；　that　the　rumors　of　China　being　approached　for　cash　were　true；　and　Blacs　or　the　Victoria　had　a　scam　going。　Ever　since　the　meeting　w