jamesclavell.noblehouse-第32节

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　one　recognize　something　like　that；　heya？〃
　〃Does　anyone　else　know　about　this？〃
　〃No；　except　the　servants　of　course；　and　Shitee　T'Chung　and　some　friends　who　were　lunching　with　me　here。　They　。。。　they　were　here　when　the　parcel　arrived。　They；　yes；　they　were　here。　They　left　just　before　you　arrived。〃
　Dianne　Chen　shifted　in　her　chair　and　said　what　Dunross　was　thinking。　〃So　of　course　it　will　be　all　over　Hong　Kong　by　evening！〃
　〃Yes。　And　banner　headlines　by　dawn。〃　Dunross　tried　to　collate　the　multitude　of　questions　and　answers　flooding　his　mind。　〃The　press'll　pick　up　about　the；　er；　ear　and　the　'Werewolf'　and　make　it　a　field　day。〃
　〃Yes。　Yes　they　will。〃　Phillip　Chen　remembered　what　Shitee　T'Chung　had　said　the　moment　they　had　all　read　the　letter。　〃Don't　pay　the　ransom　for　at　least　a　week；　Phillip　old　friend；　and　you'll　be　world　famous！　Ayeeyah；　fancy；　a　piece　of　his　ear　and　Werewolf！　Eeeee；　you'll　be　world　famous！〃
　〃Perhaps　it's　not　his　ear　at　all　and　a　trick；〃　Phillip　Chen　said　hopefully。
　〃Yes。〃　If　it　is　John's　ear；　Dunross　thought；　greatly　perturbed；　and　if　they've　sent　it　on　the　first　day　before　any　negotiation　or　anything；　I'll　bet　the　poor　sod's　already　dead。　〃No　point　in　hurting　him　like　that；〃　he　said。　〃Of　course　you'll　pay。〃
　〃Of　course。　It's　lucky　we're　not　in　Singapore；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Yes。〃　By　law　in　Singapore　now；　the　moment　anyone　was　kidnapped　all　bank　accounts　of　the　family　were　frozen　to　prevent　payment　to　the　kidnappers。　Kidnapping　had　bee　endemic　there　with　almost　no　arrests；　Chinese　preferring　to　pay　quickly　and　quietly　and　say　nothing　to　the　police。　〃What　a　bastard！　Poor　old　John。〃
　Phillip　said；　〃Would　you　like　some　tea　…　or　a　drink？　Are　you　hungry？〃
　〃No　thanks。　I'll　wait　until　Brian　Kwok　gets　here　then　I'll　be　off。〃　Dunross　looked　at　the　box　and　at　the　keys。　He　had　seen　the　key　ring　many　times。　〃The　safety　deposit　key's　missing；〃　he　said。
　〃What　key？〃　Dianne　Chen　asked。
　〃John　always　had　a　deposit　box　key　on　his　ring。〃
　She　did　not　move　from　her　chair。　〃And　it's　not　there　now？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Perhaps　you're　mistaken。　That　he　always　had　it　on　the　ring。〃
　Dunross　looked　at　her　and　then　at　Phillip　Chen。　They　both　stared　back　at　him。　Well；　he　thought；　if　the　crooks　didn't　take　it；　now　Phillip　or　Dianne　have；　and　if　I　were　them　I'd　do　the　same。　God　knows　what　might　be　in　such　a　box。　〃Perhaps　I'm　mistaken；〃　he　said　levelly。
　〃Tea；　tai…pan？〃　Dianne　asked；　and　he　saw　the　shadow　of　a　smile　in　the　back　of　her　eyes。
　〃Yes；　I　think　I　will；〃　he　said；　knowing　they　had　taken　the　key。
　She　got　up　and　ordered　tea　loudly　and　sat　down　again。　〃Eeee；　I　wish　they'd　hurry　up　。。。　the　police。〃
　Phillip　was　looking　out　of　the　window　at　the　parched　garden。　〃I　wish　it　would　rain。〃
　〃I　wonder　how　much　it'll　cost　to　get　John　back；〃　she　muttered。
　After　a　pause；　Dunross　said；　〃Does　it　matter？〃
　〃Of　course　it　matters；〃　Dianne　said　at　once。　〃Really；　tai…pan！〃
　〃Oh　yes；〃　Phillip　Chen　echoed。　〃500；000！　Ayeeyah；　500；000　…　that's　a　fortune。　Damn　triads！　Well；　if　they　ask　five　I　can　settle　for　150；000。　Thank　God　they　didn't　ask　a　million！〃　His　eyebrows　soared　and　his　face　became　more　ashen。　〃Dew　neh　loh　moh　on　all　kidnappers。　They　should　get　the　chop　…　all　of　them。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Dianne　said。　〃Filthy　triads。　The　police　should　be　more　clever！　More　sharp　and　more　clever　and　protect　us　better。〃
　〃Now　that's　not　fair；〃　Dunross　said　sharply。　〃There　hasn't　been　a　major　kidnapping　in　Hong　Kong　for　years　and　it　happens　every　month　in　Singapore！　Crime's　fantastically　low　here　…　our　police　do　a　grand　job　…　grand。〃
　〃Huh；〃　Dianne　sniffed。　〃They're　all　corrupt。　Why　else　be　a　policeman　if　it's　not　to　get　rich？　I　don't　trust　any　of　them。　。。。　We　know；　oh　yes　we　know。　As　to　kidnapping；　huh；　the　last　one　was　six　years　ago。　It　was　my　third　cousin；　Fu　San　Sung　…　the　family　had　to　pay　600；000　to　get　him　back　safely。　。。。　It　nearly　bankrupted　them。〃
　〃Ha！〃　Phillip　Chen　scoffed。　〃Bankrupt　Hummingbird　Sung？　Impossible！〃　Hummingbird　Sung　was　a　very　wealthy　Shanghainese　shipowner　in　his　fifties　with　a　sharp　nose　…　long　for　a　Chinese。　He　was　nicknamed　Hummingbird　Sung　because　he　was　always　darting　from　dance　hall　to　dance　hall；　from　flower　to　flower；　in　Singapore；　Bangkok　and　Taipei；　Hong　Kong；　dipping　his　manhood　into　a　myriad　of　ladies'　honey　pots；　the　rumor　being　it　wasn't　his　manhood　because　he　enjoyed　cunnilingus。
　〃The　police　got　most　of　the　money　back　if　I　remember　rightly；　and　sent　the　criminals　to　jail　for　twenty　years。〃
　〃Yes；　tai…pan；　they　did。　But　it　took　them　months　and　months。　And　I　wouldn't　mind　betting　one　or　two　of　the　police　knew　more　than　they　said。〃
　〃Absolute　nonsense！〃　Dunross　said。　〃You've　no　cause　to　believe　anything　like　that！　None。〃
　〃Quite　right！〃　Phillip　Chen　said　irritably。　〃They　caught　them；　Dianne。〃　She　looked　at　him。　At　once　he　changed　his　tone。　〃Of　course；　dear；　some　police　may　be　corrupt　but　we're　very　lucky　here；　very　lucky。　I　suppose　I　wouldn't　mind　so　much　about；　about　John　…　it's　only　a　matter　of　ransom　and　as　a　family　we've　been　very　lucky　so　far　…　I　wouldn't　mind　except　for　。。。　for　that。〃　He　motioned　at　the　box　disgustedly。　〃Terrible！　And　totally　uncivilized。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Dunross　said；　and　wondered　if　it　wasn't　John　Chen's　ear；　whose　was　it　…　where　do　you　get　an　ear　from？　He　almost　laughed　at　the　ridiculousness　of　his　questions。　Then　he　put　his　mind　back　to　pondering　if　the　kidnapping　was　somehow　tied　in　with　Tsu…yan　and　the　guns　and　Bartlett。　It's　not　like　a　Chinese　to　mutilate　a　victim。　No；　and　certainly　not　so　soon。　Kidnapping's　an　ancient　Chinese　art　and　the　rules　have　always　been　clear：　pay　and　keep　silent　and　no　problem；　delay　and　talk　and　many　problems。
　He　stared　out　of　the　window　at　the　gardens　and　at　the　vast　northern　panorama　of　city　and　seascape　below。　Ships　and　junks　and　sampans　dotted　the　azure　sea。　There　was　a　fine　sky　above　and　no　promise　of　rain　weather；　the　summer　monsoon　steady　from　the　southwest　and　he　wondered　absently　what　the　clippers　had　looked　like　as　they　sailed　before　the　wind　or　beat　up　against　the　winds　in　his　ancestors'　time。　Dirk　Struan　had　always　had　a　secret　lookout　atop　the　mountain　above。　There　the　man　could　see　south　and　east　and　west　and　the　great　Sheung　Sz　Mun　Channel　which　approached　Hong　Kong　from　the　south　…　the　only　path　inward　bound　for　ships　from　home；　from　England。　From　Struan's　Lookout；　the　man　could　secretly　spot　the　ining　mail　ship　and　secretly　signal　below。　Then　the　tai…pan　would　dispatch　a　fast　cutter　to　get　the　mails　first；　to　have　a　few　hours　leeway　over　his　rivals；　the　few　hours　perhaps　meaning　the　trading　difference　between　fortune　and　bankruptcy　…　so　vast　the　time　from　home。　Not　like　today　with　instant　munication；　Dunross　thought。　We're　lucky　…　we　don't　have　to　wait　almost　two　years　for　a　reply　like　Dirk　did。　Christ；　what　a　man　he　must　have　been。
　I　must　not　fail　with　Bartlett。　I　must　have　those　20　million。
　〃The　deal　looks　very　good；　tai…pan；〃　Phillip　Chen　said　as　though　reading　his　mind。
　〃Yes。　Yes　it　is。〃
　〃If　they　really　put　up　cash　we'll　all　make　a　fortune　and　it'll　be　h'eung　yau　for　the　Noble　House；〃　he　added　with　a　beam。
　Dunross's　smile　was　again　sardonic。　H'eung　yau　meant　〃fragrant　grease〃　and　normally　referred　to　the　money；　the　payoff；　the　squeeze；　that　was　paid　by　all　Chinese　restaurants；　most　businesses；　all　gambling　games；　all　dance　halls；　all　ladies　of　easy　virtue；　to　triads；　some　form　of　triad；　throughout　the　world。
　〃I　still　find　it　staggering　that　h'eung　yau's　paid　wherever　a　Chinese　is　in　business。〃
　〃Really；　tai…pan；〃　Dianne　said　as　though　he　were　a　child。　〃How　can　any　business　exist　without　protection？　You　expect　to　pay；　naturally；　so　you　pay　never　mind。　Everyone　gives　h'eung　yau　…　some　form　of　h'eung　yau。〃　Her　jade　beads　clicked　as　she　shifted　in　her　chair；　her　eyes　dark　dark　in　the　whiteness　of　her　face　…　so　highly　prized　among　Chinese。　〃But　the　Bartlett　deal；　tai…pan；　do　you　think　the　Bartlett　deal　will　go　through？〃
　Dunross　watched　her。　Ah　Dianne；　he　told　himself；　you　know　every　important　detail　that　Phillip　knows　about　his　business　and　my　business；　and　a　lot　Phillip　would　weep　with　fury　if　he　knew　you　knew。　So　you　know　Struan's　could　be　in　very　great　trouble　if　there's　no　Bartlett　deal；　but　if　the　deal　is　consummated　then　our　stock　will　skyrocket　and　we'll　be　rich　again　…　and　so　will　you　be；　if　you　can　get　in　early　enough；　to　buy　early　enough。
　Yes。
　And　I　know　you　Hong　Kong　Chinese　ladies　like　poor　Phillip　doesn't；　because　I'm　not　even　a　little　part　Chinese。　I　know　you　Hong　Kong　Chinese　ladies　are　the　roughest　women　on　earth　when　it　es　to　money　…　or　perhaps　the　most　practical。　And　you；　Dianne；　I　also　know　you　are　ecstatic　now；　however　much　you'll　pretend　otherwise。　Because　John　Chen's　not　your　son。　With　him　eliminated；　your　own　two　sons　will　be　direct　in　line　and　your　eldest；　Kevin；　heir　apparent。　So　you'll　pray　like　you've　never　prayed　before　that　John's　gone　forever。　You're　delighted。　John's　kidnapped　and　probably　murdered　but　what　about　the　Bartlett　deal？
　〃Ladies　are　so　practical；〃　he　said。
　〃How　so；　tai…pan？〃　she　asked；　her　eyes　narrowing。
　〃They　keep　things　in　perspective。〃
　〃Sometimes　I　don't　understand　you　at　all；　tai…pan；〃　she　replied；　an　edge　to　her　voice。　〃What　more　can　we　do