jamesclavell.noblehouse-第36节

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　〃And？〃
　〃And　you　regret　having　honored　that。〃
　Crosse　sighed。　〃Why？〃
　〃I'll　know　only　after　I've　read　the　file。〃
　〃Brian；　you　really　are　surpassing　yourself　this　afternoon。　Good。〃　Absently　the　director　fingered　the　file　and　both　men　knew　he　was　titillating　them；　deliberately；　but　neither　knew　why。　〃There　are　one　or　two　very　curious　coincidences　in　other　sections　of　this。　Names　like　Vincenzo　Banastasio　。。。　meeting　places　like　Sinclair　Towers　。。。　Does　Nelson　Trading　mean　anything　to　either　of　you？〃
　They　both　shook　their　heads。
　〃All　very　curious。　mies　to　the　right　of　us；　mies　to　the　left　。。。〃　His　eyes　became　even　stonier。　〃It　seems　we　even　have　a　nasty　in　our　own　ranks；　possibly　at　superintendent　level。〃
　〃Impossible！〃　Armstrong　said　involuntarily。
　〃How　long　were　you　with　us　in　SI；　dear　boy？〃
　Armstrong　almost　flinched。　〃Two　tours；　almost　five　years　sir。〃
　〃The　spy　Sorge　was　impossible　…　Kim　Philby　was　impossible　…　dear　God　Philby！〃　The　sudden　defection　to　Soviet　Russia　in　January　this　year　by　this　Englishman；　this　onetime　top　agent　of　MI…6　…　British　military　intelligence　for　overseas　espionage　and　counter…espionage　…　had　sent　shock　waves　throughout　the　Western　world；　particularly　as；　until　recently；　Philby　had　been　first　secretary　at　the　British　Embassy　in　Washington；　responsible　for　liaison　with　U。S。　Defense；　State；　and　the　CIA　on　all　security　matters　at　the　highest　level。　〃How　in　the　name　of　all　that's　holy　he　could　have　been　a　Soviet　agent　for　all　those　years　and　remain　undetected　is　impossible；　isn't　it；　Robert？〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃And　yet　he　was；　and　privy　to　our　innermost　secrets　for　years。　Certainly　from　'42　to　'58。　And　where　did　he　start　spying？　God　save　us；　at　Cambridge　in　1931。　Recruited　into　the　Party　by　the　other　arch…traitor；　Burgess；　also　of　Cambridge；　and　his　friend　Maclean；　may　they　both　toast　in　hell　for　all　eternity。〃　Some　years　ago　these　two　highly　placed　Foreign　Office　diplomats　…　both　of　whom　had　also　been　in　Intelligence　during　the　war　…　had　abruptly　fled　to　Russia　only　seconds　ahead　of　British　counterespionage　agents　and　the　ensuing　scandal　had　rocked　Britain　and　the　whole　of　NATO。　〃Who　else　did　they　recruit？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　sir；〃　Armstrong　said　carefully。　〃But　you　can　bet　that　now　they're　all　VIP's　in　government；　the　Foreign　Office；　education；　the　press；　particularly　the　press　…　and；　like　Philby；　all　burrowed　very　bloody　deep。〃
　〃With　people　nothing's　impossible。　Nothing。　People　are　really　very　dreadful。〃　Crosse　sighed　and　straightened　the　file　slightly。　〃Yes。　But　it's　a　privilege　to　be　in　SI；　isn't　it；　Robert？〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃You　have　to　be　invited　in；　don't　you？　You　can't　volunteer；　can　you？〃
　〃No　sir。〃
　〃I　never　did　ask　why　you　didn't　stay　with　us；　did　I？〃
　〃No　sir。〃
　〃Well？〃
　Armstrong　groaned　inwardly　and　took　a　deep　breath。　〃It's　because　I　like　being　a　policeman；　sir；　not　a　cloak…and…dagger　man。　I　like　being　in　CID。　I　like　pitting　your　wits　against　the　villain；　the　chase　and　the　capture　and　then　the　proving　it　in　court；　according　to　rules　…　to　the　law；　sir。〃
　〃Ah　but　in　SI　we　don't；　eh？　We're　not　concerned　with　courts　or　laws　or　anything；　only　results？〃
　〃SI　and　SB　have　different　rules；　sir；〃　Armstrong　said　carefully。　〃Without　them　the　Colony'd　be　up　the　creek　without　a　paddle。〃
　〃Yes。　Yes　it　would。　People　are　dreadful　and　fanatics　multiply　like　maggots　in　a　corpse。　You　were　a　good　undercover　man。　Now　it　seems　to　me　it's　time　to　repay　all　the　hours　and　months　of　careful　training　you've　had　at　Her　Majesty's　expense。〃
　Armstrong's　heart　missed　twice　but　he　said　nothing；　just　held　his　breath　and　thanked　God　that　even　Crosse　couldn't　transfer　him　out　of　CID　against　his　will。　He　had　hated　his　tours　in　SI　…　in　the　beginning　it　had　been　exciting　and　to　be　chosen　was　a　great　vote　of　confidence；　but　quickly　it　had　palled　…　the　sudden　swoop　on　the　villain　in　the　dark　hours；　hearings　in　camera；　no　worry　about　exact　proof；　just　results　and　a　quick；　secret　deportation　order　signed　by　the　governor；　then　off　to　the　border　at　once；　or　onto　a　junk　to　Taiwan；　with　no　appeal　and　no　return。　Ever。
　〃It's　not　the　British　way；　Brian；〃　he　had　always　said　to　his　friend。　〃I'm　for　a　fair；　open　trial。〃
　〃What's　it　matter？　Be　practical；　Robert。　You　know　the　bastards're　all　guilty　…　that　they're　the　enemy；　mie　enemy　agents　who　twist　our　rules　to　stay　here；　to　destroy　us　and　our　society　…　aided　and　abetted　by　a　few　bastard　lawyers　who'd　do　anything　for　thirty　pieces　of　silver；　or　less。　The　same　in　Canada。　Christ；　we　had　the　hell　of　a　time　in　the　RCMP；　our　own　lawyers　and　politicians　were　the　enemy　…　and　recent　Canadians　…　curiously　always　British　…　all　socialist　trades　unionists　who　were　always　in　the　forefront　of　any　agitation。　What　does　it　matter　so　long　as　you　get　rid　of　the　parasites？〃
　〃It　matters；　that's　what　I　think。　And　they're　not　all　mie　villains　here。　There's　a　lot　of　Nationalist　villains　who　want　to…　〃
　〃The　Nationalists　want　mies　out　of　Hong　Kong；　that's　all。〃
　〃Balls！　Chiang　Kai…shek　wanted　to　grab　the　Colony　after　the　war。　It　was　only　the　British　navy　that　stopped　him　after　the　Americans　gave　us　away。　He　still　wants　sovereignty　over　us。　In　that　he's　no　different　from　Mao　Tse…tung！〃
　〃If　SI　doesn't　have　the　same　freedom　as　the　enemy　how　are　we　going　to　keep　us　out　of　the　creek？〃
　〃Brian；　lad；　I　just　said　I　don't　like　being　in　SI。　You're　going　to　enjoy　it。　I　just　want　to　be　a　copper；　not　a　bloody　Bond！〃
　Yes；　Armstrong　thought　grimly；　just　a　copper；　in　CID　until　I　retire　to　good　old　England。　Christ；　I've　enough　trouble　now　with　the　god…cursed　Werewolves。　He　looked　back　at　Crosse　and　kept　his　face　carefully　nonmittal　and　waited。
　Crosse　watched　him　then　tapped　the　file。　〃According　to　this　we're　very　much　deeper　in　the　mire　than　even　I　imagined。　Very　distressing。　Yes。〃　He　looked　up。　〃This　report　refers　to　previous　ones　sent　to　Dunross。　I'd　certainly　like　to　see　them　as　soon　as　possible。　Quickly　and　quietly。〃
　Armstrong　glanced　at　Brian　Kwok。　〃How　about　Claudia　Chen？〃
　〃No。　No　chance。　None。〃
　〃Then　what　do　you　suggest；　Brian？〃　Crosse　asked。　〃I　imagine　my　American　friend　will　have　the　same　idea　。。。　and　if　he's　been　misguided　enough　to　pass　on　the　file；　a　copy　of　the　file；　to　the　director　of　the　CIA　here　。。。　I　really　would　be　very　depressed　if　they　were　there　first　again。〃
　Brian　Kwok　thought　a　moment。　〃We　could　send　a　specialized　team　into　the　tai…pan's　executive　offices　and　his　penthouse；　but　it'd　take　time　…　we　just　don't　know　where　to　look　…　and　it　would　have　to　be　at　night。　That　one　could　be　hairy；　sir。　The　other　reports　…　if　they　exist　…　might　be　in　a　safe　up　at　the　Great　House；　or　at　his　place　at　Shek…O　…　even　at　his；　er；　at　his　private　flat　at　Sinclair　Towers　or　another　one　we　don't　even　know　about。〃
　〃Distressing；〃　Crosse　agreed。　〃Our　intelligence　is　getting　appallingly　lax　even　in　our　own　bailiwick。　Pity。　If　we　were　Chinese　we'd　know　everything；　wouldn't　we；　Brian？〃
　〃No　sir；　sorry　sir。〃
　〃Well；　if　you　don't　know　where　to　look　you'll　have　to　ask。〃
　〃Sir？〃
　〃Ask。　Dunross's　always　seemed　to　be　cooperative　in　the　past。　After　all　he　is　a　friend　of　yours。　Ask　to　see　them。〃
　〃And　if　he　says；　no；　or　that　they　were　destroyed？〃
　〃You　use　your　talented　head。　You　cajole　him　a　little；　you　use　a　little　art；　you　warm　to　him；　Brian。　And　you　barter。〃
　〃Do　we　have　something　current　to　barter　with；　sir？〃
　〃Nelson　Trading。〃
　〃Sir？〃
　〃Part's　in　the　report。　Plus　a　modest　little　piece　of　information　I'll　be　delighted　to　give　you　later。〃
　〃Yes　sir；　thank　you　sir。〃
　〃Robert；　what　have　you　done　to　find　John　Chen　and　the　Werewolf　or　Werewolves？〃
　〃The　whole　of　CID's　been　alerted；　sir。　We　got　the　number　of　his　car　at　once　and　that's　on　a　1098。　We've　interviewed　his　wife　Mrs。　Barbara　Chen；　among　others　…　she　was　in　hysterics　most　of　the　time；　but　lucid；　very　lucid　under　the　flood。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Yes　sir。　She's　。。。　Well；　you　understand。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃She　said　it　wasn't　unusual　for　her　husband　to　stay　out　late　…　she　said　he　had　many　late　business　conferences　and　sometimes　he'd　go　early　to　the　track　or　to　his　boat。　I'm　fairly　certain　she　knew　he　was　a　man　about　town。　Retracing　his　movements　last　night's　been　fairly　easy　up　to　2：00　a。m。　He　dropped　Casey　Tcholok　at　the　Old　Vic　at　about　10：30…　〃
　〃Did　he　see　Bartlett　last　night？〃
　〃No　sir；　Bartlett　was　in　his　aircraft　at　Kai　Tak　all　the　time。〃
　〃Did　John　Chen　talk　to　him？〃
　〃Not　unless　there's　some　way　for　the　airplane　to　link　up　with　our　phone　system。　We　had　it　under　surveillance　until　the　pickup　this　morning。〃
　〃Go　on。〃
　〃After　dropping　Miss　Tcholok　…　I　discovered　it　was　his　father's　Rolls　by　the　way　…　he　took　the　car　ferry　to　the　Hong　Kong　side　where　he　went　to　a　private　Chinese　club　off　Queen's　Road　and　dismissed　the　car　and　chauffeur；　。。。〃　Armstrong　took　out　his　pad　and　referred　to　it。　〃。。。　It　was　the　Tong　Lau　Club。　There　he　met　a　friend　and　business　colleague；　Wo　Sang　Chi；　and　they　began　to　play　mah…jong。　About　midnight　the　game　broke　up。　Then；　with　Wo　Sang　Chi　and　the　two　other　players；　both　friends；　Ta　Pan　Fat；　a　journalist；　and　Po　Cha　Sik；　a　stockbroker；　they　caught　a　taxi。〃　Robert　Armstrong　heard　himself　reporting　the　facts；　falling　into　the　familiar　police　pattern　and　this　pleased　h