jamesclavell.noblehouse-第4节

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　〃Yes。　But　that's　not　the　reason　he　should　go；　Phillip。　He　should　go　because　he's　in　the　way　of　the　Noble　House。　He's　too　conservative；　far　too　generous　to　Asian　Properties　and　I　think　he's　a　secret　ally　of　Rothwell…Gornt。〃
　〃I　don't　agree；〃　Alastair　said。
　〃I　know。　But　we　need　money　to　expand　and　I　intend　to　get　the　money。　So　I　intend　to　use　my　21　percent　very　seriously。〃
　The　storm　outside　had　intensified　but　they　did　not　seem　to　notice。
　〃I　don't　advise　you　to　set　your　cap　against　the　Victoria；〃　Phillip　Chen　said　gravely。
　〃I　agree；〃　Alastair　Struan　said。
　〃I　won't。　Provided　my　bank　cooperates。〃　Dunross　watched　the　rain　streaks　for　a　moment。　〃By　the　way；　I've　also　invited　Jason…Plumm　to　the　meeting。〃
　〃What　the　hell　for？〃　Struan　asked；　his　neck　reddening　again。
　〃Between　us　and　his　Asian　Properties　we…　〃
　〃Plumm's　on　Dirk　Struan's　oblit　list；　as　you　call　it；　and　absolutely　opposed　to　us。〃
　〃Between　the　four　of　us　we　have　a　majority　say　in　Hong　Kong…　〃　Dunross　broke　off　as　the　phone　rang　loudly。　They　all　looked　at　it。
　Alastair　Struan　said　sourly；　〃It's　your　phone　now；　not　mine。〃　Dunross　picked　it　up。　〃Dunross！〃　He　listened　for　a　moment　then　said；　〃No；　Mr。　Alastair　Struan　has　retired；　I'm　tai…pan　of　Struan's　now。　Yes。　Ian　Dunross。　What's　the　telex　say？〃　Again　he　listened。　〃Yes；　thank　you。〃
　He　put　down　the　phone。　At　length　he　broke　the　silence。　〃It　was　from　our　office　in　Taipei。　Lasting　Cloud　has　foundered　off　the　north　coast　of　Formosa。　They　think　she's　gone　down　with　all　hands。　。。。〃
　
　
　SUNDAY；
August　18；　1963
　
　1
　
　8：45　P。M。：
　The　police　officer　was　leaning　against　one　corner　of　the　information　counter　watching　the　tall　Eurasian　without　watching　him。　He　wore　a　light　tropical　suit　and　a　police　tie　and　white　shirt；　and　it　was　hot　within　the　brightly　lit　terminal　building；　the　air　humid　and　smell…laden；　milling　noisy　Chinese　as　always。　Men；　women；　children；　babes。　An　abundance　of　Cantonese；　some　Asians；　a　few　Europeans。
　〃Superintendent？〃
　One　of　the　information　girls　was　offering　him　a　phone。　〃It's　for　you；　sir；〃　she　said　and　smiled　prettily；　white　teeth；　dark　hair；　dark　sloe　eyes；　lovely　golden　skin。
　〃Thanks；〃　he　said；　noticing　that　she　was　Cantonese　and　new；　and　did　not　mind　that　the　reality　of　her　smile　was　empty；　with　nothing　behind　it　but　a　Cantonese　obscenity。　〃Yes？〃　he　said　into　the　phone。
　〃Superintendent　Armstrong？　This　is　the　tower　…　Yankee　2's　just　landed。　On　time。〃
　〃Still　Gate　16？〃
　〃Yes。　She'll　be　there　in　six　minutes。〃
　〃Thanks。〃　Robert　Armstrong　was　a　big　man　and　he　leaned　across　the　counter　and　replaced　the　phone。　He　noticed　her　long　legs　and　the　curve　of　her　rump　in　the　sleek；　just　too　tight；　uniformed　chong…sam　and　he　wondered　briefly　what　she　would　be　like　in　bed。　〃What's　your　name？〃　he　asked；　knowing　that　any　Chinese　hated　to　be　named　to　any　policeman；　let　alone　a　European。
　〃Mona　Leung；　sir。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Mona　Leung。〃　He　nodded　to　her；　kept　his　pale　blue　eyes　on　her　and　saw　a　slight　shiver　of　apprehension　go　through　her。　This　pleased　him。　Up　yours　too；　he　thought；　then　turned　his　attention　back　to　his　prey。
　The　Eurasian；　John　Chen；　was　standing　beside　one　of　the　exits；　alone；　and　this　surprised　him。　Also　that　he　was　nervous。　Usually　John　Chen　was　unperturbable；　but　now　every　few　moments　he　would　glance　at　his　watch；　then　up　at　the　arrivals　board；　then　back　to　his　watch　again。
　Another　minute　and　then　we'll　begin；　Armstrong　thought。
　He　began　to　reach　into　his　pocket　for　a　cigarette；　then　remembered　that　he　had　given　up　smoking　two　weeks　ago　as　a　birthday　present　to　his　wife；　so　he　cursed　briefly　and　stuck　his　hands　deeper　into　his　pockets。
　Around　the　information　counter　harassed　passengers　and　meeters…of…passengers　rushed　up　and　pushed　and　went　away　and　came　back　again；　loudly　asking　the　where　and　when　and　how　and　why　and　where　once　more　in　myriad　dialects。　Cantonese　he　understood　well。　Shanghainese　and　Mandarin　a　little。　A　few　Chu　Chow　expressions　and　most　of　their　swear　words。　A　little　Taiwanese。
　He　left　the　counter　now；　a　head　taller　than　most　of　the　crowd；　a　big；　broad…shouldered　man　with　an　easy；　athletic　stride；　seventeen　years　in　the　Hong　Kong　Police　Force；　now　head　of　CID　…　Criminal　Investigation　Department　…　of　Kowloon。
　〃Evening；　John；〃　he　said。　〃How're　things？〃
　〃Oh　hi；　Robert；〃　John　Chen　said；　instantly　on　guard；　his　English　American…accented。　〃Everything's　great；　thanks。　You？〃
　〃Fine。　Your　airport　contact　mentioned　to　Immigration　that　you　were　meeting　a　special　plane。　A　charter　…　Yankee　2。〃
　〃Yes　…　but　it's　not　a　charter。　It's　privately　owned。　By　Lincoln　Bartlett　…　the　American　millionaire。〃
　〃He's　aboard？〃　Armstrong　asked；　knowing　he　was。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃With　an　entourage？〃
　〃Just　his　Executive　VP　…　and　hatchet　man。〃
　〃Mr。　Bartlett's　a　friend？〃　he　asked；　knowing　he　was　not。
　〃A　guest。　We　hope　to　do　business　with　him。〃
　〃Oh？　Well；　his　plane's　just　landed。　Why　don't　you　e　with　me？　We'll　bypass　all　the　red　tape　for　you。　It's　the　least　we　can　do　for　the　Noble　House；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Thanks　for　your　trouble。〃
　〃No　trouble。〃　Armstrong　led　the　way　through　a　side　door　in　the　Customs　barrier。　Uniformed　police　looked　up；　saluting　him　instantly　and　watched　John　Chen　thoughtfully；　recognizing　him　at　once。
　〃This　Lincoln　Bartlett；〃　Armstrong　continued　with　pretended　geniality；　〃doesn't　mean　anything　to　me。　Should　it？〃
　〃Not　unless　you　were　in　business；〃　John　Chen　said；　then　rushed　on　nervously；　〃He's　nicknamed　'Raider'　…　because　of　his　successful　raids　and　takeovers　of　other　panies；　most　times　much　bigger　than　himself。　Interesting　man；　I　met　him　in　New　York　last　year。　His　conglomerate　grosses　almost　half　a　billion　dollars　a　year。　He　says　he　started　in　'45　with　two　thousand　borrowed　dollars。　Now　he's　into　petrochemicals；　heavy　engineering；　electronics；　missiles　…　lots　of　U。S。　Government　work　…　foam；　polyurethane　foam　products；　fertilizers　…　he　even　has　one　pany　that　makes　and　sells　skis；　sports　goods。　His　group's　Par…Con　Industries。　You　name　it；　he　has　it。〃
　〃I　thought　your　pany　owned　everything　already。〃
　John　Chen　smiled　politely。　〃Not　in　America；〃　he　said；　〃and　it　is　not　my　pany。　I'm　just　a　minor　stockholder　of　Struan's；　an　employee。〃
　〃But　you're　a　director　and　you're　the　eldest　son　of　Noble　House　Chen　so　you'll　be　next　pradore。〃　By　historic　custom　the　pradore　was　a　Chinese　or　Eurasian　businessman　who　acted　as　the　exclusive　intermediary　between　the　European　trading　house　and　the　Chinese。　All　business　went　through　his　hands　and　a　little　of　everything　stuck　there。
　So　much　wealth　and　so　much　power；　Armstrong　thought；　yet　with　a　little　luck；　we　can　bring　you　down　like　Humpty…Dumpty　and　Struan's　with　you。　Jesus　Christ；　he　told　himself；　the　anticipation　sickly　sweet；　if　that　happens　the　scandal's　going　to　blow　Hong　Kong　apart。　〃You'll　be　pradore；　like　your　father　and　grandfather　and　great…grandfather　before　you。　Your　great…grandfather　was　the　first；　wasn't　he？　Sir　Gordon　Chen；　pradore　to　the　great　Dirk　Struan　who　founded　the　Noble　House　and　damn　nearly　founded　Hong　Kong。〃
　〃No。　Dirk's　pradore　was　a　man　called　Chen　Sheng。　Sir　Gordon　Chen　was　pradore　to　Dirk's　son；　Culum　Struan。〃
　〃They　were　half…brothers　weren't　they？〃
　〃So　the　legend　goes。〃
　〃Ah　yes；　legends　…　the　stuff　we　feed　on。　Culum　Struan；　another　legend　of　Hong　Kong。　But　Sir　Gordon；　he's　a　legend　too　…　you're　lucky。〃
　Lucky？　John　Chen　asked　himself　bitterly。　To　be　descended　from　an　illegitimate　son　of　a　Scots　pirate　…　an　opium　runner；　a　whoring　evil　genius　and　murderer　if　some　of　the　stories　are　true　…　and　a　Cantonese　singsong　girl　bought　out　of　a　filthy　little　cathouse　that　still　exists　in　a　filthy　little　Macao　alley？　To　have　almost　everyone　in　Hong　Kong　know　your　lineage　and　to　be　despised　for　it　by　both　races？　〃Not　lucky；〃　he　said；　trying　to　be　outwardly　calm。　His　hair　was　gray…flecked　and　dark；　his　face　Anglo…Saxon　and　handsome；　though　a　little　slack　at　the　jowls；　and　his　dark　eyes　only　slightly　Asian。　He　was　forty…two　and　wore　tropicals；　impeccably　cut　as　always；　with　Hermes　shoes　and　Rolex　watch。
　〃I　don't　agree；〃　Armstrong　said；　meaning　it。　〃To　be　pradore　to　Struan's；　the　Noble　House　of　Asia　。。。　that's　something。　Something　special。〃
　〃Yes；　that's　special。〃　John　Chen　said　it　flat。　Ever　since　he　could　think；　he　had　been　bedeviled　by　his　heritage。　He　could　feel　eyes　watching　him　…　him；　the　eldest　son；　the　next　in　line　…　he　could　feel　the　everlasting　greed　and　the　envy。　It　had　terrified　him　continuously；　however　much　he　tried　to　conquer　the　terror。　He　had　never　wanted　any　of　the　power　or　any　of　the　responsibility。　Only　yesterday　he　had　had　another　grinding　row　with　his　father；　worse　than　ever　before。　〃I　don't　want　any　part　of　Struan's！〃　he　had　shouted。　〃For　the　hundredth　time　I　want　to　get　the　hell　out　of　Hong　Kong；　I　want　to　go　back　to　the　States；　I　want　to　lead　my　own　life；　as　I　want；　where　I　want；　and　how　I　want！〃
　〃For　the　thousandth　time；　you'll　listen　to　me。　I　sent　you　to　Am…　〃
　〃Let　me　run　our　American　interests；　Father。　Please。　There's　more　than　enough　to　do！　You　could　let　me　have　a　couple　of　mill…　〃
　〃Ayeeyah　you　will　listen　to　me！　It's　here；　here　in　Hong　Kong　and　Asia　we　make　our　money！　I　sent　you　to　school　in　America　to　p