jamesclavell.noblehouse-第40节
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it was secretly hinged on one side。 He moved it away from the wall and opened the safe the painting covered。 In the safe were many papers； some neatly tied with scarlet ribbons； some ancient； some new； a few small boxes； a neat； well…oiled； loaded Mauser in a clip attached to one of the sides； a box of ammunition； a vast old Bible with the Struan arms etched into the fine old leather and seven blue…covered files similar to the one he had in his hand。
Thoughtfully he slid the file alongside the others in sequence。 He stared at them a moment； began to close the safe but changed his mind as his eyes fell on the ancient Bible。 His fingers caressed it； then he lifted it out and opened it。 Affixed to the thick flyleaf with old sealing wax were halves of two old Chinese bronze coins； crudely broken。 Clearly； once upon a time； there had been four such half…coins for there was still the imprint of the missing two and the remains of the same red sealing wax attached to the ancient paper。 The handwriting heading the page was beautiful copperplate： 〃I swear by the Lord God that whomsoever produces the other half of any of these coins； I will grant him whatsoever he asks。〃 It was signed Dirk Struan； February 23； 1841； and below his signature was Culum Struan's and all the other tai…pans and the last name was Ian Dunross。
Alongside the first space where once a coin had been was written： 〃Wu Fang Choi； paid in part； March 29； Year of our Lord 1841；〃 and signed again by Dirk Struan and cosigned below by Culum Struan and dated 18 June 1845 〃paid in full。〃 Alongside the second： 〃Sun Chen…yat； paid in full； October 10； 1911；〃 and signed boldly； Hag Struan。
Ah； Dunross told himself； bemused； what lovely arrogance … to be so secure to be able to sign the book thus and not Tess Struan； for future generations to see。
How many more generations？ he asked himself。 How many more tai…pans will have to sign blindly and swear the Holy Oath to do the bidding of a man dead almost a century and a half？
Thoughtfully he ran his finger over the jagged edges of the two remaining half…coins。 After a moment he closed the Bible firmly； put it into its place again； touched it once for luck and locked the safe。 He swung the painting back into its place and stared up at the portrait； standing now with his hands deep in his pockets in front of the mantelpiece； the heavy old oak carved with the Struan arms； chipped and broken here and there； an old Chinese fire screen in front of the huge fireplace。
This oil of Dirk Struan was his favorite and he had taken it out of the long gallery when he became tai…pan and had hung it here in the place of honor … instead of the portrait of Hag Struan that had been over the mantelpiece in the tai…pan's study ever since there was a Great House。 Both had been painted by Aristotle Quance。 In this one； Dirk Struan was standing in front of a crimson curtain； broad…shouldered and arrogant； his high…cut coat black and his waistcoat and cravat and ruffled shirt white and high…cut。 Heavy eyebrows and strong nose and clean…shaven； with reddish hair and mutton…chop sideburns； lips curled and sensual and you could feel the eyes boring into you； their green enhanced by the black and white and crimson。
Dunross half…smiled； not afraid； not envious； more calmed than anything by his ancestor's gaze … knowing he was possessed； partially possessed by him。 He raised his glass of champagne to the painting in half…mocking jest as he had done many times before： 〃Health！〃
The eyes stared back at him。
What would you do； Dirk … Dirk o' the will o' the wisp； he thought。
〃You'd probably say just find the traitors and kill them；〃 he mused aloud； 〃and you'd probably be right。〃
The problem of the traitor in the police did not shatter him as much as the information about the Sevrin spy ring； its U。S。 connections and the astonishing； secret gains made by the munists in Britain。 Where the hell does Grant get all his info？ he asked himself for the hundredth time。
He remembered their first meeting。 Alan Medford Grant was a short； elflike； balding man with large eyes and large teeth； in his neat pin…striped suit and bowler hat and he liked him immediately。
〃Don't you worry； Mr。 Dunross；〃 Grant had said when Dunross had hired him in 1960； the moment he became tai…pan。 〃I assure you there'll be no conflict of interest with Her Majesty's Government if I chair your research mittee on the nonexclusive basis we've discussed。 I've already cleared it with them in fact。 I'll only give you … confidentially of course； for you personally of course； and absolutely not for publication … I'll only give you classified material that does not； in my opinion； jeopardize the national interest。 After all； our interests are the same there； aren't they？〃
〃I think so。〃
〃May I ask how you heard of me？〃
〃We have friends in high places； Mr。 Grant。 In certain circles your name is quite famous。 Perhaps even a foreign secretary would remend you；〃 he had added delicately。
〃Ah yes。〃
〃Our arrangement is satisfactory？〃
〃Yes … one year initially； extended to five if everything goes well。 After five？〃
〃Another five；〃 Dunross said。 〃If we achieve the results I want； your retainer will be doubled。〃
〃Ah。 That's very generous。 But may I ask why you're being so generous … perhaps extravagant would be the word … with me and this projected mittee？〃
〃Sun Tzu said； 'What enables a wise sovereign or good general to strike and to conquer and to achieve things beyond the reach of normal men is foreknowledge。 Foreknowledge es only through spies。 Nothing is of more importance to the state than the quality of its spies。 It is ten thousand times cheaper to pay the best spies lavishly than even a tiny army poorly。' 〃
Alan Medford Grant beamed。 〃Quite right！ My 8；500 pounds a year is lavish indeed； Mr。 Dunross。 Oh yes。 Yes indeed。〃
〃Can you think of a better investment for me？〃
〃Not if I perform correctly； if I and the ones I choose are the best to be had。 Even so； 30…odd thousand pounds a year in salaries … a fund of up to 100；000 pounds to draw on for 。。。 for informants and information； all secret monies 。。。 well； I hope you will be satisfied with your investment。〃
〃If you're the best I'll recoup a thousandfold。 I expect to recoup a thousandfold；〃 he had said； meaning it。
〃I'll do everything in my power of course。 Now； specifically what sort of information do you want？〃
〃Anything and everything； mercial； political； that'd help Struan's plan ahead； with accent on the Pacific Rim； on Russian； American and Japanese thinking。 We'd probably know more about Chinese attitudes ourselves。 Please give me more rather than less。 Actually anything could be valuable because I want to take Struan's out of the China trade … more specifically I want the pany international and want to diversify out of our present dependence on China trade。〃
〃Very well。 First： I would not like to trust our reports to the mails。〃
〃I'll arrange a personal courier。〃
〃Thank you。 Second： I must have free range to select； appoint and remove the other members of the mittee … and spend the money as I see fit？〃
〃Agreed。〃
〃Five members will be sufficient。〃
〃How much do you want to pay them？〃
〃5；000 pounds a year for a nonexclusive retainer each would be excellent。 I can get top men for that。 Yes。 I'll appoint associate members for special studies as I need them。 As； er； as most of our contacts will be abroad； many in Switzerland； could funds be available there？〃
〃Say I deposit the full amount we've agreed quarterly in a numbered Swiss account。 You can draw funds as you need them … your signature or mine only。 You account to me solely； quarterly in arrears。 If you want to erect a code that's fine with me。〃
〃Excellent。 I won't be able to name anyone … I can't account to whom I give money。〃
After a pause Dunross had said； 〃All right。〃
〃Thank you。 We understand one another； I think。 Can you give me an example of what you want？〃
〃For example； I don't want to get caught like my predecessor was over Suez。〃
〃Oh！ You mean the 1956 fiasco when Eisenhower betrayed us again and caused the failure of the British…French…Israeli attack on Egypt … because Nasser had nationalized the canal？〃
〃Yes。 That cost us a fortune … it wrecked our Middle East interests； almost ruined us。 If the previous tai…pan'd known about a possible closure of Suez we could have made a fortune booking cargo space … increasing our fleet 。。。 or if we'd had an advanced insight into American thinking； particularly that Eisenhower would side again with Soviet Russia against us； we could certainly have cut our losses。〃
The little man had said sadly； 〃You know he threatened to freeze all British； French and Israeli assets in the States instantly if we did not at once withdraw from Egypt when we were a few hours from victory？ I think all our present problems in the Middle East stem from that U。S。 decision。 Yes。 Inadvertently the U。S。 approved international piracy for the first time and set a pattern for future piracies。 Nationalization。 What a joke！ Theft is a better word … or piracy。 Yes。 Eisenhower was ill…advised。 And very ill…advised to go along with the fatuous political Yalta agreement of an ail
