jamesclavell.noblehouse-第42节
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recruitment in England in the thirties （it's not known if he was born in England； or if his parents are English； but he would be in his late forties or early fifties）。 His mission is； of course； a long…term； deep…cover operation。
〃Supporting top…secret intelligence documents stolen from the Czechoslovak STB （State Secret Security） dated April 6； 1959； translate in part； '。。。 between 1946 and 1959 six key； deep…cover agents have been recruited through information supplied by the controller； Arthur： one each in the Hong Kong Colonial Office （code name Charles）； Treasury （code name Mason）； Naval Base （John）； the Bank of London and China （Vincent）； the Hong Kong Telephone pany （William）； and Struan and pany （Frederick）。 According to normal procedures only the controller knows the true identity of the others。 Seven safe houses have been established。 Among them are Sinclair Towers on Hong Kong Island and the Nine Dragons Hotel in Kowloon。 Sevrin's New York contact； has the code name Guillio。 He is very important to us because of his Mafia and CIA connections。' 〃
Grant had continued； Guillio is believed to be Vincenzo Banastasio； a substantial racketeer and the present don of the Sallapione family。 This is being checked through our U。S。 sources。 We don't know if the deep…cover enemy agent in the police （covered in detail in another section） is part of Sevrin or not but presume he is。
〃In our opinion； China will be forced to seek ever…increasing amounts of trade with the West to counterbalance imperialist Soviet hegemony and to fill the void and chaos created by the sudden withdrawal in 1960 of all Soviet funding and technicians。 China's armed forces badly need modernizing。 Harvests have been bad。 Therefore all forms of strategic materials and military hardware will find a ready market for many years to e； and food； basic foodstuffs。 The long…range purchase of American rice futures is remended。
〃I have the honor to be； sir； your obedient servant； AMG； London； August 15； 1963。〃
Jets and tanks and nuts and bolts and rockets and engines and trucks and petrol and tires and electronics and food； Dunross thought； his mind soaring。 A limitless spectrum of trade goods； easy to obtain； easy to ship； and nothing on earth like a war for profit if you can trade。 But China's not buying now； whatever they need； whatever Grant says。
Who could Arthur be？
Who in Struan's？ Jesus Christ！ John Chen and Tsu…yan and smuggled guns and now a KGB agent within。 Who？ What about 。。。
There was a gentle knock on the door。
〃e in；〃 he said； recognizing his wife's knock。
〃Ian； it's almost eight；〃 Penelope； his wife； said； 〃I thought I'd better tell you。 You know how you are。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃How did it go today？ Awful about John Chen； isn't it？ I suppose you read the papers？ Are you ing down？〃
〃Yes。 Champagne？〃
〃Thanks。〃
He poured for her and replenished his glass。 〃Oh by the way； Penn； I invited a fellow I met this afternoon； an ex…RAF type。 He seemed a decent fellow … Peter Marlowe。〃
〃Fighters？〃
〃Yes。 But Hurricanes … and Spits。 Is that a new dress？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃You look pretty；〃 he said。
〃Thank you but I'm not。 I feel so old； but thank you。〃 She sat in the other winged chair； her perfume as delicate as her features。 〃Peter Marlowe； you said？〃
〃Yes。 Poor bugger got caught in Java in '42。 He was a POW for three and a half years。〃
〃Oh； poor man。 He was shot down？〃
〃No； the Japanese plastered the 'drome before he could scramble。 Perhaps he was lucky。 The Zeros got two on the ground and the last two just after they were airborne … the pilots flamed in。 Seems those four Hurricanes were the last of the Few … the last of the whole air defense of the Far East。 What a balls…up that was！〃
〃Terrible。〃
〃Yes。 Thank God our war was in Europe。〃 Dunross watched her。 〃He said he was a year in Java； then the Japanese sent him to Singapore on a work party。〃
〃To Changi？〃 she asked； her voice different。
〃Yes。〃
〃Oh！〃
〃He was there for two and a half years。〃 Changi in Malay meant 〃clinging vine；〃 and Changi was the name of the jail in Singapore that was used by the Japanese in World War II for one of their infamous prisoner…of…war camps。
She thought a moment； then smiled a little nervously。 〃Did he know Robin there？〃 Robin Grey was her brother； her only living relative： her parents had been killed in an air raid in London in 1943； just before she and Dunross were married。
〃Marlowe said yes； he seemed to remember him； but clearly he didn't want to talk about those days so I let it drop。〃
〃I can imagine。 Did you tell him Robin was my brother？〃
〃No。〃
〃When's Robin due back here？〃
〃I don't know exactly。 In a few days。 This afternoon the governor told me the delegation's in Peking now。〃 A British Parliamentary Trade Delegation drawn from MPs of the three parties … Conservative； Liberal and Labour … had been invited out from London by Peking to discuss all manner of trade。 The delegation had arrived in Hong Kong two weeks ago and had gone directly on to Canton where all trade negotiations were conducted。 It was very rare for anyone to get an invitation； let alone a parliamentary delegation … and even rarer to be invited on to Peking。 Robin Grey was one of the members … representative of the Labour Party。 〃Penn darling； don't you think we should acknowledge Robin； give a reception for him？ After all； we haven't seen him for years； this's the first time he's been to Asia … isn't it time you buried the hatchet and made peace？〃
〃He's not invited to my house。 Any of my houses。〃
〃Isn't it time you relaxed a little； let bygones be bygones？〃
〃No； I know him； you don't。 Robin has his life and we have ours； that's what he and I agreed years ago。 No； I've no wish to see him ever again。 He's awful； dangerous； foul…mouthed and a bloody bore。〃
Dunross laughed。 〃I agree he's obnoxious and I detest his politics … but he's only one of a half dozen MPs。 This delegation's important。 I should do something to entertain them； Penn。〃
〃Please do； Ian。 But preferably not here … or else tell me in good time so I can have the vapors and see that the children do the same。 It's a matter of face and that's the end of it。〃 Penelope tossed her head and shook off her mood。 〃God！ Let's not let him spoil this evening！ What's this Marlowe doing in Hong Kong？〃
〃He's a writer。 Wants to do a book on Hong Kong； he said。 He lives in America now。 His wife's ing too。 Oh； by the way； I also invited the Americans； Linc Bartlett and Casey Tcholok。〃
〃Oh！〃 Penelope Dunross laughed。 〃Oh well； four or forty extra won't make any difference at all … I won't know most of them anyway； and Claudia's organized everything with her usual efficiency。〃 She arched an eyebrow。 〃So！ A gun…runner amongst the pirates！ That won't even cause a ripple。〃
〃Is he？〃
〃Everyone says so。 Did you see the piece in this afternoon's Mirror； Ian？ Ah Tat's convinced the American is bad joss … she informed the whole staff； the children and me … so that makes it official。 Ah Tat told Adryon that her astrologer insisted she tell you to watch out for bad influence from the East。 Ah Tat's sure that means the Yanks。 Hasn't she bent your ear yet？〃
〃Not yet。〃
〃God； I wish I could chatter Cantonese like you and the children。 I'd tell that old harpy to keep her superstitions and opinions to herself … she's a bad influence。〃
〃She'd give her life for the children。〃
〃I know she's your gan sun and almost brought you up and thinks she's God's gift to the Dunross clan。 But as far as I'm concerned she's a cantankerous； loathsome old bitch and I hate her。〃 Penelope smiled sweetly。 〃I hear the American girl's pretty。〃
〃Attractive … not pretty。 She's giving Andrew a bad time。〃
〃I can imagine。 A lady talking business！ What are we ing to in this great world of ours？ Is she any good？〃
〃Too soon to tell。 But she's very smart。 She's … she'll make things awkward certainly。〃
〃Have you seen Adryon tonight？〃
〃No … what's up？〃 he asked； instantly recognizing the tone of voice。
〃She's been into my wardrobe again … half my best nylons are gone； the rest are scattered； my scarves are all jumbled up； my new blouse's missing and my new belt's disappeared。 She's even whipped my best Hermès 。。。 that child's the end！〃
〃Nineteen's hardly a child；〃 he said wearily。
〃She's the end！ The number of times I've told her！〃
〃I'll talk to her again。〃
〃That won't do a bit of good。〃
〃I know。〃
She laughed with him。 〃She's such a pill。〃
〃Here。〃 He handed her a slim box。 〃Happy twentieth！〃
〃Oh thank you； Ian。 Yours is downstairs。 You'll 。。。〃 She stopped and opened the box。 It contained a carved jade bracelet； the jade inset into silver filigree； very fine； very old … a collector's piece。 〃Oh how lovely； thank you； Ian。〃 She put it on her wrist over the thin gold chain she was wearing and he heard neither real pleasure nor real disappointment under her voice； his ears tuned to her。 〃It's beautiful；〃 she said and leaned forward and brushed her lips against his cheek。 〃Thank you； darling。 Where did you get it？ Taiwan？〃
〃No； here on Cat Street。 At Wong Chun Kit's； he ga… 〃
The door flew open and a girl barreled in。 She was tall and slim and oh so fair and she sai
