jamesclavell.noblehouse-第43节

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　〃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　said　in　a　breathless　rush；　〃I　hope　it's　all　right　I　invited　a　date　tonight　and　I　just　had　the　call　that　he's　ing　and　he'll　be　late　but　I　thought　it'd　be　okay。　He's　cool。　And　very　trick。〃
　〃For　the　love　of　God；　Adryon；〃　Dunross　said　mildly；　〃how　many　times　do　I　have　to　ask　you　to　knock　before　you　charge　in　here　and　would　you　kindly　talk　English？　What　the　hell's　trick？〃
　〃Good；　great；　cool；　trick。　Sorry；　Father；　but　you　really　are　rather　square　because　cool　and　trick　are　very　in；　even　in　Hong　Kong。　See　you　soon；　have　to　dash；　after　the　party　I'm　going　out　…　I'll　be　late　so　don't…　〃
　〃Wait　a　min…　〃
　〃That's　my　blouse；　my　new　blouse；〃　Penelope　burst　out。　〃Adryon；　you　take　it　off　this　minute！　I've　told　you　fifty　times　to　stay　the　hell　out　of　my　wardrobe。〃
　〃Oh；　Mother；〃　Adryon　said　as　sharply；　〃you　don't　need　it；　can't　I　borrow　it　for　this　evening？〃　Her　tone　changed。　〃Please？　Pretty　please？　Father；　talk　to　her。〃　She　switched　to　perfect　amah　Cantonese；　〃Honorable　Father　。。。　please　help　your　Number　One　Daughter　to　achieve　the　unachievable　or　I　shall　weep　weep　weep　oh　ko　。。。〃　Then　back　into　English　in　the　same　breath；　〃Mother　。。。　you　don't　need　it　and　I'll　look　after　it；　truly。　Please？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃e　on；　pretty　please；　I'll　look　after　it；　I　promise。〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Mother！〃
　〃Well　if　you　pr…　〃
　〃Oh　thanks。〃　The　girl　beamed　and　turned　and　rushed　out　and　the　door　slammed　behind　her。
　〃Jesus　bloody　Christ；〃　Dunross　said　sourly；　〃why　the　hell　does　a　door　always　happen　to　slam　behind　her！〃
　〃Well　at　least　it's　not　deliberate　now。〃　Penelope　sighed。　〃I　don't　think　I　could　go　through　that　siege　again。〃
　〃Nor　me。　Thank　God　Glenna's　reasonable。〃
　〃It's　purely　temporary；　Ian。　She　takes　after　her　father；　that　one；　like　Adryon。〃
　〃Huh！　I　don't　have　a　filthy　temper；〃　he　said　sharply。　〃And　since　we're　on　the　subject　I　hope　to　God　Adryon　has　found　someone　decent　to　date　instead　of　the　usual　shower！　Who　is　this　she's　bringing？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　Ian。　This　is　the　first　I've　heard　of　it　too。〃
　〃They're　always　bloody　awful！　Her　taste　in　men's　appalling。　。。。　Remember　that　melon…headed　berk　with　the　neolithic　arms　that　she　was　'madly　in　love　with'　？　Christ　Jesus；　she　was　barely　fifteen　an…　〃
　〃She　was　almost　sixteen。〃
　〃What　was　his　name？　Ah　yes；　Byron。　Byron　for　chrissake！〃
　〃You　really　shouldn't　have　threatened　to　blow　his　head　off；　Ian。　It　was　just　puppy　love。〃
　〃It　was　gorilla　bloody　love；　by　God；〃　Dunross　said　even　more　sourly。　〃He　was　a　bloody　gorilla。　。。。　You　remember　that　other　one；　the　one　before　bloody　Byron　…　the　psychiatric　bastard　。。。　what　was　his　name？〃
　〃Victor。　Yes；　Victor　Hopper。　He　was　the　one　。。。　oh　yes；　I　remember；　he　was　the　one　who　asked　if　it　was　all　right　if　he　slept　with　Adryon。〃
　〃He　what？〃
　〃Oh　yes。〃　She　smiled　up　at　him　so　innocently。　〃I　didn't　tell　you　at　the　time　。。。　thought　I'd　better　not。〃
　〃He　what？〃
　〃Don't　get　yourself　all　worked　up；　Ian。　That's　at　least　four　years　ago。　I　told　him　no；　not　at　the　moment；　Adryon's　only　fourteen；　but　yes；　certainly；　when　she　was　twenty…one。　That　was　another　that　died　on　the　vine。〃
　〃Jesus　Christ！　He　asked　you　if　he　co…　〃
　〃At　least　he　asked；　Ian！　That　was　something。　It's　all　so　very　ordinary。〃　She　got　up　and　poured　more　champagne　into　his　glass；　and　some　for　herself。　〃You've　only　got　another　ten　years　or　so　of　purgatory；　then　there'll　be　the　grandchildren。　Happy　anniversary　and　the　best　of　British　to　you！〃　She　laughed　and　touched　his　glass　and　drank　and　smiled　at　him。
　〃You're　right　again；〃　he　said　and　smiled　back；　liking　her　very　much。　So　many　years；　good　years。　I've　been　lucky；　he　thought。　Yes。　I　was　blessed　that　first　day。　It　was　at　his　RAF　station　at　Biggin　Hill；　a　warm；　sunny　August　morning　in　1940　during　the　Battle　of　Britain　and　she　was　a　WAAF　and　newly　posted　there。　It　was　his　eighth　day　at　war；　his　third　mission　that　day　and　first　kill。　His　Spitfire　was　latticed　with　bullet　holes；　parts　of　his　wing　gone；　his　tail　section　tattooed。　By　all　the　rules　of　joss；　he　should　be　dead　but　he　wasn't　and　the　Messerschmitt　was　and　her　pilot　was　and　he　was　home　and　safe　and　blood　raging；　drunk　with　fear　and　shame　and　relief　that　he　had　e　back　and　the　youth　he　had　seen　in　the　other　cockpit；　the　enemy；　had　burned　screaming　as　he　spiraled。
　〃Hello；　sir；〃　Penelope　Grey　had　said。　〃Wele　home　sir。　Here。〃　She　had　given　him　a　cup　of　hot　sweet　tea　and　she　had　said　nothing　else　though　she　should　have　begun　debriefing　him　at　once　…　she　was　in　Signals。　She　said　nothing　but　smiled　and　gave　him　time　to　e　out　of　the　skies　of　death　into　life　again。　He　had　not　thanked　her；　just　drank　the　tea　and　it　was　the　best　he　had　ever　had。
　〃I　got　a　Messerschmitt；〃　he　had　said　when　he　could　talk；　his　voice　trembling　like　his　knees。　He　could　not　remember　unsnapping　his　harness　or　getting　out　of　his　cockpit　or　climbing　into　the　truck　with　the　other　survivors。　〃It　was　a　109。〃
　〃Yes　sir；　Squadron　Leader　Miller　has　already　confirmed　the　kill　and　he　says　to　please　get　ready；　you're　to　scramble　any　minute　again。　You're　to　take　Poppa　Mike　Kilo　this　time。　Thank　you　for　the　kill；　sir；　that's　one　less　of　those　devils　。。。　oh　how　I　wish　I　could　go　up　with　you　to　help　you　all　kill　those　monsters。　。。。〃
　But　they　weren't　monsters；　he　thought；　at　least　the　first　pilot　and　first　plane　that　he　had　killed　had　not　been　…　just　a　youth　like　himself；　perhaps　the　same　age；　who　had　burned　screaming；　died　screaming；　a　flaming　falling　leaf；　and　this　afternoon　or　tomorrow　or　soon　it　would　be　his　turn　…　too　many　of　them；　the　enemy；　too　few　of　us。
　〃Did　Tommy　get　back；　Tom　Lane？〃
　〃No　sir；　sorry　sir。　He　。。。　the　squadron　leader　said　Flight　Lieutenant　Lane　was　jumped　over　Dover。〃
　〃I'm　petrified　of　burning；　going　down；〃　he　had　said。
　〃Oh　you　won't；　sir；　not　you。　They　won't　shoot　you　down。　I　know。　You　won't；　sir；　no；　not　you。　They'll　never　get　you；　never　never　never；〃　she　had　said；　pale　blue　eyes；　fair　hair　and　fair　of　face；　not　quite　eighteen　but　strong；　very　strong　and　very　confident。
　He　had　believed　her　and　her　faith　had　carried　him　through　four　more　months　of　missions　…　sometimes　five　missions　each　day　…　and　more　kills　and　though　she　was　wrong　and　later　he　was　blown　out　of　the　sky；　he　lived　and　burned　only　a　little。　And　then；　when　he　came　out　of　the　hospital；　grounded　forever；　they　had　married。
　〃Doesn't　seem　like　twenty　years；〃　he　said；　holding　in　his　happiness。
　〃Plus　two　before；〃　she　said；　holding　in　her　happiness。
　〃Plus　two　be…　〃
　The　door　opened。　Penelope　sighed　as　Ah　Tat　stalked　into　the　room；　talking　Cantonese　fifty　to　the　dozen；　〃Ayeeyah；　my　Son；　but　aren't　you　ready　yet；　our　honored　guests　will　be　here　any　moment　and　your　tie's　not　tied　and　that　motherless　foreigner　from　North　Kwantung　brought　unnecessarily　into　our　house　to　cook　tonight　。。。　that　smelly　offspring　of　a　one…dollar　strumpet　from　North　Kwantung　where　all　the　best　thieves　and　worst　whores　e　from　who　fancies　himself　a　cook　。。。　ha！　。。。　This　man　and　his　equally　despicable　foreign　staff　is　befouling　our　kitchen　and　stealing　our　peace。　Oh　ko；〃　the　tiny　wizened　old　woman　continued　without　a　breath　as　her　clawlike　fingers　reached　up　automatically　and　deftly　tied　his　tie；　〃and　that's　not　all！　Number　Two　Daughter　。。。　Number　Two　Daughter　just　won't　put　on　the　dress　that　Honorable　First　Wife　has　chosen　for　her　and　her　rage　is　flying　to　Java！　Eeeee；　this　family！　Here；　my　Son；〃　she　took　the　telex　envelope　out　of　her　pocket　and　handed　it　to　Dunross；　〃here's　another　barbarian　message　bringing　more　congratulations　for　this　happy　day　that　your　poor　old　Mother　had　to　carry　up　the　stairs　herself　on　her　poor　old　legs　because　the　other　good…for…nothing　servants　are　good　for　nothing　and　bone　idle。　。。。〃　She　paused　momentarily　for　breath。
　〃Thank　you；　Mother；〃　he　said　politely。
　〃In　your　Honorable　Father's　day；　the　servants　worked　and　knew　what　to　do　and　your　old　Mother　didn't　have　to　endure　dirty　strangers　in　our　Great　House！〃　She　walked　out　muttering　more　curses　on　the　caterers。　〃Now　don't　you　be　late；　my　Son；　otherwise　。。。〃　She　was　still　talking　after　she'd　closed　the　door。
　〃What's　up　with　her？〃　Penelope　asked　wearily。
　〃She's　rattling　on　about　the　caterers；　doesn't　like　strangers　…　you　know　what　she's　like。〃　He　opened　the　envelope。　In　it　was　the　folded　telex。
　〃What　was　she　saying　about　Glenna？〃　his　wife　asked；　having　recognized　yee…chat；　Second　Daughter；　though　her　Cantonese　was　minimal。
　〃Just　that　she　was　having　a　fit　about　the　dress　you　picked　for　her。〃
　〃What's　wrong　with　it？〃
　〃Ah　Tat　didn't　say。　Look；　Penn；　perhaps　Glenna　should　just　go　to　bed　…　it's　almost　past　her　bedtime　now　and　sh…　〃
　〃Dreamer！　No　chance　till　hell　freezes　over。　Even　Hag　Struan　wouldn't　keep　Glenna　from　her　first　grown…up　as　she　calls　it！　You　did　agree　Ian；　you　agreed；　I　didn't；　you　did！〃
　〃Yes；　but　don't　you　th…　〃
　〃No。　She's　quite　old　enough。　After　all　she's　thirteen　going　on　thirty。〃　Penelope　calmly　finished　her　champagne。　〃Even　so　I　shall　now　deal　with　that　young　lady　never　mind。〃　She　got　up。　Then　she　saw　his　face。　He　was　staring　at　the　telex。
　〃What's　the　matter？〃
　〃One　of　our　people's　bee