jamesclavell.noblehouse-第51节

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y　the　wealth　that　the　jewelry　represented。　〃We　were　looking　for　Linc　Bartlett。　Have　you　seen　him？〃
　〃Not　for　a　while；〃　Havergill　volunteered。　〃I　think　he　went　into　the　east　wing。　Believe　there's　a　bar　there。　He　was　with　Adryon　…　Dunross's　daughter。〃
　〃Adryon's　turned　out　to　be　such　a　pretty　girl；〃　Lady　Joanna　said。　〃They　make　such　a　nice　couple　together。　Charming　man；　Mr。　Bartlett。　He's　not　married；　is　he；　dear？〃
　〃No；〃　Casey　said；　equally　pleasantly；　adding　Lady　Joanna　Temple…Smith　to　her　private　list　of　loathsome　people。　〃Linc's　not　married。〃
　〃He'll　be　gobbled　up　soon；　mark　my　words。　I　really　believe　Adryon's　quite　smitten。　Perhaps　you'd　like　to　e　to　tea　on　Thursday；　my　dear？　I'd　love　you　to　meet　some　of　the　girls。　That's　the　day　of　our　Over　Thirty　Club。〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　Casey　said。　〃I　don't　qualify　…　but　I'd　love　to　e　anyway。〃
　〃Oh　I'm　sorry；　dear！　I'd　presumed　。。。　I'll　send　a　car　for　you。　Quillan；　are　you　staying　for　dinner？〃
　〃No；　can't。　Got　pressing　business。〃
　〃Pity。〃　Lady　Joanna　smiled　and　showed　her　bad　teeth。
　〃If　you'll　excuse　us　…　just　want　to　find　Bartlett　and　then　I　have　to　leave。　See　you　Saturday。〃　Gornt　took　Casey's　arm　and　guided　her　away。
　They　watched　them　leave。　〃She's　quite　attractive　in　a　mon　sort　of　way；　isn't　she？〃　Lady　Joanna　said。　〃Chuluk。　That's　Middle　European；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Possibly。　It　could　be　Mideastern；　Joanna；　you　know；　Turkish；　something　like　that；　possibly　the　Balkans。　。。。〃　Havergill　stopped。　〃Oh；　I　see　what　you　mean。　No；　I　don't　think　so。　She　certainly　doesn't　look　Jewish。〃
　〃One　really　can't　tell　these　days；　can　one？　She　might　have　had　her　nose　fixed　…　they　do　marvelous　things　these　days；　don't　they？〃
　〃Never　occurred　to　me　to　look。　Hum！　Do　you　think　so？〃
　Richard　Kwang　passed　Casey's　card　over　to　his　wife　who　read　it　instantly　and　got　the　same　message　instantly。　〃Paul；　her　card　says　treasurer　and　executive　VP　of　the　holding　pany　。。。　that's　quite　impressive；　isn't　it？　Par…Con's　a　big　pany。〃
　〃Oh　my　dear　fellow；　but　they're　American。　They　do　extraordinary　things　in　America。　Surely　it's　just　a　title　…　that's　all。〃
　〃Giving　his　mistress　face？〃　Joanna　asked。
　
　12
　
　9：00　P。M。　：
　The　billiard　cue　struck　the　white　ball　and　it　shot　across　the　green　table　and　slashed　the　red　into　a　far　pocket　and　stopped　perfectly　behind　another　red。
　Adryon　clapped　gleefully。　〃Oh　Linc；　that　was　super！　I　was　sure　you　were　just　boasting。　Oh　do　it　again！〃
　Linc　Bartlett　grinned。　〃For　one　dollar　that　red　around　the　table　and　into　that　pocket　and　the　white　here。〃　He　marked　the　spot　with　a　flick　of　chalk。
　〃Done！〃
　He　leaned　over　the　table　and　sighted　and　the　white　stopped　within　a　millimeter　of　his　mark；　the　red　sunk　with　marvelous　inevitability。
　〃Ayeeyah！　I　haven't　got　a　dollar　with　me。　Damn！　Can　I　owe　it　to　you？〃
　〃A　lady　…　however　beautiful　…　has　to　pay　her　gambling　debts　at　once。〃
　〃I　know。　Father　says　the　same。　Can　I　pay　you　tomorrow？〃
　He　watched　her；　enjoying　her；　pleased　that　his　skill　pleased　her。　She　was　wearing　a　knee…length　black　skirt　and　the　lovely　silk　blouse。　Her　legs　were　long；　very　long；　and　perfect。　〃Nope！〃　He　pretended　ill　humor　and　then　they　laughed　together　in　the　huge　room；　the　vast　lights　low　over　the　full…size　billiard　table；　the　rest　of　the　room　dark　and　intimate　but　for　the　shaft　of　light　from　the　open　door。
　〃You　play　incredibly　well；〃　she　said。
　〃Don't　tell　anyone　but　I　made　my　living　in　the　Army　playing　pool。〃
　〃In　Europe？〃
　〃No。　Pacific。〃
　〃My　father　was　a　fighter　pilot。　He　got　six　planes　before　he　was　shot　down　and　grounded。〃
　〃I　guess　that　made　him　an　ace；　didn't　it？〃
　〃Were　you　part　of　those　awful　landings　against　the　Japs？〃
　〃No。　I　was　in　construction。　We　came　in　when　everything　was　secured。〃
　〃Oh。〃
　〃We　built　bases；　airfields　in　Guadalcanal；　and　islands　all　over　the　Pacific。　My　war　was　easy　…　nothing　like　your　dad's。〃　As　he　went　over　to　the　cue　rack；　he　was　sorry　for　the　first　time　that　he　had　not　been　in　the　Marines。　Her　expression　when　he　had　said　construction　made　him　feel　unmanned。　〃We　should　go　look　for　your　boyfriend。　Maybe　he's　here　by　now。〃
　〃Oh　he's　not　important！　He's　not　a　real　boyfriend；　I　just　met　him　a　week　or　so　ago　at　a　friend's　party。　Martin's　a　journalist　on　the　China　Guardian。　He's　not　a　lover。〃
　〃Are　all　young　English　ladies　so　open　about　their　lovers？〃
　〃It's　the　pill。　It's　released　us　from　masculine　servitude　forever。　Now　we're　equal。〃
　〃Are　you？〃
　〃I　am。〃
　〃Then　you're　lucky。〃
　〃Yes　I　know　I'm　very　lucky。〃　She　watched　him。　〃How　old　are　you；　Linc？〃
　〃Old。〃　He　snapped　the　cue　into　its　rack。　It　was　the　first　time　in　his　life　that　he　had　not　wanted　to　tell　his　age。　Goddamn；　he　thought；　curiously　unsettled。　What's　your　problem？
　None。　There's　no　problem。　Is　there？
　〃I'm　nineteen；〃　she　was　saying。
　〃When's　your　birthday？〃
　〃October　27　…　I'm　a　Scorpio。　When's　yours？〃
　〃October　1。〃
　〃Oh　it's　not！　Tell　me　honestly！〃
　〃Cross　my　heart　and　hope　to　die。〃
　She　clapped　her　hands　with　delight。　〃Oh　that's　marvelous！　Father's　the　tenth。　That's　marvelous　…　a　good　omen。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃You'll　see。〃　Happily　she　opened　her　handbag　and　found　a　crumpled　cigarette　package　and　a　battered　gold　lighter。　He　took　the　lighter　and　flicked　it　for　her　but　it　did　not　light。　A　second　and　a　third　time　but　nothing。
　〃Bloody　thing；〃　she　said。　〃Bloody　thing's　never　worked　properly　but　Father　gave　it　to　me。　I　love　it。　Of　course　I　dropped　it　a　couple　of　times。〃
　He　peered　at　it；　blew　the　wick　and　fiddled　a　moment。　〃You　shouldn't　smoke　anyway。〃
　〃That's　what　Father　always　says。〃
　〃He's　right。〃
　〃Yes。　But　I　like　smoking　for　the　time　being。　How　old　are　you；　Linc？〃
　〃Forty。〃
　〃Oh！〃　He　saw　the　surprise。　〃Then　you're　the　same　age　as　Father！　Well；　almost。　He's　forty…one。〃
　〃Both　were　great　years；〃　Linc　said　dryly；　and　he　thought；　Whichever　way　you　figure　it；　Adryon；　I　really　am　old　enough　to　be　your　father。
　Another　frown　creased　her　brow。　〃It's　funny；　you　don't　seem　the　same　age　at　all。〃　Then　she　added　in　a　rush；　〃In　two　years　I'll　be　twenty…one　and　that's　practically　over　the　hill；　I　just　can't　imagine　being　twenty…five　let　alone　thirty　and　as　to　forty　。。。　God；　I　think　I'd　rather　be　pushing　up　daisies。〃
　〃Twenty…one's　old　…　yes　ma'am；　mighty　old；〃　he　said。　And　he　thought；　It's　a　long　time　since　you　spent　time　with　such　a　young　one。　Watch　yourself。　This　one's　dynamite。　He　flicked　the　lighter　and　it　lit。　〃What　d'you　know！〃
　〃Thanks；〃　she　said　and　puffed　her　cigarette　alight。　〃You　don't　smoke？〃　she　asked。
　〃No；　not　now。　Used　to　but　Casey　sent　me　illustrated　pamphlets　on　cancer　and　smoking　every　hour　on　the　hour　until　I　got　the　message。　Didn't　faze　me　a　bit　to　stop　…　once　I'd　decided。　It　sure　as　hell　improved　my　golf　and　tennis　and　。。。〃　he　smiled。　〃And　all　forms　of　sports。〃
　〃Casey　is　gorgeous。　Is　she　really　your　executive　vice…president？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃She's　going　to　。。。　it'll　be　very　difficult　for　her　here。　The　men　won't　like　dealing　with　her　at　all。〃
　〃Same　in　the　States。　But　they're　getting　used　to　it。　We　built　Par…Con　in　six　years。　Casey　can　work　with　the　best　of　them。　She's　a　winner。〃
　〃Is　she　your　mistress？〃
　He　sipped　his　beer。　〃Are　all　young　English　ladies　so　blunt？〃
　〃No。〃　She　laughed。　〃I　was　just　curious。　Everyone　says　。。。　everyone　presumes　she　is。〃
　〃That　a　fact？〃
　〃Yes。　You're　the　talk　of　Hong　Kong　society；　and　tonight　will　cap　everything。　You　both　made　rather　a　grand　entrance；　what　with　your　private　jet；　the　smuggled　guns　and　Casey　being　the　last　European　to　see　John　Chen；　so　the　papers　said。　I　liked　your　interview。〃
　〃Eh；　those　bas…　those　press　guys　were　waiting　on　the　doorstep　this　afternoon。　I　tried　to　keep　it　short　and　sharp。〃
　〃Par…Con's　really　worth　half　a　billion　dollars？〃
　〃No。　About　300　million　…　but　it'll　be　a　billion…dollar　pany　soon。　Yes；　it'll　be　soon　now。〃
　He　saw　her　looking　at　him　with　those　frank；　gray…green　eyes　of　hers；　so　adult　yet　so　young。　〃You're　a　very　interesting　man；　Mr。　Linc　Bartlett。　I　like　talking　to　you。　I　like　you　too。　Didn't　at　first。　I　screamed　bloody　murder　when　Father　told　me　I　had　to　chaperone　you；　introduce　you　around　for　a　while。　I　haven't　done　a　very　good　job；　have　I？〃
　〃It's　been　super。〃
　〃Oh　e　on。〃　She　grinned　too。　〃I've　totally　monopolized　you。〃
　〃Not　true。　I　met　Christian　Toxe　the　editor；　Richard　Kwang　and　those　two　Americans　from　the　consulate。　Lannan　wasn't　it？〃
　〃Langan；　Edward　Langan。　He's　nice。　I　didn't　catch　the　other　one's　name　…　I　don't　know　them　really；　they've　just　been　racing　with　us。　Christian's　nice　and　his　wife's　super。　She's　Chinese　so　she's　not　here　tonight。〃
　Bartlett　frowned。　〃Because　she's　Chinese？〃
　〃Oh；　she　was　invited　but　she　wouldn't　e。　It's　face。　To　save　her　husband's　face。　The　nobs　don't　approve　of　mixed　marriages。〃
　〃Marrying　the　natives？〃
　〃Something　like　that。〃　She　shrugged。　〃You'll　see。　I'd　better　introduce　you　to　some　more　guests　or　I'll　get　hell！〃
　〃How　about　to　Havergill　the　banker？　What　about　him？〃
　〃Father　thinks　Havergill's　a　berk。〃
　〃Then　by　God　he's　a　twenty…two…carat　berk　from　here　on　in！〃
　〃Good；〃　she　said　and　they　laughed　together。
　〃Linc？〃
　They　looked　around　at　the　two　figures　silhouetted　in　the　shaft　of　light　from　the　doorway。　He　recognized　Cas