jamesclavell.noblehouse-第60节

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　〃Eastern　Cloud's　a　gift。　The　information　was　also　a　gift。　Nelson　Trading　is　no　concern　of　ours；　except　for　passing　interest。　Everything　said　was　confidential。　To　my　knowledge；　we　have　no　records。〃
　Dunross　studied　his　friend；　the　high　cheekbones　and　wide；　heavy…lidded　eyes；　straight　and　unblinking；　the　face　good…looking　and　well　proportioned　with　thick　black　eyebrows。
　〃Did　you　read　this　report；　Brian？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Then　you'll　understand　my　dilemma；〃　he　said；　testing　him。
　〃Ah；　you　mean　the　bit　about　a　police　traitor？〃
　〃What　was　that？〃
　〃You're　right　to　be　cautious。　Yes；　very　correct。　You're　referring　to　the　bit　about　a　hostile　being　possibly　at　superintendent　level？〃
　〃Yes。　Do　you　know　who　he　is？〃
　〃No。　Not　yet。〃
　〃Do　you　suspect　anyone？〃
　〃Yes。　He's　under　surveillance　now。　There's　no　need　to　worry　about　that；　Ian；　the　back　copies'll　just　be　seen　by　me　and　Mr。　Crosse。　They'll　have　top　classification　never　mind。〃
　〃Just　a　moment；　Brian　…　I　haven't　said　they　exist；〃　Dunross　told　him；　pretending　irritation；　and　at　once　he　noticed　a　flash　in　the　eyes　that　could　have　been　anger　or　could　have　been　disappointment。　The　face　had　remained　impassive。　〃Put　yourself　in　my　position；　a　layman；〃　he　said；　his　senses　fine…honed；　continuing　the　same　line；　〃I'd　be　pretty　bloody　foolish　to　keep　such　info　around；　wouldn't　I？　Much　wiser　to　destroy　it　…　once　the　pertinent　bits　have　been　acted　on。　Wouldn't　I？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Let's　leave　it　at　that　for　tonight。　Until　say　ten　in　the　morning。〃
　Brian　Kwok　hesitated。　Then　his　face　hardened。　〃We're　not　playing　parlor　games；　Ian。　It's　not　for　a　few　tons　of　gold；　or　some　stock　market　shenanigans　or　a　few　gray　area　deals　with　the　PRC　however　many　millions're　involved。　This　game's　deadly　and　the　millions　involved　are　people　and　unborn　generations　and　the　munist　plague。　Sevrin's　bad　news。　The　KGB's　very　bad　news　…　and　even　our　friends　in　the　CIA　and　KMT　can　be　equally　vicious　if　need　be。　You'd　better　put　a　heavy　guard　on　your　files　here　tonight。〃
　Dunross　stared　at　his　friend　impassively。　〃Then　your　official　position　is　that　this　report's　accurate？〃
　〃Crosse　thinks　it　could　be。　Might　be　wise　for　us　to　have　a　man　here　just　in　case；　don't　you　think？〃
　〃Please　yourself；　Brian。〃
　〃Should　we　put　a　man　out　at　Shek…O？〃
　〃Please　yourself；　Brian。〃
　〃You're　not　being　very　cooperative；　are　you？〃
　〃You're　wrong；　old　chum。　I'm　taking　your　points　very　seriously；〃　Dunross　said　sharply。　〃When　did　you　get　the　copy　and　how？〃
　Brian　Kwok　hesitated。　〃I　don't　know；　and　if　I　knew　I　don't　know　if　I　should　tell　you。〃
　Dunross　got　up。　〃e　on　then；　let's　go　and　find　Crosse。〃
　
　〃But　why　do　the　Gornts　and　the　Rothwells　hate　the　Struans　and　Dunrosses　so　much；　Peter？〃　Casey　asked。　She　and　Bartlett　were　strolling　the　beautiful　gardens　in　the　cool　of　the　evening　with　Peter　Marlowe　and　his　wife；　Fleur。
　〃I　don't　know　all　the　reasons　yet；〃　the　Englishman　said。　He　was　a　tall　man　of　thirty…nine　with　fair　hair；　a　patrician　accent　and　a　strange　intensity　behind　his　blue…gray　eyes。　〃The　rumor　is　that　it　goes　back　to　the　Brocks　…　that　there's　some　connection；　some　family　connection　between　the　Gornt　family　and　the　Brock　family。　Perhaps　to　old　Tyler　Brock　himself。　You've　heard　of　him？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Bartlett　said。　〃How　did　it　start；　the　feud？〃
　〃When　Dirk　Struan　was　a　boy　he'd　been　an　apprentice　seaman　on　one　of　Tyler　Brock's　armed　merchantmen。　Life　at　sea　was　pretty　brutal　then；　life　anywhere　really；　but　my　God　in　those　days　at　sea　。。。　Anyway；　Tyler　Brock　flogged　young　Struan　unmercifully　for　an　imagined　slight；　then　left　him　for　dead　somewhere　on　the　China　coast。　Dirk　Struan　was　fourteen　then；　and　he　swore　before　God　and　the　devil　that　when　he　was　a　man　he'd　smash　the　House　of　Brock　and　Sons　and　e　after　Tyler　with　a　cat…o'…nine…tails。　As　far　as　I　know　he　never　did　though　there's　a　story　he　beat　Tyler's　eldest　son　to　death　with　a　Chinese　fighting　iron。〃
　〃What's　that？〃　Casey　asked　uneasily。
　〃It's　like　a　mace；　Casey；　three　or　four　short　links　of　iron　with　a　spiked　ball　on　one　end　and　a　handle　on　the　other。〃
　〃He　killed　him　for　revenge　on　his　father？〃　she　said；　shocked。
　〃That's　another　bit　I　don't　know　yet；　but　I'll　bet　he　had　a　good　reason。〃　Peter　Marlowe　smiled　strangely。　〃Dirk　Struan；　old　Tyler　and　all　the　other　men　who　made　the　British　Empire；　conquered　India；　opened　up　China。　Christ；　they　were　giants！　Did　I　mention　Tyler　was　one…eyed？　One　of　his　eyes　was　torn　out　by　a　whipping　halyard　in　a　storm　in　the　1830's　when　he　was　racing　his　three…masted　clipper；　the　White　Witch；　after　Struan　with　a　full　cargo　of　opium　aboard。　Struan　was　a　day　ahead　in　his　clipper；　China　Cloud；　in　the　race　from　the　British　opium　fields　of　India　to　the　markets　of　China。　They　say　Tyler　just　poured　brandy　into　the　socket　and　cursed　his　sailors　aloft　to　put　on　more　canvas。〃　Peter　Marlowe　hesitated；　then　he　continued；　〃Dirk　was　killed　in　a　typhoon　in　Happy　Valley　in　1841　and　Tyler　died　penniless；　bankrupt；　in　'63。〃
　〃Why　penniless；　Peter？〃　Casey　asked。
　〃The　legend　is　that　Tess；　his　eldest　daughter　…　Hag　Struan　to　be　…　had　plotted　her　father's　downfall　for　years　…　you　know　she　married　Culum；　Dirk's　only　son？　Well；　Hag　Struan　secretly　plotted　with　the　Victoria　Bank；　which　Tyler　had　started　in　the　1840's　and　with　Cooper…Tillman；　Tyler's　partners　in　the　States。　They　trapped　him　and　brought　down　the　great　house　of　Brock　and　Sons　in　one　gigantic　crash。　He　lost　everything　…　his　shipping　line；　opium　hulks；　property；　warehouses；　stocks；　everything。　He　was　wiped　out。〃
　〃What　happened　to　him？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　no　one　does　for　certain；　but　the　story　is　that　that　same　night；　October　thirty…first；　1863；　old　Tyler　went　to　Aberdeen　…　that's　a　harbor　on　the　other　side　of　Hong　Kong　…　with　his　grandson；　Tom；　who　was　then　twenty…five；　and　six　sailors；　and　they　pirated　an　oceangoing　lorcha　…　that's　a　ship　with　a　Chinese　hull　but　European　rigged　…　and　put　out　to　sea。　He　was　mad　with　rage；　so　they　say；　and　he　hauled　up　the　Brock　pennant　to　the　masthead　and　he　had　pistols　in　his　belt　and　a　bloody　cutlass　in　his　hand　…　they'd　killed　four　men　to　pirate　the　ship。　At　the　neck　of　the　harbor　a　cutter　came　after　him　and　he　blew　it　out　of　the　water　…　in　those　days　almost　all　boats　were　armed　with　cannon　because　of　pirates　…　these　seas　have　always　been　infested　with　pirates　since　time　immemorial。　So　old　Tyler　put　to　sea；　a　good　wind　blowing　from　the　east　and　a　storm　ing。　At　the　mouth　of　Aberdeen　he　started　bellowing　out　curses。　He　cursed　Hag　Struan　and　cursed　the　island；　and　cursed　the　Victoria　Bank　that　had　betrayed　him；　and　the　Coopers　of　Cooper…Tillman；　but　most　of　all　he　cursed　the　tai…pan　who'd　been　dead　more　than　twenty　years。　And　old　Tyler　Brock　swore　revenge。　They　say　he　screamed　out　that　he　was　going　north　to　plunder　and　he　was　going　to　start　again。　He　was　going　to　build　his　House　again　and　then；　'。。。　and　then　I　be　back　by　God　。。。　I　be　back　and　I　be　venged　and　then　I　be　Noble　House　by　God。　。。。　I　be　back。　。。。'　〃
　Bartlett　and　Casey　felt　a　chill　go　down　their　backs　as　Peter　Marlowe　coarsened　his　voice。　Then　he　continued；　〃Tyler　went　north　and　was　never　heard　of　again；　no　trace　of　him　or　the　lorcha　or　his　crew；　ever。　Even　so；　his　presence　is　still　here　…　like　Dirk　Struan's。　You'd　better　remember；　in　any　dealing　with　the　Noble　House　you've　got　to　deal　with　those　two　as　well；　or　their　ghosts。　The　night　Ian　Dunross　took　over　as　tai…pan；　Struan's　lost　their　freighter　flagship；　Lasting　Cloud；　in　a　typhoon。　It　was　a　gigantic　financial　disaster。　She　foundered　off　Formosa　…　Taiwan　…　and　was　lost　with　all　hands　except　one　seaman；　a　young　English　deckhand。　He'd　been　on　the　bridge　and　he　swore　that　they'd　been　lured　onto　the　rocks　by　false　lights　and　that　he　heard　a　maniac　laughing　as　they　went　down。〃
　Casey　shivered　involuntarily。
　Bartlett　noticed　it　and　slipped　his　arm　casually　through　hers　and　she　smiled　at　him。
　He　said；　〃Peter；　people　here　talk　about　people　who've　been　dead　a　hundred　years　as　though　they're　in　the　next　room。〃
　〃Old　Chinese　habit；〃　Peter　Marlowe　replied　at　once。　〃Chinese　believe　the　past　controls　the　future　and　explains　the　present。　Of　course　Hong　Kong's　only　a　hundred　and　twenty　years　old　so　a　man　of　eighty　today'd　。。。　Take　Phillip　Chen；　the　present　pradore；　for　example。　He's　sixty…five　now　…　his　grandfather　was　the　famous　Sir　Gordon　Chen；　Dirk　Struan's　illegitimate　son　who　died　in　1907　at　the　age　of　eighty…six。　So　Phillip　Chen　would　have　been　nine　then。　A　sharp　boy　of　nine'd　remember　all　sorts　of　stories　his　revered　grandfather　would　have　told　him　about　his　father；　the　tai…pan；　and　May…may；　his　famous　mistress。　The　story　is　that　old　Sir　Gordon　Chen　was　one　hell　of　a　character；　truly　an　ancestor。　He　had　two　official　wives；　eight　concubines　of　various　ages；　and　left　the　sprawling　Chen　family　rich；　powerful　and　into　everything。　Ask　Dunross　to　show　you　his　portraits　…　I've　only　seen　copies　but；　my；　he　was　a　handsome　man。　There're　dozens　of　people　alive　here　today　who　knew　him　…　one　of　the　original　great　founders。　And　my　God；　Hag　Struan　died　only　forty…six　years　ago。　Look　over　there。　。。。〃　He　nodded　at　a　wizened　little　man；　thin　as　a　bamboo　and　just　as　strong；　talking　volubly　to　a　young　woman。　〃That's　Vincent　McGore；　tai…pan　of　the　f