jamesclavell.noblehouse-第63节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ws of the wharf。 It slid quietly along the high wall toward a flight of dank sea steps half a hundred yards away。 There were two men in the boat and the rowlocks were muffled。 At the foot of the sea steps the boat stopped。 Both men began listening intently。
At the forward gangway a third seaman going ashore reeled raucously down the slippery steps。 At the foot he was intercepted and his pass checked and an argument began。 He was refused permission by the shore guard and he was clearly drunk； so； cursing loudly； he let fly at one of them； but this man sidestepped and gave him a haymaker which was returned in kind。 Both policemen's attention zeroed on the one…sided brawl。 The tousled； thickset man who sat in the aft of the rowing boat ran up the sea steps； across the floodlit wharf and railway tracks； and vanished into the alleyways of the dockyard without being seen。 Leisurely the rowing boat began to return the way it had e； and in a moment； the brawl ceased。 The helpless drunk was carried back aboard； not unkindly。
Deep in the dockyard's byways； the tousled man sauntered now。 From time to time； casually and expertly； he glanced behind to ensure he was not being followed。 He wore dark tropicals and neat rubber…soled shoes。 His ship's papers documented him as Igor Voranski； seaman first class； Soviet Merchant Marine。
He avoided the dock gates and the policeman who watched them and followed the wall for a hundred yards or so to a side door。 The door opened onto an alley in the Tai…wan Shan resettlement area … a maze of corrugated iron； plywood and cardboard hovels。 His pace quickened。 Soon he was out of the area and into brightly lighted streets of shops and stalls and crowds that eventually led him to Chatham Road。 There he hailed a taxi。
〃Mong Kok； quick as you can；〃 he said in English。 〃Yaumati Ferry。〃
The driver stared at him insolently。 〃Eh？〃
〃Ayeeyah！〃 Voranski replied at once and added in harsh； perfect Cantonese； 〃Mong Kok！ Are you deaf！ Have you been sniffing the White Powder？ Do you take me for a foreign devil tourist from the Golden Mountain … me who is clearly a Hong Kong person who has lived here twenty years？ Ayeeyah！ Yaumati Ferry on the other side of Kowloon。 Do you need directions？ Are you from Outer Mongolia？ Are you a stranger； eh？〃
The driver sullenly pulled the flag down and sped off； heading south and then west。 The man in the back of the car watched the street behind。 He could see no trailing car but he still did not relax。
They're too clever here； he thought。 Be cautious！
At Yaumati Ferry station he paid off the taxi and gave the man barely the correct tip then went into the crowds and slid out of them and hailed another taxi。 〃Golden Ferry。〃
The driver nodded sleepily； yawned and headed south。
At the ferry terminal he paid off the driver almost before he had stopped and joined the crowds that were hurrying for the turnstiles of the Hong Kong ferries。 But once through the turnstiles he did not go to the ferry gate but instead went to the men's room and then； out once more； he opened the door of a phone booth and went in。 Very sure now that he had not been followed he was more relaxed。
He put in a coin and dialed。
〃Yes？〃 a man's voice answered in English。
〃Mr。 Lop…sing please。〃
〃I don't know that name。 There's no Mr。 Lop…ting here。 You have a wrong number。〃
〃I want to leave a message。〃
〃Sorry you have a wrong number。 Look in your phone book！〃
Voranski relaxed； his heart slowing a little。 〃I want to speak to Arthur；〃 he said； his English perfect。
〃Sorry； he's not here yet。〃
〃He was told to be there； to wait my call；〃 he said curtly。 〃Why is there a change？〃
〃Who is this please？〃
〃Brown；〃 he snapped； using his cover name。
He was somewhat mollified as he heard the other voice instantly take on just deference。 〃Ah； Mr。 Brown； wele back to Hong Kong。 Arthur's phoned to tell me to expect your call。 He asked me to wele you and to say everything's prepared for the meeting tomorrow。〃
〃When do you expect him？〃
〃Any moment； sir。〃
Voranski cursed silently for he was obliged to report back to the ship by phone within the hour。 He did not like divergences in any plan。
〃Very well；〃 he said。 'Tell him to call me at 32。〃 This was the code name for their safe apartment in Sinclair Towers。 〃Has the American arrived yet？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Good。 He was acpanied？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Good。 And？〃
〃Arthur told me nothing more。〃
〃Have you met her yet？〃
〃No。〃
〃Has Arthur？〃
〃I don't know。〃
〃Has contact been made yet with either of them？〃
〃Sorry； I don't know。 Arthur didn't tell me。〃
〃And the tai…pan？ What about him？〃
〃Everything's arranged。〃
〃Good。 How long would it take you to get to 32； if necessary？〃
〃Ten to fifteen minutes。 Did you want us to meet you there？〃
〃I'll decide that later。〃
〃Oh Mr。 Brown； Arthur thought you might like a little pany after such a voyage。 Her name's Koh； Maureen Koh。〃
〃That was thoughtful of him … very thoughtful。〃
〃Her phone number's beside the phone at 32。 Just ring and she'll arrive within half an hour。 Arthur wanted to know if your superior was with you tonight … if he'd need panionship also。〃
〃No。 He'll join us as planned tomorrow。 But tomorrow evening he will expect hospitality。 Good night。〃 Voranski hung up arrogantly； conscious of his KGB seniority。 At that instant the booth door swung open and the Chinese barged in and another blocked the outside。 〃What the … 〃
The words died as he did。 The stiletto was long and thin。 It came out easily。 The Chinese let the body fall。 He stared down at the inert heap for a moment then cleaned the knife on the corpse and slid it back into its sheath in his sleeve。 He grinned at the heavyset Chinese who still blocked the glass windows in the upper part of the booth as though he were the next customer； then put a coin in and dialed。
On the third ring a polite voice said； 〃Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station； good evening。〃
The man smiled sardonically and said rudely in Shanghainese； 〃You speak Shanghainese？〃
A hesitation； a click； and now another voice in Shanghainese said； 〃This is Divisional Sergeant Tang…po。 What is it； caller？〃
〃A Soviet pig slipped through your mother…fornicating net tonight as easily as a bullock shits； but now he's joined his ancestors。 Do we of the 14K have to do all your manure…infected work for you？〃
〃What Sovie… 〃
〃Hold your mouth and listen！ His turtle…dung corpse's in a phone booth at Golden Ferry； Kowloonside。 Just tell your mother…fornicating superiors to keep their eyes on enemies of China and not up their fornicating stink holes！〃 At once he hung up and eased out of the box。 He turned back momentarily and spat on the body； then shut the door and he and his panion joined the streams of passengers heading for the Hong Kong ferry。
They did not notice the man trailing them。 He was a short； tubby American dressed like all the other tourists with the inevitable camera around his neck。 Now he was leaning against the starboard gunnel melding into the crowd perfectly； pointing his camera this way and that as the ferry scuttled toward Hong Kong Island。 But unlike other tourists his film was very special； so was his lens； and his camera。 〃Hello； friend；〃 another tourist said with a beam； wandering up to him。 〃You having yourself a time？〃
〃Sure；〃 the man said。 〃Hong Kong's a great place； huh？〃
〃You can say that again。〃 He turned and looked at the view。 〃Beats the hell outta Minneapolis。〃
The first man turned also but kept his peripheral vision locked onto the two Chinese； then dropped his voice。 〃We got problems。〃
The other tourist blanched。 〃Did we lose him？ He didn't double back； Tom； I'm certain。 I covered both exits。 I thought you had him pegged in the booth。〃
〃You bet your ass he was pegged。 Look back there； center row … the Chinese joker with the white shirt and the one next to him。 Those two sons of bitches knocked him off。〃
〃Jesus！〃 Marty Povitz； one of the team of CIA agents assigned to cover the Sovetsky Ivanov； carefully looked at the two Chinese。 〃Kuomintang？ Nationalists？ Or mies？〃
〃Shit； I don't know。 But the stiff's still in a phone booth back there。 Where's Rosemont？〃
〃He's g… 〃 Povitz stopped then raised his voice and became an affable tourist again as passengers began to crowd nearer the exit。 〃Lookit there；〃 he said； pointing to the crest of the Peak。 The apartment buildings were tall and well lit and so were the houses that dotted the slopes； one particularly； one very high； the highest private mansion in Hong Kong。 It was floodlit and sparkled like a jewel。 〃Say； whoever lives there's just about on top of the world； huh？〃
Tom Connochie； the senior of the two； sighed。 〃Gotta be a tai…pan's house。〃 Thoughtfully he lit a cigarette and let the match spiral into the black waters。 Then； openly chatting tourist…style； he took a shot of the house and casually finished the roll of film； taking several more of the two Chinese。 He reloaded his camera and； unobserved； passed the roll of exposed film to his partner。 Hardly using his lips； he said； 〃Call Rosemont up there； soon as we dock … tell him we got problems … then go get these processed tonight。 I'll phone you when these two've b
