jamesclavell.noblehouse-第69节

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　〃Nothing；　dear　boy。　Just　rumors。〃　The　older　man　leaned　over　and　poured　more　whiskey　for　Gornt；　then　used　the　soda　syphon。　〃Rumor　has　it　that　a　certain　Chinese　mechanic；　for　a　small　fee；　put　。。。　put；　as　we　say；　a　small　spanner　in　the　works。〃
　〃I　doubt　if　that'd　be　true。〃
　〃I　doubt　if　it　could　be　proved。　One　way　or　another。　It's　disgusting；　but　some　people　will　do　anything　for　quite　a　small　amount　of　money。〃
　〃Yes。　Fortunately　we're　in　the　big…money　market。〃
　〃My　whole　point；　dear　boy。　Now。〃　Plumm　tapped　the　ash　off　his　cigar。　〃What's　the　scheme？〃
　〃It's　very　simple：　providing　Bartlett　does　not　actually　sign　a　deal　with　Struan's　in　the　next　ten　days　we　can　pluck　the　Noble　House　like　a　dead　duck。〃
　〃Lot's　of　people　have　thought　that　before　and　Struan's　is　still　the　Noble　House。〃
　〃Yes。　But　at　the　moment；　they're　vulnerable。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃The　Toda　Shipping　notes；　and　the　Orlin　installment。〃
　〃Not　true。　Struan's　credit　is　excellent　…　oh；　they're　stretched；　but　no　more　than　anyone　else。　They'll　just　increase　their　line　of　credit　…　or　Ian　will　go　to　Richard　Kwang　…　or　Blacs。〃
　〃Say　Blacs　won't　help　…　they　won't　…　and　say　Richard　Kwang's　neutralized。　That　leaves　only　the　Victoria。〃
　〃Then　Dunross'll　ask　the　bank　for　more　credit　and　we'll　have　to　give　it　to　him。　Paul　Havergill　will　put　it　to　a　vote　of　the　board。　We　all　know　we　can't　outvote　the　Struan's　block　so　we'll　go　along　with　it　and　save　face；　pretending　we're　very　happy　to　oblige；　as　usual。〃
　〃Yes。　But　this　time　I'm　happy　to　say　Richard　Kwang　will　vote　against　Struan's。　That　will　tie　up　the　board；　the　credit　request　will　be　delayed　…　he　won't　be　able　to　make　his　payments；　so　Dunross　goes　under。〃
　〃For　God's　sake；　Richard　Kwang's　not　even　on　the　board！　Have　you　gone　bonkers？〃
　Gornt　puffed　his　cigar。　〃No；　you've　forgotten　my　game　plan。　The　one　called　petition。　It　was　started　a　couple　of　days　ago。〃
　〃Against　Richard？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Poor　old　Richard！〃
　〃Yes。　He'll　be　our　deciding　vote。　And　Dunross'll　never　expect　an　attack　from　there。〃
　Plumm　stared　at　him。　〃Richard　and　Dunross　are　great　friends。〃
　〃But　Richard's　in　trouble。　The　run's　started　on　the　Ho…Pak。　He'll　do　anything　to　save　himself。〃
　〃I　see。　How　much　Ho…Pak　stock　did　you　sell　short？〃
　〃Lots。〃
　〃Are　you　sure　Richard　hasn't　got　the　resources　to　stave　off　the　run　…　that　he　can't　pull　in　extra　funds？〃
　〃If　he　does；　we　can　always　abort；　you　and　I。〃
　〃Yes；　yes　we　can。〃　Jason　Plumm　watched　his　cigar　smoke　spiral。　〃But　just　because　Dunross　won't　meet　those　payments　doesn't　mean　he's　finished。〃
　〃I　agree。　But　after　the　Ho…Pak　'disaster；'　the　news　that　Struan's　have　defaulted　will　send　his　stock　plummeting。　The　market'll　be　very　nervous；　there'll　be　all　the　signs　of　a　crash　looming　which　we　fuel　by　selling　short。　There's　no　board　meeting　scheduled　for　a　couple　of　weeks　unless　Paul　Havergill　calls　a　special　meeting。　And　he　won't。　Why　should　he？　He　wants　their　chunk　of　stock　back　more　than　anything　else　in　the　world。　So　everything　will　be　fixed　beforehand。　He'll　set　the　ground　rules　for　rescuing　Richard　Kwang；　and　voting　as　Paul　decides　will　be　one　of　them。　So　the　board　lets　Ian　stew　for　a　few　days；　then　offers　to　extend　credit　and　restore　confidence　…　in　return　for　Struan's　piece　of　the　bank　stock　…　it's　pledged　against　the　credit　anyway。〃
　〃Dunross'll　never　agree　…　neither　he　nor　Phillip　Chen；　nor　Tsu…yan。〃
　〃It's　that　or　Struan's　goes　under　…　providing　you　hold　tight　and　you've　voting　control。　Once　the　bank　gets　his　block　of　stock　away　from　him　。。。　if　you　control　the　board；　and　therefore　the　Victoria　Bank；　then　he's　finished。〃
　〃Yes。　But　say　he　gets　a　new　line　of　credit？〃
　〃Then　he's　only　badly　mauled；　maybe　permanently　weakened；　Jason；　but　we　make　a　killing　either　way。　It's　all　a　matter　of　timing；　you　know　that。〃
　〃And　Bartlett？〃
　〃Bartlett　and　Par…Con　are　mine。　He'll　never　go　with　Struan's　sinking　ship。　I'll　see　to　that。〃
　After　a　pause　Plumm　said；　〃It's　possible。　Yes；　it's　possible。〃
　〃Are　you　in　then？〃
　〃After　Struan's；　how　are　you　going　to　gobble　up　Par…Con？〃
　〃I'm　not。　But　we　could　…　possibly。〃　Gornt　stubbed　out　his　cigar。　〃Par…Con's　a　long…term　effort　and　a　whole　different　set　of　problems。　First　Struan's。　Well？〃
　〃If　I　get　Struan's　Hong　Kong　property　division　…　35　percent　of　their　landholdings　in　Thailand　and　Singapore　and　we're　fifty…fifty　on　their　Kai　Tak　operation？〃　…
　〃Yes；　everything　except　Kai　Tak　…　I　need　that　to　round　off　All　Asia　Airways。　I'm　sure　you'll　understand；　old　boy。　But　you've　a　seat　on　the　board　of　the　new　pany；　ten　percent　of　the　stock　at　par；　seats　on　Struan's　of　course；　and　all　their　subsidiaries。〃
　〃15　percent。　And　chairmanship　of　Struan's；　alternate　years　with　you？〃
　〃Agreed；　but　I'm　first。〃　Gornt　lit　a　cigarette。　Why　not？　he　thought　expansively。　By　this　time　next　year　Struan's　will　be　dismembered　so　your　chairmanship　is　really　academic；　Jason　old　boy。　〃So　everything's　agreed？　We'll　put　it　in　a　joint　memo　if　you　like；　one　copy　for　each　of　us。〃
　Plumm　shook　his　head　and　smiled。　〃Don't　need　a　memo；　perish　the　thought！　Here。〃　He　held　out　his　hand。　〃I　agree！〃
　The　two　men　shook　hands　firmly。　〃Down　with　the　Noble　House！〃　They　both　laughed；　very　content　with　the　deal　they　had　made。　Acquisition　of　Struan's　landholdings　would　make　Asian　Properties　the　largest　land　pany　in　Hong　Kong。　Gornt　would　acquire　almost　a　total　monopoly　of　all　Hong　Kong's　air　cargo；　sea　freighting　and　factoring　…　and　preeminence　in　Asia。
　Good；　Gornt　thought。　Now　for　Four　Finger　Wu。　〃If　you'll　call　me　a　taxi　I'll　be　off。〃
　〃Take　my　car；　my　chauffeur　will…　〃
　〃Thanks　but　no；　I'd　rather　take　a　taxi。　Really；　Jason；　thanks　anyway。〃
　So　Plumm　phoned　down　to　the　concierge　of　the　twenty…story　apartment　building　which　was　owned　and　operated　by　his　Asian　Properties。　While　they　waited；　they　toasted　each　other　and　the　destruction　of　Struan's　and　the　profits　they　were　going　to　make。　A　phone　rang　in　the　adjoining　room。
　〃Excuse　me　a　moment；　old　chap。〃　Plumm　went　through　the　door　and　half…closed　it　behind　him。　This　was　his　private　bedroom　which　he　used　sometimes　when　he　was　working　late。　It　was　a　small；　very　neat　room；　soundproofed；　fitted　up　like　a　ship's　cabin　with　a　built…in　bunk；　hi…fi　speakers　that　piped　in　the　music；　a　small　self…contained　hot　plate　and　refrigerator。　And；　on　one　side；　was　a　huge　bank　of　elaborate；　shortwave；　ham　radio　transceiver　equipment　which　had　been　Jason　Plumm's　abiding　hobby　since　his　childhood。
　He　picked　up　the　phone。　〃Yes？〃
　〃Mr。　Lop…sing　please？〃　the　woman's　voice　said。
　〃There's　no　Mr。　Lop…ting　here；〃　he　said　easily。　〃Sorry；　you　have　a　wrong　number。〃
　〃I　want　to　leave　a　message。〃
　〃You　have　a　wrong　number。　Look　in　your　phone　book。〃
　〃An　urgent　message　for　Arthur：　Center　radioed　that　the　meeting's　postponed　until　the　day　after　tomorrow。　Standby　for　urgent　instructions　at　0600。〃　The　line　went　dead。　Again　a　dial　tone。
　Plumm　frowned　as　he　put　the　phone　back　on　its　cradle。
　
　Four　Finger　Wu　stood　at　the　gunnel　of　his　junk　with　Good…weather　Poon　watching　Gornt　get　into　the　sampan　that　he　had　sent　for　him。
　〃He　hasn't　changed　much　in　all　this　time；　has　he？〃　Wu　said　absently；　his　narrowed　eyes　glittering。
　〃Foreign　devils　all　look　alike　to　me；　never　mind。　How　many　years　is　it？　Ten？〃　Poon　asked；　scratching　his　piles。
　〃No；　it's　nearer　twelve　now。　Good　times　then；　heya；〃　Wu　said。　〃Lots　of　profit。　Very　good；　slipping　upstream　toward　Canton；　evading　the　foreign　devils　and　their　lackeys。　Chairman　Mao's　people　weling　us。　Yes。　Our　own　people　in　charge　and　not　a　foreign　devil　anywhere　…　nor　a　fat　official　wanting　his　hand　touched　with　fragrant　grease。　You　could　visit　all　your　family　and　friends　then　and　no　trouble；　heya？　Not　like　now；　heya？〃
　〃The　Reds're　getting　tough；　very　clever　and　very　tough　…　worse　than　the　Mandarins。〃
　Wu　turned　as　his　seventh　son　came　on　deck。　Now　the　young　man　wore　a　neat　white　shirt　and　gray　trousers　and　good　shoes。　〃Be　careful；〃　he　called　out　brusquely。　〃You're　sure　you　know　what　to　do？〃
　〃Yes；　Father。〃
　〃Good；〃　Four　Fingers　said；　hiding　his　pride。　〃I　don't　want　any　mistakes。〃
　He　watched　him　head　awkwardly　for　the　haphazard　gangway　of　planks　that　joined　this　junk　to　the　next　and　thence　across　other　junks　to　a　makeshift　landing　eight　boats　away。
　〃Does　Seventh　Son　know　anything　yet？〃　Poon　asked　softly。
　〃No；　no　not　yet；〃　Wu　said　sourly。　〃Those　dogmeat　fools　to　be　caught　with　my　guns！　Without　the　guns；　all　our　work　will　be　for　nothing。〃
　
　〃Evening；　Mr。　Gornt。　I'm　Paul　Choy　…　my　uncle　Wu　sent　me　to　show　you　the　way；〃　the　young　man　said　in　perfect　English；　repeating　the　lie　that　was　now　almost　the　real　truth　to　him。
　Gornt　stopped；　startled；　then　continued　up　the　rickety　stairs；　his　sea　legs　better　than　the　young　man's。　〃Evening；〃　he　said。　〃You're　American？　Or　did　you　just　go　to　school　there；　Mr。　Choy？〃
　〃Both。〃　Paul　Choy　smiled。　〃You　know　how　it　is。　Watch　your　head　on　the　ropes　…　and　it's　slippery　as　hell。〃　He　turned　and　began　to　lead　the　way　back。　His　real　name　was　Wu　Fang　Choi　and　he　was　his　father's　seventh　son　by　his　third　wife；　but；　when　he　was　born；　his　father　Four　Finger　Wu　had　sought　a　Hong　Kong　birth　certificate　for　him；　an　unusual　act　for　a　boat　dweller；　put　his　mother's