jamesclavell.noblehouse-第70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！


mother's　maiden　name　on　the　birth　certificate；　added　Paul　and　got　one　of　his　cousins　to　pose　as　the　real　father。
　〃Listen；　my　son；〃　Four　Finger　Wu　had　said；　as　soon　as　Paul　could　understand；　〃when　speaking　Haklo　aboard　my　ship；　you　can　call　me　Father　…　but　never　in　front　of　a　foreign　devil；　even　in　Haklo。　All　other　times　I'm　'Uncle；'　just　one　of　many　uncles。　Understand？〃
　〃Yes。　But　why；　Father？　Have　I　done　something　wrong？　I'm　sorry　if　I've　offended　you。〃
　〃You　haven't。　You're　a　good　boy　and　you　work　hard。　It's　just　better　for　the　family　for　you　to　have　another　name。〃
　〃But　why；　Father？〃
　〃When　it's　time　you　will　be　told。〃　Then；　when　he　was　twelve　and　trained　and　had　proved　his　value；　his　father　had　sent　him　to　the　States。　〃Now　you're　to　learn　the　ways　of　the　foreign　devil。　You　must　begin　to　speak　like　one；　sleep　like　one；　bee　one　outwardly　but　never　forget　who　you　are；　who　your　people　are；　or　that　all　foreign　devils　are　inferior；　hardly　human　beings；　and　certainly　not　fornicating　civilized。〃
　Paul　Choy　laughed　to　himself。　If　Americans　only　knew　…　from　tai…pan　to　meathead　…　and　British；　Iranians；　Germans；　Russians；　every　race　and　color；　if　they　all　really　knew　what　even　the　lousiest　coolie　thought　of　them；　they'd　hemorrhage；　he　told　himself　for　the　millionth　time。　It's　not　that　all　the　races　of　China　despise　foreigners；　it's　just　that　foreigners're　just　beneath　any　consideration。　Of　course　we're　wrong；　he　told　himself。　Foreigners　are　human　and　some　are　civilized　…　in　their　way　…　and　far　ahead　of　us　technically。　But　we　are　better。　。。。
　〃Why　the　smile？〃　Gornt　asked；　ducking　under　ropes；　avoiding　rubbish　that　scattered　all　the　decks。
　〃Oh；　I　was　just　thinking　how　crazy　life　is。　This　time　last　month　I　was　surfing　at　Malibu　Colony；　California。　Boy；　Aberdeen's　something　else；　isn't　it？〃
　〃You　mean　the　smell？〃
　〃Sure。〃
　〃Yes　it　is。〃
　〃It's　not　much　better　at　high　tide。　No　one　but　me　seems　to　smell　the　stench！〃
　〃When　were　you　last　here？〃
　〃Couple　of　years　back　…　for　ten　days　…　after　I　graduated；　B。A。　in　business；　but　I　never　seem　to　get　used　to　it。〃　Choy　laughed。　〃New　England　it　ain't！〃
　〃Where　did　you　go　to　school？〃
　〃Seattle　first。　Then　undergraduate　school；　University　of　Washington　at　Seattle。　Then　I　got　a　master's　at　Harvard；　Harvard　Business　School。〃
　Gornt　stopped。　〃Harvard？〃
　〃Sure。　I　got　an　assist；　a　scholarship。〃
　〃That's　very　good。　When　did　you　graduate？〃
　〃June　last　year。　It　was　like　getting　out　of　prison！　Boy；　they　really　put　your　ass　on　the　block　if　you　don't　keep　up　your　grades。　Two　years　of　hell！　After　I　got　out　I　headed　for　California　with　a　buddy；　doing　odd　jobs　here　and　there　to　make　enough　to　keep　surfing；　having　ourselves　a　time　after　sweating　out　so　much　school。　Then　。。。〃　Choy　grinned。　〃　。。。　then　a　couple　of　months　back　Uncle　Wu　caught　up　with　me　and　said　it's　time　you　went　to　work　so　here　I　am！　After　all；　he　paid　for　my　education。　My　parents　died　years　ago。〃
　〃Were　you　top　of　your　class　at　Harvard？〃
　〃Third。〃
　〃That's　very　good。〃
　〃Thank　you。　It's　not　far　now；　ours　is　the　end　junk。〃
　They　negotiated　a　precarious　gangway；　Gornt　watched　suspiciously　by　silent　boat　dwellers　as　they　crossed　from　floating　home　to　floating　home；　the　families　dozing　or　cooking　or　eating　or　playing　mah…jong；　some　still　repairing　fishing　nets；　some　children　night　fishing。
　〃This　bit's　slippery；　Mr。　Gornt。〃　He　jumped　onto　the　tacky　deck。　〃We　made　it！　Home　sweet　home！〃　He　tousled　the　hair　of　the　sleepy　little　boy　who　was　the　lookout　and　said　in　Haklo；　which　he　knew　Gornt　did　not　understand；　〃Keep　awake；　Little　Brother；　or　the　devils　will　get　us。〃
　〃Yes；　yes　I　will；〃　the　boy　piped；　his　suspicious　eyes　on　Gornt。　Paul　Choy　led　the　way　below。　The　old　junk　smelled　of　tar　and　teak；　rotting　fish　and　sea　salt　and　a　thousand　storms。　Below　decks　the　midship　gangway　opened　on　to　the　normal　single　large　cabin　for'ard　that　went　the　breadth　of　the　ship　and　the　length　to　the　bow。　An　open　charcoal　fire　burned　in　a　careless　brick　fireplace　with　a　sooty　kettle　singing　over　it。　Smoke　curled　upward　and　found　its　way　to　the　outside　through　a　rough　flue　cut　in　the　deck。　A　few　old　rattan　chairs；　tables　and　tiers　of　rough　bunks　lined　one　side。
　Four　Finger　Wu　was　alone　and　he　waved　at　one　of　the　chairs　and　beamed。　〃Heya；　good　see；〃　he　said　in　halting；　hardly　understandable　English。　〃Whiskey？〃
　〃Thanks；〃　Gornt　said。　〃Good　to　see　you　too。〃
　Paul　Choy　poured　the　good　Scotch　into　two　semiclean　glasses。
　〃You　want　water；　Mr。　Gornt？〃　he　asked。
　〃No；　straight's　fine。　Not　too　much　please。〃
　〃Sure。〃
　Wu　accepted　his　glass　and　toasted　Gornt。　〃Good　see　you；　heya？〃
　〃Yes。　Health！〃
　They　watched　Gornt　sip　his　whiskey。
　〃Good；〃　Gornt　said。　〃Very　good　whiskey。〃
　Wu　beamed　again　and　motioned　at　Paul。　〃Him　sister　son。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Good　school　…　Golden　Country。〃
　〃Yes。　Yes；　he　told　me。　You　should　be　very　proud。〃
　〃Wat？〃
　Paul　Choy　translated　for　the　old　man。　〃Ah　thank；　thank　you。　He　talk　good；　heya？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Gornt　smiled。　〃Very　good。〃
　〃Ah；　good　never　mind。　Smoke？〃
　〃Thank　you。〃　They　watched　Gornt　take　a　cigarette。　Then　Wu　took　one　and　Paul　Choy　lit　both　of　them。　Another　silence。
　〃Good　with　old　frien'？〃
　〃Yes。　And　you？〃
　〃Good。〃　Another　silence。　〃Him　sister　son；〃　the　old　seaman　said　again　and　saw　Gornt　nod　and　say　nothing；　waiting。　It　pleased　him　that　Gornt　just　sat　there；　waiting　patiently　for　him　to　e　to　the　point　as　a　civilized　person　should。
　Some　of　these　pink　devils　are　learning　at　long　last。　Yes；　but　some　have　learned　too　fornicating　well　…　the　tai…pan　for　instance；　him　with　those　cold；　ugly　blue　fish…eyes　that　most　foreign　devils　have；　that　stare　at　you　like　a　dead　shark　…　the　one　who　can　even　speak　a　little　Haklo　dialect。　Yes；　the　tai…pan's　too　cunning　and　too　civilized；　but　then　he's　had　generations　before　him　and　his　ancestors　had　the　Evil　Eye　before　him。　Yes；　but　old　Devil　Green　Eyes；　the　first　of　his　line；　who　made　a　pact　with　my　ancestor　the　great　sea　warlord；　Wu　Fang　Choi　and　his　son；　Wu　Kwok；　and　kept　it；　and　saw　that　his　sons　kept　it　…　and　their　sons。　So　this　present　tai…pan　must　be　considered　an　old　friend　even　though　he's　the　most　deadly　of　the　line。
　The　old　man　suppressed　a　shudder　and　hawked　and　spat　to　scare　away　the　evil　spit　god　that　lurked　in　all　men's　throats。　He　studied　Gornt。　Eeeee；　he　told　himself；　it　must　be　vile　to　have　to　look　at　that　pink　face　in　every　mirror　…　all　that　face　hair　like　a　monkey　and　a　pallid　white　toad's　belly　skin　elsewhere！　Ugh！
　He　put　a　smile　on　his　face　to　cover　his　embarrassment　and　tried　to　read　Gornt's　face；　what　was　beneath　it；　but　he　could　not。　Never　mind；　he　told　himself　gleefully；　that's　why　all　the　time　and　money's　been　spent　to　prepare　Number　Seven　Son　…　he'll　know。
　〃Maybe　ask　favor？〃　he　said　tentatively。
　The　beams　of　the　ship　creaked　pleasantly　as　she　wallowed　at　her　moorings。
　〃Yes。　What　favor；　old　friend？〃
　〃Sister　son　…　time　go　work　…　give　job？〃　He　saw　astonishment　on　Gornt's　face　and　this　annoyed　him　but　he　hid　it。　〃　'Splain；〃　he　said　in　English　then　added　to　Paul　Choy　in　guttural　Haklo；　〃Explain　to　this　Eater　of　Turtle　Shit　what　I　want。　Just　as　I　told　you。〃
　〃My　uncle　apologizes　that　he　can't　speak　directly　to　you　so　he's　asked　me　to　explain；　Mr。　Gornt；〃　Paul　Choy　said　politely。　〃He　wants　to　ask　if　you'd　give　me　a　job　…　as　a　sort　of　trainee　…　in　your　airplane　and　shipping　division。〃
　Gornt　sipped　his　whiskey。　〃Why　those；　Mr。　Choy？〃
　〃My　uncle　has　substantial　shipping　interests；　as　you　know；　and　he　wants　me　to　modernize　his　operation。　I　can　give　you　chapter　and　verse　on　my　background；　if　you'd　consider　me；　sir　…　my　second　year　at　Harvard　was　directed　to　those　areas　…　my　major　interest　was　transportation　of　all　types。　I'd　been　accepted　in　the　International　Division　of　the　Bank　of　Ohio　before　my　uncle　jer…　pulled　me　back。〃　Paul　Choy　hesitated。　〃Anyway　that's　what　he　asks。〃
　〃What　dialects　do　you　speak；　other　than　Haklo？〃
　〃Mandarin。〃
　〃How　many　characters　can　you　write？〃
　〃About　four　thousand。〃
　〃Can　you　take　shorthand？〃
　〃Speedwriting　only；　sir。　I　can　type　about　eighty　words　a　minute　but　not　clean。〃
　〃Wat？〃　Wu　asked。
　Gornt　watched　Paul　Choy　as　the　young　man　translated　what　had　been　said　for　his　uncle；　weighing　him　…　and　Four　Finger　Wu。　Then　he　said；　〃What　sort　of　trainee　do　you　want　to　be？〃
　〃He　wants　me　to　learn　all　there　is　to　know　about　running　shipping　and　airlines；　the　broking　and　freighting　business　also；　the　practical　operation；　and　of　course　to　be　a　profitable　cog　for　you　in　your　machine。　Maybe　my　Yankee　expertise；　theoretical　expertise；　could　help　you　somehow。　I'm　twenty…six。　I've　a　master's。　I'm　into　all　the　new　puter　theory。　Of　course　I　can　program　one。　At　Harvard　I　backgrounded　in　conglomerates；　cash　flows。〃
　〃And　if　you　don't　perform；　or　there's；　how　would　you　put　it；　a　personality　conflict？〃
　The　young　man　said　firmly；　〃There　won't　be；　Mr。　Gornt　…　least…ways　I'll　work　my　can　off　to　prevent　that。〃
　〃Wat？　What　did　he　say？　Exactly？〃　Four　Fingers　asked　sharply　in　Haklo；　noticing　a　change　in　inflection；　his　eyes　and　ears　highly　tuned。
　His　son　explained；　exactly。
　〃Good；〃　Wu　said；　his　voice　a　rasp。　〃Tell　him　exactly；　if　you　don't　do　all　your　tasks　to　his　satisfaction　you'l