jamesclavell.noblehouse-第71节

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　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'll　be　cast　out　of　the　family　and　my　wrath　will　waste　your　days。〃
　Paul　Choy　hesitated；　hiding　his　shock；　all　his　American　training　screaming　to　tell　his　father　to　go　screw；　that　he　was　a　Harvard　graduate；　that　he　was　an　American　and　had　an　American　passport　that　he'd　earned；　whatever　goddamn　sampan　or　goddamn　family　he　came　from。　But　he　kept　his　eyes　averted　and　his　anger　off　his　face。
　Don't　be　ungrateful；　he　ordered　himself。　You're　not　American；　truly　American。　You're　Chinese；　and　the　head　of　your　family　has　the　right　to　rule。　But　for　him　you　could　be　running　a　floating　cathouse　here　in　Aberdeen。
　Paul　Choy　sighed。　He　knew　that　he　was　more　fortunate　than　his　eleven　brothers。　Four　were　junk　captains　here　in　Aberdeen；　one　lived　in　Bangkok　and　plied　the　Mekong　River；　one　had　a　ferryboat　in　Singapore；　another　ran　an　import/export　shipwright　business　in　Indonesia；　two　had　been　lost　at　sea；　one　brother　was　in　England　…　doing　what　he　didn't　know　…　and　the　last；　the　eldest；　ruled　the　dozen　feeder　sampans　in　Aberdeen　Harbor　that　were　floating　kitchens　…　and　also　three　pleasure　boats　and　eight　ladies　of　the　night。
　After　a　pause　Gornt　asked；　〃What　did　he　say？　Exactly？〃
　Paul　Choy　hesitated；　then　decided　to　tell　him；　exactly。
　〃Thank　you　for　being　honest　with　me；　Mr。　Choy。　That　was　wise。　You're　a　very　impressive　young　man；〃　Gornt　said。　〃I　understand　perfectly。〃　Now　for　the　first　time　since　Wu　had　asked　the　original　question　he　turned　his　eyes　to　the　old　seaman　and　smiled。　〃Of　course。　Glad　to　give　nephew　job。〃
　Wu　beamed　and　Paul　Choy　tried　to　keep　the　relief　off　his　face。
　〃I　won't　let　you　down；　Mr。　Gornt。〃
　〃Yes；　I　know　you　won't。〃
　Wu　motioned　at　the　bottle。　〃Whiskey？〃
　〃No　thank　you。　This　is　fine；〃　Gornt　said。
　〃When　start　job？〃
　Gornt　looked　at　Paul　Choy。　〃When　would　you　like　to　start？〃
　〃Tomorrow？　Whenever's　good　for　you；　sir。〃
　〃Tomorrow。　Wednesday。〃
　〃Gee；　thanks。　Eight　o'clock？〃
　〃Nine；　eight　thereafter。　A　six…day　week　of　course。　You'll　have　long　hours　and　I'll　push　you。　It'll　be　up　to　you　how　much　you　can　learn　and　how　fast　I　can　increase　your　responsibilities。〃
　〃Thanks；　Mr。　Gornt。〃　Happily　Paul　Choy　translated　for　his　father。　Wu　sipped　his　whiskey　without　hurrying。　〃What　money？〃　he　asked。
　Gornt　hesitated。　He　knew　it　had　to　be　just　the　right　sum；　not　too　much；　not　too　little；　to　give　Paul　Choy　face　and　his　uncle　face。　〃1；000　HK　a　month　for　the　first　three　months；　then　I'll　review。〃
　The　young　man　kept　his　gloom　off　his　face。　That　was　hardly　200　U。S。　but　he　translated　it　into　Haklo。
　〃Maybe　2；000？〃　Wu　said；　hiding　his　pleasure。　A　thousand　was　the　perfect　figure　but　he　was　bargaining　merely　to　give　the　foreign　devil　face　and　his　son　face。
　〃If　he's　to　be　trained；　many　valuable　managers　will　have　to　take　time　away　from　their　other　duties；〃　Gornt　said　politely。　〃It's　expensive　to　train　anyone。〃
　〃Much　money　Golden　Mountain；〃　Wu　said　firmly。　〃Two？〃
　〃1；000　first　month；　1；250　next　two　months？〃
　Wu　frowned　and　added；　〃Month　three；　1；500？〃
　〃Very　well。　Months　three　and　four　at　1；500。　And　I'll　review　his　salary　after　four　months。　And　Paul　Choy　guarantees　to　work　for　Rothwell…Gornt　for　at　least　two　years。〃
　〃Wat？〃
　Paul　Choy　translated　again。　Shit；　he　was　thinking；　how'm　I　going　to　vacation　in　the　States　on　50　bucks　a　week；　even　60。　Shit！　And　where　the　hell'm　I　gonna　live？　On　a　goddamn　sampan？　Then　he　heard　Gornt　say　something　and　his　brain　twisted。
　〃Sir？〃
　〃I　said　because　you've　been　so　honest　with　me；　we'll　give　you　free　acmodation　in　one　of　our　pany　houses　…　The　Gables。　That's　where　we　put　all　our　managerial　trainees　who　e　out　from　England。　If　you're　going　to　be　part　of　a　foreign　devil　hong　then　you'd　better　mix　with　its　future　leaders。〃
　〃Yes　sir！〃　Paul　Choy　could　not　stop　the　beam。　〃Yes　sir；　thank　you　sir。〃
　Four　Finger　Wu　asked　something　in　Haklo。
　〃He　wants　to　know　where's　the　house；　sir？〃
　〃It's　on　the　Peak。　It's　really　very　nice；　Mr。　Choy。　I'm　sure　you'll　be　more　than　satisfied。〃
　〃You　can　bet　your　。。。　yes　sir。〃
　〃Tomorrow　night　be　prepared　to　move　in。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　After　Wu　had　understood　what　Gornt　had　said；　he　nodded　his　agreement。　〃All　agree。　Two　year　then　see。　Maybe　more；　heya？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Good。　Thank　old　frien'。〃　Then　in　Haklo；　〃Now　ask　him　what　you　wanted　to　know　。。。　about　the　bank。〃
　Gornt　was　getting　up　to　go　but　Paul　Choy　said；　〃There's　something　else　my　uncle　wanted　to　ask　you；　sir；　if　you　can　spare　the　time。〃
　〃Of　course。〃　Gornt　settled　back　in　his　chair　and　Paul　Choy　noticed　that　the　man　seemed　sharper　now；　more　on　guard。
　〃My　uncle'd　like　to　ask　your　opinion　about　the　run　on　the　Aberdeen　branch　of　the　Ho…Pak　Bank　today。〃
　Gornt　stared　back　at　him；　his　eyes　steady。　〃What　about　it？〃
　〃There're　all　sorts　of　rumors；〃　Paul　Choy　said。　〃My　uncle's　got　a　lot　of　money　there；　so've　most　of　his　friends。　A　run　on　that　bank'd　be　real　bad　news。〃
　〃I　think　it　would　be　a　good　idea　to　get　his　money　out；〃　Gornt　said；　delighted　with　the　unexpected　opportunity　to　feed　the　flames。
　〃Jesus；〃　Paul　Choy　muttered；　aghast。　He　had　been　gauging　Gornt　very　carefully　and　he　had　noticed　sudden　tension　and　now　equally　sudden　pleasure　which　surprised　him。　He　pondered　a　moment；　then　decided　to　change　tactics　and　probe。　〃He　wanted　to　know　if　you　were　selling　short。〃
　Gornt　said　wryly；　〃He　or　you；　Mr。　Choy？〃
　〃Both　of　us；　sir。　He's　got　quite　a　portfolio　of　stocks　which　he　wants　me　to　manage　eventually；〃　the　young　man　said；　which　was　a　plete　exaggeration。　〃I　was　explaining　the　mechanics　of　modern　banking　and　the　stock　market　to　him　…　how　it　ticks　and　how　Hong　Kong's　different　from　Stateside。　He　gets　the　message　very　fast；　sir。〃　Another　exaggeration。　Paul　Choy　had　found　it　impossible　to　break　through　his　father's　prejudices。　〃He　asks　if　he　should　sell　short？〃
　〃Yes。　I　think　he　should。　There　have　been　lots　of　rumors　that　Ho…Pak's　overextended　…　borrowing　short　and　cheap；　lending　long　and　expensive；　mostly　on　property；　the　classic　way　any　bank　would　get　into　serious　difficulties。　For　safety　he　should　get　all　his　money　out　and　sell　short。〃
　〃Next　question；　sir：　Will　Blacs；　or　the　Victoria　Bank　do　a　bail…out？〃
　With　an　effort　Gornt　kept　his　face　impassive。　The　old　junk　dipped　slightly　as　waves　from　another　chugging　past　lapped　her　sides。　〃Why　should　other　banks　do　that？〃
　I'm　trapped；　Gornt　was　thinking；　aghast。　I　can't　tell　the　truth　to　them　…　there　is　no　telling　who　else　will　get　the　information。　At　the　same　time；　I　daren't　not　tell　the　old　bastard　and　his　god…cursed　whelp。　He's　asking　for　the　return　of　the　favor　and　I　have　to　pay；　that's　a　matter　of　face。
　Paul　Choy　leaned　forward　in　his　chair；　his　excitement　showing。　〃My　theory's　that　if　there's　a　real　run　on　the　Ho…Pak　the　others　won't　let　it　crash　…　not　like　the　East　India　and　Canton　Bank　disaster　last　year　because　it'd　create　shock　waves　that　the　market；　the　big　operators　in　the　market；　wouldn't　like。　Everyone's　waiting　for　a　boom；　and　I　bet　the　biggies　here　won't　let　a　catastrophe　wreck　that　chance。　Since　Blacs　and　the　Victoria're　the　top　bananas　it　figures　they'd　be　the　ones　to　do　a　bail…out。〃
　〃What's　your　point；　Mr。　Choy？〃
　〃If　someone　knew　in　advance　when　Ho…Pak　stock'd　bottom　out　and　either　bank；　or　both；　were　launching　a　bail…out　operation；　that　person　could　make　a　fortune。〃
　Gornt　was　trying　to　decide　what　to　do　but　he　was　tired　now　and　not　as　sharp　as　he　should　be。　That　accident　must　have　taken　more　out　of　me　than　I　thought；　he　told　himself。　Was　it　Dunross？　Was　that　bastard　trying　to　even　the　score；　repay　me　for　the　Christmas　night　or　the　Pacific　Orient　victory　or　fifty　other　victories　…　perhaps　even　the　old　Macao　sore。
　Gornt　felt　a　sudden　glow　as　he　remembered　the　white　hot　thrill　he　had　felt　watching　the　road　race；　knowing　that　any　moment　the　tai…pan's　engine　would　seize　up　…　watching　the　cars　howl　past　lap　after　lap；　and　then　Dunross；　the　leader；　not　ing　in　his　turn　…　then　waiting　and　hoping　and　then　the　news　that　he　had　spun　out　at　Meico　Hairpin　in　a　metal　screaming　crash　when　his　engine　went。　Waiting　again；　his　stomach　churning。　Then　the　news　that　the　whole　racing　car　had　exploded　in　a　ball　of　fire　but　Dunross　had　scrambled　out　unscathed。　He　was　both　very　sorry　and　very　glad。
　He　didn't　want　Dunross　dead。　He　wanted　him　alive　and　destroyed；　alive　to　realize　it。
　He　chuckled　to　himself。　Oh　it　wasn't　me　who　pressed　the　button　that　put　that　ploy　into　operation。　Of　course　I　did　nudge　young　Donald　Nikklin　a　little　and　suggest　all　sorts　of　ways　and　means　that　a　little　h'eung　yau　in　the　right　hands　。。。
　His　eyes　saw　Paul　Choy　and　the　old　seaman　waiting；　watching　him；　and　all　of　his　good　humor　vanished。　He　pushed　away　his　vagrant　thoughts　and　concentrated。
　〃Yes；　you're　right　of　course；　Mr。　Choy。　But　your　premise　is　wrong。　Of　course　this　is　all　theoretical；　the　Ho…Pak　hasn't　failed　yet。　Perhaps　it　won't。　But　there's　no　reason　why　any　bank　should　do　what　you　suggest；　it　never　has　in　the　past。　Each　bank　stands　or　falls　on　its　own　merits；　that's　the　joy　of　our　free　enterprise　system。　Such　a　scheme　as　you　propose　would　set　a　dangerous　precedent。