jamesclavell.noblehouse-第72节

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　a　scheme　as　you　propose　would　set　a　dangerous　precedent。　It　would　certainly　be　impossible　to　prop　up　every　bank　that　was　mismanaged。　Neither　bank　needs　the　Ho…Pak；　Mr。　Choy。　Both　have　more　than　enough　customers　of　their　own。　Neither　has　ever　acquired　other　banking　interests　here　and　I　doubt　whether　either　would　ever　need　to。〃
　Horseshit；　Paul　Choy　was　thinking。　A　bank's　mitted　to　growth　like　any　other　business　and　Blacs　and　the　Victoria　are　the　most　rapacious　of　all　…　except　Struan's　and　Rothwell…Gornt。　Shit；　and　Asian　Properties　and　all　the　other　hongs。
　〃I'm　sure　you're　right；　sir。　But　my　uncle　Wu'd　appreciate　it　if　you　heard　anything；　one　way　or　another。〃
　He　turned　to　his　father　and　said　in　Haklo；　〃I'm　finished　now；　Honored　Uncle。　This　barbarian　agrees　the　bank　may　be　in　trouble。〃
　Wu's　face　lost　color。　〃Eh？　How　bad？〃
　〃I'll　be　the　first　in　line　tomorrow。　You　should　take　all　your　money　out　quickly。〃
　〃Ayeeyah！　By　all　the　gods！〃　Wu　said；　his　voice　raw；　〃I'll　personally　slit　Banker　Kwang's　throat　if　I　lose　a　single　fornicating　cash　piece；　even　though　he's　my　nephew！〃
　Paul　Choy　stared　at　him。　〃He　is？〃
　〃Banks　are　just　fornicating　inventions　of　foreign　devils　to　steal　honest　people's　wealth；〃　Wu　raged。　〃I'll　get　back　every　copper　cash　or　his　blood　will　flow！　Tell　me　what　he　said　about　the　bank！〃
　〃Please　be　patient；　Honored　Uncle。　It　is　polite；　according　to　barbarian　custom；　not　to　keep　this　barbarian　waiting。〃
　Wu　bottled　his　rage　and　said　to　Gornt　in　his　execrable　pidgin；　〃Bank　bad；　heya？　Thank　tell　true。　Bank　bad　custom；　heya？〃
　〃Sometimes；〃　Gornt　said　cautiously。
　Four　Finger　Wu　unknotted　his　bony　fists　and　forced　calmness。　〃Thank　for　favor　。。。　yes　。。。　also　want　like　sister　son　say　heya？〃
　〃Sorry；　I　don't　understand。　What　does　your　uncle　mean；　Mr。　Choy？〃
　After　chatting　with　his　father　a　moment　for　appearances；　the　young　man　said；　〃My　uncle　would　consider　it　a　real　favor　if　he　could　hear　privately；　in　advance；　of　any　raid；　takeover　attempt　or　bail…out　…　of　course　it'd　be　kept　pletely　confidential。〃
　Wu　nodded；　only　his　mouth　smiling　now。　〃Yes。　Favor。〃　He　put　out　his　hand　and　shook　with　Gornt　in　friendly　style；　knowing　that　barbarians　liked　the　custom　though　he　found　it　uncivilized　and　distasteful；　and　contrary　to　correct　manners　from　time　immemorial。　But　he　wanted　his　son　trained　quickly　and　it　had　to　be　with　Second　Great　pany　and　he　needed　Gornt's　information。　He　understood　the　importance　of　advance　knowledge。　Eeeee；　he　thought；　without　my　friends　in　the　Marine　Police　forces　of　Asia　my　fleets　would　be　powerless。
　〃Go　ashore　with　him；　Nephew。　See　him　into　a　taxi　then　wait　for　me。　Fetch　Two　Hatchet　Tok　and　wait　for　me；　there；　by　the　taxi　stand。〃
　He　thanked　Gornt　again；　then　followed　them　to　the　deck　and　watched　them　go。　His　ferry　sampan　was　waiting　and　he　saw　them　get　into　it　and　head　for　the　shore。
　It　was　a　good　night　and　he　tasted　the　wind。　There　was　moisture　on　it。　Rain？　At　once　he　studied　the　stars　and　the　night　sky；　all　his　years　of　experience　concentrating。　Rain　would　e　only　with　storm。　Storm　could　mean　typhoon。　It　was　late　in　the　season　for　summer　rains　but　rains　could　e　late　and　be　sudden　and　very　heavy　and　typhoon　as　late　as　November；　as　early　as　May；　and　if　the　gods　willed；　any　season　of　the　year。
　We　could　use　rain；　he　thought。　But　not　typhoon。
　He　shuddered。　Now　we're　almost　into　Ninth　Month。
　Ninth　Month　had　bad　memories　for　him。　Over　the　years　of　his　life；　typhoon　had　savaged　him　nineteen　times　in　that　month；　seven　times　since　his　father　had　died　in　1937　and　he　had　bee　Head　of　the　House　of　the　Seaborne　Wu　and　Captain　of　the　Fleets。
　Of　these　seven　times　the　first　was　that　year。　Winds　of　115　knots　tore　out　of　the　north/northwest　and　sank　one　whole　fleet　of　a　hundred　junks　in　the　Pearl　River　Estuary。　Over　a　thousand　drowned　that　time　…　his　eldest　son　with　all　his　family。　In　'49　when　he　had　ordered　all　his　Pearl　River…based　armada　to　flee　the　munist　Mainland　and　settle　permanently　into　Hong　Kong　waters；　he　had　been　caught　at　sea　and　sunk　along　with　ninety　junks　and　three　hundred　sampans。　He　and　his　family　were　saved　but　he　had　lost　817　of　his　people。　Those　winds　came　out　of　the　east。　Twelve　years　ago　from　the　east/northeast　again　and　seventy　junks　lost。　Ten　years　ago　Typhoon　Susan　with　her　eighty…knot　gales　from　the　northeast；　veering　to　east/southeast；　had　decimated　his　Taiwan…based　fleet　and　cost　another　five　hundred　lives　there；　and　another　two　hundred　as　far　south　as　Singapore　and　another　son　with　all　his　family。　Typhoon　Gloria　in　'57；　one…hundred…knot　gales；　another　multitude　drowned。　Last　year　Typhoon　Wanda　came　and　wrecked　Aberdeen　and　most　of　the　Haklo　sea　villages　in　the　New　Territories。　Those　winds　came　from　the　north/northwest　and　backed　to　northwest　then　veered　south。
　Wu　knew　the　winds　well　and　the　number　of　the　days　well。　September　second；　eighth；　second　again；　eighteenth；　twenty…second；　tenth；　and　Typhoon　Wanda　first　day。　Yes；　he　thought；　and　those　numbers　add　up　to　sixty…three；　which　is　divisible　by　the　magic　number　three；　which　then　makes　twenty…one　which　is　three　again。　Will　typhoon　e　on　the　third　day　of　the　Ninth　Month　this　year？　It　never　has　before；　never　in　all　memory；　but　will　it　this　year？　Sixty…three　is　also　nine。　Will　it　e　on　the　ninth　day？
　He　tasted　the　wind　again。　There　was　more　moisture　in　it。　Rain　was　ing。　The　wind　had　freshened　slightly。　It　came　from　north/northeast　now。
　The　old　seaman　hawked　and　spat。　Joss！　If　it's　the　third　or　ninth　or　second　it's　joss　never　mind。　The　only　certain　thing　is　that　typhoon　will　e　from　some　quarter　or　other　and　it　will　e　in　the　Ninth　Month　…　or　this　month　which　is　equally　bad。
　He　was　watching　the　sampan　now　and　he　could　see　his　son　sitting　amidships；　alongside　the　barbarian；　and　he　wondered　how　far　he　could　trust　him。　The　lad's　smart　and　knows　the　foreign　devil　ways　very　well；　he　thought；　filled　with　pride。　Yes；　but　how　far　has　he　been　converted　to　their　evils？　I'll　soon　find　out　never　mind。　Once　the　lad's　part　of　the　chain　he'll　be　obedient。　Or　dead。　In　the　past　the　House　of　Wu　always　traded　in　opium　with　or　for　the　Noble　House；　and　sometimes　for　ourselves。　Once　opium　was　honorable。
　It　still　is　for　some。　Me；　Smuggler　Mo；　White　Powder　Lee；　ah；　what　about　them？　Should　we　join　into　a　Brotherhood；　or　not？
　But　the　White　Powders？　Are　they　so　different？　Aren't　they　just　stronger　opium　…　like　spirit　is　to　beer？
　What's　the　trading　difference　between　the　White　Powders　and　salt？　None。　Except　that　now　stupid　foreign　devil　law　says　one's　contraband　and　the　other　isn't！　Ayeeyah；　up　to　twenty…odd　years　ago　when　the　barbarians　lost　their　fornicating　war　to　the　fiends　from　the　Eastern　Sea；　the　government　monopolized　the　trade　here。
　Wasn't　Hong　Kong　trade　with　China　built　on　opium；　greased　only　by　opium　grown　in　barbarian　India？
　But　now　that　they've　destroyed　their　own　producing　fields；　they're　trying　to　pretend　the　trade　never　happened；　that　it's　immoral　and　a　terrible　crime　worth　twenty　years　in　prison！
　Ayeeyah；　how　can　a　civilized　person　understand　a　barbarian？
　Disgustedly　he　went　below。
　Eeeee；　he　thought　wearily。　This　has　been　a　difficult　day。　First　John　Chen　vanishes。　Then　those　two　Cantonese　dogmeat　fornicaters　are　caught　at　the　airport　and　my　shipment　of　guns　is　stolen　by　the　fornicating　police。　Then　this　afternoon　the　tai…pan's　letter　arrived　by　hand：　〃Greetings　Honored　Old　Friend。　On　reflection　I　suggest　you　put　Number　Seven　Son　with　the　enemy　…　better　for　him；　better　for　us。　Ask　Black　Beard　to　see　you　tonight。　Telephone　me　afterwards。〃　It　was　signed　with　the　tai…pan's　chop　and　〃Old　Friend。〃
　〃Old　Friend〃　to　a　Chinese　was　a　particular　person　or　pany　who　had　done　you　an　extreme　favor　in　the　past；　or　someone　in　business　who　had　proved　trustworthy　and　profitable　over　the　years。　Sometimes　the　years　went　over　generations。
　Yes；　Wu　thought；　this　tai…pan's　an　old　friend。　It　was　he　who　had　suggested　the　birth　certificate　and　the　new　name　for　his　Seventh　Son；　who　suggested　sending　him　to　the　Golden　Country　and　had　smoothed　the　waters　there　and　the　waters　into　the　great　university；　and　had　watched　over　him　there　without　his　knowledge　…　the　subterfuge　solving　his　dilemma　of　how　to　have　one　of　his　sons　trained　in　America　without　the　taint　of　the　opium　connection。
　What　fools　barbarians　are！　Yes；　but　even　so；　this　tai…pan　is　not。　He's　truly　an　old　friend　…　and　so　is　the　Noble　House。
　Wu　remembered　all　the　profits　he　and　his　family　had　made　secretly　over　the　generations；　with　or　without　the　help　of　the　Noble　House；　in　peace　and　war；　trading　where　barbarian　ships　could　not：　contraband；　gold；　gasoline；　opium；　rubber；　machinery；　medical　drugs；　anything　and　everything　in　short　supply。　Even　people；　helping　them　escape　from　the　Mainland　or　to　the　Mainland；　their　passage　money　considerable。　With　and　without　but　mostly　with　the　assistance　of　the　Noble　House；　with　this　tai…pan　and　before　him　Old　Hawk　Nose；　his　old　cousin；　and　before　him；　Mad　Dog；　his　father；　and　before　him　the　cousin's　father；　the　Wu　clan　had　prospered。
　Now　Four　Finger　Wu　had　6　percent　of　the　Noble　House；　purchased　over　the　years　and　hidden　with　their　help　in　a　maze　of　nominees　but　still　in　his　sole　control；　the　largest　share　of　their　g