jamesclavell.noblehouse-第79节

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　〃They　don't？〃
　〃No；　at　least　they　didn't　last　night。〃
　Dunross　grinned　and　she　was　glad　that　her　news　pleased　him。　It　was　his　first　real　smile　of　the　day。　Since　she　had　arrived　at　8：00　a。m。　he　had　been　working　like　a　man　possessed；　rushing　out　for　meetings；　hurrying　back　again：　the　police；　Phillip　Chen；　the　governor；　twice　to　the　bank；　once　to　the　penthouse　to　meet　whom　she　did　not　know。　No　time　for　lunch　and；　so　the　doorman　had　told　her；　the　tai…pan　had　arrived　with　the　dawn。
　She　had　seen　the　weight　on　his　spirit　today；　the　weight　that　sooner　or　later　bowed　all　tai…pans　…　and　sometimes　broke　them。　She　had　seen　Ian's　father　withered　away　by　the　enormous　shipping　losses　of　the　war　years；　the　catastrophic　loss　of　Hong　Kong；　of　his　sons　and　nephews　…　bad　joss　piling　on　bad　joss。　It　was　the　loss　of　Mainland　China　that　had　finally　crushed　him。　She　had　seen　how　Suez　had　broken　Alastair　Struan；　how　that　tai…pan　had　never　recovered　from　that　debacle　and　how　bad　joss　had　piled　on　bad　joss　for　him　until　the　Gornt…mounted　run　on　their　stock　had　shattered　him。
　It　must　be　a　terrible　strain；　she　thought。　All　our　people　to　worry　about　and　our　House；　all　our　enemies；　all　the　unexpected　catastrophes　of　nature　and　of　man　that　seem　to　be　ever　present　…　and　all　the　sins　and　piracies　and　devil's　work　of　the　past　that　are　waiting　to　burst　forth　from　our　own　Pandora's　box　as　they　do　from　time　to　time。　It's　a　pity　the　tai…pans　aren't　Chinese；　she　thought。　Then　the　sins　of　the　past　would　be　so　much　gossamer。
　〃What　makes　you　sure；　Claudia？〃
　〃No　sleep　things　for　either　…　pajamas　or　filmy　things。〃　She　beamed。
　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　〃Please；　tai…pan；　I　can't　divulge　my　sources！〃
　〃What　else　do　you　know？〃
　〃Ah！〃　she　said；　then　blandly　changed　the　conversation。　〃The　Nelson　Trading　board　meeting's　in　half　an　hour。　You　wanted　to　be　reminded。　Can　I　have　a　few　minutes　beforehand？〃
　〃Yes。　In　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　Now；〃　he　said　with　a　finality　she　knew　too　well。　〃What　else　do　you　know？〃
　She　sighed；　then　importantly　consulted　her　notepad。　〃She's　never　been　married。　Oh；　lots　of　suitors　but　none　have　lasted；　tai…pan。　In　fact；　according　to　rumors；　none　have　。。。〃
　Dunross's　eyebrows　shot　up。　〃You　mean　she's　a　virgin？〃
　〃Of　that　we're　not　sure　…　only　that　she　has　no　reputation　for　staying　out　late；　or　overnight；　with　a　gentleman。　No。　The　only　gentleman　she　goes　out　socially　with　is　Mr。　Bartlett　and　that's　infrequently。　Except　on　business　trips。　He；　by　the　way；　tai…pan；　he's　quite　a　gadabout　…　swinger　was　the　term　used。　No　one　lady　bu…　〃
　〃Used　by　whom？〃
　〃Ah！　Mr。　Handsome　Bartlett　doesn't　have　one　special　girl　friend；　tai…pan。　Nothing　steady　as　they　say。　He　was　divorced　in　1956；　the　same　year　that　your　Cirrrannnousshee　joined　his　firm。〃
　〃She's　not　my　Ciranoush；〃　he　said。
　Claudia　beamed　more　broadly。　〃She's　twenty…six。　She's　Sagittarius。〃
　〃You　got　someone　to　snitch　her　passport　…　or　got　someone　to　take　a　peek？〃
　〃Very　good　gracious　no；　tai…pan。〃　Claudia　pretended　to　be　shocked。　〃I　don't　spy　on　people。　I　just　ask　questions。　But　100　says　she　and　Mr。　Bartlett　have　been　lovers　at　some　time　or　another。〃
　〃That's　no　bet；　I'd　be　astounded　if　they　weren't。　He's　certainly　in　love　with　her　…　and　she　with　him。　You　saw　how　they　danced　together。　That's　no　bet　at　all。〃
　The　lines　around　her　eyes　crinkled。　〃Then　what　odds　will　you　give　me　they've　never　been　lovers？〃
　〃Eh？　What　d'you　know？〃　he　asked　suspiciously。
　〃Odds；　tai…pan？〃
　He　watched　her。　Then　he　said；　〃A　thousand　to　。。。　I'll　give　you　ten　to　one。〃
　〃Done！　A　hundred。　Thank　you　tai…pan。　Now；　about　the　Nels…　〃
　〃Where'd　you　get　all　this　information？　Eh？〃
　She　extracted　a　telex　from　the　papers　she　was　carrying。　The　rest　she　put　into　his　in　tray。　〃You　telexed　our　people　in　New　York　the　night　before　last　for　information　on　her　and　to　recheck　Bartlett's　dossier。　This's　just　arrived。〃
　He　took　it　and　scanned　it。　His　reading　was　very　fast　and　his　memory　almost　photographic。　The　telex　gave　the　information　Claudia　had　related　in　bald　terms　without　her　embroidered　interpretation　and　added　that　K。　C。　Tcholok　had　no　known　police　record；　46；000　in　a　savings　account　at　the　San　Fernando　Savings　and　Loan；　and　8；700　in　her　checking　account　at　the　Los　Angeles　and　California　Bank。
　〃It's　shocking　how　easy　it　is　in　the　States　to　find　out　how　much　you've　got　in　the　bank；　isn't　it；　Claudia？〃
　〃Shocking。　I'd　never　use　one；　tai…pan。〃
　He　grinned。　〃Except　to　borrow　from！　Claudia；　just　give　me　the　telex　next　time。〃
　〃Yes；　tai…pan。　But　isn't　my　way　of　telling　certain　things　more　exciting？〃
　〃Yes。　But　where's　it　say　about　the　nakedness？　You　made　that　up！〃
　〃Oh　no；　that's　from　my　own　source　here。　Third　Toiletma…　〃　Claudia　stopped　just　too　late　to　avoid　falling　into　his　trap。
　His　smile　was　seraphic。　〃So！　A　spy　in　the　V　and　A！　Third　Toiletmaid！　Who？　Which　one；　Claudia？〃
　To　give　him　face　she　pretended　to　be　annoyed。　〃Ayeeyah！　A　spymaster　may　reveal　nothing；　heya？〃　Her　smile　was　kindly。　〃Here's　a　list　of　your　calls。　I've　put　off　as　many　as　I　can　till　tomorrow　…　I'll　buzz　you　in　good　time　for　the　meeting。〃　He　nodded　but　she　saw　that　his　smile　had　vanished　and　now　he　was　lost　in　thought　again。　She　went　out　and　he　did　not　hear　the　door　close。　He　was　thinking　about　spymasters　and　AMG　and　his　meeting　with　Brian　Kwok　and　Roger　Crosse　this　morning　at　ten；　and　the　one　ing　at　six　o'clock。
　The　meeting　this　morning　had　been　short；　sharp　and　angry。　〃First；　is　there　anything　new　on　AMG？〃　he　had　asked。
　Roger　Crosse　had　replied　at　once；　〃It　was；　apparently；　an　accident。　No　suspicious　marks　on　the　body。　No　one　was　seen　nearby；　no　car　marks；　impact　marks　or　skid　marks　…　other　than　the　motorcycle。　Now；　the　files；　Ian　…　oh　by　the　way　we　know　now　you've　got　the　only　copies　existent。〃
　〃Sorry　but　I　can't　do　what　you　asked。〃
　〃Why？〃　There　had　been　a　sour　edge　to　the　policeman's　voice。
　〃I'm　still　not　admitting　one　way　or　the　other　that　they　exist　but　y…　〃
　〃Oh　for　chrissake；　Ian；　don't　be　ridiculous！　Of　course　the　copies　exist。　Do　you　take　us　for　bloody　fools？　If　they　didn't；　you'd've　e　out　with　it　last　night　and　that　would　have　been　that。　I　strongly　advise　you　to　let　us　copy　them。〃
　〃And　I　strongly　advise　you　to　have　a　tighter　hold　on　your　temper。〃
　〃If　you　think　I've　lost　my　temper；　Ian；　then　you　know　very　little　about　me。　I　formally　ask　you　to　produce　those　documents。　If　you　refuse　I'll　invoke　my　powers　under　the　Official　Secrets　Act　at　six　o'clock　this　evening　and　tai…pan　or　not；　of　the　Noble　House　or　not；　friend　or　not；　by　one　minute　past　six；　you'll　be　under　arrest。　You'll　be　held　inmunicado　and　we'll　go　through　all　your　papers；　safes；　deposit　boxes　until　we've　found　them！　Now　kindly　produce　the　files！〃
　Dunross　remembered　the　taut　face　and　the　iced　eyes　staring　at　him；　his　real　friend　Brian　Kwok　in　shock。　〃No。〃
　Crosse　had　sighed。　The　threat　in　the　sound　had　sent　a　tremor　through　him。　〃For　the　last　time；　why？〃
　〃Because；　in　the　wrong　hands；　I　think　they'd　be　damaging　to　Her　Maj…　〃
　〃Good　sweet　Christ；　I'm　head　of　Special　Intelligence！〃
　〃I　know。〃
　〃Then　kindly　do　as　I　ask。〃
　〃Sorry。　I　spent　most　of　the　night　trying　to　work　out　a　safe　way　to　giv…　〃
　Roger　Crosse　had　got　up。　〃I'll　be　back　at　six　o'clock　for　the　files。　Don't　burn　them；　Ian。　I'll　know　if　you　try　and　I'm　afraid　you'll　be　stopped。　Six　o'clock。〃
　Last　night　while　the　house　slept；　Dunross　had　gone　to　his　study　and　reread　the　files。　Rereading　them　now　with　the　new　knowledge　of　AMG's　death　and　possible　murder；　the　involvement　of　MI…5　and　…6；　probably　the　KGB；　and　Crosse's　astounding　anxiety；　and　then　the　added　thought　that　perhaps　some　of　the　material　might　not　yet　be　available　to　the　Secret　Service；　together　with　the　possibility　that　many　of　the　pieces　he　had　dismissed　as　too　farfetched　were　not　…　now　all　the　reports　took　on　new　importance。　Some　of　them　blew　his　mind。
　To　hand　them　over　was　too　risky。　To　keep　them　now；　impossible。
　In　the　quiet　of　the　night　Dunross　had　considered　destroying　them。　Finally　he　concluded　it　was　his　duty　not　to。　For　a　moment　he　had　considered　leaving　them　openly　on　his　desk；　the　French　windows　wide　to　the　terrace　darkness；　and　going　back　to　sleep。　If　Crosse　was　so　concerned　about　the　papers　then　he　and　his　men　would　be　watching　now。　To　lock　them　in　the　safe　was　unsafe。　The　safe　had　been　touched　once。　It　would　be　touched　again。　No　safe　was　proof　against　an　absolute；　concerted　professional　attack。
　There　in　the　darkness；　his　feet　perched　fortably；　he　had　felt　the　excitement　welling；　the　beautiful；　intoxicating　lovely　warmth　of　danger　surrounding　him；　physical　danger。　Of　enemies　nearby。　Of　being　perched　on　the　knife　edge　between　life　and　void。　The　only　thing　that　detracted　from　his　pleasure　was　the　knowledge　that　Struan's　was　betrayed　from　within；　the　same　question　always　grinding：　Is　the　Sevrin　spy　the　same　as　he　who　gave　their　secrets　to　Bartlett？　One　of　seven？　Alastair；　Phillip；　Andrew；　Jacques；　Linbar；　David　MacStruan　in　Toronto；　or　his　father。　All　unthinkable。
　His　mind　had　examined　each　one。　Clinically；　without　passion。　All　had　the　opportunity；　all　the　same　motive：　jealousy；　and　hatred；　in　varying　degrees。　But　not　one　would　sell　the　Noble　House　to　an　outsider。　Not　one。　E