jamesclavell.noblehouse-第8节

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　〃Sometimes。　I　hope　you　have　a　profitable　stay。〃
　At　once　Bartlett　got　up。　〃Thanks。　I'll　see　you　out。〃　He　opened　the　door　and　ushered　Armstrong　and　Sergeant　Lee　through　it；　then　followed　them　out　of　the　main　cabin　door　onto　the　landing　steps。　He　took　a　deep　breath　of　air。　Once　again　he　caught　a　strangeness　on　the　wind；　neither　pleasant　nor　unpleasant；　neither　odor　nor　perfume　…　just　strange；　and　curiously　exciting。　〃Superintendent；　what's　that　smell？　Casey　noticed　it　too；　the　moment　Sven　opened　the　door。〃
　Armstrong　hesitated。　Then　he　smiled。　〃That's　Hong　Kong's　very　own；　Mr。　Bartlett。　It's　money。〃
　
　2
　
　11：48　P。M。　：
　〃All　gods　bear　witness　to　the　foul　luck　I'm　having　tonight；〃　Four　Finger　Wu　said　and　spat　on　the　deck。　He　was　aft；　on　the　high　poop　of　his　oceangoing　junk　that　was　moored　to　one　of　the　great　clusters　of　boats　that　sprawled　over　Aberdeen　harbor　on　the　south　coast　of　Hong　Kong　Island。　The　night　was　hot　and　humid　and　he　was　playing　mah…jong　with　three　of　his　friends。　They　were　old　and　weatherbeaten　like　himself；　all　captains　of　junks　that　they　owned。　Even　so；　they　sailed　in　his　fleet　and　took　orders　from　him。　His　formal　name　was　Wu　Sang　Fang。　He　was　a　short；　illiterate　fisherman；　with　few　teeth　and　no　thumb　on　his　left　hand。　His　junk　was　old；　battered　and　filthy。　He　was　head　of　the　seaborne　Wu；　captain　of　the　fleets；　and　his　flag；　the　Silver　Lotus；　flew　on　all　the　four　seas。
　When　it　was　his　turn　again；　he　picked　up　another　of　the　ivory　tiles。　He　glanced　at　it　and　as　it　did　not　improve　his　hand；　discarded　it　noisily　and　spat　again。　The　spittle　glistened　on　the　deck。　He　wore　a　ragged　old　undershirt　and　black　coolie　pants；　like　his　friends；　and　he　had　ten　thousand　dollars　riding　on　this　single　game。
　〃Ayeeyah；〃　Pockmark　Tang　said；　pretending　disgust　though　the　tile　he　had　just　picked　up　made　him　only　one　short　of　a　winning　bination　…　the　game　somewhat　like　gin　rummy。　〃Fornicate　all　mothers　except　ours　if　I　don't　win！〃　He　discarded　a　tile　with　a　nourish。
　〃Fornicate　yours　if　you　win　and　I　don't！〃　another　said　and　they　all　laughed。
　〃And　fornicate　those　foreign　devils　from　the　Golden　Mountain　if　they　don't　arrive　tonight；〃　Goodweather　Poon　said。
　〃They'll　arrive；〃　Four　Finger　Wu　told　him　confidently。　〃Foreign　devils　are　glued　to　schedules。　Even　so；　I　sent　Seventh　Son　to　the　airport　to　make　sure。〃　He　began　to　pick　up　a　tile　but　stopped　and　looked　over　his　shoulder　and　watched　critically　as　a　fishing　junk　eased　past；　chugging　quietly；　heading　up　the　twisting；　narrow　access　channel　between　the　banks　of　boats　toward　the　neck　of　the　harbor。　She　had　only　riding　lights；　port　and　starboard。　Ostensibly　she　was　just　going　fishing　but　this　junk　was　one　of　his　and　she　was　out　to　intercept　a　Thai　trawler　with　a　cargo　of　opium。　When　she　was　safely　passed；　he　concentrated　on　the　game　once　more。　It　was　low　tide　now；　but　there　was　deep　water　around　most　of　the　boat　islands。　From　the　shore　and　flats　came　the　stench　of　rotting　seaweed；　shellfish　and　human　waste。
　Most　of　the　sampans　and　junks　were　dark　now；　their　multitudes　sleeping。　There　were　a　few　oil　lamps　here　and　there。　Boats　of　all　sizes　were　moored　precariously　to　each　other；　seemingly　without　order；　with　tiny　sea　alleys　between　the　floating　villages。　These　were　the　homes　of　the　Tanka　and　Haklo　people　…　the　boat　dwellers　…　who　lived　their　lives　afloat；　were　born　afloat　and　died　afloat。　Many　of　these　boats　never　moved　from　these　moorings　but　stayed　locked　together　until　they　sank　or　fell　apart；　or　went　down　in　a　typhoon　or　were　burnt　in　one　of　the　spectacular　conflagrations　that　frequently　swept　the　clusters　when　a　careless　foot　or　hand　knocked　over　a　lamp　or　dropped　something　inflammable　into　the　inevitable　open　fires。
　〃Grandfather！〃　the　youthful　lookout　called。
　〃What　is　it？〃　Wu　asked。
　〃On　the　jetty；　look！　Seventh　Son！〃　The　boy；　barely　twelve；　was　pointing　to　the　shore。
　Wu　and　the　others　got　up　and　peered　shorewards。　The　young　Chinese　was　paying　off　a　taxi。　He　wore　jeans　and　a　neat　T…shirt　and　sneakers。　The　taxi　had　stopped　near　the　gangway　of　one　of　the　huge　floating　restaurants　that　were　moored　to　the　modern　jetties；　a　hundred　yards　away。　There　were　four　of　these　gaudy　floating　palaces　…　three；　four　or　five　stories　tall　…　ablaze　with　lights；　splendiferous　in　scarlet　and　green　and　gold　with　fluted　Chinese　roofs　and　gods；　gargoyles　and　dragons。
　〃You've　good　eyes；　Number　Three　Grandson。　Good。　Go　and　meet　Seventh　Son。〃　Instantly　the　child　scurried　off；　sure…footed　across　the　rickety　planks　that　joined　this　junk　to　others。　Four　Fingers　watched　his　seventh　son　head　for　one　of　the　jetties　where　ferry　sampans　that　serviced　the　harbor　were　clustered。　When　he　saw　that　the　boatman　he　had　sent　had　intercepted　him；　he　turned　his　back　on　the　shore　and　sat　down　again。　〃e　on；　let's　finish　the　game；〃　he　said　grimly。　〃This's　my　last　fornicating　hand。　I've　got　to　go　ashore　tonight。〃
　They　played　for　a　moment；　picking　up　tiles　and　discarding　them。
　〃Ayeeyah！〃　Pockmark　Tang　said　with　a　shout　as　he　saw　the　face　of　the　tile　that　he　had　just　picked　up。　He　slammed　it　onto　the　table　face　upwards　with　a　flourish　and　laid　down　his　other　thirteen　hidden　tiles　that　made　up　his　winning　hand。　〃Look；　by　all　the　gods！〃
　Wu　and　the　others　gawked　at　the　hand。　〃Piss！〃　he　said　and　hawked　loudly。　〃Piss　on　all　your　generations；　Pockmark　Tang！　What　luck！〃
　〃One　more　game？　Twenty　thousand；　Four　Finger　Wu？〃　Tang　said　gleefully；　convinced　that　tonight　old　devil；　Chi　Kung；　the　god　of　gamblers；　was　sitting　on　his　shoulder。
　Wu　began　to　shake　his　head；　but　at　that　moment　a　seabird　flew　overhead　and　called　plaintively。　〃Forty；〃　he　said　immediately；　changing　his　mind；　interpreting　the　call　as　a　sign　from　heaven　that　his　luck　had　changed。　〃Forty　thousand　or　nothing！　But　it'll　have　to　be　dice　because　I've　no　time　now。〃
　〃I　haven't　got　forty　cash　by　all　gods；　but　with　the　twenty　you　owe　me；　I'll　borrow　against　my　junk　tomorrow　when　the　bank　opens　and　give　you　all　my　fornicating　profit　on　our　next　gold　or　opium　shipment　until　you're　paid；　heya？〃
　Goodweather　Poon　said　sourly；　〃That's　too　much　on　one　game。　You　two　fornicators've　lost　your　minds！〃
　〃Highest　score；　one　throw？〃　Wu　asked。
　〃Ayeeyah；　you've　gone　mad；　both　of　you；〃　Poon　said。　Nonetheless；　he　was　as　excited　as　the　others。　〃Where　are　the　dice？〃
　Wu　produced　them。　There　were　three。　〃Throw　for　your　fornicating　future；　Pockmark　Tang！〃
　Pockmark　Tang　spat　on　his　hands；　said　a　silent　prayer；　then　threw　them　with　a　shout。
　〃Oh　oh　oh；〃　he　cried　out　in　anguish。　A　four；　a　three　and　another　four。　〃Eleven！〃　The　other　men　were　hardly　breathing。
　Wu　spat　on　the　dice；　cursed　them；　blessed　them　and　threw。　A　six；　a　two　and　a　three。　〃Eleven！　Oh　all　gods　great　and　small！　Again　…　throw　again！〃
　Excitement　gathered　on　the　deck。　Pockmark　Tang　threw。　〃Fourteen！〃
　Wu　concentrated；　the　tension　intoxicating；　then　threw　the　dice。　〃Ayeeyah！〃　he　exploded；　and　they　all　exploded。　A　six；　a　four　and　a　two。
　〃Eeeee；〃　was　all　Pockmark　Tang　could　say；　holding　his　belly；　laughing　with　glee　as　the　others　congratulated　him　and　miserated　with　the　loser。
　Wu　shrugged；　his　heart　still　pounding　in　his　chest。　〃Curse　all　seabirds　that　fly　over　my　head　at　a　time　like　that！〃
　〃Ah；　is　that　why　you　changed　your　mind；　Four　Finger　Wu？〃
　〃Yes　…　it　was　like　a　sign。　How　many　seabirds　call　as　they　fly　overhead　at　night？〃
　〃That's　right。　I　would　have　done　the　same。〃
　〃Joss！〃　Then　Wu　beamed。　〃Eeeee；　but　the　gambling　feeling's　better　than　the　Clouds　and　the　Rain；　heya？〃
　〃Not　at　my　age！〃
　〃How　old　are　you；　Pockmark　Tang？〃
　〃Sixty　…　perhaps　seventy。　Almost　as　old　as　you　are。〃　Haklos　did　not　have　permanent　records　of　births　like　all　village　land　dwellers。　〃I　don't　feel　more　than　thirty。〃
　〃Have　you　heard　the　Lucky　Medicine　Shop　at　Aberdeen　Market's　got　a　new　shipment　of　Korean　ginseng；　some　of　it　a　hundred　years　old！　That'll　stick　fire　in　your　stalk！〃
　〃His　stalk's　all　right；　Goodweather　Poon！　His　third　wife's　with　child　again！〃　Wu　grinned　toothlessly　and　pulled　out　a　big　roll　of　500…dollar　notes。　He　began　counting；　his　fingers　nimble　even　though　his　left　thumb　was　missing。　Years　ago　it　had　been　hacked　off　during　a　fight　with　river　pirates　during　a　smuggling　expedition。　He　stopped　momentarily　as　his　number　seven　son　came　on　deck。　The　young　man　was　tall　for　a　Chinese；　twenty…six。　He　walked　across　the　deck　awkwardly。　An　ining　jet　began　to　whine　past　overhead。
　〃Did　they　arrive；　Seventh　Son？〃
　〃Yes；　Father；　yes　they　did。〃
　Four　Fingers　pounded　the　upturned　keg　with　glee。　〃Very　good。　Now　we　can　begin！〃
　〃Hey；　Four　Fingers；〃　Pockmark　Tang　said　thoughtfully；　motioning　at　the　dice。　〃A　six；　a　four　and　a　two　…　that's　twelve；　which's　also　three；　the　magic　three。〃
　〃Yes；　yes　I　saw。〃
　Pockmark　Tang　beamed　and　pointed　northwards　and　a　little　east　to　where　Kai　Tak　airport　would　be　…　behind　the　Aberdeen　mountains；　across　the　harbor　in　Kowloon；　six　miles　away。　〃Perhaps　your　luck　has　changed；　heya？〃
　
　
　MONDAY
　
　3
　
　5：16　A。M。：
　At　half…dawn　a　jeep　with　two　overalled　mechanics　aboard　came　around　Gate　16　at　the　eastern　end　of　the　terminal　and　stopped　close　beside　the　main　landing　gear　of　Yankee　2。　The　gangway　was　still　in　place　and　the