jamesclavell.noblehouse-第97节
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er job at midnight。〃
The other job was on a construction site in Central； not far from the Ho…Pak and he knew he was blessed to have two bonus jobs in one night on top of his regular day job as a construction laborer。 He knew； too； that it was the expensive white powder that had transformed him and taken his fatigue and pain away。 Of course； he knew the white powder was dangerous。 But he was sensible and cautious and only took it when he was at the limit of strength。 That he took it most days now； twice a day most days now； did not worry him。 Joss； he told himself with a shrug； taking the new canvas sack on his back。
Once he had been a farmer and the eldest son of landowning farmers in the northern province of Shantung； in the fertile； shifting delta of the Yellow River where； for centuries； they had grown fruit and grain and soybeans； peanuts； tobacco and all the vegetables they could eat。
Ah； our lovely fields； he thought happily； climbing the stairs now； oblivious of his pounding heart； our lovely fields rich with growing crops。 So beautiful！ Yes。 But then the Bad Times began thirty years ago。 The Devils from the Eastern Sea came with their guns and their tanks and raped our earth； and then； after warlord Mao Tse…tung and warlord Chiang Kai…shek beat them off； they fought among themselves and again the land was laid waste。 So we fled the famine； me and my young wife and my two sons and came to this place； Fragrant Harbor； to live among strangers； southern barbarians and foreign devils。 We walked all the way。 We survived。 I carried my sons most of the way and now my sons are sixteen and fourteen and we have two daughters and they all eat rice once a day and this year will be my lucky year。 Yes。 I'll win the quinella or the daily double and one day we'll go home to my village and I'll take our lands back and plant them again and Chairman Mao will wele us home and let us take our lands back and we'll live so happily； so rich and so happy。 。。。
He was out of the building now； in the night； standing beside the truck。 Other hands lifted the sack and stacked it with all the other sacks of gold； more clerks checking and rechecking the numbers。 There were two trucks in the side street。 One was already filled and waiting under its guards。 A single unarmed policeman was watching idly as the traffic passed。 The night was warm。
The old man turned to go。 Then he noticed the three Europeans； two men and a woman； approaching。 They stopped near the far truck； watching him。 His mouth dropped open。
〃Dew neh loh moh！ Look at that whore … the monster with the straw hair；〃 he said to no one in particular。
〃Unbelievable！〃 another replied。
〃Yes；〃 he said。
〃It's revolting the way their whores dress in public； isn't it？〃 a wizened old loader said disgustedly。 〃Flaunting their loins with those tight trousers。 You can see every fornicating wrinkle in her lower lips。〃
〃I'll bet you could put your whole fist and whole arm in it and never reach bottom！〃 another said with a laugh。
〃Who'd want to？〃 Nine Carat Chu asked and hawked loudly and spat and let his mind drift pleasantly to Saturday as he went below again。
〃I wish they wouldn't spit like that。 It's disgusting！〃 Casey said queasily。
〃It's an old Chinese custom；〃 Dunross said。 〃They believe there's an evil god…spirit in your throat which you've got to get rid of constantly or it will choke you。 Of course spitting's against the law but that's meaningless to them。〃
〃What'd that old man say？〃 Casey asked； watching him plod back into the side door of the bank； now over her anger and very glad to be going to dinner with them both。
〃I don't know … I didn't understand his dialect。〃
〃I'll bet it wasn't a pliment。〃
Dunross laughed。 〃You'd win that one； Casey。 They don't think much of us at all。〃
〃That old man must be eighty if he's a day and he's carried his load as though it was a feather。 How'd they stay so fit？〃
Dunross shrugged and said nothing。 He knew。
Another coolie heaved his burden into the truck； stared at her； hawked； spat and plodded away again。 〃Up yours too；〃 Casey muttered and then parodied an awful hawk and a twenty…foot spit and they laughed with her。 The Chinese just stared。
〃Ian； what's this all about？ What're we here for？〃 Bartlett asked。
〃I thought you might like to see fifty tons of gold。〃
Casey gasped。 〃Those sacks're filled with gold？〃
〃Yes。 e along。〃 Dunross led the way down the dingy stairs into the gold vault。 The bank officials greeted him politely and the unarmed guards and loaders stared。 Both Americans felt disquieted under the stares。 But their disquiet was swamped by the gold。 Neat stacks of gold bars on the steel shelves that surrounded them … ten to a layer； each stack ten layers high。
〃Can I pick one up？〃 Casey asked。
〃Help yourself；〃 Dunross told them； watching them； trying to test the extent of their greed。 I'm gambling for high stakes； he thought again。 I have to know the measure of these two。
Casey had never touched so much gold in her life。 Nor had Bartlett。 Their fingers trembled。 She caressed one of the little bars； her eyes wide； before she lifted it。 〃It's so heavy for its size；〃 she muttered。
〃These're called smuggler bars because they're easy to hide and to transport；〃 Dunross said； choosing his words deliberately。 〃Smugglers wear a sort of canvas waistcoat with little pockets in it that hold the bars snugly。 They say a good courier can carry as much as eighty pounds a trip … that's almost 1；300 ounces。 Of course they have to be fit and well trained。〃
Bartlett was hefting two in each hand； fascinated by them。 〃How many make up eighty pounds？〃
〃About two hundred； give or take a little。〃
Casey looked at him； her hazel eyes bigger than usual。 〃Are these yours； tai…pan？〃
〃Good God； no！ They belong to a Macao pany。 They're shifting it from here to the Victoria Bank。 Americans or English aren't allowed by law to own even one of these。 But I thought you might be interested because it's not often you see fifty tons all in one place。〃
〃I never realized what real money was like before；〃 Casey said。 〃Now I can understand why my dad's and uncle's eyes used to light up when they talked about gold。〃
Dunross was watching her。 He could see no greed in her。 Just wonder。
〃Do banks make many shipments like this？〃 Bartlett asked； his voice throaty。
〃Yes； all the time；〃 Dunross said and he wondered if Bartlett had taken the bait and was considering a Mafioso…style hijack with his friend Banastasio。 〃We've a very large shipment ing in in about three weeks；〃 he said； increasing the lure。
〃What's fifty tons worth？〃 Bartlett asked。
Dunross smiled to himself remembering Zeppelin Tung with his exactitude of figures。 As if it mattered！ 〃63 million dollars legally； give or take a few thousand。〃
〃And you're moving it just with a bunch of old men； two trucks that're not even armored and no guards？〃
〃Of course。 That's no problem in Hong Kong； which's one of the reasons our police are so sensitive about guns here。 If they've the only guns in the Colony； well； what can the crooks and nasties do except curse？〃
〃But where're the police？ I didn't see but one and he wasn't armed。〃
〃Oh； they're around； I suppose；〃 Dunross said； deliberately underplaying it。
Casey peered at the gold bar； enjoying the touch of the metal。 〃It feels so cool and so permanent。 Tai…pan； if it's 63 million legal； what's it worth on the black market？〃
Dunross noticed tiny beads of perspiration now on her upper lip。 〃However much someone's prepared to pay。 At the moment； I hear the best market's India。 They'd pay about 80 to 90 an ounce； U。S。； delivered into India。〃
Bartlett smiled crookedly and reluctantly put his four bars back onto their pile。 〃That's a lot of profit。〃
They watched in silence as another canvas bag was sealed； the bars checked and rechecked by both clerks。 Again the two loaders lifted the sack onto a bent back and the man plodded out。
〃What're those？〃 Casey asked； pointing to some much bigger bars that were in another part of the vault。
〃They're the regulation four…hundred…ounce bars；〃 Dunross said。 〃They weigh around twenty…five pounds apiece。〃 The bar was stamped with a hammer and sickle and 99；999。 〃This's Russian。 It's 99。99 percent pure。 South African gold is usually 99。98 percent pure so the Russian's sought after。 Of course both're easy to buy in the London gold market。〃 He let them look awhile longer； then said； 〃Shall we go now？〃
On the street there was still only one policeman and the sloppy； unarmed bank guards； the two truck drivers smoking in their cabins。 Traffic eased past from time to time。 A few pedestrians。
Dunross was glad to get out of the close confinement of the vault。 He had hated cellars and dungeons ever since his father had locked him in a cupboard when he was very small； for a crime he could not now remember。 But he remembered old Ah Tat； his amah； rescuing him and standing up for him … him staring up at his father； trying to hold back the terror tears that would not be held back。
〃It's good to be out in the air again；〃 Casey said。 She used a tissue。 Inexorably her eyes were dragged to the sacks in the nearly full truck。 〃That's real money；〃 s
