jamesclavell.noblehouse-第123部分

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rd；　then　that；　then　another；　prodding　them；　discarding　them；　until　the　bargain　was　made。　Because　she　was　a　good；　salty　trader；　the　man　allowed　his　profit　to　be　shaved。　Then　he　strangled　the　bird　deftly　without　thought；　tossing　the　carcass　to　his　five…year…old　daughter；　who　squatted　in　a　pile　of　feathers　and　offal；　for　plucking　and　cleaning。
　〃Hey；　Mr。　Poultryman；〃　Wu　called　out；　〃I'd　like　a　bird　at　the　same　price。　That　one！〃　He　pointed　at　a　good　choice　and　paid　no　attention　to　the　man's　grumbling。　〃Elder　Sister；〃　he　said　to　her　politely；　〃clearly　you　have　saved　me　a　great　deal　of　cash。　Would　you　like　to　have　a　cup　of　tea　while　we　wait　for　our　birds　to　be　cleaned？〃
　〃Ah　thank　you；　yes；　these　old　bones　are　tired。　We'll　go　there！〃　Her　gnarled　finger　pointed　to　a　stall　opposite。　〃Then　we　can　watch　to　make　sure　we　get　what　we　paid　for。〃　The　poultry　man　muttered　an　obscenity　and　they　laughed。
　She　shoved　her　way　across　the　street；　sat　down　on　a　bench；　ordered　tea　and　a　cake　and　was　soon　telling　Wu　how　she　hated　Hong　Kong　and　living　among　strangers。　It　was　easy　for　him　to　butter　her　up　by　using　the　odd　word　of　Ning…tok　patois；　then　pretending　to　be　equally　surprised　when　she　switched　to　that　dialect　and　told　him　she　came　from　the　same　village　and　oh　how　wonderful　it　was　to　find　a　neighbor　after　all　these　months　among　foreigners！　She　told　him　that　she　had　worked　for　the　same　family　in　Ning…tok　ever　since　she　was　seven。　But；　sadly；　three　years　ago　her　mistress　…　the　child　that　she　had　brought　up；　now　an　old　lady　like　herself　…　had　died。　〃I　stayed　in　the　house　but　it　had　fallen　on　hard　times。　Then　last　year　the　famine　was　bad。　Many　in　the　village　decided　to　e　to　this　place。　Chairman　Mao's　people　didn't　mind；　in　fact　they　encouraged　us　…　'Useless　Mouths'　as　they　called　us。　Somehow　we　got　split　up　and　I　managed　to　get　over　the　border　and　found　my　way　to　this　place　here；　penniless；　hungry；　with　no　family；　no　friends；　nowhere　to　turn。　At　length　I　got　a　job　and　now　I　work　as　a　cock…amah　for　the　family　Ch'ung　who're　street　cleaners。　The　dog　bones　pay　me　nothing　but　my　keep　and　my　food　and　chief　wife　Ch'ung's　a　maggot…mouthed　hag　but　soon　I'll　be　rid　of　all　of　them！　You　said　your　father　came　here　with　his　family　ten　years　ago？〃
　〃Yes。　We　owned　a　field　near　the　bamboo　glade　beside　the　river。　His　name　was　Wu　Cho…tam　an　…　〃
　〃Ah；　yes　I　think　I　remember　the　family。　Yes；　I　think　so。　Yes；　and　I　know　the　field。　My　family　was　Wu　Ting…top　and　their　family　owned　the　pharmacy　at　the　crossroads　for　more　than　a　hundred　years。〃
　〃Ah；　Honorable　Pharmacy　Wu？　Oh　yes　of　course！〃　Spectacles　Wu　did　remember　the　family　well。　Pharmacy　Wu　had　always　been　a　Maoist　sympathizer。　Once　he　had　had　to　flee　the　Nationalists。　In　this　village　of　a　thousand　souls　he　had　been　well　liked　and　trusted　and　he　had　kept　life　in　the　village　as　calm　and　as　protected　from　outsiders　as　he　could。
　〃So；　you're　one　of　Wu　Cho…tam's　sons；　Younger　Brother！〃　Ah　Tam　was　saying。　〃Eeeee；　in　the　early　days　it　was　so　wonderful　in　Ning…tok　but　for　the　last　years　。。。　terrible。〃
　〃Yes。　We　were　lucky。　Our　field　was　fertile　and　we　tilled　the　soil　like　always　but　after　a　few　years　outsiders　came　and　accused　all　the　landowners　…　as　if　we　were　exploiters！　We　only　tilled　our　own　field。　Even　so；　from　time　to　time　some　landowners　were　taken　away；　some　shot；　so　one　night　ten　years　ago　my　father　fled　with　all　of　us。　Now　my　father　is　dead　but　I　live　with　my　mother　not　far　away。〃
　〃There　were　many　fleeings　and　famines　in　the　early　days。　I　hear　that　now　it　is　better。　Did　you　hear　too？　Outsiders　came；　wasn't　it？　They　would　e　and　they　would　leave。　The　village　is　not　so　bad　again；　Younger　Brother；　oh　no！　Outsiders　leave　us　alone。　Yes；　they　left　my　mistress　and　us　alone　because　Father　was　important　and　one　of　Chairman　Mao's　supporters　from　the　beginning。　My　mistress's　name　was　Fang…ling；　she's　dead　now。　There's　no　collective　near　us　so　life　is　like　it's　always　been；　though　we　all　have　to　study　Chairman　Mao's　Red　Book。　The　village　isn't　so　bad；　all　my　friends　are　there。　。。。　Hong　Kong　is　a　foul　place　and　my　village　is　home。　Life　without　family　is　nothing。　But　now　。。。〃　Then　the　old　woman　dropped　her　voice　and　chortled；　carried　away　with　pleasure。　〃But　now　the　gods　have　favored　me。　In　a　month　or　two　I'm　going　home；　home　forever。　I'll　have　enough　money　to　retire　on　and　I'll　buy　the　small　house　at　the　end　of　my　street　and　perhaps　a　little　field　and　。。。〃
　〃Retire？〃　Wu　said；　leading　her　on。　〃Who　has　that　sort　of　money；　Elder　Sister？　You　said　you　were　paid　nothing　th…　〃
　〃Ah；〃　the　old　woman　replied；　puffed　up。　〃I've　an　important　friend。〃
　〃What　sort　of　friend？〃
　〃A　very　important　business　friend　who　needs　my　help！　Because　I've　been　so　useful　he's　promised　to　give　me　a　huge　amount　of　money　…　〃
　〃You're　making　this　all　up；　Elder　Sister；〃　he　scoffed。　〃Am　I　a　foolish　stranger　wh…　〃
　〃I　tell　you　my　friend's　so　important　he　can　hold　the　whole　island　in　thrall！〃
　〃There　are　no　such　persons！〃
　〃Oh　yes　there　are！〃　She　dropped　her　voice　and　whispered　hoarsely；　〃What　about　the　Werewolves！〃
　Spectacles　Wu　gaped　at　her。　〃What？〃
　She　chortled　again；　delighted　with　the　impact　of　her　confidence。　〃Yes。〃
　The　young　man　took　hold　of　his　blown　mind　and　put　the　pieces　quickly　back　together；　if　this　were　true　he　would　get　the　reward　and　the　promotion　and　maybe　an　invitation　to　join　Special　Intelligence。　〃You're　making　this　up！〃
　〃Would　I　lie　to　someone　from　my　own　village？　My　friend's　one　of　them　I　tell　you。　He's　also　a　489　and　his　Brotherhood's　going　to　be　the　richest　in　all　Hong　Kong。〃
　〃Eeeee；　how　lucky　you　are；　Elder　Sister！　And　when　you　see　him　again　please　ask　if　perhaps　he　can　use　someone　like　me。　I'm　a　street　fighter　by　trade　though　my　triad's　poor　and　the　leader　stupid　and　a　stranger。　Is　he　from　Ning…tok？〃
　〃No。　He's　。。。　he's　my　nephew；〃　she　said；　and　the　young　man　knew　it　was　a　lie。　〃I'm　seeing　him　later。　Yes；　he's　ing　later。　He　owes　me　some　money。〃
　〃Eeeee；　that's　good；　but　don't　put　it　in　a　bank　and　certainly　not　in　the　Ho…Pak　or　y…　〃
　〃Ho…Pak？〃　she　said　suspiciously；　her　little　eyes　narrowing　suddenly　in　the　creases　of　her　face。　〃Why　do　you　mention　the　Ho…Pak？　What　has　the　Ho…Pak　to　do　with　me？〃
　〃Nothing；　Elder　Sister；〃　Wu　said；　cursing　himself　for　the　slip；　knowing　her　guard　was　now　up。　〃I　saw　the　queues　this　morning；　that's　all。〃
　She　nodded；　not　convinced；　then　saw　that　her　chicken　was　packaged　and　ready　so　she　thanked　him　for　the　tea　and　cake　and　scuttled　off；　muttering　to　herself。　Most　carefully　he　followed　her。　From　time　to　time　she　would　look　back　but　she　did　not　see　him。　Reassured；　she　went　home。
　
　The　CIA　man　got　out　of　his　car　and　walked　quickly　into　police　headquarters。　The　uniformed　sergeant　at　the　information　desk　greeted　him。　〃Afternoon；　Mr。　Rosemont。〃
　〃I've　an　appointment　with　Mr。　Crosse。〃
　〃Yes　sir。　He's　expecting　you。〃
　Sourly　Rosemont　went　to　the　elevator。　This　whole　goddamn…piss…poor　island　makes　me　want　to　shit；　and　the　goddamn　British　along　with　it。
　〃Hello；　Stanley；〃　Armstrong　said。　〃What're　you　doing　here？〃
　。〃Oh　hi；　Robert。　Gotta　meeting　with　your　chief。〃
　〃I've　already　had　that　displeasure　once　today。　At　7：01　precisely。〃　The　elevator　opened。　Rosemont　went　in　and　Armstrong　followed。
　〃I　hope　you've　got　some　good　news　for　Crosse；〃　Armstrong　said　with　a　yawn。　〃He's　really　in　a　foul　mood。〃
　〃Oh？　You　in　this　meeting　too？〃
　〃Afraid　so。〃
　Rosemont　flushed。　〃Shit；　I　asked　for　a　private　meeting。〃
　〃I'm　private。〃
　〃You　sure　are；　Robert。　And　Brian；　and　everyone　else。　But　some　bastard　isn't。〃
　Armstrong's　humor　vanished。　〃Oh？〃
　〃No。〃　Rosemont　said　nothing　more。　He　knew　he　had　hurt　the　Englishman　but　he　didn't　care。　It's　the　truth；　he　thought　bitterly。　The　sooner　these　goddamn　limeys　open　their　goddamn　eyes　the　better。
　The　elevator　stopped。　They　walked　down　the　corridor　and　were　ushered　into　Crosse's　room　by　Brian　Kwok。　Rosemont　felt　the　bolts　slide　home　behind　him　and　he　thought　how　goddamn　foolish　and　useless　and　unnecessary；　the　man's　a　knucklehead。
　〃I　asked　for　a　private　meeting；　Rog。〃
　〃It's　private。　Robert's　very　private；　Brian　is。　What　can　I　do　for　you；　Stanley？〃　Crosse　was　politely　cool。
　〃Okay；　Rog；　today　I　got　a　long　list　for