jamesclavell.noblehouse-第14部分

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beginning。〃
　〃Dew　neh　loh　moh　you　don't　say！〃
　〃So　I　told　my　broker　this　morning　to　buy　a　thousand　more　Noble　House；　the　same　Golden　Ferry；　40　of　Second　Great　House　and　50　Good　Luck　Properties。　My　bankers　are　generous　but　now　I　haven't　a　single　brass　cash　left　in　Hong　Kong　I　can　beg　or　borrow！〃
　〃Eeeee；　you're　plunging；　Sister。　I'm　stretched　out　myself。　Last　week　I　borrowed　from　the　bank　on　my　shares　and　bought　another　600　Noble　House。　That　was　Tuesday。　I　bought　in　at　25。23！〃
　〃Ayeeyah；　Honorable　Chang；　they　were　29。14　at　close　last　night。〃　Third　Toiletmaid　Fung　made　an　automatic　calculation。　〃You're　already　2；348　Hong　Kong　ahead！　And　they　say　Noble　House's　going　to　bid　for　Good　Luck　Properties。　If　they　try；　it　will　send　their　enemies'　rage　to　boiling　point。　Ha！　The　tai…pan　of　Second　Great　House　will　fart　dust！〃
　〃Oh　oh　oh　but　meanwhile　the　shares　will　skyrocket！　Of　all　three　panies！　Ha！　Dew　neh　loh　moh；　where　can　I　get　more　cash？〃
　〃The　races；　Daytime　Chang！　Borrow　500　against　your　present　winnings　and　put　it　on　the　daily　double　on　Saturday　or　the　double　quinella。　4　and　5　are　my　lucky　numbers。　。。。〃
　They　both　looked　up　as　Casey　came　into　the　bedroom。　Chang　switched　to　English。　〃Yes　Missee？〃
　〃There's　some　laundry　in　the　bathroom。　Can　you　have　it　picked　up；　please？〃
　〃Oh　yes　I　fix。　Today　six　o'clock　e　by　okay　never　mind。〃　These　foreign　devils　are　so　stupid；　Chang　thought　contemptuously。　What　am　I；　an　empty…headed　dung　heap？　Of　course　I'll　take　care　of　the　laundry　if　there's　laundry。
　〃Thank　you。〃
　They　both　watched　fascinated　as　she　checked　her　makeup　in　the　bedroom　mirror；　preparing　to　leave。
　〃Her　tits　don't　droop　at　all；　do　they；　Sister？〃　Chang　said。　〃Pink　nipples　heya？　Extraordinary！〃
　〃Just　like　a　sow's；　I　told　you。　Are　your　ears　merely　pots　to　piss　in？〃
　〃In　your　ear；　Third　Toiletmaid　Fung。〃
　〃Has　she　tipped　you　yet？〃
　〃No。　The　Master　gave　too　much　and　she　nothing。　Disgusting　heya？〃
　〃Yes。　What　can　you　do？　People　from　the　Golden　Mountain　are　really　very　uncivilized；　aren't　they；　Daytime　Chang？〃
　
　5
　
　9：50　A。M。　：
　The　tai…pan　came　over　the　rise　and　barreled　down　the　Peak　Road　in　his　E…Type　Jaguar；　going　east　toward　Magazine　Gap。　On　the　winding　road　there　was　but　a　single　lane　each　side　with　few　places　to　pass　and　precipitous　on　most　corners。　Today　the　surface　was　dry　and；　knowing　the　way　so　well；　Ian　Dunross　rode　the　bends　fast　and　sweetly；　hugging　the　mountainside；　his　scarlet　convertible　tight　to　the　inside　curve。　He　did　a　racing　shift　down　and　braked　hard　as　he　swooped　a　bend　and　came　up　to　an　ancient；　slow…moving　truck。　He　waited　patiently；　then；　at　the　perfect　moment；　swung　out　onto　the　wrong　side　and　was　past　safely　before　the　oning　car　had　rounded　the　blind　corner　ahead。
　Now　Dunross　was　clear　for　a　short　stretch　and　could　see　that　the　snaking　road　ahead　was　empty。　He　jammed　his　foot　down　and　slid　some　corners；　usurping　the　whole　of　the　road；　taking　the　straightest　line；　using　hand　and　eye　and　foot　and　brake　and　gearshift　in　unison；　feeling　the　vast　power　of　the　engine　and　the　wheels　in　all　of　him。　Ahead；　suddenly；　was　an　oning　truck　from　the　far　corner　and　his　freedom　vanished。　He　geared　down　and　braked　in　split…second　time；　hugging　his　side；　regretting　the　loss　of　freedom；　then　accelerated　and　was　away　again　into　more　treacherous　bends。　Now　another　truck；　this　time　ladened　with　passengers；　and　he　waited　a　few　yards　behind；　knowing　there　was　no　place　to　pass　for　a　while。　Then　one　of　the　passengers　noticed　his　number　plate；　1…1010；　and　she　pointed　and　they　all　looked；　chattering　excitedly　one　to　another；　and　one　of　them　banged　on　the　cabin　of　the　truck。　The　driver　obligingly　squeezed　off　the　road　onto　the　tiny　shoulder　and　flagged　him　on。　Dunross　made　sure　he　was　safe　then　passed；　waving　to　them　with　a　grin。
　More　corners；　the　speed　and　the　waiting…to…pass　and　the　passing　and　the　danger　pleasing　him。　Then　he　cut　left　into　Magazine　Gap　Road；　down　the　hill；　the　bends　trickier；　the　traffic　building　up　now　and　slower。　He　overtook　a　taxi　and　jumped　three　cars　very　fast　and　was　back　in　line　though　still　over　the　speed　limit　when　he　saw　the　traffic　motorcycle　policemen　waiting　ahead。　He　changed　down　and　passed　them　going　the　regulation　30　mph。　He　waved　good…naturedly。　They　waved　back。
　〃You　really　must　slow　down；　Ian；〃　his　friend；　Henry　Foxwell；　Senior　Superintendent　of　Traffic；　had　said　recently。　〃You　really　should。〃
　〃I've　never　had　an　accident　…　yet。　Or　a　ticket。〃
　〃Good　God；　Ian；　there's　not　a　traffic　copper　on　the　island　who'd　dare　give　you　one！　You；　the　tai…pan？　Perish　the　thought。　I　meant　for　your　own　good。　Keep　that　speed　devil　of　yours　bottled　for　Monaco；　or　your　Macao　Road　Race。〃
　〃Monaco's　professional。　I　don't　take　chances；　and　I　don't　drive　that　fast　anyway。〃
　〃67　mph　over　Wongniechong　isn't　exactly　slow；　old　chap。　Admittedly　it　was　4：23　a。m。　on　an　almost　empty　road。　But　it　is　a　30　mph　zone。〃
　〃There're　lots　of　E…Types　in　Hong　Kong。〃
　〃Yes；　I　agree。　Seven。　Scarlet　convertibles　with　a　special　number　plate？　With　a　black　canvas　roof；　racing　wheels　and　tires；　that　goes　like　the　clappers　of　hell？　It　was　last　Thursday；　old　chap。　Radar　and　all　that。　You'd　been　to　。。。　to　visit　friends。　In　Sinclair　Road　I　believe。〃
　Dunross　had　contained　his　sudden　rage。　〃Oh？〃　he　said；　the　surface　of　his　face　smiling。　〃Thursday？　I　seem　to　remember　I　had　dinner　with　John　Chen　then。　At　his　apartment　in　Sinclair　Towers。　But　I　thought　I　was　home　long　before　4：23。〃
　〃Oh　I'm　sure　you　were。　I'm　sure　the　constable　got　the　number　plate　and　color　and　everything　all　wrong。〃　Foxwell　clapped　him　on　the　back　in　friendly　style。　〃Even　so；　slow　down　a　little　will　you？　It'd　be　so　boring　if　you　killed　yourself　during　my　term。　Wait　till　I'm　transferred　back　to　Special　Branch　…　or　the　police　college；　eh？　Yes；　I'm　sure　he　made　a　mistake。〃
　But　there　was　no　mistake；　Dunross　had　said　to　himself。　You　know　it；　I　know　it；　and　John　Chen　would　know　it　and　so　would　Wei…wei。
　So　you　fellows　know　about　Wei…wei！　That's　interesting。
　〃Are　you　fellows　watching　me？〃　he　had　asked　bluntly。
　〃Good　God　no！〃　Foxwell　had　been　shocked。　〃Special　Intelligence　was　watching　a　villain　who's　got　a　flat　at　Sinclair　Towers。　You　happened　to　be　seen。　You're　very　important　here；　you　know　that。　I　happened　to　pick　it　up　through　channels。　You　know　how　it　is。〃
　〃No；　I　don't。〃
　〃They　say　one　word　to　the　wise　is　sufficient；　old　chap。〃
　〃Yes　they　do。　So　perhaps　you'd　better　tell　your　Intelligence　fellows　to　be　more　intelligent　in　future。〃
　〃Fortunately　they're　very　discreet。〃
　〃Even　so　I　wouldn't　like　my　movements　a　matter　of　record。〃
　〃I'm　sure　they're　not。　Not　a　matter　of　record。〃
　〃Good。　What　villain　in　Sinclair　Towers？〃
　〃One　of　our　important　capitalist　dogs　but　suspected　secret　mie　fellows。　Very　boring　but　SI　have　to　earn　their　daily　bread；　don't　they？〃
　〃Do　I　know　him？〃
　〃I　imagine　you　know　everyone。〃
　〃Shanghainese　or　Cantonese？〃
　〃What　makes　you　think　he's　either？〃
　〃Ah；　then　he's　European？〃
　〃He's　just　a　villain；　Ian。　Sorry；　it's　all　very　hush…hush　at　the　moment。〃
　〃e　on；　we　own　that　block。　Who？　I　won't　tell　anyone。〃
　〃I　know。　Sorry　old　boy；　but　I　can't。　However；　I've　another　hypothetical　idea　for　you。　Say　a　hypothetical　married　VIP　had　a　lady　friend　whose　uncle　happened　to　be　the　undercover　deputy　chief　of　the　illegal　Kuomintang　Secret　Police　for　Hong　Kong。　Say；　hypothetically；　the　Kuomintang　wanted　this　VIP　on　their　side。　Certainly　he　could　be　pressured　by　such　a　lady。　Couldn't　he？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Dunross　had　said　easily。　〃If　he　was　stupid。〃　He　already　knew　about　Wei…wei　Jen's　uncle　and　had　met　him　at　a　number　of　private　parties　several　times　in　Taipei。　And　liked　him。　No　problem　there；　he　had　thought；　because　she's　not　my　mistress　or　even　a　lady　friend；　however　beautiful　and　desirable。　And　tempting。
　He　smiled　to　himself　as　he　drove　in　the　stream　of　traffic　down　Magazine　Gap　Road　then　waited　in　line　to　circle　the　roundabout　and　head　down　Garden　Road　toward　Central；　half　a　mile　below；　and　to　the　sea。
　Now　he　could　see　the　soaring　modern　office　block　that　was　Struan's。　It　was　twenty…two　stories　high　and　fronted　Connaught　Road　and　the　sea；　almost　opposite　the　Terminal　of　the　Golden　Ferries