jamesclavell.noblehouse-第141部分

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and？〃
　〃Yes　。。。　yes；　of　course；　Honorable　Werewolf；〃　Phillip　Chen　said　placatingly。　〃I'm　to　take　a　taxi　…　where　to？〃
　〃The　triangle　garden　at　Kowloon　Tong。　There's　a　road　called　Essex　Road。　There's　a　wall　fence　there　and　a　hole　in　the　wall。　An　arrow　drawn　on　the　pavement　of　the　road　has　its　arrowhead　pointing　at　the　hole。　You　put　your　hand　in　this　hole　and　you'll　get　a　letter。　You　read　it　then　our　street　fighters　will　approach　you　and　say　'Tin　koon　chi　fook'　and　you　hand　the　bag　over。〃
　〃Oh！　Isn't　it　possible　I　can　hand　it　to　the　wrong　man？〃
　〃You　won't。　You　understand　the　password　and　everything？〃
　〃Yes　。。。　yes。〃
　〃How　long　will　it　take　you　to　get　there？〃
　〃I　can　e　at　once。　I'll　。。。　I　can　get　the　other　money　on　the　way；　I　can　e　at　once。〃
　〃Then　e　immediately。　e　alone；　you　cannot　e　with　anyone　else。　You　will　be　watched　the　moment　you　leave　the　door。〃
　Phillip　Chen　mopped　his　brow。　〃And　my　son？　When　do　I　ge…　〃
　〃Obey　instructions！　Beware　and　e　alone。〃
　Again　the　phone　went　dead。　His　fingers　were　shaking　as　he　picked　up　the　glass　and　drained　the　brandy。　He　felt　the　warm　afterglow　but　it　took　away　none　of　his　apprehension。　When　he　had　collected　himself；　he　dialed　a　very　private　number。　〃I　want　to　speak　to　Four　Finger　Wu；〃　he　said　in　Wu's　dialect。
　〃One　moment　please。〃　There　were　some　muffled　Haklo　voices；　and　then；　〃Is　this　Mr。　Chen；　Mr。　Phillip　Chen？〃　the　voice　asked　in　American　English。
　〃Oh！〃　he　said；　startled；　then　added　cautiously；　〃Who's　this？〃
　〃This's　Paul　Choy；　Mr。　Chen。　Mr。　Wu's　nephew。　My　uncle　had　to　go　out　but　he　left　instructions　for　me　to　wait　until　you　called。　He's　made　some　arrangements　for　you。　This　is　Mr。　Chen？〃
　〃Yes；　yes；　it　is。〃
　〃Ah；　great。　Have　you　heard　from　the　kidnappers？〃
　〃Yes；　yes　I　have。〃　Phillip　Chen　was　uneasy　talking　to　a　stranger　but　now　he　had　no　option。　He　told　Paul　Choy　the　instructions　he　had　been　given。
　〃Just　a　moment；　sir。〃
　He　heard　a　hand　being　put　over　the　phone　and　again　muffled；　indistinct　talking　in　Haklo　dialect　for　a　moment。　〃Everything's　set；　sir。　We'll　send　a　cab　to　your　house　…　you're　phoning　from　Struan's　Lookout？〃
　〃Yes　…　yes；　I'm　home。〃
　〃The　driver'll　be　one　of　our　guys。　There'll　be　more　of　my　uncle's；　er；　people　scattered　over　Kowloon　Tong　so　not　to　worry；　you'll　be　covered　every　foot　of　the　way。　Just　hand　over　the　money　and；　er；　and　they'll　take　care　of　everything。　My　uncle's　chief　lieut…　er；　his　aide；　says　not　to　worry；　they'll　have　the　whole　area　swarming　。。。　Mr。　Chen？〃
　〃Yes；　I'm　still　here。　Thank　you。〃
　〃The　cab'll　be　there　in　twenty　minutes。〃
　
　Paul　Choy　put　down　the　phone。　〃Noble　House　Chen　says　thank　you；　Honorable　Father；〃　he　told　Four　Finger　Wu　placatingly　in　their　dialect；　quaking　under　the　stony　eyes。　Sweat　was　beading　his　face。　He　tried　unsuccessfully　to　hide　his　fear　of　the　others。　It　was　hot　and　stuffy　in　the　crowded　main　cabin　of　this　ancient　junk　that　was　tied　up　in　a　permanent　berth　to　an　equally　ancient　dock　in　one　of　Aberdeen's　multitude　of　estuaries。　〃Can　I　go　with　your　fighters；　too？〃
　〃Do　you　send　a　rabbit　against　a　dragon？〃　Four　Finger　Wu　snarled。　〃Are　you　trained　as　a　street　fighter？　Am　I　a　fool　like　you？　Treacherous　like　you？〃　He　jerked　a　horny　thumb　at　Goodweather　Poon。　〃Lead　the　fighters！〃　The　man　hurried　out。　The　others　followed。
　Now　the　two　of　them　were　alone　in　the　cabin。
　The　old　man　was　sitting　on　an　upturned　keg。　He　lit　another　cigarette；　inhaled　deeply；　coughed　and　spat　loudly　on　the　deck　floor。　Paul　Choy　watched　him；　the　sweat　running　down　his　back；　more　from　fear　than　from　the　heat。　Around　them　were　some　old　desks；　filing　cabinets；　rickety　chairs　and　two　phones；　and　this　was　Four　Fingers's　office　and　munications　center。　It　was　mostly　from　here　that　he　sent　messages　to　his　fleets。　Much　of　his　business　was　regular　freighting　but　wherever　the　Silver　Lotus　flag　flew；　his　order　to　his　captains　was：　Anything；　shipped　anywhere；　at　any　time　…　at　the　right　price。
　The　tough　old　man　coughed　again　and　glared　at　him　under　shaggy　eyebrows。　〃They　teach　you　curious　ways　in　the　Golden　Mountain；　heya？〃
　Paul　Choy　held　his　tongue　and　waited；　his　heart　thumping；　and　wished　he　had　never　e　back　to　Hong　Kong；　that　he　was　still　Stateside；　or　even　better　in　Honolulu　surfing　in　the　Great　Waves　or　lying　on　the　beach　with　his　girl　friend。　His　spirit　twisted　at　the　thought　of　her。
　〃They　teach　you　to　bite　the　hand　that　feeds　you；　heya？〃
　〃No；　Honored　Father；　sorr…　〃
　〃They　teach　that　my　money　is　yours；　my　wealth　yours　and　my　chop　yours　to　use　as　you　wish；　heya？〃
　〃No；　Honored　Lord。　I'm　sorry　to　displease　you；〃　Paul　Choy　muttered；　wilting　under　the　weight　of　his　fear。
　This　morning；　early；　when　Gornt　had　jauntily　e　into　the　office　from　the　meeting　with　Bartlett；　it　was　still　before　the　secretaries　were　due　so　Paul　Choy　had　asked　if　he　could　help　him。　Gornt　had　told　him　to　get　several　people　on　the　phone。　Others　he　had　dialed　himself　on　his　private　line。　Paul　Choy　had　thought　nothing　of　it　at　the　time　until　he　happened　to　overhear　part　of　what　was；　obviously；　inside　information　about　Struan's　being　whispered　confidentially　over　the　phone。　Remembering　the　Bartlett　call　earlier；　deducing　that　Gornt　and　Bartlett　had　had　a　meeting　…　a　successful　one　judging　by　Gornt's　good　humor　…　and　realizing　Gornt　was　relating　the　same　confidences　over　and　over；　his　curiosity　peaked。　Later；　he　happened　to　hear　Gornt　saying　to　his　solicitor；　〃。。。　selling　short　。。。　No；　don't　worry；　nothing's　going　to　happen　till　I'm　covered；　not　till　about　eleven。　。。。　Certainly。　I'll　send　the　order；　chopped；　as　soon　as　。。。〃
　The　next　call　he　was　asked　to　make　was　long　distance　to　the　manager　of　the　Bank　of　Switzerland　and　Zurich　that；　discreetly；　he　listened　to。　〃。。。　I'm　expecting　a　large　draft　of　U。S。　dollars　this　morning；　before　eleven。　Phone　me　the　instant；　the　very　instant　it's　in　my　account　。。。〃
　So；　bemused；　he　had　put　the　various　pieces　of　the　equation　together　and　e　up　with　a　theory：　If　Bartlett　has　arranged　a　sudden　secret　partnership　with　Gornt；　Struan's　known　enemy；　to　launch　one　of　his　raids；　if　Bartlett　also　takes　part　of　the　risk；　or　most　of　it　…　by　secretly　putting　large　sums　in　one　of　Gornt's　numbered　Swiss　accounts　to　cover　any　sell…short　losses　…　and　lastly；　if　he's　talked　Gornt　into　being　the　front　guy　while　he　sits　on　the　fence；　the　stuff　is　going　to　hit　the　fan　in　the　exchange　and　Struan's　stock　has　got　to　go　down。
　This　precipitated　an　immediate　business　decision：　Jump　in　quickly　and　sell　Struan's　short　before　the　big　guys　and　we'll　make　a　bundle。
　He　remembered　how　he　had　almost　groaned　aloud　because　he　had　no　money；　no　credit；　no　shares　and　no　means　to　borrow　any。　Then　he　recalled　what　one　of　his　instructors　at　Harvard　Business　School　had　kept　drumming　into　them：　A　faint　heart　never　laid　a　lovely　lady。　So　he'd　gone　into　a　private　office　and　phoned　his　newfound　friend；　Ishwar　Soorjani；　the　moneylender　and　dealer　in　foreign　exchange　whom　he　had　met　through　the　old　Eurasian　at　the　library。　〃Say；　Ishwar；　your　brother's　head　of　Soorjani　Stockbrokers；　isn't　he？〃
　〃No；　Young　Master。　Arjan　is　my　very　first　cousin。　Why？〃
　〃If　I　wanted　to　sell　a　stock　short　would　you　back　me？〃
　〃Certainly；　as　I　told　you　before；　buying　or　selling　I　support　you　to　the　holster；　if　you　have　reasonable　cash　to　cover　any　losses　。。。　or　the　equivalent。　No　cash　or　equivalent　so　sorry。〃
　〃Say　I　had　some　red…hot　information？〃
　〃The　road　to　hell　and　debtor's　prison　is　flooded　to　drowning　with　red…hot　information；　Young　Master。　I　advise　against　red…hot　informations。〃
　〃Boy；〃　Paul　Choy　said　unhappily；　〃I　could　make　us　a　few　100；000　before　three。〃
　〃Oh？　Would　you　care　to　whisper　the　illustrious　name　of　the　stock？〃
　〃Would　you　back　me　for　。。。　for　20；000　U。S。？〃
　〃Ah；　so　sorry；　Young　Master；　I'm　a　moneylender　not　a　money　giver。　My　ancestors　forbid　it！〃
　〃20；000　HK？〃
　〃Not　even　10　dollars　in　your　Rebel　Dixie　redbacks。〃
　〃Gee；　Ishwar；　you're　not　much　help。〃
　〃Why　not　ask　your　illustrious　uncle？　His　chop　。。。　and　I　would　instantly　go　to　half　a　million。　HK。〃
　Paul　Choy　knew　that　among　his　father's　cash　and　assets　transferred　from　the　Ho…Pak　to　the　Victoria　had　been　many　stock　certificates　and　a　list　of　securities　held　by　various