jamesclavell.noblehouse-第16部分

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e　was　the　war；　then　Korea；　then　Suez　…　you've　had　bad　joss　for　several　years。　It'll　take　years　to　make　us　safe。　If　Quillan　Gornt　…　or　any　one　of　twenty　enemies　…　knew　half　the　truth；　knew　how　far　we're　overextended；　we'd　be　drowned　in　our　own　useless　paper　within　the　week。〃
　〃Our　paper's　good　…　it's　not　useless！　You're　exaggerating　…　as　usual！〃
　〃It's　worth　twenty　cents　on　the　dollar　because　we've　insufficient　capital；　not　enough　cash　flow　and　we're　absolutely　in　mortal　danger。〃
　〃Rubbish！〃
　〃Is　it？〃　Dunross's　voice　had　sharpened　for　the　first　time。　〃Rothwell…Gornt　could　swallow　us　in　a　month　if　they　knew　the　value　of　our　present　accounts　receivable；　against　our　pressing　liabilities。〃
　The　old　man　had　just　stared　at　him　without　answering。　Then　he　said；　〃It's　a　temporary　condition。　Seasonable　and　temporary。〃
　〃Rubbish！　You　know　very　well　you're　giving　me　the　job　because　I'm　the　only　man　who　can　clean　up　the　mess　you　leave；　you；　my　father；　and　your　brother。〃
　〃Aye；　I'm　gambling　you　can。　That's　true　enough；〃　Alastair　had　flared　at　him。　〃Aye。　You've　surely　got　the　right　amount　of　Devil　Struan　in　your　blood　to　serve　that　master　if　you've　a　mind。〃
　〃Thank　you。　I　admit　I'll　let　nothing　stand　in　my　way。　And　since　this　is　a　night　for　truth；　I　can　tell　you　why　you've　always　hated　me；　why　my　own　father　has　also　hated　me。〃
　〃Can　you　now？〃
　〃Yes。　It's　because　I　survived　the　war　and　your　son　didn't　and　your　nephew；　Linbar；　the　last　of　your　branch　of　the　Struan's；　is　a　nice　lad　but　useless。　Yes；　I　survived　but　my　poor　brothers　didn't；　and　that's　still　sending　my　father　around　the　bend。　It's　the　truth；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Alastair　Struan　had　said。　〃Aye；　I'm　afraid　it　is。〃
　〃I'm　not　afraid　it　is。　I'm　not　afraid　of　anything。　Granny　Dunross　saw　to　that。〃
　
　〃Heya；　tai…pan；〃　Claudia　Chen　said　brightly　as　the　elevator　door　opened。　She　was　a　jolly；　gray…haired　Eurasian　woman　in　her　mid…sixties；　and　she　sat　behind　a　huge　desk　that　dominated　the　twenty…first…floor　foyer。　She　had　served　the　Noble　House　for　forty…two　years　and　succeeding　tai…pans；　exclusively；　for　twenty…five　of　them。　〃Neh　hoh　mah？〃　How're　you？
　〃Ho　ho；〃　he　replied　absently。　Good。　Then　in　English；　〃Did　Bartlett　call？〃
　〃No。〃　She　frowned。　〃He's　not　expected　until　lunch。　Do　you　want　me　to　try　to　reach　him？〃
　〃No；　never　mind。　What　about　my　call　to　Foster　in　Sydney？〃
　〃That's　not　through　either。　Or　your　call　to　Mr。　MacStruan　in　Edinburgh。　Something's　troubling　you？〃　she　asked；　having　instantly　sensed　his　mood。
　〃What？　Oh；　no；　nothing。〃　He　threw　off　his　tension　and　walked　past　her　desk　into　his　office　that　overlooked　the　harbor　and　sat　in　an　easy　chair　beside　the　phone。　She　closed　the　door　and　sat　down　nearby；　her　notepad　ready。
　〃I　was　just　remembering　my　D　Day；〃　he　said。　〃The　day　I　took　over。〃
　〃Oh。　Joss；　tai…pan。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Joss；〃　she　repeated；　〃and　a　long　time　ago。〃
　He　laughed。　〃Long　time？　It's　forty　lifetimes。　It's　barely　three　years　but　the　whole　world's　changed　and　it's　going　so　fast。　What's　the　next　couple　of　years　going　to　be　like？〃
　〃More　of　the　same；　tai…pan。　I　hear　you　met　Miss　Casey　Tcholok　at　our　front　door。〃
　〃Eh；　who　told　you　that？〃　he　asked　sharply。
　〃Great　good　God；　tai…pan；　I　can't　reveal　my　sources。　But　I　heard　you　stared　at　her　and　she　stared　at　you。　Heya？〃
　〃Nonsense！　Who　told　you　about　her？〃
　〃Last　night　I　called　the　hotel　to　see　that　everything　was　all　right。　The　manager　told　me。　Do　you　know　that　silly　man　was　going　to　be　'overbooked'？　Huh；　if　they　share　a　suite　or　a　bed　or　don't；　never　mind　I　told　him。　This　is　1963　and　the　modern　age　with　lots　of　liberations；　and　anyway　it's　a　fine　suite　with　two　entrances　and　separate　rooms　and　most　important　they're　our　guests。〃　She　chortled。　〃I　pulled　a　little　rank。　。。。　Ayeeyah；　power　is　a　pretty　toy。〃
　〃Did　you　tell　young　Linbar　or　the　others；　about　K。　C。　being　female？〃
　〃No。　No　one。　I　knew　you　knew。　Barbara　Chen　told　me　Master　John　had　already　phoned　you　about　Casey　Tcholok。　What's　she　like？〃
　〃Beddable　would　be　one　word；〃　he　said　and　grinned。
　〃Yes　…　but　what　else？〃
　Dunross　thought　a　moment。　〃She's　very　attractive；　very　well　dressed　…　though　subdued　today；　for　our　benefit　I　imagine。　Very　confident　and　very　observant　…　she　noticed　the　front　door　was　out　of　whack　and　asked　about　it。〃　He　picked　up　an　ivory　paper　knife　and　toyed　with　it。　〃John　didn't　like　her　at　all。　He　said　he'd　bet　she　was　one　of　those　pathetic　American　women　who're　like　California　fruit：　great　to　look　at；　with　plenty　of　body；　but　no　taste　whatsoever！〃
　〃Poor　Master　John；　much　as　he　likes　America；　he　does　prefer　certain；　er；　aspects　of　Asia！〃
　Dunross　laughed。　〃How　clever　a　negotiator　she　is　we'll　soon　find　out。〃　He　smiled。　〃I　sent　her　in　unannounced。〃
　〃I'll　wager　50　HK　at　least　one　of　them　knew　in　advance　she　was　a　she。〃
　〃Phillip　Chen　of　course　…　but　that　old　fox　wouldn't　tell　the　others。　A　hundred　says　neither　Linbar；　Jacques　or　Andrew　Gavallan　knew。〃
　〃Done；〃　Claudia　said　happily。　〃You　can　pay　me　now；　tai…pan。　I　checked　very　discreetly；　this　morning。〃
　〃Take　it　out　of　petty　cash；〃　he　told　her　sourly。
　〃So　sorry。〃　She　held　out　her　hand。　〃A　bet　is　a　bet；　tai…pan。〃
　Reluctantly　he　gave　her　the　red　one…hundred…dollar　note。
　〃Thank　you。　Now；　a　hundred　says　Casey　Tcholok　will　walk　all　over　Master　Linbar；　Master　Jacques　and　Andrew　Gavallan。〃
　〃What　do　you　know？〃　he　asked　her　suspiciously。　〃Eh？〃
　〃A　hundred？〃
　〃All　right。〃
　〃Excellent！〃　she　said　briskly；　changing　the　subject。　〃What　about　the　dinners　for　Mr。　Bartlett？　The　golf　match　and　the　trip　to　Taipei？　Of　course；　you　can't　take　a　woman　along　on　those。　Shall　I　cancel　them？〃
　〃No。　I'll　talk　to　Bartlett　…　he'll　understand。　I　did　invite　her　to　Saturday's　races　though；　with　him。〃
　〃Oh；　that's　two　too　many。　I'll　cancel　the　Pangs；　they　won't　mind。　Do　you　want　to　sit　them　together　at　your　table？〃
　Dunross　frowned。　〃She　should　be　at　my　table；　guest　of　honor；　and　sit　him　next　to　Penelope；　guest　of　honor。〃
　〃Very　well。　I'll　call　Mrs。　Dunross　and　tell　her。　Oh　and　Barbara　…　Master　John's　wife　…　wants　to　talk　with　you。〃　Claudia　sighed　and　smoothed　a　crease　in　her　neat　dark　blue　chong…sam。　〃Master　John　didn't　e　back　last　night　…　not　that　that's　anything　out　of　the　ordinary。　But　it's　10：10　now　and　I　can't　find　him　either。　It　seems　he　wasn't　at　Morning　Prayers。〃
　〃Yes；　I　know。　Since　he　dealt　with　Bartlett　last　night　I　told　him　to　skip　them。〃　Morning　Prayers　was　the　jocular　way　that　insiders　in　Struan's　referred　to　the　daily　obligatory　8：00　a。m。　meeting　with　the　tai…pan　of　all　managing　directors　of　all　Struan's　subsidiaries。　〃No　need　for　him　to　e　today；　there's　nothing　for　him　to　do　until　lunch。〃　Dunross　pointed　out　of　the　window　at　the　harbor。　〃He's　probably　on　his　boat。　It's　a　great　day　for　a　sail。〃
　〃Her　temperature's　very　high；　tai…pan；　even　for　her。〃
　〃Her　temperature's　always　high；　poor　bugger！　John's　on　his　boat　…　or　at　Ming…li's　flat。　Did　you　try　her　flat？〃
　She　sniffed。　〃Your　father　used　to　say　a　closed　mouth　catches　no　wee　beasties。　Even　so；　I　suppose　I　can　tell　you　now；　Ming…li's　been　Number　Two　Girl　Friend　for　almost　two　months。　The　new　favorite　calls　herself　Fragrant　Flower；　and　she　occupies　one　of　his　'private　flats'　off　Aberdeen　Main　Road。〃
　〃Ah；　conveniently　near　his　mooring！〃
　〃Oh　very　yes。　She's　a　flower　all　right；　a　Fallen　Flower　from　the　Good　Luck　Dragon　Dance　Hall　in　Wanchai。　But　she　doesn't　know　where　Master　John　is　either。　He　didn't　visit　either　of　them　though　he　had　a　date　with　Miss　Fallen　Flower；　so　she　says；　at　midnight。〃
　〃How　did　you　find　out　all　this？〃　he　asked；　filled　with　admiration。
　〃Power；　tai…pan　…　and　a　network　of　relations　built　up　over　five　generations。　How　else　do　we　survive；　heya？〃　She　chuckled。　〃Of　course　if　you　want　a　little　real　scandal；　John　Chen　doesn't　know　she　wasn't　the　virgin　she　and　the　broker　claimed　she　was　when　he　first　pillowed　her。〃
　〃Eh？〃
　〃No。　He　paid　the　broker　。。。〃　One　of　the　phones　rang　and　she　picked　it　up　and　said　〃Please　hold　one　moment；〃　clicked　on　the　hold　button　and　continued　happily　in　the　same　breath；　〃。。。　500　cash；　U。S。　dollars；　but　all　her　tears　and　all　the；　er；　evidence；　was　a　pretend。　Poor　fellow；　but　it　serves　him　right；　eh；　tai…pan？　What　should