jamesclavell.noblehouse-第178部分

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　〃They　always　slam　doors？〃　Linc　asked；　his　heart　still　thumping。
　〃Yes；　yes　it　seems　so。〃　Her　hand　went　back　to　his　shoulder；　the　nails　caressing　his　neck。　〃Sorry。〃
　〃Nothing　to　be　sorry　about。　How　about　dinner？〃
　She　hesitated。　〃If　you　bring　Casey。〃
　〃No。　Just　you。〃
　〃Linc；　I　think　it's　best　no；〃　she　told　him。　〃We're　not　in　danger　now。　Let's　just　say　good…bye　now。〃
　〃Dinner。　Eight。　I'll　call　for　you。　You　pick　the　restaurant。　Shanghai　food。〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃No。　It's　too　heady　already。　Sorry。〃
　〃I'll　call　for　you　at　eight。〃　Bartlett　kissed　her　lightly；　then　went　to　the　door。　She　took　down　his　raincoat　and　held　it　out　for　him。　〃Thanks；〃　he　said　gently。　〃No　danger；　Orlanda。　Everything's　going　to　e　up　roses。　See　you　at　eight。　Okay？〃
　〃It's　best　not。〃
　〃Maybe。〃　He　smiled　down　at　her　strangely。　〃That'd　be　joss　…　karma。　We　must　remember　the　gods；　huh？〃　She　did　not　answer。　〃I'll　be　here　at　eight。〃
　She　closed　the　door　behind　him；　went　slowly　to　the　chair　and　sat；　deep　in　thought；　wondering　if　she　had　scared　him　off；　petrified　that　she　had。　Wondering　if　he　really　would　be　back　at　eight　and　if　he　did；　how　to　keep　him　off；　how　to　puppet　him　until　he　was　mad　with　desire；　mad　enough　to　marry　her。
　Her　stomach　twisted　uneasily。　I　have　to　be　fast；　she　thought。　Casey　holds　him　in　thrall；　she's　wrapped　her　coils　around　him　and　my　only　way　is　good　cooking　and　home　and　loving；　loving　loving　loving　and　everything　that　Casey　is　not。　But　no　pillow。　That's　the　way　Casey's　trapped　him。　I　have　to　do　the　same。
　Then　he'll　be　mine。
　Orlanda　felt　weak。　Everything　had　gone　perfectly；　she　decided。　Then　again　she　remembered　what　Gornt　had　said。　〃It's　the　law　of　the　ages　that　every　man　has　to　be　trapped　into　marriage；　trapped　by　his　own　lust　or　possessiveness　or　avarice　or　money　or　fear　or　laziness　or　whatever　but　trapped。　And　no　man　ever　willingly　marries　his　mistress。〃
　Yes。　Quillan's　right　again；　she　thought。　But　he's　wrong　about　me。　I'm　not　going　to　settle　for　half　the　prize。　I'm　going　to　try　for　all　of　it。　I'm　going　to　have　not　only　the　Jag　and　this　apartment　and　all　it　contains　but　a　house　in　California　and；　most　of　all；　American　wealth；　away　from　Asia；　where　I'll　no　longer　be　Eurasian　but　a　woman　like　any　other；　beautiful；　carefree　and　loving。
　Oh　I'll　make　him　the　best　wife　a　man　could　ever　have。　I'll　minister　to　his　every　need；　whatever　he　wants　I'll　do　for　him。　I　felt　his　strength　and　I'll　be　good　for　him；　wonderful　for　him。
　〃He's　gone？〃　Ah　Fat　wandered　noiselessly　into　the　room；　automatically　tidying　as　she　talked　the　Shanghai　dialect。　〃Good；　very　good。　Shall　I　make　some　tea？　You　must　be　tired。　Some　tea；　heya？〃
　〃No。　Yes；　yes　make　some；　Ah　Fat。〃
　〃Make　some　tea！　Work　work　work！〃　The　old　woman　shuffled　to　the　kitchen。　She　wore　black　baggy　pants　and　white　smock　and　her　hair　was　in　a　single　long　braid　that　hung　down　her　back。　She　had　looked　after　Orlanda　ever　since　she　was　born。　〃I　took　a　good　look　at　him　downstairs；　when　you　and　he　arrived。　For　an　uncivilized　person　he's　quite　presentable；〃　she　said　speculatively。
　〃Oh？　I　didn't　see　you。　Where　were　you？〃
　〃Down　by　the　stairs；〃　Ah　Fat　cackled。　〃Eeeee；　I　took　good　care　to　hide　but　I　wanted　to　look　at　him。　Huh！　You　send　your　poor　old　slave　out　into　the　wet　with　my　poor　old　bones　when　what　does　it　matter　if　I'm　here　or　not？　Who's　going　to　get　you　sweetmeats　and　tea　or　drinks　in　bed　when　you've　finished　your　labors；　heya？〃
　〃Oh　shut　up！　Shut　up！〃
　〃Don't　shut　up　your　poor　old　Mother！　She　knows　how　to　look　after　you！　Ah　yes；　Little　Empress；　but　it　was　quite　clear　on　both　of　you　the　yang　and　the　yin　were　ready　to　join　battle。　You　two　looked　as　happy　as　cats　in　a　barrel　of　fish！　But　there　was　no　need　for　me　to　leave！〃
　〃Foreign　devils　are　different；　Ah　Fat。　I　wanted　him　here　alone。　Foreign　devils　are　shy。　Now　make　the　tea　and　keep　quiet　or　I'll　send　you　out　again！〃
　〃Is　he　going　to　be　the　new　Master？〃　Ah　Fat　called　out　hopefully。　〃It's　about　time　you　had　a　Master；　not　good　for　a　person　not　to　have　a　Steaming　Stalk　at　the　Jade　Gate。　Your　Gate'll　shrivel　up　and　bee　as　dry　as　dust　from　the　little　use　it　gets！　Oh；　I　forgot　to　tell　you　two　pieces　of　news。　The　Werewolves　are　supposed　to　be　Macao　foreigners；　they'll　strike　again　before　the　new　moon。　That's　what　the　rumor　is。　Everyone　swears　it's　the　truth。　And　the　other's　that；　well；　Old　Cougher　Tok　at　the　fish　stall　says　this　foreign　devil　from　the　Golden　Mountain's　got　more　gold　than　Eunuch　Tung！〃　Tung　was　a　legendary　eunuch　at　the　Imperial　Court　in　the　Forbidden　City　of　Peking　whose　lust　for　gold　was　so　immense　that　all　China　could　not　satisfy　it；　he　was　hated　so　much　that　the　next　emperor　heaped　his　ill…gotten　gains　on　him　until　the　weight　of　the　gold　crushed　him　to　death。　〃You're　not　getting　younger；　Little　Mother！　We　should　be　serious。　Is　he　going　to　be　the　one？〃
　〃I　hope　so；〃　Orlanda　said　slowly。
　Oh　yes；　she　thought　fervently；　faint　with　anxiety；　knowing　that　Linc　Bartlett　was　the　single　most　important　opportunity　of　her　life。　Abruptly　she　was　petrified　again　that　she　had　overplayed　her　game　and　that　he　would　not　e　back。　She　burst　into　tears。
　
　Eight　floors　below；　Bartlett　crossed　the　small　foyer　and　went　outside　to　join　the　half　a　dozen　people　waiting　impatiently　for　a　taxi。　The　torrent　was　steady　now　and　it　gushed　off　the　concrete　overhang　to　join　the　flood　that　swirled　in　a　small　river　down　Kotewall　Road；　overflowing　the　gutters；　the　storm　drains　long　since　choked；　carrying　with　it　stones　and　mud　and　vegetation　that　came　off　the　high　banks　and　slopes　above。　Cars　and　trucks　grinding　cautiously　up　or　down　the　steep　road　splashed　through　the　whirlpools　and　eddies；　windshield　wipers　clicking；　windows　fogged。
　Across　the　road　the　land　rose　steeply　and　Bartlett　saw　the　multitude　of　rivulets　cascading　down　the　high　concrete　embankments　that　held　the　earth　in。　Weeds　grew　out　of　cracks。　Part　of　a　sodden　clump　fell　away　to　join　more　debris　and　stones　and　mud。　One　side　of　the　embankment　was　a　walled　garage　and；　up　the　slope；　a　half…hidden　ornate　Chinese　mansion　with　a　green　tiled　roof　and　dragons　on　its　gables。　Beside　it　was　scaffolding　of　a　building　site　and　excavations　for　a　high　rise。　Beside　that　was　another　apartment　block　that　vanished　into　the　overcast。
　So　much　building；　Bartlett　told　himself　critically。　Maybe　we　should　get　into　construction　here。　Too　many　people　chasing　too　little　land　means　profit；　huge　profit。　And　amortized　over　three　years　…　Jesus！
　A　taxi　swirled　up；　careless　of　the　puddles。　Passengers　got　out　and　others；　grumbling；　got　in。　A　Chinese　couple　came　out　of　the　entrance；　shoved　past　him　and　the　others　to　the　head　of　the　line　…　a　loud　chattering　matron　with　a　huge　umbrella；　an　expensive　raincoat　over　her　chong…sam；　her　husband　meek　and　mild　alongside　her。　Screw　you；　baby；　Bartlett　thought；　you're　not　going　to　take　my　turn。　He　moved　into　a　better　position。　His　watch　read　10：35。
　What　next；　he　asked　himself。　Don't　let　Orlanda　distract　you！
　Struan's　or　Gornt？
　Today's　skirmish　day；　tomorrow　…　Friday　…　tomorrow's　the　ball…breaker；　the　weekend's　for　regrouping；　Monday's　the　final　assault　and　by　3：00　p。m。　we　should　have　a　victor。
　Whom　do　I　want　to　win？　Dunross　or　Gornt？
　That　Gornt's　a　lucky　man　…　was　a　lucky　man；　he　thought；　bemused。　Jesus；　Orlanda's　something　else。　Would　I　have　quit　her　if　I'd　been　him？　Sure。　Sure　I　would。　Well　maybe　not　…　nothing　happened。　But　I'd've　married　her　the　moment　I　could　and　not　sent　our　child　packing　to　Portugal　…　that　Gornt's　a　no…good　son　of　a　bitch。　Or　goddamn　clever。　Which？
　She　laid　it　out　nice　and　clean　…　just　like　Casey　did　but　different　though　the　result's　the　same。　Now　everything's　plicated；　or　simple。　Which？
　Do　I　want　to　marry　her？　No。
　Do　I　want　to　let　her　drop？　No。
　Do　I　want　to　bed　her？　Sure。　So　mount　a　campaign；　maneuver　her　into　bed　without　mitments。　Don't　play　the　game　of　life　according　to　female　rules；　all's　fair　in　war　and　war。　What's　love　anyway？　It's　like　Casey　said；　sex's　only　a　part　of　it。
　Casey。　What　about　her？　Not　long　to　wait　for　Casey　now。　And　then；　is　it　bed　or　marriage　bells　or　good…bye　or　what？　Goddamned　if　I　want　to　get　married　again。　The　one　time　turned　out　lousy。　That's　strange；　I　haven't　thought　a