jamesclavell.noblehouse-第185部分

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　〃What　about　him？〃
　〃Last　month　Crosse　had　dinner　with　him。　In　his　flat。〃
　Armstrong　rubbed　his　face　nervously。　〃That　proves　nothing。　Listen；　tomorrow；　tomorrow　we　get　the　files。　Tomorrow　Sind…　〃
　〃Perhaps　we　won't　get　to　read　them。〃
　〃Personally　I　don't　give　a　shit。　That's　SI　business　and　I'm　CID　and　that's　wh…　〃
　A　knock　stopped　him。　The　door　opened。　A　Chinese　waiter　came　in　with　a　tray　and　two　tankards　of　cold　beer　and　beamed　toothily。　〃Afternoon；　sah；〃　he　said；　offering　one　to　Brian　Kwok。　He　gave　the　other　to　Armstrong　and　went　out。
　〃Good　luck；〃　Armstrong　said；　hating　himself。　He　drank　deeply　then　went　to　his　safe　to　lock　the　tape　away。
　Brian　Kwok　studied　him。　〃You　sure　you're　all　right；　old　chum？〃
　〃Yes；　yes　of　course。〃
　〃What　did　the　old　woman　say？〃
　〃In　the　beginning　she　told　lots　of　lies；　lots　of　them。　And　then　the　truth。　All　of　it。　I'll　tell　you　over　lunch；　Brian。　You　know　how　it　is　…　you　catch　the　lies　eventually；　if　you're　patient。　I'm　fed　up　with　lies。〃　Armstrong　finished　his　beer。　〃Christ；　I　needed　that。〃
　〃Do　you　want　mine　too？　Here。〃
　〃No；　no　thanks；　but　it's　me　for　a　whiskey　and　soda　before　curry　and　maybe　another　one。　Drink　up　and　let's　get　the　show　on　the　road。〃
　Brian　Kwok　put　his　half…empty　tankard　down。　〃That's　enough　for　me。〃　He　lit　a　cigarette。　〃How's　the　nonsmoking　going？〃
　〃Rough。〃　Armstrong　watched　him　inhale　deeply。　〃Anything　on　Voranski？　Or　his　assassins？〃
　〃They　vanished　into　thin　air。　We've　got　their　photos　so　we'll　catch　them；　unless　they're　over　the　border。〃
　〃Or　in　Taiwan。〃
　After　a　pause；　Brian　Kwok　nodded。　〃Or　Macao　or　North　Korea；　Vietnam　or　wherever。　The　minister's　hopping　mad　with　Crosse　over　Voranski；　so's　MI…6；　so's　the　CIA。　The　CIA　top　echelon　in　London　have　been　chewing　the　minister's　tail　so　he's　passing　it　on。　We'd　better　get　those　buggers　before　Rosemont　or　we'll　lose　all　face。　Rosemont's　under　fire　too　to　e　up　with　their　heads。　I　hear　he's　got　every　man　out　looking；　thinking　it's　to　do　with　Sevrin；　and　the　carrier。　He's　petrified　there's　going　to　be　an　incident　involving　the　nuclear　carrier。〃　Brian　Kwok　added；　his　voice　hardening；　〃Bloody　stupid　to　offend　the　PRC　by　bringing　her　here。　That　monster's　an　open　invitation　to　every　agent　in　Asia。〃
　〃If　I　was　Soviet　I'd　try　to　infiltrate　her。　SI's　probably　trying　right　now。　Crosse'd　love　to　have　a　plant　aboard。　Why　not？〃　The　big　man　watched　the　smoke　curling。　〃If　I　was　Nationalist　perhaps　I'd　plant　a　few　mines　and　blame　the　PRC　…　or　vice　versa　and　blame　Chiang　Kai…shek。〃
　〃That's　what　the　CIA'd　do　to　get　everyone　hopping　mad　at　China。〃
　〃e　off　it；　Brian！〃
　Brian　Kwok　took　a　last　sip　then　got　up。　〃That's　enough　for　me。　e　on。〃
　〃Just　a　moment。〃　Armstrong　dialed。　〃This's　Armstrong；　set　up　another　session　at　1700　hours　for　V…11…3。　I'll　want　。。。〃　He　stopped；　seeing　his　friend's　eyes　flutter；　then　glaze　and　he　caught　him　easily　as　he　fell　and　let　him　slump　back　in　the　chair。　Out　of　himself；　almost　watching　himself；　he　put　the　phone　back　on　its　cradle。　Now　there　was　nothing　for　him　to　do　but　wait。
　I've　done　my　job；　he　thought。
　The　door　opened。　Crosse　came　in。　Behind　him　were　three　plain…clothed　SI　agents；　all　British；　all　senior　agents；　all　taut…faced　and　tense。　Quickly　one　of　the　men　put　a　thick　black　hood　over　Brian　Kwok's　head；　picked　him　up　easily　and　went　out；　the　others　following。
　Now　that　it　was　done　Robert　Armstrong　felt　nothing；　no　remorse　or　shock　or　anger。　Nothing。　His　head　told　him　that　there　was　no　mistake　though　his　head　still　told　him　equally　that　his　friend　of　almost　twenty　years　could　not　possibly　be　a　munist　mole。　But　he　was。　The　proof　was　irrefutable。　The　evidence　he　had　found　proved　conclusively　that　Brian　Kwok　was　the　son　of　Fang…ling　Wu；　Ah　Tam's　old　employer；　when　according　to　his　birth　certificate　and　personal　records　his　mother　and　father　were　supposed　to　have　been　surnamed　Kwok　and　murdered　by　munists　in　Canton　in　'43。　One　of　the　photographs　had　showed　Brian　Kwok　standing　beside　a　tiny　Chinese　lady　in　front　of　a　pharmacy　at　a　crossroads　in　a　village。　The　quality　was　poor　but　more　than　good　enough　to　read　the　characters　of　the　shop　sign　and　to　recognize　a　face；　his　face。　In　the　background　was　an　ancient　car。　Behind　it　stood　a　European；　his　face　half　turned　away。　Spectacles　Wu　had　identified　the　store　as　the　pharmacy　at　the　crossroads　in　Ning…tok；　the　property　of　the　Tok…ling　Wu　family。　Ah　Tam　had　identified　the　woman　as　her　mistress。
　〃And　the　man？　Who's　the　man　standing　beside　her？〃
　〃Oh　that's　her　son；　Lord。　I've　told　you。　He's　Second　Son　Chu…toy。　Now　he　lives　with　the　foreign　devils　across　the　sea　in　the　north；　the　north　of　the　Land　of　the　Golden　Mountains；〃　the　old　woman　had　whimpered　from　the　white　room。
　〃You're　lying　again。〃
　〃Oh　no；　Lord；　he's　her　son；　Chu…toy。　He's　her　Second　Son　and　he　was　born　in　Ning…tok　and　I　helped　deliver　him　with　my　own　hands。　He　was　Mother's　second　born　who　went　away　as　a　child。　。。。〃
　〃He　went　away？　He　went　where？〃
　〃To　。。。　to　the　Rain　Country；　then　to　the　Golden　Mountains。　Now　he　has　a　restaurant　and　two　sons。　。。。　He's　a　businessman　there　and　he　came　to　see　Father。　。。。　Father　was　dying　then　and　he　came　as　a　dutiful　son　should　e　but　then　he　went　away　and　Mother　wept　and　wept。　。。。〃
　〃How　often　did　he　visit　his　parents？〃
　〃Oh；　it　was　only　once。　Lord；　only　that　once。　Now　he　lives　so　far　away；　in　such　a　far　place；　such　a　far　place　but　he　came　as　a　dutiful　son　should　and　then　he　left。　It　was　just　by　chance　I　saw　him；　Lord。　Mother　had　sent　me　to　visit　some　relations　in　the　next　village　but　I　was　lonely　and　I　came　back　early　and　saw　him。　。。。　It　was　just　before　he　left。　The　young　Master　left　in　a　foreign　devil　car。　。。。〃
　〃Where　did　he　get　the　motorcar？　It　was　his？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　Lord。　There　was　no　car　in　Ning…tok。　Even　the　village　mittee　did　not　possess　one；　even　Father　who　was　the　pharmacist　in　our　village。　Poor　Father　who　died　in　such　pain。　He　was　a　member　of　the　mittee。　。。。　They　left　us　alone；　Chairman　Mao's　people；　the　Outsiders。　。。。　Yes　they　did　because　though　Father　was　an　intellectual　and　pharmacist　he　was　always　a　secret　Mao　supporter　though　I　never　knew。　Lord；　I　swear　I　never　knew。　Chairman　Mao's　people　left　us　alone；　Lord。〃
　〃What　was　his　name；　the　son　of　your　Mistress？　The　man　in　the　photo？〃　he　had　repeated；　trying　to　shake　her。
　〃Chu…toy　Wu；　Lord；　he　was　her　second　born。　。。。　I　remember　when　he　was　sent　from　Ning…tok　to　。。。　to　this　foul　place；　this　Fragrant　Harbor。　He　was　five　or　six　and　he　was　sent　to　an　uncle　here　and…　〃
　〃What　was　the　uncle's　name？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　Lord；　I　was　never　told；　I　only　remember　Mother　weeping　and　weeping　when　Father　sent　him　away　to　school。　。。。　Can　I　go　home　please　now；　I'm　tired；　please。　。。。〃
　〃When　you　tell　us　what　we　want　to　know。　If　you　tell　us　the　truth。〃
　〃Oh　I　tell　you　the　truth；　anything　anything。　。。。〃
　〃He　was　sent　to　school　in　Hong　Kong？　Where？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　Lord；　my　Mistress　never　said；　only　to　school　and　then　she　put　him　out　of　her　mind　and　so　did　I；　oh　yes；　it　was　better；　because　he　was　gone　forever；　you　know　always　second　sons　must　leave。　。。。〃
　〃When　did　Chu…toy　Wu　return　to　Ning…tok？〃
　〃It　was　some　years　ago　when　Father　was　dying。　He　only　returned　that　once；　it　was　only　once。　Lord；　don't　you　remember　me　saying；　I　remember　saying　that。　Yes　it　was　the　once　of　the　photo。　Mother　insisted　on　the　photo　and　wept　and　begged　him　to　have　one　taken　with　her。　。。。　Surely　she　felt　the　hand　of　death　on　her　now　that　Father　had　gone　and　she　was　truly　alone　。。。　Oh　she　wept　and　wept　so　Chu…toy　let　her　have　her　way　as　a　dutiful　son　should　and　my　Mistress　was　so　pleased。　。。。〃
　〃And　the　barbarian　in　the　photo；　who　is　he？〃　The　man　was　half　turned　around；　in　the　background；　not　easy　to　recognize　if　you　did　not　know　him；　standing　beside　the　car　that　was　parked　beside　the　pharmacy。　He　was　a　tall　man；　European；　crumpled　clothes　and　nondescript。
　〃I　don't　know；　Lord。　He　was　the　driver　and　he　drove　Chu…toy　away　but　the　mittee　of　the　village　and　Chu…toy　himself　bowed　many　times　to　him　and　it　was　said　he　was　very　important。　He　was　the　first　foreign　devil　I　had　ever　seen；　Lord。　。。。〃
　〃And　the　people　in　the　other　photograph？　Who're　they？〃　This　photograph　was　ancient；　almost