jamesclavell.noblehouse-第20部分

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　〃And　wait；〃　Armstrong　said。　〃One　day　they'll　e　for　both　of　them。　His　grandson　must　be　six　or　seven　now。〃
　Dunross　said；　〃I　think　you　prove　my　point。　Tsu…yan's　not　like　him　and　never　was。　And　what　possible　use　could　Tsu…yan　have　for　a　few　M14's？　If　he　wanted　to；　I　imagine　he　could　muster　half　the　Nationalist　army　along　with　a　battalion　of　tanks。〃
　〃In　Taiwan　but　not　in　Hong　Kong。〃
　〃Has　Tsu…yan　ever　been　involved　with　Bartlett？〃　Armstrong　asked。　〃In　your　negotiations？〃
　〃Yes。　He　was　in　New　York　once　and　in　Los　Angeles　on　our　behalf。　Both　times　with　John　Chen。　They　initialed　the　agreement　between　Struan's　and　Par…Con　Industries　which　is　to　be　finalized　…　or　abandoned　…　here　this　month；　and　they　formally　invited　Bartlett　to　Hong　Kong　on　my　behalf。〃
　Armstrong　glanced　at　his　Chinese　partner。　Then　he　said；　〃When　was　this？〃
　〃Four　months　ago。　It's　taken　that　time　for　both　sides　to　prepare　all　the　details。〃
　〃John　Chen；　eh？〃　Armstrong　said。　〃He　certainly　could　be　Noble　House　Chen。〃
　〃You　know　John's　not　the　type；〃　Dunross　said。　'There's　no　reason　why　he　should　be　mixed　up　in　such　a　ploy。　It　must　be　just　coincidence。〃
　〃There's　another　curious　coincidence；〃　Brian　Kwok　said。　〃Tsu…yan　and　John　Chen　both　know　an　American　called　Banastasio；　at　least　both　have　been　seen　in　his　pany。　Does　that　name　mean　anything？〃
　〃No。　Who's　he？〃
　〃A　big…time　gambler　and　suspected　racketeer。　He's　also　supposed　to　be　closely　connected　with　one　of　the　Cosa　Nostra　families。　Vincenzo　Banastasio。〃
　Dunross's　eyes　narrowed。　〃You　said；　'seen　in　his　pany。'　Who　did　the　seeing？〃
　〃The　FBI。〃
　The　silence　thickened　a　little。
　Armstrong　reached　into　his　pocket　for　a　cigarette。
　Dunross　pushed　across　the　silver　cigarette　box。　〃Here。〃
　〃Oh；　thanks。　No；　I　won't　…　I　wasn't　thinking。　I've　stopped　for　the　last　couple　of　weeks。　It's　a　killer。〃　Then　he　added；　trying　to　curb　the　desire；　〃The　FBI　passed　the　info　on　to　us　because　Tsu…yan　and　Mr。　John　Chen　are　so　prominent　here。　They　asked　us　to　keep　an　eye　on　them。〃
　Then　Dunross　suddenly　remembered　Foxwell's　remark　about　a　prominent　capitalist　who　was　a　secret　munist　that　they　were　watching　in　Sinclair　Towers。　Christ；　he　thought；　Tsu…yan's　got　a　flat　there；　and　so　has　John　Chen。　Surely　it's　impossible　either'd　be　mixed　up　with　munists。
　〃Of　course　heroin's　big　business；〃　Armstrong　was　saying；　his　voice　very　hard。
　〃What　does　that　mean；　Robert？〃
　〃The　drug　racket　requires　huge　amounts　of　money　to　finance　it。　That　kind　of　money　can　only　e　from　banks　or　bankers；　covertly　of　course。　Tsu…yan's　on　the　board　of　a　number　of　banks　…　so's　Mr。　Chen。〃
　〃Robert；　you'd　better　go　very　slow　on　that　sort　of　remark；〃　Dunross　grated。　〃You　are　drawing　very　dangerous　conclusions　without　any　proof　whatsoever。　That's　actionable　I'd　imagine　and　I　won't　have　it。〃
　〃You're　right；　sorry。　I　withdraw　the　coincidence。　Even　so；　the　drug　trade's　big　business；　and　it's　here　in　Hong　Kong　in　abundance；　mostly　for　ultimate　U。S。　consumption。　Somehow　I'm　going　to　find　out　who　our　nasties　are。〃
　〃That's　mendable。　And　you'll　have　all　the　help　you　want　from　Struan's　and　me。　I　hate　the　traffic　too。〃
　〃Oh　I　don't　hate　it；　tai…pan；　or　the　traffickers。　It's　a　fact　of　life。　It's　just　another　business　…　illegal　certainly　but　still　a　business。　I've　been　given　the　job　of　finding　out　who　the　tai…pans　are。　It's　a　matter　of　personal　satisfaction；　that's　all。〃
　〃If　you　want　help；　just　ask。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃　Armstrong　got　up　wearily。　〃Before　we　go　there're　a　couple　more　coincidences　for　you。　When　Tsu…yan　and　Noble　House　Chen　were　named　this　morning　we　thought　we'd　like　to　chat　with　them　right　away；　but　shortly　after　we　ambushed　the　guns　Tsu…yan　caught　the　early　flight　to　Taipei。　Curious　eh？〃
　〃He's　back　and　forth　all　the　time；〃　Dunross　said；　his　disquiet　soaring。　Tsu…yan　was　expected　at　his　party　this　evening。　It　would　be　extraordinary　if　he　did　not　appear。
　Armstrong　nodded。　〃It　seems　it　was　a　last…minute　decision　…　no　reservation；　no　ticket；　no　luggage；　just　a　few　extra　dollars　under　the　counter　and　someone　was　bounced　off　and　him　on。　He　was　carrying　only　a　briefcase。　Strange；　eh？〃
　Brian　Kwok　said；　〃We　haven't　a　hope　in　hell　of　extraditing　him　from　Taiwan。〃
　Dunross　studied　him　then　looked　back　at　Armstrong；　his　eyes　steady　and　the　color　of　sea　ice。　〃You　said　there　were　a　couple　of　coincidences。　What's　the　other？〃
　〃We　can't　find　John　Chen。〃
　〃What're　you　talking　about？〃
　〃He's　not　at　home；　or　at　his　lady　friend's；　or　at　any　of　his　usual　haunts。　We've　been　watching　him　and　Tsu…yan　off　and　on　for　months；　ever　since　the　FBI　tipped　us。〃
　The　silence　gathered。　〃You've　checked　his　boat？〃　Dunross　asked；　sure　that　they　had。
　〃She's　at　her　moorings；　hasn't　been　out　since　yesterday。　His　boat…boy　hasn't　seen　him　either。〃
　〃Golf　course？〃
　〃No；　he's　not　there；〃　Armstrong　said。　〃Nor　at　the　racetrack。　He　wasn't　at　the　workout；　though　he　was　expected；　his　trainer　said。　He's　gone；　vanished；　scarpered。〃
　
　6
　
　11：15　A。M。：
　There　was　a　stunned　silence　in　the　boardroom。
　〃What's　wrong？〃　Casey　asked。　〃The　figures　speak　for　themselves。〃
　The　four　men　around　the　table　looked　at　her。　Andrew　Gavallan；　Linbar　Struan；　Jacques　deVille　and　Phillip　Chen；　all　members　of　the　Inner　Court。
　Andrew　Gavallan　was　tall　and　thin　and　forty…seven。　He　glanced　at　the　sheaf　of　papers　in　front　of　him。　Dew　neh　loh　moh　on　all　women　in　business；　he　thought　irritably。　〃Perhaps　we　should　check　with　Mr。　Bartlett；〃　he　said　uneasily；　still　very　unsettled　that　they　were　expected　to　deal　with　a　woman。
　〃I've　already　told　you　I　have　authority　in　all　these　areas；〃　she　said；　trying　to　be　patient。　〃I'm　treasurer　and　executive　vice…president　of　Par…Con　Industries　and　empowered　to　negotiate　with　you。　We　confirmed　that　in　writing　last　month。〃　Casey　held　her　temper。　The　meeting　had　been　very　heavy　going。　From　their　initial　shock　that　she　was　a　woman　to　their　inevitable；　overpolite　awkwardness；　waiting　for　her　to　sit；　waiting　for　her　to　talk；　then　not　sitting　until　she　had　asked　them　to；　making　small　talk；　not　wanting　to　get　down　to　business；　not　wishing　to　negotiate　with　her　as　a　person；　a　business　person；　at　all；　saying　instead　that　their　wives　would　be　delighted　to　take　her　shopping；　then　gaping　because　she　knew　all　the　intimate　details　of　their　projected　deal。　It　was　all　part　of　a　pattern　that；　normally；　she　could　deal　with。　But　not　today。　Jesus；　she　thought；　I've　got　to　succeed。　I've　got　to　get　through　to　them。
　〃It's　really　quite　easy；〃　she　had　said　initially；　trying　to　clear　their　awkwardness　away；　using　her　standard　opening。　〃Forget　that　I'm　a　woman　…　judge　me　on　my　ability。　Now；　there　are　three　subjects　on　our　agenda：　the　polyurethane　factories；　our　puter…leasing　representation　and　last；　general　representation　of　our　petrochemical　products；　fertilizers；　pharmaceutical　and　sports　goods　throughout　Asia。　First　let's　sort　out　the　polyurethane　factories；　the　chemical　mix　supplies　and　a　projected　time　schedule　for　the　financing。〃　At　once　she　gave　them　graphics　and　prepared　documentation；　verbally　synopsized　all　the　facts；　figures　and　percentages；　bank　charges　and　interest　charges；　simply　and　very　quickly；　so　that　even　the　slowest　brain　could　grasp　the　project。　And　now　they　were　staring　at　her。
　Andrew　Gavallan　broke　the　silence。　〃That's　。。。　that's　very　impressive；　my　dear。〃
　〃Actually　I'm　not　your　'dear；'　〃　she　said　with　a　laugh。　〃I'm　very　hard…nosed　for　my　corporation。〃
　〃But　mademoiselle；〃　Jacques　deVille　said　with　a　suave　Gallic　charm；　〃your　nose　is　perfect　and　not　hard　at　all。〃
　〃Merci；　monsieur；〃　she　replied　at　once；　and　added　lightly　in　passable　French；　〃but　please　may　we　leave　the　shape　of　my　nose　for　the　moment　and　discuss　the　shape　of　this　deal。　It's　better　not　to　mix　the　two；　don't　you　think？〃
　Another　silence。
　Linbar　Struan　said；　〃Would　you　like　some　coffee？〃
　〃No　thanks；　Mr。　Struan；〃　Casey　said；　being　careful　to　conform　to　their　customs　and　not　to　call　them　by　their　Christian　names　too　early。　〃May　we　zero　in　on　this　proposal？　It's　the　one　we　sent　you　last　month。　。。。　I've　tried　to　cover　your　problems　as　well　as　ours。〃
　There　was　another　silence。　Linbar　Struan；　thirty…four；　very　good…looking　with　sandy　hair　and　blue　eyes　wit