jamesclavell.noblehouse-第230部分

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　〃I'm　so　tired　of　face；　Peter。　In　the　future　。。。〃　Her　smile　was　equally　warm。　〃From　here　on　in；　in　my　book；　a　person's　going　to　gain　ass　…　or　arse　as　you　call　it　…　or　lose　it。〃
　He　laughed　with　her。　〃The　way　you　say　it　sounds　more　ladylike。〃
　〃I'm　no　lady。〃
　〃Oh　but　you　are。〃　He　added　more　gently；　〃I　saw　the　way　Linc　looked　at　you　at　Dunross's　party　too。　He　loves　you。　And　he'd　be　a　fool　to　swap　you　for　her。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Peter。〃　She　got　up　and　kissed　him　and　left；　at　peace。　When　she　got　out　of　the　elevator　on　her　floor；　Nighttime　Song　was　there。　He　padded　ahead　of　her　and　opened　her　door　with　a　flourish。　He　saw　her　eyes　go　to　the　door　at　the　end　of　the　corridor。
　〃Master　not　home；〃　he　volunteered　grandly。　〃Not　yet　e　back。〃
　Casey　sighed。　〃You've　just　lost　more　ass；　old　friend。〃
　〃Eh？〃
　She　shut　the　door；　feeling　pleased　with　herself。　In　bed；　she　began　to　read　again。　With　the　dawn　she　finished　the　book。　Then　she　slept。
　
　58
　
　9：25　A。M。：
　Dunross　came　around　the　corner　in　his　Jaguar　fast；　climbing　the　winding　road　easily；　then　turned　into　a　driveway　and　stopped　an　inch　from　the　tall　gates。　The　gates　were　set　into　high　walls。　In　a　moment　a　Chinese　porter　peered　through　the　side　door。　When　he　recognized　the　tai…pan　he　opened　the　gates　wide　and　waved　him　through。
　The　driveway　curled　and　stopped　outside　an　ornate　Chinese　mansion。　Dunross　got　out。　Another　servant　greeted　him　silently。　The　grounds　were　well　kept　and　down　a　slope　was　a　tennis　court　where　four　Chinese；　two　men　and　two　women；　were　playing　mixed　doubles。　They　paid　no　attention　to　him　and　Dunross　did　not　recognize　any　of　them。
　〃Please　follow　me；　tai…pan；〃　the　servant　said。
　Dunross　hid　his　curiosity　as　he　was　shown　into　an　anteroom。　This　was　the　first　time　he　or　anyone　that　he　knew　had　ever　been　invited　into　Tiptop's　home。　The　interior　was　clean　and　busy　with　the　strange；　careless　but　usual　Chinese　mixture　of　good　lacquer　antiques　and　ugly　modern　bric…a…brac。　Walls　were　paneled　and　ornate　with　a　few　bad　prints　hanging　on　them。　He　sat　down。　Another　servant　brought　tea　and　poured。
　Dunross　could　feel　that　he　was　being　observed　but　this　too　was　usual。　Most　of　these　old　houses　had　spyholes　in　the　walls　and　doors　…　there　were　many　even　in　the　Great　House。
　When　he　had　got　back　to　the　Great　House　this　morning　near　4：00　a。m。　he　had　gone　straight　to　his　study　and　opened　the　safe。　There　was　no　doubt；　with　even　a　cursory　glance；　that　one　of　the　two　remaining　coins　fitted　the　imprints　that　were　in　Four　Finger　Wu's　beeswax　matrix。　No　doubt　at　all。　His　fingers　were　trembling　when　he　broke　the　half…coin　from　its　restraining　sealing　wax　in　Dirk　Struan's　Bible　and　cleaned　it。　It　fitted　the　indentations　perfectly。
　〃Christ；〃　he　had　muttered。　〃Now　what？〃　Then　he　had　put　the　matrix　and　the　coin　back　into　the　safe。　His　eyes　saw　the　loaded　automatic　and　the　empty　space　where　AMG's　files　had　been。　Uneasily　he　had　relocked　the　safe　and　went　to　bed。　There　was　a　message　on　his　pillow：　〃Father　dear：　Will　you　wake　me　when　you　leave？　We　want　to　watch　the　tryouts。　Love；　Adryon。　P。S。　Can　I　invite　Martin　to　the　races　Saturday　please　please　please？　P。P。S。　I　think　he's　super。　P。P。P。S。　You're　super　too。　P。P。P。P。S。　You're　out　late；　aren't　you？　Now　it's　3：16！！！！〃
　He　had　tiptoed　to　her　room　and　opened　her　door　but　she　was　fast　asleep。　When　he　had　left　this　morning　he　had　had　to　knock　twice　to　awaken　her。　〃Adryon！　It's　6：30。〃
　〃Oh！　Is　it　raining？〃　she　said　sleepily。
　〃No。　Soon　will　be。　Shall　I　open　the　blinds？〃
　〃No；　Father　dear；　thank　you　。。。　doesn't　matter；　Martin　won't　。。。　won't　mind。〃　She　had　stifled　a　yawn。　Her　eyes　had　closed　and；　almost　instantly；　she　was　deep　asleep　again。
　Amused；　he　had　shaken　her　lightly　but　she　had　not　e　out　of　sleep。　〃Doesn't　matter；　Father。　Martin　won't　。。。〃　And　now；　remembering　how　lovely　she　was　and　what　his　wife　had　said　about　the　pill；　he　decided　to　make　a　very　serious　check　on　Martin　Haply。　Just　in　case。
　〃Ah；　tai…pan；　sorry　to　keep　you　waiting。〃
　Dunross　got　up　and　shook　the　outstretched　hand。　〃It's　good　of　you　to　see　me；　Mr。　Tip。　Sorry　to　hear　about　your　cold。〃
　Tip　Tok…toh　was　in　his　sixties；　graying；　with　a　round　nice　face。　He　wore　a　dressing　gown　and　his　eyes　were　red　and　his　nose　stuffed；　his　voice　a　little　hoarse。　〃It's　this　rotten　climate。　Last　weekend　I　went　sailing　with　Shitee　T'Chung　and　I　must've　caught　a　chill。〃　His　English　accent　was　slightly　American；　perhaps　Canadian。　Neither　Dunross　nor　Alastair　Struan　had　ever　been　able　to　draw　him　out　about　his　past；　nor　had　Johnjohn　or　the　other　bankers　any　knowledge　of　him　in　banking　circles　in　Nationalist　China　days；　pre…1949。　Even　Shitee　T'Chung　and　Phillip　Chen　who　entertained　him　lavishly　could　not　pry　anything　out　of　him。　The　Chinese　had　nicknamed　him　the　Oyster。
　〃The　weather　has　been　bad；〃　Dunross　agreed　pleasantly。　〃Thank　God　for　the　rain。〃
　Tiptop　motioned　to　the　man　beside　him。　〃This　is　an　associate；　Mr。　L'eung。〃
　The　man　was　nondescript。　He　wore　a　drab　Maoist　jacket　and　drab　trousers。　His　face　was　set　and　cold　and　guarded。　He　nodded。　Dunross　nodded　back。　〃Associate〃　could　cover　a　multitude　of　positions；　from　boss　to　interpreter；　from　missar　to　guard。
　〃Would　you　like　coffee？〃
　〃Thank　you。　Have　you　tried　vitamin　C　to　cure　your　cold？〃　Patiently　Dunross　began　the　formal　chitchat　that　would　precede　the　real　reason　for　the　meeting。　Last　night　while　he　was　waiting　for　Brian　Kwok　in　the　Quance　Bar　he　had　thought　Johnjohn's　proposal　was　worth　a　try　so　he　had　phoned　Phillip　Chen　then　and　asked　him　to　request　an　appointment　early　today。　It　would　have　been　just　as　easy　to　have　called　Tiptop　direct　but　that　was　not　correct　Chinese　protocol。　The　civilized　way　was　to　go　through　a　mutually　friendly　intermediary。　Then；　if　the　request　was　refused；　you　would　not　lose　face；　nor　would　the　other　person；　nor　would　the　intermediary。
　He　was　listening　to　Tiptop　with　only　half　his　head；　making　polite　conversation；　surprised　they　were　still　speaking　English；　because　of　L'eung。　This　could　only　mean　the　man's　English　was　also　perfect；　and；　possibly；　that　he　did　not　understand　either　Cantonese　or　Shanghainese　which　Tiptop　spoke　and　Dunross　was　fluent　in。　He　fenced　with　Tiptop；　waiting　for　the　opening　that　at　length　the　banker　would　give　him。　Then　it　came。
　〃This　stock　market　crash　on　your　stock　must　be　very　worrying　for　you；　tai…pan。〃
　〃Yes；　yes　it　is；　but　it's　not　a　crash；　Mr。　Tip；　just　a　readjustment。　The　market　ebbs　and　flows。〃
　〃And　Mr。　Gornt？〃
　〃Quillan　Gornt　is　Quillan　Gornt　and　always　snapping　at　our　heels。　All　crows　under　heaven　are　black。〃　Dunross　kept　his　voice　matter…of…fact；　wondering　how　much　the　man　knew。
　〃And　the　Ho…Pak　mess？　That's　a　readjustment　too？〃
　〃No；　no　that's　bad。　I'm　afraid　the　Ho…Pak's　out　of　luck。〃
　〃Yes；　Mr。　Dunross；　but　luck　hasn't　much　to　do　with　it。　It's　the　capitalistic　system；　that　and　ineptness　by　Banker　Kwang。〃
　Dunross　said　nothing。　His　eyes　flicked　momentarily　to　L'eung　who　sat　stiffly；　immobile　and　very　attentive。　His　ears　were　concentrated　and　so　was　his　mind；　seeking　the　oblique　currents　under　what　was　said。　〃I'm　not　party　to　Mr。　Kwang's　business；　Mr。　Tip。　Unfortunately　the　run　on　the　Ho…Pak's　spilling　over　to　other　banks　and　that's　very　bad　for　Hong　Kong　and　also；　I　think；　bad　for　the　People's　Republic　of　China。〃
　〃Not　bad　for　the　People's　Republic　of　China。　How　can　it　be　bad　for　us？〃
　〃China　is　China；　the　Middle　Kingdom。　We　of　the　Noble　House　have　always　considered　China　to　be　the　mother　and　father　of　our　house。　Now　our　base　in　Hong　Kong's　under　siege；　a　siege　that's　actually　meaningless　…　just　a　temporary　lack　of　confidence　and　a　week　or　so　of　cash。　Our　banks　have　all　the　reserves　and　all　of　the　wealth　and　strength　they　need　to　perform　。。。　for　old　friends；　old　customers　and　ourselves。〃
　〃Then　why　don't　they　print　more　money　if　the　currency's　so　strong？〃
　〃It's　a　matter　of　time；　Mr。　Tip。　It's　not　possible　for　the　mint　to　print　enough　Hong　Kong　money。〃　Even　more　patiently；　Dunross　answered　the　questions；　knowing　now　that　most　were　for　the　benefit　of　L'eung；　which　suggested　L'eung　was　senior　to　Tiptop；　a　more　senior　Party　member；　a　nonbanker。　〃Our　interim　solution　would　be　to　bring　in；　at　once；　a　few　aircraft　l