jamesclavell.noblehouse-第233部分

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　〃Do　you　want　me　to　pass　this　information　on　privately　or　publicly？　I　will　quote　you　verbatim　if　you　wish。〃
　〃Privately　to　the　CIA；　but　not　before　next　Monday　at　6：00　p。m。　Okay？　Then　next　month；　after　our　Canton　meeting；　it's　public。　Okay；　Mr。　Dunross？〃
　〃Very　well。　Can　you　give　me　the　name　of　the　house　seller；　the　date；　any　details？〃　Yu　took　out　a　typed　slip　of　paper。
　Dunross　glanced　at　it。　〃Thank　you。〃　There　were　two　names　and　addresses　and　phone　numbers　in　Beverly　Hills。　〃Both　the　same　refusal？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃I'll　take　care　of　it　for　you；　Dr。　Yu。〃
　〃You　think　that's　petty；　huh？〃
　〃No；　I　don't　think　so　at　all。　I'm　just　so　sorry　that　it　happened　and　happens　everywhere　…　to　all　sorts　of　people。　It's　greatly　saddening。〃　Dunross　hesitated。　〃It　happens　in　China；　Japan；　here　all　over　the　world。　Chinese　and　Japanese；　Vietnamese；　all　manner　of　people；　Dr。　Yu；　are　sometimes　equally　intolerant　and　bigoted。　Most　times　very　much　more　so。　Aren't　we　all　called　quai　loh？〃
　〃It　shouldn't　happen　Stateside　…　not　Americans　to　Americans。　That's　my　bitch。〃
　〃Do　you　think　once　you're　inside　China；　you'll　be　allowed　to　go　in　and　out　freely？〃
　〃No。　But　I　don't　give　a　damn　about　that。　I'm　going　freely。　I'm　not　being　tempted　by　money　or　being　blackmailed　to　go。　I'm　just　going。〃
　〃What　about　NASA？　I'm　surprised　they　allowed　such　nonsense　to　happen　in　the　first　place。〃
　〃Oh　we　had　a　fine　house　on　offer；　but　it　wasn't　where　we　wanted　to　live。　Betty　wanted　that　goddamn　house　and　we　had　the　money　and　position　to　pay　for　it；　but　we　couldn't　get　in。　It　wasn't　just　that　son　of　a　bitch；　it　was　the　neighborhood　too。〃　Yu　wiped　a　thread　of　hair　out　of　his　eyes。　〃They　didn't　want　us　so　I'm　going　where　I　am　wanted。　What　about　China　having　a　nuclear　retaliatory　strike　force　of　its　own？　Like　the　French；　eh？　What　do　you　think　of　that？〃
　〃The　idea　of　anyone　having　A…　or　H…bomb　tipped　rockets　fills　me　with　horror。〃
　〃They're　just　the　weapons　of　the　day；　Mr。　Dunross；　just　the　weapons　of　the　day。〃
　
　〃Jesus　Christ！〃　Johnjohn　said；　aghast。
　Havergill　was　equally　shocked。　〃Dr。　Joseph　Yu's　really　top　bracket；　Ian？〃
　〃Absolutely。　I　phoned　a　friend　in　Washington。　Yu's　one　of　two　or　three　in　the　world　…　rockets　and　rocket　fuel。〃　It　was　after　lunch。　Dunross　had　just　told　them　what　had　transpired　this　morning。　〃It's　also　true　no　one　knows　he's　going　over　the　border；　even　that　he's　left　Hawaii　where　he's　supposed　to　be　on　vacation　…　he　told　me　he　traveled　here　quite　openly。〃
　〃Christ；〃　Johnjohn　said　again。　〃If　China　gets　experts　like　him　。。。〃　He　twisted　the　paper　knife　that　was　on　Havergill's　desk。　〃Ian；　have　you　considered　telling　Roger　Crosse；　or　Rosemont　to　prevent　that？〃
　〃Of　course；　but　I　can't　do　that。　I　absolutely　can't。〃
　〃Of　course　Ian　can't！　Have　you　considered　what's　at　stake？〃　Havergill　jerked　an　angry　thumb　at　the　window。　Fourteen　floors　below　he　could　see　an　impatient；　angry　mob　of　people　trying　to　get　into　the　bank；　the　police　stretched　very　thin　now。　〃Let's　not　delude　ourselves；　the　run　is　on；　we're　getting　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　barrel。　We　barely　have　enough　cash　to　last　the　day；　barely　enough　to　pay　government　employees。　Thank　God　it's　Saturday　tomorrow！　If　Ian　says　there's　a　chance　we　could　get　China's　cash；　of　course　he　can't　risk　giving　away　such　a　confidence！　Ian；　did　you　hear　the　Ho…Pak's　closed　its　doors？〃
　〃No。　I've　been　chasing　around　like　a　blue…arsed　fly　since　I　left　Tiptop。〃
　〃The　Ching　Prosperity　closed　too；　the　Far　East　and　India's　tottering；　Blacs　is　eking　out　its　reserves　and　like　us；　praying　they　can　last　the　next　half　an　hour　to　closing。〃　He　shoved　the　phone　across　his　pristine　desk。　〃Ian；　please　call　Tiptop　now；　it's　just　2：30。〃
　Dunross　kept　his　face　stony　and　his　voice　level。　〃There're　a　couple　of　things　to　settle　first；　Paul。　What　about　the　thorium　imports？〃　He　had　told　them　he　had　contacted　Photographer　Ng　who　had　happily　given　him　an　immediate　firm　order　for　as　much　of　the　rare　earth　as　he　could　obtain。　〃Will　you　provide　the　foreign　exchange？〃
　〃Yes；　provided　the　trade　is　not　restricted。〃
　〃I'll　need　that　in　writing。〃
　〃You'll　have　it　before　closing　tonight。　Please　call　him　now。〃
　〃In　ten　minutes。　It's　a　matter　of　face。　You'll　agree　to　having　a　permanent　Bank　of　China　contact　in　the　building？〃
　〃Yes。　I'm　sure　they'll　never　let　one　of　our　people　inside　their　building；　but　no　matter。〃　Havergill　glanced　at　his　watch　again；　then　looked　at　Johnjohn。　〃The　fellow'd　have　to　be　monitored　and　we　might　have　to　change　a　few　procedures　for　security；　eh？〃
　Johnjohn　nodded。　〃Yes；　but　that　shouldn't　cause　any　problem；　Paul。　If　it　was　Tiptop　himself；　that　would　be　perfect。　Ian；　do　you　think　there's　a　chance？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　Now；　what　about　the　Yu　trade？〃
　Havergill　said；　〃We　can't　finance　any　smuggling。　You　would　of　necessity　be　on　your　own。〃
　〃Who　said　anything　about　smuggling？〃
　〃Quite。　Then　let　me　say　we'll　have　to　take　a　careful　look　at　the　Yu　trade　when　and　if　you　are　asked　to　assist　them。〃
　〃e　on；　Paul；　you　know　damn　well　it's　part　of　the　deal　…　if　there's　a　deal。　Why　else　would　they　have　wanted　me　to　meet　him？〃
　Johnjohn　interjected；　〃Why　not　table　that　one；　Ian？　We'll　bend　every　which　way　to　assist　you　when　the　time　es。　You　told　Yu　the　same　thing　…　that　you'd　wait　and　see　but　no　actual　mitment；　eh？〃
　〃But　you　agree　to　help　in　every　way　to　assist　me？〃
　〃Yes；　on　this　and　the　thorium。〃
　〃Then　what　about　my　loan？〃
　Paul　Havergill　said；　〃I'm　not　permitted　to　grant　it；　Ian。　We've　already　been　through　that。〃
　〃Then　call　a　board　meeting　right　now。〃
　〃I'll　consider　it。　Let's　see　how　things're　going；　eh？〃　Paul　Havergill　pressed　a　button　and　spoke　into　the　small　speaker。　〃Stock　Exchange；　please。〃
　In　a　moment　a　voice　came　over　the　speaker。　Behind　the　voice　they　could　hear　pandemonium。　〃Yes；　Mr。　Havergill？〃
　〃Charles；　what's　the　latest？〃
　〃The　whole　market's　off　28　points　。。。〃　Both　bankers　blanched。　The　small　vein　in　Dunross's　forehead　was　pulsing。　〃。。。　and　it　looks　like　the　beginning　of　a　panic。　The　bank's　off　7　points；　Struan's　is　down　to　11。50　。。。〃
　〃Christ！〃　Johnjohn　muttered。
　〃。。。　Rothwell…Gornt　off　7；　Hong　Kong　Power　off　5；　Asian　Land　11　。。。　everything's　skidding。　All　bank　stocks　are　tumbling。　The　Ho…Pak's　frozen　at　12　and　when　it　gets　unfrozen　it'll　go　to　a　dollar。　The　Far　East　and　India　is　only　paying　out　maximum　1；000　a　customer。〃
　Havergill's　nervousness　increased。　Far　East　was　one　of　the　biggest　in　the　Colony。
　〃I　hate　to　be　a　pessimist　but　it　looks　like　New　York　in　'29！　I　th…　〃　The　voice　was　drowned　out　by　a　surge　of　shouting。　〃Sorry；　there's　another　huge　sell　offering　up　on　Struan's；　200；000　shares。　。。。〃
　〃Christ；　where　the　hell's　all　the　stock　ing　from？〃　Johnjohn　asked。
　〃From　every　Tom；　Dick　and　Harry　in　Hong　Kong；〃　Dunross　said　coldly。　〃Including　the　Victoria。〃
　〃We　had　to　protect　our　investors；〃　Havergill　said；　then　added　into　the　mike；　〃Thank　you；　Charles。　Call　me　back　at　a　quarter　to　three。〃　He　clicked　the　speaker　off。　〃There's　your　answer；　Ian。　I　cannot　in　all　conscience　remend　to　the　board　we　bail　you　out　with　another　unsecured　100　million　loan。〃
　〃Are　you　going　to　call　a　board　meeting　right　now　or　not？〃
　〃Your　stock's　plunging。　You've　no　assets　to　pledge　to　support　the　run　on　your　stock；　your　bank　holdings　are　already　pledged；　the　stock　in　your　treasury　gets　more　valueless　every　minute。　On　Monday　or　Tuesday；　Gornt　will　buy　back　in　and　then　he'll　control　Struan's。〃
　Dunross　watched　him。　〃You'll　let　Gornt　take　us　over？　I　don't　believe　you。　You'll　buy　in　before　he　does。　Or　have　you　already　made　a　deal　to　split　up　Struan's　between　you？〃
　〃No　deal。　Not　yet。　But　if　you'll　resign　from　Struan's　right　now；　agree　in　writing　to　sell　us　as　much　of　your　treasury　stock　as　we　want　at　market　price　at　Monday's　closing；　agree　to　appoint　a　new　tai…pan　of　our　board's　choosing；　we'll　announce　that　we're　supporting　Struan's　totally。〃
　〃When　would　you　make　the　announcement？〃
　〃Monday　at　3：10。〃
　〃In　other　words　you'll　give　me　nothing。〃
　〃You've　always　said　the　best　thing　about　Hong　Kong　was　that　it　was　a　free　marketplace；　where　the　strong　survive　and　the　weak　perish。　Why　didn't　you　persuade　Sir　Luis　to　withdraw　your　stock　from　trading？〃
　〃He　sugge