jamesclavell.noblehouse-第25部分

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acao　or　not　Macao。　You　would　have　changed　…　you'd　have　bee　bored；　men　always　do。〃
　She　checked　her　makeup　and　her　shirt　and　blew　him　a　kiss　and　left　him。　He　stared　at　the　closed　door　then　smiled　and　stubbed　out　the　cigarette　she　had　given　him；　never　having　puffed　on　it；　not　wanting　the　taint　of　her　lips。　He　lit　a　fresh　one　and　hummed　a　little　tune。
　Excellent；　he　thought　happily。　Now　we'll　see；　Mr。　Bloody　Cocky　Confident　Yankee　Bartlett；　now　we'll　see　how　you　handle　that　knife。　Pasta　with　beer　indeed！
　Then　Gornt　caught　a　lingering　whiff　of　her　perfume　and　he　was　swept　back　momentarily　into　memories　of　their　pillowing。　When　she　was　young；　he　reminded　himself。　Thank　God　there's　no　premium　on　youth　or　beauty　out　here；　and　a　substitution's　as　close　as　a　phone　call　or　a　hundred…dollar　note。
　He　reached　for　the　phone　and　dialed　a　special　private　number；　glad　that　Orlanda　was　more　Chinese　than　European。　Chinese　are　such　practical　people。
　The　dial　tone　stopped　and　he　heard　Paul　Havergill's　crisp　voice。　〃Yes？〃
　〃Paul；　Quillan。　How're　things？〃
　〃Hello；　Quillan　…　of　course　you　know　Johnjohn's　taking　over　the　bank　in　November？〃
　〃Yes。　Sorry　about　that。〃
　〃Damnable。　I　thought　I　was　going　to　be　confirmed　but　instead　the　board　chose　Johnjohn。　It　was　official　last　night。　It's　Dunross　again；　his　clique；　and　the　damned　stock　they　have。　How　did　your　meeting　go？〃
　〃Our　American's　chomping　at　the　bit；　just　as　I　told　you　he　would　be。〃　Gornt　took　a　deep　drag　of　his　cigarette　and　tried　to　keep　the　excitement　out　of　his　voice。　〃How　would　you　like　a　little　special　action　before　you　retire？〃
　〃What　had　you　in　mind？〃
　〃You're　leaving　end　of　November？〃
　〃Yes。　After　twenty…three　years。　In　some　ways　I　won't　be　sorry。〃
　Nor　will　I；　Gornt　thought　contentedly。　You're　out　of　date　and　too　bloody　conservative。　The　only　thing　in　your　favor　is　that　you　hate　Dunross。　〃That's　almost　four　months。　That'd　give　us　plenty　of　time。　You；　me　and　our　American　friend。〃
　〃What　do　you　have　in　mind？〃
　〃You　remember　one　of　my　hypothetical　game　plans；　the　one　I　called　'petition'？〃
　Havergill　thought　a　moment。　〃That　was　how　to　take　over　or　eliminate　an　opposition　bank；　wasn't　it？　Why？〃
　〃Say　someone　dusted　off　the　plan　and　made　a　few　changes　and　pushed　the　go　button　。。。　two　days　ago。　Say　someone　knew　Dunross　and　the　others　would　vote　you　out　and　wanted　some　revenge。　petition　would　work　perfectly。〃
　〃I　don't　see　why。　What's　the　point　of　attacking　Blacs？〃　The　Bank　of　London；　Canton　and　Shanghai　was　the　Victoria's　main　opposition。　〃Doesn't　make　sense。〃
　〃Ah；　but　say　someone　changed　the　target；　Paul。〃
　〃To　whom？〃
　〃I'll　e　by　at　three　and　explain。〃
　〃To　whom？〃
　〃Richard。〃　Richard　Kwang　controlled　the　Ho…Pak　Bank　…　one　of　the　largest　of　all　the　many　Chinese　banks　in　Hong　Kong。
　〃Good　God！　But　that's　。。。〃　There　was　a　long　pause。　〃Quillan；　you've　really　begun　petition　。。。　to　put　it　into　effect？〃
　〃Yes；　and　no　one　knows　about　it　except　you　and　me。〃
　〃But　how　is　that　going　to　work　against　Dunross？〃
　〃I'll　explain　later。　Can　Ian　meet　his　mitments　on　his　ships？〃
　There　was　a　pause　which　Gornt　noted。　〃Yes；〃　he　heard　Havergill　say。
　〃Yes；　but　what？〃
　〃But　I'm　sure　he'll　be　all　right。〃
　〃What　other　problems　has　Dunross　got？〃
　〃Sorry；　but　that　wouldn't　be　ethical。〃
　〃Of　course。〃　Gornt　added　thinly；　〃Let　me　put　it　another　way：　Say　their　boat　was　a　little　rocked。　Eh？〃
　There　was　a　longer　pause。　〃At　the　right　moment；　a　smallish　wave　could　scuttle　them；　or　any　pany。　Even　you。〃
　〃But　not　the　Victoria　Bank。〃
　〃Oh　no。〃
　〃Good。　See　you　at　three。〃　Gornt　hung　up　and　mopped　his　brow　again；　his　excitement　vast。　He　stubbed　out　his　cigarette；　made　a　quick　calculation；　lit　another　cigarette；　then　dialed。　〃Charles；　Quillan。　Are　you　busy？〃
　〃No。　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃
　〃I　want　a　balance　sheet。〃　A　balance　sheet　was　a　private　signal　for　the　attorney　to　telephone　eight　nominees　who　would　buy　or　sell　on　the　stock　market　on　Gornt's　behalf；　secretly；　to　avoid　the　trading　being　traced　back　to　him。　All　shares　and　all　monies　would　pass　solely　through　the　attorney's　hands　so　that　neither　the　nominees　nor　the　brokers　would　know　for　whom　the　transactions　were　being　made。
　〃A　balance　sheet　it　will　be。　What　sort；　Quillan？〃
　〃I　want　to　sell　short。〃　To　sell　short　meant　he　sold　shares　he　did　not　own　on　the　presumption　their　value　would　go　down。　Then；　before　he　had　to　buy　them　back　…　he　had　a　maximum　margin　of　two　weeks　in　Hong　Kong　…　if　the　stock　had　indeed　gone　down；　he　would　pocket　the　difference。　Of　course　if　he　gambled　wrong　and　the　stock　had　gone　up；　he　would　have　to　pay　the　difference。
　〃What　shares　and　what　numbers？〃
　〃A　hundred　thousand　shares　of　Ho…Pak　。。。〃
　〃Holy　Christ　。。。〃
　〃。。。　the　same；　as　soon　as　the　market　opens　tomorrow；　and　another　200　during　the　day。　I'll　give　you　further　instructions　then。〃
　There　was　a　stunned　silence。　〃You　did　say　Ho…Pak？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃It'll　take　time　to　borrow　all　those　shares。　Good　God；　Quillan；　four　hundred　thousand？〃
　〃While　you're　about　it；　get　another　hundred。　A　round　half　a　million。〃
　〃But　。。。　but　Ho…Pak's　as　blue　a　blue　chip　as　we've　got。　It　hasn't　gone　down　in　years。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃What've　you　heard？〃
　〃Rumors；〃　Gornt　said　gravely　and　chuckled　to　himself。　〃Would　you　like　an　early　lunch；　eat　at　the　club？〃
　〃I'll　be　there。〃
　Gornt　hung　up；　then　dialed　another　private　number。
　〃Yes？〃
　〃It's　me；〃　Gornt　said　cautiously。　〃Are　you　alone？〃
　〃Yes。　And？〃
　〃At　our　meeting；　the　Yankee　suggested　a　raid。〃
　〃Ayeeyah！　And？〃
　〃And　Paul's　in；〃　he　said；　the　exaggeration　ing　easily。　〃Absolutely　secretly；　of　course。　I've　just　talked　to　him。〃
　〃Then　I'm　in。　Provided　I　get　control　of　Struan's　ships；　their　Hong　Kong　property　operation　and　40　percent　of　their　landholdings　in　Thailand　and　Singapore。〃
　〃You　must　be　joking！〃
　〃Nothing's　too　much　to　smash　them。　Is　it；　old　boy？〃
　Gornt　heard　the　well…bred；　mocking　laugh　and　hated　Jason　Plumm　for　it。　〃You　despise　him　just　as　much　as　I　do；〃　Gornt　said。
　〃Ah；　but　you'll　need　me　and　my　special　friends。　Even　with　Paul　on　or　off　the　fence；　you　and　the　Yankee　can't　pull　it　off；　not　without　me　and　mine。〃
　〃Why　else　am　I　talking　to　you？〃
　〃Listen；　don't　forget　I'm　not　asking　for　any　piece　of　the　American's　pie。〃
　Gornt　kept　his　voice　calm。　〃What's　that　got　to　do　with　anything？〃
　〃I　know　you。　Oh　yes。　I　know　you；　old　boy。〃
　〃Do　you　now？〃
　〃Yes。　You　won't　be　satisfied　just　with　destructing　our　'friend；'　you'll　want　the　whole　pie。〃
　〃Will　I　now？〃
　〃Yes。　You've　wanted　a　stake　in　the　U。S。　market　too　long。〃
　〃And　you。〃
　〃No。　We　know　where　our　toast's　toasted。　We're　content　to　trail　along　behind。　We're　content　with　Asia。　We　don't　want　to　be　a　noble　anything。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃No。　Then　it's　a　deal？〃
　〃No；〃　Gornt　said。
　〃I'll　drop　the　shipping　totally。　Instead　I'll　take　Ian's　Kowloon　Investments；　the　Kai　Tak　operation；　and　40　percent　of　the　landholdings　in　Thailand　and　Singapore；　and　I'll　accept　25　percent　of　Par…Con　and　three　places　on　the　board。〃
　〃Get　stuffed！〃
　〃The　offer's　good　till　Monday。〃
　〃Which　Monday？〃
　〃Next　Monday。〃
　〃Dew　neh　loh　moh　on　all　your　Mondays！〃
　〃And　yours！　I'll　make　you　a　last　offer。　Kowloon　Investments　and　their　Kai　Tak　operation　totally；　35　percent　of　all　their　landholdings　in　Thailand　and　Singapore；　and　10　percent　of　the　Yankee　pie　with　three　seats　on　the　board。〃
　〃Is　that　all？〃
　〃Yes。　Again；　the　offer's　good　till　next　Monday。　And　don't　think　you　can　gobble　us　in　the　process。〃
　〃Have　you　gone　mad？〃
　〃I　told　you　…　I　know　you。　Is　it　a　deal？〃
　〃No。〃
　Again　the　soft；　malevolent　laugh。　〃Till　Monday　…　next　Monday。　That's　time　enough　for　you　to　make　up　your　mind。〃
　〃Will　I　see　you　at　Ian's　party　tonight？〃　Gornt　asked　thinly。
　〃Have　you　gone　bonkers！　I　wouldn't　go　if　。。。　Good　God；　Quillan；　are　you　really　going　to　accept？　In　person？〃
　〃I　wasn't　going　to　…　but　now　I　think　I　will。　I　wouldn't　want　to　miss　perhaps　the　last　great　party　of　the　Struans'　last　tai…pan。　。。。〃
　
　
　7
　
　12：01　P。M。　：
　In　the　boardroom　it　was　still　rough　going　for　Casey。　They　would　take　none　of　the　baits　she　offered。　Her　anxiety　had　increased　and　now　as　she　waited　she　felt　a　wave　of　untoward　fear　go　through　her。