jamesclavell.noblehouse-第285部分

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　〃Ah；　that's　one　of　our　local　pirates　…　Four　Finger　Wu。　The　girl's　Venus　Poon；　a　local　TV　star。　The　youth　talking　to　them　is　his　nephew。　Actually　the　rumor　is　that　he's　a　son。　The　fellow's　got　a　Harvard　business　degree　and　a　U。S。　passport　and　he's　as　smart　as　a　whip。　Old　Four　Fingers　is　another　multimillionaire；　rumored　to　be　a　smuggler；　gold　and　anything；　with　one　official　wife；　three　concs　of　various　ages　and　now　he's　after　Venus　Poon。　She　was　Richard　Kwang's　current。　Was。　But　perhaps　now　with　the　Victoria　takeover　she'll　dump　Four　Fingers　and　go　back　to　him。　Four　Fingers　lives　on　a　rotten　old　Aberdeen　junk　and　hoards　his　enormous　wealth。　Ah；　look　there！　The　wrinkled　old　man　and　woman　the　tai…pan's　talking　to。〃
　She　followed　his　glance　to　the　next　box　but　one。
　〃That's　Shitee　T'Chung's　box；〃　he　said。　〃Shitee's　a　direct　descendent　of　May…may　and　Dirk　through　their　son　Duncan。　Did　the　tai…pan　ever　show　you　Dirk's　portraits？〃
　〃Yes。〃　A　small　shiver　touched　her　as　she　remembered　the　Hag's　knife　jammed　through　the　portrait　of　her　father；　Tyler　Brock。　She　considered　telling　him　about　it　but　decided　not　to。　〃There's　a　great　likeness；〃　she　said。
　〃There　certainly　is！　Wish　I　could　see　the　Long　Gallery。　Anyway；　that　old　couple　he's　talking　to　live　in　a　tenement；　a　two…room；　sixth…floor　walk…up　over　in　Glessing's　Point。　They　own　a　huge　block　of　Struan　stock。　Every　year　before　each　annual　board　meeting；　the　tai…pan；　whoever　he　is；　has　to　go　cap　in　hand　to　ask　for　the　right　to　vote　the　stock。　It's　always　granted；　that　was　part　of　the　original　agreement；　but　he　still　has　to　go　personally。〃
　〃Why's　that？〃
　〃Face。　And　because　of　the　Hag。〃　A　flicker　of　a　smile。　〃She　was　a　great　lady；　Casey。　Oh　how　I　would　like　to　have　met　her！　During　the　Boxer　revolt　in　1899…1900；　when　China　was　in　another　of　her　conflagrations；　the　Noble　House　had　all　its　possessions　in　Peking；　Tiensin；　Foochow　and　Canton　wiped　out　by　the　Boxer　terrorists　who　were　more　or　less　sponsored　and　certainly　encouraged　by　Tz'u　Hsi；　the　old　dowager　empress。　They　called　themselves　the　Righteous　Harmonious　Fists　and　their　battle　cry　was　'Protect　the　Ch'ing　and　kill　all　foreign　devils！'　Let's　face　it；　the　European　powers　and　Japan　had　pretty　much　partitioned　China。　Anyway；　the　Boxers　fell　on　all　foreign　business　houses；　settlements；　the　unprotected　areas；　and　obliterated　them。　The　Noble　House　was　in　terrible　straits。　At　that　time　the　nominal　tai…pan　was　again　old　Sir　Lochlin　Struan　…　he　was　Robb　Struan's　last　son；　born　with　a　withered　arm。　He　was　tai…pan　after　Culum。　The　Hag　had　appointed　him　when　he　was　eighteen；　just　after　Culum　died　…　then　again　after　Dirk　Dunross　…　and　she'd　kept　him　tied　to　her　apron　strings　till　he　died　in　1915　at　the　age　of　seventy…two。〃
　〃Where　do　you　get　all　this　information；　Peter？〃
　〃I　make　it　up；〃　he　said　grandly。　〃In　any　event；　the　Hag　needed　a　lot　of　money　fast。　Gornt's　grandfather　had　bought　up　a　lot　of　Struan's　paper　and　he　had　lowered　the　boom。　There　was　no　normal　source　of　finance；　nowhere　she　could　borrow；　for　all　Asia　…　all　the　hongs　…　were　equally　in　turmoil。　But　that　fellow's　father；　the　father　of　the　one　the　tai…pan's　talking　to；　was　the　King　of　the　Beggars　in　Hong　Kong。　Begging　used　to　be　a　huge　business　here。　Anyway；　this　man　came　to　see　her；　so　the　story　goes。　'I　e　to　buy　a　fifth　part　of　the　Noble　House；'　this　man　said　with　great　dignity；　'is　it　for　sale？　I　offer　200；000　taels　of　silver；'　which　was　exactly　the　amount　she　needed　to　redeem　her　paper。　For　face　they　haggled　and　he　settled　for　a　tenth；　10　percent　…　an　incredibly　fair　deal　…　both　knowing　that　he　could　have　had　30　or　40　percent　for　the　same　amount　because　by　that　time　the　Hag　was　desperate。　He　required　no　contract　other　than　her　chop　and　her　promise　that　once　a　year　she；　or　the　tai…pan；　would　e　to　him　or　his　descendents　wherever　he　or　they　lived；　to　ask　for　the　vote　of　the　stock。　'So　long　as　the　tai…pan　asks　…　the　voting　power　is　given。'
　〃　'But　why；　Honorable　King　of　the　Beggars？　Why　save　me　from　my　enemies？'　she　asked。
　〃　'Because　your　grandfather；　old　Green…Eyed　Devil；　once　saved　my　grandfather's　face　and　helped　him　bee　the　first　King　of　the　Beggars　of　Hong　Kong。'　〃
　Casey　sighed。　〃Do　you　believe　that；　Peter？〃
　〃Oh　yes。〃　He　looked　out　at　Happy　Valley。　〃Once　this　was　all　a　malarial　swamp。　Dirk　cleaned　that　up　too。〃　He　puffed　his　cigarette。　〃One　day　I'll　write　about　Hong　Kong。〃
　〃If　you　continue　to　smoke　you'll　never　write　anything。〃
　〃Point　well　taken。　Okay；　I'll　stop。　Now。　For　today。　Because　you're　pretty。〃　He　stubbed　the　cigarette　out。　Another　smile；　different。　〃Eeeee；　but　I　could　tell　some　stories　about　lots　of　the　people　you　met　today。　I　won't；　that's　not　fair；　not　right。　I　can　never　tell　the　real　stories；　though　I　know　lots！〃　She　laughed　with　him；　letting　her　eyes　wander　from　the　strange　old　couple　down　to　the　other　stands。　Involuntarily　she　gasped。　Sitting　in　the　lee　of　the　members'　balcony　she　saw　Orlanda。　Linc　was　with　her。　He　was　very　close。　Both　were　very　happy　together；　that　was　easy　to　see；　even　from　this　distance。
　〃What's　th…　〃　Peter　Marlowe　began；　then　he　saw　them　too。　〃Oh！　Not　to　worry。〃
　After　a　pause　she　took　her　eyes　away。　〃Peter；　that　favor。　May　I　ask　for　that　favor；　now？〃
　〃What　do　you　want　as　a　favor？〃
　〃I　want　to　know　about　Orlanda。〃
　〃To　destroy　her？〃
　〃For　protection。　Protection　for　Linc　against　her。〃
　〃Perhaps　he　doesn't　want　to　be　protected；　Casey。〃
　〃I　swear　I'll　never　use　it　unless　I　honest　to　God　feel　it's　necessary。〃
　The　tall　man　sighed。　〃Sorry；〃　he　said　with　great　passion；　〃but　nothing　I　could　tell　you　about　her　would　give　you　or　Linc　protection。　Nothing　to　destroy　her　or　make　her　lose　face。　Even　if　I　could　I　wouldn't；　Casey。　That　really　wouldn't　be　cricket。　Would　it？〃
　〃No；　but　I'm　still　asking。〃　She　stared　back　at　him；　forcing　the　issue。　〃You　said　a　favor。　I　came　when　you　needed　a　hand。　I　need　a　hand　now。　Please。〃
　He　watched　her　a　long　time。　〃What　do　you　know　about　her？〃　She　told　him　what　she　had　learned　…　about　Gornt　supporting　Orlanda；　Macao；　about　the　child。
　〃Then　you　know　everything　I　know；　except　perhaps　that　you　should　be　sorry　for　her。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Because　she's　Eurasian；　alone；　Gornt　her　only　support　and　that's　as　precarious　as　anything　in　the　world。　She's　living　on　a　knife　edge。　She's　young；　beautiful　and　deserves　a　future。　Here　there's　none　for　her。〃
　〃Except　Linc？〃
　〃Except　Linc　or　someone　like　him。〃　Peter　Marlowe's　eyes　were　slate　color。　〃Perhaps　that　wouldn't　be　so　bad　from　his　point　of　view。〃
　〃Because　she's　Asian　and　I'm　not？〃
　Again　the　curious　smile。　〃Because　she's　a　woman　and　so　are　you　but　you　hold　all　the　cards；　and　the　only　real　thing　you　have　to　decide　is　if　you　really　want　that　war。〃
　〃Level　with　me；　Peter；　please。　I'm　asking。　What's　your　advice？　I'm　running　scared　…　there；　I'll　admit　it　to　you。　Please？〃
　〃All　right；　but　this　isn't　the　favor　I　owe　you；〃　he　said。　〃Rumor　has　it　you　and　Linc　are　not　lovers　though　you　obviously　love　him。　Rumor　has　it　you've　been　together　for　six　or　seven　years　in　close　proximity　but　with　no　。。。　no　formal　contact。　He's　a　terrific　fellow；　you're　a　terrific　lady　and　you'd　make　a　great　couple。　The　key　word　is　couple；　Casey。　Maybe　you　want　money　and　power　and　Par…Con　more　than　you　do　him。　That's　your　problem。　I　don't　think　you　can　have　both。〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃It　seems　to　me　you　choose　Par…Con　and　power　and　riches　and　no　Bartlett；　other　than　as　a　friend　…　or　you　bee　Mrs。　Linc　Bartlett　and　behave　and　love　and　be　the　kind　of　woman　there's　no　doubt　in　hell　Orlanda　would　be。　Either　way　you　have　to　be　a　hundred　percent　…　you　and　Linc　are　both　too　strong　and　probably　have　tested　each　other　too　many　times　to　be　fooled。　He's　been　divorced　once；　so　he's　on　guard。　You're　over　the　age　of　a　Juliet　blindness　so　you're　equally　on　guard。〃
　〃Are　you　a　psychiatrist　too？〃
　He　laughed。　〃No；　nor　a　father…confessor；　though　I　like　to　know　about　people　and　like　to　listen　but　not　to　lecture　and　never　to　give　advice　…　that's　the　most　thankless　task　in　the　world。〃
　〃So　there's　no　promise？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；　but　then　I'm　not　you。　You　have　your　own　karma。　Irrespective　of　Orlanda　…　if　it's　not　her　it'll　be　another　woman；　better　or　worse；　prettier　though　may