jamesclavell.noblehouse-第3部分

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about　30。〃
　〃Impossible！〃　Alastair　Struan　burst　out。
　〃Our　net　worth　today's　about　20　million　U。S。　In　ten　years　it'll　be　200　million　and　in　fifteen；　with　joss；　it'll　be　400　million　…　and　our　yearly　turnover　approaching　a　billion。〃
　〃You've　gone　mad；〃　Struan　said。
　〃No。　The　Noble　House　is　going　international　…　the　days　of　being　solely　a　Hong　Kong　trading　pany　are　gone　forever。〃
　〃Remember　your　oath；　by　God！　We're　Hong　Kong　based！〃
　〃I　won't　forget。　Next：　What　responsibility　do　I　inherit　from　Dirk　Struan？〃
　〃It's　all　in　the　safe。　Written　down　in　a　sealed　envelope　marked　'The　Legacy。'　Also　the　Hag's　'Instructions　to　future　tai…pans。'　〃
　〃Where's　the　safe？〃
　〃Behind　the　painting　in　the　Great　House。　In　the　study。〃　Sourly　Alastair　Struan　pointed　to　an　envelope　beside　the　clock　on　the　mantelpiece。　〃That　contains　the　special　key　…　and　the　present　bination。　You　will　of　course　change　it。　Put　the　figures　into　one　of　the　tai…pan's　private　safety　deposit　boxes　at　the　bank；　in　case　of　accidents。　Give　Phillip　one　of　the　two　keys。〃
　Phillip　Chen　said；　〃By　our　rules；　while　you're　alive；　the　bank　is　obliged　to　refuse　me　permission　to　open　it。〃
　〃Next：　Tyler　Brock　and　his　sons　…　those　bastards　were　obliterated　almost　a　hundred　years　ago。〃
　〃Aye；　the　legitimate　male　line　was。　But　Dirk　Struan　was　vindictive　and　his　vengeance　reaches　out　from　his　grave。　There's　an　up…to…date　list　of　Tyler　Brock's　descendents；　also　in　the　safe。　It　makes　interesting　reading；　eh　Phillip？〃
　〃Yes；　yes　it　does。〃
　〃The　Rothwells　and　the　Tomms；　Yadegar　and　his　brood；　you　know　about。　But　Tusker's　on　the　list　though　he　doesn't　know　it；　Jason　Plumm；　Lord　Depford…Smyth　and；　most　of　all；　Quillan　Gornt。〃
　〃Impossible！〃
　〃Not　only　is　Gornt　tai…pan　of　Rothwell…Gornt；　our　main　enemy；　but　he's　also　a　secret；　direct　male　descendent　of　Morgan　Brock　…　direct　though　illegitimate。〃
　〃But　he's　always　claimed　his　great…grandfather　was　Edward　Gornt；　the　American　China　Trader。〃
　〃He　es　from　Edward　Gornt　all　right。　But　Sir　Morgan　Brock　was　really　Edward's　father　and　Kristian　Gornt　his　mother。　She　was　an　American　from　Virginia。　Of　course　it　was　kept　secret　…　society　wasn't　any　more　forgiving　then　than　now。　When　Sir　Morgan　became　tai…pan　of　Brock's　in　1859；　he　fetched　this　illegitimate　son　of　his　out　of　Virginia；　bought　him　a　partnership　in　the　old　American　trading　firm　of　Rothwell　and　pany　in　Shanghai；　and　then　he　and　Edward　bided　their　time　to　destroy　us。　They　almost　did　…　certainly　they　caused　the　death　of　Culum　Struan。　But　then　Lochlin　and　Hag　Struan　broke　Sir　Morgan　and　smashed　Brock　and　Sons。　Edward　Gornt　never　forgave　us；　his　descendents　never　will　either　…　I'd　wager　they　too　have　a　pact　with　their　founder。〃
　〃Does　he　know　we　know？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　But　he's　enemy。　His　genealogy's　in　the　safe；　with　all　the　others。　My　grandfather　was　the　one　who　discovered　it；　quite　by　chance；　during　the　Boxer　Rebellion　in　'99。　The　list　is　interesting；　Ian；　very。　One　particular　person　for　you。　The　head　of…　〃
　A　sudden　violent　gust　shook　the　building。　One　of　the　ivory　bric…a…brac　on　the　marble　table　toppled　over。　Nervously　Phillip　Chen　stood　it　up。　They　all　stared　at　the　windows；　watching　their　reflections　twist　nauseatingly　as　the　gusts　stretched　the　huge　panes　of　glass。
　〃Tai…fun！〃　Phillip　muttered；　sweat　beading　him。
　〃Yes。〃　They　waited　breathlessly　for　the　〃Devil　Wind〃　to　cease。　These　sudden　squalls　came　haphazardly　from　all　points　of　the　pass；　sometimes　gusting　to　a　hundred　and　fifty　knots。　In　their　wake　was　always　devastation。
　The　violence　passed。　Dunross　went　over　to　the　barometer；　checked　it　and　tapped　it。　980。3。
　〃Still　falling；〃　he　said。
　〃Christ！〃
　Dunross　squinted　at　the　windows。　Now　the　rain　streaks　were　almost　horizontal。　〃Lasting　Cloud　is　due　to　dock　tomorrow　night。〃
　〃Yes；　but　now　she'll　be　hove　to　somewhere　off　the　Philippines。　Captain　Moffatt's　too　canny　to　get　caught；〃　Struan　said。
　〃I　don't　agree。　Moffatt　likes　hitting　schedules。　This　typhoon's　unscheduled。　You　。。。　he　should　have　been　ordered。〃　Dunross　sipped　his　wine　thoughtfully。　〃Lasting　Cloud　better　not　get　caught。〃
　Phillip　Chen　heard　the　undercurrent　of　fury。　〃Why？〃
　〃We've　our　new　puter　aboard　and　two　million　pounds　worth　of　jet　engines。　Uninsured　…　at　least　the　engines　are。〃　Dunross　glanced　at　Alastair　Struan。
　Defensively　the　old　man　said；　〃It　was　that　or　lose　the　contract。　The　engines　are　consigned　to　Canton。　You　know　we　can't　insure　them；　Phillip；　since　they're　going　to　Red　China。〃　Then　he　added　irritably；　〃They're；　er；　they're　South　American　owned　and　there're　no　export　restrictions　from　South　America　to　China。　Even　so；　no　one's　willing　to　insure　them。〃
　After　a　pause　Phillip　Chen　said；　〃I　thought　the　new　puter　was　ing　in　March。〃
　〃It　was　but　I　managed　to　jump　it　forward；〃　Alastair　said。
　〃Who's　carrying　the　paper　on　the　engines？〃　Phillip　Chen　asked。
　〃We　are。〃
　〃That's　a　lot　of　risk。〃　Phillip　Chen　was　very　uneasy。　〃Don't　you　agree；　Ian？〃
　Dunross　said　nothing。
　〃It　was　that　or　lose　the　contract；〃　Alastair　Struan　said；　even　more　irritably。　〃We　stand　to　double　our　money；　Phillip。　We　need　the　money。　But　more　than　that　the　Chinese　need　the　engines；　they　made　that　more　than　clear　when　I　was　in　Canton　last　month。　And　we　need　China　…　they　made　that　clear　too。〃
　〃Yes；　but　12　million；　that's　。。。　a　lot　of　risk　in　one　ship；〃　Phillip　Chen　insisted。
　Dunross　said；　〃Anything　we　can　do　to　take　business　away　from　the　Soviets　is　to　our　advantage。　Besides；　it's　done。　You　were　saying；　Alastair；　there's　someone　on　the　list　I　should　know　about？　The　head　of？〃
　〃Marlborough　Motors。〃
　〃Ah；〃　Dunross　said　with　sudden　grim　delight。　〃I've　detested　those　sods　for　years。　Father　and　son。〃
　〃I　know。〃
　〃So　the　Nikklins're　descendents　of　Tyler　Brock？　Well　it　won't　be　long　before　we　can　wipe　them　off　the　list。　Good；　very　good。　Do　they　know　they're　on　Dirk　Struan's　oblit　list？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so。〃
　〃That's　even　better。〃
　〃I　don't　agree！　You　hate　young　Nikklin　because　he　beat　you。〃　Angrily　Alastair　Struan　stabbed　a　finger　at　Dunross。　〃It's　time　you　gave　up　car　racing。　Leave　all　the　hill　climbs　and　Macao　Grand　Prix　to　the　semiprofessionals。　The　Nikklins　have　more　time　to　spend　on　their　cars；　it's　their　life；　and　now　you've　other　races　to　run；　more　important　ones。〃
　〃Macao's　amateur　and　those　bastards　cheated　last　year。〃
　〃That　was　never　proved　…　your　engine　blew　up。　A　lot　of　engines　blow　up；　Ian。　That　was　just　joss！〃
　〃My　car　was　tampered　with。〃
　〃And　that　was　never　proved　either！　For　Christ's　sake；　you　talk　about　bad　blood？　You're　as　stupid　about　some　things　as　Devil　Struan　himself！〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Yes；　and…　〃
　Phillip　Chen　interrupted　quickly；　wanting　an　end　to　the　violence　in　the　room。　〃If　it's　so　important；　please　let　me　see　if　I　can　find　out　the　truth。　I've　sources　not　available　to　either　of　you。　My　Chinese　friends　will　know；　should　know；　if　either　Tom　or　young　Donald　Nikklin　were　involved。　Of　course；〃　he　added　delicately；　〃if　the　tai…pan　wishes　to　race；　then　that's　up　to　the　tai…pan。　Isn't　it；　Alastair？〃
　The　older　man　controlled　his　rage　though　his　neck　was　still　choleric。　〃Yes；　yes　you're　right。　Still；　Ian；　my　advice　is　you　cease。　They'll　be　after　you　even　more　because　they　detest　you　equally。〃
　〃Are　there　others　I　should　know　about　…　on　the　list？〃
　After　a　pause；　Struan　said；　〃No；　not　now。〃　He　opened　the　second　bottle　and　poured　as　he　talked。　〃Well；　now　it's　all　yours　…　all　the　fun　and　all　the　sweat。　I'm　glad　to　pass　everything　over　to　you。　After　you've　been　through　the　safe　you'll　know　the　best；　and　the　worst。〃　He　gave　them　each　a　glass　and　sipped　his。　〃By　the　Lord　Jesus；　that's　as　fine　a　wine　as　ever　came　out　of　France。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Phillip　Chen　said。
　Dunross　thought　Dom　Pérignon　overpriced　and　overrated　and　knew　the　year；　'54；　was　not　a　particularly　good　one。　But　he　held　his　peace。
　Struan　went　over　to　the　barometer。　It　read　979。2。　〃We're　in　for　a　bad　one。　Well；　never　mind　that。　Ian；　Claudia　Chen　has　a　file　for　you　on　important　matters；　and　a　plete　list　of　our　stockholdings　…　with　names　of　the　nominees。　Any　questions；　have　them　for　me　before　the　day　after　tomorrow　…　I'm　booked　for　London　then。　You'll　keep　Claudia　on；　of　course。〃
　〃Of　course。〃