jamesclavell.noblehouse-第310部分

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o　stay　on　board　for　the　extra　trip。　〃I've　got　to　e　back　to　Kowloon　again；〃　he　had　told　her。　〃I've　an　appointment　at　the　Nine　Dragons。　Keep　me　pany。　Please？〃
　〃Why　not？〃　she　had　agreed　happily；　in　no　hurry；　still　in　plenty　of　time　to　change　for　the　cocktail　party　to　which　Plumm　had　invited　her　this　afternoon。　She　had　decided　to　postpone　her　dinner　with　Lando　Mata　for　one　day　next　week。
　On　the　way　back　from　Sha　Tin　this　afternoon　she　had　dozed　part　of　the　time；　wrapped　up　warm　against　a　stiff　breeze；　curled　up　on　the　wide；　fortable　cushions　that　circled　the　stern；　the　other　guests　scattered；　sometimes　Gornt　there　at　the　conn；　tall；　strong　and　captain　of　the　ship；　Peter　Marlowe　alone　in　a　deck　chair　dozing　at　the　bow。　Later　they　had　had　tea　and　cakes；　he　and　Casey　and　Barre。　During　tea；　Pugmire　and　Plumm　had　appeared；　tousled　and　content；　their　girls　in　tow。
　〃Sleep　well？〃　Gornt　had　asked　with　a　smile。
　〃Very；〃　Plumm　had　said。
　I'll　bet；　she　had　thought；　watching　him　and　his　girl；　liking　her　…　big；　dark　eyes；　svelte；　a　happy　soul　called　Wei…wei　who　stayed　with　him　like　his　shadow。
　Earlier；　when　she　and　Gornt　had　been　alone　on　deck；　he　had　told　her　that　none　of　these　were　casual　friends；　all　of　them　special。
　〃Does　everyone　here　have　a　mistress？〃
　〃Good　lord　no。　But；　well；　sorry；　but　men　and　women　age　differently　and　after　a　certain　age　it's　difficult。　Bluntly；　pillowing　and　love　and　marriage　aren't　the　same。〃
　〃There's　no　such　thing　as　faithfulness？〃
　〃Of　course。　Absolutely。　For　a　woman　it　means　one　thing；　for　a　man　another。〃
　Casey　had　sighed。　〃That's　terrible。　Terrible　and　so　unfair。〃
　〃Yes。　But　only　if　you　wish　it　to　be。〃
　〃That's　not　right！　Think　of　the　millions　of　women　who　work　and　slave　all　their　lives；　looking　after　the　man；　scrubbing　and　cleaning　and　nowadays　helping　to　support　their　children；　to　be　shoved　aside　just　because　they're　old。〃
　〃You　can't　blame　men；　that's　the　way　society　is。〃
　〃And　who　runs　society？　Men！　Jesus；　Quillan；　you've　got　to　admit　men　are　responsible！〃
　〃I　already　agree　it's　unfair；　but　it's　unfair　on　men　too。　What　about　the　millions　of　men　who　work　themselves　to　death　to　provide　…　that　jolly　word　…　to　provide　the　money　for　others　to　spend；　mostly　women。　Face　it；　Ciranoush；　men　have　to　go　on　working　until　they　are　dead；　to　support　others；　and　more　than　frequently　at　the　end　of　their　lives；　a　hacking；　shrewish　wife　…　look　at　Pug's　wife　for　God's　sake！　I　could　point　out　fifty　who　are　unnecessarily　fat；　ugly　and　stink　…　literally。　Then　there's　the　other　neat　little　female　trick　of　the　women　who　use　their　sex　to　trap；　get　pregnant　to　ensnare；　then　cry　havoc　and　scream　for　a　highly　paid　divorce。　What　about　Linc　Bartlett；　eh？　What　sort　of　a　wringer　did　that　wonderful　wife　of　his　put　him　through；　eh？〃
　〃You　know　about　that？〃
　〃Of　course。　You　ran　a　tape　on　me；　I　ran　one　on　both　of　you。　Are　your　divorce　laws　fair？　Fifty　percent　of　everything　and　then　the　poor　bloody　American　male　has　to　go　to　court　to　decide　what　proportion　of　his　fifty　percent　he　can　retain。〃
　〃It's　true　Linc's　wife　and　her　attorney　almost　put　him　away。　But　not　every　wife's　like　that。　But　God；　we're　not　chattel　and　most　women　need　protection。　Women　throughout　the　world　still　get　a　raw　deal。〃
　〃I've　never　known　a　real　woman　to　get　a　raw　deal；〃　he　said。　〃I　mean　a　woman　like　you　or　Orlanda　who　understands　what　femininity　means。〃　Suddenly　he　had　beamed　at　her。　〃Of　course；　en　route　she　has　to　give　us　poor　weak　bastards　what　we　want　to　stay　healthy。〃
　She　had　laughed　with　him；　also　wanting　to　change　the　subject　…　too　difficult　to　solve　now。
　〃Ah；　Quillan；　you're　one　of　the　bad　ones　all　right。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　He　had　turned　away　to　search　the　sky　ahead。　She　watched　him　and　he　looked　fine　to　her；　standing　there；　swaying　slightly；　the　wind　ruffling　the　hairs　on　his　strong　forearms；　his　sea　cap　jaunty。　I'm　glad　he　trusts　me　and　considers　me　a　woman；　she　had　thought；　lulled　by　the　wine　and　the　food　and　by　his　desire。　Ever　since　she　had　e　aboard　she　had　felt　it　strongly　and　she　had　wondered　again　how　she　would　deal　with　it　when　it　manifested　itself；　as　it　would；　inevitably。　Would　it　be　yes　or　no？　Or　maybe？　Or　maybe　next　week？
　Will　there　be　a　next　week？
　〃What's　going　to　happen　tomorrow；　Quillan？　At　the　stock　market？〃
　〃Tomorrow　can　take　care　of　tomorrow；〃　he　had　said；　the　wind　whipping　him。
　〃Seriously？〃
　〃I　will　win　or　I　will　not　win。〃　Gornt　shrugged。　〃Either　way　I'm　covered。　Tomorrow　I　buy。　With　joss　I　have　him　by　the　shorts。〃
　〃And　then？〃
　He　had　laughed。　〃Have　you　any　doubt？　I　take　him　over；　lock；　stock　and　box　at　the　races。〃
　〃Ah；　you　really　want　that；　don't　you？〃
　〃Oh　yes。　Oh　yes；　that　represents　victory。　He　and　his　forebears　have　kept　me　and　mine　out。　Of　course　I　want　that。〃
　I　wonder　if　I　could　make　a　deal　with　Ian；　she　had　thought　absently。　Wonder　if　I　could　get　the　tai…pan　to　allow　Quillan　a　box；　his　own　box；　and　help　make　him　a　steward。　Crazy　for　these　two　to　be　like　bulls　in　a　china　shop　…　there's　more　than　enough　room　for　both。　Ian　owes　me　a　favor　if　Murtagh　delivers。
　Her　heart　fluttered　and　she　wondered　what　had　happened　with　Murtagh　and　the　bank；　and　if　the　answer　was　yes；　what　Quillan　would　do。
　And　where　is　Linc？　Is　he　with　Orlanda；　in　her　arms；　dreaming　the　afternoon　away？
　She　curled　up　again　on　the　stern　and　closed　her　eyes。　The　salt　air　and　the　throb　of　the　engines　and　the　motion　through　the　sea　put　her　to　sleep。　Her　sleep　was　dreamless；　womblike；　and　in　a　few　minutes　she　awoke　refreshed。　Gornt　was　sitting　opposite　her　now；　watching　her。　They　were　alone　again；　the　Cantonese　captain　at　the　wheel。
　〃You　have　a　nice　sleeping　face；〃　he　said。
　〃Thank　you。〃　She　moved　and　rested　on　one　elbow。　〃You're　a　strange　man。　Part　devil；　part　prince；　passionate　one　minute；　ruthless　the　next。　That　was　a　wonderful　thing　you　did　for　Peter。〃
　He　just　smiled　and　waited；　his　eyes　strangely　and　pleasantly　challenging。
　〃Linc's　。。。　I　think　Linc's　smitten　with　Orlanda；〃　she　said　without　thinking　and　saw　a　shadow　go　over　him。
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Yes。〃　She　waited　but　he　said　nothing；　just　watched　her。　Pushed　by　the　silence；　she　added　involuntarily；　〃I　think　she's　smitten　with　him。〃　Again　a　long　silence。　〃Quillan；　is　that　part　of　a　plan？〃
　He　laughed　softly　and　she　felt　his　dominance。　〃Ah；　Ciranoush；　you're　the　strange　one。　I　don…　〃
　〃Will　you　call　me　Casey？　Please？　Ciranoush　is　not　right。〃
　〃But　I　don't　like　Casey。　May　I　use　Kamalian？〃
　〃Casey。〃
　〃What　about　Ciranoush　today；　Casey　tomorrow；　Kamalian　for　Tuesday　dinner？　That's　when　we　close　the　deal。　Eh？〃
　Her　guards　came　up　without　thinking。　〃That's　up　to　Linc。〃
　〃You're　not　tai…pan　of　Par…Con？〃
　〃No。　No；　I'll　never　be　that。〃
　He　laughed。　Then　he　said；　〃Then　let's　make　it　Ciranoush　today；　Casey　tomorrow　and　the　hell　with　Tuesday？〃
　〃All　right！〃　she　said；　warmed　by　him。
　〃Good。　Now　as　to　Orlanda　and　Linc；〃　he　said；　his　voice　gentle。　〃That's　up　to　them　and　I　never　discuss　the　affairs　of　others　with　others；　even　a　lady。　Never。　That's　not　playing　the　game。　If　you're　asking　if　I've　some　devious　plot；　using　her　against　Linc　or　you　and　Par…Con；　that's　ridiculous。〃　Again　he　smiled。　〃I've　always　noticed　that　ladies　manipulate　men；　not　the　other　way　around。〃
　〃Dreamer！〃
　〃One　question　deserves　another：　Are　you　and　Linc　lovers？〃
　〃No。　Not　in　the　conventional　sense；　but　yes　I　love　him。〃
　〃Ah；　then　are　you　going　to　marry？〃
　〃Perhaps。〃　Again　she　shifted　and　she　saw　his　eyes　move　over　her。　Her　hands　pulled　the　blanket　closer　around　her；　her　heart　beating　nicely；　very　conscious　of　him　as　she　knew　he　was　conscious　of　her。　〃But　I　don't　discuss　my　affairs　with　another　man；〃　she　said　with　a　smile。　〃That's　not　playing　the　game　either。〃
　Gornt　reached　out　and　touched　her　lightly。　〃I　agree；　Ciranoush。〃
　The　Sea　Witch　came　out　of　the　breakwater　into　the　harbor　waves；　Kowloon　ahead。　She　sat　up　and　turned　to　watch　the　Island　and　the　Peak；　most　of　it　cloud　covered。　〃It's　so　beautiful。〃
　〃The　south　coast　of　Hong　Kong's　grand　around　Shek…O；　Repulse　Bay。　I've　a　place　at　Shek…O。　Would　you　like　to　see　the　boat　now？〃
　〃Yes；　yes　I'd　like　that。〃
　He　took　her　forward　first。　The　cabins　were　neat；　no　sign　of　having　been　used。　Each　had