jamesclavell.noblehouse-第328部分

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　〃We've　recovered　four　bodies；　sir；　and　two　injured　up　here。　We're　halfway　across　the　slope　now。　One's　a　Chinese　woman　called　Kwang；　multiple　fractures　but　all　right；　and　her　husband；　he's　just　shook　up　a　bit。〃
　〃What　part　of　the　building　were　they　in？〃
　〃Fifth　floor。　We　think　the　heavy…duty　girders　protected　them。　Both　casualties're　on　their　way　to　our　aid　station　at　Kotewall。　We　can　hear　someone　buried　deep　but；　glory　be；　sir；　we　can't　get　at　him　…　the　firemen　can't　use　their　oxy…acetylene　cutters。　The　gas's　too　heavy。　Nothing　else　in　our　area；　sir。〃
　〃Keep　it　up。〃　The　officer　turned　around　and　snapped　at　an　orderly；　〃Go　and　chase　up　those　gas　board　fellows　and　see　what　the　hell's　holding　them　up！　Tell'em　to　get　their　fingers　out！〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　He　switched　channels。　〃Kotewall　Aid　Station；　this　is　mand。　What's　the　score？〃
　〃Fourteen　bodies　so　far；　Captain；　and　nineteen　injured；　some　very　bad。　We're　getting　their　names　as　quick　as　we　can。　Sir　Dunstan　Barre；　we　dug　him　out；　he　just　has　a　broken　wrist。〃
　〃Keep　up　the　good　work！　The　police've　set　up　a　missing　persons　station　on　Channel　16。　Get　them　all　the　names；　dead；　injured；　everyone；　quick　as　you　can。　We've　some　pretty　anxious　people　down　here。〃
　〃Yes　sir。　The　rumor's　we're　going　to　evacuate　the　whole　area。〃
　〃The　governor；　missioner　and　the　fire　chief're　deciding　that　right　now。〃　The　officer　rubbed　his　face　tiredly；　then　rushed　out　to　intercept　another　ining　truck　with　Gurkhas　from　the　Engineers　Corps；　passing　the　governor；　missioner　and　senior　fire　officer　who　stood　at　the　central　mand　post　under　the　foyer　overhang　of　Sinclair　Towers。　A　white…haired　engineer…surveyor　from　the　Public　Works　Department　got　out　of　a　car　and　hurried　over　to　them。
　〃Evening；　sir；〃　he　said　anxiously。　〃We've　been　all　through　all　the　buildings　now；　from　Po　Shan　down　to　here。　I　remend　we　evacuate　nineteen　buildings。〃
　〃Good　God；〃　Sir　Geoffrey　exploded。　〃You　mean　the　whole　bloody　mountainside's　going　to　collapse？〃
　〃No　sir。　But　if　this　rain　keeps　up　another　slip　could　start。　This　whole　area's　got　a　history　of　them。〃　He　pointed　into　the　darkness。　〃In　'41　and　'50　it　was　along　Bonham；　'59　was　the　major　disaster　on　Robertson；　Lytton　Road；　the　lists's　endless；　sir。　I　remend　evacuation。〃
　〃Which　buildings？〃
　The　man　handed　the　governor　a　list　then　waved　into　the　dark　at　the　three　levels。　〃I'm　afraid　it'll　affect　more　than　two　thousand　people。〃
　Everyone　gasped。　All　eyes　went　to　the　governor。　He　read　the　list；　glanced　up　at　the　hillside。　The　slide　dominated　everything；　the　mass　of　the　mountain　looming　above。　Then　he　said；　〃Very　well；　do　it。　But　for　God's　sake　tell　your　fellows　to　make　it　an　orderly　withdrawal；　we　don't　want　a　panic。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃　The　man　hurried　away。
　〃Can't　we　get　more　men　and　equipment；　Donald？〃
　〃Sorry；　not　at　the　moment；　sir；〃　the　police　missioner　replied。　He　was　a　strong…faced　man　in　his　fifties。　〃We're　spread　rather　thinly；　I'm　afraid。　There's　the　massive　slip　over　in　Kowloon；　another　at　Kwun　Tong　…　eighty　squatters　huts've　been　swamped；　we've　already　forty…four　dead　in　that　one　so　far；　twenty　children。〃
　Sir　Geoffrey　stared　out　at　the　hillside。　〃Christ！〃　he　muttered。　〃With　Dunross　getting　us　Tiptop's　cooperation　I　thought　our　troubles　were　over；　at　least　for　tonight。〃
　The　fire　chief　shook　his　head；　his　face　drawn。　〃I'm　afraid　they're　just　beginning；　sir。　Our　estimates　suggest　there　may　be　a　hundred　or　more　still　buried　in　that　mess。〃　He　added　heavily；　〃It'll　take　us　weeks　to　sift　through　that　lot；　if　ever。〃
　〃Yes。〃　Again　the　governor　hesitated；　then　he　said　firmly；　〃I'm　going　to　go　up　to　Kotewall。　I'll　monitor　Channel　5。〃　He　went　to　his　car。　His　aide　opened　the　door　but　Sir　Geoffrey　stopped。　Roger　Crosse　and　Sinders　were　ing　back　from　the　great　gash　across　Sinclair　Road　where　the　roof　of　the　tunnel　culvert　had　been　ripped　off。　〃Any　luck？〃
　〃No　sir。　We　managed　to　get　into　the　culvert　but　it's　collapsed　fifty　yards　in。　We　could　never　get　into　Rose　Court　that　way；〃　Crosse　said。
　When　Rose　Court　had　collapsed　and　had　torn　the　side　from　the　top　four　stories　of　Sinclair　Towers；　Crosse　had　been　near　his　own　apartment　block；　seventy　yards　away。　Once　he　had　recovered　his　wits；　his　first　thought　had　been　for　Plumm；　the　second　Suslev。　Suslev　was　closer。　By　the　time　he　had　got　to　the　darkened　Sinclair　Towers　foyer；　terrified　tenants　were　already　pouring　out。　Shoving　them　aside　he　had　pushed　and　cursed　his　way　up　the　stairs　to　the　top　floor；　lighting　his　way　with　a　pencil　flashlight。　Apartment　32　had　almost　vanished；　the　adjoining　back　staircase　carried　away　for　three　stories。　As　Crosse　gaped　down　into　the　darkness；　it　was　obvious　that　if　Suslev　had　been　caught　here；　or　caught　with　Clinker；　he　was　dead　　…　the　only　possible　escape　place　was　the　tunnel…culvert。
　Back　on　the　ground　floor　once　more；　he　had　gone　around　the　back　and　slipped　into　the　secret　tunnel　entrance。　The　water　was　a　boiling　torrent　below。　Quickly　he　had　hurried　to　the　roadway　where　the　roof　of　the　tunnel　had　been　carried　away。　The　gash　was　overflowing。　More　than　a　little　satisfied；　for　he　was　certain　now　that　Suslev　was　dead；　he　had　gone　to　the　nearest　phone；　called　in　the　alarm；　then　asked　for　Sinders。　〃Yes？　Oh　hello；　Roger。〃
　He　had　told　Sinders　where　he　was　and　what　had　happened；　adding；　〃Suslev　was　with　Clinker。　My　people　know　he　hasn't　e　out；　so　he's　buried。　Both　of　them　must　be　buried。　No　chance　they　could　be　alive。〃
　〃Damn！〃　A　long　pause。　〃I'll　e　right　away。〃
　Crosse　had　gone　outside　again　and　begun　to　organize　the　evacuation　of　Sinclair　Towers　and　rescue　attempts。　Three　families　had　been　lost　when　the　corner　top　stories　went。　By　the　time　uniformed　police　and　fire　chiefs　had　arrived；　the　dead　count　was　seven　including　two　children　and　four　others　dying。　When　the　governor　and　Sinders　had　arrived；　they　had　gone　back　to　the　open　part　of　the　tunnel　to　see　if　they　could　obtain　access。
　〃There's　no　way　we　can　get　in　from　there；　Sir　Geoffrey。　The　whole　culvert's　collapsed；　I'd　say　gone　forever；　sir。〃　Crosse　was　suitably　grave；　though　inwardly　delighted　with　the　divine　solution　that　had　presented　itself。
　Sinders　was　very　sour。　〃Great　pity！　Yes；　very　bad　luck　indeed。　We've　lost　a　valuable　asset。〃
　〃Do　you　really　think　he'd've　told　you　who　this　devil　Arthur　is？〃　Sir　Geoffrey　asked。
　〃Oh　yes。〃　Sinders　was　very　confident。　〃Don't　you　agree；　Roger？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Crosse　was　hard　put　not　to　smile。　〃Yes；　I'm　sure　of　it。〃
　Sir　Geoffrey　sighed。　〃There'll　be　the　devil　to　pay　on　a　diplomatic　level　when　he　doesn't　return　to　the　Ivanov。〃
　〃Not　our　fault；　sir；〃　Sinders　said。　〃That's　an　act　of　God。〃
　〃I　agree；　but　you　know　how　xenophobic　the　Soviets　are。　I'll　bet　any　money　they'll　believe　we　have　him　locked　up　and　under　investigation。　We'd　better　find　him　or　his　body　rather　quickly。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃　Sinders　turned　his　collar　higher　against　the　rain。　〃What　about　the　departure　of　the　Ivanov？〃
　〃What　do　you　suggest？〃
　〃Roger？〃
　〃I　suggest　we　call　them　at　once；　sir；　tell　Boradinov　what's　happened　and　that　we'll　postpone　their　departure　if　they　wish。　I'll　send　a　car　for　him　and　whoever　he　wants　to　bring　to　help　in　the　search。〃
　〃Good。　I'll　be　up　at　Kotewall　for　a　while。〃
　They　watched　Sir　Geoffrey　go；　then　went　to　the　lee　of　the　building。　Sinders　stared　at　the　organized　confusion。　〃No　chance　he'd　still　be　alive；　is　there？〃
　〃None。〃
　A　harassed　policeman　hurried　up。　〃Here's　the　latest　list；　sir；　dead　and　rescued。〃　The　young　man　gave　Crosse　the　paper　and　added　quickly；　〃Radio　Hong　Kong's　got　Venus　Poon　ing　on　any　moment；　sir。　She's　up　at　Kotewall。〃
　〃All　right；　thank　you。〃　Rapidly　Crosse　scanned　the　list。　〃Christ！〃
　〃They　found　Suslev？〃
　〃No。　Just　a　lot　of　old　acquaintances're　dead。〃　He　handed　him　the　list。　〃I'll　take　care　of　Boradinov　then　I'm　going　back　to　the　Clinker　area。〃
　Sinders　nodded；　looked　at　the　paper。　Twenty…eight　rescued；　seventeen　dead；　the　names　meaningless　to　him。　Among　the　dead　was　Jason　Plumm。　。。。
　
　At　the　wharf　in　Kowloon　where　the　Ivanov　was　tied　up；　coolies　were　trudging　up　and　down　the　gangplanks；　laden　with　last…minute　cargo　and　equipment。　Because　of　the　emergency；　police　surveillance　had　been　cut　to　a　minimum　and　now　there　were　only　two　police　on