jamesclavell.noblehouse-第337部分

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　per　month　against　his　written　guarantee　that　you　can　stop　it　from　his　pocket　money　at　the　rate　of　100　a　month。　If　he　falls　for　that　it'll　teach　him　a　fine　lesson。　If　he　doesn't　I'll　give　him　the　1；000；　but　not　till　next　Easter。〃
　She　nodded；　then　added　sadly；　〃Poor　Miss　Casey。　She's　dying　inside。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Here　are　your　calls；　tai…pan。　Master　Linbar　called　from　Sydney；　please　call　him　back　when　you　have　a　moment。　He　thinks　he's　got　Woolara　back　in　line。〃
　Dunross　stared　at　her。　〃I'll　be　damned！〃
　〃Mr。　Alastair　called　with　congratulations；　and　your　father；　and　most　members　of　the　family。　Please　call　Master　Trussler　in　Jo'burg；　it's　about　thoriums。〃　She　sniffed。　〃Mrs。　Gresserhoff　called　to　say　good…bye。〃
　〃When's　she　off？〃　Dunross　asked　nonmittally；　knowing　the　flight。
　〃Tomorrow；　JAL's　early　flight。　Isn't　it　awful　about　Travkin？　Oh　I'm　so　sad　about　him。〃
　〃Yes。〃　Travkin　had　died　in　the　night。　Dunross　had　visited　him　at　the　Matilda　Hospital　several　times　but　his　trainer　had　never　recovered　consciousness　since　the　Saturday　accident。　〃Have　we　tracked　down　any　next　of　kin？〃
　〃No。　He　had　no　special　girl　friend　or；　or　anyone。　Master　Jacques　has　made　the　burial　arrangements。〃
　〃Good。　Yes。　That's　the　least　we　can　do　for　him。〃
　〃Are　you　going　to　ride　Saturday？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃　Dunross　hesitated。　〃Remind　me　to　talk　to　the　stewards　about　making　the　fifth　the　Travkin　Stakes　…　a　way　of　thanking　him。〃
　〃Yes。　Oh；　that　would　be　wonderful。　I　did　so　like　him；　yes　that　would　be　wonderful。〃
　Dunross　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃Is　my　next　appointment　downstairs　yet？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Good；〃　the　tai…pan　said；　his　face　closing。
　He　went　down　to　the　next　floor；　to　his　office。　〃Afternoon；　Mr。　Choy；　what　can　I　do　for　you？〃　He　had　already　sent　condolences　about　Four　Finger　Wu。
　When　the　door　was　shut；　Paul　Choy　wiped　his　hands　without　noticing　it。　〃I've　e　about　step　one；　sir。　Sorry　we　had　to　put　it　off　from　yesterday；　but；　er；　the　wax　impressions　…　they　fitted　one　of　your　two　remaining　half…coins？〃
　〃First　I　would　ask　who　has　the　other　half；　now　that　Four　Fingers　is　an　ancestor。〃
　〃The　family　Wu；　sir。〃
　〃Who　in　the　family　Wu？〃　Dunross　asked　harshly；　deliberately　rough。　〃The　coin　was　given　to　an　individual　who　would　pass　it　on　to　an　individual。　Who？〃
　〃Me。　Sir。〃　Paul　Choy　stared　back　at　the　tai…pan；　unafraid；　even　though　his　heart　was　beating　faster　than　it　had　ever　beaten　…　even　more　than　when　he　was　on　the　junk　a　lifetime　ago　…　the　young　Werewolf's　blood　on　his　hands；　the　half…dead；　mutilated　body　leaning　against　him；　and　his　father　shouting　at　him　to　throw　the　man　overboard。
　〃You'll　have　to　prove　Four　Fingers　gave　it　to　you。〃
　〃Sorry；　tai…pan；　I　don't　have　to　prove　anything；〃　Paul　Choy　replied　confidently。　〃I　just　have　to　present　the　coin　and　ask　the　favor。　In　secret。　Everything　secret；　that's　the　deal。　If　it's　the　real　coin　your　honor　and　the　face　of　the　Noble　House　is　at　stake　and　the　fa…　〃
　〃I　know　what　I　have　at　stake。〃　Dunross　made　his　voice　grate。　〃Do　you？〃
　〃Sir？〃
　〃This　is　China。　Lots　of　curious　things　happen　in　China。　You　think　I'm　a　fool　to　be　bamboozled　by　an　ancient　legend？〃
　The　young　man　shook　his　head；　his　throat　tight。　〃No。　You're　absolutely　no　fool；　tai…pan。　But　if　I　present　the　coin；　you　will　grant　the　favor。〃
　〃What's　your　favor？〃
　〃First　I　guess　I'd　like　to　know　if　you're　。。。　if　you're　satisfied　it's　one　of　the　four。　I'm　satisfied。〃
　〃Are　you　now？〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃You　know　this　coin　was　stolen　from　Phillip　Chen？〃　Paul　Choy　stared　at　him；　then　recovered　quickly。　〃This　coin's　from　Four　Finger　Wu。　I　know　of　no　theft。　It　came　from　my　father；　that's　all　I　know。　It　was　my　father's。〃
　〃You　should　give　it　back　to　Phillip　Chen。〃
　〃Did　you　ever　see　it；　this　particular　one；　in　his　possession；　sir？〃
　Dunross　had　already　talked　to　Phillip　Chen　about　the　coin。　〃Is　there　no　way　to　prove　it's　yours；　Phillip？〃　he　had　asked　him。
　〃None；　tai…pan。　None；〃　the　old　man　had　said；　wringing　his　hands。
　Dunross　kept　his　eyes　boring　into　the　youth。　〃It's　Phillip　Chen's。〃
　Paul　Choy　shifted　uneasily。　〃There　were　four　coins；　tai…pan。　Mr。　Chen's　coin　must　be　one　of　the　others。　This　one　belongs；　belonged　to　my　father。　You　remember　what　he　said　at　Aberdeen？〃
　Dunross　stared　at　him　silently；　trying　to　shake　him；　dealing　with　him　Western　style。　Paul　Choy　wavered　but　held　his　gaze　steady。　Interesting；　Dunross　thought。　You're　a　tough　little　bastard　and　good。　Now；　are　you　an　emissary　of　Goldtooth　Wu；　the　eldest　son；　or　a　thief　and　here　on　your　own　account？　He　left　the　silence　hanging；　using　it　to　undermine　his　opponent　while　he　rethought　his　position。　The　moment　Paul　Choy　had　called　yesterday　to　ask　for　an　appointment　he　had　known　the　reason。　But　how　to　handle　it？　Four　Fingers　barely　dead　and　now　I've　a　new　enemy；　he　thought；　strong；　well　trained　with　lots　of　balls。　Even　so；　he's　got　weak　links　like　anyone。　Like　you　have。　Gornt's　one　of　them。　Riko　could　be　another。　Ah；　Riko！　What　is　it　about　her　that　moves　you　so　much？
　Forget　that！　How　do　you　recover　the　half…coin　before　the　favor？
　〃I　presume　you　have　your　half　with　you。　Let's　go　to　the　assayist　right　now。〃　He　got　up；　testing　Paul　Choy。
　〃No　sir；　sorry　but　no。〃　Paul　Choy　felt　his　heart　about　to　burst；　the　thong　around　his　neck　suddenly　a　noose；　the　half…coin　burning　into　his　flesh。　〃Sorry；　but　I　don't　think　that's　a　good　idea。〃
　〃I　think　it's　a　very　good　idea；〃　Dunross　continued　brusquely；　pressuring　him。　〃We'll　go　and　fetch　it。　e　along！〃
　〃No。　No　thanks；　tai…pan。〃　Paul　Choy　said　it　with　a　polite　firmness　Dunross　recognized。　〃Could　we　please　do　it　next　week？　Say　a　week　Friday？　There's　no　hurry　now。〃
　〃I　won't　be　in　Hong　Kong　on　Friday。〃
　〃Yes　sir。　You'll　be　in　Japan。　Could　you　put　aside　an　hour　during　your　stay　there？　Anytime　to　suit　you。　To　go　visit　an　assayist？〃
　Dunross's　eyes　narrowed。　〃You　seem　to　know　a　lot；　Mr。　Choy。〃
　〃It's　easy　to　find　out　anything　here；　sir。　Japan　would　be　better　for　both　of　us。　Less　chance　of　a；　a　foul…up　and　in　Japan　we're　both　equal。〃
　〃You're　suggesting　you　won't　be　here？〃
　〃No；　no；　tai…pan。　But　as　you　said；　this　is　China；　strange　things　happen　in　China。　Four　Fingers　and　his　group're　well　connected　too。　The　coin's　a　one　shot　…　person　to　person　…　and　should　be　handled　that　way。　That's　the　way　I　figure　it。〃
　Paul　Choy　was　sweating　now；　thanking　God　that　part　of　the　〃favor〃　was　that　everything　was　to　be　secret。　Ever　since　he　had　brought　back　the　body　of　Four　Fingers　he　had　been　maneuvering　for　power　in　the　family。　At　length　he　had　achieved　exactly　what　he　wanted；　the　very　special　position　…　in　Mafia　terms　…　of　consigliere；　chief　advisor　to　Goldtooth　Wu；　the　eldest　son；　now　titular　head　of　the　Seaborne　Wu。　That's　what　we　are；　he　thought；　his　fear　rising　again。　We're　Chinese　mafioso。　Isn't　there　blood　on　me　too？　I　was　aboard　with　the　opium。　What　does　Goldtooth　know　that　I　don't？
　〃You　can　trust　me　implicitly；　Goldtooth；〃　he　had　said　to　his　brother；　fighting　for　his　future。
　〃I'm　afraid　I　have　little　choice。　I'm　in　uncharted　waters。　I　need　all　the　help　I　can　get。　Your　expertise　will　be　very　valuable；〃　Goldtooth　had　said　in　his　clipped　English　English　when　they　were　in　the　final　stages　of　negotiation。
　〃I　figure　we　can　work　together。〃
　〃Let's　be　blunt；　Brother。　We're　both　university　trained；　the　rest　aren't。　We　need　each　other　and　the　Seaborne　Wu　must　be　modernized。　I　can't　do　it。　I　need　serious　help　…　my　years　running　his　Pleasure　Boats　hardly　fit　me　for　mand。　I　kept　asking　but；　well；　you　know　our　father。　Good　God；　I　couldn't　even　change　a　girl's　hourly　rate　without　getting　his　approval。　His　four　fingers　were　on　every　ship；　in　every　transaction　in　the　fleet。〃
　〃Sure；　but　now　if　his　captains'll　go　along　with　change；　in　a　year　you'll　have　the　best…run　Chinese　operation　in　Asia。〃
　〃That's　exactly　what　I　want。　Exactly。〃
　〃What　about　opium？〃
　〃The　Seaborne　Wu　have　always　carried　that　cargo。〃
　〃What　about　guns？〃
　〃What　guns？〃
　〃I　heard　whispers　Four　Fingers　was　going　into　gun…running。〃
　〃I　know　nothing　about　guns。〃
　〃Let's　get　rid　of　the　opium…heroin　racket。　Let's　stay　to　hell　out　of　narcotics。　Isn't　it　true　he　was　joining　up　with　those　two　jokers；　Smuggler　Yuen　and　White　Powder　Lee？〃
　〃