jamesclavell.noblehouse-第42部分

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e　brand　he　always　used　to　smoke　…　don't　fool　yourself；　he　thought；　the　brand　you　still　smoke。　〃No　thank　you　sir；〃　he　heard　himself　say；　shafts　of　pain　in　his　stomach　and　through　all　of　him。
　〃You're　not　smoking；　Robert？〃
　〃No　sir；　I've　stopped　。。。　I'm　just　trying　to　stop。〃
　〃Admirable！　Why　should　Bartlett　want　John　Chen　eliminated？〃
　Again　both　police　officers　gawked　at　him。　Then　Armstrong　said　throatily；　〃Do　you　know　why；　sir？〃
　〃If　I　knew；　why　should　I　ask　you？　That's　for　you　to　find　out。　There's　a　connection　somewhere。　Too　many　coincidences；　too　neat；　too　pat　…　and　too　smelly。　Yes　it　smells　of　KGB　involvement　to　me；　and　when　that　happens　in　my　domain　I　must　confess　I　get　irritable。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃Well；　so　far　so　good。　Put　surveillance　on　Mrs。　Phillip　Chen　…　she　could　easily　be　implicated　somewhere。　The　stakes　for　her　are　certainly　high　enough。　Tail　Phillip　Chen　for　a　day　or　two　as　well。〃
　〃That's　already　done；　sir。　Both　of　them。　On　Phillip　Chen；　not　that　I　suspect　him　but　just　because　I　think　they'll　both　do　the　usual　…　be　uncooperative；　keep　mum；　negotiate　secretly；　pay　off　secretly　and　breathe　a　sigh　of　relief　once　it's　over。〃
　〃Quite。　Why　is　it　these　fellows　…　however　well　educated　…　think　they're　so　much　smarter　than　we　are　and　won't　help　us　do　the　work　we're　paid　to　do？〃
　Brian　Kwok　felt　the　steely　eyes　grinding　into　him　and　the　sweat　trickled　down　his　back。　Control　yourself；　he　thought。　This　bastard's　only　a　foreign　devil；　an　uncivilized；　manure…eating；　dung…ladened；　motherless；　dew　neh　loh　moh　saturated；　monkey…descended　foreign　devil。　〃It's　an　old　Chinese　custom　which　I'm　sure　you　know；　sir；〃　he　said　politely；　〃to　distrust　all　police；　all　government　officials　…　they've　four　thousand　years　of　experience；　sir。〃
　〃I　agree　with　the　hypothesis；　but　with　one　exception。　The　British。　We　have　proved　beyond　all　doubt　we're　to　be　trusted；　we　can　govern；　and；　by　and　large；　our　bureaucracy's　incorruptible。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　Crosse　watched　him　for　a　moment；　puffing　his　cigarette。　Then　he　said；　〃Robert；　do　you　know　what　John　Chen　and　Miss　Tcholok　said　or　talked　about？〃
　〃No　sir。　We　haven't　been　able　to　interview　her　yet　…　she's　been　at　Struan's　all　day。　Could　it　be　important？〃
　〃Are　you　going　to　Dunross's　party　tonight？〃
　〃No　sir。〃
　〃Brian？〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃Good。　Robert；　I'm　sure　Dunross　won't　mind　if　I　bring　you　with　me；　call　for　me　at　8：00　p。m。　All　Hong　Kong　that　counts　will　be　there　…　you　can　keep　your　ears　to　the　grindstone　and　your　nose　everywhere。〃　He　smiled　at　his　own　joke　and　did　not　mind　that　neither　smiled　with　him。　〃Read　the　report　now。　I'll　be　back　shortly。　And　Brian；　please　don't　fail　tonight。　It　really　would　be　very　boring。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　Crosse　left。
　When　they　were　alone　Brian　Kwok　mopped　his　brow。　〃That　bugger　petrifies　me。〃
　〃Yes。　Same　for　me；　old　chum；　always　has。〃
　〃Would　he　really　order　a　team　into　Struan's？〃　Brian　Kwok　asked　incredulously。　〃Into　the　inner　kernel　of　the　Noble　House？〃
　〃Of　course。　He'd　even　lead　it　himself。　This's　your　first　tour　with　SI；　old　lad；　so　you　don't　know　him　like　I　do。　That　bugger'd　lead　a　team　of　assassins　into　hell　if　he　thought　it　important　enough。　Bet　you　he　got　the　file　himself。　Christ；　he's　been　over　the　border　twice　that　I　know　of　to　chat　to　a　friendly　agent。　He　went　alone；　imagine　that！〃
　Brian　gasped。　〃Does　the　governor　know？〃
　〃I　wouldn't　think　so。　He'd　have　a　hemorrhage；　and　if　MI…6　ever　heard；　he'd　be　roasted　and　Crosse'd　get　sent　to　the　Tower　of　London。　He　knows　too　many　secrets　to　take　that　chance　…　but　he's　Crosse　and　not　a　thing　you　can　do　about　it。〃
　〃Who　was　the　agent？〃
　〃Our　guy　in　Canton。〃
　〃Wu　Fong　Fong？〃
　〃No；　a　new　one　…　at　least　he　was　new　in　my　time。　In　the　army。〃
　〃Captain　Ta　Quo　Sa？〃
　Armstrong　shrugged。　〃I　forget。〃
　Kwok　smiled。　〃Quite　right。〃
　〃Crosse　still　went　over　the　border。　He's　a　law　unto　himself。〃
　〃Christ；　you　can't　even　go　to　Macao　because　you　were　in　SI　a　couple　of　years　ago　and　he　goes　over　the　border。　He's　bonkers　to　take　that　risk。〃
　〃Yes。〃　Armstrong　began　to　mimic　Crosse。　〃And　how　is　it　tradesmen　know　things　before　we　do；　dear　boy？　Bloody　simple；〃　he　said；　answering　himself；　and　his　voice　lost　its　banter。　〃They　spend　money。　They　spend　lots　of　bloody　money；　whereas　we've　sweet　f。a。　to　spend。　He　knows　it　and　I　know　it　and　the　whole　world　knows　it。　Christ；　how　does　the　FBI；　CIA；　KGB　or　Korean　CIA　work？　They　spend　money！　Christ；　it's　too　easy　to　get　Alan　Medford　Grant　on　your　team　…　Dunross　hired　him。　Ten　thousand　pounds　retainer；　that'd　buy　lots　of　reports；　that's　more　than　enough；　perhaps　it　was　less。　How　much　are　we　paid？　Two　thousand　quid　a　year　for　three　hundred　and　sixty…six；　twenty…five…hour　days　and　a　copper　on　the　beat　gets　four　hundred　quid。　Look　at　the　red　tape　we'd　have　to　go　through　to　get　a　secret　ten　thousand　quid　to　pay　to　one　man　to　buy　info。　Where'd　the　FBI；　CIA　and　god…cursed　KGB　be　without　unlimited　funds？　Christ；〃　he　added　sourly；　〃it'd　take　us　six　months　to　get　the　money；　if　we　could　get　it；　whereas　Dunross　and　fifty　others　can　take　it　out　of　petty　cash。〃　The　big　man　sat　in　his　chair　slouched　and　loose…limbed；　dark　shadows　under　his　eyes　that　were　red　rimmed；　his　cheekbones　etched　by　the　overhead　light。　He　glanced　at　the　file　on　the　desk　in　front　of　him　but　did　not　touch　it　yet；　just　wondered　at　the　evil　news　it　must　contain。　〃It's　easy　for　the　Dunrosses　of　the　world；〃　he　said。
　Brian　Kwok　nodded　and　wiped　his　hands　and　put　his　kerchief　away。　〃They　say　Dunross's　got　a　secret　fund　…　the　tai…pan's　fund　…　started　by　Dirk　Struan　in　the　beginning　with　the　loot　he　got　when　he　burned　and　sacked　Foochow；　a　fund　that　only　the　current　tai…pan　can　use　for　just　this　sort　of　thing；　for　h'eung　yau　and　payoffs；　anything　…　maybe　even　a　little　murder。　They　say　it　runs　into　millions。〃
　〃I'd　heard　that　rumor　too。　Yes。　I　wish　to　Christ　。。。　oh　well。〃　Armstrong　reached　for　the　file；　hesitated；　then　got　up　and　went　for　the　phone。　〃First　things　first；〃　he　told　his　Chinese　friend　with　a　sardonic　smile。　〃First　we'd　better　breathe　on　a　few　VIPs。〃　He　dialed　Police　HQ　in　Kowloon。　〃Armstrong　…　give　me　Divisional　Staff　Sergeant　Tang…po　please。〃
　〃Good　evening；　sir。　Yes　sir？〃　Divisional　Staff　Sergeant　Tang…po's　voice　was　warm　and　friendly。
　〃Evening；　'Major；〃　he　said　sweetly　using　the　contraction　of　Sergeant　Major　as　was　customary。　〃I　need　information。　I　need　information　on　who　the　guns　were　destined　for。　I　need　information　on　who　the　kidnappers　of　John　Chen　are。　I　want　John　Chen　…　or　his　body　…　back　in　three　days。　And　I　want　this　Werewolf　…　or　Werewolves；　in　the　dock　very　quickly。〃
　There　was　a　slight　pause。　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃Please　spread　the　word。　The　Great　White　Father　is　very　angry　indeed。　And　when　he　gets　even　just　a　little　angry　superintendents　get　posted　to　other　mands；　and　so　do　inspectors　…　even　sergeants；　even　divisional　staff　sergeants　class　one。　Some　even　get　demoted　to　police　constable　and　sent　to　the　border。　Some　might　even　get　discharged　or　deported　or　go　to　prison。　Eh？〃
　There　was　an　even　longer　pause。　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃And　when　he's　very　angry　indeed　wise　men　flee；　if　they　can；　before　anticorruption　falls　on　the　guilty　…　and　even　on　innocents。〃
　Another　pause。　〃Yes　sir。　I'll　spread　the　word；　sir；　at　once。　Yes；　at　once。〃
　〃Thank　you；　'Major。　The　Great　White　Father　is　really　very　angry　indeed。　And　oh；　yes。〃　His　voice　became　even　thinner。　〃Perhaps　you'd　ask　your　brother　sergeants　to　help。　They'll　surely　understand；　too；　my　modest　problem　is　theirs　as　well。〃　He　switched　to　Cantonese。　〃When　the　Dragons　belch；　all　Hong　Kong　defecates。　Heya？〃
　A　longer　pause。　〃I'll　take　care　of　it；　sir。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃　Armstrong　replaced　the　receiver。
　Brian　Kwok　grinned。　〃That's　going　to　cause　a　few　sphincter　muscles　to　oscillate。〃
　The　Englishman　nodded　and　sat　down　again　but　his　face　did　not　lose　its　hardness。　〃I　don't　like　to　pull　that　too　often　…　actually　that's　only　the　second　time　I've　ever　done　it　…　but　I've　no　option。　He　made　that　clear；　so　did　the　Old　Man。　You　better　do　the　same　with　your　sources。〃
　〃Of　course。　'When　the　Dragons　belch　。。。'　You　were　punning　on　the　legendary　Five　Dragons？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　Now　Brian　Kwok's　handsome　face　settled　into　a　mold　…　cold　black　eyes　in　his