jamesclavell.noblehouse-第50部分

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House　Chen；　half　for　finding　the　kidnappers。　And　a　bonus　of　10；000　to　the　Brother　whose　informer　produces　either　…　and　promotion。〃
　〃One　10；000　for　Chen　and　one　ten　for　the　kidnappers？〃　the　corporal　asked。　O　gods　grant　me　the　prize；　he　prayed；　as　they　all　were　praying。　〃Is　that　right；　Elder　Brother？〃
　〃Dew　neh　loh　moh　that's　what　I　said；〃　Tang…po　replied　sharply；　puffing　his　cigarette。　〃Are　your　ears　filled　with　pus？〃
　〃Oh　no；　sorry　Honorable　Sir。　Please　excuse　me。〃
　All　their　minds　were　on　the　prize。　Sergeant　Lee　was　thinking；　Eeee；　10；000　and　…　and　promotion　if　in　three　days！　Ah；　if　within　three　days　then　it　will　be　in　time　for　Race　Day　and　then　。。。　O　all　gods　great　and　small　bless　me　this　once　and　a　second　time　on　Saturday's　double　quinella。
　Tang…po　was　referring　to　his　notes。　〃Now　to　other　business。　Through　the　cooperation　of　Daytime　Chang　and　the　Honorable　Song；　the　Brotherhood　can　use　their　showers　daily　at　the　V　and　A　between　8：00　a。m。　and　9：00　a。m。；　not　7：00　a。m。　to　8：00　a。m。　as　before。　Wives　and　concubines　on　a　roster　basis。　Corporal　Ho；　you　rearrange　the　roster。〃
　〃Hey；　Honored　Lord；〃　one　of　the　young　detectives　called　out；　〃did　you　hear　about　Golden　Pubics？〃
　〃Eh？〃
　The　youth　related　what　Daytime　Chang　had　told　him　this　morning　when　he　went　to　the　hotel　kitchens　for　breakfast。　They　all　guffawed。
　〃Ayeeyah；　imagine　that！　Like　gold；　heya？〃
　〃Have　you　ever　pillowed　a　foreign　devil；　Honorable　Lord？〃
　〃No　never。　No。　Ayeeyah；　the　very　thought　。。。　ugh！〃
　〃I'd　like　one；〃　Lee　said　with　a　laugh；　〃just　to　see　what　was　what！〃
　They　laughed　with　him　and　one　called　out；　〃A　Jade　Gate's　a　Jade　Gate　but　they　say　some　foreign　devils　are　lopsided！〃
　〃I　heard　they　were　cleft　sideways！〃
　〃Honored　Sir；　there　was　another　thing；〃　the　young　detective　said　when　the　laughter　had　died　down。　〃Daytime　Chang　told　me　to　tell　you　Golden　Pubics　has　a　miniature　transmitter…receiver　…　best　he'd　ever　seen；　better　than　anything　we've　got；　even　in　Special　Branch。　She　carries　it　around　with　her。〃
　Tang…po　stared　at　him。　〃That's　curious。　Now　why　should　a　foreign　devil　woman　want　a　thing　like　that？〃
　Lee　said；　〃Something　to　do　with　the　guns？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　Younger　Brother。　Women　with　transceivers？　Interesting。　It　wasn't　in　her　luggage　when　our　people　went　through　it　last　night；　so　it　must've　been　in　her　handbag。　Good；　very　good。　Corporal　Ho；　after　our　meeting　leave　a　gift　for　Daytime　Chang　…　a　couple　of　reds。〃　A　red　note　was　100　HK。　〃I'd　certainly　like　to　know　who　those　guns　were　for；〃　he　added　thoughtfully。　〃Make　sure　all　our　informers　know　I'm　very　interested　in　that　too。〃
　〃Is　Noble　House　Chen　tied　into　the　guns　and　these　two　foreign　devils？〃　Lee　asked。
　〃I　think　so；　Younger　Brother。　I　think　so。　Yes。　Another　curiosity　…　to　send　an　ear　is　not　civilized　…　not　so　soon。　Not　civilized　at　all。〃
　〃Ah；　then　you　think　the　Werewolves're　foreign　devils？　Or　fornicating　half…persons？　Or　Portuguese？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Tang…po　said　sourly。　〃But　it　happened　in　our　district；　so　it's　a　matter　of　face　for　all　of　us。　Big　Mountain　of　Dung　is　very　enraged。　His　face　is　in　the　mangle　too。〃
　〃Eeee；〃　Lee　said；　〃that　fornicator　has　such　a　very　filthy　temper。〃
　〃Yes。　Perhaps　the　information　about　the　transceiver　will　appease　him。　I　think　I'll　ask　all　my　Brothers　to　put　surveillance　on　Golden　Pubics　and　her　gun…running　friend　just　in　case。　Now；　there　was　something　else。　。。。〃　Again　Tang…po　referred　to　his　notes。　〃Ah　yes；　why　is　our　contribution　from　the　Happy　Hostess　Night　Club　down　30　percent？〃
　〃A　new　ownership's　just　taken　over；　Honored　Sir；〃　Sergeant　Lee；　in　whose　area　the　dance　hall　was；　said。　〃One　Eye　Pok　sold　out　to　a　Shanghainese　fornicator　called　Wang　…　Happy　Wang。　Happy　Wang　says　the　Fragrant　Grease's　too　high；　business　is　bad；　very　bad。〃
　〃Dew　neh　loh　moh　on　all　Shanghainese。　Is　it？〃
　〃It's　down；　but　not　much。〃
　〃That's　right；　Honored　Sir；〃　Corporal　Ho　said。　〃I　was　there　at　midnight　to　collect　the　fornicating　week's　advance　…　the　stink　fornicating　place　was　about　half　full。〃
　〃Any　foreign　devils　there？〃
　〃Two　or　three；　Honored　Lord。　No　one　of　importance。〃
　〃Give　Honorable　Happy　Wang　a　message　from　me：　He　has　three　weeks　to　improve　his　business。　Then　we'll　reconsider。　Corporal　Ho；　tell　some　of　the　girls　at　the　Great　New　Oriental　to　remend　the　Happy　Hostess　for　a　month　or　so　…　they've　plenty　of　foreign　devil　customers　。。。　and　tell　Wang　that　there's　a　nuclear　aircraft　carrier　…　the　Corregidor　…　ing　in　the　day　after　tomorrow　for　R　and　R　。。。〃　He　used　the　English　letters；　everyone　understanding　rest　and　recreation　from　the　Korean　War　days。　〃I'll　ask　my　Brother　Dragon　in　Wanchai　and　the　dock　area　if　Happy　Wang　can　send　some　visiting　cards　over　there。　A　thousand　or　so　Golden　Country　barbarians　will　certainly　be　a　help！　They're　here　for　eight　days。〃
　〃Honored　Sir；　I'll　do　that　tonight；〃　Corporal　Ho　promised。
　〃My　friend　in　marine　police　told　me　that　there　are　going　to　be　lots　of　visiting　warships　soon　…　the　American　Seventh　Fleet　is　being　increased。〃　Tang…po　frowned。　〃Doubled；　so　he　says。　The　talk　from　the　Mainland　is　that　American　soldiers　are　going　to　go　into　Vietnam　in　strength　…　they　already　run　an　airline　there　…　at　least；〃　he　added；　〃their　triad　CIA　does。〃
　〃Eeee；　that's　good　for　business！　We'll　have　to　repair　their　ships。　And　entertain　their　men。　Good！　Very　good　for　us。〃
　〃Yes。　Very　good。　But　very　stupid　for　them。　Honorable　Chou　En…lai's　sent　them　warnings；　politely；　for　months　that　China　doesn't　want　them　there！　Why　won't　they　listen？　Vietnam's　our　outer　barbarian　sphere！　Stupid　to　pick　that　foul　jungle　and　those　detestable　barbarians　to　fight　against。　If　China　couldn't　subdue　those　outer　barbarians　for　centuries；　how　can　they？〃　Tang…po　laughed　and　lit　another　cigarette。　〃Where's　old　One　Eye　Pok　gone？〃
　〃That　old　fox's　permanent　visa　came　through　and　he　was　off　on　the　next　airplane　to　San　Francisco　…　him；　his　wife　and　eight　kids。〃
　Tang…po　turned　to　his　accountant。　〃Did　he　owe　us　any　money？〃
　〃Oh　no　Honored　Sir。　He　was　fully　paid　up…to…date；　Sergeant　Lee　saw　to　that。〃
　〃How　much　did　it　cost　that　old　fornicator？　To　get　the　visa？〃
　〃His　exit　was　smoothed　by　a　gift　of　3；000　HK　to　Corporal　Sek　Pun　So　in　Immigration　on　our　remendation　…　our　percentage　was　paid　…　we　also　assisted　him　to　find　the　right　diamond　merchant　to　convert　his　wealth　into　the　best　blue　whites　available。〃　Ho　referred　to　his　books。　〃Our　2　percent　mission　came　to　8；960　HK。〃
　〃Good　old　One　Eye！〃　Tang…po　said；　pleased　for　him。　〃He's　done　very　well　for　himself。　What　was　his　'unique　services'　job　for　his　visa？〃
　Sergeant　Lee　said；　〃A　cook　in　a　restaurant　in　Chinatown　…　the　Good　Eating　Place　it's　called。　Oh　ko；　I've　tasted　his　home　cooking　and　old　One　Eye　is　very　bad　indeed。〃
　〃He'll　hire　another　to　take　his　place　while　he　goes　into　real　estate；　or　gambling　and　a　nightclub；〃　someone　said。　〃Eeee；　what　joss！〃
　〃But　what　did　his　U。S。　visa　cost　him？〃
　〃Ah；　the　golden　gift　to　Paradise！〃　Ho　sighed。　〃I　heard　he　paid　5；000　U。S。　to　jump　to　the　head　of　the　list。〃
　〃Ayeeyah；　that's　more　than　usual！　Why？〃
　〃It　seems　there's　also　a　promise　of　a　U。S。　passport　as　soon　as　the　five　years　are　up　and　not　too　much　harassment　about　his　English　…　old　One　Eye　doesn't　talk　English　as　you　know。　。。。〃
　〃Those　fornicators　from　the　Golden　Country　…　they　squeeze　but　they　aren't　organized。　They've　no　style；　none　at　all；〃　Tang…po　said　scornfully。　〃One　or　two　visas　here　and　there　…　when　everyone　here　knows　you　can　buy　one　if　you're　at　the　right　time　with　the　right　squeeze。　So　why　don't　they　do　it　properly　in　a　civilized　way？　Twenty　visas　a　week　…　even　forty　…　they're　all　mad　these　foreign　devils！〃
　〃Dew　neh　loh　moh　but　you're　right；〃　Sergeant　Lee　said；　his　mind　boggled　at　the　potential　amount　of　squeeze　he　could　make　if　he　were　a　vice…consul　in　the　U。S。　Consulate　of　Hong　Kong　in　the　Visa　Department。　〃Eeeeee！〃
　〃We　should　have　a　civilized　person　in　that　position；　then　we'd　soon　be　set　up　like　Mandarins　and　policing　San　Francisco！〃　Tang…po　said；　and　they　all　guffawed　with　him。　Then　he　added　disgustedly；　〃At　least　they　should　have　a　man　there；　not　one　who　likes　a　Steaming　Stalk　in　his　Ghastly　Gulley；　or　his　in　another's！〃
　They　laughed　even　more。　〃Hey；〃　on