jamesclavell.noblehouse-第79部分

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　〃Third。〃
　〃That's　very　good。〃
　〃Thank　you。　It's　not　far　now；　ours　is　the　end　junk。〃
　They　negotiated　a　precarious　gangway；　Gornt　watched　suspiciously　by　silent　boat　dwellers　as　they　crossed　from　floating　home　to　floating　home；　the　families　dozing　or　cooking　or　eating　or　playing　mah…jong；　some　still　repairing　fishing　nets；　some　children　night　fishing。
　〃This　bit's　slippery；　Mr。　Gornt。〃　He　jumped　onto　the　tacky　deck。　〃We　made　it！　Home　sweet　home！〃　He　tousled　the　hair　of　the　sleepy　little　boy　who　was　the　lookout　and　said　in　Haklo；　which　he　knew　Gornt　did　not　understand；　〃Keep　awake；　Little　Brother；　or　the　devils　will　get　us。〃
　〃Yes；　yes　I　will；〃　the　boy　piped；　his　suspicious　eyes　on　Gornt。　Paul　Choy　led　the　way　below。　The　old　junk　smelled　of　tar　and　teak；　rotting　fish　and　sea　salt　and　a　thousand　storms。　Below　decks　the　midship　gangway　opened　on　to　the　normal　single　large　cabin　for'ard　that　went　the　breadth　of　the　ship　and　the　length　to　the　bow。　An　open　charcoal　fire　burned　in　a　careless　brick　fireplace　with　a　sooty　kettle　singing　over　it。　Smoke　curled　upward　and　found　its　way　to　the　outside　through　a　rough　flue　cut　in　the　deck。　A　few　old　rattan　chairs；　tables　and　tiers　of　rough　bunks　lined　one　side。
　Four　Finger　Wu　was　alone　and　he　waved　at　one　of　the　chairs　and　beamed。　〃Heya；　good　see；〃　he　said　in　halting；　hardly　understandable　English。　〃Whiskey？〃
　〃Thanks；〃　Gornt　said。　〃Good　to　see　you　too。〃
　Paul　Choy　poured　the　good　Scotch　into　two　semiclean　glasses。
　〃You　want　water；　Mr。　Gornt？〃　he　asked。
　〃No；　straight's　fine。　Not　too　much　please。〃
　〃Sure。〃
　Wu　accepted　his　glass　and　toasted　Gornt。　〃Good　see　you；　heya？〃
　〃Yes。　Health！〃
　They　watched　Gornt　sip　his　whiskey。
　〃Good；〃　Gornt　said。　〃Very　good　whiskey。〃
　Wu　beamed　again　and　motioned　at　Paul。　〃Him　sister　son。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Good　school　…　Golden　Country。〃
　〃Yes。　Yes；　he　told　me。　You　should　be　very　proud。〃
　〃Wat？〃
　Paul　Choy　translated　for　the　old　man。　〃Ah　thank；　thank　you。　He　talk　good；　heya？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Gornt　smiled。　〃Very　good。〃
　〃Ah；　good　never　mind。　Smoke？〃
　〃Thank　you。〃　They　watched　Gornt　take　a　cigarette。　Then　Wu　took　one　and　Paul　Choy　lit　both　of　them。　Another　silence。
　〃Good　with　old　frien'？〃
　〃Yes。　And　you？〃
　〃Good。〃　Another　silence。　〃Him　sister　son；〃　the　old　seaman　said　again　and　saw　Gornt　nod　and　say　nothing；　waiting。　It　pleased　him　that　Gornt　just　sat　there；　waiting　patiently　for　him　to　e　to　the　point　as　a　civilized　person　should。
　Some　of　these　pink　devils　are　learning　at　long　last。　Yes；　but　some　have　learned　too　fornicating　well　…　the　tai…pan　for　instance；　him　with　those　cold；　ugly　blue　fish…eyes　that　most　foreign　devils　have；　that　stare　at　you　like　a　dead　shark　…　the　one　who　can　even　speak　a　little　Haklo　dialect。　Yes；　the　tai…pan's　too　cunning　and　too　civilized；　but　then　he's　had　generations　before　him　and　his　ancestors　had　the　Evil　Eye　before　him。　Yes；　but　old　Devil　Green　Eyes；　the　first　of　his　line；　who　made　a　pact　with　my　ancestor　the　great　sea　warlord；　Wu　Fang　Choi　and　his　son；　Wu　Kwok；　and　kept　it；　and　saw　that　his　sons　kept　it　…　and　their　sons。　So　this　present　tai…pan　must　be　considered　an　old　friend　even　though　he's　the　most　deadly　of　the　line。
　The　old　man　suppressed　a　shudder　and　hawked　and　spat　to　scare　away　the　evil　spit　god　that　lurked　in　all　men's　throats。　He　studied　Gornt。　Eeeee；　he　told　himself；　it　must　be　vile　to　have　to　look　at　that　pink　face　in　every　mirror　…　all　that　face　hair　like　a　monkey　and　a　pallid　white　toad's　belly　skin　elsewhere！　Ugh！
　He　put　a　smile　on　his　face　to　cover　his　embarrassment　and　tried　to　read　Gornt's　face；　what　was　beneath　it；　but　he　could　not。　Never　mind；　he　told　himself　gleefully；　that's　why　all　the　time　and　money's　been　spent　to　prepare　Number　Seven　Son　…　he'll　know。
　〃Maybe　ask　favor？〃　he　said　tentatively。
　The　beams　of　the　ship　creaked　pleasantly　as　she　wallowed　at　her　moorings。
　〃Yes。　What　favor；　old　friend？〃
　〃Sister　son　…　time　go　work　…　give　job？〃　He　saw　astonishment　on　Gornt's　face　and　this　annoyed　him　but　he　hid　it。　〃　'Splain；〃　he　said　in　English　then　added　to　Paul　Choy　in　guttural　Haklo；　〃Explain　to　this　Eater　of　Turtle　Shit　what　I　want。　Just　as　I　told　you。〃
　〃My　uncle　apologizes　that　he　can't　speak　directly　to　you　so　he's　asked　me　to　explain；　Mr。　Gornt；〃　Paul　Choy　said　politely。　〃He　wants　to　ask　if　you'd　give　me　a　job　…　as　a　sort　of　trainee　…　in　your　airplane　and　shipping　division。〃
　Gornt　sipped　his　whiskey。　〃Why　those；　Mr。　Choy？〃
　〃My　uncle　has　substantial　shipping　interests；　as　you　know；　and　he　wants　me　to　modernize　his　operation。　I　can　give　you　chapter　and　verse　on　my　background；　if　you'd　consider　me；　sir　…　my　second　year　at　Harvard　was　directed　to　those　areas　…　my　major　interest　was　transportation　of　all　types。　I'd　been　accepted　in　the　International　Division　of　the　Bank　of　Ohio　before　my　uncle　jer…　pulled　me　back。〃　Paul　Choy　hesitated。　〃Anyway　that's　what　he　asks。〃
　〃What　dialects　do　you　speak；　other　than　Haklo？〃
　〃Mandarin。〃
　〃How　many　characters　can　you　write？〃
　〃About　four　thousand。〃
　〃Can　you　take　shorthand？〃
　〃Speedwriting　only；　sir。　I　can　type　about　eighty　words　a　minute　but　not　clean。〃
　〃Wat？〃　Wu　asked。
　Gornt　watched　Paul　Choy　as　the　young　man　translated　what　had　been　said　for　his　uncle；　weighing　him　…　and　Four　Finger　Wu。　Then　he　said；　〃What　sort　of　trainee　do　you　want　to　be？〃
　〃He　wants　me　to　learn　all　there　is　to　know　about　running　shipping　and　airlines；　the　broking　and　freighting　business　also；　the　practical　operation；　and　of　course　to　be　a　profitable　cog　for　you　in　your　machine。　Maybe　my　Yankee　expertise；　theoretical　expertise；　could　help　you　somehow。　I'm　twenty…six。　I've　a　master's。　I'm　into　all　the　new　puter　theory。　Of　course　I　can　program　one。　At　Harvard　I　backgrounded　in　conglomerates；　cash　flows。〃
　〃And　if　you　don't　perform；　or　there's；　how　would　you　put　it；　a　personality　conflict？〃
　The　young　man　said　firmly；　〃There　won't　be；　Mr。　Gornt　…　least…ways　I'll　work　my　can　off　to　prevent　that。〃
　〃Wat？　What　did　he　say？　Exactly？〃　Four　Fingers　asked　sharply　in　Haklo；　noticing　a　change　in　inflection；　his　eyes　and　ears　highly　tuned。
　His　son　explained；　exactly。
　〃Good；〃　Wu　said；　his　voice　a　rasp。　〃Tell　him　exactly；　if　you　don't　do　all　your　tasks　to　his　satisfaction　you'll　be　cast　out　of　the　family　and　my　wrath　will　waste　your　days。〃
　Paul　Choy　hesitated；　hiding　his　shock；　all　his　American　training　screaming　to　tell　his　father　to　go　screw；　that　he　was　a　Harvard　graduate；　that　he　was　an　American　and　had　an　American　passport　that　he'd　earned；　whatever　goddamn　sampan　or　goddamn　family　he　came　from。　But　he　kept　his　eyes　averted　and　his　anger　off　his　face。
　Don't　be　ungrateful；　he　ordered　himself。　You're　not　American；　truly　American。　You're　Chinese；　and　the　head　of　your　family　has　the　right　to　rule。　But　for　him　you　could　be　running　a　floating　cathouse　here　in　Aberdeen。
　Paul　Choy　sighed。　He　knew　that　he　was　more　fortunate　than　his　eleven　brothers。　Four　were　junk　captains　here　in　Aberdeen；　one　lived　in　Bangkok　and　plied　the　Mekong　River；　one　had　a　ferryboat　in　Singapore；　another　ran　an　import/export　shipwright　business　in　Indonesia；　two　had　been　lost　at　sea；　one　brother　was　in　England　…　doing　what　he　didn't　know　…　and　the　last；　the　eldest；　ruled　the　dozen　feeder　sampans　in　Aberdeen　Harbor　that　were　floating　kitchens　…　and　also　three　pleasure　boats　and　eight　ladies　of　the　night。
　After　a　pause　Gornt　asked；　〃What　did　he　say？　Exactly？〃
　Paul　Choy　hesitated；　then　decided　to　tell　him；　exactly。
　〃Thank　you　for　being　honest　with　me；　Mr。　Choy。　That　was　wise。　You're　a　very　impressive　young　man；〃　Gornt　said。　〃I　understand　perfectly。〃　Now　for　the　first　time　since　Wu　had　asked　the　original　question　he　turned　his　eyes　to　the　old　seaman　and　smiled。　〃Of　course。　Glad　to　give　nephew　job。〃
　Wu　beamed　and　Paul　Choy　tried　to　keep　the　relief　off　his　face。
　〃I　won't　let　you　down；　Mr。　Gornt。〃
　〃Yes；　I　know　you　won't。〃
　Wu　motioned　at　the　bottle。　〃Whiskey？〃
　〃No　thank　you。　This　is　fine；〃　Gornt　said。
　〃When　start　job？〃
　Gornt　looked　at　Paul　Choy。　〃When　would　you　like　to　start？〃
　〃Tomorrow？　Whenever's　good　for　you；　sir。〃
　〃Tomorrow。　Wednesday。〃
　〃Gee；　thanks。　Eight　o'clock？〃
　〃Nine；　eight　thereafter。　A　six…day　week　of