jamesclavell.noblehouse-第96部分

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　〃Rog；　what　are　you　pulling？〃　Rosemont　asked　harshly；　to　Langan's　shock。　〃You　got　your　Priority　1…4a　at　1603；　same　time　as　we　did。　Why　the　stall？〃
　〃I　find　it　presently　convenient；〃　Crosse　replied；　his　voice　pleasant。
　Rosemont　flushed；　so　did　Langan。　〃Well　I　don't　and　we've　instructions；　official　instructions；　to　pick　up　our　copies　right　now。〃
　〃So　sorry；　Stanley。〃
　Rosemont's　neck　was　now　very　red　but　he　kept　his　temper。　〃You're　not　going　to　obey　the　1…4a？〃
　〃Not　at　the　moment。〃
　Rosemont　got　up　and　headed　for　the　door。　〃Okay；　Rog；　but　they'll　throw　the　book　at　you。〃　He　ripped　the　bolt　back；　jerked　the　door　open　and　left。　Langan　was　on　his　feet；　his　face　also　set。
　〃What's　the　reason；　Roger？〃　he　asked。
　Crosse　stared　back　at　him　calmly。　〃Reason　for　what？〃
　Ed　Langan　began　to　get　angry　but　stopped；　suddenly　appalled。　〃Jesus；　Roger；　you　haven't　got　them　yet？　Is　that　it？〃
　〃e　now；　Ed；〃　Crosse　said　easily；　〃you　of　all　people　should　know　we're　efficient。〃
　〃That's　no　answer；　Roger。　Have　you　or　haven't　you？〃　The　FBI　man's　level　eyes　stayed　on　Crosse；　and　did　not　faze　Crosse　at　all。　Then　he　walked　out；　closing　the　door　after　him。　At　once　Crosse　touched　the　hidden　switch。　The　bolt　slid　home。　Another　hidden　switch　turned　off　his　tape　recorder。　He　picked　up　his　phone　and　dialed。　〃Brian？　Have　you　heard　from　Dunross？〃
　〃No　sir。〃
　〃Meet　me　downstairs　at　once。　With　Armstrong。〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　Crosse　hung　up。　He　took　out　the　formal　arrest　document　that　was　headed　DETAINMENT　ORDER　UNDER　THE　OFFICIAL　SECRETS　ACT。　Quickly　he　filled　in　〃Ian　Struan　Dunross〃　and　signed　both　copies。　The　top　copy　he　kept；　the　other　he　locked　in　his　drawer。　His　eyes　roamed　his　office；　checking　it。　Satisfied；　he　delicately　positioned　a　sliver　of　paper　in　the　crack　of　his　drawer　so　that　he　alone　would　know　if　anyone　had　opened　it　or　tampered　with　it。　He　walked　out。　Heavy　security　locks　slid　home　after　him。
　
　23
　
　5：45　P。M。：
　Dunross　was　in　the　Struan　boardroom　with　the　other　directors　of　Nelson　Trading；　looking　at　Richard　Kwang。　〃No；　Richard。　Sorry；　I　can't　wait　till　after　closing　tomorrow。〃
　〃It'll　make　no　difference　to　you；　tai…pan。　It　will　to　me。〃　Richard　Kwang　was　sweating。　The　others　watched　him　…　Phillip　Chen；　Lando　Mata　and　Zeppelin　Tung。
　〃I　disagree；　Richard；〃　Lando　Mata　said　sharply。　〃Madonna；　you　don't　seem　to　realize　the　seriousness　of　the　run！〃
　〃Yes；〃　Zeppelin　Tung　said；　his　face　shaking　with　suppressed　rage。
　Dunross　sighed。　If　it　wasn't　for　his　presence　he　knew　they　would　all　be　raving　and　screaming　at　each　other；　the　obscenities　flying　back　and　forth　as　they　do　at　any　formal　negotiation　between　Chinese；　let　alone　one　as　serious　as　this。　But　it　was　a　Noble　House　law　that　all　board　meetings　were　to　be　conducted　in　English；　and　English　inhibited　Chinese　swearing　and　also　unsettled　Chinese　which　was　of　course　the　whole　idea。　〃The　matter　has　to　be　dealt　with　now；　Richard。〃
　〃I　agree。〃　Lando　Mata　was　a　handsome；　sharp…featured　Portuguese　in　his　fifties；　his　mother's　Chinese　blood　clear　in　his　dark　eyes　and　dark　hair　and　golden　plexion。　His　long　fine　fingers　drummed　continuously　on　the　conference　table　and　he　knew　Richard　Kwang　would　never　dare　disclose　that　he；　Tightfist　Tung　and　Smuggler　Mo　controlled　the　bank。　Our　bank's　one　enterprise；　he　thought　angrily；　but　our　bullion's　something　else。　〃We　can't　have　our　bullion；　or　our　cash；　in　jeopardy！〃
　〃Never；〃　Zeppelin　Tung　said　nervously。　〃My　father　wanted　me　to　make　that　clear　too。　He　wants　his　gold！〃
　〃Madre　de　Dios；　we've　almost　fifty　tons　of　gold　in　your　vaults。〃
　〃Actually　it's　over　fifty　tons；〃　Zeppelin　Tung　said；　the　sweat　beading　his　forehead。　〃My　old　man　gave　me　the　figures　…　it's　1；792；668　ounces　in　298；778　five…tael　bars。〃　The　air　in　the　large　room　was　warm　and　humid；　the　windows　open。　Zeppelin　Tung　was　a　well…dressed；　heavyset　man　of　forty　with　small　narrow　eyes；　the　eldest　son　of　Tightfist　Tung；　and　his　accent　was　upper…class　British。　His　nickname　came　from　a　movie　that　Tightfist　had　seen　the　day　of　his　birth。　〃Richard；　isn't　that　right？〃
　Richard　Kwang　shifted　the　agenda　paper　in　front　of　him　which　listed　the　quantity　of　gold　and　Nelson　Trading's　current　balance。　If　he　had　to　give　up　the　bullion　and　cash　tonight　it　would　severely　hurt　the　bank's　liquidity　and；　when　the　news　leaked；　as　of　course　it　would；　that　would　rock　their　whole　edifice。
　〃What're　you　going　to　do；　you　dumbhead　dog　bone！〃　his　wife　had　screamed　at　him　just　before　he　had　left　his　office。
　〃Delay；　delay　and　hope　th…　〃
　〃No！　Pretend　to　be　sick！　If　you're　sick　you　can't　give　them　our　money。　You　can't　go　to　the　meeting！　Rush　home　and　we'll　pretend…　〃
　〃I　can't；　the　tai…pan　called　personally。　And　so　did　that　dog　bone　Mata！　I　daren't　not　go！　Oh　oh　oh！〃
　〃Then　find　out　who's　hounding　us　and　pay　him　off！　Where's　your　head？　Who　have　you　offended？　You　must　have　offended　one　of　those　dirty　quai　lohs。　Find　the　man　and　pay　him　off　or　we'll　lose　the　bank；　lose　our　membership　in　the　Turf　Club；　lose　the　horses；　lose　the　Rolls　and　lose　face　forever！　Ayeeyah！　If　the　bank　goes　you'll　never　be　Sir　Richard　Kwang；　not　that　being　Lady　Kwang　matters　to　me　oh　no！　Do　something！　Find　the　。。。〃
　Richard　Kwang　felt　the　sweat　running　down　his　back　but　he　kept　his　posure　and　tried　to　find　a　way　out　of　the　maze。　〃The　gold's　as　safe　as　it　could　be　and　so's　your　cash。　We've　been　Nelson　Trading's　bankers　since　the　beginning；　we've　never　had　a　sniff　of　trouble。　We　gambled　heavily　with　you　in　the　beginning　…　〃
　〃e　now；　Richard；〃　Mata　said；　keeping　his　loathing　hidden。　〃You　don't　gamble　on　gold。　Certainly　not　on　our　gold。〃　The　gold　belonged　to　the　Great　Good　Luck　pany　of　Macao　which　had　also　owned　the　gambling　monopoly　for　almost　thirty　years。　The　present　worth　of　the　pany　was　in　excess　of　two　billion　U。S。　Tightfist　Tung　owned　30　percent；　personally；　Lando　Mata　40　percent　personally　…　and　the　descendents　of　Smuggler　Mo；　who　had　died　last　year；　the　other　30　percent。
　And　between　us；　Mata　was　thinking；　we　own　50　percent　of　the　Ho…Pak　which　you；　you　stupid　lump　of　dog　turd；　have　somehow　put　into　jeopardy。　〃So　sorry；　Richard；　but　I　vote　Nelson　Trading　changes　its　bank　…　at　least　temporarily。　Tightfist　Tung　is　really　very　upset　。。。　and　I　have　the　Chin　family's　proxy。〃
　〃But　Lando；〃　Richard　Kwang　began；　〃there's　nothing　to　worry　about。〃　His　finger　stabbed　at　the　half…opened　newspaper；　the　China　Guardian；　that　lay　on　the　table。　〃Haply's　new　article　says　again　that　we're　sound　…　that　it's　all　a　storm　in　an　oyster　shell；　all　started　by　malicious　ban…　〃
　〃That's　possible。　But　Chinese　believe　rumors；　and　the　run's　a　fact；〃　Mata　said　sharply。
　〃My　old　man　believes　rumors；〃　Zeppelin　Tung　said　fervently。　〃He　also　believes　Four　Finger　Wu。　Four　Fingers　phoned　him　this　afternoon　telling　him　he'd　taken　out　all　his　money　and　suggested　he　do　the　same；　and　within　the　hour　we；　Lando　and　I；　we　were　in　our　Catalina　and　heading　here　and　you　know　how　I　hate　flying。　Richard；　you　know　jolly　well　if　the　old　man　wants　something　done　now；　it's　done　now。〃
　Yes；　Richard　Kwang　thought　disgustedly；　that　filthy　old　miser　would　climb　out　of　his　grave　for　fifty　cents　cash。　〃I　suggest　we　wait　a　day　or　so　。。。〃
　Dunross　was　letting　them　talk　for　face。　He　had　already　decided　what　to　do。　Nelson　Trading　was　a　wholly　owned　subsidiary　of　Struan's　so　the　other　directors　really　had　little　say。　But　even　though　Nelson　Trading　had　the　Hong　Kong　Government's　exclusive　gold…importing　license；　without　the　Great　Good　Luck　pany's　gold　business　…　which　meant　without　Tightfist　Tung　and　Lando　Mata's　favor　…　Nelson　Trading's　profits　would　be　almost　zero。
　Nelson　Trading　got　a　mission　of　one　dollar　an　ounce　on　every　ounce　imported　for　the　pany；　delivered　to　the　jetty　at　Macao；　a　further　one　dollar　an　ounce　on　exports　from　Hong　Kong。　As　a　further　consideration　for　suggesting　the　overall　Hong　Kong　scheme　to　the　pany；　Nelson　Trading　had　been　granted　10　percent　of　the　real　profit。　This　year　the　Japanese　Government　had　arbitrarily　fixed　their　official　rate　of　gold　at　55　dollars　an　ounce　…　a　profit　of　15　dollars　an　ounce。　On　the　black　market　it　would　be　more。　In　India　it　would　be　almost　98　dollars。
　Dunross　glanced　at　his　watch。　In　a　few　minutes　Crosse　wo