jamesclavell.noblehouse-第102章

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　〃Yes；　I　agree。〃　The　governor　sipped　his　sherry。　〃There's　lots　of　wisdom　in　laissez…faire；　isn't　there？〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　Sir　Geoffrey　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃I'll　phone　him　in　a　few　minutes；　catch　him　before　lunch。　Good。　But　there's　one　problem　I　can't　leave　alone：　the　Ivanov。　This　morning　I　heard　from　our　unofficial　intermediary　that　Peking　views　that　ship's　presence　here　with　the　greatest　concern。〃　The　quite　unofficial　spokesman　for　the　PRC　in　Hong　Kong　and　the　ranking　munist　appointment　was　believed　to　be；　presently；　one　of　the　deputy　chairmen　of　the　Bank　of　China；　China's　central　bank　through　which　passed　all　foreign　exchange　and　all　the　billion　U。S。　dollars　earned　by　supplying　consumer　goods　and　almost　all　Hong　Kong's　food　and　water。　Britain　had　always　maintained；　bluntly；　that　Hong　Kong　was　British　soil；　a　Crown　Colony。　In　all　of　Hong　Kong's　history；　since　1841；　Britain　had　never　allowed　any　official　Chinese　representative　to　reside　in　the　Colony。　None。
　〃He　went　out　of　his　way　to　jiggle　me　about　the　Ivanov；〃　Sir　Geoffrey　continued；　〃and　he　wanted　to　register　Peking's　extreme　displeasure　that　a　Soviet　spy　ship　was　here。　He　even　suggested　I　might　think　it　wise　to　expel　it。　。。。　After　all；　he　said；　we　hear　one　of　the　Soviet　KGB　spies　posing　as　a　seaman　had　actually　got　himself　killed　on　our　soil。　I　thanked　him　for　his　interest　and　told　him　I'd　advise　my　superiors　…　in　due　course。〃　Sir　Geoffrey　sipped　some　sherry。　〃Curiously；　he　didn't　appear　irritated　that　the　nuclear　carrier　was　here。〃
　〃That's　strange！〃　Crosse　was　equally　surprised。　〃Does　that　indicate　another　policy　shift　…　a　distinct　significant　foreign…policy　change；　a　desire　for　peace　with　the　U。S。？　I　can't　believe　that。　Everything　indicates　pathological　hatred　of　the　U。S。A。〃
　The　governor　sighed　and　refilled　the　cups。　〃If　it　leaked　that　Sevrin's　in　existence；　that　we're　undermined　here　。。。　God　almighty；　they'd　go　into　convulsions；　and　rightly　so！〃
　〃We'll　find　the　traitors；　sir；　don't　worry。　We'll　find　them！〃
　〃Will　we？　I　wonder。〃　Sir　Geoffrey　sat　down　at　the　window　seat　and　stared　out　at　the　manicured　lawns　and　English　garden；　shrubs；　flower　beds　surrounded　by　the　high　white　wall；　the　sunset　good。　His　wife　was　cutting　flowers；　wandering　among　the　beds　at　the　far　end　of　the　gardens；　followed　by　a　sour…faced；　disapproving　Chinese　gardener。　Sir　Geoffrey　watched　her　a　moment。　They　had　been　married　thirty　years　and　had　three　children；　all　married　now；　and　they　were　content　and　at　peace　with　each　other。　〃Always　traitors；〃　he　said　sadly。　〃The　Soviets　are　past　masters　in　their　use。　So　easy　for　the　Sevrin　traitors　to　agitate；　to　spread　a　little　poison　here　and　there；　so　easy　to　get　China　upset；　poor　China　who's　xenophobic　anyway！　Oh　how　easy　it　is　to　rock　our　boat　here！　Worst　of　all；　who's　your　spy？　The　police　spy？　He　must　be　at　least　a　chief　inspector　to　have　access　to　that　information。〃
　〃I've　no　idea。　If　I　had；　he'd've　been　neutralized　long　since。〃
　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　about　General　Jen　and　his　Nationalist　undercover　agents？〃
　〃I'm　going　to　leave　them　alone　…　they've　been　pegged　for　months。　Much　better　to　leave　known　enemy　agents　in　situ　than　to　have　to　ferret　out　their　replacements。〃
　〃I　agree　…　they'd　certainly　all　be　replaced。　Theirs；　and　ours。　Sad；　so　sad！　We　do　it　and　they　do　it。　So　sad　and　so　stupid　…　this　world's　such　a　paradise；　could　be　such　a　paradise。〃
　A　bee　hummed　in　the　bay　windows　then　flew　back　to　the　garden　again　as　Sir　Geoffrey　eased　the　curtain　aside。　〃The　minister　asked　me　to　make　sure　our　visiting　MPs　…　our　trade　delegation　to　China　that　returns　tomorrow　…　to　make　sure　their　security　was　optimum；　judicious；　though　totally　discreet。〃
　〃Yes　sir。　I　understand。〃
　〃It　appears　that　one　or　two　of　them　might　be　future　cabinet　ministers　if　the　Labour　Party　get　in。　It'd　be　good　for　the　Colony　to　create　a　fine　impression　on　them。〃
　〃Do　you　think　they've　a　chance　next　time？　The　Labour　Party？〃
　〃I　don't　ment　on　those　sort　of　questions；　Roger。〃　The　governor's　voice　was　flat；　and　reproving。　〃I'm　not　concerned　with　party　politics　…　I　represent　Her　Majesty　the　Queen　…　but　personally　I　really　do　wish　some　of　their　extremists　would　go　away　and　leave　us　to　our　own　devices　for　clearly　much　of　their　left　wing　socialist　philosophy　is　alien　to　our　English　way　of　life。〃　Sir　Geoffrey　hardened。　〃It's　quite　obvious　some　of　them　do　assist　the　enemy；　willingly　…　or　as　dupes。　Since　we're　on　the　subject；　are　any　of　our　guests　security　risks？〃
　〃It　depends　what　you　mean；　sir。　Two　are　left…wing　trades　unionists　back…benchers；　fire…eaters　…　Robin　Grey　and　Lochin　Donald　McLean。　McLean　openly　flaunts　his　B。C。P。　…　British　munist　Party　…　affiliations。　He's　fairly　high　on　our　S…list。　All　the　other　Socialists　are　moderates。　The　Conservative　members　are　moderate；　middle…class；　all　ex…service。　One's　rather　imperialist；　the　Liberal　Party　representative；　Hugh　Guthrie。〃
　〃And　the　fire…eaters？　They're　ex…service？〃
　〃McLean　was　a　miner；　at　least　his　father　was。　Most　of　his　munist　life's　been　as　a　shop　steward　and　unionist　in　the　Scottish　coalfields。　Robin　Grey　was　army；　a　captain；　infantry。〃
　Sir　Geoffrey　looked　up。　〃You　don't　usually　associate　ex…captains　with　being　fire…eating　trades　unionists；　do　you？〃
　〃No　sir。〃　Crosse　sipped　his　sherry；　appreciating　it；　savoring　his　knowledge　more。　〃Nor　with　being　related　to　a　tai…pan。〃
　〃Eh？〃
　〃Robin　Grey's　sister　is　Penelope　Dunross。〃
　〃Good　God！〃　Sir　Geoffrey　stared　at　him；　astounded。　〃Are　you　sure？〃
　〃Yes　sir。〃
　〃But　why　hasn't；　why　hasn't　Ian　mentioned　it　before？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　sir。　Perhaps　he's　ashamed　of　him。　Mr。　Grey　is　certainly　the　plete　opposite　of　Mrs。　Dunross。〃
　〃But　。。。　Bless　my　soul；　you're　sure？〃
　〃Yes　sir。　Actually；　it　was　Brian　Kwok　who　spotted　the　connection。　Just　by　chance。　The　MPs　had　to　furnish　the　usual　personal　information　to　the　PRC　to　get　their　visas；　date　of　birth；　profession；　next　of　kin；　etcetera。　Brian　was　doing　a　routine　check　to　make　sure　all　the　visas　were　in　order　to　avoid　any　problem　at　the　border。　Brian　happened　to　notice　Mr。　Grey　had　put　'sister；　Penelope　Grey'　as　his　next　of　kin；　with　an　address；　Castle　Avisyard　in　Ayr。　Brian　remembered　that　that　was　the　Dunross　family　home　address。〃　Crosse　pulled　out　his　silver　cigarette　case。　〃Do　you　mind　if　I　smoke；　sir？〃
　〃No；　please　go　ahead。〃
　〃Thank　you。　That　was　a　month　or　so　ago。　I　thought　it　important　enough　for　him　to　follow　up　the　information。　It　took　us　relatively　little　time　to　establish　that　Mrs。　Dunross　really　was　his　sister　and　next　of　kin。　As　far　as　we　know　now；　Mrs。　Dunross　quarreled　with　her　brother　just　after　the　war。　Captain　Grey　was　a　POW　in　Changi；　caught　in　Singapore　in　1942。　He　got　home　in　the　later　part　of　1945　…　by　the　way　their　parents　were　killed　in　the　London　blitz　in　'43。　At　that　time　she　was　already　married　to　Dunross　…　they'd　married　in　1943；　sir；　just　after　he　was　shot　down　…　she　was　a　WAAF。　We　know　brother　and　sister　met　when　Grey　was　released。　As　far　as　we　can　tell　now；　they've　never　met　again。　Of　course　it's　none　of　our　affair　anyway；　but　the　quarrel　must　have　been　…　〃
　Crosse　stopped　as　there　was　a　discreet　knock　and　Sir　Geoffrey　called　out　testily；　〃Yes？〃
　The　door　opened。　〃Excuse　me；　sir；〃　his　aide　said　politely；　〃Lady　Allison　asked　me　to　tell　you　that　the　water's　just　gone　on。〃
　〃Oh；　marvelous！　Thank　you。〃　The　door　closed。　At　once　Crosse　got　up　but　the　governor　waved　him　back　to　his　seat。　〃No；　please　finish；　Roger。　A　few　minutes　won't　matter；　though　I　must　confess　I　can　hardly　wait。　Would　you　like　to　shower　before　you　go？〃
　〃Thank　you；　sir；　but　we've　our　own　water　tanks　at　police　HQ。〃
　〃Oh　yes。　I　forgot。　Go　on。　You　were　saying　…　the　quarrel？〃
　〃The　quarrel　must　have　been　pretty　serious　because　it　seems　to　have　been　final。　A　close　friend　of　Grey　told　one　of　our　people　a　few　days　ago　that　as　far　as　he　knew；　Robin　Grey　had　no　living　relatives。　They　really　must　hate　each　other。〃
　Sir　Geoffrey　stared　at　his　cup；　not　seeing　it。　Suddenly　he　was　remembering　his　own　rotten　childhood　and　how　he　had　hated　his　father；　hated　him　so　much　that　for　thirty　years　he　had　never　called　him；　or　written　to　him；　and；　when　he　was　dying　last　year；　had　not　bothered　to　go　to　him；　to　make　peace　with　the　m