jamesclavell.noblehouse-第148章

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　〃No。　Sorry。〃
　Brian　Kwok　hardened。　In　English　he　said；　〃Our　American　friends　have　asked　us　to　take　you　into　protective　custody。〃
　〃What　nonsense！〃
　〃Not　such　nonsense；　Ian。　It's　very　well　known　you've　a　photographic　memory。　The　sooner　you　turn　the　papers　over　the　better。　Even　afterwards　you　should　be　careful。　Why　not　tell　me　where　they　are　and　we'll　take　care　of　everything？〃
　Dunross　was　equally　set…faced。　〃Everything's　taken　care　of　now；　Brian。　Everything　stays　as　planned。〃
　The　tall　Chinese　sighed。　Then　he　shrugged。　〃Very　well。　Sorry；　but　don't　say　you　weren't　warned。　Are　Gavallan　and　Jacques　staying　for　dinner　too？〃
　〃No；　I　don't　think　so。　I　asked　them　just　to　put　in　an　appearance。　Why？〃
　〃They　could've　gone　home　with　you。　Please　don't　go　anywhere　alone　for　a　while；　don't　try　to　lose　your　guard。　For　the　time　being；　if　you　have　any；　er；　private　dates　call　me。〃
　〃Me；　a　private　date？　Here　in　Hong　Kong？　Really；　what　a　suggestion！〃
　〃Does　the　name　Jen　mean　anything？〃
　Dunross's　eyes　became　stony。　〃You　buggers　can　be　too　nosy。〃
　〃And　you　don't　seem　to　realize　you're　in　a　very　dirty　game　without　Queensberry　rules。〃
　〃I've　got　that　message；　by　God。〃
　'〃Night；　tai…pan。〃
　'〃Night；　Brian。〃　Dunross　went　over　to　the　MPs　who　were　in　a　group　in　one　corner　talking　with　Jacques　deVille。　There　were　only　four　of　them　now；　the　rest　were　resting　after　their　long　journey。　Jacques　deVille　introduced　him。　Sir　Charles　Pennyworth；　Conservative；　Hugh　Guthrie；　Liberal；　Julian　Broadhurst　and　Robin　Grey；　both　Labour。　〃Hello；　Robin；〃　he　said。
　〃Hello；　Ian。　It's　been　a　long　time。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃If　you'll　excuse　me；　I'll　be　off；〃　deVille　said；　his　face　careworn。　〃My　wife's　away　and　we've　a　young　grandchild　staying　with　us。〃
　〃Did　you　talk　to　Susanne　in　France？〃　Dunross　asked。
　〃Yes；　tai…pan。　She's　。。。　she'll　be　all　right。　Thank　you　for　calling　Deland。　See　you　tomorrow。　Good　night；　gentlemen。〃　He　walked　off。
　Dunross　glanced　back　at　Robin　Grey。　〃You　haven't　changed　at　all。〃
　〃Nor　have　you；〃　Grey　said；　then　turned　to　Pennyworth。　〃Ian　and　I　met　in　London　some　years　ago；　Sir　Charles。　It　was　just　after　the　war。　I'd　just　bee　a　shop　steward。〃　He　was　a　lean　man　with　thin　lips；　thin　graying　hair　and　sharp　features。
　〃Yes；　it　was　some　years　ago；〃　Dunross　said　politely；　continuing　the　pattern　that　Penelope　and　her　brother　had　agreed　to　so　many　years　ago　…　that　neither　side　was　blood　kin　to　the　other。　〃So；　Robin；　are　you　staying　long？〃
　〃Just　a　few　days；〃　Grey　said。　His　smile　was　as　thin　as　his　lips。　〃I've　never　been　in　this　workers'　paradise　before　so　I　want　to　visit　a　few　unions；　see　how　the　other　ninety…nine　percent　live。〃　Sir　Charles　Pennyworth；　leader　of　the　delegation；　laughed。　He　was　a　florid；　well…covered　man；　an　ex…colonel　of　the　London　Scottish　Regiment；　D。S。O。　and　Bar。　〃Don't　think　they　go　much　on　unions　here；　Robin。　Do　they；　tai…pan？〃
　〃Our　labor　force　does　very　well　without　them；〃　Dunross　said。
　〃Sweated　labor；　tai…pan；〃　Grey　said　at　once。　〃According　to　some　of　your　own　statistics；　government　statistics。〃
　〃Not　our　statistics；　Robin；　merely　your　statisticians；〃　Dunross　said。　〃Our　people　are　the　highest　paid　in　Asia　after　the　Japanese　and　this　is　a　free　society。〃
　〃Free？　e　off　it！〃　Grey　jeered。　〃You　mean　free　to　exploit　the　workers。　Well；　never　mind；　when　Labour　gets　in　at　the　next　election　we'll　change　all　that。〃
　〃e　now；　Robin；〃　Sir　Charles　said。　〃Labour　hasn't　a　prayer　at　the　next　election。〃
　Grey　smiled。　〃Don't　bet　on　it；　Sir　Charles。　The　people　of　England　want　change。　We　didn't　all　go　to　war　to　keep　up　the　rotten　old　ways。　Labour's　for　social　change　…　and　getting　the　workers　a　fair　share　of　the　profits　they　create。〃
　Dunross　said；　〃I've　always　thought　it　rather　unfair　that　Socialists　talk　about　the　'workers'　as　though　they　do　all　the　work　and　we　do　none。　We're　workers　too。　We　work　as　hard　if　not　harder　with　longer　hours　an…　〃
　〃Ah；　but　you're　a　tai…pan　and　you　live　in　a　great　big　house　that　was　handed　down；　along　with　your　power。　All　that　capital　came　from　some　poor　fellow's　sweat；　and　I　won't　even　mention　the　opium　trade　that　started　it　all。　It's　fair　that　capital　should　be　spread　around；　fair　that　everyone　should　have　the　same　start。　The　rich　should　be　taxed　more。　There　should　be　a　capital　tax。　The　sooner　the　great　fortunes　are　broken　up　the　better　for　all　Englishmen；　eh；　Julian？〃
　Julian　Broadhurst　was　a　tall；　distinguished　man　in　his　mid…forties；　a　strong　supporter　of　the　Fabian　Society；　which　was　the　intellectual　brain　trust　of　the　socialist　movement。　〃Well；　Robin；〃　he　said　with　his　lazy；　almost　diffident　voice；　〃I　certainly　don't　advocate　as　you　do　that　we　take　to　the　barricades　but　I　do　think；　Mr。　Dunross；　that　here　in　Hong　Kong　you　could　do　with　a　Trades　Union　Council；　a　minimum　wage　scale；　elected　legislature；　proper　unions　and　safeguards；　socialized　medicine；　workman's　pensation　and　all　the　modern　British　innovations。〃
　〃Totally　wrong；　Mr。　Broadhurst。　China　would　never　agree　to　a　change　in　our　colonial　status；　they　would　never　allow　any　form　of　city…state　on　her　border。　As　to　the　rest；　who　pays　for　them？〃　Dunross　asked。　〃Our　unfettered　system　here's　outperforming　Britain　twenty　times　and…　〃
　〃You　pay　for　it　out　of　all　your　profits；　Ian；〃　Robin　Grey　said　with　a　laugh。　〃You　pay　a　fair　tax；　not　15　percent。　You　pay　the　same　as　we　do　in　Britain　and…　〃
　〃God　forbid！〃　Dunross　said；　hard　put　to　keep　his　temper。　〃You're　taxing　yourself　out　of　business　and　out　of　c…　〃
　〃Profit？〃　the　last　MP；　the　Liberal；　Hugh　Guthrie　interrupted　caustically。　〃The　last　bloody　Labour　Government　wiped　out　our　profits　years　ago　with　bloody　stupid　profligate　spending；　ridiculous　nationalization；　giving　the　Empire　away　piecemeal　with　fatuous　stupid　abandon；　disrupting　the　monwealth　and　shoving　poor　old　England's　face　in　the　bloody　mud。　Bloody　ridiculous！　Attlee　and　all　that　shower！〃
　Robin　Grey　said　placatingly；　〃e　on；　Hugh；　the　Labour　Government　did　what　the　people　wanted；　what　the　masses　wanted。〃
　〃Nonsense！　The　enemy　wanted　it。　The　munists！　In　barely　eighteen　years　you　gave　away　the　greatest　empire　the　world's　ever　seen；　made　us　a　second…class　power　and　allowed　the　sodding　Soviet　enemy　to　eat　up　most　of　Europe。　Bloody　ridiculous！〃
　〃I　agree　wholeheartedly　that　munism's　dreadful。　But　as　to　'giving'　away　our　empire；　it　was　the　wind　of　change；　Hugh；〃　Broadhurst　said；　calming　him。　〃Colonialism　had　run　its　course。　You　really　must　take　the　long…term　view。〃
　〃I　do。　I　think　we're　up　the　creek　without　a　paddle。　Churchill's　right；　always　was。〃
　〃The　people　didn't　think　so；〃　Grey　said　grimly。　〃That's　why　he　was　voted　out。　The　armed　service　vote　did　that；　they'd　had　enough　of　him。　As　to　the　Empire；　sorry　Hugh　old　chap；　but　it　was　just　an　excuse　to　exploit　natives　who　didn't　know　any　better。〃　Robin　Grey　saw　their　faces　and　read　them。　He　was　used　to　the　hatred　that　surrounded　him。　He　hated　them　more　and　always　had。　After　the　war　he　had　wanted　to　stay　in　the　Regular　Army　but　he　had　been　rejected　…　captains　were　two　a　penny　then　with　decorations　and　great　war　service；　while　he　spent　the　war　a　POW　at　Changi。　So；　filled　with　anger　and　resentment；　he　had　joined　Crawley's；　a　huge　car　manufacturer；　as　a　mechanic。　Quickly　he　had　bee　a　shop　steward　and　union　organizer；　then　into　the　lower　ranks　of　the　Trades　Union　General　Council。　Five　years　ago；　he　had　bee　a　Labour　MP　where　he　was　now；　a　cutting；　angry；　hostile　back…bencher　and　protégé　of　the　late　left…wing　Socialist　Aneurin　Bevan。　〃Yes；　we　got　rid　of　Churchill　and　when　we　get　in　next　year　we'll　sweep　out　a　lot　more　of　the　old　tired　ways　and　upper…class　infections　back　where　they　belong。　We'll　nationalize　every　industry　an…　〃
　〃Really；　Robin；〃　Sir　Charles　said；　〃this　is　a　banquet　not　a　soapbox　in　Hyde　Park。　We　all　agreed　to　cut　out　politics　while　we　were　on　the　trip。〃
　〃You're　right；　Sir　Charles。　It　was　just　that　the　tai…pan　of　the　Noble　House　asked　me。〃　Grey　turned　to　Dunross。　〃How　is　the　Noble　House？〃
　〃Fine。　Very　fine。〃
　〃According　to　this　afternoon's　paper　there's　a　run　on　your　stock？〃
　〃One　of　our　petitors　is　playing　silly　buggers；　that's　all。〃
　〃And　the　bank　runs？　They're　not　serious　either？〃
　〃They're　serious。〃　Dunross　was　choosing　his　words　careful