jamesclavell.noblehouse-第179章

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　turned　out　lousy。　That's　strange；　I　haven't　thought　about　her　in　a　long　time。
　When　Bartlett　had　returned　from　the　Pacific　in　'45　he　had　met　her　in　San　Diego　and　married　within　a　week；　full　of　love　and　ambition　and　had　hurled　himself　into　beginning　a　construction　business　in　southern　California。　The　time　was　ripe　in　California；　all　forms　of　building　booming。　The　first　child　had　arrived　within　ten　months　and　the　second　a　year　later　and　a　third　ten　months　after　that；　and　all　the　while　working　Saturdays　and　Sundays；　enjoying　the　work　and　being　young　and　strong　and　succeeding　hugely；　but　drifting　apart。　Then　the　quarreling　began　and　the　whining　and　the　〃you　never　spend　any　time　with　us　anymore　and　screw　the　business　I　don't　care　about　the　business　I　want　to　go　to　France　and　Rome　and　why　don't　you　e　home　early　have　you　a　girl　friend　I　know　you　have　a　girl　friend。　。。。〃
　But　there　was　no　girl　friend；　just　work。　Then　one　day　the　attorney's　letter。　Just　through　the　mail。
　Shit；　Bartlett　thought　angrily；　it　still　hurting。　But　then　I'm　only　one　of　millions　and　it's　happened　before　and　it'll　happen　again。　Even　so　your　letter　or　your　phone　call　hurts。　It　hurts　and　it　costs　you。　It　costs　you　plenty　and　the　attorneys　get　most；　get　a　good　part　and　they　cleverly　fan　the　fire　between　you　for　their　own　goddamn　gain。　Sure。　You're　their　meal　ticket；　we　all　are！　From　the　cradle　to　the　goddamn　grave；　attorneys　kite　trouble　and　feed　off　your　blood。　Shit。　Attorneys're　the　real　plague　of　the　good　old　U。S。　of　A。　I've　only　met　four　good　ones　in　all　my　life；　but　the　rest？　They　parasite　all　of　us。　Not　one　of　us's　safe！
　Yes。　That　bastard　Stone！　He　made　a　killing　out　of　me；　turned　her　into　a　goddamn　fiend；　put　her　and　the　kids　against　me　forever　and　nearly　broke　me　and　the　business。　I　hope　the　bastard　rots　for　all　eternity！
　With　an　effort　Bartlett　took　his　mind　off　that　gaping　sore　and　looked　at　the　rain　and　remembered　that　it　was　only　money　and　that　he　was　free；　free　and　that　made　him　feel　marvelous。
　Jesus！　I'm　free　and　there's　Casey　and　Orlanda。
　Orlanda。
　Jesus；　he　thought；　the　ache　still　in　his　loins；　I　was　really　going　back　there。　So　was　Orlanda。　Goddamn；　it's　bad　enough　with　Casey　but　now　I've　two　of　them。
　He　had　not　been　with　a　girl　for　a　couple　of　months。　The　last　time　was　in　London；　a　casual　meeting　and　casual　dinner　then　into　bed。　She　was　staying　at　the　same　hotel；　divorced　and　no　trouble。　What　was　it　Orlanda　said？　A　friendly　tumble　and　a　shy　good…bye？　Yes。　That's　it。　But　that　one　wasn't　shy。
　He　stood　in　line　happily；　feeling　greatly　alive　and　watching　the　torrents；　the　smell　of　the　rain　on　the　earth　grand；　the　road　messed　with　stones　and　mud；　the　flood　swirling　over　a　long　wide　crack　in　the　tarmac　to　dance　into　the　air　like　rapids　of　a　stream。
　The　rain's　going　to　bring　lots　of　trouble；　he　thought。　And　Orlanda's　lots　of　trouble；　old　buddy。　Sure。　Even　so；　there　must　be　a　way　to　bed　her。　What　is　it　about　her　that　blows　your　mind？　Part's　her　face；　part's　her　figure；　part's　the　look　in　her　eye；　part's　。。。　Jesus；　face　it；　she's　all　woman　and　all　trouble。　Better　forget　Orlanda。　Be　wise；　be　wise；　old　buddy。　As　Casey　said；　that　broad's　dynamite！
　
　43
　
　10：50　A。M。：
　It　had　been　raining　now　for　almost　twelve　hours　and　the　surface　of　the　Colony　was　soaked　though　the　empty　reservoirs　were　barely　touched。　The　parched　earth　weled　the　wet。　Most　of　the　rain　ran　off　the　baked　surface　to　flood　the　lower　levels；　turning　dirt　roads　into　morasses；　and　building　sites　into　lakes。　Some　of　the　water　went　deep。　In　the　resettlement　areas　that　dotted　the　mountainsides　the　downpour　was　a　disaster。
　Shantytowns　of　rickety　hovels　built　of　any　scraps；　cardboard；　planks；　corrugated　iron；　fencing；　canvas；　sidings；　three…ply　walls　and　roofs　for　the　well…to…do；　all　leaning　against　one　another；　attached　to　one　another；　on　top　of　one　another；　layer　on　layer；　up　and　down　the　mountains　…　all　with　dirt　floors　and　dark　alleys　that　were　now　awash　and　mucked　and　puddled　and　potholed　and　dangerous。　Rain　pouring　through　roofs　soaking　bedding；　clothes　and　the　other　remnants　of　a　lifetime；　people　packed　on　people　surrounded　by　people　who　stoically　shrugged　and　waited　for　the　rain　to　stop。　Tin　alleys　wandered　higgledy…piggledy　with　no　plan　except　to　squeeze　another　space　for　another　family　of　refugees　and　illegal　aliens　but　not　really　aliens　for　this　was　China　and；　once　past　the　border；　any　Chinese　became　legal　settlers　to　stay　as　long　as　they　wanted　by　ancient　Hong　Kong　Government　approval。
　The　strength　of　the　Colony　had　always　been　its　cheap；　abundant　and　strife…free　labor　force。　The　Colony　provided　a　permanent　sanctuary　and　asked　only　peaceful　labor　in　return　at　whatever　the　going　rate　of　the　day　was。　Hong　Kong　never　sought　immigrants　but　the　people　of　China　always　came。　They　came　by　day　and　by　night；　by　ship；　by　foot；　by　stretcher。　They　came　across　the　border　whenever　famine　or　a　convulsion　racked　China；　families　of　men；　women　and　children　came　to　stay；　to　be　absorbed；　in　time　to　go　back　home　because　China　was　always　home；　even　after　ten　generations。
　But　refugees　were　not　always　weled。　Last　year　the　Colony　was　almost　swamped　by　a　human　flood。　For　some　still　unknown　reason　and　without　warning；　the　PRC　border　guards　relaxed　the　tight　control　of　their　side　and　within　a　week　thousands　were　pouring　across　daily。　Mostly　they　came　by　night；　over　and　through　the　token；　single　six…strand　fence　that　separated　the　New　Territories　from　the　Kwantung；　the　neighboring　province。　The　police　were　powerless　to　stem　the　tide。　The　army　had　to　be　called　out。　In　one　night　in　May　almost　six　thousand　of　the　illegal　horde　were　arrested；　fed　and　the　next　day　sent　back　over　the　border　…　but　more　thousands　had　escaped　the　border　net　to　bee　legal。　The　catastrophe　went　on　night　after　night；　day　after　day。　Tens　of　thousands　of　newers。　Soon　mobs　of　angry　sympathetic　Chinese　were　at　the　border　trying　to　disrupt　the　deportations。　The　deportations　were　necessary　because　the　Colony　was　being　buried　in　illegals　and　it　was　impossible　to　feed；　house　and　absorb　such　a　sudden；　vast　increase　in　new　population。　Already　there　were　the　four…plus　million　to　worry　about；　all　but　a　tiny　percent　illegals　at　one　time。
　Then；　as　suddenly　as　it　had　begun；　the　human　gusher　ceased　and　the　border　closed。　Again　for　no　apparent　reason。
　In　the　six…week　period　almost　70；000　had　been　arrested　and　returned。　Between　100；000　and　200；000　escaped　the　net　to　stay；　no　one　knew　for　certain　how　many。　Spectacles　Wu's　grandparents　and　four　uncles　and　their　families　were　some　of　these；　seventeen　souls　in　all；　and　since　they　had　arrived　they　had　been　living　in　a　resettlement　area　high　above　Aberdeen。　Spectacles　Wu　had　arranged　everything　for　them。　This　was　more　of　the　land　that　the　Noble　House　Chen　family　had　owned　since　the　beginning　that；　until　recently；　had　been　without　value。　Now　it　had　value。　The　Chens　rented　it；　foot　by　foot；　to　any　who　wished　to　pay。　Spectacles　Wu　had　gratefully　rented　twenty　feet　by　twelve　feet　at　1。00　HK　per　foot　per　month　and；　over　the　months；　had　helped　the　family　scavenge　the　makings　for　two　dwellings　that；　until　this　rain；　were　dry。　There　was　one　water　tap　per　hundred　families；　no　sewers；　no　electric　light；　but　the　city　of　these　squatters　thrived　and　was　mostly　well　ordered。　Already　one　uncle　had　a　small　plastic　flower　factory　in　a　hovel　he　had　rented　at　1。50　HK　per　foot　per　month　lower　down　the　slopes；　another　had　rented　a　stall　in　the　market　area　selling　tangy　rice　cakes　and　rice　gruel　in　their　Ning…tok　village　style。　All　seventeen　were　working　…　now　eighteen　mouths　to　feed　with　a　newborn　babe；　born　last　week。　Even　the　two…year…olds　were　given　simple　tasks；　sorting　plastic　petals　for　the　plastic　flowers　the　young　and　old　made　that　gave　many　of　the　hill　dwellers　money　to　buy　food　and　money　to　gamble　with。
　Yes；　Spectacles　Wu　thought　fervently；　all　gods　help　me　to　get　some　of　the　reward　money　for　the　capture　of　the　Werewolves　in　time　for　Saturday's　races　to　put　on　Pilot　Fish；　the　black　stallion　who；　according　to　all　the　portents；　is　definitely　going　to　win。
　He　stifled　a　yawn　as　he　plodded　on　barefoot　down　one　of　the　narrow　twisting　alleys　in　the　resettlement　area；　his　six…year…old　niec