jamesclavell.noblehouse-第191章

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　〃I　suppose　I　should　say　he　was。　It　doesn't　seem　right　yet　to　talk　about　him　in　the　past　tense　。。。　but　I　suppose　we　should。　Yes。　He　always　wore　carpet　slippers。　I　dinna　think　I've　ever　been　to　his　chambers　when　he　wasn't　wearing　carpet　slippers。〃
　〃You　mean　his　flat？　I've　never　been　there。　We　always　met　in　my　London　office　though　he　did　e　to　Ayr　once。〃　Dunross　searched　his　memory。　〃I　don't　remember　him　wearing　carpet　slippers　there。〃
　〃Ah；　yes；　he　told　me　about　Ayr；　Mr。　Dunross。　Yes；　he　told　me。　It　was；　er；　a　high　point　in　his　life。　You're　。。。　you're　very　lucky　to　have　such　an　estate。〃
　〃Castle　Avisyard's　not　mine；　Mr。　Kirk；　though　it's　been　in　the　family　for　more　than　a　hundred　years。　Dirk　Struan　bought　it　for　his　wife　and　family　…　a　country　seat　so　to　speak。〃　As　always；　Dunross　felt　a　sudden　glow　at　the　thought　of　all　that　loveliness；　gentle　rolling　hills；　lakes；　moors；　forests；　glades；　six　thousand　acres　or　more；　good　shooting；　good　hunting　and　Scotland　at　its　best。　〃It's　tradition　that　the　current　tai…pan's　always　laird　of　Avisyard　…　while　he's　tai…pan。　But；　of　course；　all　the　families；　particularly　children　of　the　various　families；　know　it　well。　Summer　holidays　。。。　Christmas　at　Avisyard's　a　wonderful　tradition。　Whole　sheep　and　sides　of　beef；　haggis　at　New　Year；　whiskey　and　huge　roaring　fires；　the　pipes　sounding。　It's　a　bonnie　place。　And　a　working　farm；　cattle；　milk；　butter　…　and　not　forgetting　the　Loch　Vey　distillery！　I　wish　I　could　spend　more　time　there　…　my　wife　just　left　today　to　get　things　ready　for　the　Christmas　vacation。　Do　you　know　that　part　of　the　world？〃
　〃A　wee　bit。　Mostly　I　know　the　Highlands。　I　know　the　Highlands　better。　My　family　came　from　Inverness。〃
　〃Ah；　then　you　must　visit　us　when　we're　in　Ayr；　Mr。　Kirk。　AMG　says　in　his　letter　you're　a　geologist；　one　of　the　best　in　the　world？〃
　〃Oh。　Oh　he's　too　kind　…　was　too　kind。　My；　er；　my　speciality's　marine。　Yes。　With　particular　emph…　〃　He　stopped　abruptly。
　〃What's　the　matter？〃
　〃Oh；　er；　nothing；　nothing　really；　but　do　you　think　Frances　will　be　all　right？〃
　〃Absolutely。　Would　you　like　me　to　tell　her　about　AMG？〃
　〃No。　No　I　can　do　that　later。　No；　I　。。。　I；　on　second　thought　I　think　I'm　going　to　pretend　he's　not　dead；　Mr。　Dunross。　You　need　not　have　told　me；　then　I　won't　have　to　spoil　her　holiday。　Yes。　That's　best；　don't　you　think？〃　Kirk　brightened　a　little。　〃Then　we　can　discover　the　bad　news　when　we　get　home。〃
　〃Whatever　you　wish。　You　were　saying？　With　particular　emphasis　on？〃
　〃Oh　yes　。。。　petrology；　which　is；　of　course；　the　broad　study　of　rocks　including　their　interpretation　and　description。　Within　petrology　my　field　has　been　narrowed　down　more　recently　to　sedimentary　rocks。　I've；　er；　I've　been　on　a　research　project　for　the　last　few　years　as　a　consultant　on　Paleozoic　sedimentaries；　porous　ones。　Yes。　The　study　concentrated　on　the　eastern　coastal　shelf　of　Scotland。　AMG　thought　you　might　like　to　hear　about　it。〃
　〃Of　course。〃　Dunross　curbed　his　impatience。　His　eyes　were　looking　at　the　package　on　his　desk。　He　wanted　to　open　it　and　call　Johnjohn　and　do　a　dozen　other　pressing　things。　There　was　so　much　to　do　and　he　did　not　yet　understand　the　AMG　connection　between　the　Noble　House　and　Kirk。　〃It　sounds　very　interesting；〃　he　said。　〃What　was　the　study　for？〃
　〃Eh？〃　Kirk　stared　at　him；　startled。　〃Hydrocarbons。〃　At　Dunross's　blank　look　he　added　hastily；　〃Hydrocarbons　are　only　found　in　porous　sedimentary　rocks　of　the　Paleozoic　era。　Oil；　Mr。　Dunross；　crude　oil。〃
　〃Oh！　You　were　exploring　for　oil？〃
　〃Oh　no！　It　was　a　research　project　to　determine　the　possibility　of　hydrocarbons　being　present　offshore。　Off　Scotland。　I'm　happy　to　say　I　think　they'll　be　there　abundantly。　Not　close　in　but　out　in　the　North　Sea。〃　The　small　man's　pink　face　became　pinker　and　he　mopped　his　brow。　〃Yes。　Yes；　I；　think　there'll　be　quite　a　number　of　good　fields　out　there。〃　Dunross　was　perplexed；　still　not　seeing　the　connection。　〃Well；　I　know　a　little　about　offshore　drilling　in　the　Middle　East　and　the　Texas　Gulf　but　out　in　the　North　Sea？　Good　God；　Mr。　Kirk；　that　sea's　the　worst　in　the　world；　probably　the　most　fickle　in　the　world；　almost　always　in　storm　with　mountainous　seas。　How　could　you　drill　there？　How　could　you　make　the　rigs　safe；　how　would　you　supply　the　rigs；　how　could　you　possibly　get　the　oil　in　bulk　ashore；　even　if　you　found　it？　And　if　you　got　it　ashore；　my　God；　the　cost'd　be　prohibitive。〃
　〃Oh　quite　right；　Mr。　Dunross；〃　Kirk　agreed。　〃Everything　you　say's　quite　right；　but　then　it's　not　my　job　to　be　mercial；　just　to　find　our　elusive；　supremely　valuable　hydrocarbons。〃　He　added　proudly；　〃This　is　the　first　time　we've　ever　thought　they　could　exist　there。　Of　course；　it's　still　only　a　theory；　my　theory　…　you　never　know　for　certain　until　you　drill　…　but　part　of　my　expertise's　in　seismic　interpretation；　that's　the　study　of　waves　resulting　from　induced　explosions；　and　my　approach　to　the　latest　findings　was　a　wee　bitty　unorthodox。　。。。〃
　Dunross　listened　now　with　only　the　surface　of　his　brain；　still　trying　to　puzzle　out　why　AMG　should　consider　this　important。　He　allowed　Kirk　to　continue　for　a　while　then　politely　brought　him　back。　〃You've　convinced　me；　Mr。　Kirk。　I　congratulate　you。　How　long　are　you　staying　in　Hong　Kong？〃
　〃Oh。　Oh　just　till　Monday。　Then；　er；　then　we're　going　to　New　Guinea。〃
　Dunross　concentrated；　very　concerned。　〃Where　in　New　Guinea？〃
　〃To　a　place　called　Sukanapura；　on　the　north　coast；　that's　in　the　new　Indonesian　part。　I've　been　。。。〃　Kirk　smiled。　〃Sorry；　of　course　you'd　know　President　Sukarno　took　over　Dutch　New　Guinea　in　May。〃
　〃Stolen　might　be　another　way　of　putting　it。　If　it　hadn't　been　for　more　ill…advised　U。S。　pressure；　Dutch　New　Guinea'd　still　be　Dutch　and　far　better　off；　I　think。　I　don't　believe　it'd　be　a　good　idea　at　all　for　you　and　Mrs。　Kirk　to　go　there　for　a　while。　It's　very　dicey；　the　political　situation's　very　unstable　and　President　Sukarno's　hostile。　The　insurrection　in　Sarawak　is　Indonesian…sponsored　and　supported　…　he's　very　antagonistic　to　the　West；　to　all　Malaysia；　and　pro　his　Marxists。　Besides　Sukanapura　is　a　hot；　rotten；　spooky　port　with　lots　of　disease　on　top　of　all　the　other　troubles。〃
　〃Oh　you　don't　have　to　worry；　I　have　a　Scots　constitution；　and　we're　invited　by　the　government。〃
　〃My　point　is　that；　presently；　there's　very　little　government　influence。〃
　〃Ah；　but　there're　some　very　interesting　sedimentaries　they　want　me　to　look　at。　You　don't　have　to　worry；　Mr。　Dunross；　we're　geologists；　not　political。　Everything's　arranged　…　this　was　the　whole　purpose　of　our　trip　…　no　need　to　worry。　Well；　I　should　be　going。〃
　〃There's　。。。　I'm　having　a　small　cocktail　party　on　Saturday　from　7：30　to　9：00　p。m。；〃　he　said。　〃Perhaps　you　and　your　wife　would　like　to　e？　Then　we　can　talk　further　about　New　Guinea。〃
　〃Oh；　oh　that's　awfully　kind　of　you。　I；　er；　we'd　love　to。　Where　wo…　〃
　〃I'll　send　a　car　for　you。　Now；　perhaps　you'd　like　to　join　Mrs。　Kirk　…　I　won't　mention　AMG　if　you're　sure　that's　what　you　want。〃
　〃Oh！　Oh　yes。　Poor　Alan。　For　a　moment；　discussing　sedimentaries；　I'd　forgotten　about　him。　Curious；　isn't　it；　how　soon　one　can　forget。〃
　Dunross　sent　him　off　with　another　assistant　and　closed　the　door。　Carefully　he　broke　the　seals　of　AMG's　package。　Inside　there　was　an　envelope　and　an　inner　package。　The　envelope　was　addressed：　〃Ian　Dunross；　private　and　confidential。〃　Unlike　the　other　letter；　which　was　neatly　handwritten；　this　was　typed：　〃Dear　Mr。　Dunross；　This　es　in　haste　to　you　through　my　old　friend　Jamie。　I've　just　had　some　very　disquieting　news。　There　is　another　very　serious　security　leak　somewhere　in　our　system；　British　or　American；　and　it's　quite　clear　our　adversaries　are　stepping　up　their　clandestine　attacks。　Some　of　this　might　even　spill　over　onto　me；　even　to　you；　hence　my　anxiety。　To　you　because　it　could　be　the　existence　of　our　highly　classified　series　of　papers　has　been　discovered。　Should　anything　untoward　happen　to　me　please　call　871…65…65　in　Geneva。　Ask　for　Mrs。　Riko　Gresserhoff。　To　her；　my　name　is　Hans　Gresserhoff。　Her　real　name　is　Riko　Anjin。　She　speaks　German；　Japanese　and　English　…　a　little　French　…　and　if　I'm　owed　any　money　please　assign　it　to　her。　There　are　certain　papers　she　will　give　you；　some　for　transmission。　Please　deliver　them　personally