jamesclavell.noblehouse-第192章

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。　There　are　certain　papers　she　will　give　you；　some　for　transmission。　Please　deliver　them　personally　when　convenient。　As　I　said；　it's　rare　to　find　someone　to　trust；　I　trust　you。　You're　the　only　one　on　earth　who　knows　about　her　and　her　real　name。　Remember；　it　is　vital　that　neither　this　letter　nor　my　previous　papers　go　out　of　your　hands　to　anyone。
　〃First；　to　explain　about　Kirk：　Within　ten　years　or　so　I　believe　the　Arab　nations　will　bury　their　differences　and　use　the　real　power　they　have；　not　against　Israel　directly　but　against　the　Western　world　…　forcing　us　into　an　intolerable　position：　Do　we　abandon　Israel　。。。　or　do　we　starve？　They　use　their　oil　as　a　weapon　of　war。
　〃If　they　ever　manage　to　work　together；　a　handful　of　sheiks　and　feudal　kings　in　Saudi　Arabia；　Iran；　the　Persian　Gulf　States；　Iraq；　Libya；　can；　at　their　whim；　cut　off　Western　and　Japanese　supplies　of　the　one　raw　material　that　is　indispensable。　They　have　an　even　more　sophisticated　opportunity：　to　raise　the　price　to　unprecedented　heights　and　hold　our　economies　to　ransom。　Oil　is　the　ultimate　weapon　for　Arabia。　Unbeatable　so　long　as　we're　dependent　on　their　oil。　Hence　my　immediate　interest　in　Kirk's　theory。
　〃Nowadays　it　costs　about　eight　cents　American　to　get　one　barrel　of　oil　to　the　surface　of　an　Arabian　desert。　From　the　North　Sea　it　would　cost　seven　dollars　to　bring　one　barrel　ashore；　in　bulk；　to　Scotland。　If　Arabian　oil　jumped　from　its　present　three　dollars　a　barrel　on　the　world　market　to　nine　。。。　I'm　sure　you　get　the　point　immediately。　At　once　North　Sea　bees　immensely　possible；　and　a　British　national　treasure。
　〃Jamie　says　the　fields　are　to　the　north　and　east　of　Scotland。　The　port　of　Aberdeen　would　be　the　logical　place　to　bring　it　ashore。　A　wise　man　would　start　looking　at　wharfing；　real　estate；　airfields；　in　Aberdeen。　Don't　worry　about　bad　weather；　helicopters　will　be　the　connecting　links　to　the　rigs。　Expensive　yes；　but　viable。　Further；　if　you　will　accept　my　forecast　that　Labour　will　win　the　next　election　because　of　the　Profumo　scandal　。。。〃
　The　case　had　filled　the　newspapers。　Six　months　before；　in　March；　the　Secretary　of　State　for　War；　John　Profumo；　had　formally　denied　that　he　had　ever　had　an　affair　with　a　notorious　call　girl；　Christine　Keeler；　one　of　several　girls　who　had　suddenly　sprung　to　international　prominence　with　their　procurer；　Stephen　Ward　…　up　to　that　time　just　a　well…known　osteopath　in　London's　high　society。　Unsubstantiated　rumors　began　to　circulate　that　the　girl　had　also　been　having　an　affair　with　one　of　the　Soviet　attachés；　a　well…known　KGB　agent；　mander　Yevgeny　Ivanov；　who　had　been　recalled　to　Russia　the　previous　December。　In　the　uproar　that　followed；　Profumo　resigned；　and　Stephen　Ward　mitted　suicide。
　〃It　is　curious　that　the　affair　was　revealed　to　the　press　at　the　perfect　time　for　the　Soviets；〃　Grant　continued。　〃I　have　no　proof；　yet；　but　it's　not　just　a　coincidence　in　my　opinion。　Remember　it　is　Soviet　doctrine　to　fragment　countries　…　North　Korea　and　South；　East　Germany　and　West；　and　so　on　…　then　to　let　their　indoctrinated　underlings　do　their　work　for　them。　So　I　think　the　pro…Soviet　Socialists　will　help　fragment　Britain　into　England；　Scotland；　Wales　and　south　and　north　Ireland　（watch　Eire　and　Northern　Ireland　which　is　a　ready…made　arena　for　Soviet　merrymaking）。
　〃Now　for　my　suggested　Contingency　Plan　One　for　the　Noble　House：　To　be　circumspect　about　England　and　to　concentrate　on　Scotland　as　a　base。　North　Sea　oil　would　make　Scotland　abundantly　self…sufficient。　The　population　is　small；　hardy　and　nationalistic。　As　an　entity；　Scotland　would　be　practical　now；　and　defensible　…　with　an　abundant　exportable　oil　supply。　A　strong　Scotland　could　perhaps　help　tip　the　scales　and　help　a　tottering　England　。。。　our　poor　country；　Mr。　Dunross！　I　fear　greatly　for　England。
　〃Perhaps　this　is　another　of　my　farfetched　theories。　But　reconsider　Scotland；　Aberdeen；　in　the　light　of　a　new　North　Sea。〃
　〃Ridiculous！〃　Dunross　exploded　and　he　stopped　reading　for　a　moment；　his　mind　swept；　then　cautioned　himself；　don't　go　off　at　half　cock！　AMG's　farfetched　sometimes；　given　to　exaggeration；　he's　a　right…wing　imperialist　who　sees　fifteen　Reds　under　every　bed。　But　what　he　says　could　be　possible。　If　it's　possible；　then　it　must　be　considered。　If　there　were　a　vast　worldwide　oil　shortage　and　we　were　prepared；　we　could　make　a　fortune；　he　told　himself；　his　excitement　growing。　It'd　be　easy　to　buy　into　Aberdeen　now；　easy　to　begin　a　calculated　retreat　from　London　without　hurting　anything　…　Edinburgh　has　all　the　modern　amenities　of　banking；　munications；　ports；　airfields；　that　we'd　need　to　operate　efficiently。　Scotland　for　the　Scots；　with　abundant　oil　for　export？　pletely　viable；　but　not　separate；　somehow　within　a　strong　Britain。　But　if　the　city　of　London；　Parliament　and　Threadneedle　Street　bee　left…wing　choked　。。。
　The　hair　on　the　nape　of　his　neck　twisted　at　the　thought　of　Britain　being　buried　under　a　shroud　of　left…wing　socialism。　What　about　Robin　Grey？　Or　Julian　Broadhurst？　he　asked　himself；　chilled。　Certainly　they'd　nationalize　everything；　they'd　grab　North　Sea　oil；　if　any；　and　put　Hong　Kong　on　the　block　…　they've　already　said　they　would。
　With　an　effort　he　tabled　that　thought　for　later；　turned　the　page　and　read　on。　〃Next；　I　think　I've　identified　three　of　your　Sevrin　moles。　The　information　was　expensive　…　I　may　need　extra　money　before　Christmas　…　and　I　am　not　certain　of　the　accuracy　（I'm　trying　to　cross…check　at　once；　realizing　the　importance　to　you）。　The　moles　are　believed　to　be：　Jason　Plumm　of　a　pany　called　Asian　Properties；　Lionel　Tuke　in　the　telephone　pany；　and　Jacques　deVille　in　Struan's　。。。〃
　〃Impossible！〃　Dunross　burst　out　loud。　〃AMG's　gone　mad！　Plumm's　as　impossible　as　Jacques；　totally　absolutely　impossible。　There's　no　way　they　co…　〃
　His　private　phone　began　ringing。　Automatically　he　picked　it　up。　〃Yes？〃
　〃This　is　the　overseas　operator　calling　Mr。　Dunross。〃
　〃Who's　calling　him　please？〃　he　snapped。
　〃Will　Mr。　Dunross　accept　a　collect　call　from　Sydney；　Australia；　from　a　Mr。　Duncan　Dunross？〃
　The　tai…pan's　heart　missed　a　beat。　〃Of　course！　Hello；　Duncan　。。。　Duncan？〃
　〃Father？〃
　〃Hello；　my　son；　are　you　all　right？〃
　〃Oh　yes；　sir；　absolutely！〃　he　heard　his　son　say　and　his　anxiety　fled。　〃I'm　sorry　to　call　you　during　the　working　day；　Father；　but　my　Monday　flight's　overbooked　an…　〃
　〃Damnit；　you　have　a　confirmed　booking；　laddie。　I'll　get　p…　〃
　〃No；　Father；　thank　you；　that's　perfectly　all　right。　Now　I'm　on　an　earlier　one。　I'm　on　Singapore　Airlines　Flight　6　which　arrives　Hong　Kong　at　noon。　Don't　bother　to　meet　me；　I'll　get　a　taxi　an…　〃
　〃Look　for　the　car；　Duncan。　Lee　Choy　will　be　there。　But　e　to　the　office　before　you　go　home；　eh？〃
　〃All　right。　I've　validated　my　tickets　and　everything。〃
　Dunross　heard　the　pride　in　his　son's　voice　and　it　warmed　him。　〃Good。　Well　done。　By　the　way；　cousin　Linbar　will　be　arriving　tomorrow　on　Qantas　at　8：00　p。m。　your　time。　He'll　be　staying　at　the　house　too。〃　Struan's　had　had　a　pany　house　in　Sydney　since　1900　and　a　permanent　office　there　since　the　eighties。　Hag　Struan　had　gone　into　partnership　with　an　immensely　wealthy　wheat　farmer　named　Bill　Scragger　and　their　pany　had　flourished　until　the　crash　of　1929。　〃Did　you　have　a　good　holiday？〃
　〃Oh　smashing！　Smashing；　yes；　I　want　to　e　back　next　year。　I　met　a　smashing　girl；　Father。〃
　〃Oh？〃　Half　of　Dunross　wanted　to　smile；　the　other　half　was　still　locked　into　the　nightmare　possibility　that　Jacques　was　a　traitor；　and　if　traitor　and　part　of　Sevrin；　was　he　the　one　who　supplied　some　of　their　innermost　secrets　to　Linc　Bartlett？　No；　Jacques　couldn't　have。　He　couldn't　possibly　have　known　about　our　bank　holdings。　Who　knows　about　those？　Who　wou…　
　〃Father？〃
　〃Yes；　Duncan？〃
　He　heard　the　hesitancy；　then　his　son　said　in　a　run；　trying　to　sound　manly；　〃Is　it　all　right　for　a　fellow　to　have　a　girl　friend　a　little　older　than　himself？〃
　Dunross　smiled　gently　and　started　to　dismiss　the　thought　as　his　son　was　only　just　fifteen；　but　then　he　remembered　Elegant　Jade　when　he　himself　was　not　quite　fifteen；　surely　more　of　a　man　than　Duncan。　Not　necessarily；　he　thought　honestly。　Duncan's　tall　and　growing　and　just　as　much　a　man。　And　didn't　I　love　her　to　madness　that　year　and　the　next　year　and　didn't　I　almost