jamesclavell.noblehouse-第194章

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　〃Geneva　871…65…65；　station　to　station；〃　he　said　into　his　private　phone。　Tiredness　engulfed　him。　His　sleep　last　night　had　been　disturbed；　his　dreams　dragging　him　back　to　war；　back　to　his　flaming　cockpit；　the　smell　of　burning　in　his　nostrils；　then　waking；　chilled；　listening　to　the　rain；　soon　to　get　up　silently；　Penn　sleeping　soundly；　the　Great　House　quiet　except　for　old　Ah　Tat　who；　as　always；　had　his　tea　made。　Then　to　the　track　and　chased　all　day；　his　enemies　closing　in　and　nothing　but　bad　news。　Poor　old　John　Chen；　he　thought；　then　made　the　effort　to　push　his　weariness　away。　Perhaps　I　can　kip　for　an　hour　between　five　and　six。　I'll　need　all　my　wits　tonight。
　The　operator　made　the　connections　and　he　heard　the　number　ringing。
　〃Ja？〃　the　gentle　voice　said。
　〃Hier　ist　Herr　Dunross　im　Hong　Kong。　Frau　Gresserhoff　bitte；〃　he　said　in　good　German。
　〃Oh！〃　There　was　a　long　pause。　〃Ich　bin　Frau　Gresserhoff。　Tai…pan？〃
　〃Ah　so　desu！　Ohayo　gozaimasu。　Anata　wa　Anjin　Riko…san？〃　he　asked；　his　Japanese　accent　excellent。　Good　morning。　Your　name　is　also　Riko　Anjin？
　〃Hai。　Hai；　dozo。　Ah；　nihongo　wa　jotzu　desu。〃　Yes。　Oh　you　speak　Japanese　very　well。
　〃Iye；　sukoshi；　gomen　nasai。〃　No；　sorry；　only　a　little。　As　part　of　his　training；　he　had　spent　two　years　in　their　Tokyo　office。　〃Ah；　so　sorry；〃　he　continued　in　Japanese；　〃but　I'm　calling　about　Mr。　Gresserhoff。　Have　you　heard？〃
　〃Yes。〃　He　could　hear　the　sadness。　〃Yes。　I　heard　on　Monday。〃
　〃I've　just　received　a　letter　from　him。　He　said　you　have　some；　some　things　for　me？〃　he　asked　cautiously。
　〃Yes；　tai…pan。　Yes　I　have。〃
　〃Would　it　be　possible　for　you　to　bring　them　here？　So　sorry；　but　I　cannot　e　to　you。〃
　〃Yes。　Yes　of　course；〃　she　said　hesitantly；　her　Japanese　soft　and　pleasing。　〃When　should　I　e？〃
　〃As　soon　as　possible。　If　you　go　to　our　office　on　Avenue　Bern　in　a　couple　of　hours；　say　at　noon；　there　will　be　tickets　and　money　for　you。　I　believe　there's　a　Swissair　connection　that　leaves　this　afternoon　…　if　that　were　possible。〃
　Again　the　hesitation。　He　waited　patiently。　AMG's　letter　writhed　in　the　ashtray　as　it　burned。　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃That　would　be　possible。〃
　〃I'll　make　all　the　arrangements　for　you。　Would　you　like　someone　to　travel　with　you？〃
　〃No；　no　thank　you；〃　she　said；　her　voice　so　quiet　that　he　had　to　cup　one　hand　over　his　ear　to　hear　better。　〃Please　excuse　me　for　causing　all　this　trouble。　I　can　make　the　arrangements。〃
　〃Truly；　it's　no　trouble；〃　he　said；　pleased　that　his　Japanese　was　flowing　and　colloquial。　〃Please　go　to　my　office　at　noon。　。。。　By　the　way；　the　weather　here　is　warm　and　wet。　Ah；　so　sorry；　please　excuse　me　for　asking　but　is　your　passport　Swiss　or　Japanese；　and　under　what　name　would　you　travel？〃
　An　even　longer　pause。　〃I　would　。。。　I　think　I　should　。。。　It　would　be　Swiss；　my　travel　name　should　be　Riko　Gresserhoff。〃
　〃Thank　you　Mrs。　Gresserhoff。　I　look　forward　to　seeing　you。　Kiyoskette；　〃　he　ended。　Have　a　safe　journey。
　Thoughtfully　he　put　the　phone　back　onto　its　cradle。　The　last　of　AMG's　letter　twisted　and　died　with　a　thread　of　smoke。　Carefully　he　crumbled　the　ashes　into　powder。
　Now　what　about　Jacques？
　
　46
　
　5：45　P。M。：
　Jacques　deVille　plodded　up　the　marble　stairs　of　the　Mandarin　Hotel　to　the　mezzanine　floor；　packed　with　people　having　late　tea。
　He　took　off　his　raincoat　and　went　through　the　crowds；　feeling　very　old。　He　had　just　talked　to　his　wife；　Susanne；　in　Nice。　The　specialist　from　Paris　had　made　another　examination　of　Avril　and　thought　that　her　internal　injuries　might　not　be　as　bad　as　first　thought。
　〃He　says　we　have　to　be　patient；〃　Susanne　had　told　him　in　her　gushing　Parisienne　French。　〃But　Mother　of　God；　how　can　we　be？　The　poor　child's　distraught　and　losing　her　mind。　She　keeps　saying；　'But　I　was　the　driver；　it　was　me；　Mumma；　me；　but　for　me　my　Borge　would　be　alive；　but　for　me。　。。。'　I　fear　for　her；　chéri！〃
　〃Does　she　know　yet　that　her　。。。　about　her　inside？〃
　〃No；　not　yet。　The　doctor　says　not　to　tell　her　until　he's　sure。〃　Susanne　had　begun　to　cry。
　In　agony　he　had　calmed　her　as　best　he　could　and　said　he　would　call　her　back　in　an　hour。　For　a　while　he　had　considered　what　he　should　do；　then　he　had　made　arrangements　and　had　left　his　office　and　e　here。
　The　public　phone　booth　near　the　newsstand　was　occupied　so　he　bought　an　afternoon　paper　and　glanced　at　the　headlines。　Twenty　killed　in　resettlement　mud　slides　above　Aberdeen　。。。　Rain　to　continue　。。。　Will　Saturday's　Great　Race　Day　be　canceled？　。。。　JFK　warns　Soviets　not　to　interfere　in　Vietnam　。。。　Atom　Test　Ban　Treaty　signed　in　Moscow　by　Dean　Rusk；　Andrei　Gromyko　and　Sir　Alec　Douglas…Home；　rejected　by　France　and　China　。。。　Malayan　munists　step　up　offensive　。。。　Kennedy's　second　son；　born　prematurely；　dies　。。。　Manhunt　for　the　British　Great　Train　Robbers　continues　。。。　Profumo　scandal　damages　Conservative　Party　。。。
　〃Excuse　me；　sir；　are　you　waiting　for　the　phone？〃　an　American　woman　asked　from　behind　him。
　〃Oh；　oh　yes；　thank　you；　sorry！　I　didn't　see　that　it　was　empty。〃　He　went　into　the　booth；　closed　the　door；　put　in　the　coin　and　dialed。　The　ringing　tone　began。　He　felt　his　anxiety　rising。
　〃Yes？〃
　〃Mr。　Lop…sing　please；〃　he　said；　not　sure　of　the　voice　yet。
　〃There's　no　Mr。　Lop…ting　here。　Sorry；　you　have　a　wrong　number。〃
　〃I　want　to　leave　a　message；〃　he　said；　relieved　to　recognize　Suslev's　voice。
　〃You　have　a　wrong　number。　Look　in　your　phone　book。〃
　When　the　code　was　pleted　correctly；　he　began；　〃Sorry　to　c…　〃
　〃What　is　your　number？〃　interrupted　him　harshly。
　Jacques　gave　it　at　once。
　〃Is　it　a　phone　booth？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Immediately　the　phone　clicked　off。　As　he　hung　up　he　felt　a　sudden　sweat　on　his　hands。　Suslev's　number　was　only　to　be　used　in　an　emergency　but　this　was　an　emergency。　He　stared　at　the　phone。
　〃Excuse　me；　sir；〃　the　American　woman　called　out　through　the　glass　doors。　〃Can　I　use　the　phone？　I　won't　be　a　moment。〃
　〃Oh！　Oh　I'm　…　I　won't　be　a　second；〃　Jacques　said；　momentarily　flustered。　He　saw　that　three　Chinese　were　waiting　impatiently　behind　her　now。　They　stared　at　him　balefully。　〃I'm　。。。　I'll　just　be　a　second。〃　He　reclosed　the　door；　sweat　on　his　back。　He　waited　and　waited　and　waited　and　then　the　phone　rang。　〃Hello？〃
　〃What's　the　emergency？〃
　〃I　。。。　I　just　heard　from　Nice。〃　Carefully　Jacques　told　Suslev　about　his　conversation　with　his　wife　without　mentioning　any　names。　〃I'm　going　there　at　once　on　the　evening　flight　…　and　I　thought　I'd　better　tell　you　personally　so　the…　〃
　〃No；　this　evening's　too　soon。　Book　tomorrow；　on　the　evening　flight。〃
　Jacques　felt　his　world　collapse。　〃But　I　talked　to　the　tai…pan　a　few　minutes　ago　and　he　said　it　was　all　right　for　me　to　go　tonight。　I'm　booked。　I　can　be　back　in　three　days；　she　really　sounded　awful　on　the　phone。　Don't　you　th…　〃
　〃No！〃　Suslev　told　him　more　sharply。　〃I　will　call　you　tonight　as　arranged。　This　could　all　have　waited　till　then。　Don't　use　this　number　again　unless　there's　a　real　emergency！〃
　Jacques　opened　his　mouth　to　answer　hotly　but　the　phone　was　already　dead。　He　had　heard　the　anger。　But　this　is　an　emergency；　he　told　himself；　enraged；　beginning　to　redial。　Susanne　needs　me　there　and　so　does　Avril。　And　the　tai…pan　was　all　for　it。
　〃Good　idea；　Jacques；〃　Dunross　had　said　at　once。　〃Take　all　the　time　you　need。　Andrew　can　cover　for　you。〃
　And　now　。。。　Merde；　what　do　I　do？　Suslev's　not　my　keeper！
　Isn't　he？
　DeVille　stopped　dialing；　his　sweat　chilling；　and　hung　up。
　〃Are　you　finished；　sir？〃　the　American　woman　called　out　with　her　insistent　smile。　She　was　in　her　fifties；　her　hair　fashionably　blue。　〃There's　a　line　waiting。〃
　〃Oh　。。。　oh　yes；　sorry。〃　He　fought　the　door　open。
　〃You　forgot　your　paper；　sir；〃　she　said　politely。
　〃Oh；　oh　thank　you。〃　Jacques　deVille　reached　back　for　it　and　came　out　in　misery。　At　once　all　the　Chinese；　three　men　and　a　woman；　surged　forward；　elbowing　him　and　the　American　lady　out　of　the　way。　A　heavyset　matron　got　to　the　door　first　and　slammed　it　shut　behind　her；　the　others　crowding　to　be　next。
　〃Hey　。。。　it　was　my　turn；〃　the　American　woman　began　angrily　but　they　paid　no　attention　to　her　except　to　curse　her　and　her　antecedents　openly　and　with　great　vulgarity。
　
　Suslev　was　standing　in　the　sleazy　Kowloon　apartment　that　was　one　of　Arthur's　safe　houses；　his　heart　still　thumping　from