jamesclavell.noblehouse-第206章

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ore　4：30　p。m。；　6：30；　8：30；　and　this　would　continue　until　6：30　a。m。　when　the　first　serious　interrogation　would　begin。　Within　ten　minutes　of　each　injection　the　client　would　be　artificially　pulled　out　of　sleep；　his　thirst　and　his　hunger　increased　by　the　drugs。　Food　would　be　wolfed　and　the　cold　tea　gulped　and　the　drugs　therein　would　quickly　take　effect。　Deep　sleep；　very　deep　very　quick　assisted　by　another　injection。　Darkness　and　harsh　light　alternated；　metallic　voices　and　silence　alternated。　Then　wake…up。　Breakfast。　And　two　hours　later；　dinner；　and　two　hours　later　breakfast。　To　an　increasingly　disoriented　mind　twelve　hours　would　bee　six　days　…　more　if　the　client　could　stand　it；　twelve　days；　every　hour　on　the　hour。　No　need　for　physical　torture；　just　darkness　and　disorientation；　enough　to　discover　that　which　you　wish　to　discover　from　the　enemy　client；　or　to　make　your　enemy　client　sign　what　you　want　him　to　sign；　soon　believing　your　truth　to　be　his　truth。
　Anyone。
　Anyone　after　a　week　of　sleep…wake…sleep　followed　by　two　or　three　days　of　no　sleep。
　Anyone。
　Oh　Christ　almighty；　Armstrong　thought；　you　poor　bloody　bastard；　you'll　try　to　hold　out　and　it　won't　do　you　a　bit　of　good。　None。
　But　then　most　of　Armstrong's　mind　shouted　back；　but　he's　not　your　friend　but　an　enemy　agent；　just　a　〃client〃　and　enemy　who　has　betrayed　you　and　everything　and　everyone　for　years。　It　was　probably　him　who　shopped　Fong…fong　and　his　lads　who're　now　in　some　lousy　stinking　cell　having　the　same　but　without　doctors　and　monitoring　and　care。　Still；　can　you　be　proud　of　this　type　of　treatment　…　can　any　civilized　person？
　No。　Is　it　necessary　to　stuff　lousy　chemicals　into　a　helpless　body？
　No　。。。　yes；　yes　it　is；　yes　it　is　sometimes；　and　killing's　necessary　sometimes；　mad　dogs；　people　…　oh　yes　some　people　are　evil　and　mad　dogs　are　evil。　Yes。　You've　got　to　use　these　modern　psychic　techniques；　developed　by　Pavlov　and　other　Soviets；　developed　by　munists　under　a　KGB　regime。　Ah　but　do　you　have　to　follow　them？
　Christ　I　don't　know　but　I　do　know　the　KGB're　trying　to　destroy　us　all　and　bring　us　all　down　to　their　level　an…　
　Armstrong's　eyes　focused　and　he　saw　them　all　staring　at　him。　〃What？〃
　〃Shall　we　maintain　the　two…hour　cycle；　sir？〃　the　doctor　repeated；　disquieted。
　〃Yes。　Yes；　and　at　6：30　we'll　begin　the　first　interview。〃
　〃Are　you　doing　that　yourself？〃
　〃It's　on　the　orders；　for　chrissake；〃　Armstrong　snarled。　〃Can't　you　bloody　read？〃
　〃Oh　sorry；〃　the　doctor　replied　at　once。　They　all　knew　of　Armstrong's　friendship　for　the　client　and　of　Crosse's　ordering　him　to　do　the　interrogation。　〃Would　you　like　a　sedative；　old　chap？〃　Dr。　Dorn　asked　solicitously。
　Armstrong　cursed　him　obscenely　and　left；　angry　that　he　had　allowed　the　doctor　to　needle　him　into　losing　his　temper。　He　went　to　the　top　floor；　to　the　officers'　mess。
　〃Barman！〃
　〃ing　up；　sir！〃
　His　usual　tankard　of　beer　came　quickly　but　tonight　the　smooth　dark　liquid　he　loved；　malt　heavy　and　bitter；　did　not　quench　his　thirst　or　cleanse　his　mouth。　A　thousand　times　he　had　worried　what　he　would　do　if　he　was　caught　by　them　and　put　naked　into　such　a　cell；　knowing　most　techniques　and　practices　and　being　on　guard。　Better　than　poor　bloody　Brian；　he　thought　grimly。　Poor　bugger　knows　so　little。　Yes；　but　does　more　knowledge　help　when　you're　the　client？
　His　skin　felt　clammy　with　fear…sweat　as　he　thought　of　what　was　ahead　of　Brian　Kwok。
　〃Barman！〃
　〃Yes　sir；　ing　up！〃
　〃Evening　Robert；　can　I　join　you？〃　Chief　Inspector　Donald　C。　C。　Smyth　asked。
　〃Oh；　hello。　Yes　。。。　sit　down；〃　he　told　the　younger　man　unenthusiastically。
　Smyth　sat　on　the　bar　stool　beside　him　and　eased　his　arm　that　was　in　a　sling　more　fortably。　〃How's　it　going？〃
　〃Routine。〃　Armstrong　saw　Smyth　nod　and　he　thought　how　apt　his　nickname　was。　The　Snake。　Smyth　was　good…looking；　smooth；　sinuous　like　a　snake　with　the　same　deadly　quality　of　danger　there；　and　the　same　habit　of　licking　his　lips　from　time　to　time　with　the　tip　of　his　tongue。
　〃Christ！　It's　still　impossible　to　believe　it's　Brian。〃　Smyth　was　one　of　the　few　in　the　know　about　Brian。　〃Shocking。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Robert；　I've　been　ordered　by　the　DCID〃　…　Director　of　Criminal　Investigation；　Armstrong's　ultimate　boss　…　〃to　take　over　the　Werewolf　case　from　you　while　you're　occupied。　And　any　others　you　might　want　me　to　cover。〃
　〃Everything's　in　the　files。　Sergeant　Major　Tang…po's　my　Number　Two　。。。　he's　a　good　detective；　very　good　in　fact。〃　Armstrong　quaffed　some　beer　and　added　cynically；　〃He's　well　connected。〃
　Smyth　smiled　with　his　mouth。　〃Good；　that's　a　help。〃
　〃Just　don't　organize　my　bloody　district。〃
　〃Perish　the　thought；　old　chum。　East　Aberdeen　takes　all　of　my　skill。　Now；　what　about　the　Werewolves？　Continue　surveillance　on　Phillip　Chen？〃
　〃Yes。　And　his　wife。〃
　〃Interesting　that　before　Dianne　married　that　old　miser　she　was　Mai…wei　T'Chung；　eh？　Interesting　too　that　one　of　her　cousins　was　Hummingbird　Sung。〃
　Armstrong　stared　at　him。　〃You've　been　doing　your　homework。〃
　〃All　part　of　the　service！〃　Smyth　added　grimly；　〃I'd　like　to　get　those　Werewolves　right　smartly。　We've　already　had　three　panic　calls　in　East　Aberdeen　from　people　who　have　had　phone　calls　from　the　Werewolves　demanding　h'eung　yau；　'velly　quicklee'　or　else　a　kidnapping。　I　hear　it's　the　same　all　over　the　Colony。　If　three　frightened　citizens　called　us；　you　can　bet　three　hundred　haven't　had　the　courage。〃　Smyth　sipped　his　whiskey　and　soda。　〃That's　not　good　for　business；　not　good　at　all。　There's　only　so　much　fat　on　the　cow。　If　we　don't　get　the　Werewolves　quickly　the　buggers'll　have　their　own　mint　…　a　few　quick　phone　calls　and　money'll　be　in　the　mail；　the　poor　bloody　victims　happy　to　pay　off　to　escape　their　attention　…　and　every　other　bloody　villain　here　with　a　sense　of　larceny　will　have　a　field　day　too。〃
　〃I　agree。〃　Armstrong　finished　his　beer。　〃You　want　another？〃
　〃Let　me。　Barman！〃
　Armstrong　watched　his　beer　being　drawn。　〃You　think　there's　a　connection　between　John　Chen　and　Hummingbird　Sung？〃　He　remembered　Sung；　the　wealthy　shipping　magnate　with　the　oral　reputation；　kidnapped　six　years　ago；　and　smiled　wryly：　〃Christ；　I　haven't　thought　about　him　in　years。〃
　〃Nor　me。　The　cases　don't　parallel　and　we　put　his　kidnappers　into　pokey　for　twenty　years　and　they'll　rot　there　but　you　never　know。　Perhaps　there's　a　connection。〃　Smyth　shrugged。　〃Dianne　Chen　must　have　hated　John　Chen　and　I'm　sure　he　hated　her　back；　everyone　knows　that。　Same　with　old　Hummingbird。〃　He　laughed。　〃Hummingbird's　other　nickname；　in　the　trade　so　to　speak；　is　Nosy…nosy。〃
　Armstrong　grunted。　He　rubbed　the　tiredness　out　of　his　eyes。　〃Might　be　worth　going　to　see　John's　wife；　Barbara。　I　was　going　to　do　that　tomorrow　but　。。。　well；　it　might　be　worthwhile。〃
　〃I've　already　got　an　appointment。　And　I'm　going　out　to　Sha　Tin　first　thing。　Maybe　those　local　buggers　missed　something　in　the　rain。〃
　〃Good　idea。〃　Uneasily　Armstrong　watched　the　Snake　sipping　his　whiskey。　〃What's　on　your　mind？〃　he　asked；　knowing　there　was　something。
　Smyth　looked　up　at　him　directly。　〃There're　a　lot　of　things　I　don't　understand　about　this　kidnapping。　For　instance；　why　was　such　a　huge　reward　offered　by　the　High　Dragons　for　John's　recapture；　curiously；　dead　or　alive？〃
　〃Ask　them。〃
　〃I　have。　At　least；　I　asked　someone　who　knows　one　of　them。〃　The　Snake　shrugged。　〃Nothing。　Nothing　at　all。〃　He　hesitated。　〃We'll　have　to　go　back　into　John's　past。〃
　Armstrong　felt　a　shaft　of　cold　that　he　kept　buried。　〃Good　idea。〃
　〃Did　you　know　Mary　knew　him？　In　the　POW　camp　at　Stanley？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Armstrong　drank　some　beer　without　tasting　it。
　〃She　might　give　us　a　lead　…　if　John　was；　say；　connected　with　black　market　in　the　camp。〃　His　pale　blue　eyes　held　Armstrong's　pale　blue　eyes。　〃Might　be　worth　asking。〃
　〃I'll　think　about　that。　Yes；　I'll　think　about　that。〃　The　big　man　bore　the　Snake　no　malice。　If　he　had　been　the　Snake　he　would　have　asked　too。　The　Werewolves　were　very　bad　news　and　the　first　wave　of　terror　had　already　rushed　through　Chinese　society。　How　many　more　people　know　about　Mary　and　John　Chen？　he　asked　himself。　Or　about　the　40；000　that's　still　burning　a　hole　in　my　desk；　still　burning　a　hole　in　my　soul。　〃It　was　a　long　time　ago。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　Armstrong　lifted　his　beer。　〃You've　got　your　'friends'