jamesclavell.noblehouse-第213章

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　Dunross　stared　at　him。　Tiptop　Toe　was　their　nickname　for　Tip　Tok…toh；　a　middle…aged　man　from　Hunan；　Mao　Tse…tung's　home　province；　who　had　arrived　during　the　exodus　in　1950。　No　one　seemed　to　know　anything　about　him；　he　bothered　no　one；　had　a　small　office　in　Princes　Building；　and　lived　well。　Over　the　years　it　was　evident　that　he　had　very　particular　contacts　within　the　Bank　of　China　and　it　came　to　be　presumed　that　he　was　an　official　unofficial　contact　of　the　bank。　No　one　knew　his　position　in　the　hierarchy　but　rumor　had　it　that　he　was　very　high。　The　Bank　of　China　was　the　only　mercial　arm　of　the　PRC　outside　of　China；　so　all　of　its　appointments　and　contacts　were　tightly　controlled　by　the　ruling　hierarchy　in　Peking。
　〃What　about　Tiptop？〃　Dunross　asked；　on　guard；　liking　Tiptop　…　a　charming；　quiet…spoken　man　who　enjoyed　Cognac　and　spoke　excellent　English；　though；　following　a　usual　pattern；　nearly　always　he　used　an　interpreter。　His　clothes　were　well　cut；　though　most　times　he　wore　a　Maoist　jacket；　looked　a　little　like　Chou　En…lai　and　was　just　as　clever。　The　last　time　Dunross　had　dealt　with　him　was　about　some　civilian　aircraft　the　PRC　had　wanted。　Tip　Tok…toh　had　arranged　the　letters　of　credit　and　financing　through　various　Swiss　and　foreign　banks　within　twenty…four　hours。　〃Tiptop's　canny；　Ian；〃　Alastair　Struan　had　said　many　times。　〃You　have　to　watch　yourself　but　he's　the　man　to　deal　with。　I'd　say　he　was　very　high　up　in　the　Party　in　Peking。　Very。〃
　Dunross　watched　Johnjohn；　curbing　his　impatience。　The　smaller　man　had　picked　up　one　of　the　snuff　bottles。　The　bottles　were　tiny；　ornate　ceramic　or　jade　or　glass　bottles　…　many　of　them　beautifully　painted　inside；　within　the　glass：　landscapes；　dancing　girls；　flowers；　birds；　seascapes；　even　poems　in　incredibly　delicate　calligraphy。　〃How　do　they　do　that；　Ian？　Paint　on　the　inside　like　that？〃
　〃Oh　they　use　a　very　fine　brush。　The　stem　of　the　brush's　bent　ninety　degrees。　In　Mandarin　they　call　it　li　myan　huai；　'inside　face　painting。'　〃　Dunross　lifted　up　an　elliptical　one　that　had　a　landscape　on　one　side；　a　spray　of　camellias　on　the　other　and　tiny　calligraphy　on　the　paintings。
　〃Astonishing！　What　patience！　What's　the　writing　say？〃
　Dunross　peered　at　the　tiny　column　of　characters。　〃Ah；　it's　one　of　Mao's　sayings：　'Know　yourself；　know　your　enemy；　a　hundred　battles；　a　hundred　victories。'　Actually　the　Chairman　took　it　out　of　Sun　Tzu。〃
　Thoughtfully　Johnjohn　examined　it。　The　windows　beyond　him　were　open。　A　small　breeze　twisted　the　neat　curtains。　〃Would　you　talk　to　Tiptop　for　us？〃
　〃About　what？〃
　〃We　want　to　borrow　the　Bank　of　China's　cash。〃
　Dunross　gaped　at　him。　〃Eh？〃
　850 JAMES　CLAVELL
　〃Yes；　for　a　week　or　so。　They're　full　to　the　gills　with　Hong　Kong　dollars　and　there's　no　run　on　them。　No　Chinese'd　dare　line　up　outside　the　Bank　of　China。　They　carry　Hong　Kong　dollars　as　part　of　their　foreign　exchange。　We'd　pay　good　interest　for　the　loan　and　put　up　whatever　collateral　they'd　need。〃
　〃This　is　a　formal　request　by　the　Victoria？〃
　〃No。　It　can't　be　formal。　This's　my　idea；　I　haven't　even　discussed　it　with　Paul　…　only　with　you。　Would　you？〃
　Dunross's　excitement　crested。　〃Do　I　get　my　100　million　loan　tomorrow　by　10：00　a。m。？〃
　〃Sorry；　I　can't　do　that。〃
　〃But　Havergill　can。〃
　〃He　can　but　he　won't。〃
　〃So　why　should　I　help　you？〃
　〃Ian；　if　the　bank　doesn't　stand　as　solid　as　the　Peak；　the　market'll　crash；　and　so　will　the　Noble　House。〃
　〃If　I　don't　get　some　financing　right　smartly　I'm　in　the　shit　anyway。〃
　〃I'll　do　what　I　can　but　will　you　talk　to　Tiptop　at　once？　Ask　him。　I　can't　approach　him　。。。　no　one　can　officially。　You'd　be　doing　the　Colony　a　great　service。〃
　〃Guarantee　my　loan　and　I'll　talk　to　him　tonight。　An　eye　for　an　eye　and　a　loan　for　a　loan。〃
　〃If　you　can　deliver　his　promise　of　a　credit　up　to　half　a　billion　in　cash　by　2：00　p。m。　tomorrow；　I'll　get　you　the　backing　you　need。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃I　don't　know！〃
　〃Give　that　to　me　in　writing　by　10：00　a。m。　signed　by　you；　Havergill　and　the　majority　of　the　board　and　I'll　go　and　see　him。〃
　〃That's　not　possible。〃
　〃Tough。　An　eye　for　an　eye　and　a　loan　for　a　loan。〃　Dunross　got　up。　〃Why　should　the　Bank　of　China　bale　out　the　Victoria？〃
　〃We're　Hong　Kong；〃　Johnjohn　said　with　great　confidence。　〃We　are。　We're　the　Victoria　Bank　of　Hong　Kong　and　China！　We're　old　friends　of　China。　Without　us　there's　nothing　…　the　Colony'd　fall　apart　and　so　would　Struan's　and　therefore　so　would　most　of　Asia。〃
　〃Don't　bet　on　that！〃
　〃Without　banking；　particularly　us；　China's　in　bad　shape。　We've　been　partners　for　years　with　China。〃
　〃Then　ask　Tiptop　yourself。〃
　〃I　can't。〃　Johnjohn's　jaw　was　jutting。　〃Did　you　know　the　Trade　Bank　of　Moscow　has　again　asked　for　a　license　to　trade　in　Hong　Kong？〃
　Dunross　gasped。　〃Once　they're　in　we're　all　on　the　merry…go…round。〃
　〃We've　been　offered；　privately；　substantial　Hong　Kong　dollars　immediately。〃
　〃The　board'll　vote　against　it。〃
　〃The　point　is；　my　dear　chap；　if　you're　no　longer　on　the　board；　the　new　board　can　do　what　the　hell　it　likes；〃　Johnjohn　said　simply。　〃If　the　'new'　board　agrees；　the　governor　and　the　Colonial　Office　can　easily　be　persuaded。　That'd　be　a　small　price　to　pay　…　to　save　our　dollar。　Once　an　official　Soviet　bank's　here　what　other　devilment　could　they　get　up　to；　eh？〃
　〃You're　worse　than　bloody　Havergill！〃
　〃No　old　chum；　better！〃　The　jesting　left　the　banker's　face。　〃Any　major　change　and　we　bee　the　Noble　House；　like　it　or　not。　Many　of　our　directors　would　prefer　you　gone；　at　any　price。　I'm　just　asking　you　to　do　Hong　Kong　and　therefore　yourself　a　favor。　Don't　forget；　Ian；　the　Victoria　won't　go　under；　we'll　be　hurt　but　not　ruined。〃　He　touched　a　bead　of　sweat　away。　〃No　threats；　Ian；　but　I'm　asking　for　a　favor。　One　day　I　may　be　chairman　and　I　won't　forget。〃
　〃Either　way。〃
　〃Of　course；　old　chum；〃　Johnjohn　said　sweetly　and　went　to　the　sideboard。　〃How　about　one　for　the　road　now？　Brandy？〃
　
　Robin　Grey　was　seated　in　the　back　of　Dunross's　Rolls　with　Hugh　Guthrie　and　Julian　Broadhurst；　Dunross　in　the　front　beside　his　uniformed　chauffeur。　The　windows　were　fogged。　Idly　Grey　streaked　the　mist　away；　enjoying　the　deep　luxury　of　the　sweet…smelling　leather。
　Soon　I'm　going　to　have　one　of　these；　he　thought。　A　Rolls　of　my　very　own。　With　a　chauffeur。　And　soon　all　these　bastards'll　be　crawling；　Ian　bloody　Dunross　included。　And　Penn！　Oh　yes；　my　dear　sweet　sneering　sister's　going　to　see　the　mighty　humbled。
　〃Is　it　going　to　rain　again？〃　Broadhurst　was　asking。
　〃Yes；〃　Dunross　replied。　〃They　think　this　storm's　developing　into　a　full…scale　typhoon　…　at　least　that's　what　the　Met　Office　said。　This　evening　I　got　a　report　from　Eastern　Cloud；　one　of　our　inbound　freighters　just　off　Singapore。　She　said　that　the　seas　were　heavy　even　that　far　south。〃
　〃Will　the　typhoon　hit　here；　tai…pan？〃　Guthrie；　the　Liberal　MP　asked。
　〃You　never　know　for　certain。　They　can　head　for　you　then　veer　off　at　the　last　minute。　Or　the　reverse。〃
　〃I　remember　reading　about　Wanda；　Typhoon　Wanda　last　year。　That　was　a　dilly；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃The　worst　I've　been　in。　Over　two　hundred　dead；　thousands　injured；　tens　of　thousands　made　homeless。〃　Dunross　had　his　arm　across　the　seat　and　he　was　half　turned　around。　〃Tai…fun；　the　Supreme　Winds；　were　gusting　to　170　mph　at　the　Royal　Observatory；　190　at　Tate's　Cairn。　The　eye　of　the　storm　came　over　us　at　high　tide　so　our　tides　in　places　were　twenty…three　feet　over　normal。〃
　〃Christ！〃
　〃Yes。　At　Sha　Tin　in　the　New　Territories　these　gusts　blew　the　tidal　surge　up　the　channel　and　breached　the　storm　shelter　and　shoved　fishing　boats　half　a　mile　inland　onto　the　main　street　and　drowned　most　of　the　village。　A　thousand　known　fishing　boats　vanished；　eight　freighters　aground；　millions　of　dollars　in　damage；　most　of　our　squatters'　areas　blown　into　the　sea。〃　Dunross　shrugged。　〃Joss！　But　considering　the　enormity　of　the　storm；　the　seaborne　damage　here　was　incredibly　small。〃　His　fingers　touched　the　leather　seat。　Grey　noticed　the　heavy　gold　and　bloodstone　signet　ring　with　the　Dunross　crest。　〃A　real　typhoon　shows　you　how　really　insignificant　you　are；〃　Dunross　said。
　〃Pity　we　don't　have　typhoons　every　day　in　that　case；〃　Grey　said　before　he　could　stop　himself。　〃We　could　use　having　the　mighty　in　Whitehall　humbled　twice　a　day。〃